some advice on where to apply with this profile?

[camisho]

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Hi guys...you all have been outstandingly helpful throughout the year (I want to especially thank exmike and jlee not to mention others whose names I can't recall offhand), and now it is time to apply to medical school. I am likely going to Georgetown SMP next year and applying from Johns Hopkins to med school this June. I will have about a 3.17-3.21, 3.02-3.05 BCPM, and a 32R MCAT. My LOR's are decent (2 outstanding ones, 2 pretty solid ones, 1 mediocre/decent one) and I have about 800 volunteering hours in one place and 75-80 hours of experience shadowing a family physician. I was wondering, where should I apply (in other words, where do I have a chance)? Any suggestions or particular info is tremendously appreciated.

 

[acab]

I'll try to relay the advice I received when I was applying.

1st - Decide how many schools you'll apply to. In my case, cost was the primary factor. I applied to 13. I think 15 is the average. You might consider applying to 15-20.

2nd - Divide that number into 3 tiers:
Lower - very good chance of getting accepted (probably your state schools, if you're not from Cali)
Middle - a 50/50 chance of getting into (schools whose average numbers range around yours)
Upper - dream schools (schools whose average numbers are well above your, but you'd love to get into).

3rd - Lower tier - 25% of your total applications
Middle tier - 50% of your total applications
Upper tier - 25% of your total applications

That's what I did.

 

[10minutes]

Apply to a wide range of schools. I recommend at least 15. Schools at NY, PA, VA, etc...

 

[mikedc813]

Your application looks solid, but your GPA looks like the weakest part of your app. My application was similar, but my GPA was around 3.6 - my weakness was that I had to retake the MCAT due to illness and ended up with a 29R. I got interviews at SLU and USF and will probably be at USF next year. I would recommend applying to Finch, Drexel, Temple, and SLU off the top of my head, and your state schools DEFINITELY. Hope this helps a little.

 

[camisho]

thanks guys...any more schools? I'm from NJ. How far will the reputation of my undergrad help ease the slack on the GPA?

 

[exmike]

Hey, whats up again. Going to the hop will definitely help a bit. I think you have a very decent shot at your state school UMDNJ-NJMS. Maybe you should start up a dialouge with them.

 

[camisho]

hey exmike...what do you mean by start up a dialogue with them? What should I do? thanks

 

[oldtimer]

I'll try to relay the advice I received when I was applying.

1st - Decide how many schools you'll apply to. In my case, cost was the primary factor. I applied to 13. I think 15 is the average. You might consider applying to 15-20.

2nd - Divide that number into 3 tiers:
Lower - very good chance of getting accepted (probably your state schools, if you're not from Cali)
Middle - a 50/50 chance of getting into (schools whose average numbers range around yours)
Upper - dream schools (schools whose average numbers are well above your, but you'd love to get into).

3rd - Lower tier - 25% of your total applications
Middle tier - 50% of your total applications
Upper tier - 25% of your total applications

That's what I did.

I second this approach. I would ante up the number of schools to close to 30 or more. Apply as early as possible (very very important) and return those secondaries prompto. With your stats and background, you stand a very good chance of getting into one of the lower tier schools. However, you might surprise yourself by getting into a middle or upper tier school. Remember that applying to med school is like a crapshoot at times. That's why I suggest applying to as many schools as you can afford.

 

[Bones2008]

How far will the reputation of my undergrad help ease the slack on the GPA?

To be honest, not very far. You do have a solid MCAT, though, so that might make some adcoms feel a little more confident in your academic abilities. That being said, you're really gonna want to make sure that the rest of your application is dynamite. If you're applying this June, there's probably only so much you can do to change your app this late in the process. You want to have great LOR's (or have a couple that are just drop-dead awesome), and it was hard to get a feel from your original post exactly how confident you are in this. Also, write and edit your PS extensively. Make it a great piece of writing so that you stand out. You mentioned that you're doing another year of school next year (or did I read you wrong)? If your low GPA is a consequence of your first couple years of college, it might be worth deferring a year and getting a good year of solid grades under your belt before applying.

As far as the number of schools you should apply to, I agree with the approaches that have been suggested thus far. I do have a word of caution, though. You'll find some people on this forum that applied to 30+ or 40+ schools. I think that, in retrospect, most wish they hadn't applied to that many ($$$ and time add up quick). Statistically, someone who applies to 20 schools has no worse odds of getting in than someone who applies to more than 20. In other words, after 20 schools there is no further numerical advantage to applying to more. Twenty schools (or less) should be fine for you if you do adequate research on all the schools (think MSAR) and apply to ones you really would want to attend given the opportunity. Good luck next year.

 

[(nicedream)]

I would recommend applying to Finch, Drexel, Temple, and SLU off the top of my head, and your state schools DEFINITELY.

I agree, and I'd add NYMC and Albany.

 

[Adapt]

I would add a few DO schools into the mix just in case. In this way, you will avoid having to reapply. 👍

 

[Xega]

I would add a few DO schools into the mix just in case. In this way, you will avoid having to reapply. 👍

Only do this if you could see yourself going to a DO school, not everyone can.

 

[camisho]

thanks guys....bump 🙂

 

[Tezzie]

Definately apply to your state schoools and then i would add :

Drexel, Temple, Jeff, NYMS, Einstein, GWU, Georgetown. If you wish to travel a bit more then i would say add Wake Forest, SLU, Loyola, Ohio State, MCO, etc.

 

[exmike]

Definately apply to your state schoools and then i would add :

Drexel, Temple, Jeff, NYMS, Einstein, GWU, Georgetown. If you wish to travel a bit more then i would say add Wake Forest, SLU, Loyola, Ohio State, MCO, etc.

I would subtract Ohio State - they've changed their admissions criteria. I would add EVMS, VCU, MSU, UIC.

Camisho, i meant you should try to contact NJMS, talk to people there so they know who you are and let them know you're interested and all that. It seems to help at certain schools.

 

[camisho]

so i guess just e-mail them, tell them i'm interested, and ask them for more information about specific programs and stuff? i agree that sounds like a good idea.

 

[ny skindoc]

Even though you are a NJ resident you should consider applying to several SUNY schools specifically Upstate,Downstate as they do take a good number of out of state applicants.

 

[poor ol' Gil]

I don't know if you know this, but the Gtown SMP website has a list of where the graduates from 2000-2002 have gone after the program. You said you'd be doing the program (as will I). Since those that go to the SMP typically have stats on the low end, that list is where I'll be basing my applications off of, and I think its an excellent resource. You just have to screen out the state specific schools. go to the website and look under the alumni section. hope this helps
Here's the link:
http://www.georgetown.edu/departments/physiology/physios/prevclass.htm

 

[Adapt]

I see a lot of those in that SMP program went the DO route. Nice. 👍

 

[pekq]

Your best chance at this point is NJMS. Don't be afraid to take time off to improve your app. As for reputation, a 3.1 from Harvard isn't gonna help much either. I hope you are an engineer major, that'd help.

 

[bruinrab]

Exmike, do you happen to have the list of schools that they give you during orientation at the SMP? I lost mine and it would be two years old at this point anyway. I'll just list the schools I remember (schools that have historically accepted a large number of SMP students):

Albany, Finch, NYMC, Drexel, GW, Georgetown, Temple (?), St. Louis, Tufts, USUHS

Some of these only have a couple of students matriculating each year, but they tend to accept many more than that. I know at least a couple of people from my year at Drexel and Tufts, four or five (maybe more) at NYMC, a few at USUHS, etc. I know that NYCOM, AZCOM, KCOM, COMP have taken a few of my class too.

 

[camisho]

for you SMPer's, how well do you need to do in the program to get interviewed, and how well to be accepted, at Georgetown?

 

[bruinrab]

I think the cutoff was a gpa in the top half of the class for my year.

 

[exmike]

for you SMPer's, how well do you need to do in the program to get interviewed, and how well to be accepted, at Georgetown?

If you're in the top 1/3 of the class you're all but guaranteed an interview. The rest is more subjective (such as your performance in individual classes), but usually ends up being 1/2 the class or about 50-60. Some people (like me) dont apply, so it really is about 1/2 even though the class is 135 students. Typically you'll need a 3.5 or so to get an interview. An A in physiology, the biggest class of the year is also important.

 

[camisho]

bumpity bump

 

[jlee9531]

apply to around 30-40 schools...and hope to get at least 10% response back for interviews...
my breakdown was like...1/4 to the upper tiers that i wanted to attend.
1/2 of the middle tier schools that seemed inviting...
1/4 of the bottom tier schools that liked cali students.

maybe hopkins has a list of schools that they can provide you with that have taken students with your profile in the past to also help you out?

apply to places you want to go...if you have some dream schools...might as well put those in as well...

you have a solid mcat, evidence of strong committment in your community, and a strong ugrad. i wish you the best of luck!

 

[camisho]

do you guys think that the georgetown smp will help me this year if i do well (like with sending grade updates and stuff)? I am having a strong final semester here (close to 4.0) at Hopkins and hope to have a strong 1st semester at smp.

 

[jlee9531]

do you guys think that the georgetown smp will help me this year if i do well (like with sending grade updates and stuff)? I am having a strong final semester here (close to 4.0) at Hopkins and hope to have a strong 1st semester at smp.

awesome with the nice finish at hopkins. that will look good anytime you can get a 4.0.
well since you will be applying during the time you go to smp, im sure it cant hurt at all.

i think you would have been pretty competitive for an acceptance without the smp, but with it it can only help you even more ifyou do well. good luck.

 

[camisho]

thanks guys! keep em coming... 😀

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

I'm going to take this in a different direction. I'm only applying to 8 schools, but I'm pretty comfortable with all eight. If I don't get in, I'll wait a year, but I'm not going to a school I'm not interested in.

Then again, I don't live near a coast. That makes some things a little easier. It's probably a little different for people in CA and the NE.