MD Need to chop down my school list a bit. 4.00 sGPA 35 MCAT, CA Resident

[TBRBiosadist]

As the title says I need help chopping down and modifying my school list.

I plan on a applyling within the next two weeks (several things made it so
I wouldn't be able to apply the second the AMCAS opens but Im not overly worried). So first a quick bio

CA Resident, non-URM but considered low income and labeled as such by AAMC as in the "AAMC Minority Medical Student Applicant Registry" and the first of my immediate family to complete college.
3.99 cGPA/ 4.00 sGPA
35 MCAT (14/11/10)
Junior Molecular Biology Major/ Chem minor
2 years research experience at University (no publish, poster and presentation)
Research program for 8 weeks this summer
1 year surgeon shadowing (+100hrs)
1 year hospital volunteering (~70hrs, ongoing)
3 years volunteer experience/community service where I was coordinator for an internship with this community service (awarded by county for contribution)
Honors, and a bunch of societies.
Several leadership positions non-medical (Activities coordinator of environmentalist club, etc.)
Several big extracurriculars non-medical
Owned my own business for 4 years now
Worked as a tutor, and as an internship coordinator (mentioned earlier) with uni
Head of public relations for my honors society

US Med Schools only, preference towards schools near largish cities.

Im aiming for around 20-25ish schools to apply to. And Ive been mailed directly by Vanderbilt, Harvard, UCSF, and Duke if that means anything recommending me to check out and apply to their schools...it probably means nothing though.

My current list is
SAFETY
Albany
virginia tech
uc davis
loyla
penn state
NYMD
U of Az
Eastern Virginia
university of miama
Errr kinda safety but just above thatish....
albert einstien
Mid Tier
mayo
ucla geffen
ucsd
rochester
Duke
USC-Keck
Dartmouth
UCI
High mid.....but not quite reach
columbia
Reach
weill cornell
NYU school of medicine or fienberg
mt sinia
vanderbilt
pritzker
yale
I will sacrifice as many baby goats as needed because these are my dreams
UCSF
hopkins
stanford
Harvard

So yeah tell me I'm being an idiot and that Im way overestimating myself.

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[TBRBiosadist]

I have no family or friends really that I particularly care about outside of CA, nor is that a big deal to me. Im not super picky about med schools either, I just want to be a doctor at the end of the day. An MD is an MD, I just rather not sell myself short.

 

[Banco]

UCLA, Duke, and Columbia are all reaches.

Either way, this is a good list for you. I also recommend looking into Case Western (lots of cali students go here), Pitt, and Northwestern (instead of Pritzker).

I don't really think you should cut much more if you're going to apply top heavy like this.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

UCLA, Duke, and Columbia are all reaches.

Either way, this is a good list for you. I also recommend looking into Case Western (lots of cali students go here), Pitt, and Northwestern (instead of Pritzker).

I don't really think you should cut much more if you're going to apply top heavy like this.

I mean i would if I could afford it heh. The only reason I can apply to even 20 is im getting 15 free through fap. This list is meant to be cut down, especially at the top end. but ill definitley look into those three

 

[Banco]

I guess then it would be best to cut the super reaches like Yale, Pritzker, Harvard, Hopkins, Stanford. Also I don't know if U of Az has state bias, so that may be worth cutting.

 

[NavyDoc23]

If you're looking to cut, maybe Mayo as well?? Such a small class size (50), and I think a handful of them are MD-PhD, so really a class of 45.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

. I also recommend looking into Case Western (lots of cali students go here), Pitt, and Northwestern (instead of Pritzker).

ok an update, I looked at the suggested schools, and for some reason I wasnt really a fan of case (That area though :/) or pitt, and I was trying to delete reach schools so I didnt see the point of adding another one lol

If you're looking to cut, maybe Mayo as well?? Such a small class size (50), and I think a handful of them are MD-PhD, so really a class of 45.

I would if I didnt hear only good things about them. The downside is they are near a big city but they have insane numbers for great residency, an insane amount of financial aid, and a great community.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

anywho the new and shortened list (oh dear god my wallet)
SAFETY
Albany
virginia tech
uc davis
loyla
penn state
NYMC
Eastern Virginia
university of miama
Errr kinda safety but just above thatish....
albert einstien
Mid Tier
mayo
ucsd
rochester
Duke
USC-Keck
Dartmouth
UCI
Reach
NYU school of medicine or fienberg
mt sinia
vanderbilt
columbia
ucla geffen
I will sacrifice as many baby goats as needed because these are my dreams
UCSF
stanford
Harvard

 

[Banco]

NYMC is probably low yield, other than that I think this is a good list. If you're gonna apply top heavy like this out of California then you will naturally have a lot of schools.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

NYMC is probably low yield, other than that I think this is a good list. If you're gonna apply top heavy like this out of California then you will naturally have a lot of schools.

Thank you! yeah 25 is about how many my wallet will allow, but I'm confident (errr hopeful) I'll get into one or two schools off this list at least.

Out of curiosity, what makes NYMC low yield though? I my scores place me above their 90th percentile and I have the extracurriculars to back it up, also they have a large number of OOS. With that, what would you suggest as a good replacement for that?

 

[Banco]

Thank you! yeah 25 is about how many my wallet will allow, but I'm confident (errr hopeful) I'll get into one or two schools off this list at least.

Out of curiosity, what makes NYMC low yield though? I my scores place me above their 90th percentile and I have the extracurriculars to back it up, also they have a large number of OOS. With that, what would you suggest as a good replacement for that?

Well just keep the reaches you really really want, and cut the ones you don't care for that much. They get like 10k+ apps and yeah your numbers are way above their medians, so they may think you are likely to get accepted and go somewhere else, unless you express specific reasons for choosing NYMC. I think you simply don't need it, unless you truly want it.

 

[Goro]

Junior Molecular Biology Major/ Chem
1 year surgeon shadowing


For you, nothing is a reach.
My list for you:



uc davis
loyla
university of miami
albert einstien
mayo
ucla geffen
ucsd
Duke
USC-Keck
UCI
columbia
weill cornell
NYU school of medicine
fienberg
mt sinai
vanderbilt
pritzker
yale
UCSF
hopkins
stanford
Harvard
WashU

 

[Cubsfan15]

I think you should limit your safeties to 3 or 4 schools and apply to more top tier schools. You're a good applicant and the low income/ first generation to go to college will be a plus.

Basically, if I were you, I would apply to most of the top 20. The only schools I'd elimate in the top 20 are the University of Wash (as you are out of state) as well as Penn and Wash U (as they generally place a lot of emphasis on the MCAT). If you limit the number of top tier schools, there's a decent chance you could be eliminating the 1 that might give you an acceptance.

Also, I'd drop Mayo as it is a small program so odds aren't great. If you want to be near a largish city, why is Dartmouth on the list?

Finally, make sure you budget money for interviews. If you're flying across the country, the expenses will add up quickly. Good luck!

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

UCLA, Duke, and Columbia are all reaches.

Either way, this is a good list for you. I also recommend looking into Case Western (lots of cali students go here), Pitt, and Northwestern (instead of Pritzker).

I don't really think you should cut much more if you're going to apply top heavy like this.

Why Northwestern instead of Pritz?

 

[Banco]

Why Northwestern instead of Pritz?

They are both similar, but I think Pritzker is a bit more selective, so just hedging bets.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll compile an updated list within the next day and post it. A little less safeties, a little more top 20s.