School selection advice: 520 MCAT/3.84 GPA

[neuroguy20]

Hello all,

I will be applying this cycle and am looking to craft a school list. I have a passion for scientific research and would like to go to a top research school; however, I want to be realistic about what tier of schools to apply to.

1. MA resident
2. White male
3. GPA: cumulative - 3.84; science - 3.92
4. MCAT: 520
5. 2019 graduate of top-tier liberal arts college (taking 2 gap years before medical school)
6. Research:
   1. Basic science research while overseas in summer 2017; ~300 hours (first real research experience, mostly just helped grad students with their work)
   2. Summer 2018 SURF Program (w/ poster presentation); ~400 hours (pursued an independent project here)
   3. Senior thesis work (w/ poster presentation)
   4. Currently working full time as a research coordinator at a prestigious hospital (w/ 3 poster presentations at local conferences); ~2000 hours
   5. No publications currently, but a few are in progress (one first author, multiple mid-author) - at least one should be accepted by June 2020
7. Clinical experience:
   1. The research coordinator job provides me with a great deal of experience interacting with patients
   2. ~150 hours of clinical volunteering at a local nursing home while in college (was in charge of a program designed to provide comfort to individuals with Alzheimer’s)
   3. ~150 hours of shadowing in various settings/specialties
8. Nonclinical experiences:
   1. Volunteering at a local homeless shelter during gap year; this will amount to 50-70 hours by application time
   2. 200+ hours working numerous on-campus jobs throughout college
9. Leadership/teaching:
   1. Founded and led college fishing club for 3 years; club grew to larger than 30 people and continues to exist after graduation
   2. Working as an MCAT tutor during gap year (will be over 100 hours by application time)
   3. In a leadership position at current research job, as I need to guidance/instruction for other research assistants working on the team
10. Awards:
    1. Departmental awards on the senior thesis
    2. Won faculty award for biology major in college
11. Other:
    1. Played a division 3 intercollegiate sport throughout college; was team representative for Team IMPACT Program, which connects teams with children facing serious illnesses

My MCAT and GPA are in line with the averages at many of the top research schools, and I have plenty of research experiences. However, outside of academic stats and research, is my resume strong enough for me to be a competitive applicant at these institutions? Or should I aim a bit lower?

I’m currently planning on applying to all of the MA schools, some NY schools (I am originally from there), along with numerous other schools in New England (Dartmouth, Brown, UVM). I’m also interested in applying to schools that are further south or on the West Coast, but have no idea where to start here - I don’t know which schools are friendly to out-of-region applicants. Does anyone have suggestions for schools to add to my list?

Thanks in advance - any advice is appreciated!

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[Faha]

I suggest adding these schools:
Duke
Miami
Emory
Vanderbilt
Pittsburgh
Case Western
Washington University
Northwestern
U Chicago
USC Keck
UCSF

 

[Goro]

Hello all,

I will be applying this cycle and am looking to craft a school list. I have a passion for scientific research and would like to go to a top research school; however, I want to be realistic about what tier of schools to apply to.

1. MA resident
2. White male
3. GPA: cumulative - 3.84; science - 3.92
4. MCAT: 520
5. 2019 graduate of top-tier liberal arts college (taking 2 gap years before medical school)
6. Research:
   1. Basic science research while overseas in summer 2017; ~300 hours (first real research experience, mostly just helped grad students with their work)
   2. Summer 2018 SURF Program (w/ poster presentation); ~400 hours (pursued an independent project here)
   3. Senior thesis work (w/ poster presentation)
   4. Currently working full time as a research coordinator at a prestigious hospital (w/ 3 poster presentations at local conferences); ~2000 hours
   5. No publications currently, but a few are in progress (one first author, multiple mid-author) - at least one should be accepted by June 2020
7. Clinical experience:
   1. The research coordinator job provides me with a great deal of experience interacting with patients
   2. ~150 hours of clinical volunteering at a local nursing home while in college (was in charge of a program designed to provide comfort to individuals with Alzheimer’s)
   3. ~150 hours of shadowing in various settings/specialties
8. Nonclinical experiences:
   1. Volunteering at a local homeless shelter during gap year; this will amount to 50-70 hours by application time
   2. 200+ hours working numerous on-campus jobs throughout college
9. Leadership/teaching:
   1. Founded and led college fishing club for 3 years; club grew to larger than 30 people and continues to exist after graduation
   2. Working as an MCAT tutor during gap year (will be over 100 hours by application time)
   3. In a leadership position at current research job, as I need to guidance/instruction for other research assistants working on the team
10. Awards:
    1. Departmental awards on the senior thesis
    2. Won faculty award for biology major in college
11. Other:
    1. Played a division 3 intercollegiate sport throughout college; was team representative for Team IMPACT Program, which connects teams with children facing serious illnesses

My MCAT and GPA are in line with the averages at many of the top research schools, and I have plenty of research experiences. However, outside of academic stats and research, is my resume strong enough for me to be a competitive applicant at these institutions? Or should I aim a bit lower?

I’m currently planning on applying to all of the MA schools, some NY schools (I am originally from there), along with numerous other schools in New England (Dartmouth, Brown, UVM). I’m also interested in applying to schools that are further south or on the West Coast, but have no idea where to start here - I don’t know which schools are friendly to out-of-region applicants. Does anyone have suggestions for schools to add to my list?

Thanks in advance - any advice is appreciated!

I suggest:
SUNY-Syracuse
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
U Chicago
U Penn
Northwestern
Columbia
Harvard
Stanford
Mayo
Cornell
Sinai
BU
U VA
Duke
Baylor
Case
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
U MI
Albert Einstein
Hofstra
Ohio State
Pitt
U Cincy
USF Morsani
Dartmouth
Rochester
USC/Keck
Western MI
Emory
Jefferson
Miami
SLU
Tufts
U IA
U VM
U MA

 

[vrazzles]

Your resume seems to be just as good if not better than those of many people I met during interviews at schools ranging from the top 5 to top 40. If you write your essays well, the field is wide open for ya.

If looking for any area to improve on it would be your nonclinical volunteering. More stuff like homeless shelter work would be ideal. Getting off campus and into the nitty gritty demonstrates a willingness to leave your comfort zone and get your hands dirty

Good luck!

 

[neuroguy20]

Thanks so much to those who responded - I'll look more into the above schools and will keep working on my essays!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Your nonclinical volunteering is low, only 70 hours. That is the weakest part of an otherwise stellar application.