School List Help Please :)

[DrScrub]

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Hey guys!

I made a school list and was wondering if anyone could take a look at it, and tell me if I should add or remove any schools. I started off at 63 schools, and narrowed it down to 45. However, I didn't know what other schools I should remove to narrow down the list further, because I didn't want to apply to too little schools and end up not getting accepted anywhere 😛

These are my stats:
3.87 cGPA
3.86 sGPA

32 MCAT (12 PS/ 8 VR/ 12 BS)

ECs:

• ~230 hours volunteering (in a hospital and another health clinic)
• Lab research (1 semesters worth)
  
• A lot of leadership roles
• Varsity athlete in highschool
• Many recreational sports currently
• Been playing guitar for 11 years, and many other instruments
• Own and operate a recording studio (and record other musicians)
• And a few other things

Also I am a Canadian applicant

Here is my school list:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Boston University School of Medicine
Central Michigan University College of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Emory University School of Medicine (Low number matriculated)
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Howard University College of Medicine
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
Mayo Medical School
Medical College of Wisconsin
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
New York Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (0 Canadians Matriculated)
Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (0 Canadians Matriculated)
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
University of Texas Medical School at Houston
University of Utah School of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Weil Cornell Medical College
West Virginia University School of Medicine

Thank-you so much for all of your help guys!

 

[Gilakend]

I believe this would be better posted in the "What Are My Chances" section. It's available at the top of the page after you click on Pre-Allopathic.

 

[Goro]

First off, get MSAR Online and pay very careful attention to the Acceptance information tab. Target schools that accept international applicants, and whose numbers are closest to your own. Your list is, frankly, naive.

Your MCAT score is avg for a US applicant, and well below the averages of many of the school on the list.

 

[MaxPlancker]

You should be applying mostly to low-tier MD as a Canadian applicant with your numbers and EC's. The EC's are below average although your music hobby stands out somewhat. With a 32 MCAT in your situation, you have frankly almost no chance at the mid-tier and upper-tier schools on your list so I would advise against applying to those places.

 

[DrScrub]

First off, get MSAR Online and pay very careful attention to the Acceptance information tab. Target schools that accept international applicants, and whose numbers are closest to your own. Your list is, frankly, naive.

Your MCAT score is avg for a US applicant, and well below the averages of many of the school on the list.

I used the MSAR to make the list 😛 What exactly should I look for in the Acceptance information tab? While making the list, I looked at the number of individuals who interviewed and matriculated at the school, and chose schools where individuals had matriculated. But some of the schools on my list only had 1 individual matriculating. Is there a specific number of individuals matriculated or interviewed I should look for that could show that the school is "international student friendly"?

You should be applying mostly to low-tier MD as a Canadian applicant with your numbers and EC's. The EC's are below average although your music hobby stands out somewhat. With a 32 MCAT in your situation, you have frankly almost no chance at the mid-tier and upper-tier schools on your list so I would advise against applying to those places.

What are some of the mid-tier schools you would remove from the list?

 

[MaxPlancker]

Well, to be honest, remove all schools that are not low-tier except maybe 1-2 that you really want to try for as reaches. By numbers alone, your MCAT is well below what the majority of schools on your list look for; I'm not sure how big your music recording deal is but even with that I'd say that you as an international applicant, you should be happy to attend any U.S. med school.

 

[DrScrub]

Well, to be honest, remove all schools that are not low-tier except maybe 1-2 that you really want to try for as reaches. By numbers alone, your MCAT is well below what the majority of schools on your list look for; I'm not sure how big your music recording deal is but even with that I'd say that you as an international applicant, you should be happy to attend any U.S. med school.

Okay thanks, I'll get started on editing my list!

 

[MaxPlancker]

👍

Not trying to hurt your feelings OP, just trying to save you $$$ and time 😉

 

[DrScrub]

👍

Not trying to hurt your feelings OP, just trying to save you $$$ and time 😉

No problem, thanks for your help! Better to know now then after I apply and waste all that money 😛

 

[DrScrub]

@Goro @MaxPlancker If my MCAT is below the average of the school, but my GPA is higher than the average GPA of the school, would you recommend applying to that school?

 

[womanofscience]

@DrScrub , I would also highly recommend reading the "Selection Factors" tab thoroughly. Places like U Hawaii heavily favor in-state and those with strong ties so it is vital to figure out which schools have a strong in-state bias because that means they will also have more stringent criteria for out-of-staters.

 

[DrScrub]

@DrScrub , I would also highly recommend reading the "Selection Factors" tab thoroughly. Places like U Hawaii heavily favor in-state and those with strong ties so it is vital to figure out which schools have a strong in-state bias because that means they will also have more stringent criteria for out-of-staters.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitly be sure to take a look at that! 😀

 

[DrScrub]

Hey guys, here is my updated list. Do you have any comments on it (is it a good list of schools to apply to?), and do you have any suggestions for any schools that I should remove or add? @Goro @MaxPlancker @womanofscience

Thanks!

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Central Michigan University College of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
New York Medical College
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine

 

[mehc012]

Hey guys, here is my updated list. Do you have any comments on it (is it a good list of schools to apply to?), and do you have any suggestions for any schools that I should remove or add? @Goro @MaxPlancker @womanofscience

Thanks!

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Central Michigan University College of Medicine (Canadians Only)
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (Canadians Only)
New York Medical College (Canadians Only)
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine (Canadians Only)
University of Minnesota Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (Canadians Only)
Wayne State University School of Medicine (Canadians Only)

Howard and Meharry are both historically black colleges with a strong URM preference. Do you match that?

 

[DrScrub]

Howard and Meharry are both historically black colleges with a strong URM preference. Do you match that?

No I don't. If I'm not black, should I not apply there?

 

[frochocinco]

Hey guys, here is my updated list. Do you have any comments on it (is it a good list of schools to apply to?), and do you have any suggestions for any schools that I should remove or add? @Goro @MaxPlancker @womanofscience

Thanks!

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Central Michigan University College of Medicine (Canadians Only)
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (Canadians Only)
New York Medical College (Canadians Only)
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine (Canadians Only)
University of Minnesota Medical School
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (Canadians Only)
Wayne State University School of Medicine (Canadians Only)

I'll let Goro respond to the list as a whole, but with a VR of 8 + being Canadian, you should remove Einstein, Dartmouth, Brown, and perhaps Jefferson, Georgetown, and GW. The first three will likely not accept anyone with an 8 in verbal and the other three get a tremendous amount of applications and I'm not sure on how they look at Canadians with that verbal score. Not sure as sure though about those last three...ask the pros.

 

[mehc012]

No I don't. If I'm not black, should I not apply there?

To reference another thread where @Catalystik answered this question:

Just wondering if it is a good idea to apply to historically black colleges like Howard and Meharry if one is white or asian. I noticed they have lower stats and I would be considered competitive if I were black, but I'm not familiar with the schools and don't know if it would only be a waste of time and money to apply to them. Should I just throw in an application for good measure, or should I forget about it?

These schools have lower average stats because they are mission-driven and not stats oriented. If one has a year's-long pattern of substantive service to minority or underserved communities, then one has a shot at acceptance. You can see in your MSAR that they matriculate students from many racial backgrounds. A few years ago an SDNer who happened to be Caucasian was accepted to one of them. She had accomplished major amazing things, though I don't recall specifics.

I imagine that your case would be somewhat compounded by your international status.

 

[DrScrub]

To reference another thread where @Catalystik answered this question:

I imagine that your case would be somewhat compounded by your international status.

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll remove them from my list, becasue I haven't done an extraordinary amount of volunteer work in undeserved communities.

 

[DrScrub]

I'll let Goro respond to the list as a whole, but with a VR of 8 + being Canadian, you should remove Einstein, Dartmouth, Brown, and perhaps Jefferson, Georgetown, and GW. The first three will likely not accept anyone with an 8 in verbal and the other three get a tremendous amount of applications and I'm not sure on how they look at Canadians with that verbal score. Not sure as sure though about those last three...ask the pros.

Okay, thanks for the advice!

 

[womanofscience]

@DrScrub your list is getting better, but I would second all of the advice already mentioned!

 

[gyngyn]

U of MD, Meharry and Howard are all low yield if you want to cut back a little more.

 

[Goro]

This is why we expect people to know what they're getting into and do their homework. You should not apply to these schools. Why on earth would you apply to schools that didn't accept any Canadians...and barely accepts any out-of-staters????

No I don't. If I'm not black, should I not apply there?

Being a Canadian applicant with an avg MCAT score puts you at a disadvantage. I think you'll have more luck with DO programs. And knock off the three state MD schools...state schools heavily favor the home team. One has to be > avg for them, especially a non-citizen.


I'll let Goro respond to the list as a whole, but with a VR of 8 + being Canadian, you should remove Einstein, Dartmouth, Brown, and perhaps Jefferson, Georgetown, and GW. The first three will likely not accept anyone with an 8 in verbal and the other three get a tremendous amount of applications and I'm not sure on how they look at Canadians with that verbal score. Not sure as sure though about those last three...ask the pros.