School list help, higher stats - feedback appreciated!

[raguramm]

Hey all, I've been spending lots of time on MSAR and have come up with a list of schools for this upcoming application cycle. I'm hoping to get some feedback from you wise people on this forum! I really want to go to a school that has good opportunities for experience in primary care; all my experiences are leading me to want to go into urban underserved care, with an emphasis on policy/program development. I'm also, therefore, looking for schools with programs like UChicago's MD/AM, or NYU's MD/MPA. I welcome recommendations for schools that fit this model! I want to add a couple more safeties to my list.

Stats: 4.0 CGPA, high 520s
CA ORM
Research: 1200ish h, a small grant, 3 posters and a talk
Clinical: 800ish hours volunteering, 3200 (extrapolated) paid employment
Nonclinical: 1200ish hours volunteering with significant leadership
Shadowing: 40 hours
Almost all my clinical/nonclinical work serves the same population, which I want to continue serving in and beyond medical school.

List:

UCSF
UC Davis
UCLA
UC San Diego
USC
Stanford

Harvard
Yale
Duke
UPenn
JHU
NYU
Case/Cleveland
UMich
UChicago
Northwestern

OHSU (went to HS here)
UW (if I can argue in-state due to strong nuclear family presence there)
Rush
Loyola
Tufts
BU
UNC

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[marcosma]

I applied this cycle with stats similar to yours and I felt like I wasted a lot of money on sending in too many apps/secondaries. I applied to 25 schools, submitted 25 secondaries, and then ended up with 21 II's.

Tufts yield protects big time, and with your stats, you will probably be donating them $$ by sending in a secondary, unless you have strong connections. If I were in your position (which I was, just nine months ago!) I would actually apply to fewer of those lower-tier schools. I don't think you need to add any more "safeties". I don't think you need to apply to Loyola, BU, Rush either. But those are just my two cents.

Would you put WashU on there? Columbia? I feel like you can make many of the top 20 schools work for you in terms of what you want to do with policy development.

 

[Med Ed]

I doubt UNC will look at you seriously unless you have a very significant connection.

I don't think UW will consider you in-state regardless of your family presence. You're either a legal resident of a WWAMI state or you aren't.

 

[raguramm]

Thanks to you both for your responses. I would not mind applying to fewer schools, just getting caught up in playing it (too) safe. I'll be sure to incorporate your feedback.

 

[walterwhite3556]

If you’re applying to NYU, might as well apply to Columbia, Cornell and Sinai. I would consider adding WUSTL, Einstein and Hofstra instead of UW and UNC.

 

[Cornfed101]

I don't think UW will consider you in-state regardless of your family presence. You're either a legal resident of a WWAMI state or you aren't.

It depends on which state. If your parents have lived in Wyoming continuously for the last 5 years then you qualify for Wyoming residency, OP which state do you have the connection to and is it extended family or your parents?

 

[Biscuitboy11]

Columbia- Bassett? Sounds perfect if you're interested in primary care/health policy. Also their territory of Manhattan is definitely undeserved compared to NYU/Cornell. Same issue with Northwestern- great program, but mostly well off North Chicagoans; U. Chicago will definitely make you feel like you're contributing more to the patient's care.
Also Bassett is one of the few non-need-based scholarships/grants out there guaranteed with acceptance. 30k/yr is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Goro]

Hey all, I've been spending lots of time on MSAR and have come up with a list of schools for this upcoming application cycle. I'm hoping to get some feedback from you wise people on this forum! I really want to go to a school that has good opportunities for experience in primary care; all my experiences are leading me to want to go into urban underserved care, with an emphasis on policy/program development. I'm also, therefore, looking for schools with programs like UChicago's MD/AM, or NYU's MD/MPA. I welcome recommendations for schools that fit this model! I want to add a couple more safeties to my list.

Stats: 4.0 CGPA, high 520s
CA ORM
Research: 1200ish h, a small grant, 3 posters and a talk
Clinical: 800ish hours volunteering, 3200 (extrapolated) paid employment
Nonclinical: 1200ish hours volunteering with significant leadership
Shadowing: 40 hours
Almost all my clinical/nonclinical work serves the same population, which I want to continue serving in and beyond medical school.

List:

UCSF
UC Davis
UCLA
UC San Diego
USC
Stanford

Harvard
Yale
Duke
UPenn
JHU
NYU
Case/Cleveland
UMich
UChicago
Northwestern

OHSU (went to HS here)
UW (if I can argue in-state due to strong nuclear family presence there)
Rush
Loyola
Tufts
BU
UNC

Delete Rush, UW, OHSU.

Add: Kaiser, CalU Med, OH State, Tufts, U VM, U Cincy, Miami, U IA, Pitt, Sinai, Hofstra, Emory, Vandy, Baylor, USF. List is too top heavy.

 

[Med Ed]

It depends on which state. If your parents have lived in Wyoming continuously for the last 5 years then you qualify for Wyoming residency,

That may be true, but OP self-described being a CA ORM, and will therefore presumably go into the cycle listing California as the state of legal residence. The OP may have luck being one of the 5% of UW students that are not WWAMI, but will almost certainly be considered OOS in the process.

 

[Cornfed101]

That may be true, but OP self-described being a CA ORM, and will therefore presumably go into the cycle listing California as the state of legal residence. The OP may have luck being one of the 5% of UW students that are not WWAMI, but will almost certainly be considered OOS in the process.

Absolutely, just saying some of those western states have weird requirements. I haven't lived in Wyoming for over a decade but was able to list it as my state of residence because of the residency requirement I mentioned previously. I'm assuming OP doesn't have this luxury, but I thought I would mention it just in case. Strong ties to WWAMI doesn't hold much water.

 

[raguramm]

It depends on which state. If your parents have lived in Wyoming continuously for the last 5 years then you qualify for Wyoming residency, OP which state do you have the connection to and is it extended family or your parents?

My residency is a little weird. I went to high school in Oregon, so I'm definitely applying to OHSU, since they'll put me in a mission group for that reason. I'd also love to be in Portland again, and I've done research for OHSU faculty.

Right after I graduated from HS, my family moved to Washington, so my younger brother actually attends UW as an undergrad, with in-state status. My parents will be helping quite a bit with tuition, and will do so as WA residents.

I went to school in CA and now work here full time, paying my own bills, so I think for the purposes of AMCAS, I am a CA resident - I'm just not sure if my parents' status does anything for my chances at UW. It seems like it doesn't, so I'll have to think harder about applying. I'd love to go there, being less than an hour from family and right with my brother, so I'm weighing out whether or not it's worth applying as OOS and trying my luck on the stacked odds.

 

[raguramm]

Delete Rush, UW, OHSU.

Add: Kaiser, CalU Med, OH State, Tufts, U VM, U Cincy, Miami, U IA, Pitt, Sinai, Hofstra, Emory, Vandy, Baylor, USF. List is too top heavy.

Goro, what's your reasoning for deleting Rush? I loved researching the school, its emphasis on service really appealed to me, and I've probably accumulated more than enough service time for them to like me back (I hope).
See my above post for rationale about OHSU.
Finally, what are your thoughts on marcosma's feedback at the top? I realize N=1, just trying to better understand everyone's feedback.

Thanks so much for your response, means a lot.

 

[raguramm]

Columbia- Bassett? Sounds perfect if you're interested in primary care/health policy. Also their territory of Manhattan is definitely undeserved compared to NYU/Cornell. Same issue with Northwestern- great program, but mostly well off North Chicagoans; U. Chicago will definitely make you feel like you're contributing more to the patient's care.
Also Bassett is one of the few non-need-based scholarships/grants out there guaranteed with acceptance. 30k/yr is nothing to sneeze at.

This was really helpful, thank you @Biscuitboy11 !

 

[Goro]

Goro, what's your reasoning for deleting Rush? I loved researching the school, its emphasis on service really appealed to me, and I've probably accumulated more than enough service time for them to like me back (I hope).
See my above post for rationale about OHSU.
Finally, what are your thoughts on marcosma's feedback at the top? I realize N=1, just trying to better understand everyone's feedback.

Thanks so much for your response, means a lot.

I worry that despite your significant service ECs, that they're yield protect you. If you're still keen on them, you'll need to explain really well why they're the best fit for you.

I see that you did have tufts on your list. In hindsight, I recommend deleting it, as I agree with marco. Emory, Keck, UCSF, UCLA, U Chicago are service loving Really Top Schools that are worth it instead. Also consider Mayo. Leave OR-HSU

 

[Med Ed]

I went to school in CA and now work here full time, paying my own bills, so I think for the purposes of AMCAS, I am a CA resident - I'm just not sure if my parents' status does anything for my chances at UW. It seems like it doesn't, so I'll have to think harder about applying. I'd love to go there, being less than an hour from family and right with my brother, so I'm weighing out whether or not it's worth applying as OOS and trying my luck on the stacked odds.

You definitely should apply and make it clear to UW that you have serious family connections to the state. That may be compelling enough for a serious look at your application. Without that connection UW may assume that it would "lose you" to a UC or top private school.