if you could give me a range for my mcats, and potential SMP options then that would be much appreciated. ideally, i would love to get into Georgetown. i just want to get my applications done with in the winter break so I can focus on school/mcat prep during the semester.
thanks in advance!
Try to come as close to your "projected" GPAs as possible. You need to keep in mind that many SMPs do have a minimum GPA requirement, most being an overall GPA of a 3.0. You definitely want to be above that number in order to be competitive as possible.
Regarding an MCAT score, it is really hard to give you a range without knowing what you have been scoring on practice exams. I would not want to make unrealistic suggestions to you on either end (high or low). However, you are probably aware that a 30 is the magic number for competitive applicants applying to med school. As of now, without knowing anything about you other than your GPA, I would say you need to shoot for >32. If you don't obtain a score similar to this on the April test, your world is not going to end. Just remember that you want to be competitive when it is time to apply to medical school and that a re-take of the beast (MCAT) may be neccessary.
Again, it is also hard to advise SMP programs to apply to without an MCAT score. How well you do on the MCAT determines what programs would be good matches for you. If you are thinking about applying to some of the more competitive programs, such as Georgetown, Cincinnati, Boston, or Drexel, make sure you get your application in before you take your MCAT. These programs are solid, well known, and popular, thus they do have a lot of applicants. Waiting until after you receive your score for these programs would put you at a very large disadvantage. Actually, since you won't get your MCAT score back until May, do this for ANY program you apply to. The schools will have your app on hold until they receive your score (they may also have skimmed/reviewed your app as well), so that when the time comes, they can make a decision quickly.
Although some of the larger programs have high success rates and solid reputations, I do believe that a graduate program is what YOU make of it. It is how well YOU do as a student that will get you in to professional school. Don't rule out some of the smaller, less known programs for the sake of reputation only. Remember to take into account program size (the larger the program, the less individual attention), cost, location, success rate, classes offered, and linkage options when making decisions on where to apply.
I hope this helps! Good luck on your MCATs, keep studying, and keep going!
