MD Not sure if aiming too low - 3.91/522

[Lifeblood_20]

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[Faha]

You could add these schools:
Washington University
Vanderbilt
Rochester
Mount Sinai
Einstein
Columbia
Cornell
Harvard
Yale

 

[Goro]

Demographics: Michigan resident, ORM, traditional applicant
School: University of Michigan, Neuroscience major, History minor
Stats: cGPA 3.93, sGPA 3.87, MCAT 522 (130/129/132/131)

Research: 1 summer NIH internship + 3 years at the same university lab (psychiatry). 2 posters at undergrad poster sessions, 1 poster at national conference, 1 oral presentation at uni symposium, 2 fellowships (including one from NIH), 1 peer-reviewed publication

Clinical: Child life assistant (employment, 300 hours), hospital volunteering (trauma burn unit, adult inpatient, pediatric oncology, surgery reception - 150 hours total), shadowing (pcp 20 hours, pediatric nephrologist 12 hours, rheumatologist 12 hours, neurosurgeon 8 hours)

Nonclinical volunteering: summer camp for ethnic minority kids (50 hours), after-school program for homeless children in temporary housing (80 hours), soup kitchen (110 hours)

Leadership: in two student-led nonprofits: one serves the local homeless population - organized large scale material distribution, led regular volunteering events in homeless shelters and hospitality houses off campus; the other one works to eliminate food waste: collect unused food from university dining halls and donate to the soup kitchen, organize educational meetings on sustainable food practices

Teaching: study group leader for our Science Learning Center for 6 semesters (for orgo, physics, gen chem, and biochem), also TA for an advanced language class for 1 semester

Other: play a club sports (also an officer for the club), do art/gardening in free time, participate in an ethnic student org, considering teaching/service programs (JET, AmeriCorp) for gap year, 1st gen immigrant and ESL

Current list (I prefer to stay in the Midwest and will be applying to less than 20 schools):

• MI schools
  • Wayne
  • MSU
  • OUWB
• OH schools
  • CWRU
  • OSU
  • UCinci
• Other OOS:
  • UWisconsin
  • Rush (if I do Americorps for gap year)
  • UIowa
  • UPittsburg
  • Chicago Rosalind Franklin
• Reaches:
  • Northwestern
  • UMich
  • UChicago Pritzker
  • NYU

@Goro @Faha @Catalystik

I suggest aiming a tad higher:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Northwestern
Columbia
Harvard
Stanford
Mayo
Cornell
Sinai
BU
U VA
Duke
Baylor
Case
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
U MI and all other MI shcools
Albert Einstein
Hofstra
Ohio State
Pitt
U Cincy
USF Morsani
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U IA
U VM

 

[Lifeblood_20]

I suggest aiming a tad higher:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Northwestern
Columbia
Harvard
Stanford
Mayo
Cornell
Sinai
BU
U VA
Duke
Baylor
Case
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
U MI and all other MI shcools
Albert Einstein
Hofstra
Ohio State
Pitt
U Cincy
USF Morsani
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U IA
U VM

Ok, here's my list:

• MI schools
  • Wayne
  • MSU
  • OUWB
  • Western Michigan
  • Central Michigan
• OH schools
  • CWRU
  • OSU
  • UCinci
• OOS/mid-tiers:
  • UWisconsin
  • UPittsburg
  • Jefferson
  • Tufts
  • Emory
• Reaches:
  • Northwestern
  • UMich
  • UChicago Pritzker
  • NYU
  • WashU
  • Mayo
  • Cornell

Trying to stay balanced in terms of matches and reaches; if I get into any one of these schools I'd be happy to go.

 

[Bucky Dent]

If I were you I would take off tufts and Jefferson and replace them with Vandy and UCLA.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

If I were you I would take off tufts and Jefferson and replace them with Vandy and UCLA.

Thanks for the input; I'm only applying to midwest/east coast, hence those two.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

If East Coast schools are on your list, add Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth, and Brown. You’re an excellent applicant and should have twice as many reaches as you now do.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

If East Coast schools are on your list, add Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth, and Brown. You’re an excellent applicant and should have twice as many reaches as you now do.

Thanks. Upon further consideration I replaced Tufts and Jefferson with Columbia and Brown, as I like their strength in the humanities.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Good. I think you should add Harvard and Yale, too. Brown likes its own undergrads, so chances there might be slightly slimmer. Still. Shoot higher than you now are.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Brown likes its own undergrads,

I didn't know that. I might apply Yale instead. Replaced CMU and WMU with reaches as well because those are too expensive and don't have in-state tuition anyway. Final list:

• MI schools
  • Wayne
  • MSU
  • OUWB
• OH schools
  • CWRU
  • OSU
  • UCinci
• OOS/mid-tiers:
  • UWisconsin
  • UPittsburg
  • Emory
• Reaches:
  • Northwestern
  • UMich
  • UChicago Pritzker
  • NYU
  • WashU
  • Mayo
  • Columbia
  • Dartmouth
  • Yale
  • JHU
  • Harvard

If @Goro or @Faha has any last comments!

 

[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

 

[Goro]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

I agree. Consider Einstein, Hofstra, Dartmouth, Case. Keck and Emory

 

[Lifeblood_20]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews.

Thanks!

I agree. Consider Einstein, Hofstra, Dartmouth, Case. Keck and Emory

I'll likely apply to Dartmouth, Case, and Emory. Any particular reason for the other three?

 

[Goro]

Thanks!

I'll likely apply to Dartmouth, Case, and Emory. Any particular reason for the other three?

They're all schools of similar class, and you're right at median for them, or very close.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

They're all schools of similar class, and you're right at median for them, or very close.

I see, thank you!
Now, time to pre-write...

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Hi, revoking this thread because I'm deciding on more schools to add. Here are the schools I sent my primaries to:

Reaches:

• NYU
• WashU
• Yale
• Duke
• Cornell
• UMich
• UChicago Pritzker
• Northwestern
• Columbia

Case/Emory class:

• Case
• Dartmouth
• Emory
• Upenn

"Matches:"

• Wayne
• MSU
• OUWB
• OSU
• UCinci

@Goro @Faha which "tier" would you recommend I add more schools in?

 

[Faha]

You could add schools such as Pittsburgh, Rochester, U Virginia, Einstein, Mount Sinai, Brown.

 

[proudofmykids]

I suggest you review the previous suggestions and a few more.
17 apps is lean.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

I suggest you review the previous suggestions and a few more.
17 apps is lean.

Yeah will probably end up applying to 20 - 25

 

[Goro]

Hi, revoking this thread because I'm deciding on more schools to add. Here are the schools I sent my primaries to:

Reaches:

• NYU
• WashU
• Yale
• Duke
• Cornell
• UMich
• UChicago Pritzker
• Northwestern
• Columbia

Case/Emory class:

• Case
• Dartmouth
• Emory
• Upenn

"Matches:"

• Wayne
• MSU
• OUWB
• OSU
• UCinci

@Goro @Faha which "tier" would you recommend I add more schools in?

You should be applying to all MI schools, so add Western MI and Central MI. Also add U VM, consider U CO, U WI, USF, Keck, UCSF, UCLA, Hofstra, SLU

 

[Lifeblood_20]

You should be applying to all MI schools, so add Western MI and Central MI. Also add U VM, consider U CO, U WI, USF, Keck, UCSF, UCLA, Hofstra, SLU

Which school do you mean by U CO?

 

[Goro]

Which school do you mean by U CO?

U Colorado

 

[Lifeblood_20]

U Colorado

Thank you, I added Western and Central MI. I am at 20 schools and I think that's the limit to how many quality secondaries I can complete timely. I am certain I will complete at all 20 schools.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Updating this thread to say I'm complete at the following 25 schools:

NYU Grossman
WashU
Yale
Duke
Cornell
UMich
UChicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Columbia
Case
Dartmouth
Emory
Upenn
Wayne
MSU
OUWB
Western MI
Central MI
OSU
UCinci
UPitt
Rochester
UVermont Larner
UWisconsin
UToledo

I have gotten 2 IIs so far (from MSU and NYU), but I'm worried that I completed slightly late to many of my schools (submitted in late August ~ mid-September). Would you think my chances are still alright? @Goro @Faha

 

[Faha]

Updating this thread to say I'm complete at the following 25 schools:

NYU Grossman
WashU
Yale
Duke
Cornell
UMich
UChicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Columbia
Case
Dartmouth
Emory
Upenn
Wayne
MSU
OUWB
Western MI
Central MI
OSU
UCinci
UPitt
Rochester
UVermont Larner
UWisconsin
UToledo

I have gotten 2 IIs so far (from MSU and NYU), but I'm worried that I completed slightly late to many of my schools (submitted in late August ~ mid-September). Would you think my chances are still alright? @Goro @Faha

You should receive more interviews. Interview season goes until March.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

You should receive more interviews. Interview season goes until March.

Should I apply to more schools? Do you think my submission time was too late? @Goro

 

[Faha]

Should I apply to more schools? Do you think my submission time was too late? @Goro

No, your submission time was fine.

 

[Goro]

Should I apply to more schools? Do you think my submission time was too late? @Goro

I think that you can add a few more.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

I think that you can add a few more.

I don't have ties to any other OOS schools, but would you have any that you recommend?

 

[Goro]

Try any of these:

Hofstra
U WI
U CO
SUNY SB
Keck
UCSF
Einstein
USF
U IA

 

[proudofmykids]

Vanderbilt like research and you have strong research app. THey are in Nashville, not west coast.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Vanderbilt like research and you have strong research app. THey are in Nashville, not west coast.

Their "autobiography" secondary is turning me off...

 

[proudofmykids]

Their "autobiography" secondary is turning me off...

they do give a lot of merit scholarship, might be worth it.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Apply to UCSF and Einstein. You have two IIs already and may continue to receive more until March. Interviews three, a doctor you'll be. Things are looking good for you!

 

[Lifeblood_20]

.

 

[Goro]

A publication is always worth an update to schools that accept them

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

You'll be an MD for sure; with four interviews at top-20 schools and more potentially coming your way, pretty likely it'll be at a top school.

 

[ekaplun]

Keep us updated! Rooting for you!!

 

[fullofbeanz]

We have very similar stats (my cGPA/sGPA is 3.85). Rooting for you!! You have much stronger research experiences than me, I was much heavier on volunteering/clinical stuff. I hope to even get an interview from one of my reach schools to prove to myself that I wasn’t overestimating my app, but hey, an A is an A and at the end of the day we’ll both me MDs!!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Hi, updating this thread with my results so far. The aforementioned publication has been accepted with minor revisions but not yet in print, and I'm debating if it's worth sending pre-II updates to schools I haven't heard from. Any opinions? @Faha @Goro

Schools I've heard from:
NYU Grossman - Interviewed, put on post-interview hold
WashU - Interviewed
Columbia - Invited to Interview
Wayne - Interviewed, Waitlisted
MSU - Interviewed, Accepted
Western MI - Invited to Interview
UChicago Pritzker - Invited to Interview
Dartmouth - pre-II R
UPitt - pre-II R
UWisconsin - pre-II R

Schools I'm waiting to hear from:
UToledo
Yale
Duke
Cornell
UMich
Northwestern
Rochester
UVermont Larner
Central MI
OSU
UCinci
OUWB
Emory
Upenn
Case Western

It's very nice to see you giving updates. I rarely see anyone doing that in WAMC.