Inviting opinions

[md-2020]

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My cousin is applying this cycle and asked that I help him make a school list. His stats, as far as I am aware (thanks @WedgeDawg for that template love. Are you M3/rotationlyfe already? Dang, time flies!):

1. ~ 3.75 c, 3.65 sGPA
   
2. 514 MCAT (CARS, P/S a tad higher, not sure about exact breakdown). He has also retaken and is waiting for new scores soon.
   
3. Maryland
4. East Asian
   
5. Non-Ivy top school for undergrad. MRes-MPH from a very reputable uni in Europe.
   
6. 200ish hrs as a Trauma Ctr. volunteer. 100ish hrs as generic hospital ctr. volunteer. Lots of paid hrs working physiotherapy for some soccer club in Europe
   
7. 4+ years. 3 publications, 6-7 posters, 3 publications in various stages of in-press/submission.
   
8. Family Med (100 hrs) & Trauma Surg (100 hrs)
   
9. Organized a couple of pretty well-known fundraising events. Lots of religious-based community service i.e. free summer camps for at-risk youth. ~400 hrs total.
   
10. Lots of student gov. leadership. Couple VP's of like campus student group funding boards and student senate etc. Some undergrad research journal involvements, some student newspaper authorship. Also ran a bunch of Greek life philanthropy events.
    
11. Won a Fulbright that funded his MPH study abroad. All the normal UG bells and whistles (latin honors, dept. honors thesis, PBK etc.). Some research awards, some stuff that carried over from UG (National Merit etc.). Bunch of research grants/fellowships, some in pretty cool places that I definitely missed out on. Other minor things.
    
12. Depending on how optimistic you are he has a pretty novel non-medical device project that could be sold/bought out in the not-to-distant future. I was impressed so on my advice this was part of the PS as well. Polyglot from his time across the pond.

TLDR: basically a lot like my own app from 2 years ago but with a lower MCAT/tad higher GPAs, less interest in sports but more campus involvement and the Fulbright. Don't have access to the fancy new MSAR w/ updated MCATs on them, but this is what we've come up with so far:

Mayo (both campuses)
Geisel
Maryland
USC
Wake Forest
Miami Miller
G'town
GW
Jeff
Loyola
Albany
Tulane
Drexel
Temple
Rush
Tufts
Brown
UCLA DGSOM
PSU
Hofstra
Creighton
SLU
CCLCM
Quinnipiac

He's open to adding 5-10 more places, probably after the imminent release of the new MCAT score though. Secondaries not submitted yet so above list can also be edited. I'll tag some of the Pre-Allo faves but everyone is more than welcome to weigh in. @Goro @Faha @efle

 

[Faha]

The list is good and he should receive several interviews

 

[Goro]

My cousin is applying this cycle and asked that I help him make a school list. His stats, as far as I am aware (thanks @WedgeDawg for that template love. Are you M3/rotationlyfe already? Dang, time flies!):

He's open to adding 5-10 more places, probably after the imminent release of the new MCAT score though. Secondaries not submitted yet so above list can also be edited. I'll tag some of the Pre-Allo faves but everyone is more than welcome to weigh in. @Goro @Faha @efle

I suggest:

UCF (maybe)
Duke
U Cincy (maybe)
U VM
Pitt
Mayo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
TCMC maybe
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
U WV maybe
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Georgetown
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Netter
Oakland-B
U MD
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)

 

[efle]

Mayo (both campuses)
Geisel
Maryland
USC
Wake Forest
Miami Miller
G'town
GW
Jeff
Loyola
Albany
Tulane
Drexel
Temple
Rush
Tufts
Brown
UCLA DGSOM
PSU
Hofstra
Creighton
SLU
CCLCM
Quinnipiac

I think he could aim a little higher than this, personally. I'd be cutting places like SLU, Quinnipiac, Drexel, Hofstra etc in favor of all the top 20-25 schools that keep their MCATs a little lower (like ~515-516). So like Duke, UCSF, UCSD, Michigan, Emory, Baylor, Pitt. I think the strength of his research and other ECs will def overcome ~0.1 on the GPA and 1-2 pts on MCAT.

Also retaking a top decile score...bold move, cotton. Let's see if it pays off.

 

[md-2020]

Thanks for the input guys. Will pass along accordingly.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Yes

 

[Kingsmen2018]

why in the world did he retake a 514?

 

[efle]

why in the world did he retake a 514?

I know someone that retook a ~514, scored 520+ and is now at a top 20 in their dream location (NYC). Their app would have been DOA at this school with just the 514. SDN hive mind hates it but depending on your goals and on how you do on practice tests, even a very competitive score might be worth retaking!

 

[md-2020]

why in the world did he retake a 514?

The intent is to score 520+. higher MCATs can carry you at the top schools; mine certainly did as my GPA was below average for even MD in general.