Not sure which schools to apply to (3.65/40O)

[hereigoagain]

So I just got my MCAT scores back and I jumped 9 points from 9PS/13VR/9BS to 13PS/14VR/13BS, and I'm not sure which schools to include. I'm a re applicant, and a little jumpy since I only got 1 interview last year and REALLY don't want to fail again this year.

Relevant stats:
-~3.65 GPA for both science and total
-shadowed ~30 hours with an obstetrician
-took the EMT-B class, but have only done some ride alongs b/c of certification delays
-2-3 years of research, 2 different labs, honors thesis project, not published
-taught voice lessons to an underprivileged girl for 2 years
-a few other random artsy things (singing and dancing)
-currently working this really weird job with a famous psychologist, not research

Currently applied to:
Drexel, Duke, GW, Northwestern, Penn State, ECU, Tufts, UNC, Vtech, Wake Forest

I know this is long, but I keep being told I should apply to more schools, and I'm just not sure which ones are good choices.

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[shindotp]

How did you raise your MCAT score so dramatically? Any advice?

I think you should definitely try applying to Harvard, Stanford, UPenn (looks like you like Pennsylvania), and just look for med schools in the cities you'd enjoy living in.

Maybe looking at the MSAR would help. If you apply to a med school with an average GPA of ~3.65, you'd definitely have a great advantage because of your score.

 

[JJMrK]

I would apply to like 15 schools plus your state school. You have an excellent shot though, as I'm sure you're aware. Any idea what happened last year?

 

[hereigoagain]

To shindotp, I couldn't get a job after I graduated in May, so I studied pretty much from then till June, plus I hadn't taken 2nd sem. physics or analytical chem when i took it last year. I sat down and rewrote the Princeton Review MCAT guide....all of it

Jimmer, I applied really late and wrote this really honest essay about how I'd just decided in July to go to Med School but I was really really sure this is what I wanted to do. Basically what I did is everything wrong, and this year I'm really paranoid about doing it again, and thus, I post here.

I just see people applying to 20 med schools and, short of pulling names out of a hat, I'm not sure how to do that. I was just wondering if there was any way to figure out which schools to send that primary to.

 

[JJMrK]

To shindotp, I couldn't get a job after I graduated in May, so I studied pretty much from then till June, plus I hadn't taken 2nd sem. physics or analytical chem when i took it last year. I sat down and rewrote the Princeton Review MCAT guide....all of it

Jimmer, I applied really late and wrote this really honest essay about how I'd just decided in July to go to Med School but I was really really sure this is what I wanted to do. Basically what I did is everything wrong, and this year I'm really paranoid about doing it again, and thus, I post here.

I just see people applying to 20 med schools and, short of pulling names out of a hat, I'm not sure how to do that. I was just wondering if there was any way to figure out which schools to send that primary to.

My suggestion is to take a look at the school selection spreadsheet at the top of this subforum. Pick out like 7 schools that are high chance, 7 that are go for it, and 7 that are hopeful. Make sure they're in places you'd want to live and take a decent number of OOS students.

 

[DaTruMD]

To shindotp, I couldn't get a job after I graduated in May, so I studied pretty much from then till June, plus I hadn't taken 2nd sem. physics or analytical chem when i took it last year. I sat down and rewrote the Princeton Review MCAT guide....all of it

You studied for one whole year? Wow. Congrats on an amazing score.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

My suggestion is to take a look at the school selection spreadsheet at the top of this subforum. Pick out like 7 schools that are high chance, 7 that are go for it, and 7 that are hopeful. Make sure they're in places you'd want to live and take a decent number of OOS students.

with a 3.65/40, ALL schools will be go for it.

 

[shindotp]

You studied for one whole year? Wow. Congrats on an amazing score.

I thought he meant he studied for 2 months...

 

[Stratego]

Congratulations on a very nice score improvement.

The 30 hours of MD shadowing looks fine, but aside from your EMT class, it looks like you have no clinical experience. It might be a good idea to get something started that you can mention in future update letters. Will the EMT certification be happening anytime soon? And if you are employed as an EMT, rather than volunteering, it might be good to get in some other community service.

 

[hereigoagain]

yea, I intended to start volunteering, but I have to retake the practical after passing the state test because they are auditing our class. Can you send update letters to your application? Will they even look at them? I assumed you just had to mention it in the interview.


PS. yes, I studied for 2 months, not 1 year, although I bet you'd get a really good score studying for a year

 

[Stratego]

Can you send update letters to your application? Will they even look at them? I assumed you just had to mention it in the interview.

Many people send them to their most favored schools 1-3 times during the cycle. Besides mentioning accumulated hours in pertinent various activities, you can report recent grades/classes taken and mention why that school is a perfect fit for you. They are considered to have variable degrees of helpfulness, depending on the school. But they don't hurt unless the school has put a ban on further submissions.