Reapplying - school list!

[runawayclock]

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I applied too late and not broadly enough, so I ended up getting Waitlisted at Columbia with nothing from anywhere else. Sob.

So i've come up with a better list of schools to apply to this cycle. I was wondering if anyone could give me feedback on these schools, and whether I should add more mid/low tier...

stats:
sGPA: 3.8
cGPA: 3.76
MCAT: 36R (12 even)
extra curriculars:
research: 1.5 years research; honors thesis; presented at 2 conferences; 1 poster; 1 biometrics research project with university museum

clinical:
1 year clinical experience with mental health patients; 3 months mentorship with retired neurosurgeon and academic physician; will be shadowing a physician for a month in the summer; starting volunteer position in fall in a clinical research lab

misc. volunteer work:
3 years volunteering with big brother/big sister; 1 year as undergrad research ambassador; various things around university community

art:
violin (weekly lessons); illustrator (exhibited across Canada, NYC); part time job as a commercial photographer

i'm kind of lacking on the clinical as compared to other areas of my app, because i've been so focused on research in my last two years of school (i thought i would get my M.Sc first) ... i'm hoping to strengthen that this summer + coming fall

anyway!
because my fiance is in new york, and doing the long distance thing sucks (we're 10 hrs away from each other right now), i've decided to apply mostly northeast.

i've just listed as safety/match/reach according to the princeton review site (which seems a bit odd, as it lists Mt Sinai and Tufts as safety LOL.. i wish). I'm not sure what really counts as "low tier" or "mid-tier", or if my "safeties" are not really realistic. Also, to note, i did not apply to any of the safeties/matches listed here in the previous cycle.

safety:

• Albert Einstein
• NYMC
• George Washington
• Temple
• Tufts
• Thomas Jefferson

match:

• NYU
• Boston
• Mt. Sinai
• University of Pittsburgh

reach:

• Cornell
• Columbia
• U Penn
• Harvard (i can still dream, right? hahah)
• Wash U (didn't even think of applying last time, but RIGHT before the app deadline they sent me a nice big package telling me to apply. THANKS CANADA POST)

PS - When is it kosher to start a new app when you are on a waitlist? Columbia is still my dream school, so I'm having a hard time giving up hope.

 

[terrypk1]

I applied too late and not broadly enough, so I ended up getting Waitlisted at Columbia with nothing from anywhere else. Sob.

So i've come up with a better list of schools to apply to this cycle. I was wondering if anyone could give me feedback on these schools, and whether I should add more mid/low tier...

stats:
sGPA: 3.8
cGPA: 3.76
MCAT: 36R (12 even)
extra curriculars:
research: 1.5 years research; honors thesis; presented at 2 conferences; 1 poster; 1 biometrics research project with university museum

clinical:
1 year clinical experience with mental health patients; 3 months mentorship with retired neurosurgeon and academic physician; will be shadowing a physician for a month in the summer; starting volunteer position in fall in a clinical research lab

misc. volunteer work:
3 years volunteering with big brother/big sister; 1 year as undergrad research ambassador; various things around university community

art:
violin (weekly lessons); illustrator (exhibited across Canada, NYC); part time job as a commercial photographer

i'm kind of lacking on the clinical as compared to other areas of my app, because i've been so focused on research in my last two years of school (i thought i would get my M.Sc first) ... i'm hoping to strengthen that this summer + coming fall

anyway!
because my fiance is in new york, and doing the long distance thing sucks (we're 10 hrs away from each other right now), i've decided to apply mostly northeast.

i've just listed as safety/match/reach according to the princeton review site (which seems a bit odd, as it lists Mt Sinai and Tufts as safety LOL.. i wish). I'm not sure what really counts as "low tier" or "mid-tier", or if my "safeties" are not really realistic. Also, to note, i did not apply to any of the safeties/matches listed here in the previous cycle.

safety:

• Albert Einstein
• Boston
• Drexel
• Mount Sinai
• Ross
• Temple
• Tufts
• Thomas Jefferson

match:

• NYU
• University of Pittsburgh

reach:

• Cornell
• Columbia
• U Penn
• Harvard (i can still dream, right? hahah)
• Wash U (didn't even think of applying last time, but RIGHT before the app deadline they sent me a nice big package telling me to apply. THANKS CANADA POST)

PS - When is it kosher to start a new app when you are on a waitlist? Columbia is still my dream school, so I'm having a hard time giving up hope.

I think you will do fine this cycle.
I mean you got waitlisted by Columbia...so if you apply to easier schools, I bet you can get in.

GOOD LUCK. TAKE CARE

 

[Jay Leno]

I don't think Mt. Sinai and Boston can be counted as safeties since they're more comeptitive to get into than NYU. Also why don't you add some more of the SUNY schools and NYMC to the mix. And are you really serious about applying to Ross?

 

[runawayclock]

I don't think Mt. Sinai and Boston can be counted as safeties since they're more comeptitive to get into than NYU. Also why don't you add some more of the SUNY schools and NYMC to the mix. And are you really serious about applying to Ross?

lol wow, I feel stupid. I was looking up med schools and I thought Ross was in Jersey. No, I'm not applying to carrib schools. I don't have NY residency - My fiancé does, but we're not planning to get married until my med school stuff is figured out, so I counted out the SUNY schools. They prefer in-state candidates, no?

 

[scrambizle]

I'm sure you will get in somewhere this time around with those stats. Take a look at this chart, which shows % in state and out of state matriculating to each institution.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table1-facts2009school-web.pdf

This can give you a better idea of what SUNY schools take OOS applicants (example: Downstate matriculated 18% of them).

Good Luck

 

[runawayclock]

I'm sure you will get in somewhere this time around with those stats. Take a look at this chart, which shows % in state and out of state matriculating to each institution.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table1-facts2009school-web.pdf

This can give you a better idea of what SUNY schools take OOS applicants (example: Downstate matriculated 18% of them).

Good Luck

But SUNY downstate apparently hasn't taken an international/canadian applicant in over 18 years. Upstate it is, then!

 

[Jay Leno]

lol wow, I feel stupid. I was looking up med schools and I thought Ross was in Jersey. No, I'm not applying to carrib schools. I don't have NY residency - My fiancé does, but we're not planning to get married until my med school stuff is figured out, so I counted out the SUNY schools. They prefer in-state candidates, no?

I was out for a week so I haven't responded, but yeah the SUNY and NJ schoosl prefer in-state candidates. That being said, they do accept a handful of out-of-state residents every couple of years and with your GPA and MCAT, I think you have a decent chance as an OOS. That being said, there are also a couple of private medical schools like Rochester in NY and Jefferson, Temple, and Drexel in Pennsylvania that tend to accept residents from the NY area.

 

[gman33]

Try to get some feedback on your app from one of the schools that rejected you. Make sure there is nothing "hidden" in your file, like a poor LOR. I'd also add another 10 schools to your list. Your stats look really good, but you don't want to take a chance and get shut out again.

Some of your "safe" schools get like 10-15,000 applicants a year. They are not a lock by any means.

 

[runawayclock]

Try to get some feedback on your app from one of the schools that rejected you. Make sure there is nothing "hidden" in your file, like a poor LOR. I'd also add another 10 schools to your list. Your stats look really good, but you don't want to take a chance and get shut out again.

Some of your "safe" schools get like 10-15,000 applicants a year. They are not a lock by any means.

Thanks Gman. I'm meeting with an admissions officer to see what I could improve for next year. The most obvious mistakes I made were applying too late, not broadly enough, with subpar clinical hours last summer.

I was also thinking of adding:

1. Rosalind Franklin (not sure if worth it.. only 16 int. spots, i think?)
2. SUNY upstate
3. Emory
4. Indiana U
5. U of Virginia
6. VCU
7. Wayne State (not too keen on detroit but I like the school)