School List Help (Reapplicant, 3.98 cGPA, 524)

[happygoose]

Hi everyone! I am reapplicant for this cycle and would appreciate some help with my school list. I applied last year and ended up on two waitlists. I want to make sure I apply more broadly this cycle and hopefully get an acceptance.

GPA: 3.98 cGPA
MCAT: 524
California Resident, ORM

Research: 600 hrs (no pubs)
Clinical Employment: 4500 hrs
Shadowing: 200 hrs
Volunteering - Nonclinical: 300 hrs

School List as of now:

+520
HMS
Northwestern
UPenn
Colombia
Weill Cornell
Vanderbilt
WashU
Pritzker
NYU

516-519
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
UCI
Keck
UCR
Kaiser
Mount Sinai
U Michigan
Baylor
Hofstra
USF - Morsani
Rochester

515 under
Albert Einstein
Tufts
Emory
Arizona Phoenix
Sidney Kimmel
Saint Louis University
Colorado
U Illinois
U Conn
Georgetown
RUSH
Tulane
Tufts

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[Lifeblood_20]

Sorry you didn’t get in with such great stats. I think your school list is broad enough, though maybe 30+ is a bit long. I would thoroughly re-evaluate your writing from the previous cycle and think about how you can better portray yourself this time around. Best of luck.

 

[happygoose]

@Faha @Goro @gyngyn

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Did you gain any new experiences since your last application? Why do you think you didn't get any As?

 

[Faha]

Where were your interviews and waitlist this past cycle ?

 

[rdyotz]

I don't think you have enough volunteering for rush (average is 1000 hours).
As for last cycle: Did you apply late? Too few schools? Only apply to top tier? Misdemeanor? Felonies? IA? Anything else pertinent? How many interviews did you have? What has changed between these cycles (more volunteering, research, employment, etc)?

 

[happygoose]

Did you gain any new experiences since your last application? Why do you think you didn't get any As?

Yes, I significantly increased my clinical exposure and volunteering hours. Last cycle I applied with 2000 hrs as an EMT, but only had 1 other clinical experience that was about ~200 hrs. I didn't have a shadowing experience last cycle. I also worked as an MCAT Tutor throughout the year.

 

[happygoose]

Where were your interviews and waitlist this past cycle ?

UCI (R), Cornell (Waitlist), and Hofstra (Waitlist).

 

[happygoose]

I don't think you have enough volunteering for rush (average is 1000 hours).
As for last cycle: Did you apply late? Too few schools? Only apply to top tier? Misdemeanor? Felonies? IA? Anything else pertinent? How many interviews did you have? What has changed between these cycles (more volunteering, research, employment, etc)?

I applied relatively late. I had most of my secondaries submitted mid-august. I applied to 31 schools, but it was very top-heavy. No felonies or misdemeanors. I was written up for alcohol possession in my first year of undergrad, almost 6 years ago.

3 interview at Cornell, Hofstra, and UCI. I was waitlisted at Cornell and Hofstra, rejected at UCI.

Increased clinical exposure: unpaid +200 hrs, paid +1000 hrs
Increased nonclinical volunteering: +300 hrs (in addition to the 100 hrs from the previous year)
Increased teaching experience: +600 hours as an MCAT tutor

 

[Talldoctor96]

I applied relatively late. I had most of my secondaries submitted mid-august. I applied to 31 schools, but it was very top-heavy. No felonies or misdemeanors. I was written up for alcohol possession in my first year of undergrad, almost 6 years ago.

3 interview at Cornell, Hofstra, and UCI. I was waitlisted at Cornell and Hofstra, rejected at UCI.

Increased clinical exposure: unpaid +200 hrs, paid +1000 hrs
Increased nonclinical volunteering: +300 hrs (in addition to the 100 hrs from the previous year)
Increased teaching experience: +600 hours as an MCAT tutor

Being complete mid August is quite literally not late. If anything it’s right on time.

 

[Talldoctor96]

I applied relatively late. I had most of my secondaries submitted mid-august. I applied to 31 schools, but it was very top-heavy. No felonies or misdemeanors. I was written up for alcohol possession in my first year of undergrad, almost 6 years ago.

3 interview at Cornell, Hofstra, and UCI. I was waitlisted at Cornell and Hofstra, rejected at UCI.

Increased clinical exposure: unpaid +200 hrs, paid +1000 hrs
Increased nonclinical volunteering: +300 hrs (in addition to the 100 hrs from the previous year)
Increased teaching experience: +600 hours as an MCAT tutor

Sounds to me like you were unable to convey your story through your writing. I would focus very hard on making your personal statement and secondaries written in a way that reflects more on why you want to be a physician. Did you have good letters of rec? With stats like yours you should be getting more than 3 MD interviews.

I think having 0 shadowing experience really hurt you too. You need shadowing, in the eyes of Med schools how could u possibly know you want to be a doctor when you’ve never seen what they actually do?

 

[happygoose]

Sounds to me like you were unable to convey your story through your writing. I would focus very hard on making your personal statement and secondaries written in a way that reflects more on why you want to be a physician. Did you have good letters of rec? With stats like yours you should be getting more than 3 MD interviews.

I think having 0 shadowing experience really hurt you too. You need shadowing, in the eyes of Med schools how could u possibly know you want to be a doctor when you’ve never seen what they actually do?

I spent a lot of time rewriting and refining my personal statement and activities. I'm currently pre-writing my secondaries, I believe they are stronger than last years.

I spoke with an admission's counselor at Kaiser and she said all my letters were strong as well.

And I agree with the shadowing point. I thought I could get away with it last year with my other experiences, but that didnt seem to be the case.

 

[Talldoctor96]

I spent a lot of time rewriting and refining my personal statement and activities. I'm currently pre-writing my secondaries, I believe they are stronger than last years.

I spoke with an admission's counselor at Kaiser and she said all my letters were strong as well.

And I agree with the shadowing point. I thought I could get away with it last year with my other experiences, but that didnt seem to be the case.

I really think the shadowing hurt you — and as a reapplicant just know I’m not trying to be mean, I think it’s a GOOD thing to identify a deficit because it’s something you can definitely fix. It’s great that the letters are solid, I’m glad you’re rewriting everything and definitely apply early if you can

I have a good feeling about this new cycle for you. With your revamped app and your amazing stats and your new school list, I see good things in your future.

may I add that I think there is a common misconception in this community that there isn’t always a need to prepare extensively in interviews, and I think it’s wrong.
For someone like you with 2 WL and 1 post II R, this tells me that while you didn’t fail the interview, you didn’t blow them away.
Don’t discount the need to prepare more for interviews and blow them away this year!!! Give them 0 reason not to accept.