Reapplication? WAMC/School list 3.97/516

[hahaboba]

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Post-A clarity: if you have a similar MCAT score but low CARS, please DO NOT retake it. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. I struggled a lot with wanting to retake MCAT for the possible reapplication. Just don't.

1. cGPA 3.97, sGPA 3.96
2. MCAT 516 (132/124/130/130)
3. Chinese; permanent resident in MI
4. University of Michigan
5. 4 gap years
6. Research:
   1. Synthesis chemistry (440 hrs)
   2. Drug development (980 hrs)
   3. Clinical Research/lab manager (2950 hrs)
      1. 2 mid-authors, 1 first-author, 1 abstract/poster national conf
7. Clinical:
   1. Scribe (1350 hrs)
   2. Caregiving (1700 hrs)
8. Volunteering:
   1. Food pantry (215 hrs)
   2. CTL (388 hrs)
   3. ESL group founder and tutor (475)
9. Employment:
   1. Delivery driver (1430 hrs)
   2. Clinic receptionist (380 hrs)
   3. Support talkline host (320 hrs)
10. Others: some minor club leadership (220 hrs), shadowing (40 hrs), chem/bio tutor in college (80 hrs), and a hobby.

School List (no Casper or Preview score and pretty top-heavy):
UCSF (R)
WashU (II -> A)
Mayo (R)
Umich (R)
Wayne (II -> WL)
Western
Central
Oakland
Northwestern
UChicago (R)
Icahn
Cornell (II)
Pitt
Case
Lerner (R)
OSU
Cinn
Creighton
VCU
UVA
Rochester (R)
Einstein (they didn't send me a secondary)
Brown (R)
Tufts
Iowa (R)
Jefferson
Indiana (R)
Tulane (pre-II WL)
GW (R)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It's not over yet, but I hope you are continuing your activities in case you reapply. Notably, your service orientation activity (food bank) is relatively low, so I hope you bump that up. Crisis text line is not very useful to show community service since it's not face-to-face. Clinic receptionist is patient-facing and can thus be considered clinical to many (I mean, how can clinical receptionist be considered non-clinical). English tutor is teaching and doesn't count towards service orientation as teaching shows academic competency. If there's an area of improvement, it's being comfortable with uncomfortable people; get as many hours doing this as you already have hours with your sick family members (1800 hours) when you submit your next application.

I'm presuming Wayne State is closest to where you grew up and explains the interview and waitlist status?

 

[hahaboba]

It's not over yet, but I hope you are continuing your activities in case you reapply. Notably, your service orientation activity (food bank) is relatively low, so I hope you bump that up. Crisis text line is not very useful to show community service since it's not face-to-face. Clinic receptionist is patient-facing and can thus be considered clinical to many (I mean, how can clinical receptionist be considered non-clinical). English tutor is teaching and doesn't count towards service orientation as teaching shows academic competency. If there's an area of improvement, it's being comfortable with uncomfortable people; get as many hours doing this as you already have hours with your sick family members (1800 hours) when you submit your next application.

I'm presuming Wayne State is closest to where you grew up and explains the interview and waitlist status?

Thank you for the advice! When it comes to "being comfortable with uncomfortable people," do you have any advice on what activities I can participate in?

I didn't grow up in the US, but went to school and now work in Michigan. I don't think the WL will turn into an A, simply because I wasn't able to understand some of my interviewer's questions (very strong accent), and haha, it was very horrible let's just say.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the advice! When it comes to "being comfortable with uncomfortable people," do you have any advice on what activities I can participate in?

I would check local non-profit organizations that are not linked closely with healthcare.

• Help refugees find housing.
• Help those newly released from jail find jobs.
• Drive drunk college kids to their dorms.
• Be a court-appointed special advocate to help child victims.

I'm sure you can find other opportunities.

 

[Med Ed]

Also, I'm prepping for the MCAT again to fix the CARS score.

Retaking a 92nd percentile score is generally a bad idea. Your time is better spent enhancing other aspects of your application, revisiting your PS and secondaries, and working on interview skills.

 

[wysdoc]

Retaking a 92nd percentile score is generally a bad idea. Your time is better spent enhancing other aspects of your application, revisiting your PS and secondaries, and working on interview skills.

I agree with this - some leeway is given on interpreting a CARS score of an applicant who is not a native English speaker.

 

[hahaboba]

I agree with this - some leeway is given on interpreting a CARS score of an applicant who is not a native English speaker.

Ahhh you are right. Just got into WashU. Thanks so much!

 

[wysdoc]

Ahhh you are right. Just got into WashU. Thanks so much!

Congratulations on your admission!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ahhh you are right. Just got into WashU. Thanks so much!

I hope you repost your profile to point out how WashU isn't just a stat***** program for future lurkers. 🙂 Mazeltov!

 

[polymerization]

Congrats on WashU! Huge!

 

[hahaboba]

I hope you repost your profile to point out how WashU isn't just a stat***** program for future lurkers. 🙂 Mazeltov!

Done! Thanks again for your help and advice earlier!

 

[StylishFormula0525]

CONGRATS! this gives me so much hope, as someone with a 516 but low CARS (130/124/130/132). i'm an URM (Latino and bilingual) but have lived in the U.S. my whole life, so i'm afraid i won't get as much leeway to explain my CARS score.