School List Advice

[MedHopeful09]

Just wanted some thoughts about my school list and suggestions for additions. Thanks in advance!

MCAT: PS 9 / VR 10 / BS 11
GPA: 3.4+ sgpa/3.5+ cgpa/ 3.8 post bac ( 40 units)
ORM and CA resident.

Hospital volunteer ~ 400 hours at 2 different places
Shadowed surgeons, peds, and ED docs ~150 hours
Psych Research ~300 hours (no pubs/posters)
Active Leadership roles in 3 programs/clubs for 2-3 years
Worked during HS and college; fast food (8 years)
TA for one semester; pretty rewarding experience though
Non-Clinical Volunteer ~150 hours
Paid clinical work with underserved population at local medical school ~400 hours

I know there are a few (many?) reaches, but you never know until you try. With FAP, might as well take a few chances and see what happens!
_____________________________
David Geffen UCLA
Drexel
Dartmouth
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science
USC
Michigan State University
NYMC
Penn State
Quinnipiac SOM
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine
Stanford
Tufts
Tulane
UCSD
UCSF
UCI
Virginia Tech
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

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[gyngyn]

A CA applicant like yourself should have at least a dozen schools on his list where he stands a chance at an interview. You need to make your 15 count.
Delete Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford and USC at least!
Substitute both AZ schools, Albany or Jefferson for example.

 

[WedgeDawg]

You need to make your 15 count.
Delete Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford and USC at least!
Substitute both AZ schools, Albany or Jefferson for example.

Agree. Would delete UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD as well. You're well below their median MCATs (34-36).

 

[gyngyn]

Agree. Would delete UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD as well. You're well below their median MCATs (34-36).

You know he's going to apply anyway! I've quit trying on those.
CA applicants have a compulsion. I should know.

 

[MedHopeful09]

Thanks for the input!
My premed advisor basically told me to apply to all the UCs since it's a crapshoot anyways.
For the Arizona schools, they seem to prefer AZ residents or NA. Is it still worth it for me to apply there?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Thanks for the input!
My premed advisor basically told me to apply to all the UCs since it's a crapshoot anyways.

They are a crapshoot if you have stats around their averages. They are monetary donations if you are well under them. However, since all three screen pre-secondary, you're not losing as much money as you would with other schools.

For the Arizona schools, they seem to prefer AZ residents or NA. Is it still worth it for me to apply there?

They are fairly OOS friendly, so yes.

 

[GrapesofRath]

You're a borderline candidate at getting a single acceptance. Statistically 50-50(and that might be a bit generous). Instead of talking about "you never know if you don't try with top schools" focus all your efforts on trying a single acceptance by zoning on only lower tier schools.

If you're going to apply to 15 schools here is what you should pick from. If you apply to 15 schools and half of them are Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, USC, UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD and you don't get into med school you only have yourself to blame. Michigan State and VA Tech aren't good choices either.

UC Riverside(if you're from the inland empire)
Creighton
Eastern Virginia
VCU
U of Arizona( I wouldn't call them OOS friendly but you are from CA where they give consideration to)
Oakland
Quinnipac
Western Michigan
Loma Linda(read about the list of don'ts)
Medical College Wisconsin
Wake Forest

All of these schools get under 8K applications a year.

These are schools you should still strongly consider but that tend to get lots of applications. If you're only applying to 15 these are the ones you should be more willing to cut out if necessary. That said, I would still strongly consider all of them like I said except for perhaps GW and Georgetown.
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Georgetown
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Tulane
Tufts
Loyola
Albany
New York Medical College
Wright State(maybe)
WVU(maybe)
Penn State(maybe)
Vermont(maybe)

 

[GrapesofRath]

You're a borderline candidate at getting a single acceptance. Statistically 50-50(and that might be a bit generous). Instead of talking about "you never know if you don't try with top schools" focus all your efforts on trying a single acceptance by zoning on only lower tier schools.

If you're going to apply to 15 schools here is what you should pick from. If you apply to 15 schools and half of them are Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, USC, UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD and you don't get into med school you only have yourself to blame. Michigan State and VA Tech aren't good choices either.

UC Riverside(if you're from the inland empire)
Creighton
Eastern Virginia
VCU
U of Arizona( I wouldn't call them OOS friendly but you are from CA where they give consideration to)
Oakland
Quinnipac
Western Michigan
Loma Linda(read about the list of don'ts)
Medical College Wisconsin
Wake Forest

All of these schools get under 8K applications a year.

These are schools you should still strongly consider but that tend to get lots of applications. If you're only applying to 15 these are the ones you should be more willing to cut out if necessary. That said, I would still strongly consider all of them like I said except for perhaps GW and Georgetown.
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Georgetown
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Tulane
Tufts
Loyola
Albany
New York Medical College
Wright State(maybe)
WVU(maybe)
Penn State(maybe)
Vermont(maybe)

 

[gyngyn]

You're a borderline candidate at getting a single acceptance. Statistically 50-50(and that might be a bit generous). Instead of talking about "you never know if you don't try with top schools" focus all your efforts on trying a single acceptance by zoning on only lower tier schools.

If you're going to apply to 15 schools here is what you should pick from. If you apply to 15 schools and half of them are Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, USC, UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD and you don't get into med school you only have yourself to blame. Michigan State and VA Tech aren't good choices either.

UC Riverside(if you're from the inland empire)
Creighton
Eastern Virginia
VCU
U of Arizona( I wouldn't call them OOS friendly but you are from CA where they give consideration to)
Oakland
Quinnipac
Western Michigan
Loma Linda(read about the list of don'ts)
Medical College Wisconsin
Wake Forest

All of these schools get under 8K applications a year.

These are schools you should still strongly consider but that tend to get lots of applications. If you're only applying to 15 these are the ones you should be more willing to cut out if necessary. That said, I would still strongly consider all of them like I said except for perhaps GW and Georgetown.
Drexel
Temple
George Washington
Georgetown
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Tulane
Tufts
Loyola
Albany
New York Medical College
Wright State(maybe)
WVU(maybe)
Penn State(maybe)
Vermont(maybe)

Loma Linda is only for those whose primary mission is to serve Christ. Merely tolerating their restrictions is not enough.

 

[MedHopeful09]

Thanks for that list! I'm definitely applying to more than 15 schools. I was just saying that with FAP and some extra funds from odd jobs, I can apply to some reaches while also applying to more realistic schools.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Loma Linda is only for those whose primary mission is to serve Christ. Merely tolerating their restrictions is not enough.

Very true.