Reapplication advice after 2 years from first attempt

[deleted1053887]

Hi, everyone, hope you all are staying safe! I wanted to ask for reapplication advice after 2 years from my 2019-2020 cycle.

Biographic Info:

• Graduated from top 20 school undergrad in 2019, CA resident, ORM, 1st gen immigrant

cGPA: 3.87 (upward trend)
sGPA: 3.91
MCAT: 516 (130, 128, 130, 128) in 2018 ~ 521 (130, 130, 129, 132) in 2020

Shadowing: >200 hours at cardiologist (with some clinical research added in), 40 hours at OBGYN
Clinical Volunteering: >200 hours as hospital volunteer
Research: 500 hours (undergrad), poster session
Employment: Current Lab Research Assistant (1 year~ 2000 hours), currently doing COVID-19 research, presented poster at conference
Non-clinical Volunteering: 80 hours at homeless shelter, 400 hours from community service org (worked with homeless community, tutored underserved children, volunteered at elderly home, cleaned beaches, donated medical supplies, ran fundraisers)
Extracurriculars/leadership: President at community service org, VP at premed club, won a small poetry contest

Had one interview invite from Indiana University, rejected in May, and interview waitlist from UCSD

What has changed since my first application:
- I graduated and got a research job and will be submitting to a journal soon (but I don’t think it’ll be in time for when the AMCAS first opens for submission).
- improved my MCAT score from 516 to 521, but I worry that schools I haven’t applied to will see my previous MCAT score and know that I am a reapplicant.
- I have also continued my love for community service by tutoring underserved children at a homeless shelter.
- Three additional letters of recommendation (1 from science prof, 1 from undergrad research PI, 1 from current boss/PI) to my original four (1 science prof, 1 from clinical research-shadowing mentor, 2 from non science)

I think the major weaknesses of my first app was not submitting my AMCAS app and secondaries in a timely manner and top-heavy school list. Plus, now looking back at my app, my personal statement (PS) and Works and Activities definitely needed to be improved. This time, I am rewriting my PS and works & activities and will be submitting the day AMCAS opens for submission and asking more reputable people like my PI (who is an MD) to review. I’ll be practicing hard for interviews because I tanked my one and only interview invite during my first cycle. I practiced with a friend for her interviews and she got accepted into 2 medical schools! Our practices were really valuable experiences for me.

1. When I first applied, I didn’t talk about my mom’s illness because I thought it was too cliche but I did mention it in my secondaries. This time I want to lead with it in my PS, because the illness really did impact my interest in biology and relates to COVID19, which I am currently researching in my lab. Do ya’ll think this is a good topic to lead with my PS reapplication?

2. What other schools should I be aiming for, particularly some safety and target schools?

Thanks ya’ll! Any advice is appreciated.

School List
UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCD
UCR
UCI
USC
Stanford
Kaiser*
Washington University of St Louis
NYU
Georgetown
U of Colorado
Rochester
Vanderbilt
Indiana University
Tufts
Columbia
U of Chicago
Emory

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[Faha]

You could add these schools:
Boston University
Brown
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Cincinnati
Ohio State
U Michigan
U Illinois
Iowa
Duke
Miami
USF Morsani
Tulane

 

[deleted1053887]

Thank you so much! Do my chances for acceptance seem better this round? >.<

 

[Faha]

Thank you so much! Do my chances for acceptance seem better this round? >.<

Yes, your higher MCAT and a better school list should help.

 

[deleted1053887]

Pardon me, but which schools from this list would be considered target schools for me? I have a list of 39 schools with programs and curriculums I'm exploring, and am looking to cut down on some.

 

[Faha]

Stanford, UCSF, UCLA, NYU, Washington University, Vanderbilt, U Chicago, Columbia are reaches to some degree. The other schools are within your target range.