School List Help!: 3.9 GPA, 513 MCAT, URM

[goneaway]

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1. 3.93 cGPA; 3.9 sGPA
2. 505 -> 513 (128/128/128/129)
3. Residency: MI
4. Ethnicity: URM (Black F); FAP recipient (low income)
5. UG: Ivy
6. Clinical hours (paid and volunteer): ~2000

- Mainly from gap year​

- All are directly working with patients in a community health context (underserved populations)​

7. Research hours: ~250 hours, no pubs/posters

- Public health and advocacy oriented​

8. Shadowing: 35 hours

- Hoping my clinical experiences carry lol -> wrote about one of these experiences in my PS though​

9. Non-clinical volunteering: 150 hours

- Youth mentorship, youth teaching assistant, and a research volunteer​

10. Gap Year: AmeriCorps

Leadership: ~800 hours (campus-based; cultural (4 years); health advocacy)​

Paid non-clinical: ~950 (on-campus job; youth mentorship; peer tutoring; government internship)​

11. Awards: School-based (dean's list + multiple public service recognitions)

Further comments: my app is service-oriented (community health, underserved communities); I want to pursue a MD/MPH

Concerned that I have too many reaches and too many targets/baseline that are "low-yield" (admit.org is also not helping); ideally I want to apply to 27 schools.

List, according to admit.org
target -> baseline
Wayne State, Central Michigan, Oakland Uni WB, Michigan State HM, Georgetown, George Washington, Howard, Morehouse, Tulane, Rush, Temple, Wake (unsure) -> Emory, Boston Uni, Tufts, tOSU

Some schools I considered but removed: UIC - OOS tuition + the future of gradplus loans; Drexel: large class size scared me; Meharry: accreditation problems?; Loyola: interested in OB/GYN and heard they don't even discuss BC methods

reaches
UChicago, U of Michigan, Hopkins, Duke, UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, Yale (unsure), Harvard

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
U Michigan
Wayne State
Michigan State
Central Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Northwestern
TCU
Tulane
Emory
Miami
Georgetown
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein (free tuition)
Mount Sinai
Dartmouth
Brown
Boston University
Tufts

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

I'd include all your Michigan options (Western Michigan?), add Ohio State and Toledo (maybe Cincinnati?), and consider Rosalind Franklin.

Have you connected with mentoring organizations for aspiring Black (male?) physicians? SNMA?

 

[goneaway]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
U Michigan
Wayne State
Michigan State
Central Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Northwestern
TCU
Tulane
Emory
Miami
Georgetown
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein (free tuition)
Mount Sinai
Dartmouth
Brown
Boston University
Tufts

Thank you for the feedback! You removed certain schools from the list, is there a reason you don't recommend them stats/fit-wise?

 

[goneaway]

Welcome to the forums.

I'd include all your Michigan options (Western Michigan?), add Ohio State and Toledo (maybe Cincinnati?), and consider Rosalind Franklin.

Have you connected with mentoring organizations for aspiring Black (male?) physicians? SNMA?

Ty for warm welcome 😊 I initially left out Western (didn't like the thought of Kalamazoo + kinda concerned by diversity), but will probably add on. Will check out the other suggestions, tysm!

I edited the original post; I'm a black woman. Not connected to SNMA (my campus did not have that organization), been relying on my advisors

 

[Faha]

Thank you for the feedback! You removed certain schools from the list, is there a reason you don't recommend them stats/fit-wise?

Rush and Loyola expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. Most of your reach schools are unrealistic with MCAT scores of 505 and 513 (some schools average scores)

 

[goneaway]

Rush and Loyola expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. Most of your reach schools are unrealistic with MCAT scores of 505 and 513 (some schools average scores)

If the schools don't average scores, are some still worth a shot? I thought it was only Jefferson that did it (which is why I didn't have on), while others have access to all. Also, about Rush, I have a lot more clinical volunteer hours (1500+), does that offset the lack of non-clinical?

 

[PickaGodnPray]

I have a lot more clinical volunteer hours (1500+), does that offset the lack of non-clinical?

Clinical does not offset non-clinical at schools that desire a "well rounded" applicant. A physician is supposed to serve others, which is why they want to see non-clinical service (and lets be honest, most medical students don't do much for clinical unless they're EMS or CRNA).
Your stats are good and you will be competitive at most programs from Faha. Don't know when you plan to apply but try to grab additional hours in low-income service like food pantries or unhoused shelters to get over any bias from lack of non-clinical.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Rush and Loyola expect far more non clinical volunteering hours than you have. Most of your reach schools are unrealistic with MCAT scores of 505 and 513 (some schools average scores)

It's possible your Americorps work (if completed) could be viewed positively for non-clinical volunteering depending on what you did. I would still try to add more hours if Rush and Loyola are top destinations.

Many schools average your scores for screening purposes, but all will have access to your MCAT history regardless of what scores they would place weight upon.