Need advice / WAMC

[Oaktree22]

I am currently a junior planning to apply this upcoming cycle without a gap year and I could really use some advice on: (1) whether to retake the MCAT and (2) potential school list.



cGPA: 3.98 and sGPA: 3.94 (Majoring in Bio and Medical Humanities)

MCAT: 518 (132, 126,129,131) - I know it is unbalanced, but I am wondering if I should retake it to try and get my CARS score up
State ties: IL
College: Top 20 Private (with Full Merit Scholarship)
ORM – Asian Female

Research: Around 2000+ hours, working in different settings ranging from basic sciences (700+), clinical research (600+ 1 summer), mental health disparities/health policy (300+ honors thesis). I am planning to either work in my basic science or health policy lab for summer 2021.

Publications: 5 papers + 2 in review; 5 as first author, 2 as second and third author

Clinical volunteering: 200+ Hours volunteering across, hospice, university medical center, and on a mobile clinic for homeless
Shadowing: 200+ hours across different specialties ranging from OBGYN, surgery, IM, EM, and cardiology
Non-clinical volunteering: 600 + hours in mental health education/advocacy & Crisis Text Line

EC: started a mental health club at university to bridge cultural barriers, work as an RA (~1400 hours), and TA for intro psych course

Honors/Awards: Goldwater Scholar, Nominated for Truman (but not finalist)
Hobbies: nothing significant

School list:

• UIC (Chicago)
• Northwestern
• UChicago
• Columbia
• Cleveland Clinic/CWRU
• Duke
• Vanderbilt
• OHSU
• UW Madison
• U Cincinnati
• Rush
• Einstein
• Emory
• Harvard
• Johns Hopkins
• Kaiser
• Mayo Clinic
• Mt. Sinai
• NYU
• Stanford
• UCSF/UCLA/UCSD
• UPenn
• UPittsburgh
• USC
• Cornell
• University of Michigan
• UVA
• Yale
• WashU
• UTSW (although I don't know if it is worth doing TMDSAS for just one school), I might add UT Dell

Thanks for all your help!!

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[Putkernerinthehall]

I'm just an applicant (successful) so take with grain of salt.

Do not retake MCAT. 518 is outstanding despite lower CARS. I'd stop shadowing, work on more clinical hours, and find a hobby! Schools will want to see well-roundedness.

Despite your outstanding stats, I do think your list is too top heavy. You need a few mid-tiers, like ones with median MCAT 514-516. Others can weigh in. I think you mean OSU (Ohio St) instead of OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University). Good luck!

 

[Oaktree22]

I'm just an applicant (successful) so take with grain of salt.

Do not retake MCAT. 518 is outstanding despite lower CARS. I'd stop shadowing, work on more clinical hours, and find a hobby! Schools will want to see well-roundedness.

Despite your outstanding stats, I do think your list is too top heavy. You need a few mid-tiers, like ones with median MCAT 514-516. Others can weigh in. I think you mean OSU (Ohio St) instead of OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University). Good luck!

Thanks for your feedback. I meant OSU. Do you have any suggestions for Mid-Tier schools ?

 

[m1redsox]

As an IL resident, you should include all in-state schools on your list like SIU, Loyola, RFU, and Carle Illinois. Those are some solid safety schools for your top-heavy list (although I think your app is fantastic and you'll have success at some of your top schools). I definitely would not retake a 518. Some other mid-tiers that come to mind are:
Miami
Iowa (They give preference to IS, but you are regional and they accept a fair number of OOS applicants)
Jefferson
SLU
Tufts
USF-Morsani
Wake Forest
Western Michigan
Dartmouth
Brown

 

[candbgirl]

As an IL resident, you should include all in-state schools on your list like SIU, Loyola, RFU, and Carle Illinois. Those are some solid safety schools for your top-heavy list (although I think your app is fantastic and you'll have success at some of your top schools). I definitely would not retake a 518. Some other mid-tiers that come to mind are:
Miami
Iowa (They give preference to IS, but you are regional and they accept a fair number of OOS applicants)
Jefferson
SLU
Tufts
USF-Morsani
Wake Forest
Western Michigan
Dartmouth
Brown

Only apply to SIU if you live in a rural area. They have a pretty specific geographic area that they draw from. Why didn’t you apply to all of the other IL schools this cycle?

 

[Oaktree22]

As an IL resident, you should include all in-state schools on your list like SIU, Loyola, RFU, and Carle Illinois. Those are some solid safety schools for your top-heavy list (although I think your app is fantastic and you'll have success at some of your top schools). I definitely would not retake a 518. Some other mid-tiers that come to mind are:
Miami
Iowa (They give preference to IS, but you are regional and they accept a fair number of OOS applicants)
Jefferson
SLU
Tufts
USF-Morsani
Wake Forest
Western Michigan
Dartmouth
Brown

Thank you for your feedback. While I add these schools, can you suggest removing anything from the list ? What is the optimal # of schools to apply ?

 

[m1redsox]

Why didn’t you apply to all of the other IL schools this cycle?

OP is a college junior. She did not apply this cycle.

 

[Banco]

You have an excellent application; your research experience is exceptional. Do not retake the MCAT.

That being said, that is quite a top heavy list - it's fine to do this shotgun top 25 approach, but balance it out a bit. Apply to all of your state schools for starters (at least Loyola and RFU).

Then add some mid-tiers where your MCAT is higher than average: Rochester, Hofstra, Jefferson, Miami, Dartmouth, Wake Forest, SLU, Iowa, MCW.

 

[m1redsox]

Thank you for your feedback. While I add these schools, can you suggest removing anything from the list ? What is the optimal # of schools to apply ?

A good number of schools would probably be ~25 for a solid applicant like you. However, if you really want to shoot your shot with all the top schools, you should simply add those on top of your 25 rather than replace more realistic options with them. I mostly refer to the schools whose average MCATs are 520+ like NYU, WashU, Northwestern, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, UPenn, etc. You still have a decent shot at those schools with your research background, but it makes your list feel pretty top-heavy as an ORM with a below average MCAT score (for their standards).

I did 40 secondaries, and that felt like a lot, but I still managed to get through them pretty quickly. Just don’t let your number of schools impact the quality or timeliness of your secondaries. You should submit them ASAP after receiving them. That should almost be the only thing you do during July this year.

 

[Oaktree22]

You have an excellent application; your research experience is exceptional. Do not retake the MCAT.

That being said, that is quite a top heavy list - it's fine to do this shotgun top 25 approach, but balance it out a bit. Apply to all of your state schools for starters (at least Loyola and RFU).

Then add some mid-tiers where your MCAT is higher than average: Rochester, Hofstra, Jefferson, Miami, Dartmouth, Wake Forest, SLU, Iowa, MCW.

Thanks for all the feedback. Based on the advise , not to retake the MCAT, do I have to address this low CARS score in my essay / recommendations ?

I plan to add Rochester, Hofstra, Jefferson, Miami, Dartmouth, Brown, SLU, Iowa, MCW, Tufts, Loyola, RFU

Question about adding Texas schools to the college list. Any suggestions to add Texas schools ? Baylor or UTSW or Dell Medical ? Do they take OOS ? Thanks.

 

[Banco]

Thanks for all the feedback. Based on the advise , not to retake the MCAT, do I have to address this low CARS score in my essay / recommendations ?

I plan to add Rochester, Hofstra, Jefferson, Miami, Dartmouth, Brown, SLU, Iowa, MCW, Tufts, Loyola, RFU

Question about adding Texas schools to the college list. Any suggestions to add Texas schools ? Baylor or UTSW or Dell Medical ? Do they take OOS ? Thanks.

Do you really want to go to the TX schools? I don't think those are necessary.

You don't need to address your 126. Your MCAT is fine.

 

[m1redsox]

Question about adding Texas schools to the college list. Any suggestions to add Texas schools ? Baylor or UTSW or Dell Medical ? Do they take OOS ? Thanks.

I mean the world is kind of your oyster with your application, so you could have a shot, but if you look at MSAR, they have an extremely low acceptance rate for OOS students. By state mandate, TX public schools can only allow up to 10% of their matriculating class be OOS. So in my opinion, that wouldn’t be worth it to fill out the whole TMDSAS and extra secondaries for those tiny chances. But I believe Baylor is on AMCAS, and they are private so they don’t have the same requirements.

 

[Oaktree22]

I mean the world is kind of your oyster with your application, so you could have a shot, but if you look at MSAR, they have an extremely low acceptance rate for OOS students. By state mandate, TX public schools can only allow up to 10% of their matriculating class be OOS. So in my opinion, that wouldn’t be worth it to fill out the whole TMDSAS and extra secondaries for those tiny chances. But I believe Baylor is on AMCAS, and they are private so they don’t have the same requirements.

Makes sense. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I wouldn't even bother with Texas schools unless you have family there or some unique tie that attracts you to there. You don't need Texas.

 

[Oaktree22]

I wouldn't even bother with Texas schools unless you have family there or some unique tie that attracts you to there. You don't need Texas.

I don't have any ties to Texas. Thanks for the feedback on Texas schools.