Some honest opinions please

[Swole]

I have a weird dilemma.

Need some advice whether or not I should apply for the next cycle. I have cookie cutter numbers and crappy ECs. I don't really want to go to private school, don't care about top 25s, just want to stay in California where it is cheap.

Stats:
Asian CA Senior
Good State School
32 Mcat 11p 11b 10v
Aiming to graduate with 3.7sGPA 3.75cGPa
Research 2.5 years. Publication, millionth author, high impact journal, independent study, working on senior thesis.
Children's Hospital volunteer: visit and tutor long term k-12 admits bedside. Will have around 200 hours by application cycle, but only started last semester.
Surgical Internship program. Shadow all sorts of surgical specialties. ~200-300 surgery shadowing hours by program end.
2 week medical brigade: eye opening in the wrong way. felt like we were doing more damage than helping
No leadership/entrepreneurial qualities but I did design a unique fundraising idea that helped a dozen club members raise north of thousand dollars to a foundation.
Day community service activities not worth mentioning.
Meathead. Gym 6 days a week.
Fluent Chinese. Semi-fluent Spanish

My MCAT will expire if I don't apply next cycle. But my application doesn't make me competitive in CA. I'm already planning on a gap year, but I'm not in a hurry to get into med school. I can really improve my ECs through committed non clinical community service and continuing my current commitments, and I'm willing to put in more effort to study for the MCAT all over again, but that's a risk of its own. I got around my average, but study habits have changed for the better since I took it 2 years ago. I'd only want to apply once. Would it be better to take another year off or just apply next cycle?

Thanks you guys for the advice.

EDIT: I will most definitely be applying broadly extra year or not, but my absolute preference by far is to go to a state school here.

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[Catalystik]

Need some advice whether or not I should apply for the next cycle. I have cookie cutter numbers and crappy ECs. I don't really want to go to private school, don't care about top 25s, just want to stay in California where it is cheap.

Stats:
Asian CA Senior
Good State School
32 Mcat 11p 11b 10v
Aiming to graduate with 3.7sGPA 3.75cGPa
Research 2.5 years. Publication, millionth author, high impact journal, independent study, working on senior thesis.
Children's Hospital volunteer: visit and tutor long term k-12 admits bedside. Will have around 200 hours by application cycle, but only started last semester.
Surgical Internship program. Shadow all sorts of surgical specialties. ~200-300 surgery shadowing hours by program end.
2 week medical brigade: eye opening in the wrong way. felt like we were doing more damage than helping
No leadership/entrepreneurial qualities but I did design a unique fundraising idea that helped a dozen club members raise north of thousand dollars to a foundation.
Day community service activities not worth mentioning.
Meathead. Gym 6 days a week.
Fluent Chinese. Semi-fluent Spanish

My MCAT will expire if I don't apply next cycle. But my application doesn't make me competitive in CA. I'm already planning on a gap year, but I'm not in a hurry to get into med school. I can really improve my ECs through committed non clinical community service and continuing my current commitments, and I'm willing to put in more effort to study for the MCAT all over again, but that's a risk of its own. I got around my average, but study habits have changed for the better since I took it 2 years ago. I'd only want to apply once. Would it be better to take another year off or just apply next cycle?

Thanks you guys for the advice.

EDIT: I will most definitely be applying broadly extra year or not, but my absolute preference by far is to go to a state school here.

You have some important basics that don't need to be fixed, like a strong GPA and consistent involvement in research. But thhe unfortunate thing is that you could send an extra year studying for an MCAT retake and beefing up your ECs: maybe doing Americorps for your gap year to add a strong public service experience (tends to get major plus points), taking on a substantive leadership role, broadening your clinical experience to include sick and injured adults, including a unique (maybe ethnically-related) hobby to help you stand out, and adding some primary care shadowing, but you still have no guarantee of an in-state acceptance. Even a 40+ MCAT and sterling ECs can't give you that.

So you have to decide if all that effort is worth a better shot at California in-state schools or at least for more-selective out-of-state institutions. We can suggest options and alternatives, but only you can decide if you have the patience and ambition to do the extra work.

If monetary reasons are your primary concern, have you considered establishing state residency elsewhere (usually requires a year of employment without school attendance being the primary reason for the move) where there are lots of public schools (Ohio, Florida, and Texas*** come to mind).

 

[Swole]

Ok thanks for the suggestions. I'll spend the summer dedicated to studying for the MCAT again and taking your EC recommendations into consideration for the extra year. Moving also sounds like a good option, but if I'm retaking the MCAT I want to see if I can get a score that keeps me competitive in CA first.

By any chance do you know if it is required to have a year of employment by the time applications are submitted to be considered an in-state applicant, or can it be a year of employment just prior to matriculation?

 

[Catalystik]

By any chance do you know if it is required to have a year of employment by the time applications are submitted to be considered an in-state applicant, or can it be a year of employment just prior to matriculation?

Each state differs in its policy, so there is no one rule. I've seen med schools that require a job a year before application and others a year before matriculation. One wants you to own land; another requires 5 years. Some consider you a resident in a year even if you are a student the whole time. Some require lots of documentation that you have a lease, car license, drivers license, voters registration, and utility bills to show as proof. So research this thoroughly.