Should I add mid/low-tier MD/PhD Schools?

[phonyreal98]

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Should I add one more mid/low-tier MD/PhD school, or does my list look balanced enough? I've been verified and am working on secondaries right now, so if I want to make any changes, now's the time!

Stats/ECs (will give the reader's digest version, since you probably all already know them by heart by now 😛)

MCAT: Well-balanced 36
GPA: 3.81 cGPA, 3.73 sGPA
Research: 3 years in clinical neuroscience lab (academic year and summer), provided my own funding one summer via a summer undergraduate research fellowship, wrote a senior honors thesis (highest honors), 2nd author poster presentation at an international conference, 1st author poster presentation at a local undergrad symposium, 2nd author publication. I'm continuing to work part-time in my lab to analyze data that I helped collect while I was an undergrad.
Other: Clinical volunteering and shadowing, music, involved with random clubs, currently working a full time job

Schools: Duke, Emory, Dartmouth, NYU, Northwestern, Penn, SUNY Upstate, Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pitt, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Yale

 

[Microglia]

Interested in the answer to this, I have similar stats haha. Can't be much help though because I'm just an applicant! Good luck!

 

[K31]

Schools: Duke, Emory, Dartmouth, NYU, Northwestern, Penn, SUNY Upstate, Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pitt, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Yale

That looks like a pretty realistic list with your stats. If you want to add another school, I'd lean toward throwing in a reach/dream program than another safety.

Of course, it never really hurts anything but your wallet to apply to more schools, as you can just triage interviews (secondary fees suck--so glad I don't have to deal with those for residency apps).

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Depending on your UG school, given the numbers you posted, the schools are pretty realistic. You do not necessarily need to add lower tier programs. I would also consider adding a few more upper tier programs....you never know.