MD Non-trad with 3.91 cGPA, 33 MCAT...thanks!

[AVCarr]

Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for any advice you might be able to give! I don't have great resources at my undergraduate for help with this, so thought I might see if anyone had some feedback here.

Basic stats:
2012 graduate, major in behavioral neuroscience/psychology--3.91 cGPA, 3.86 sGPA.
10 PS, 11 BS, 12 VR
MA resident

ECs:
Research: Two years w/ thesis in undergrad with publication (not first author), just took job as research assistant at hospital in Boston as well
Clinical: One year as medical scribe and scribe trainer in Boston
Volunteer: Limited, but involved in group that plans sends physical therapists to Haiti to provide hands-on continuing ed for therapists there, activities dept in nursing home during college
Other: Resident assistant (1 year, peer adviser 1 year, administrator/project manager at Boston hospital(two years since graduation), other undergrad leadership things (details probably not important), other (let me know if you want to know more!)

LORs: I believe they should be very good (finger crossed!)

Here is my tentative list of schools:
Albert Einstein
Boston University
Dartmouth
Harvard Medical School
Keck Sch. of Med.University of Southern California
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York University
Stanford
The University of Vermont
Tufts
Tulane
University of California San Francisco
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Brown

I know the CA schools are a long shot, but you have to dream a little! Am applying to Harvard because of my current institutional affiliation. Does this list seem reasonable? I am worried it is top-heavy, so hoping to balance with some schools I might have a solid shot at. I would love some feedback or suggestions for additions.

Other I am considering adding:
Rush
Albany
New York Medical
Quinnipiac

Thanks for any and all help, everyone! And good luck to you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[lmn]

Too top heavy imo. Also look at Brown since they seem to bring in a lot of their class through their own school/programs.

 

[gyngyn]

With your basic list, I count 4 schools where you have a fair to good chance of an interview. You definitely need to add your "consideration" schools and a few others. The CA schools will appreciate the donations, though!

 

[AVCarr]

Okay, great, that's really helpful! Thank you! Maybe I will take off Stanford and Brown, then, and add in Rush, Albany, and Quinnipiac.

If anyone else has any suggestions for any other schools that would be good adds to my list, I would appreciate it!

 

[lmn]

Okay, great, that's really helpful! Thank you! Maybe I will take off Stanford and Brown, then, and add in Rush, Albany, and Quinnipiac.

If anyone else has any suggestions for any other schools that would be good adds to my list, I would appreciate it!

Depends on how good of a chance you want to get in for your money. Honestly your MCAT is way too low for many of the schools on your list, consult the MSAR, but you are quite low for places like Harvard, UCSF, Vanderbilt. You are listing many top programs with fairly good stats, but not excellent stats and EC's. If I were you, I would honestly rework the majority of your list based on MSAR/LizzyM score to be more realistic and a lot less of the big reaches.

 

[AVCarr]

Okay...did some thinking and reworking--do you think this a balanced list with higher probability of success?

University of Massachusetts
University of Vermont
Rush
VCU
St. Louis
Chicago Medical School
Tulane
Tufts
Albert Einstein
Boston University
Emory
Columbia
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Thanks for your help!