- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
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I'm a 30 year old non-traditional student. I'm going to give a real quick overview of my story so far.
I was a genuinely outstanding student through elementary and high school. I was a National Merit finalist, got a 1540 on my SAT and a 36 on my ACT. I got a 4 or better on 11 AP exams. I entered undergrad at RPI majoring in engineering with 38 credits before stepping into a classroom. Through my first 3 semesters I had a 3.78 GPA. In the middle of my fourth semester, one of my best friends died rather tragically. I was 19 and wasn't able to handle it at that age. I was getting burned out with engineering and that was a deadly combination. I slowly stopped going to classes and posted a 2.25 that semester, bringing my GPA down toa 3.42. I was on probation for another two semesters, though I really had no interest in pursuing that degree and these two semesters of F's brought me down to a 2.53.
After this, I spent my time working - first in a sporting goods store and then, for the last 7 years, as a network administrator. I decided to finish my undergrad and go to medical school, which had been my dream since I was in high school. I'm getting A's in all my bio and chem classes, though I'm only taking 7 credits per semester while working full time.
So long story short: exceptional scores on SAT and ACT, 3.78 GPA at a prestigious school before breaking down and basically dropping out at 19. Now taking 7 credits a semester and getting As. I anticipate I will get a 34-36 on my MCAT. My ECs are decent - I am captain of a pair of tennis teams, have a history of medical/first-aid related training (Wilderness First Aid, etc), will be volunteering at a hospital through this semester, was a caving leader/instructor, etc.
I don't plan on applying at any truly top-tier schools - my primary choices are Albany, LSU, and Tulane. Also thinking about UMass, Washington, East Tennessee, and Drexel.
What are my chances here?
I was a genuinely outstanding student through elementary and high school. I was a National Merit finalist, got a 1540 on my SAT and a 36 on my ACT. I got a 4 or better on 11 AP exams. I entered undergrad at RPI majoring in engineering with 38 credits before stepping into a classroom. Through my first 3 semesters I had a 3.78 GPA. In the middle of my fourth semester, one of my best friends died rather tragically. I was 19 and wasn't able to handle it at that age. I was getting burned out with engineering and that was a deadly combination. I slowly stopped going to classes and posted a 2.25 that semester, bringing my GPA down toa 3.42. I was on probation for another two semesters, though I really had no interest in pursuing that degree and these two semesters of F's brought me down to a 2.53.
After this, I spent my time working - first in a sporting goods store and then, for the last 7 years, as a network administrator. I decided to finish my undergrad and go to medical school, which had been my dream since I was in high school. I'm getting A's in all my bio and chem classes, though I'm only taking 7 credits per semester while working full time.
So long story short: exceptional scores on SAT and ACT, 3.78 GPA at a prestigious school before breaking down and basically dropping out at 19. Now taking 7 credits a semester and getting As. I anticipate I will get a 34-36 on my MCAT. My ECs are decent - I am captain of a pair of tennis teams, have a history of medical/first-aid related training (Wilderness First Aid, etc), will be volunteering at a hospital through this semester, was a caving leader/instructor, etc.
I don't plan on applying at any truly top-tier schools - my primary choices are Albany, LSU, and Tulane. Also thinking about UMass, Washington, East Tennessee, and Drexel.
What are my chances here?