How to narrow down list of schools?

[TigerClaws]

I know it has been discussed before, but I just have to ask.
I am completely traumatized by my past two applications being rejected.

I have a 3.51 cGPA, 3.58 sGPA and a 26,29,32 MCAT. I fall within the range of most schools. I am using goro's method and including only schools that I am no more than 3 points away from the median MCAT or GPA. Even with that, the current list is at 90.

I am not able to consider the other factors (location, my willingness and reputation), as I am just not able to conquer the fear of rejection again. Every time I cross a school out, I come back to it because I think "What if..."

Please help me!
What are the ways you weeded out schools?
Any strict methods you think I should incorporate?

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[talinnlove]

Some of the things I can think of...

1. Obvi, are you in the GPA and MCAT range?
2. Are you in a state or region from which the school accepts applications? (This may take some digging. For example - Marshall Edwards has a geographic restriction that many people overlook.)
3. Have you taken the required courses? (IE, a year of calculus for some schools, a year of English for some schools, etc)
4. Do you have the required letters of recommendation? (IE, from the required areas of study)
5. Look at any given school on your list. Pretend now that that school is your one and only acceptance. Would you hesitate to go there? Would it be manageably affordable at full COA? (OOS U of Illinois I'm looking at you)

If you want to copy and paste your 90 here or into a PM I can try to narrow it a bit for you lol

 

[allojay]

I know it has been discussed before, but I just have to ask.
I am completely traumatized by my past two applications being rejected.

I have a 3.51 cGPA, 3.58 sGPA and a 26,29,32 MCAT. I fall within the range of most schools. I am using goro's method and including only schools that I am no more than 3 points away from the median MCAT or GPA. Even with that, the current list is at 90.

I am not able to consider the other factors (location, my willingness and reputation), as I am just not able to conquer the fear of rejection again. Every time I cross a school out, I come back to it because I think "What if..."

Please help me!
What are the ways you weeded out schools?
Any strict methods you think I should incorporate?

The past two interview seasons, did you have any interview invites? To add, what does your whole application look like? For example, your mcat score spread (is it an even spread between sections?), do you have clinical experience? Research? Letters of recommendations? And so on? If you give us more, then we can tell you what you need to do differently or tweak a bit..

 

[karayaa]

90 schools means you're including a lot of publics that don't take many OOS students.
Or are you including DO schools?

Can you make a list for us of those that area good match just based on stats alone?

 

[TheBossDoctor]

How is it possible to have 90 schools on your list?

There's 140 medical schools. Subtract half which have serious in-state bias. That leaves you with 70. Subtract another 15-20 schools whose average numbers are a lot higher than yours (mostly top tier schools). Then subtract another 10 which have very narrow missions (e.g. historically black colleges, rural medicine, Puerto Rican medical schools). After all that, you should be down to 40 schools total (at which point you should trim it down a bit more).

 

[Comeonhavefun]

Narrow downed your list to 90? There is about 181 med schools in the US. With your GPA and MCAT scores some schools won't accept you because you fall under their range. If you're out of state some schools won't accept you meaning if out-of-state matriculated is less than 10 don't apply. medical-schools.findthebest.com has info on almost every school.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to WAMC

 

[zzxxzz]

I have a 3.51 cGPA, 3.58 sGPA and a 26,29,32 MCAT. I fall within the range of most schools. I am using goro's method and including only schools that I am no more than 3 points away from the median MCAT or GPA. Even with that, the current list is at 90.

If you're truly using this method you should have nowhere near 90 schools. Any school above a 33/3.7 would be eliminated.

1) Cut schools with a big in-state bias (most schools in south/southwest)
2) Cut schools not in the contiguous 48, and HBCUs.
3) Cut all but a few schools with a median MCAT above 33; any schools you wanna keep should be at 34.
4) Cut any schools with a 10th percentile for GPA above 3.6.
5) Cut any OOS school that has rejected you both times.

There's no way 90 schools fall into that range.

 

[Goro]

MSAR Online is your friend
Choose schools who median scores are close to your own.
Look at the "Acceptance Information" tab. This tells you how many OOS students interviewed that the school. This info is invaluable if you're even remotely thinking about OOS public schools. If the number is >18%, go for it.
Do not apply to the four HBCs unless you're URM, or have demonstrable commitment to service in communities of color.
Consider the newest MD schools especially
Consider any DO program. Your multiple MCAT attempts are hurting you for MD schools.
Do your homework. Know your target. Apply smartly and strategically.

Do NOT apply to a school you've applied to previously unless your packet has improved considerably. Getting one more LOR is not an improvement.

I know it has been discussed before, but I just have to ask.
I am completely traumatized by my past two applications being rejected.

I have a 3.51 cGPA, 3.58 sGPA and a 26,29,32 MCAT. I fall within the range of most schools. I am using goro's method and including only schools that I am no more than 3 points away from the median MCAT or GPA. Even with that, the current list is at 90.

I am not able to consider the other factors (location, my willingness and reputation), as I am just not able to conquer the fear of rejection again. Every time I cross a school out, I come back to it because I think "What if..."

Please help me!
What are the ways you weeded out schools?
Any strict methods you think I should incorporate?

 

[TigerClaws]

Woah, there was a glitch and the page was not updating at the time, so I thought this thread wasn't actually posted. I realized immediately after typing this that the number was ridiculous and narrowed down again and I did pretty well I think. But thank you for the input, I did cut a lot of schools but I am still fiddling with them. I will take these into consideration.

The past two interview seasons, did you have any interview invites? To add, what does your whole application look like? For example, your mcat score spread (is it an even spread between sections?), do you have clinical experience? Research? Letters of recommendations? And so on? If you give us more, then we can tell you what you need to do differently or tweak a bit..

MSAR Online is your friend
Choose schools who median scores are close to your own.
Look at the "Acceptance Information" tab. This tells you how many OOS students interviewed that the school. This info is invaluable if you're even remotely thinking about OOS public schools. If the number is >18%, go for it.
Do not apply to the four HBCs unless you're URM, or have demonstrable commitment to service in communities of color.
Consider the newest MD schools especially
Consider any DO program. Your multiple MCAT attempts are hurting you for MD schools.
Do your homework. Know your target. Apply smartly and strategically.

Do NOT apply to a school you've applied to previously unless your packet has improved considerably. Getting one more LOR is not an improvement.

Well I was a lousy applicant both times. The first time, I applied to multiple schools but only sent in a secondary to one state school. I interviewed (obligatory) but did not get in. The second time, I can't believe I made the mistake again, I applied to multiple schools and I sent the secondaries late to most of them. I was lousy and I am not looking for any excuses. I again interviewed at the state school and was rejected again due to crappy PS and interview.

This time, I am not making the same mistakes, I think I did a good job on the PS, had it read by multiple people. I am preping for interviews already. I applied super early and also improved my clinical experiences (Shadowing, volunteering at a hospice, volunteering at a free clinic, working at (managing) a healthcare related company). I am also submitting the secondaries as soon as I receive them.

@Goro Do you think I can still apply to schools that I did not submit secondaries to? Pretty much one

@allojay My spread VR, PS, BS: 9,12,11 ; 10, 8, 11 ; 7,7,12 From latest to farthest.

 

[Goro]

Yes.

Do you think I can still apply to schools that I did not submit secondaries to? Pretty much one