Lost, In Need of Guidance...

[The BabyRuth]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm kind of lost as to where to apply etc. and could use some advice.

California Resident
top 25 Public Uni
Molecular Biology Major
sGPA 3.4 cGPA 3.55
MCAT 36 12/12/12
URM, Fluent in spanish
Varsity Athlete
Translational Neuroscience Research starting summer after freshman year continuing through junior year
Poster at international conference.
Lots of shadowing 200hrs, but no clinical volunteering.
VP of Club on campus

I realize my GPA is on the low end. Also there is a large lack of clinical volunteering. Athletics have kind of consumed my life outside research and I've mostly just tried to do a lot of shadowing over breaks. Anyways whatever advice you can give is helpful. I'm planning on applying this cycle, I'm basically concerned with what schools i should be applying to.

 

[dntke1518]

Your GPA isn't terrible and your MCAT looks good as well as your ECs. It would be nice to get some clinical volunteering or experience. As far as schools to apply to, just apply broadly if possible. I know I've heard things are more competitive in cali due to the larger applicant pool but you can always go for your state schools and then expand in your region. You have a good shot, don't worry about it.

 

[flodhi1]

Assuming you are actual URM (not all Latinos are considered URM) then with those stats you can apply wherever your heart desires.

 

[The BabyRuth]

I'm Mexican so I think that applies. I just got some conflicting advice I guess from different school advisers as to my chances of getting in and where I should apply. My major adviser told me to consider taking a year to volunteer more and improve my GPA but our pre-med adviser told me I should be fine everywhere and said target schools for me should be UCSF / Stanford which I have a hard time believing. My financial situation makes it a little restrictive applying to a ton of schools. So i'm just kinda stuck on what schools to apply too.

I am just unsure as to where exactly I should apply. At the end of the day I don't care where I go I just would like to be a doctor.



I've come on these forums a lot over the years and advise etc. has always been invaluable. Thank you guys so much for the responses.

 

[flodhi1]

I'm Mexican so I think that applies. I just got some conflicting advice I guess from different school advisers as to my chances of getting in and where I should apply. My major adviser told me to consider taking a year to volunteer more and improve my GPA but our pre-med adviser told me I should be fine everywhere and said target schools for me should be UCSF / Stanford which I have a hard time believing. My financial situation makes it a little restrictive applying to a ton of schools. So i'm just kinda stuck on what schools to apply too.

I am just unsure as to where exactly I should apply. At the end of the day I don't care where I go I just would like to be a doctor.



I've come on these forums a lot over the years and advise etc. has always been invaluable. Thank you guys so much for the responses.

I have seen so many cases where people with > 3.6s and > 30 MCAT scores are getting rejected or not making it because they either apply in September and even later or they only apply to 10 schools. You should apply to schools where you genuinely feel that you would be a "great fit". A "great fit" could just be something as basic as your mission/goals in life being similar to those of the school. I applied to schools that were very primary care/ social mission focused because that's where my true passion lies. In my opinion you should apply to at least 20 schools out of which at least 10 should be 'safety schools'. I can't stress the at least 10 safety schools enough. In your opinion based on your stats the school might seem like a safety school but it's not. You need to find a school that accepts more applicants based on your background and how do you do that? well you read their websites and figure out the mission of the school. At some schools you could have border line stats, nothing stellar at all but still end up with an interview because your personal statement, ECs and secondaries are focused towards the schools mission. Having a focus towards the schools mission is huge. A typical mistake premeds make is they apply to schools without knowing anything about the schools mission for example Georgetown. Almost every other premed applies to Georgetown but does not know anything about the " Jesuit tradition of Cura Personalis". Now obviously applying there would be a waste of time unless your Extra curricular activities are based on social missions. In the end of the day Georgetown and other schools can tell which students are desperately picking random schools and which students are an actual perfect "fit". Some people will find the perfect school where their stats coincide and the mission of the school is the same as theirs but they end up ignoring an important aspect the in-state and out of state matriculation rate. You have to pay attention to schools that are friendly towards OOS or IS. Obviously do not apply to schools such as Florida State University that have not matriculated any OOS if you're from let's say Arizona. Again the best way to find out this information is by investing $15 into MSAR. I know a lot of people think that it costs a lot of money to apply to so many schools etc.. but think about it if you reapply you're adding thousands of more dollars and missed out on 1 year of becoming a Physician making 150k+ a year. So, do you really want to sacrifice that over a couple grand seriously? Another important aspect is to have your primary application submitted in June and your secondaries submitted before mid-July. Applying early really does make a huge difference. You want your application looked at when the most slots are available. Most schools have rolling admissions and I can assure you that someone with a 3.5 and 30 in June has the same if not better chance as someone with a 3.6-3.7 and 32 in September/October. So, don't take the risk! Have your transcripts submitted in April or May. Have your LORs submitted in June and written way before June. A lot of people get screwed because everything is complete but their LORs aren't submitted till August which simply delays the whole process. You must have all these things submitted on time or you will be screwed when it comes to applying early. The best bet is to just submit certain things earlier than anticipated dates to avoid any delays. Also keep in mind that AMCAS has lost transcripts many times so when you send certain things follow up on them. Now with respect to UCSF and Stanford your stats are border line especially your GPA even as a URM so sure go ahead put those schools on the list but as stated before to counter those 2 reach schools add a couple safety schools such as VCU and Rosalind Franklin?

 

[The BabyRuth]

Thank you for your detailed response. I was planning on submitting very early I have my PS written and just requested my transcript be sent in today, but I guess I am a tad bit behind on the letters.

You advice has been very helpful! I will try to bite the bullet and apply to quite a few schools to improve my chances. I just had difficulty determining where is target, and safety. Mainly because my GP is bellow the bottom 10% of many schools and my lack of clinical volunteering. I wouldn't even be opposed to going DO if MD acceptance was unlikely.

 

[flodhi1]

You have a chance with the following schools:-

S:- Safety, T:- Target. R:- Reach

Rosalind Franklin University S
Commonweatlh Medical College S
Loma Linda University (If you're religious S)
University of Louisville School of Medicine S
Wright State University S
Creighton University School of Medicine S
East Virginia Medical School S
Medical College of Wisconsin T
Saint Louis University T
University of Toledo College of Medicine S
University of Washington T
Albany Medical College T
Drexel University College of Medicne S
George Washington University School of Medicine T
Rush Medical College T
Temple University T
University of Central Florida T
University of Maryland School of Medicine S
Virginia Commonwealth University S
Wake Forest S
Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences T
Brown University R
Penn State R
Georgetown University School of Medicine T
UC Davis R
UC Irvine R
USC R
NYMC S
Einstein R

 

[The BabyRuth]

Thank you so much for the schools list. I've tried to incorporate many of those schools in or with similar stats etc. I will continue formulating the schools list right now since the rest of my application is effectively complete.

I am planning on submitting at the start of June as well. Any other advice or pearls of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Or input etc. from other people with some experience in this sort of thing.

Also, I have received a variety of letters since I took my MCAT last summer from schools through the MEDMAR program. Would it be worth it to apply to these schools even if their GPA range is above where mine is currently at?

Thanks again!

 

[weezynation]

You have a chance with the following schools:-

S:- Safety, T:- Target. R:- Reach

Rosalind Franklin University S
Commonweatlh Medical College S
Loma Linda University (If you're religious S)
University of Louisville School of Medicine S
Wright State University S
Creighton University School of Medicine S
East Virginia Medical School S
Medical College of Wisconsin T
Saint Louis University T
University of Toledo College of Medicine S
University of Washington T
Albany Medical College T
Drexel University College of Medicne S
George Washington University School of Medicine T
Rush Medical College T
Temple University T
University of Central Florida T
University of Maryland School of Medicine S
Virginia Commonwealth University S
Wake Forest S
Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences T
Brown University R
Penn State R
Georgetown University School of Medicine T
UC Davis R
UC Irvine R
USC R
NYMC S
Einstein R

Are you taking into consideration that OP is URM? The only thing that hurts a little bit is being from california. Other than that, OP has a chance at any school according to stats. Ivy League quality research is another consideration though.

 

[The BabyRuth]

So you think I should apply to other higher ranked schools? I was originally planning to apply to most cali schools (not Loma Linda not 7th day adventist). Many of them would be significantly outside that "Reach" zone. Would it just be a waste of money?

Also is this MEDMAR program similar to letters received during under grad where they mostly just want your application money even if the individual has relatively low chances of admission?

IE I received a letter from Wash U, but in terms of numbers I just don't feel that I'm competitive due to my poor GPA.

I would really appreciate a little more advice. Thanks to all the posters so far!

 

[weezynation]

So you think I should apply to other higher ranked schools? I was originally planning to apply to most cali schools (not Loma Linda not 7th day adventist). Many of them would be significantly outside that "Reach" zone. Would it just be a waste of money?

Also is this MEDMAR program similar to letters received during under grad where they mostly just want your application money even if the individual has relatively low chances of admission?

IE I received a letter from Wash U, but in terms of numbers I just don't feel that I'm competitive due to my poor GPA.

I would really appreciate a little more advice. Thanks to all the posters so far!

I think it is always best to apply very broadly no matter how great your application may be. With your stats, a great application which would include significant research could potentially get you accepted anywhere because you are URM; however, you being from california does hurt you, so top 10 schools are not guaranteed despite your numbers. You should apply to a few of top schools you would be happy at, apply to a lot of mid-tier schools, and some low-tier. MEDMAR is cool, but don't bet on it though. Just because a school wants you to apply does not mean you will get accepted. You gotta think...these schools are seeking you out due to your mcat score (maybe gpa too), but they havent seen the rest of your application so if your supporting materials are not great or your interview skills suck, you probably wont get accepted. I think people here can get a better idea of your chances if you disclose everything else for your app (extracurriculars, research, clinical service, non-clinical service, shadowing).