Medical School Admissions Coach/Consulting

[heyitsgupta]

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[WedgeDawg]

I freelance work as an admissions consultant on the internet but be warned I charge quite a hefty fee.

 

[Mwooster]

Hello SDN,

I'm a going to be a reapplicant in the upcoming 2018 admissions cycle. I applied in the 2015-2016 with only 1 interview turning into a waitlist. I've decided to take a more professional approach as I apply a second time around. I was wondering if anyone here has a medical school admission coach/consulting group they would recommend to me.

Here are my basic numbers:
Cornell sGPA: 3.18
Cornell cGPA: 3.5
Penn Postbacc: 3.93 GPA (4 classes so far, taking 4 more this semester)
MCAT: 513

From the other admission coach threads I have seen, most people stick to just reading SDN and that they are a waste of money. If possible, I would appreciate it if we the replies were mainly focused on coaches people have used in the past or coaches they have heard about.

Thanks SDN!

I was fortunate that I went to an elite private university that produces a lot of premeds with overall a helpful pre-professional office.

So I relied on my own research, word of mouth (like I said, many applicants from my school), the premed advisor, and the Man above.

I'd imagine both Cornell and Penn would have at least 1 good premed advisor on staff. Start making a good relationship with him.

Have $ to burn? And the itch to burn it? I would recommend treating your loved ones to dinner and follow SDN's advice

 

[efle]

What was your school list ?

Even before knowing that, I feel pretty confident saying your number of interviews was much more limited by the 3.18 sGPA than lack of application "polish." Anyone that advises you for pay is robbing you if they start suggesting personal statement edits instead of pointing at that sGPA immediately.

 

[WedgeDawg]

We both do it, though @WedgeDawg I believe does more "traditional" applicants and specialize in nontrads, though lately I only take on special cases that people really need my help (an interest me as a challenge). I will say from reading wedgedawg I certainly would recommend him

You're too kind.

Yeah, I'm at my best advising traditional-ish US applicants to MD-only, though I can probably help you even if you're 5 years out of college (but not as well as gonnif can).

 

[libertyyne]

Here is my unqualified advice.
Apply DO. Your MCAT in combination with your GPA will make it very difficult for MD schools unless you live in a good state.

 

[premed1234567891011]

You don't need an advisor. Finish your post-bacc strong, write an honest and personal PS, practice answering common interview questions, continue volunteering in a medical setting (hospice, caregiving, etc.), apply to a broad range of schools.

 

[efle]

So what kind of sGPA are you looking at if you pull another awesome 3.9+ next semester? 3.3?

 

[efle]

Much to my surprise, it'll push it up to a 3.4

I think you'd have a whole lot better odds with that!

 

[tantacles]

I've also been considering retaking my MCAT again. I only had 5.5 weeks to study for it last time and my biological foundations are much stronger now. But that is one of those things that is still up in the air.

Your MCAT is very good; if your GPA boosts as much as you say, I wouldn't retake.

 

[efle]

I've also been considering retaking my MCAT again. I only had 5.5 weeks to study for it last time and my biological foundations are much stronger now. But that is one of those things that is still up in the air.

What was your subsection breakdown? Unless you are gunning for the most selective private research powerhouses, where even a 3.4 sGPA would be an issue anyways, having equivalent to a 33 MCAT is not likely to keep you out of med school.

 

[libertyyne]

You are sitting at a LizzyM of 67~ which is not a deal killer but is a full point below the median matriculant.
Your GPA is almost a Full SD below the matriculant median, your sgpa is almost two SDs below matriculant median and your mcat is at matriculant median.
Even with a cGPA at 3.6 you are at a lizzyMof 68~ which is the matriculant median.

Even with all the above you have a 50/50 shot at an MD school. Being Asian I would say you have a 40 /60 shot of an MD school. A majority of applicants in the lower end of that range probably go to their state schools that have in state bias driving their numbers down.

You have much better odds at a DO school.

What state are you from ?

 

[libertyyne]

I'm from Illinois which has a fair amount of med schools. Definitely applying to some DOs.

Also I'm pretty sure med schools don't really take into account the difficulty of the undergrad. But if they do, that will probably boost me up a little (maybe .05 in GPA).

An individual on a state school adcom once told me that their school multiplies GPAs from Ivies and similar caliber schools by 1.03x and GPAs from lower tier undergrads by .97x. Obviously that doesn't change my decision tree much just food for thought

Grade deflators may get some benefit of the doubt, I am unsure if that translates uniformly to all schools. I have a similarly ****ty GPA that you do, however my MCAT makes up for it and I have had luck this cycle applying to the correct schools.

 

[libertyyne]

Congrats mate! Always happy to hear a success story. If you don't mind me asking, could you PM the schools you applied to. Trying to compile a comprehensive list of schools

I will just post a list for you. What is your expected final sGPA and cGPA?

 

[libertyyne]

you sgpa , cgpa and mcat are competitive at these schools and you are above the median acceptee LizzyM median .
Frank H Netter
Wright State University
Rosalind Franklin Chicago
Michigan State
Cooper Medical School Rowan
Meharry
Howard
San Juan Bautista
New York Medical College
University of Arizona
Rush
George Washington University
VCU
West Virginia


Here is a list of additional schools where you meet the 10th percentile GPA requirements but are above the mean matriculant lizzyM.
Thomas Jefferson
Western Michigan
Wake Forest
Oregon Health
George Town
Creighton
Oakland University Beaumont
Loma Linda
Penn State
University of Arizona College of Medicine

 

[efle]

I see I'm not the only one that made an Excel sheet of MSAR stats for easy sorting by various stats...

The 40 / 60 split odds are a bit harsh though in my opinion, as is the expectation of needing DO school. Someone with a lower ~3.4 sGPA, but out of Cornell with a near-perfect Penn postbacc and a 33 MCAT, in Ill, with volunteerism and research I think can expect MD success.

You'll need a good broad list, to be very early, and might still include a couple of the most established DO as backup since this is Cycle #2, but I think you can sleep a little easier than 40 / 60 would allow for most neurotic premeds

 

[libertyyne]

I see I'm not the only one that made an Excel sheet of MSAR stats for easy sorting by various stats...

The 40 / 60 split odds are a bit harsh though in my opinion, as is the expectation of needing DO school. Someone with a lower ~3.4 sGPA, but out of Cornell with a near-perfect Penn postbacc and a 33 MCAT, in Ill, with volunteerism and research I think can expect MD success.

You'll need a good broad list, to be very early, and might still include a couple of the most established DO as backup since this is Cycle #2, but I think you can sleep a little easier than 40 / 60 would allow for most neurotic premeds

DATA is Life, Data is Love.

 

[libertyyne]

I see I'm not the only one that made an Excel sheet of MSAR stats for easy sorting by various stats...

The 40 / 60 split odds are a bit harsh though in my opinion, as is the expectation of needing DO school. Someone with a lower ~3.4 sGPA, but out of Cornell with a near-perfect Penn postbacc and a 33 MCAT, in Ill, with volunteerism and research I think can expect MD success.

You'll need a good broad list, to be very early, and might still include a couple of the most established DO as backup since this is Cycle #2, but I think you can sleep a little easier than 40 / 60 would allow for most neurotic premeds

Applicant is also asian. 50/50 is the standard odds. I havent looked at IL, but OPs greatest chances are of matriculating in state schools.

 

[efle]

Applicant is also asian. 50/50 is the standard odds.

But that's just it, OP is not really standard! What fraction of that bin is people with well rounded ECs and a near perfect Ivy postbacc, from a state with a public med school that matches their LizzyM and interviews 30%? I think if you could subtract out the people that were just overall B+ students without upward trend, from Cali and the Northeast, and with little or nothing else on the app, the odds would become far better

 

[libertyyne]

But that's just it, OP is not really standard! What fraction of that bin is people with well rounded ECs and a near perfect Ivy postbacc, from a state with a public med school that matches their LizzyM and interviews 30%? I think if you could subtract out the people that were just overall B+ students without upward trend, from Cali and the Northeast, and with little or nothing else on the app, the odds would become far better

I always err on the side of caution. I'd rather be proven wrong and op be plesantly surprised than artificially inflate op's hopes. State schools are undoubtedly his best bet.

 

[LutGholein]

Meharry
Howard
San Juan Bautista

These are very mission-based schools so OP should make sure he fits/resonates with the mission!

Loma Linda

Also OP consider Loma Linda as long as you're comfortable with the christian environment--I interviewed here and loved it but I imagine someone who is secular might feel out of place.

OP might want to add Indiana University! Pretty OOS friendly and near Illinois-- I got an interview here and i'm nowhere near Indiana so someone from a nearby state may get love from them!

 

[libertyyne]

These are very mission-based schools so OP should make sure he fits/resonates with the mission!



Also OP consider Loma Linda as long as you're comfortable with the christian environment--I interviewed here and loved it but I imagine someone who is secular might feel out of place.

OP might want to add Indiana University! Pretty OOS friendly and near Illinois-- I got an interview here and i'm nowhere near Indiana so someone from a nearby state may get love from them!

Good catch, I should have excluded them to begin with. I leave them in sometimes to show how dire things are.

 

[Nucleophile1]

@heyitsgupta What ECs do you have?

 

[holycrap]

Don't waste your money on coaches and consultants.

 

[Papa Oso]

most people stick to just reading SDN and that they are a waste of money.

Whoever told you this is 100% correct. If you have friends IRL who went through the process, they can probably help you just as much (or more so) than any coach can.