Possible Reapplicant looking for advice

[bp14]

Hello! I am a asian male from California. Although the cycle is still going on, I have not received any interviews yet. Therefore, I like to start considering what to do in the future.
My stats are 3.84 cgpa, 3.88s gpa. MCAT:514
Volunteer:
Tzu chi: 170 hours
volunteer in the ICU at the county hospital:528 hours.
Research:
400 hours studying Supplemental Instruction Leader and what they going from S.I. experience.
Leadership:
Supplemental Instruction Leader in Organic Chemistry 480 hours.
Shadowing:
ICU specialist (80 hours)
Paid Employment:
Restaurtant (2000hours)
Tutor High school Students in chemistry and biology (1000hours)
Last cycle, I applied to top heavy schools, which I realize I made a mistake.
I am hoping for some advice on schools in my range and other ways I can strengthen my application.
Thank you in advance!

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[bears1992]

Hello! I am a asian male from California. Although the cycle is still going on, I have not received any interviews yet. Therefore, I like to start considering what to do in the future.
My stats are 3.84 cgpa, 3.88s gpa. MCAT:514
Volunteer:
Tzu chi: 170 hours
volunteer in the ICU at the county hospital:528 hours.
Research:
400 hours studying Supplemental Instruction Leader and what they going from S.I. experience.
Leadership:
Supplemental Instruction Leader in Organic Chemistry 480 hours.
Shadowing:
ICU specialist (80 hours)
Paid Employment:
Restaurtant (2000hours)
Tutor High school Students in chemistry and biology (1000hours)
Last cycle, I applied to top heavy schools, which I realize I made a mistake.
I am hoping for some advice on schools in my range and other ways I can strengthen my application.
Thank you in advance!

It seems like a very well balanced app. I could see why you would have problems applying to the top 20 schools though as your research area is lacking for those schools as well as your MCAT. I would imagine that you would be very competitive at any middle tier school.

If you are looking to strengthen your app for the top tier schools, I would absolutely spend a majority of your time with research and crank out atleast one publication. Also, try to throw in some volunteering for underprivileged groups (soup kitchen, meals on wheels). Rural schools typically look for that stuff more.

 

[bp14]

Thank you very much! Can you give me some examples of mid tier schools?

 

[Faha]

Given your lack of success this cycle concentrate on mid to low tiers in your next application cycle. Schools to consider include:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Albany
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
U Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson)
any new private schools that open in 2018 (Roseman, Seton Hall etc.)

 

[bears1992]

Thank you very much! Can you give me some examples of mid tier schools?

Just use the LizzieM score on sdn and shoot for the schools outside of the top 20. Do you have any criminal history that is showing up on a background check or a possibly negative LOR? Anytime I see cases of students with great GPAs and MCAT with no interviews, I also think it could be a bad LOR. One bad letter can easily sink a candidate regardless of stats. A 4.0 and 520 MCAT isn't getting you anywhere if your orgo professor's letter says you're a pretentious jerk who would make a terrible doctor (not saying that's you lol) A lot of people in your spot mix up the LORs between cycles.

 

[bp14]

I hope I do not have any bad LORs. The people I asked for LOR's were teachers that I developed close bonds with. Thank you for all your feedback!

 

[bp14]

How about this school list?
Rosalind, Drexel, Florida State, Buffalo, Loyola, Medical College of Wisconsin, New York Medical College, New York University School of Medicine, Penn State, Stony Brook, Commonwealth Medical College, UC Davis, UC Irvine, University of Illinois, U of Miami, Wayne State.
I really appreciate the feedback! Thank you so much!

 

[gyngyn]

How about this school list?
Rosalind, Drexel, Florida State, Buffalo, Loyola, Medical College of Wisconsin, New York Medical College, New York University School of Medicine, Penn State, Stony Brook, Commonwealth Medical College, UC Davis, UC Irvine, University of Illinois, U of Miami, Wayne State.
I really appreciate the feedback! Thank you so much!

Are you using the MSAR? If so, be sure to look at the acceptance tab. For example, FL State matriculated 2/3569 OOS applicants. That about as close to zero as chances get!
Are you a re-applicant at any of these?

 

[bp14]

Thank you! I'll be sure to look.

 

[TheaterOfTheme]

Last cycle, I applied to top heavy schools, which I realize I made a mistake.
I am hoping for some advice on schools in my range and other ways I can strengthen my application.
Thank you in advance!

What schools did you apply to?

 

[bp14]

I applied to duke,columbia,northwestern, case western, dartmouth,brown, USC,UCLA, UCSD,Pitt,Wash,temple,ohio state,georgetown, and yale

 

[gamieg]

what's your mcat breakdown?

also recommend getting as many opinions as possible on your ps and secondaries.

 

[jeepers.weeprs]

I would recommend some way of making your application stand out more, perhaps by making some more research experience. However, I wouldn't give up hope yet. Some of the schools on your list may still be giving out interviews. Persevere!

 

[bp14]

Thank you!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I applied to duke,columbia,northwestern, case western, dartmouth,brown, USC,UCLA, UCSD,Pitt,Wash,temple,ohio state,georgetown, and yale

Talk about a VERY top heavy school list. Need to come down to earth and apply more realistically. I can see a few top end schools but not your entire list.

 

[bp14]

Yeah I made a mistake. Hopefully, you guys do not make the same mistake as I did.

 

[5words]

Yeah I made a mistake. Hopefully, you guys do not make the same mistake as I did.

Well, at least you know what you did wrong..

 

[Ad2b]

I would add in Minnesota (TC campus only) and Mayo (MN, AZ); possibly U Wisc depending on OOS rates (as @gyngyn suggested).

Here's a link to the AAMC regarding each school, stats for applicants and matriculants by IS v OOS.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321442/data/factstablea1.pdf

 

[bp14]

Thank You!