School list/ WAMC Appreciate any help!

[swim12356]

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Hi all,

• Stats
  • Undergrad cGPA/sGPA: 3.84 / 3.87 (Neuro major at D3 T25 undergrad, no upward trend)
  • MCAT: 506 first/515+ projected second attempt
• Demographics
  • Gap Years: 2 by the time I matriculate
  • State of residence: NJ
  • Race/Ethnicity: Asian
• Clinical + Shadowing
  • ~450 hours as medical intern at orthopedic surgical hospital*(combined shadowing and clinical experience)
  • ~150 hours as medical translator at plastic surgery clinic *(combined shadowing and clinical experience)
• Research
  • ~2000+ hours in a orthopedic clinical research lab
  • 2 published papers as corresponding author
  • Oral Presentation at international orthopedic conference
• Volunteering/Leadership
  • ~300 hours as swim instructor
  • ~1,200 hours as academic tutor
  • ~150 hours as asian health services volunteer
• Teaching/Leadership
  • ~150 hours pre-med mentor
• Intercollegiate Athletics
  • 4500+ hours D3 Swimmer and swam competitively for 16+ years
• Hobbies
  • ~300 hours completed marathon, hyrox, ironman (projected 2027) currently training
• LORs
  • 1 from research PI supervisor (MD) (very strong)
  • 2 from undergrad BCPM professor (both PhD) (strong)
  • 1 from undergrad major upper level professor (PhD) (very strong)
  • 1 from my college swim head coach (very strong)
• Misc
  • Reason for 2 gap years was because of two major surgeries I had to get post grad in another country

I feel relatively good about my LORs, PS and ECs but my MCAT is not so great so taking it again and practice scores have been on average 513-519 (most recent). I'll also have had 2 gap years by the time I matriculate due to a health related circumstance of having to get some major surgeries during that time that I'll probably have to discuss in my app

I want to apply to ~30 schools so I definitely have to narrow down and choose the right schools to apply to. I feel like I'm overshooting so please give some advice on this 🙂

Reach (I understand most of these are very much a reach so def can cut from here)
Duke
Harvard
Boston University
University of Iowa
Cornell
Icahn Mount Sinai
Stanford
UCSF
UPitt

Target
SUNY Upstate
Tulane
UMass
UMaryland
UConn
SUNY Downstate
Georgetown
Rutgers NJ
UCLA
Rutgers Robert Wood
Tufts
UF
Hackensack Meridian
Keck USC
UMiami
UCSD
Albert Einstein
New York Medical College
Stony Brook
UMich
URochester
UIowa


Realistic
Penn State
UIllinois
Wake Forest
Albany Medical College
UVermont
East Virginia
Indiana

Here are some considerations I have:

1. Preferably want to stay in the northeast with a few exceptions of other states ex. CA, FL but definitely urban or suburbs.
2. Strong research based schools
3. Main goal is to apply to maximize my chances of getting an acceptance somewhere so I'm trying to apply broadly

Thanks in advance for your help 🙂

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

No bets until your MCAT retake, but off the bat, your reach list is too high / unreasonable. Strike Duke, Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Sinai. Why Iowa or UCSF?

Your nonclinical volunteering is mostly teaching, which puts your application at risk of getting screened out. Every premed tutors, teaches, or mentors.

What is your purpose as a physician? Your activities suggest you want to be an athletic trainer with more "doctor" training (very ortho heavy).

 

[Faha]

Many of your schools are unrealistic with a MCAT of 506. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Your 3 New Jersey state public schools
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Eastern Virginia
Methodist
Wake Forest
Belmont
NOVA MD
Alice Walton
Roseman
TCU
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Post your MCAT score here when available and you may be able to add more schools.