Need Advice on Admission Chances

[sal-houdini6799]

cGPA: 3.80 and sGPA: 3.70
509 (128/124/128/129)
Previous attempts: 505, 506, and these exams were taken 1.5 years ago
State of residence: IL
Ethnicity: Middle Eastern (ORM)
University of Illinois-Champaign


~3500 clinical hours as an ER scribe before/during COVID-19, Surgical assistant in a Dermatology clinic,
~250 volunteer hours at a cancer center coordinating transport for chemo pts
~200 hours at a local hospital where I served as a lead volunteer.

-TA at my undergraduate school for 2 semesters, winning teaching awards in both

-Research experience in biology, ~350 hours no publication.

Currently working as a clinical research manager in Gastroenterology at a top 10 Med school. Potential publication in a year or so.

I have gotten 5 R, but have heard nothing from the others. My concern is that last cycle I took the MCAT twice in the span of 3 months and got 505 (127/124/128/126) and 506(125/126/128/127). A year later I retook and got 509 but my CARS score dropped to 124. Is this lethal to my application?

In addition to retaking the MCAT (509), I worked with a professional writer to improve my personal statement and secondaries which I submitted/applications completed in July.

I recently (mid-November) applied to Chicago COM (DO School) and this is the only DO school on my list.

MD list:
Jacobs SOM-Buffalo (R)
U Missouri Kansas City (R)
Oakland U Beaumont
MCW Milwaukee
UIC
Central Michigan
Drexel
Rush
Wayne State
Penn State (R)
Albany
Loyola
Lewis Katz Temple
North East Ohio
Indiana (R)
Rosalind Franklin (R)
Wright State
Toledo
Frank N Quinnipiac


My questions are:

1. Am I likely looking at another application cycle?

2. Is taking the MCAT 3x frowned upon especially the dropping CARS score?

3. Do I send an update letter to the remaining schools mentioning a research conference I attended and more progress in research? I also began volunteering as a tutor at a school for at-risk youth in Chicago and will include that if deemed appropriate.


Thanks for your time and all the best to everyone.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Where's your community service? (Please use the WAMC template.)

*~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

Hello, and welcome to the What Are My Chances (WAMC) forum. The purpose of this forum is to Post threads about your chances of acceptance to MD and/or DO schools Have your school list critiqued and modified by other members of SDN Determine how to strengthen your current application General...

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[Faha]

One reason for lack of interviews is that you applied to 6 state public schools that admit few non residents with no connection to the state. You could still receive interviews in February and March. If no success this cycle apply broadly to DO schools in June 2023 and also expand your MD list.
I suggest these DO schools:
CCOM
DMU-COM
MU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
TUNCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
AZCOM
PCOM
LECOM
For MD schools I suggest these:
UIC
Loyola
Rush
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Creighton
TCU-UNT
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
New York Medical College
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Belmont (possible new school in Tennessee)

 

[sal-houdini6799]

Where's your community service? (Please use the WAMC template.)

*~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

Hello, and welcome to the What Are My Chances (WAMC) forum. The purpose of this forum is to Post threads about your chances of acceptance to MD and/or DO schools Have your school list critiqued and modified by other members of SDN Determine how to strengthen your current application General...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Where's your community service? (Please use the WAMC template.)

*~*~*~*IMPORTANT: How to Format Your WAMC Thread for Optimal Results and More!!*~*~*~*

Hello, and welcome to the What Are My Chances (WAMC) forum. The purpose of this forum is to Post threads about your chances of acceptance to MD and/or DO schools Have your school list critiqued and modified by other members of SDN Determine how to strengthen your current application General...

forums.studentdoctor.net

250 volunteer hours at a cancer center coordinating transport for chemo pts
200 hours at a local hospital where I served as a lead volunteer

This is found in my original post, thanks for showing a template.

 

[chilly_md]

250 volunteer hours at a cancer center coordinating transport for chemo pts
200 hours at a local hospital where I served as a lead volunteer

This is found in my original post, thanks for showing a template.

This is clinical volunteering. If you lack non-clinical volunteering, obtain 150-200 hours at a food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelter or other place where you can help the underserved. Tutoring is not an ideal activity to rely on for this category.

 

[sal-houdini6799]

This is clinical volunteering. If you lack non-clinical volunteering, obtain 150-200 hours at a food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelter or other place where you can help the underserved. Tutoring is not an ideal activity to rely on for this category.

Thanks for the input. I recently started volunteering at a school for at-risk youth in Chicago. I also forgot to mention that I have about 150 hours working with local food drives in Champaign, IL, and coordinated a campus-wide donation of clothes for the homeless.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks for the input. I recently started volunteering at a school for at-risk youth in Chicago. I also forgot to mention that I have about 150 hours working with local food drives in Champaign, IL, and coordinated a campus-wide donation of clothes for the homeless.

Did you forget to mention this on your applications? When did you do these activities? Regardless, 150 hours is a threshold minimum expectation, and it is insightful that you did not originally mention this when originally prompted for community service experiences, and that your clinical volunteering hours are greater than the community service hours and were not included in the original calculation.

You worked with a professional writer on your PS, but did you pass it through a gauntlet of other reviewers? Did you do the same with your secondary essays? The lack of activity after submission may be due to a lot of things, but we like to focus on what you had in your applications as an area to focus on for improvements. The two similar MCAT scores don't help your cause if the application materials don't resonate with the schools you applied to.

 

[sal-houdini6799]

Did you forget to mention this on your applications? When did you do these activities? Regardless, 150 hours is a threshold minimum expectation, and it is insightful that you did not originally mention this when originally prompted for community service experiences, and that your clinical volunteering hours are greater than the community service hours and were not included in the original calculation.

You worked with a professional writer on your PS, but did you pass it through a gauntlet of other reviewers? Did you do the same with your secondary essays? The lack of activity after submission may be due to a lot of things, but we like to focus on what you had in your applications as an area to focus on for improvements. The two similar MCAT scores don't help your cause if the application materials don't resonate with the schools you applied to.

I did mention the non-clinical volunteering on my applications but forgot to include them when drafting my post.

With regards to PS, I had an English professor, pre health advisor, and professional writer go over it and provide me with feedback. I went through several drafts before submission. The professional writing was offered to me for free as I am low-income. I don’t think that impacts the quality of their review I just thought I would note that.

 

[sal-houdini6799]

Did you forget to mention this on your applications? When did you do these activities? Regardless, 150 hours is a threshold minimum expectation, and it is insightful that you did not originally mention this when originally prompted for community service experiences, and that your clinical volunteering hours are greater than the community service hours and were not included in the original calculation.

You worked with a professional writer on your PS, but did you pass it through a gauntlet of other reviewers? Did you do the same with your secondary essays? The lack of activity after submission may be due to a lot of things, but we like to focus on what you had in your applications as an area to focus on for improvements. The two similar MCAT scores don't help your cause if the application materials don't resonate with the schools you applied to.

I would like to respectfully note that it is very difficult to have hundred and hundreds of volunteer hours when you are low income (family income of 20k/year single mom) and must work several jobs to support yourself through college. I believe I have also served my community greatly during the pandemic performing duties well outside the typical role of a scribe. I worked a minimum of 60 hr/week for a whopping $8.75 an hour. I caught COVID-19 and was hospitalized as a result. I briefly talked about this during my PS and activities section.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would like to respectfully note that it is very difficult to have hundred and hundreds of volunteer hours when you are low income (family income of 20k/year single mom) and must work several jobs to support yourself through college. I believe I have also served my community greatly during the pandemic performing duties well outside the typical role of a scribe. I worked a minimum of 60 hr/week for a whopping $8.75 an hour. I caught COVID-19 and was hospitalized as a result. I briefly talked about this during my PS and activities section.

I concur and empathize with you, so thank you for the additional context. Somehow that is not being communicated to the schools, and I'm not sure why you might not make it past any additional holistic review. Maybe CCOM will send you an II soon, but it appears it may be your best chance (though you never know).

I'm also guessing you have a geographic restriction if you are a single mom applying to medical school and on a limited income. How much have you talked with admissions professionals (deans, directors) and diversity professionals at the schools on your list?

 

[sal-houdini6799]

I concur and empathize with you, so thank you for the additional context. Somehow that is not being communicated to the schools, and I'm not sure why you might not make it past any additional holistic review. Maybe CCOM will send you an II soon, but it appears it may be your best chance (though you never know).

I'm also guessing you have a geographic restriction if you are a single mom applying to medical school and on a limited income. How much have you talked with admissions professionals (deans, directors) and diversity professionals at the schools on your list?

Sorry if I didn’t word things properly but I am not a single mom, I am a 23 y/o male from a single parent household and grew up without a father.

I have not spoken with any admissions or diversity professionals at any school. I briefly touched on coming from a single parent in my PS and applied using a fee waiver so I assume my socioeconomic status is known.

I’m at loss on what Is wrong with my application. I recently had a good friend of mine from college get an interview at an MD school in state with similar stats but much less ECs. I’m so happy for him but can’t help but compare our apps to see where mine went wrong and I really don’t know.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Sorry... I read quickly on the mobile app. It's too hard to say. For what we know it is luck if the draw with screeners and second level reviewers. The easiest thing we can control in an online forum is suggest your writing and demonstration with mission fit. I don't know anything else about letters or if anything else in your application was a problem. Again, how much have contacted other students or the admissions teams at the schools you are interested in before applying?

 

[Aksea23]

If you do have to reapply (and hopefully you don’t), would it be possible for you to have someone help edit your secondaries? You’ve already written many of them, and you’d want to make some changes year-over-year, but you also already know the prompts.

 

[sal-houdini6799]

Sorry... I read quickly on the mobile app. It's too hard to say. For what we know it is luck if the draw with screeners and second level reviewers. The easiest thing we can control in an online forum is suggest your writing and demonstration with mission fit. I don't know anything else about letters or if anything else in your application was a problem. Again, how much have contacted other students or the admissions teams at the schools you are interested in before applying?

I have not contacted any schools or admissions teams before applying.

If I do have to reapply, would it be wise to submit early decision to a school like UIC, my state school?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I always suggest that you contact a school before considering it for early decision. I worry that you haven't gotten any feedback from them with regular admission though. If they felt you were a strong match, I would have hoped you would have heard from them.