Reasonable to only apply to TX schools with a 3.76?

[jd989898]

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I'm a Texas resident, just finished my first semester of junior year. I'll be taking the new MCAT in April (expecting to do well, but can't make any predictions yet). Am I being unreasonable by only applying to all the Texas MD schools? I'm hoping to end up at either UTH, UTSW, or Baylor. I wanted to apply MD/PhD but my GPA became too low from my upper level math courses ;(

 

[tima]

Why limit your options? Apply to some OOS schools.

The answer probably depends on your MCAT performance too.

 

[jd989898]

Why limit your options? Apply to some OOS schools.

The answer probably depends on your MCAT performance too.

My options are kind of limited because of my GPA lol. Also, Texas in state tuition is less than half of OOS tuition.

 

[Aubrey Graham]

My options are kind of limited because of my GPA lol. Also, Texas in state tuition is less than half of OOS tuition.

Get the msar and apply to low tier privates


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tima]

My options are kind of limited because of my GPA lol. Also, Texas in state tuition is less than half of OOS tuition.

Are you in the 3.25-3.50, 3.50-3.75, etc?

 

[Goro]

I think that going OOS is perfectly OK. Start with next door Tulane.

I'm a Texas resident, just finished my first semester of junior year. I'll be taking the new MCAT in April (expecting to do well, but can't make any predictions yet). Am I being unreasonable by only applying to all the Texas MD schools? I'm hoping to end up at either UTH, UTSW, or Baylor. I wanted to apply MD/PhD but my GPA became too low from my upper level math courses ;(

 

[jd989898]

Are you in the 3.25-3.50, 3.50-3.75, etc?

You're asking about GPA, right? It's 3.76

 

[TheLionheart]

You're asking about GPA, right? It's 3.76

That's not a low GPA. Is that your cumulative? What's your BCPM (math/science) GPA?

 

[jd989898]

That's not a low GPA. Is that your cumulative? What's your BCPM (math/science) GPA?

That's my overall. I'm not sure of my BCPM, but it's probably bit lower. I've never gotten below a B, though.

It seems pretty low, seeing as the schools I'm interested in have ~3.6 as their 10th percentile :/

 

[TheLionheart]

That's my overall. I'm not sure of my BCPM, but it's probably bit lower. I've never gotten below a B, though.

It seems pretty low, seeing as the schools I'm interested in have ~3.6 as their 10th percentile :/

Again, it isn't low.

If 3.6 is the 10th percentile and 3.9x is their 90th, then your GPA is right in the middle.

Couple that with a solid MCAT and you should be fine, assuming the remainder of your application and interviewing skills are up to snuff.

 

[Doug Underhill]

You should be applying to a minimum of 15 schools, and TX doesn't have 15 schools. Look at Tulane, Tufts, Emory, Creighton, Miami, the Philadelphia schools other than U. Penn, and others.

 

[NobleGas14]

OP has a great chance with 3.7 and 3.6.

SDN sometimes :hits head:

 

[gyngyn]

With decent experience, and an MCAT equivalent of 29 to 33 OP is probably fine in TX.
With spectacular EC's and an equally good MCAT, OOS privates that would consider him for a scholarship are good choices. OOS schools tend to interview TX applicants less frequently because, without an apparent desire to go elsewhere, they tend to stay IS for the low tuition.

 

[drdoorittre]

In my opinion you should be fine only applying to TX schools. My GPA is only about .1 higher and I got interviews at every TX school but El Paso. I think applying to 15 schools is way overkill if you're a TX resident.

 

[sliceofbread136]

It's hard to tell you much with only your GPA (which isn't as game breaking as you seem to think). Baylor is very difficult to get into and uth and utsw are getting harder and harder. However, I am of the opinion that most other schools in Texas are very easy to get accepted into, to the point where it is not worth it to apply out of state. On top of that, out of state will likely cost 5x times as much. If you end up having a mid tier application, I would just apply in state.

 

[Danbo1957]

How about you 4.0 your senior year classes? You can consider the MD/PhD at all three schools (UTH, UTSW, Baylor), but they are all really competitive now days, especially Baylor. If you maintain a 3.76, you'll fare better with a decent MCAT, and well-rounded EC's, and a couple of legitimate publications. Oh, and a good personality goes a loooooong way. 🙂

 

[Aquinas]

It's hard to tell you much with only your GPA (which isn't as game breaking as you seem to think). Baylor is very difficult to get into and uth and utsw are getting harder and harder. However, I am of the opinion that most other schools in Texas are very easy to get accepted into, to the point where it is not worth it to apply out of state. On top of that, out of state will likely cost 5x times as much. If you end up having a mid tier application, I would just apply in state.

I would be very weary of advice like this OP. Esp from someone who doesn't live in the state. With each class, Texas schools are getting more and more competitive and definitely not easier. I would do as suggested and try to make that 4.0 in your senior classes if you are worried. Also if you wait a cycle and aim towards Dell Medical school or Rio Valley you should be able to get in. Dell Medical School has so much potential to be the best in Texas and come on it is in Austin!

Honestly I would work towards killing that monster MCAT and maintaining those grades than aiming for a higher gpa. Which still does help nonetheless. Apply to neighboring medical schools in the south because you never really know and you should be fine.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I would be very weary of advice like this OP. Esp from someone who doesn't live in the state. With each class, Texas schools are getting more and more competitive and definitely not easier. I would do as suggested and try to make that 4.0 in your senior classes if you are worried. Also if you wait a cycle and aim towards Dell Medical school or Rio Valley you should be able to get in. Dell Medical School has so much potential to be the best in Texas and come on it is in Austin!

Honestly I would work towards killing that monster MCAT and maintaining those grades than aiming for a higher gpa. Which still does help nonetheless. Apply to neighboring medical schools in the south because you never really know and you should be fine.

I live in Texas and attend a Texas medical school.

Something else to think about, would you rather pay ~25k more a year to attend an oos school or just take a gap year and reapply in Texas? I would choose the gap year.

 

[Aquinas]

I live in Texas and attend a Texas medical school.

Something else to think about, would you rather pay ~25k more a year to attend an oos school or just take a gap year and reapply in Texas? I would choose the gap year.

If you live here, how then could you say that getting into medical schools in Texas is easy?😵

I'm all for gap years. (I believe I mentioned for the OP to wait a cycle). But nothing wrong in applying to neighboring schools just in case. Yes Texas has major IS bias, but I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket by only applying to Texas schools. But hey that's just me. I just like to cover all bases than be disappointed when I realized that my entitled spot for an in state admission isn't really entitled.

 

[Afford]

You should be fine with just applying to Texas schools. Out of the 7 TX schools I applied to, I got interviews from 6 of them. Out of the 14 OOS schools I applied to, I got interviews at only 2 of them. Your GPA is high and with a good MCAT and good personality, I think you have a good chance to get into a TX med school. Also, most schools outside of Texas are expensive.

 

[eatandpoop]

You should be fine with just applying to Texas schools. Out of the 7 TX schools I applied to, I got interviews from 6 of them. Out of the 14 OOS schools I applied to, I got interviews at only 2 of them. Your GPA is high and with a good MCAT and good personality, I think you have a good chance to get into a TX med school. Also, most schools outside of Texas are expensive.

What counts as a good MCAT in TX med schools?

 

[jd989898]

To everyone saying to 4.0 my senior year classes: how would that help my application if I'm applying after this spring?

 

[sliceofbread136]

What counts as a good MCAT in TX med schools?

Are you an underrepresented minority?

If not, 32 is solid for the lower tier Texas schools. For uth like 33-34, for Baylor/utsw I'd say 35. For a more statistical approach consult the MSAR

 

[sliceofbread136]

To everyone saying to 4.0 my senior year classes: how would that help my application if I'm applying after this spring?

It can help in update letters, but trust me your GPA isn't an issue. 3.7 is perfectly fine

 

[Afford]

What counts as a good MCAT in TX med schools?

I'd say a 33 is good enough with a 35+ for Baylor/UTSW, but the average MCAT for matriculants for Texas A and M and UTMB is 30 (UTMB inflates their accepted MCAT in MSAR by prematching a lot). Also, during the UTSA interview day, one of the deans said that they believe that the MCAT over a certain level does not predict success in med school, so the MCAT is important, but not as important after getting an interview.

 

[drdoorittre]

To everyone saying to 4.0 my senior year classes: how would that help my application if I'm applying after this spring?

It really doesn't. Your interviews will be done by the time you send in grades from fall semester.

My personal opinion (and I could be totally wrong) is that by the time your fall grades get in, the committee will have made a decision about you and unless you royally screw up your grades they won't matter. I just can't see the committee going over all ~1000 or so interviewed applicant's fall grades in the few weeks between fall grades being posted and the match.

 

[sliceofbread136]

If you live here, how then could you say that getting into medical schools in Texas is easy?😵

Because in my application experience it seemed OOS schools just hold you to a higher standard, so I guess it would be better to say that oos is harder than Texas schools rather than Texas schools being easy

 

[Silverflash]

Your GPA is great for Texas schools as long as you do fine on your MCAT. No need to apply OOS if you don't want to.