MD High stats/low ECs, What are my chances?

[ladorada]

Hi! I'm looking for some advice about my school list and general chances. I know that my extra-curriculars are lacking, and I'm not sure how much that will affect my chances at top schools. I am planning to apply this cycle, and I don't really want to take a gap year. I feel like my school list might be too top heavy, but I'm not sure where else I should apply because of OOS bias. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you guys!

1. cGPA: 3.97 sGPA: 4.0
2. MCAT: 523 (131,130,132,130)
3. State of residence: TN
4. Ethnicity and/or race: Caucasian
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Large Southern State School
6. Clinical experience: 50 hours volunteering in a free clinic
7. Research experience: Just started this semester in a lab on campus (~100 hours by time of application), currently writing a publication that will hopefully be submitted to a small journal in the fall.
8. Shadowing experience: 80 hours shadowing (40 hours sports medicine, 24 hours pediatric orthopedics, 16 hours family med)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 40 hours with Habitat for Humanity
10. Other extracurricular activities: 1 semester on D1 rowing team, 1 year of paid ESL tutoring, 2 summers studying abroad

Tentative School List:
Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, Penn, WashU, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Pitsburgh, Baylor, Boston U, UNC (ties to state), Michigan, Ohio State, UAB, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky

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[Goro]

It's a great list, but I consider the ECs to be lethally weak, especially if your aiming high. My own student interviewers would eat you alive at interviews.

My read of what it takes to get into Top Schools, based upon a small n of successful SDNers, is that they have hundreds, and even thousands of hours of patient contact experience and/or service to others less fortunate than themselves.

Your research hours are also weak for the powerhouses.

In essence, what your app says is that you excelled in academics and nothing else.

Hi! I'm looking for some advice about my school list and general chances. I know that my extra-curriculars are lacking, and I'm not sure how much that will affect my chances at top schools. I am planning to apply this cycle, and I don't really want to take a gap year. I feel like my school list might be too top heavy, but I'm not sure where else I should apply because of OOS bias. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you guys!

1. cGPA: 3.97 sGPA: 4.0
2. MCAT: 523 (131,130,132,130)
3. State of residence: TN
4. Ethnicity and/or race: Caucasian
5. Undergraduate institution or category: Large Southern State School
6. Clinical experience: 50 hours volunteering in a free clinic
7. Research experience: Just started this semester in a lab on campus (~100 hours by time of application), currently writing a publication that will hopefully be submitted to a small journal in the fall.
8. Shadowing experience: 80 hours shadowing (40 hours sports medicine, 24 hours pediatric orthopedics, 16 hours family med)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 40 hours with Habitat for Humanity
10. Other extracurricular activities: 1 semester on D1 rowing team, 1 year of paid ESL tutoring, 2 summers studying abroad

Tentative School List:
Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, Penn, WashU, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Pitsburgh, Baylor, Boston U, UNC (ties to state), Michigan, Ohio State, UAB, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky

 

[ladorada]

It's a great list, but I consider the ECs to be lethally weak, especially if your aiming high. My own student interviewers would eat you alive at interviews.

My read of what it takes to get into Top Schools, based upon a small n of successful SDNers, is that they have hundreds, and even thousands of hours of patient contact experience and/or service to others less fortunate than themselves.

Your research hours are also weak for the powerhouses.

In essence, what your app says is that you excelled in academics and nothing else.

Thanks for your response. I don't have any great excuse for not having better ECs, other than I was especially shy as a freshman and I just didn't realize their importance or value early on. While I would love to get into a top school, I understand that may not be realistic with my ECs. Provided that I do not take a gap year, do you have any suggestions for schools where I would have a good chance? Or suggestions for schools that I stand no chance at that I should remove?

 

[Faha]

Due to your weak EC's you should add other schools since your list is very top heavy. Your state school is your best chance but consider adding these:
East Tennessee
Tulane
Wake Forest
Hofstra
Miami
Jefferson
Rochester
Case Western
Your high MCAT will attract attention somewhere but it is difficult to predict which schools due to your lack of EC's.

 

[Goro]

Remove all.

Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, Penn, WashU, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Pitsburgh, Baylor, Boston U, UNC (ties to state), Michigan, Ohio State, UAB, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky[/QUOTE]

 

[ladorada]

Remove all.

Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, Penn, WashU, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Pitsburgh, Baylor, Boston U, UNC (ties to state), Michigan, Ohio State, UAB, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky

[/QUOTE]
Ouch. Are you saying don't apply this cycle at all? I hope I'd at least have a good shot at Tennessee, seeing as it's my state school.

 

[Goro]

Ouch. Are you saying don't apply this cycle at all? I hope I'd at least have a good shot at Tennessee, seeing as it's my state school.[/QUOTE]
Try the two TN schools

 

[tbonez71]

Is there a particular circumstance that prevents you from taking a gap year, or do you just not want to spend the time out of school? With your stats and even half decent ECs I imagine you would have a very good cycle. Applying now is not only selling yourself short of your potential, but also doing yourself a disservice. You will be doing medicine the rest of your life, there is no reason to rush into it.

 

[ladorada]

Is there a particular circumstance that prevents you from taking a gap year, or do you just not want to spend the time out of school? With your stats and even half decent ECs I imagine you would have a very good cycle. Applying now is not only selling yourself short of your potential, but also doing yourself a disservice. You will be doing medicine the rest of your life, there is no reason to rush into it.

Because of when I took my MCAT, I could only take a maximum of one gap year before it expires at most schools, so I would only have my senior year to improve my application. I will still be taking some difficult classes my senior year and honestly don't feel like my research is going to go anywhere. I've also personally found that my school and its town have somewhat limited opportunities for premeds (It's mostly a big party school). So, I'm just very worried that even with the gap year, I wouldn't be able to meet the expectations of top schools.