Narrowing School List

[turtles43]

Hi all-

I have a list of 26 schools to apply to, but I want to narrow it down. I have 509 MCAT and 3.96 GPA. I'm a PA resident. What schools are not worth applying to on my list?

Thanks!

1. Albany Med. College
2. Creighton
3. Drexel
4. Temple
5. Eastern VA
6. George Washington
7. Georgetown
8. Loyola
9. Medical College of Wisconsin
10. NY Medical College
11. William Beaumont
12. Penn State
13. Quinnipiac
14. Rosalind Franklin
15. St. Louis
16. Thomas Jefferson
17. Commonwealth Med. College
18. U. of Vermont
19. Tulane
20. U. of Arizona (Tuscon)
21. U. of Pitt
22. U. of Rochester
23. USF Select
24. VA Commonwealth
25. Wake Forest
26. Warren Alpert

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[breezy16]

Just for clarity, are you African American?
How much research do you have
Clinical hours
ECs 1-5 rate overall

 

[turtles43]

I am white, and I've done a lot of undergraduate research and have a national publication. I would say my ECs are around 3, and they are diverse. My clinical hours are on the low side but I will be including future volunteering on my app for around 300 hours. I graduated last year, and have been working full-time as a research assistant within a local, well-recognized health network.

 

[femmegoblue]

I am white, and I've done a lot of undergraduate research and have a national publication. I would say my ECs are around 3, and they are diverse. My clinical hours are on the low side but I will be including future volunteering on my app for around 300 hours. I graduated last year, and have been working full-time as a research assistant within a local, well-recognized health network.

For the sake of an application, "future" work means nothing. TBH you shouldn't include it in your hours.

 

[breezy16]

I am white, and I've done a lot of undergraduate research and have a national publication. I would say my ECs are around 3, and they are diverse. My clinical hours are on the low side but I will be including future volunteering on my app for around 300 hours. I graduated last year, and have been working full-time as a research assistant within a local, well-recognized health network.

The reason why I asked about ethnicity is because you have Morehouse and Meharry on there... Two historically black universities. So I would axe those unless you have some significant ties.
I would add SUNYs; I had huge amounts of PA people interview with me. It seems SUNY has a soft spot for our neighboring PAs.. Stony Brook = research oriented, Upstate and Downstate not so much in comparison. I'd ask @CellPowerhouse about UB, I am not familiar with them. (Suny MCAT ranges are typically 27-35, I think. Median around 32-33.)

 

[turtles43]

For the sake of an application, "future" work means nothing. TBH you shouldn't include it in your hours.

In the AMCAS handbook it does say that you can include completed and expected hours in your entry across the dates you list. They allow you to enter activities that span all the way until Aug 2017. I am stating in the description how many I have completed of the total, but I don't think it will hurt to include that I will be continuing the activity, and for how long I will be doing so.

 

[turtles43]

The reason why I asked about ethnicity is because you have Morehouse and Meharry on there... Two historically black universities. So I would axe those unless you have some significant ties.
I would add SUNYs; I had huge amounts of PA people interview with me. It seems SUNY has a soft spot for our neighboring PAs.

That is good to know. Thank you! It is so hard to narrow down from so many schools.

 

[femmegoblue]

In the AMCAS handbook it does say that you can include completed and expected hours in your entry across the dates you list. They allow you to enter activities that span all the way until Aug 2017. I am stating in the description how many I have completed of the total, but I don't think it will hurt to include that I will be continuing the activity, and for how long I will be doing so.

Gotcha, I didn't know that!

 

[turtles43]

That is good to know. Thank you! It is so hard to narrow down from so many schools.

It seems like the SUNY schools don't accept many out of staters

 

[Whyamionhere]

In the AMCAS handbook it does say that you can include completed and expected hours in your entry across the dates you list. They allow you to enter activities that span all the way until Aug 2017. I am stating in the description how many I have completed of the total, but I don't think it will hurt to include that I will be continuing the activity, and for how long I will be doing so.

True - I didn't include future hours this past cycle and and interviewer asked why I stopped all these things that I was still actually doing and I was like .....huh???? Apparently it made it look like I was doing absolutely nothing.....

 

[turtles43]

Just going by MSAR, but it may be worth the application

 

[turtles43]

True - I didn't include future hours this past cycle and and interviewer asked why I stopped all these things that I was still actually doing and I was like .....huh???? Apparently it made it look like I was doing absolutely nothing.....

I assume if we have the option to enter it, then we can. Fine by me!

 

[breezy16]

These are just my exps. Out of the 25~ I interviewed with, 10 were OOS and 6/7 were from PA (the others were CT). I don't know their scores or backgrounds, but hey, it says something. Get the apps in early, be interesting, and adcoms will follow suit.
The SUNYs are big enough schools that theyre better options over the HBUs.
My personal opinion, btw, is unless you have tremendous amounts of service (volunteering abroad or something like this) I would avoid the low yields like GWU, GT and add a few reaches instead. Cos you have research and pubs, I would try and hit research houses like Emory for said reaches.

 

[turtles43]

These are just my exps. Out of the 25~ I interviewed with, 10 were OOS and 6/7 were from PA (the others were CT). I don't know their scores or backgrounds, but hey, it says something. Get the apps in early, be interesting, and adcoms will follow suit.
The SUNYs are big enough schools that theyre better options over the HBUs.
My personal opinion, btw, is unless you have tremendous amounts of service (volunteering abroad or something like this) I would avoid the low yields like GWU, GT and add a few reaches instead. Cos you have research and pubs, I would try and hit research houses like Emory for said reaches.

What does HBU stand for?

 

[Mr Giggles]

What does HBU stand for?

Historically Black University

Sent from my SM-G900P using SDN mobile

 

[turtles43]

Historically Black University

Sent from my SM-G900P using SDN mobile

Oh DUH, thank you!

 

[turtles43]

What other low-yield schools are on my list?

 

[breezy16]

Rosy, Jeff, GT, GWU, Drexel, Temple, NYMC to start. There are other I think are low yield, but I am not familiar enough to definitively say. Perhaps others will speak up. Low yield primarily because they're getting upwards of 12k apps/yr. (Most state schools get 4-7k)

 

[LizzyM]

Look at each school on the list. Ask yourself, "If this were the only school I was admitted to and if I were offered only loans to attend, would I go here?" If the answer is no, strike it from the list. I am so sick of people coming here in April and saying, "should I drop this offer and reapply? I know I can do better."

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

In the AMCAS handbook it does say that you can include completed and expected hours in your entry across the dates you list. They allow you to enter activities that span all the way until Aug 2017. I am stating in the description how many I have completed of the total, but I don't think it will hurt to include that I will be continuing the activity, and for how long I will be doing so.

Didn't do this last application myself, will definitely be doing it this time around!

 

[Lawpy]

Look at each school on the list. Ask yourself, "If this were the only school I was admitted to and if I were offered only loans to attend, would I go here?" If the answer is no, strike it from the list. I am so sick of people coming here in April and saying, "should I drop this offer and reapply? I know I can do better."

I'm tempted to call this a new LizzyM rule even though it's well known. Should i go for it?

 

[turtles43]

I'm tempted to call this a new LizzyM rule even though it's well known. Should i go for it?

I think so!

 

[turtles43]

I'm very much interested in these schools, but my main concern is about being on target. Do you feel like this list matches up pretty well with my stats?

 

[LizzyM]

I'm not sure about Arizona as OOS friendly. Otherwise, the list looks to be on target.

If you want to cut, imagine that you are invited to interview at all of the schools but can only attend 20 interviews. Which 20 would you want to interview at? That's your list.

 

[turtles43]

I'm not sure about Arizona as OOS friendly. Otherwise, the list looks to be on target.

If you want to cut, imagine that you are invited to interview at all of the schools but can only attend 20 interviews. Which 20 would you want to interview at? That's your list.

Thank you for your help!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to WAMC

 

[Faha]

Since you are a PA resident definitely apply to Penn State, Commonwealth, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. All those schools interview a high percentage of the PA applicants. If you need to remove schools delete Arizona (prefer AZ residents), Pitt (very competitive), USF, Warren Alpert and Rochester.

 

[turtles43]

Since you are a PA resident definitely apply to Penn State, Commonwealth, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. All those schools interview a high percentage of the PA applicants. If you need to remove schools delete Arizona (prefer AZ residents), Pitt (very competitive), USF, Warren Alpert and Rochester.

I have ties to Rochester and USF but will remove Arizona, Warren Alpert and Pitt. Thank you!

 

[turtles43]

I am thinking about adding 1 SUNY school to my list. Which of the four do you think would be the best fit (Downstate, Upstate, Buffalo, Stony Brook)?

 

[turtles43]

What about Albert Einstein?

 

[turtles43]

Western Michigan? last one....sorry

 

[Faha]

Western Michigan? last one....sorry

Good choice.

 

[Goro]

Here's a more realistic list:


Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Rochester
Rush (note: very service/experience oriented with a 150hr service requirement. Avg student has 800 hours of community service, and >1800 hours of health care exposure.)
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
MCW
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
Any new MD school, except Hofstra and Central MI, FIU, FAU and UCF. I can't recommend CNU.
Any DO program, starting with LECO and PCOM
.