How can I improve my app?

[ljkeeper]

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Hey guys, long time lurker here, haven't posted much in a while. I was wondering if I can get some feedback from fellow non-trads and hopefully even some people from varying admissions committees. Just a little background about myself, I'm a white male from the Midwest in my 20s. I graduated with my BSN a couple years ago and have about 2 years of floor experience as a cardiac ICU nurse. Other relevant details:

cGPA/sGPA: both nearly identical at 3.5, trend is neither up or down, my post bac classes (28 credits) I managed mostly A's but a still had 2 B's.​

MCAT: 516 (129/129/129/129)​

Research: Just a couple different poster presentations, 1 from undergrad, the other was research done as a member of a small hospital committee​

Shadowing: 25 hours of shadowing a hospitalist, plan to add some more primary care hours prior to application​

Tutored Pathophysiology to undergrad students for 2 years, tutored Physiology for 1 year.​

Prior to graduation worked a landscaping job during my summers, the last two of which I managed a crew primarily by myself​

Volunteering: Prior to graduation I had some involvement coaching youth soccer teams, went on a couple mission trips to different Indian reservations to help communities, but have little steady involvement in anything particular. (0 clinical volunteering but as stated above will have nearly 4000 hours of paid clinical experience)​

I personally feel that my red flags on my application are my sub standard GPA and my relative lack of volunteering. I have thought about pursuing a more active role in community volunteering activities but my fear is that it will look to admission committees like I am only doing it so I can just check a box. I didn't do much in the couple years since graduating with my undergrad mostly due to time constraints. I have a child that was born during my last semester of undergrad and between working a full time job, taking care of a 1 year old, taking 8 credits which usually included 2 labs each semester, and reviewing for the MCAT I simply did not have additional time to volunteer.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to give me feedback!

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[Rogue42]

Have you worked as a BSN? If you have, then a lot of the time it will overshadow the lack of volunteering. TBH, your Post-bacc was great, and a 3.5 with that kind of an MCAT puts you in good position for your state MDs, low-tier MDs for sure, and every DO school in the country. If anything, increase your volunteering as your gpa should be fine.

 

[ljkeeper]

Have you worked as a BSN? If you have, then a lot of the time it will overshadow the lack of volunteering. TBH, your Post-bacc was great, and a 3.5 with that kind of an MCAT puts you in good position for your state MDs, low-tier MDs for sure, and every DO school in the country. If anything, increase your volunteering as your gpa should be fine.

Yes, my last 2 years were spent working as a BSN

 

[curbsideconsult]

You don't need more shadowing. You have plenty of clinical experience. Redirect that time to more volunteer hours. Though if you're applying 2019-2020 cycle, starting a new volunteer project now won't help much.

 

[RNthenDoc]

Looks like a solid app to me!
Your hospital probably has some community outreach you could do, and that might be worth doing.

Just make a smart school list and practice interviewing and you should be solid

 

[ljkeeper]

Looks like a solid app to me!
Your hospital probably has some community outreach you could do, and that might be worth doing.

Just make a smart school list and practice interviewing and you should be solid

Appreciate it, thanks!