Please give your opinion on my choice of schools to apply to

[SharpieMarker]

Yes. It's early. I'm applying to med school this upcoming summer. I made a list of schools and would like your opinions on it. It is a large list of 22 schools, and I feel like I should apply to fewer, but I'm a little concerned. My pre-med advisor suggested I apply to a large range of schools, and my list indeed encompasses a large range. I would ideally ideally like to go to a top 25 school (i.e. up through Mayo on my list), but I am happy to go to any school on my list. I think I have a fairly competitive application, except for a notably weak GPA (haha, not an uncommon problem).

Will someone please give their feedback. Can I cut this list down to be shorter, or should I apply to this many schools?

To look at my stats, you can go to http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=07599
Note that I am not a science major, in case that makes a difference.
Numbers: Overall GPA: 3.54, Science (unofficial): 3.40, MCAT: 37

They're listed in order of US News rank just because that's the list I used to pick them. Awful, I know.

University of Pennsylvania
University of California–San Francisco
Yale University (CT)
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of California–San Diego
Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons (NY)
Cornell University (Weill) (NY)
Northwestern University (Feinberg) (IL)
Case Western Reserve University (OH)
Mayo Medical School (MN)
Boston University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY)
New York University
University of Southern California (Keck)
Yeshiva University (Einstein) (NY)
University of California-- Irvine
Tufts
University of California-- Davis
Jefferson University (PA)
George Washington University
Drexel University

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[sunnyjohn]

Did you take a gander at the MSAR?

I tend to count all the UC schools as one when I calculate odds.

Have you considered the University of Rochester and U Pitt?

 

[SharpieMarker]

Yeah, I have looked at the MSAR. It's hard for me to gauge because my MCAT is above average and my GPA is below average. Dunno how to gauge my adequacy as a candidate.

No, I hadn't considered the two schools. I was thinking that I was applying to too many schools. Do you think I need to add schools?

Why count all the UCs as one? Do they all have the same app?

 

[Stolenspatulas]

Yes. It's early. I'm applying to med school this upcoming summer. I made a list of schools and would like your opinions on it. It is a large list of 22 schools, and I feel like I should apply to fewer, but I'm a little concerned. My pre-med advisor suggested I apply to a large range of schools, and my list indeed encompasses a large range. I would ideally ideally like to go to a top 25 school (i.e. up through Mayo on my list), but I am happy to go to any school on my list. I think I have a fairly competitive application, except for a notably weak GPA (haha, not an uncommon problem).

Will someone please give their feedback. Can I cut this list down to be shorter, or should I apply to this many schools?

To look at my stats, you can go to http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?myid=07599
Note that I am not a science major, in case that makes a difference.
Numbers: Overall GPA: 3.54, Science (unofficial): 3.40, MCAT: 37

They're listed in order of US News rank just because that's the list I used to pick them. Awful, I know.

University of Pennsylvania
University of California–San Francisco
Yale University (CT)
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of California–San Diego
Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons (NY)
Cornell University (Weill) (NY)
Northwestern University (Feinberg) (IL)
Case Western Reserve University (OH)
Mayo Medical School (MN)
Boston University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY)
New York University
University of Southern California (Keck)
Yeshiva University (Einstein) (NY)
University of California-- Irvine
Tufts
University of California-- Davis
Jefferson University (PA)
George Washington University
Drexel University

i think you are applying to too many schools just bc with those stats and that EC profile, i would guess you at least get into one of the top CA schools... maybe even UCSF.

though your gpa is low, your mcat and ECs are awesome. Dont apply to schools that have gpa cut-offs, etc.

 

[JohnMadden]

By the way, it's not really that early for the next AMCAS cycle.

 

[babel]

One thing to think about - do you have clinical experience/volunteering? I ask because I've been questioned in interviews at top-10, supposedly "research intensive" schools about this - I did lots of research, tutoring (for pay) in college, worked in a doctor's office one summer (where I also functioned as a Spanish translator), and have volunteered in an ER 4hrs/week for almost two years (since I graduated)..... but that lack of "community involvement" in college has definitely come-up.

 

[SharpieMarker]

I've volunteered in a pediatric hospital for 2 years. Have shadowed overnight ER shifts, trauma surgery shifts, and spent a significant amount of time in ob/gyn wards, seeing many deliveries, c-sections, gyn cases etc.

have also volunteered in soup kitchens, have tutored local inner-city children, and i'm teaching english in a foreign country right now.

i'm surprised that they said that you did not have 'community involvement'? It seems like you have a lot...? Maybe my definition of community involvement does not match a med school's?

Thank you for the heads up though.

 

[Critical Mass]

This thread is pointless without a photo... (Seriously, though, PM me, your mdapps turns me on.)

Your profile looks good to me. I see some potential acceptances in there and likely interviews at most of the others.

 

[Law2Doc]

Did you take a gander at the MSAR?

I tend to count all the UC schools as one when I calculate odds.

Have you considered the University of Rochester and U Pitt?

Agreed. You probably will do fine if you interview well and your LORs and PS are good. I personally would have added a few more mid level schools (esp. in the 25-50 range), because a below average science GPA and a C in orgo II might give some of the top places pause, and to me that suggests you should hedge a bit. But I would be surprised if you don't get a few interviews from your list -- the rest is up to you.