Opinions?

[turtle21]

Here it is: overall GPA: 3.48, though really unevenly distributed Freshman: 3.88, Soph: 3.75, Junior: 2.80...what can I say, I had a lot of stuff happen and school just wasn't the priority it should have been...it's not trend-setting. MCAT: 36. Major in Molecular Genetics. 1 year Cardiovascular research, 1 year Epidemiology research. Part-time work throughout Soph and Junior year (10-20 h/week) as a waitress (for the money) as well as 3-6 h/week as a tutor throughout all 3 years. A few months in the ER as a volunteer. Member of my school's Dance Team in Freshman year. Many hobbies, including writing poetry, mountain-bike racing, dance classes, photography... I'd like to get into a New York City school, preferably Mount Sinai or NYU. Opinion? Bring it on...

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[pete.]

These posts just keep coming up and I don't get 'em. Is there some way to know if these people are joking....

 

[lilycat]

You have a very strong MCAT, and your GPA is okay -- not stellar, but not bad either. Here are the points that jumped out at me -- are you a Canadian citizen? If so, I really have no idea how that changes your relative "competitiveness" -- I assume it's more difficult for Canadians, but I really have no idea. Second, you have a downward trend in your GPA -- it's generally much more advantageous to have an upward trend all four years, esp. when you have a lowish GPA. This could be an issue.

Excluding the Canadian thing, apply to a wide range of schools, including many in the "middle" and "lower" tiers to maximize your chances.

 

[Mossjoh]

The weak spot that I see is this. Your GPA freshman year was good, but if you look at the trend it has been steadily decreasing. With all your involvements this could show ADCOMS that you can't handle the work of medical school. Not to say I'm right, but this is my thought. If I was on and ADCOM I would rather see the stats increasing throughout the years.

Just my $0.02

Mossjoh

 

[wooo]

pretty good mcat

 

[USeF]

Turtle, you have great activities! Maybe I'm biased because I have much of the same, yet what's truly great is the variety of them. Will really stand out at interviews!

Being that I took the MCAt a year early, I've spent lots of time trying to understand the 'system' if one exists

Here's my view of where extracurriculars fit in this picture. Basically, the numbers and PS are the crucial elements to get your foot in the door. Then the playing field is fairly level and that's when activities/experiences + interview decide the admit vs. waitlist. In which case I hope to hear lots of good things over the next year from you, turtle.

 

[Test Boy]

If you go to a prestigious school (i.e., HYPS), you're a shoe-in for a pretty decent med school.

 

[4 Ever]

Well those stats that are great. As the others said, the GPA might be questioned by the admissions board so what you should do is briefly explain it in your essay and move on. They'll ask details when you get to your interview so be prepared to answer why u didnt do so good in your junior year. Other than that, I'm sure you will get an interview at some places so just sell yourself as best as you can at the interview

good luck

 

[turtle21]

hello everyone...thanks for the replies! Some thoughts:
as for the "decreasing trend", I really don't think the deviation between first & second years should matter. Sure, 3.75 is lower than 3.88, but they're still both pretty good (in my opinion anyway). As for my third year, well, that's another story. I know that this is my biggest weakness going in...do you think, however, that my MCAT score might help to make up for it?
...all I really want is to get the interviews...I figure if I get that far, I should have a decent shot at getting in (at least I'd like to think so!)
Anyway, thanks again...good luck to everyone else applying this year. Maybe I'll see you around!

 

[cm7b5]

You are an extremely competitive applicant, but I have no clue what you expect to gain from this post. Chances are you'll be waitlisted from the city schools.

 

[Stephen Ewen]

You can always apply after your senior year and making a HIGH GPA then.