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[MiamiBoyy]

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First time post here. Appreciate all the help people offer in advance. I have already sent in my primary application and would like to know what you guys think of my current school list and what other schools would be advisable to add.

1. 3.2 SGPA, 3.12 CGPA, upward trend from 2.4 CGPA Freshman year
2. Old MCAT taken January 2015, 9 PS, 10 BS, 11 VR; 79th percentile overall
3. 1 1/2 years over 1500 hours of scribing in an ER and private clinics
4. 100+ hours peds shadowing
5. Significant research experience in an environmental genomics lab, no publications
6. Hispanic Male, 23 y/o, Florida resident, first time applicant


Current School List:
Albert Einstein
Ca Northstate
Drexel
FIU
FAU
Georgetown
Indiana
U Buffalo
Temple
LSU
Oregon
Penn State
Rosalind Franklin
Rutgers
Thomas Jefferson
OSU
Miami
UCF

 

[gyngyn]

Delete Northstate. Delete Rutgers. Delete OHSU. Include all FL schools.
Which Hispanic community?
Language skills?
Service to community?

 

[MiamiBoyy]

Thanks for the reply @gyngyn

I live in a community of mostly Venezuelan immigrants, which I am as well, and I am a native Spanish speaker.
My most significant community service has consisted of a trip to Haiti in which I volunteered at an orphanage for a week and a trip to New Orleans where I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army. Limited local service due to other commitments. Other ECs include working as a learning assistant for 3 semesters in upper division Biology classes and in the peer lead team learning program at my school. I have also served on the board of two student pre-medical clubs through which I have participated and volunteered in various community events. None of which have been consistent commitments.

 

[gyngyn]

With a 30 on the MCAT and a 3.12 gpa, your best MD chances (by far) are the public MD schools in FL.
Is that your only MCAT?

 

[MiamiBoyy]

I see, thank you. Given my stats, I am also applying DO.

Yes, first and only attempt.

 

[MiamiBoyy]

@Faha @Goro not that Im looking for second opinions here but any commentary from you all would be really appreciated 🙂

 

[Faha]

Apply to all your Florida schools and for out of state schools you could try these:
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont
Spanish language fluency is valuable and may attract some interest from some schools.
For DO schools apply broadly and your are competitive for the majority of DO schools. Consider these:
LECOM-Bradenton
NSU-COM
ACOM
LMU-DCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
PCOM-Georgia
WCU-COM
MU-COM
AZCOM
ATSU-SOMA

 

[MiamiBoyy]

Apply to all your Florida schools and for out of state schools you could try these:
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont
Spanish language fluency is valuable and may attract some interest from some schools.
For DO schools apply broadly and your are competitive for the majority of DO schools. Consider these:
LECOM-Bradenton
NSU-COM
ACOM
LMU-DCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
PCOM-Georgia
WCU-COM
MU-COM
AZCOM
ATSU-SOMA

Thanks @Faha
A lot of the schools you mention receive a ton of applicants Ive noticed and hence was reluctant to apply there ie. Drexel, GW, Jefferson, Georgetown. I have heard that these are places a lot of very well qualified applicants apply to as safety schools. Is this something I should consider?

 

[Faha]

Thanks @Faha
A lot of the schools you mention receive a ton of applicants Ive noticed and hence was reluctant to apply there ie. Drexel, GW, Jefferson, Georgetown. I have heard that these are places a lot of very well qualified applicants apply to as safety schools. Is this something I should consider?

Yes, a school may receive 12,000 applicants but only 8,000 are completed applications since many do not send in the secondaries. It is often the applicant with high stats who do not bother once they receive that interview offer from Harvard or Stanford. Some of these schools also send II to 1,300 or 1,400 applicants so the odds for an interview are not bad considering the number of completed applications.

 

[gyngyn]

Yes, a school may receive 12,000 applicants but only 8,000 are completed applications since many do not send in the secondaries. It is often the applicant with high stats who do not bother once they receive that interview offer from Harvard or Stanford. Some of these schools also send II to 1,300 or 1,400 applicants so the odds for an interview are not bad considering the number of completed applications.

All schools have a lower number of completed applications, though. Unless we know that a disproportionate number of these schools have applicants that don't complete an application the odds are still somewhat lower.

 

[Goro]

Concur 100% with Faha.

Apply to all your Florida schools and for out of state schools you could try these:
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Loyola
Rosalind Franklin
Creighton
Oakland Beaumont
Spanish language fluency is valuable and may attract some interest from some schools.
For DO schools apply broadly and your are competitive for the majority of DO schools. Consider these:
LECOM-Bradenton
NSU-COM
ACOM
LMU-DCOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
PCOM-Georgia
WCU-COM
MU-COM
AZCOM
ATSU-SOMA

 

[GrapesofRath]

Those schools are low yield and I often don't recommend applying to them because as stated above you cant just ignore the fact all schools get fewer completed applications. It's all proportion based. 2,000 not completing an app at a school that gets 13,000 apps is no different than a 1,000 not completing the app at a school that gets 6,500.

In your case though since you are a borderline applicant depending on how schools classify you as a potential URM you can consider applying to lower yield options that are more of long shots. It makes less sense for someone with say a 3.9/33 to do so. It's just your odds are going to be much better with your state schools and without knowing how each school will classify you in terms of URM status if you only want to apply to say 8 OOS schools the Creighton, Oakland, Jefferson types with much more favorable OOS app/matriculant ratios are likely your better bet than GW or Drexel types

 

[MiamiBoyy]

You all have given me more to think about. I truly appreciate all the input.

@GrapesofRath any idea on how schools "classify" URM applicants?

 

[gyngyn]

You all have given me more to think about. I truly appreciate all the input.

@GrapesofRath any idea on how schools "classify" URM applicants?

South Americans are not generally considered under-represented in medicine. Language skills are always welcome, though.