Please be honest...what are my chances?

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plumhill

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I'm planning on applying for admission in Fall 2013. I'm still finalizing my list but I have schools from all tiers that I'm interested in applying to. My top choice is Brown right now.

How do I look so far? Is there anything I can/should do to improve my chances?

cGPA: 3.86
sGPA: 3.7 (I got a C in both semesters of introductory biology my freshman year, but I retook them and got A's...but I'm still pretty worried about this in particular).
MCAT: 40S (14B/13P/13V)
I go to a fairly well-reputed state school (which may not play in my favor).
residency: ohio

Major: Microbiology
Minor: Philosophy (I tailored my minor to focus mostly on ethics).
I'll be taking 5 years to graduate, since I transferred schools after my freshman year due to family emergencies that required me to be closer to home, and not all of my credits transferred over. I don't know if this'll look good/bad.

Volunteer work:
1. Volunteering as a victim's advocate in various emergency departments in my city of residence, specifically with sexually assaulted patients. Whenever I was on call and a patient was admitted to the ED who claimed they were sexually assaulted, I was responsible for helping the patient calm down, allow them to talk about/rant about whatever they needed to, and answer any questions they had about some of the procedural things that were done in the hospital (detective interview, SANE nurses, evidence collection exams, etc). I went through 40 hours of training for this and then do in-service trainings once a month. I also took calls on the 24-hour rape crisis helpline in my city as part of my job. Total hours up until now: ~1000
2. Volunteered at my city's free clinic (registering patients, pulling files, taking patients to their rooms, etc) about 4 hours a week. Total hours up until now: ~500
3. Taught piano to kids at an orthodox church located in a pretty rough neighborhood (I became a licensed piano teacher the summer before I went to college). Total hours up until now: ~300

ECs
1. Editor-in-chief of my school's undergraduate research journal for three years.
2. Vice-president of my school's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta [pre-med honor society]; running for president for my senior year (fingers crossed!)
3. Organic chemistry tutor (2 years; assuming I continue my 5th year as well)
4. Lab TA for Introductory Anatomy (3 years; assuming I continue my 5th year as well)


Research: I started doing research the summer after my freshman year of college, before I transferred into my new school, at the school I now attend. I got a grant from the howard hughes science pipeline project (howard hughes medical institute) for that summer, and then received grants from my school every summer after that (i wasn't paid during the year; I just received academic credit). I'm currently working on my senior honors thesis with the same professor (I don't know if it'll look bad or good for me to have worked in the same lab since the end of freshman year...). I'm an author (not 1st or 2nd) for 3 publications so far, with one more that we're waiting to hear back from. My research focused mostly on the synthesis of lipid nanoparticles and observing their properties and behavior in various cancer cell lines, as a potential anticancer drug delivery method.

I am fairly certain that my LOR's will be strong.

I'm also thinking about sending an LOI to Brown once the next application cycle starts...is that a good idea? When should I send it (before/after interview, if I'm even lucky enough to get an interview?) How binding are LOI's?

Thank you all so much!

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Better apply caribbean.

lol :thumbup:





.... unless you have "forgotten" to mention a string of felonies or come to your interviews dressed as a clown, you're going to get into a a medical school. I would chop off parts of my body for your MCAT, GPA, and extracurriculars. Don't you worry about a thang.
 
I'm planning on applying for admission in Fall 2013. I'm still finalizing my list but I have schools from all tiers that I'm interested in applying to. My top choice is Brown right now.

How do I look so far? Is there anything I can/should do to improve my chances?

cGPA: 3.86
sGPA: 3.7 (I got a C in both semesters of introductory biology my freshman year, but I retook them and got A's...but I'm still pretty worried about this in particular).
MCAT: 40S (14B/13P/13V)
I go to a fairly well-reputed state school (which may not play in my favor).
residency: ohio

Major: Microbiology
Minor: Philosophy (I tailored my minor to focus mostly on ethics).
I'll be taking 5 years to graduate, since I transferred schools after my freshman year due to family emergencies that required me to be closer to home, and not all of my credits transferred over. I don't know if this'll look good/bad.

Volunteer work:
1. Volunteering as a victim's advocate in various emergency departments in my city of residence, specifically with sexually assaulted patients. Whenever I was on call and a patient was admitted to the ED who claimed they were sexually assaulted, I was responsible for helping the patient calm down, allow them to talk about/rant about whatever they needed to, and answer any questions they had about some of the procedural things that were done in the hospital (detective interview, SANE nurses, evidence collection exams, etc). I went through 40 hours of training for this and then do in-service trainings once a month. I also took calls on the 24-hour rape crisis helpline in my city as part of my job. Total hours up until now: ~1000
2. Volunteered at my city's free clinic (registering patients, pulling files, taking patients to their rooms, etc) about 4 hours a week. Total hours up until now: ~500
3. Taught piano to kids at an orthodox church located in a pretty rough neighborhood (I became a licensed piano teacher the summer before I went to college). Total hours up until now: ~300

ECs
1. Editor-in-chief of my school's undergraduate research journal for three years.
2. Vice-president of my school's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta [pre-med honor society]; running for president for my senior year (fingers crossed!)
3. Organic chemistry tutor (2 years; assuming I continue my 5th year as well)
4. Lab TA for Introductory Anatomy (3 years; assuming I continue my 5th year as well)


Research: I started doing research the summer after my freshman year of college, before I transferred into my new school, at the school I now attend. I got a grant from the howard hughes science pipeline project (howard hughes medical institute) for that summer, and then received grants from my school every summer after that (i wasn't paid during the year; I just received academic credit). I'm currently working on my senior honors thesis with the same professor (I don't know if it'll look bad or good for me to have worked in the same lab since the end of freshman year...). I'm an author (not 1st or 2nd) for 3 publications so far, with one more that we're waiting to hear back from. My research focused mostly on the synthesis of lipid nanoparticles and observing their properties and behavior in various cancer cell lines, as a potential anticancer drug delivery method.

I am fairly certain that my LOR's will be strong.
Presumably, you meant to say you are applying in June 2012 for med school matriculation in fall 2013?

To improve your application, consider some formal physician shadowing.

Interesting hobbies, sports, or an artistic endeavor would be helpful.
1) I'm also thinking about sending an LOI to Brown once the next application cycle starts...is that a good idea? 2) When should I send it (before/after interview, if I'm even lucky enough to get an interview?) 3) How binding are LOI's?
1) No.

2) After the interview, if at all, as you will remove any motivation for their making a scholarship offer if they're sure you are planning to matriculate.

3) Do you mean Letter of Intent, or Letter of Interest? I'll presume the former. They have all the power of a valentine, ie, they are not binding.
 
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