omg help

[aimsz88]

hi all,


i just got verified this morning and i didn't expect my gpas to come out so low...

i am kinda sorta a non trad. four years of cello performance music, crappy gpa. 2.5 years of 4.0 gpa at post bacc but i did take some sciences courses during undergrad and sucked at those too..

MCAT: 33S (12P/11V/10B)
bcpm gpa: 3.37
overall gpa:3.17

this is significantly going to screw up my chances for first cuts at a lot of schools, i'm thinking. should i be bothering with a lot of these secondaries then if i am pretty sure they're just going to take my money and then say haha no way?

help i'm a little panicky this morning...
🙁

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[WHR]

First and foremost, your MCAT mark is above average which will help out. However, the question of whether to submit the secondaries will depend on which schools your are thinking about. From what I have read, your GPA will hurt your chances with the top tier schools. However, may be with strong ECs/LOC, you probably have a chance with the mid/low tier schools. So which schools are you thinking of applying?

 

[Phoenix.]

Well, you didn't say anything about your ECs or state of residence, or how many schools you applied to. Regardless, you're late for MD schools if you just got verified, and might not have the stats to overcome being late. If you have great ECs, personal statement LORs, etc., and live in a state that doesn't have killer competitive schools (i.e., CA), you might have a shot. You'll be a reapplicant anyway for schools that you selected in your primary, so you may as well complete the secondaries if you have the money and really want to give it a shot. However, if you're at all interested in DO schools, I would suggest that you apply to a couple of DO schools too. But if you'd rather reapply to MD schools next year than go to a DO school, definitely don't apply to DO schools. You might also consider an SMP or additional courses to raise your gpa if you don't get in this year (and of course, apply early next cycle). Good luck.

 

[radi0headfan]

The 2.5 yrs of 4.0 should definitely help, but I'm not sure if even that will allow you to be competitive with tier 1 schools...what schools were you thinking of?

 

[aimsz88]

hi all,

thanks for your quick replies...let me cut and paste another post i started in duplicate (my mistake)

University of Southern California
-Cello Performance major
-took some pre med classes too
-sucky gpa

University of California Los Angeles
-took "post bacc" classes
-4.0 gpa


still,
bcpm 3.37
oa 2.97
total 3.17

mcat 33s (12P/11V/10B)


Work Experience/Activities
Professional Concert Cellist
Resident Honors Program Scholar (40 in nation, freshman year)
Trustee Scholar - Full Academic Scholarship Recipient (100 usc freshman)
1926 Becker Cello Endowment Recipient
Med-COR Chemistry and Math Facilitator
KSCR Radio DJ
Resident Advisor - Fluor Tower and Portland Street House
Behavioral Health Unit Ward Clerk
Trojan Family Summer Science Camp Counselor
Electro-Optical & Cellular Physiology Laboratory Assistant
Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical/Academic Laboratory Asst.
Miss Hollywood
American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress Poster
SAGES Clinical Congress Poster - Poster of Distinction
Esophageal Chapter for Sabiston Textbook of Surgery

more publications are included in the little synopsi that we are able to type in there.

honestly, i'm a little heartbroken. i've had a complete turnaround since 2004 and it shows in my perfect grades, great mcat score, and great LOR. my bosses and professors would vouch for me in anyway they could, but i'm not sure it's going to help.

but still on paper i might not make the first cut. what can i do for this round of applications? i'm applying very veyr very very broadly haha.

 

[aimsz88]

i'm from california. shoot me now!

 

[aimsz88]

Well, you didn't say anything about your ECs or state of residence, or how many schools you applied to. Regardless, you're late for MD schools if you just got verified, and might not have the stats to overcome being late. If you have great ECs, personal statement LORs, etc., and live in a state that doesn't have killer competitive schools (i.e., CA), you might have a shot. You'll be a reapplicant anyway for schools that you selected in your primary, so you may as well complete the secondaries if you have the money and really want to give it a shot. However, if you're at all interested in DO schools, I would suggest that you apply to a couple of DO schools too. But if you'd rather reapply to MD schools next year than go to a DO school, definitely don't apply to DO schools. You might also consider an SMP or additional courses to raise your gpa if you don't get in this year (and of course, apply early next cycle). Good luck.

wow, i didn't know i would be a reapplicant if i didn't fill out the secondaries. good point. might as well then.

not interested in DO. i didn't struggle away for the last three years working full time and taking classes full time to struggle some more for a possibly california physician career. at this point, although it may be an immature feeling, i'd prefer to stick to MD.

i guess i have to wait out this cycle, and if nothing turns up, then i'll try smp. however, i'm going to take upper div science classes and other science classes. how do we let amcas know when there is added coursework?

 

[OCallag]

Your gpa is likely not going to get you cut in the first round at a lot of schools unless you apply to a ton highly ranked schools. I know this because my GPA is similar to yours (3.34 OA, 3.14 BCPM) and I made it to most of my screening schools' secondaries. The biggest problems are that you're getting late into the process and from CA, which you already know. GPA's like ours certainly don't help, but they don't kill. The upward trend helps, too. If you decide to sit this one out, it would probably be beneficial to pull that GPA up even more. I know that sucks, sorry.🙁

 

[Phoenix.]

how do we let amcas know when there is added coursework?

You don't. You update the schools individually with that info (usually once you get your grades back).

 

[aimsz88]

Your gpa is likely not going to get you cut in the first round at a lot of schools unless you apply to a ton highly ranked schools. I know this because my GPA is similar to yours (3.34 OA, 3.14 BCPM) and I made it to most of my screening schools' secondaries. The biggest problems are that you're getting late into the process and from CA, which you already know. GPA's like ours certainly don't help, but they don't kill. The upward trend helps, too. If you decide to sit this one out, it would probably be beneficial to pull that GPA up even more. I know that sucks, sorry.🙁

sorry, i'm a little confused. i should or should not apply to highly ranked schools?

well, if they don't kill, you're definitely riding on some merciful human to look past the deficiency.

i'll continue to take classes this school year and pull things up some more. i didn't realize the gpa wasn't going to come up a little more.

 

[pakbabydoll]

I think instead of wasting another year taking upper level classes, you should just apply to some lower standard schools. I mean your MCAT is above average which is good and your EC's are not all in medical field which is also good. Also you said you worked full time and they are going to see that if you worked full time and still managed a 4.0 in post Bacc then you can handle med school classes.
Good Luck

 

[aimsz88]

pakbabydoll,

thanks for the advice, i am doing just that...

i am applying broadly (44 schools) because i really don't want to do the application process again, unless completely necessary. (looks like it might be)

i am applying to all "lower" and "mid" tier schools, except i think i left out creighton.

where do i stress to them i worked full time since 2004? that's something that is important to me and something that i hope that's important to them too...

 

[Phoenix.]

pakbabydoll,

thanks for the advice, i am doing just that...

i am applying broadly (44 schools) because i really don't want to do the application process again, unless completely necessary. (looks like it might be)

i am applying to all "lower" and "mid" tier schools, except i think i left out creighton.

where do i stress to them i worked full time since 2004? that's something that is important to me and something that i hope that's important to them too...

Most secondaries give you a space to do that, either in an essay to explain anything about your academics, or in a general optional essay at the end of the secondary.

 

[aimsz88]

phoenix,



did i mention before that you're awesome? will do that in the little boxes, for sure.

i'm still in panic mode, but i'm starting to realize that for this cycle the best thing is to just keep my head on, and trudge forward. i'll continue with classes to help in any way that i can, and keep the publications coming. literally, that's all i can think to do right now.

 

[Phoenix.]

phoenix,



did i mention before that you're awesome? will do that in the little boxes, for sure.

i'm still in panic mode, but i'm starting to realize that for this cycle the best thing is to just keep my head on, and trudge forward. i'll continue with classes to help in any way that i can, and keep the publications coming. literally, that's all i can think to do right now.

Aw, shucks. Thanks! If I were you, I'd go to the thread on SDN with the essay prompts, and put them all in a word document. Start hammering away at them ASAP, and paste in ones to the other essays that you can reuse. That way, you can have many of your secondaries turned around the same or next day if you've already pre-written the essays. That's what I did. 44 schools is a lot, but you need to get the secondaries turned around ASAP if you want the best chance you can get to get in this year. Good luck, and I think with your broad list of schools, great ECs and very good MCAT score that you've definitely got a shot. Also make sure that all of your LORs are in order. That could hold things up. And once you have additional publications or the like, and your secondaries are already all in, you should start sending update letters to the schools.... Can't hurt, and could really help if you're right on the line. Some schools really like to see that a "borderline" applicant shows interest in their school by continued correspondence and letters of interest.

 

[aimsz88]

Haha, no problem. Great avatar, too!!

That's very smart, and I think I'll start that right away tonight. Why didn't I think of that? That's a very solid strategy to have a quick turnaround to my secondaries.

I'm working on getting my LORs in order. Waiting on one letter. It's killing me!

Will schools consider your application without the LORs? I was under the impression turning in your secondary without your LORs is the same as the date your LORs arrive. Am I correct?

 

[Phoenix.]

Schools that screen out someone reject them pre-secondary, so LORs don't come into play there. Otherwise, schools generally won't consider you unless your LORs have been received. That will hold up your application from being "complete" and ready for review. The only other exception I can think of is schools that give auto-invites based on high stats, like Pitt & UMich.

 

[Depakote]

I haven't seen your school list, but I would recommend you look at state schools not just privates.

There are a number of states that are very OOS friendly, some even offer in-state tuition after the first year. State schools in Ohio and the SUNY schools (New York) come to mind. Some of these schools have pretty decent OOS acceptance rates. I go to a state school in Ohio and we're ~40% OOS this year, lots of Cali residents.

 

[aimsz88]

phoenix,

thanks for your clarification, you're the best.


depakote,


i applied to u cinn and osu, just for kicks. i saw that in the amcas they both had pretty high rates of applicants for OOS people.

do you enjoy where you're at in school?

 

[sprinkibrio]

Be able to explain your change in motivation during the interviews (why you got "bad" grades in undergrad). You will be fine!!!

 

[Picklesali]

Wait, you won a cello award in "1926"?

 

[aimsz88]

I had the honor of being the recipient of the 1926 Becker Cello endowment. For those that may not know, instruments are very
expensive, and can range from 1,000 dollars to 2.5 million dollars. Usually world renowned musicians play instruments (such as
Stradivari violins and cellos) that are on loan through endowments from patron foundations. For my undergraduate years I was fortunate
enough to study and concertize with this amazing instrument through the Richard D. Colburn Foundation. The Becker cello came from
his private collection.



Richard D. Colburn was the major financer of the Colburn School of Performing Arts in downtown Los Angeles, a $26-million facility on
Grand Avenue designed to educate youngsters in music and dance. He also was a lifetime director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and
benefactor of the annual Colburn Celebrity Recitals, a co-founder of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and a generous supporter of
LACO, the Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera as well as numerous other musical organizations in Los Angeles and around the
world. In addition, he lent to budding musicians many fine instruments he had collected over half a century.

 

[inaminute]

I had the honor of being the recipient of the 1926 Becker Cello endowment. For those that may not know, instruments are very
expensive, and can range from 1,000 dollars to 2.5 million dollars. Usually world renowned musicians play instruments (such as
Stradivari violins and cellos) that are on loan through endowments from patron foundations. For my undergraduate years I was fortunate
enough to study and concertize with this amazing instrument through the Richard D. Colburn Foundation. The Becker cello came from
his private collection.



Richard D. Colburn was the major financer of the Colburn School of Performing Arts in downtown Los Angeles, a $26-million facility on
Grand Avenue designed to educate youngsters in music and dance. He also was a lifetime director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and
benefactor of the annual Colburn Celebrity Recitals, a co-founder of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and a generous supporter of
LACO, the Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera as well as numerous other musical organizations in Los Angeles and around the
world. In addition, he lent to budding musicians many fine instruments he had collected over half a century.

lemme guess...cut n paste from a primary or secondary app?

pretty cool, nonetheless, Miss Hollywood 😉

 

[aimsz88]

haha

swift one you are, inaminute...they were from my primaries.

thanks!