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I have a few options, what should I do after I graduate to bolster my ECs?
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Your list is likely to be your rate limiting step. Most screeners don't know one PI from another.
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I am curious, are you thinking about applying in two cycles because you want to attend a top 20 school?
If not, definitely reapply this June if things dont turn out okay.
If your gunning for a top 20 think long and hard if another year is worth it to you. Especially if there is a chance you still may not get it as your stats are lower then most of them (MCAT wise). Plus there is a lot of luck. But I do understand, I wanted a top 20 too, then I wanted a mid tier, then a low tier, then any school. As entitled as we may feel to a prestigous medical school, we will always have residency as well as we will become physicians. Its up to you to decide if the top 20 is worth it or not. Personally, I am going to apply again in June (if I don't get in) and probably remove all top 20 from my list aside frm the UC's (I'll be applying with a lower GPA, so I doubt a 3.67/34 with an early app will get me any bites there)
Good luck! It sucks that we had the cycle we had especially because of all the hard work we put into the process. Who knew 4 years of work could be shattered by submitting an application 2 months late :/
If not, definitely reapply this June if things dont turn out okay.
If your gunning for a top 20 think long and hard if another year is worth it to you. Especially if there is a chance you still may not get it as your stats are lower then most of them (MCAT wise). Plus there is a lot of luck. But I do understand, I wanted a top 20 too, then I wanted a mid tier, then a low tier, then any school. As entitled as we may feel to a prestigous medical school, we will always have residency as well as we will become physicians. Its up to you to decide if the top 20 is worth it or not. Personally, I am going to apply again in June (if I don't get in) and probably remove all top 20 from my list aside frm the UC's (I'll be applying with a lower GPA, so I doubt a 3.67/34 with an early app will get me any bites there)
Good luck! It sucks that we had the cycle we had especially because of all the hard work we put into the process. Who knew 4 years of work could be shattered by submitting an application 2 months late :/
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If you have enough clinical experience on your belt then I would scratch scribing. I would think doing research at such a reputable school as Stanford or UCLA would look really good and if you have an ample amount of clinical experience already, then I don't think scribing would look better than doing research at Stanford.
If you're lacking in clinical though.. then its debatable
If you're lacking in clinical though.. then its debatable
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Do the scribe thing if you are light on clinical exposure. Otherwise, consider a research job if that floats your boat. In any case employment >>> volunteer after you've graduated; you should be good enough that someone is willing to pay for your services.
And seriously, consider prepping again and retaking the MCAT, particularly if you think you are otherwise an excellent candidate for a top tier school.
And seriously, consider prepping again and retaking the MCAT, particularly if you think you are otherwise an excellent candidate for a top tier school.
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yah. I believe so. Will need to develop a better school list the next time I apply I guess.
Thanks. Good luck to you too! You will be very happy if you can get into Einstein!!! But I haven't really decided when I will reapply again if I need to. I think by March or April, I will have a better idea of whether I am ready to re-apply. I am not necessarily doing all these just to gun for a top 20 (even though i'd love to increase my chances of getting into one). But I just want to improve my overall ECs to ensure that I will get into a medical school the next time I apply. If I do re-apply, I have to make sure I have tried my best in every way I can and maximize my chances.
Also, I really don't know how drastic of an improvement a re-applicant need to make to improve their chances. For example, if I re-apply this coming cycle, I don't know what kind of major changes I can make to my PS because my life story and experiences haven't changed much. And since my GPA and MCAT are pretty much set, with more experiences, research, and clinical...I assume my application as a whole will only get better and better.
Plus, I believe you are right that 34 is too low for top 20 schools. But I also think that it is a respectable score to at least garner a look from them and not just an automatic toss into the rejection pile? So, with any of these options, I guess my application as a whole will only improve right? I know ranking doesn't matter, but I still really really really hope to get into a top 50 school
Lastly, I am sure we both learned our lesson the hard way. Both of us completed our application late in September. If there's anything I'd change for next time, it's to complete primary the day AMCAS comes out, and to complete secondary within 2 days.
Man I just really feel you'd get into a top 50 pretty easily if you applied day 1. A 3.8/34 puts you right in the middle of a top 20 and a mid tier. I really think your cycle could be completely different if we applied day one. You may even get an interview or 2 froma top tier if you apply very early and express a trait well that top 20's gun for!
