Retake w/ a 34 to get into the top?

[Jugador75]

White male jew from Ivy league college. 3.87 GPA. Excellent ECs and LORs. Now I have the april mcat of 13 BS, 11 PS, 10 VR, Q Writing. And I want to go to the top - as in columbia or cornell. Wondering if it's even worth it to retake in august.

Here's the kicker - my summer job is an mcat instructor (yes I was hired w/o having my score), so it's pretty reasonable to think that I might go up in august. But I don't know if it's worth putting myself through all that misery. Advice would be appreciated. Advice from a reliable source (i.e. your friend who is on an adcom says above 33 doesnt matter, etc) would be even better. Thanks.

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[....]

33 is the average for the tops schools like harvard. WU average is like 36 though. Point is, when they see your app they are going to see that your gra is on par with their average and you mcat as well. There are about 10 kick ass schools out there with about 1000 spots. And i know there are not 1000 3.87's and 33+ on their mcat. Look at the score reporting page....4000+ veiws and still only 10-20 people with 33+. And i bet alot of them (me) dont have the stellar gpa to match their stellar mcat.

 

[quideam]

Alright, time for me to be annoying and ask...

I got a 33S and I have a 3.87 GPA, tons of EC's and strong LORs. I would really like to go to U Pitt or U Penn (!!!), or Yale or Columbia... well, you get the picture. Do you guys think that I have a shot at these schools with the 33? I know that it's a good score, but i'm skeptical about whether it's good enough for these top schools....

- Quid

 

[MeowMix]

Before you go rushing off to retest, look at the statistics for repeat MCATers:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/tables.htm

Statistically, you are most likely to lose 1 or 2 points from your BS 13; stay about the same in VR; same or -1 in PS.

Now, do you think you can beat the statistics? Will you do anything very different to what most repeaters do? Teaching over the summer could make a big difference. It's a gamble, just like med school admissions in general.

For a reality check, go look at MDapplicants.com and see how many people with your stats got into your dream schools. You will probably find several.

 

[GoodMonkey]

chill the pho out. and for god's sake, don't retake w/a 34M. yeah please- 33 is such a "worst case i had an aneurysm" scenario good lord give me a farkin break.

33S mcat. ugrad gpa somewhere around a 3.8-ish. some grad work. biotech work. got into 3/4 of my top choices.
going by the bible-that-is-USNEWS ( and it looks like most around here do... ) that makes an acceptance to the #4, #9 and #21 ranked schools.

i'll say it again. chill out. and congrats on your great scores.

 

[kilroth]

goodmonkey, I don't understand your sentence about #4,9,21 schools. You mean they are the ones you didn't get into? I think they are Duke, Michigan, and NOrthwester, all 3 I am applying to.

I got a 33R with 3.93 gpa. I just checked and it's around 90th percentile so you guys with 34 must be around 93rd or something. They all blend together after that, go to your interview and shine. 33 will get you into the door of most medical schools and then you must win them over with your personality.

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by kilroth
goodmonkey, I don't understand your sentence about #4,9,21 schools. You mean they are the ones you didn't get into? I think they are Duke, Michigan, and NOrthwester, all 3 I am applying to.

I got a 33R with 3.93 gpa. I just checked and it's around 90th percentile so you guys with 34 must be around 93rd or something. They all blend together after that, go to your interview and shine. 33 will get you into the door of most medical schools and then you must win them over with your personality.

hmm... i said that i got into 3 of my 4 top choices and that meant an acceptance at the 4,9,21st ranks. so i did get into duke, umich and nwestern.

sorry if i sounded pissy; i just get fed up with these "oh my god the worst thing imaginable happened i'm an idiot who only got a 33 shoot me now i can never go to washU" kind of posts/threads. they overly enforce the crazed premed stereotype, they proliferate like rabbits and they make people feel bad about a score that probably is just dandy and well above the national average for test takers (or for matriculants, for that matter.) moreover, they cause undue stress - sooooo many applicants just need to chiiiiiill out.

best of luck w/your app kilroth- w/your mcat score and gpa i'm sure you'll have no trouble getting interviews. it's the foot in the door; and you're right - the personality, the life experiences, the activities, the recommendations - that is where you win. if anyone doesn't believe it, do a search for high mcat/no acceptance threads on here. they're not as uncommon as one may think.

 

[Woots32]

Alright, Pre-Allo has finally devolved from ridiculous to utterly absurd and insulting.

You would have to be on crack to retake the MCAT if you got a score of 33 or above. There are thousands of applicants out there who would gladly give one of their limbs to score above 30. You should be proud of your accomplishment of performing exceptionally well on a very difficult test, and not worry so much about getting into whatever school is considered most prestigious by some magazine.

In conclusion:

 

[siempre595]

Do not re-take the test. Spend your time on something more interesting that will make you stand out as someone worth admitting to a top med school rather than someone who just gets high numbers on tests. Plenty of applicants do that. All the top schools interview a range of people, it's better to be genuinely interesting with a 33 than a bore with a 37. Spend your time doing something you like and will remember years from now, not testing.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by Woots32
Alright, Pre-Allo has finally devolved from ridiculous to utterly absurd and insulting.

In conclusion:

Hey Woots and Goodmonkey,

I understand what you guys are saying. 34 and 33 are really great scores. We should be happy with them and many of us are.
But I feel like I should stick up for my fellow pre-allos. The point I want to make is this (and I think I sort of speak for all or most or some of us in the Pre-allo, MCAT forums): We haven't been through this (applying to med school) before (as you guys have). We don't know what to expect. It's been our goal for many years and we badly want to get in somewhere, anywhere. So we're anxious and maybe even a little scared. We hear all the stories about people with great GPAs, MCATs, etc. that don't get in anywhere. So we're insecure about our application no matter how well we did or what we've done. So please forgive us if we're a little "anal" or ridiculous. We've got this terribly stressful, time-consuming, soul-draining application process in front of us, so we want to make our application the best it can be so we don't have to do it again. Were you guys brimming with confidence and "chilled" when you saw your application cycle looming in front of you? You may have been, but as the "pre-med" stereotype shows, most of us aren't. We appreciate your advice, and I'm sure you're right, but I hope you can understand why we are the way we are. Many might not admit it, but I know I'm just kind of anxious about the whole thing.

Thanks for listening (reading).

 

[latinfridley]

FREAKS!!!!! jeez. whinin bout a 33 is ridiculous, no matter how u cut it.

 

[quideam]

Woots,

I undestand where you're coming from, but please understand where i'm coming from too. I DO care, very much, about exactly which medical school I end up in. I know that there are lots of people that would kill for above a 30, and who would love to go to any medical school. But why should I take that same attitude? I think (hope) that I have what it takes to do well in a top school, and that is where I want to go. I go to a state university, and although it's a great school and i'm in the honors program, it's just not the same as going to an Ivy. So now, that's my goal.

Everyone has different attitudes about this process, and it's not crazy to have one or another. I have a good friend who got a 32 and re-took and got a 37 - and got a full ride to Cornell. Would that have happened with the 32? Hmm. Should he have taken it again? Hmm.

Good luck in your journey, and please try not to kick others as they walk theirs....

- Quid

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by quideam
Woots,

I undestand where you're coming from, but please understand where i'm coming from too. I DO care, very much, about exactly which medical school I end up in. I know that there are lots of people that would kill for above a 30, and who would love to go to any medical school. But why should I take that same attitude? I think (hope) that I have what it takes to do well in a top school, and that is where I want to go. I go to a state university, and although it's a great school and i'm in the honors program, it's just not the same as going to an Ivy. So now, that's my goal.

Everyone has different attitudes about this process, and it's not crazy to have one or another. I have a good friend who got a 32 and re-took and got a 37 - and got a full ride to Cornell. Would that have happened with the 32? Hmm. Should he have taken it again? Hmm.

Good luck in your journey, and please try not to kick others as they walk theirs....

- Quid

oh. mygoodlawd. and you're implying that we don't care where we end up?? please. take any attitude you want, but posts such as "i got only a 33 and that was my worst-case-i-had-a-brain-aneurysm-scenario" are insulting and just ridiculous. good luck with your elitism. retake the godforsaken test all you want if you're masochistic (and hung up on school rankings) enough.


sooner - a check of mdapplicants.com or looking in the msar for school's typical admitted applicant profiles or doing a search on sdn would save a helluva lot of unnecessary "oh my god i only got a 34 will i ever make it into a USNEWS top 5 school??? help!" sort of posts. i'm sorry, but it doesn't take much genius to figure out what is a good score and what isn't. and doing searches on websites is also quite self-explainatory. anxiety is one thing..... and everyone is anxious. whether or not we'd go into a full on depression if we couldn't hit ivy or if we missed the 35mcat mark (when the average for accepted applicants hovers around a 30) is totally another.

makes me wonder sometimes if people aren't in this all for the end result (an MD), but rather being able to just say they got their MD from Haaaaaahvard or whatnot. (sooner this comment and that to follow are not directed at you and i am not implying this is your attitude, not at all, but unfortunately, some people on here just exude that attitude). yeah yeah go where you're happy, yadda yadda yadda, but if only an ivy will make you happy, then i'm sorry you feel that way. don't expect a ton of advice and sympathy on an anonymous internet message board.

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
It's been our goal for many years and we badly want to get in somewhere, anywhere. So we're anxious and maybe even a little scared. We hear all the stories about people with great GPAs, MCATs, etc. that don't get in anywhere. So we're insecure about our application no matter how well we did or what we've done.

sooner, i really doubt anyone would take issue with that point of view. however, posts/threads like this one aren't of the "we badly want to get in somewhere, anywhere" nature. it's more of the "if i don't get into a usnews top 10 school i'll wither and die help me i only got a 34" sort of post/attitude that wears really, really thin. that, and the inability of brand new people to use the search function or to read thru the threads before posting yet ANOTHER "what are my chances" thread.

(btw congrats on your great score )

 

[quideam]

GoodMonkey,

If you check out my earlier post on this thread, you'll see that nowhere did I say that I planned on taking the MCAT again - personally, I am very happy with my score. I was simply asking if people thought it was sufficient for an Ivy. I posted a second time because I'm sick of people getting annoyed with anyone that complains about a score that's not below 30.

Of course, EVERYONE cares about where they end up, and everyone tries to do whatever is in their power to END UP HAPPY in the end of this process. I have friends who did just enough work to get B's because they weren't willing to sacrifice other things to get into a top school. I also have friends who do nothing but study (which is NOT something i'm endorsing) becuase the prestige of an Ivy is really important to them. What i'm saying is that we should respect other people's priorities, even if we don't agree with them.

I'm not planning to re-take (you're right, I do think it's a bit crazy to take it again), but if someone feels they're borderline (like I do) and doesn't mind taking it again (I do mind!), then I say go for it. And even if they're doing all of this just so they can say that they went to Harvard, then so be it! It's their life. My point, again, is that I'm just annoyed of people chastising others because what someone considers "great" is what someone else considers "decent". Let's just be supportive of each other, okay?

- Quid

 

[deez4life]

ok, a 33 on the april 2003 mcat gets you to nearly the 93rd percentile.

i think the main thing that's chapping everyone's ass is that people are unabashedly being US News rankings ******. of course you're going to get flamed for that. if you want sympathy for your 33 not being competitive for UPenn (even though it is), this is not the place to be getting it.

if you want to go to a prestigious school, think about why you want to go there. the curriculum? the atmosphere? the research opportunities? however, if you are attracted to top schools solely due to their subjective high rankings, then you rightfully deserve to get burned crisp on the board. there is no room for arrogance and "prestige" in the operating room.

happy hunting.

 

[quideam]

Okay, for everyone who thinks that I am a ratings *****, here is my situation:

I recently became engaged to my long-time boyfriend, and am now limited geographically by where I can go. He works as a software engineer about 20 mins. outside of Philadelphia, so if we are going to be together, I have to stay in that vicinity. I am a NJ resident, so my options are the two NJ schools and any of the schools in Philly - temple, drexel, jefferson, U Penn (not penn state because they primarily take PA residents). I also really love U Pitt, NYU, and Cornell, but those would be more difficult because of their location.

Assuming that I will have to stay relatively close to Philly, my top choice is U Penn. The other schools are all very good, but they do not match up to U Penn's reputation, research facilities (I am considering doing a PhD in immunology as well), or the curriculum. I would like to become a truama surgeon (I have clinical research and volunteer experience with that) and I feel that given my options, U Penn is the best all around. The other schools are also very good, and I certainly would not mind attending any of them, but I would prefer U Penn if I had the choice.

So that is why I'm so concerned - I think a 33 is competitive for U Penn, but borderline. Maybe hanging out on SDN is making me more paranoid with all the high 30's flying around, or maybe my concern is legit. Regardless, I'm not looking for sympathy - I was just asking if people thought the 33 would be competitive or not. That's it.

Now, getting back to my life...

- Quid

 

[Madjimbo1]

33 is good enough for any school's straight MD program

if you're going to try for MD/PhD at UPenn, then I'm actually going to disagree with some people here and recommend that you take "it" again - the interviews are PARAMOUNT but just getting there requires some good numbers, especially for a crazy program like that.

Cornell doesn't do merit scholarships. Later,
Madji

 

[quideam]

Hmm... well, a friend of mine honestly did claim he get a full scholarship to Cornell. I guess he could be lying, but it's not like him. Maybe it was more financial aid-related?

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'm not applying for the MD/PhD at U Penn - I heard that once you've completed your first year, you can apply for a PhD then. I need to research that; i'm not certain it's what I want to do anyway, so I have to think about that. Thanks for the response... and good luck to you too.

 

[Dr. Will]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
Hey Woots and Goodmonkey,

I understand what you guys are saying. 34 and 33 are really great scores. We should be happy with them and many of us are.
But I feel like I should stick up for my fellow pre-allos. The point I want to make is this (and I think I sort of speak for all or most or some of us in the Pre-allo, MCAT forums): We haven't been through this (applying to med school) before (as you guys have). We don't know what to expect. It's been our goal for many years and we badly want to get in somewhere, anywhere. So we're anxious and maybe even a little scared. We hear all the stories about people with great GPAs, MCATs, etc. that don't get in anywhere. So we're insecure about our application no matter how well we did or what we've done. So please forgive us if we're a little "anal" or ridiculous. We've got this terribly stressful, time-consuming, soul-draining application process in front of us, so we want to make our application the best it can be so we don't have to do it again. Were you guys brimming with confidence and "chilled" when you saw your application cycle looming in front of you? You may have been, but as the "pre-med" stereotype shows, most of us aren't. We appreciate your advice, and I'm sure you're right, but I hope you can understand why we are the way we are. Many might not admit it, but I know I'm just kind of anxious about the whole thing.

Thanks for listening (reading).

Hey Sooner...first of all lemme congratulate you on your great score. I know you've worked hard for that and no one is taking that away from you. Also...as a two time applicant, yes this process sucks and very random. People who are more than qualiifed are unfortunately not accepted anywhere for whatever reason...and that is hard to deal with.

Here's my problem with this situation though. I woke up a couple days ago to find the "post your mcat score" thread. Reading that I felt sick. I know there were many people suprised with thier scores and decided to post them. There may have been others who decided to post them possibly to gloat or show off. I don't know. But for every person who got a 30+, there are others who didn't score as high and have serious concerns of whether they would be accepted to any medschool. Then you read threads of I got a 34, and I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't go to school X. These threads are a slap in the face to others who have worked just as hard, but for whatever reason didn't score as high.

I agree SDN should be more supportive, but no one really wants to deal with these threads "here are my stats, will i get in" thread anymore. They are too commonplace and the main thing to remember is every applicant is unique. But the MCAT is the one factor that can be judged relatively equally between everyone. All applicants should realize what a good score is...the national ave is 27 if I remember correctly. It's just somewhat counterproductive to ask if a score well in the 90 percentile is good enough. At this point I don't know if I'm making any sense...but I hope I did at one point

This process is going to get more difficult folks...try not to stress yourselves out over trivial things, such as rankings or whether a certain score is good enough. Just go for it...take the chance. There is no set criteria for someone to be accepted...everything just needs to fit together to give the best overall package.

 

[Cerberus]

<img src="http://ImageDeposit.com/Ad_images/Imagedeposit_dot_com_Big_ID_2746__scshot.jpg" alt="click here for free image hosting">

 

[Kovox]

Not to pick on you soonerpillow but your logic didn't quite flow for me without bumps while I reading yo' post.

Originally posted by soonerpillow
We haven't been through this (applying to med school) before (as you guys have).

Okay, so shouldn't you listen to the advice of people who have been through the process?

Originally posted by soonerpillow
We hear all the stories about people with great GPAs, MCATs, etc. that don't get in anywhere.

Um..okay so you hear about the great GPAs, MCATs and about people not getting anywhere so wouldn't that make you think that the whole application process is more than just numbers?

Getting into a top ten school is more than just numbers. If anything, I know that Harvard Med and Yale Med are very heavy on what sets you apart, meaning your extra-curric activities. Yes, MCATs scores are important but I've known people who have scored 31-32 getting into both of these medical schools, my cousins included.

You all have excellent scores and scoring any higher, will most likely not give you any brownie points. What you all need to focus on is what sets you apart from other students? What makes you so special? Are you more than just numbers? Will you make a mark in the medical community?

In addition, retaking the August MCAT will put you at a disadvantage (in my opinion). The scores for the August MCATs don't come until mid october so schools will not even look at your profile till october - november since your August scores aren't in (altho 50 bucks says pitt med will invite you if your april scores are excellent before your august scores come in). By then, interview slots are taken up, you're late in the process etc.

Re-evaluate your situation wisely.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by Kovox
Okay, so shouldn't you listen to the advice of people who have been through the process?

Um..okay so you hear about the great GPAs, MCATs and about people not getting anywhere so wouldn't that make you think that the whole application process is more than just numbers?

Right, and I do listen to a lot of the advice given on SDN. But I tend not to listen to people who call me ridiculous, absurd, anal, and other things.

Good point. I agree with pretty much all you guys said in response to my post. I just sort of felt defensive, I guess. I'm not defending the "I got a 33, brain aneurism" statement, or the "I have to get into a top ten school" attitude. I'm just getting sick of you guys who have been through this before insulting and belittling us because we're a little worried about it. I can't just "chill," it's not my style. When I have a goal, I don't relax until I achieve it. When I get my first acceptance, I'm gonna pop open that big bottle of champagne I got when I applied. Then I'll chill.

Edited to add: Yeah, okay. I just saw the other thread about the poster with the 35 wondering if they should take it again. This is getting a bit silly.

 

[SarahXXOO]

Well, I feel the need to comment here. I had a 28 MCAT, 3.80-ish GPA, and went to a state school that is not well known for sending kids to med school. I ended up getting a full ride to Wayne State University (okay, not my top choice, but still, a full ride), and accepted--with a nice BIG scholarship--to U Michigan (where I'll be attending).

Bottom line, if you have good enough stats to get your foot in the door, all that really matters at that point is your **personality** (which a lot of med applicants seem to forget about or just don't have) and interviewing skills. Having a full load of extra curriculars helps too...and not just the "pre-med" kind, like hospital volunteering, etc. I have a Spanish minor and taught violin lessons / played in orchestras through college, and that's what at least 50% of my interview questions were about.

Believe it or not, no matter how sweet your statistics are (33 MCAT, etc.), you high-scoring schmucks are a dime a dozen. What they really want are people who show potential to make good doctors, not just people who show potential to do well on their exams (and yes, these are two different things).

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by SarahXXOO
you high-scoring schmucks are a dime a dozen.

So now, in addition to anal, insulting, absurd, and ridiculous, I'm a cheap schmuck. I'll go ahead and add whiny, cuz I can see that one coming.

But you make a good point, Sarah. I just hope I can get my interview skillz up. I fidget like a madman.

 

[steve007]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
Right, and I do listen to a lot of the advice given on SDN. But I tend not to listen to people who call me ridiculous, absurd, anal, and other things.

Good point. I agree with pretty much all you guys said in response to my post. I just sort of felt defensive, I guess. I'm not defending the "I got a 33, brain aneurism" statement, or the "I have to get into a top ten school" attitude. I'm just getting sick of you guys who have been through this before insulting and belittling us because we're a little worried about it. I can't just "chill," it's not my style. When I have a goal, I don't relax until I achieve it. When I get my first acceptance, I'm gonna pop open that big bottle of champagne I got when I applied. Then I'll chill.

Edited to add: Yeah, okay. I just saw the other thread about the poster with the 35 wondering if they should take it again. This is getting a bit silly.

HAHA, gotta love the change of heart here!! Honestly though, I'm w/ya sooner. at first i was pretty sympathetic, but pple just seem to be WAY out of hand (see the 35 should i retake thread). Worse yet, everyone seems to be using my score (34) as the cutoff for what constitutes a REALLY strong score. Well, according the aamc website my score was in the 93-96th percentile, so when i go to interviews, i'll have a higher mcat than 92-95% of the pple. I'm pretty sure that's pretty damn good.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by steve007
HAHA, gotta love the change of heart here!!

I don't think it was a change of heart. I'm still defending the anal, insulting, ridiculous, absurd, cheap premed schmucks who are just trying to get some helpful advice. Just not the ones who are just trying to get some attention or make other people feel bad about their scores.

But thx for the support, you dime-a-dozen schmuck.

 

[steve007]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
I don't think it was a change of heart. I'm still defending the anal, insulting, ridiculous, absurd, cheap premed schmucks who are just trying to get some helpful advice. Just not the ones who are just trying to get some attention or make other people feel bad about their scores.

But thx for the support, you dime-a-dozen schmuck.

being cheap and absurd, i wouldn't pay more than $.08 for a dozen schmucks such as myself .

 

[SarahXXOO]

Hey, just to clarify, I didn't mean to piss anyone off. I'm just saying that the numbers are only important to get your foot in the door. If you have a 40 and a 3.99 GPA but can't interview to save your soul, you're no better off than the people with lesser scores. The MCAT is not necessarily a great indication of how good a doctor you'll be, and the med schools know this.

I do sympathize, in a way, because I stressed about my 28 when I got this news a year ago. But now I'm accepted to my top choice school WITH a scholarship--because I had higher scores than the applicants I competed against? No. Because I found **other** ways to show that I was a good candidate. The important stuff gets overlooked too often by you ultra-brainy types: personality, having a life outside of school (and no, SDN does not count as a social life). Things like SMILING at your interview, and even laughing when it's appropriate...stuff that shows you're comfortable around people, etc. Good ESSAYS (I can't stress this enough...this not only got me in to med schools but won me scholarships as well). And I once read somewhere that the #1 characteristic interviewees lacked was general ENTHUSIASM. I can believe that when you're all so preoccupied with scores and numbers.

Rest assured, a 30+ score and a good GPA, coupled with a GREAT PERSONAL STATEMENT and / or ESSAYS, will get your foot in the door of the school of your choice. The trick is to win them over once you get to that stage. Show your passion to help people, to be a healer, a listener, and a caregiver...THAT's what gets you in to good medical scools.

Good luck to you all.

 

[soonerpillow]

Well, crap. Two more things to add to my pre-med To Do list. Now I've got to get a personality AND a life.

What kind of personality do you think Top Ten schools like? They seem kinda snooty, so should I develop a stuffy personality? Or maybe they're looking for diversity, so I should try to work on my "down home, country boy" persona? I think I could do that one, since I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma.

As for a social life, you said SDN doesn't count, but do other message boards (makes me more well-rounded and diverse)? I talk to my mom twice a week, I bet they'll like that. It shows I have strong values.

 

[Steinway]

so what %tile do you have to get to be a dime a dozen schmuck?

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by Steinway
so what %tile do you have to get to be a dime a dozen schmuck?

I'm not exactly sure (it's not on the AAMC website), but I think you have to have a 33 or above to be a dime-a-dozen schmuck. But it could just be a 30+. So welcome to the D.A.D.S. club, Steinway. Get to work on that personality and social life, thing. Assumed lack of said qualities is required for membership in DADS.

 

[SarahXXOO]

Sooner, you crack me up. If you have to "work on developing" any type of personality, you're doomed. Sorry to break it to you. I hope for your sake you were 100% kidding.

As for the rest of the smartass remarks (D.A.D.S., etc.)...hey, I'm just trying to give advice. You guys continue on with your struggles; I'll just sit back and re-read my acceptance letters and laugh to myself.

You'll realize a year from now how right I am.

 

[soonerpillow]

Sarah,

Yes, I was 100% kidding. I think I have my own, pretty decent personality and I'm happy with my social life. And I know I can't rely on my scores to get into medical school. So thanks for the advice. You've been one of the better post-pre-med "advisors" here on SDN.

As for the DADS, I'm just being silly. It comes from spending most of my time in the Lounge. It is pretty funny, though.

 

[steve007]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
Well, crap. Two more things to add to my pre-med To Do list. Now I've got to get a personality AND a life.

What kind of personality do you think Top Ten schools like? They seem kinda snooty, so should I develop a stuffy personality? Or maybe they're looking for diversity, so I should try to work on my "down home, country boy" persona? I think I could do that one, since I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma.

As for a social life, you said SDN doesn't count, but do other message boards (makes me more well-rounded and diverse)? I talk to my mom twice a week, I bet they'll like that. It shows I have strong values.

OK Sooner, I NEED some more activities for my AMCAS. Can I please be Vice President of The D.A.D.S. Club?? I promise to show initiative, be proactive, encourage diversity, and never try to overshadow the president.

Furthermore, in an effort to develop some semblance of a social life, I will be attending a graduation party this evening. Can any DADS member help me with some possible conversation starters w/ pple?? I was thinking:
Hey, which is better, voulonteering or research??
So, what's your favorite orgo rxn??
Hi, I'm Steve 3.7, 34R. You?

Thanks guys. btw, should i list this party on amcas or should i just try to bring it up during an interview.
"So, Steve, why do you want to become a Dr.?"
"Well Mr. Interviewer, as I told a FRIEND at a recent PARTY I attended, I don't wanna just be another dime-a-dozen schmuck....."

 

[SarahXXOO]

You guys are all funny. I'm not personally attacking anyone...you might all be 10 times more social, more active, and better interviewers than me. But we all know that there are some among us that lack the essential personal skills needed for med school and so run around worrying about numbers: MCAT, GPA, etc. I merely wanted to point out that those particular D.A.D.S's, as we're now calling them, need to put their priorities in check.

The humorous responses I've read since my initial post lead me to believe that you're all very nice, interesting guys and not at all as dorky as I might have imagined. ;-)

 

[Steinway]

btw, congrats on umich sarah...and likewise, your last post shows you're not the person the "You guys continue on with your struggles; I'll just sit back and re-read my acceptance letters and laugh to myself." line led me to believe you were.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by steve007
OK Sooner, I NEED some more activities for my AMCAS. Can I please be Vice President of The D.A.D.S. Club?? I promise to show initiative, be proactive, encourage diversity, and never try to overshadow the president.

Furthermore, in an effort to develop some semblance of a social life, I will be attending a graduation party this evening. Can any DADS member help me with some possible conversation starters w/ pple?? I was thinking:
Hey, which is better, voulonteering or research??
So, what's your favorite orgo rxn??
Hi, I'm Steve 3.7, 34R. You?

Thanks guys. btw, should i list this party on amcas or should i just try to bring it up during an interview.
"So, Steve, why do you want to become a Dr.?"
"Well Mr. Interviewer, as I told a FRIEND at a recent PARTY I attended, I don't wanna just be another dime-a-dozen schmuck....."

Hey steve,

I think using DADS as an ec on your app is an excellent idea. The problem is, as dime-a-dozen schmucks, we stand out in no way besides our MCAT scores. So when you describe DADS in your post-secondary experiences, be sure and mention that it takes no personality and there are no social activities involved.

And you should always introduce yourself with your name, followed by your GPA and MCAT score. Since that's basically all that you are. It's your identity. In fact, maybe we should just skip our names and we can be identified by our numbers.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Originally posted by GoodMonkey
chill the pho out. and for god's sake, don't retake w/a 34M. yeah please- 33 is such a "worst case i had an aneurysm" scenario good lord give me a farkin break.

33S mcat. ugrad gpa somewhere around a 3.8-ish. some grad work. biotech work. got into 3/4 of my top choices.
going by the bible-that-is-USNEWS ( and it looks like most around here do... ) that makes an acceptance to the #4, #9 and #21 ranked schools.

i'll say it again. chill out. and congrats on your great scores.

WRONG! Michigan is #8, not #9.

 

[DW]

Originally posted by quideam
I have a good friend who got a 32 and re-took and got a 37 - and got a full ride to Cornell. Would that have happened with the 32? Hmm. Should he have taken it again? Hmm.

gotta interject...either your friend is BSing you or you have your facts out of whack...Cornell Medical College DOES NOT give out any "full rides"...all Cornell financial aid is strictly need, non merit based grant aid, period.

guys, retake with a 34? breath, people, breath

 

[chikantikka]

Originally posted by MeowMix
Before you go rushing off to retest, look at the statistics for

For a reality check, go look at MDapplicants.com and see how many people with your stats got into your dream schools. You will probably find several.

That site only includes people that seemed to have registered for that site... is there a site that shows the percentage of applied, interviewed and acepted of ALL the people..?

 

[zinjanthropus]

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/start.htm