Reapp needs help with a school list, 3.67 35

[rudziutki]

I have way too many schools and I need help whittling it down to a more reasonable number.

Info: 25 yo ORM, applying disadvantaged, reapp from MA, 3.67 GPA, 31 and 35 MCAT, BS biology from low-ranked liberal arts school. The strength of my app is research: 3 years full-time employment at a top 10 medical school lab, 2 pubs in 10+ impact factor journals, 10 abstracts. Other ECs: 500 clinical hours (ED volunteering, underserved clinic volunteering, physician shadowing), Big Brother Big Sister mentoring (will start in 1 month), tutoring for disadvantaged students (will start in 1 month), misc hobbies nothing remarkable.

Decent chance:
Umass
Vermont
Jefferson
NYMC
Temple
SUNY

Hit or miss chance:
Einstein
BU
Case
Dartmouth
Tufts
U Wisconsin
Rochester
Ohio State

Reach:
Baylor
Duke
Emory
Brown
Pitt
Stanford
Harvard
UVA
NYU
Cornell
Mayo (screen)
UCLA (screen)
UCSD (screen)
UCSF (screen)
UNC (screen)
Vandy (screen)

What REALLY concerns me is that I feel obliged to apply to a lot of high-ranked research schools because my research experience is exemplary, but I feel that I will likely get screened out due to my GPA coming from a weak school. At the same time, the schools that are likely more in my stat range prefer service-oriented activities, which I simply don't have... I'm pretty sure that this is why I got rejected from UMass last app cycle. I am starting tutoring and Big Brother Big Sister in about a month - both of which are huge longitudinal commitments - but schools will probably just assume I'm doing it for the sake of padding my application. I really feel doomed at this point.

Last app cycle I was complete at schools from Sept 10-October 15. Trying to be complete everywhere by July this year.

TY all for any help.

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[October88]

I think if you really do want to apply to all those top tiers that's fine. The only one I'd get elfish of is brown because they have few spots for your typical applicant.

I would also look at the state schools you have listed to see if they are friendly to oos applicants. I don't know much offhand but you can look it up. I'd keep Wisconsin because although the numbers look low for oos they showed us the acceptance data at my interview and they accept about half of oos that they interview if I remember correctly.

For the schools that screen I would see what numbers they screen and obviously ale them out if you don't qualify.

Your community service is actually pretty good.. 500 hours clinical

Hopefully you will get your app submitted early and thus will not put the activities you are starting in a month on it... but you could discuss them in updates.

If I were you I would rather apply broadly than risk getting rejected again.

 

[rudziutki]

Hopefully you will get your app submitted early and thus will not put the activities you are starting in a month on it... but you could discuss them in updates..

Is this really that big of a deal? The activities will be at least 2 months ongoing if I interview anywhere in early September, so I thought it would be fine to include them on my primary. I sent in lots of updates last cycle and I genuinely worry that update letters go unread at some places.

 

[October88]

It is a huge deal to apply early. And to my knowledge the activity section is for things you've done and not things you are going to do. If you haven't started them at all when you submit your primary it would make absolutely no sense to include them. And I think with research and clinical volunteering you'll be fine without them.

 

[Jamie561]

Is this really that big of a deal? The activities will be at least 2 months ongoing if I interview anywhere in early September, so I thought it would be fine to include them on my primary. I sent in lots of updates last cycle and I genuinely worry that update letters go unread at some places.

Applying early is extremely important. Do not delay.

 

[darkjedi]

Your best shot at a top tier will be at that school you are currently working at. Getting LOR's and writing tailored letters to that school can go a long way in your application.

Your application looks strong save the lack of leadership experiences. Don't be worried about looking as if you're 'padding' your application. As long as you are contributing to them meaningfully and you can write about them in your application passionately, the adcoms will love those activities.

All things considered, you should've been a shoe-in for UMass, so it is surprising you are a reapplicant.

I would remove Brown and Mayo as they have very few slots available. Unless you have some sort of connection to Wisconsin, they are pretty heavily biased towards in-state as well.

 

[rudziutki]

Bump... would appreciate any more input on which schools to remove. Aiming for 20 schools.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I have way too many schools and I need help whittling it down to a more reasonable number.

Info: 25 yo ORM, applying disadvantaged, reapp from MA, 3.67 GPA, 31 and 35 MCAT, BS biology from low-ranked liberal arts school. The strength of my app is research: 3 years full-time employment at a top 10 medical school lab, 2 pubs in 10+ impact factor journals, 10 abstracts. Other ECs: 500 clinical hours (ED volunteering, underserved clinic volunteering, physician shadowing), Big Brother Big Sister mentoring (will start in 1 month), tutoring for disadvantaged students (will start in 1 month), misc hobbies nothing remarkable.

Decent chance:
Umass
Vermont
Jefferson
NYMC
Temple
SUNY

Hit or miss chance:
Einstein
BU
Case
Dartmouth
Tufts
U Wisconsin
Rochester
Ohio State

Reach:
Baylor
Duke
Emory
Brown
Pitt
Stanford
Harvard
UVA
NYU
Cornell
Mayo (screen)
UCLA (screen)
UCSD (screen)
UCSF (screen)
UNC (screen)
Vandy (screen)

What REALLY concerns me is that I feel obliged to apply to a lot of high-ranked research schools because my research experience is exemplary, but I feel that I will likely get screened out due to my GPA coming from a weak school. At the same time, the schools that are likely more in my stat range prefer service-oriented activities, which I simply don't have... I'm pretty sure that this is why I got rejected from UMass last app cycle. I am starting tutoring and Big Brother Big Sister in about a month - both of which are huge longitudinal commitments - but schools will probably just assume I'm doing it for the sake of padding my application. I really feel doomed at this point.

Last app cycle I was complete at schools from Sept 10-October 15. Trying to be complete everywhere by July this year.

TY all for any help.

Similar stuff here. The way I'm going through the reach schools is comparing them to the schools I have a better chance at (say, UMass or BU) and wondering if I would really go there instead. For example, do you want to stay on the east coast? If not, you can chop of the UC's, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. That's my take, at least. Good luck