Re-applicant seeking advice

[GibbsFreeNRG]

I recently graduated from a top 30 undergraduate university and applied to 10 medical schools last cycle hoping to matriculate into medical school this fall straight from undergrad. All I can say is that it was largely unsuccessful across the board, save 4 interviews that landed me on the waiting list (from schools I'm still waiting to hear back from).

I need some advice regarding what to do application-wise and what I should add in terms of my activities.

1. Application-wise, I am debating:
   
   • Whether I should apply again this cycle but to more schools (while avoiding the mistakes of my last application).
     • I already have a list of schools I am thinking of applying to, BUT I am concerned that the activities I will be starting soon this summer will hinder my progress in the applications, and I will have nothing substantive from those activities to add to my essays or speak about in interviews... plus I would have to wait until I have a confirmed start date for these activities before I can include them in my primary application.
   • OR if I should wait to apply next cycle and focus more on adding more to my activities for now to make myself a more competitive applicant.
     • This idea appeals to me, but I would need to know what exactly to work on and how it will help me for next cycle. Also, would I need to retake the MCAT (took the MCAT January 2017)?
2. Activity-wise:
   
   • I am currently applying for a position as a medical scribe which I hope to start in July with a 1-2 year commitment, and I am also thinking of continuing my lab research to hopefully publish in a peer-reviewed journal a year or two from now. Is there anything else I should add? Also, is there anything I should avoid doing / working more on?
3. Any other advice is greatly appreciated!

Some info:

Schools I applied to last cycle:

• Albert Einstein
• Columbia
• Cornell
• Harvard
• Mount Sinai (waitlisted)
• New York Medical
• NYU (waitlisted)
• Stony Brook
• SUNY Downstate (waitlisted)
• Yale (waitlisted)

Mistakes I made last cycle that I will try my best to avoid when applying again:

• Applying to only 10 medical schools, most being top-tier (it would have probably been better to apply to 15-20 schools at least).
• Submitting my secondary applications really late (as in close to the deadlines kind of late).
• Didn't have anyone review my secondary application essays before I submitted them.
• I wasn't as prepared as I should have been for my interviews.

My stats:

• 518 MCAT (January 2017)
• cGPA: 3.86, sGPA: 3.92
• ~300 hours ER volunteer (split between two hospitals)
• 850+ hours in a basic science research lab (culminated in undergraduate research thesis & presentation, but not yet published in peer-reviewed journal)
• 60 hours shadowing primary care physician
• 250 hours math & science tutor
• 50 hours other volunteering (not medical/clinical)
• Other activities and honors/awards/recognitions.

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[BigBoss]

You need to change your school list by applying to more mid-tier schools as well as increase the number of schools you’re applying to. You’re fine on everything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doc05]

Agree. Include more mid tiers. You should get in

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence?

 

[GibbsFreeNRG]

New York State

 

[Faha]

You are fine to reapply this month. The fact that you received 4 interviews at very competitive schools is an indication that you have a strong application. I suggest all these schools since you need to apply more broadly.
The 4 schools where you are on the wait list
SUNY Upstate
SUNY Buffalo
Stony Brook
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
New York Medical College
Albany
Boston University
Tufts
Vermont
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Cincinnati
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Miami
Tulane
St. Louis
Western Michigan

 

[GibbsFreeNRG]

Thanks for the suggestions! I saw that you put all of my state schools in the list and suggested that I re-apply to the schools I was wait-listed at, but I was wondering what you used to decide the other schools for me to apply to? Was it based on MSAR data?

You are fine to reapply this month. The fact that you received 4 interviews at very competitive schools is an indication that you have a strong application. I suggest all these schools since you need to apply more broadly.
The 4 schools where you are on the wait list
SUNY Upstate
SUNY Buffalo
Stony Brook
Hofstra
Einstein
Rochester
New York Medical College
Albany
Boston University
Tufts
Vermont
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Cincinnati
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Georgetown
Duke
Miami
Tulane
St. Louis
Western Michigan

 

[Faha]

It is mainly based on the MSAR and your state residency. There are more schools you could apply to but it is time consuming to do all the secondaries. Washington University is another school that likes high stats.

 

[GibbsFreeNRG]

Thanks for the info. I am currently rewriting my personal statement and hoping to submit my primary application by the end of the week after getting some more feedback, but I'm still somewhat hesitant about applying this cycle instead of the next one.

Wouldn't it be best to wait until next year and use the time between now and then to do more activities and pre-write my secondaries instead of being crammed for time now? I'm thinking I would at least have a better shot at other high-tier schools that way.

I also won't be able to submit a committee letter this cycle because the deadline for updating the letter with my prehealth advising office passed about a month ago, although I could ask everyone who wrote letters of evaluation for me last year to individually submit their letters through the AMCAS Letter Service. I don't know if that's asking for too much though, especially because I hadn't notified them ahead of time.

 

[Faha]

It is your decision. If your LOR's will be delayed significantly it may be better to wait until next year.

 

[GibbsFreeNRG]

So... Just to update:

I ended up submitting my primary application and listed a lot more schools this time... only to be pleasantly surprised when Yale pulled me off the waitlist yesterday evening!



So excited to start medical school this fall! Thanks BigBoss, doc05, and Faha for your advice! Now I just need to buckle down... a little less than a month left until school starts.