I know it's early but can I get help on a school list (3.97 522 reapplicant)

[E30123]

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Just for a little bit of background I applied last cycle and didnt get in I had a 3.95 from a great state school and 511 MCAT
EC
1600 hr research with a pretty big grant for undergrads and a couple of posters
50 shadowing hours (2 different doctors)
250 non clinical volunteering
150 clinical volunteering
TA experience and other leadership roles
Personal statement was pretty unique as I was born in the middle east and lived there as a child

School list last year (you can probably guess what state I reside in)
Ohio state
Cincinnati
Wright State (interview)
Wayne State
Toledo
Indiana
Penn State (interview)
Wake Forrest
Quinnipiac
EVMS
Iowa
George Washington

I am going to bold everything that I am changing in my application.
So this year I am applying with a 3.97 and a 522 MCAT
EC
Started a job as a clinical coordinator assistant so I consent patients for studies and also help with sample collection. I believe this will count as clinical experience as it is directly dealing with patients while asking them questionnaires and explaining the purpose of research to them. I should have maybe 3000 hrs by the time of application
1600 hr research with a pretty big grant for undergrads and a couple of posters and maybe 1-2 publications that are in review
150 shadowing hours (3 different doctors and 100 hr at PCP)
350 non clinical volunteering
350-500 clinical volunteering
TA experience and other leadership roles

Do you guys think my application has been changed enough with the increased shadowing/ volunteering, the clinical job and the much better MCAT?

I would really appreciate if people weighed in on how much going to a good school matters. If I can get scholarship to a smaller state school would it be smart to accept that or would it be better to take on the debt and attend a more prestigious school? Thank you in advance for everyone's input

If this needs to be put somewhere else I can do that, sorry this is my first post on the site.

 

[Faha]

Which schools have you applied to this year ?

 

[E30123]

Which schools have you applied to this year ?

I did not apply this year I am asking for the upcoming cycle. I know its super early I just want to be on top of everything so that I don't risk anything being late. I was hoping to get a school list together so I could start to research each school

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Toledo
Wright State
NEOMED
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Case Western
Penn State
Boston University
Tufts
Brown
Dartmouth
Rochester
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Miami
USF-Morsani
Mayo (both schools)
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Washington University
St. Louis
U Chicago
USC Keck

 

[E30123]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
Toledo
Wright State
NEOMED
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Case Western
Penn State
Boston University
Tufts
Brown
Dartmouth
Rochester
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Miami
USF-Morsani
Mayo (both schools)
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Washington University
St. Louis
U Chicago
USC Keck

What could I do to be more competitive at schools like Harvard, Stanford etc

 

[Faha]

You can apply to Harvard and Stanford too. They are very competitive and the majority of applicants have applications that are similar or better than yours.

 

[bluepeony]

Just a general comment is you applied way too low. With you GPA/MCAT, you should be top heavy. Mid to low tier schools may not want to spend limited resources on an extremely well-qualified candidate who is not likely to matriculate at their school. Unless you spend significant time in secondary expressing a very strong desire and evidence for that specific school (such as generations of family in the state), they will skip you. to add to what @Faha has said, you can apply to ANY school in the country. I suggest you log into the MSAR, resort the schools in MCAT order and start from there

I mean OPs stats last cycle were 3.95, 511 so the school list doesnt seen unreasonable.

 

[JustRockin]

Did you call back and ask why you got rejected? Also, how did the interviews go?

 

[Goro]

Just for a little bit of background I applied last cycle and didnt get in I had a 3.95 from a great state school and 511 MCAT
EC
1600 hr research with a pretty big grant for undergrads and a couple of posters
50 shadowing hours (2 different doctors)
250 non clinical volunteering
150 clinical volunteering
TA experience and other leadership roles
Personal statement was pretty unique as I was born in the middle east and lived there as a child

School list last year (you can probably guess what state I reside in)
Ohio state
Cincinnati
Wright State (interview)
Wayne State
Toledo
Indiana
Penn State (interview)
Wake Forrest
Quinnipiac
EVMS
Iowa
George Washington

I am going to bold everything that I am changing in my application.
So this year I am applying with a 3.97 and a 522 MCAT
EC
Started a job as a clinical coordinator assistant so I consent patients for studies and also help with sample collection. I believe this will count as clinical experience as it is directly dealing with patients while asking them questionnaires and explaining the purpose of research to them. I should have maybe 3000 hrs by the time of application
1600 hr research with a pretty big grant for undergrads and a couple of posters and maybe 1-2 publications that are in review
150 shadowing hours (3 different doctors and 100 hr at PCP)
350 non clinical volunteering
350-500 clinical volunteering
TA experience and other leadership roles

Do you guys think my application has been changed enough with the increased shadowing/ volunteering, the clinical job and the much better MCAT?

I would really appreciate if people weighed in on how much going to a good school matters. If I can get scholarship to a smaller state school would it be smart to accept that or would it be better to take on the debt and attend a more prestigious school? Thank you in advance for everyone's input

If this needs to be put somewhere else I can do that, sorry this is my first post on the site.

I recommend the following:
Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them
Service to others less fortunate than yourself is always good
Target:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Northwestern
Columbia
Harvard
Stanford
Mayo
Cornell
Sinai
BU
U VA
Duke
Baylor
Case
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
U MI
Albert Einstein
Hofstra
Ohio State
Pitt
U Cincy
USF Morsani
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Western MI
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U IA
U VM
Your state school

 

[E30123]

Did you call back and ask why you got rejected? Also, how did the interviews go?

One school told me my GPA and mcat were not cohesive so they felt like with a year off and a retake I could reach my potential.

 

[E30123]

One school told me my GPA and mcat were not cohesive so they felt like with a year off and a retake I could reach my potential.

I never thought having a high GPA would lead to that but I understand where they are coming from

 

[E30123]

I recommend the following:
Rewrite all essays and have multiple eyeballs vet them
Service to others less fortunate than yourself is always good
Target:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Northwestern
Columbia
Harvard
Stanford
Mayo
Cornell
Sinai
BU
U VA
Duke
Baylor
Case
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
U MI
Albert Einstein
Hofstra
Ohio State
Pitt
U Cincy
USF Morsani
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Western MI
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U IA
U VM
Your state school

Thank you very much I will apply to most of these. Also with the service do you think it would be “checking the box” if I started this winter?

 

[bluepeony]

Thank you very much I will apply to most of these. Also with the service do you think it would be “checking the box” if I started this winter?

I mean maybe but what can u do at this point. Don't ruminate on things that u cant really fix. Unless you are willing to just postpone your app by a year to show longitudinal service. doesnt seem like it makes sense in your case tho.

 

[E30123]

I mean maybe but what can u do at this point. Don't ruminate on things that u cant really fix. Unless you are willing to just postpone your app by a year to show longitudinal service. doesnt seem like it makes sense in your case tho.

I was thinking it terms of allocating time. Would it be better to have less hours Elsewhere but have the activity or would it be better to not attempt it and just bolster my other service activities

 

[bluepeony]

I was thinking it terms of allocating time. Would it be better to have less hours Elsewhere but have the activity or would it be better to not attempt it and just bolster my other service activities

It seems like u already have 350 hours of nonclinical volunteering already. I would say just continue with those. No need to start a new activity unless you really want to do it for personal growth or other reasons.

 

[Goro]

Thank you very much I will apply to most of these. Also with the service do you think it would be “checking the box” if I started this winter?

Nope