Massive upward trend, what GPA range for med schools should I aim for?

[SleepingPillow]

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Applying this upcoming cycle, and need to consider if I need to load up next semester to bring up GPA even more (by like .02 to reach 3.7) or take it easy and focus on apps and volunteering. I have my IS schools and undergrad on my list, but after that I'm not so sure. I've glanced at MSAR but am unsure how I should interpret my GPA.

Trend: 3.07 -> 3.7+ -> 3.9+ -> 4.0*
cGPA will be ~ 3.7,with sGPA ~3.6

*obviously haven't finished this year but that's the trend.

MCAT: 519

WA resident, Undergrad is a T20 known for murdering premeds

My MCAT matches most schools, but my GPA puts me at mid-tiers or below and my state schools (they are my top choices anyway). Need lots of FA/scholarship so OOS schools like NYU and WashU appeal to me but their stats are D:

Thanks!

EDIT: I also have 2 A's from community college classes taken in HS that I have not factored in, but they were trig and alg 2 so idk if they count

 

[907914]

I am a 3.65/521 WA resident with a similar GPA trend and this is my school list:

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Harvard Medical School
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
New York University
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine



Keep in mind I am also prior service Army so YMMV. If you think that Has had a large effect on my cycle, I would suggest removing the following schools:
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
New York University

And substituting in:
Hofstra
Einstein
Tulane
UCSD

In hindsight, I wish I would have made those substitutions as well.

 

[samosamosa]

I don't think a GPA boost of 0.02 would make a big difference, especially since your GPA is pretty good already, and your mcat is POPPIN'. I feel that your time would be better spent making sure the rest of your app is airtight. How are your ECs looking? Could you add on some more community service, more shadowing, etc?

As for what schools to apply to, there's definitely top schools that reward reinvention and upward trends, ie Columbia and WashU. @Goro probably knows way more about that.

 

[SleepingPillow]

@Mr. Dr. Prof. Patrick Congrats on the II's. Any reason why you didn't apply to UCSF, even though it's actually pretty OOS friendly? Your army service is definitely very significant!

@samosamosa Don't really wanna get into the details too much for now, but I have a number of leadership positions in cultural groups and dance groups, as well as being in dances for several years. I have held a few jobs through college (mentoring low-income students and lab). I have a Nature publication as mid-author, with hundreds of hours working in the same lab. Volunteering and shadowing is definitely my weakest part, but I have been volunteering with the same clubs since sophomore year (tutoring underserved elementary students and playing music for patients in hospitals), along with actual hospital volunteering. I should have around 200+ hours total with more during gap year, with shadowing ~25 currently.

 

[907914]

@Mr. Dr. Prof. Patrick Congrats on the II's. Any reason why you didn't apply to UCSF, even though it's actually pretty OOS friendly? Your army service is definitely very significant!

UCSF is because of absolutely sky high rental prices required for a 2 bd 2 bth in the bay area (Married w/ child). I forgot about them - def add them! You could also likely fit Sinai and Columbia on your list (I didn't apply there for COL reasons as well). I would def target the Sinai/einstein level schools as opposed to the Harvard/UCSF level - but having a couple reaches is always an option!

 

[SleepingPillow]

UCSF is because of absolutely sky high rental prices required for a 2 bd 2 bth in the bay area (Married w/ child). I forgot about them - def add them! You could also likely fit Sinai and Columbia on your list (I didn't apply there for COL reasons as well). I would def target the Sinai/einstein level schools as opposed to the Harvard/UCSF level - but having a couple reaches is always an option!

Ah, those are definitely concerns for me too... Though not married and definitely don't have a child haha. I would like to be on the west coast but so few schools in the PNW! California kinda scares me with their numbers so midwest and east coast will probably be much of my list

 

[907914]

Ah, those are definitely concerns for me too... Though not married and definitely don't have a child haha. I would like to be on the west coast but so few schools in the PNW! California kinda scares me with their numbers so midwest and east coast will probably be much of my list

I love the PNW but we only have three schools, one is new, one doesn't like WA residents, and one has terrible clinical years. I hate it!

Word of advice, save! All of your flights will be expensive as hell. Granted I have to fly out of spokane so that racks up the dollar amount significantly, but these coast to coast flights are outrageous.

 

[Goro]

Applying this upcoming cycle, and need to consider if I need to load up next semester to bring up GPA even more (by like .02 to reach 3.7) or take it easy and focus on apps and volunteering. I have my IS schools and undergrad on my list, but after that I'm not so sure. I've glanced at MSAR but am unsure how I should interpret my GPA.

Trend: 3.07 -> 3.7+ -> 3.9+ -> 4.0*
cGPA will be ~ 3.7,with sGPA ~3.6

*obviously haven't finished this year but that's the trend.

MCAT: 519

WA resident, Undergrad is a T20 known for murdering premeds

My MCAT matches most schools, but my GPA puts me at mid-tiers or below and my state schools (they are my top choices anyway). Need lots of FA/scholarship so OOS schools like NYU and WashU appeal to me but their stats are D:

Thanks!

EDIT: I also have 2 A's from community college classes taken in HS that I have not factored in, but they were trig and alg 2 so idk if they count

Ignore the cGPA, because the last three years are what counts.
I recommend:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Columbia
Mayo
Sinai
BU
U VA (maybe)
Duke
Baylor (maybe)
Case
UCLA (maybe)
UCSF
U MI (maybe)
Hofstra
Pitt
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Western MI
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U VM
Wake
Wayne State
tufts
Your state schools

 

[SleepingPillow]

@Goro so I should look for schools as if my GPA was my last three years then? So if I get a 4.0ish this year that would be 3.85+

 

[Goro]

@Goro so I should look for schools as if my GPA was my last three years then? So if I get a 4.0ish this year that would be 3.85+

Yup

 

[Saturday’s Child]

Ignore the cGPA, because the last three years are what counts
U VA (maybe)
Baylor (maybe)
UCLA (maybe)

Curious why these 3 schools are maybes? @Goro

 

[907914]

Curious why these 3 schools are maybes? @Goro

All three are state schools with <50% OOS

 

[Etopn23]

Ignore the GPA % on MSAR. I am in a similar situation with my GPA trends and it hasn't mattered. Hell, no one has even asked me about it. Apply wherever you can see yourself and good luck!

 

[Goro]

Curious why these 3 schools are maybes? @Goro

I don't know if they reward reinvention