Somewhere between a 3.0 and a 3.7 GPA, I think...

[Schemp]

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I have a pretty long and sordid academic history, the beginning of which includes a stint at a local community college for Running Start (and one year after), during which I did very poorly. I spent 3 years away from school after that time, came back to a different community college than transferred to a local, and pretty high quality university. I'll just layout my GPA for each of those three time periods:

Community college #1 (2000-2003):
75 credits, 2.09 GPA

Community college #2 (2007-2008):
80 credits, 3.79 GPA

University (2008-Present):
63 credits, 3.63 GPA

It's also probably important to note that my last two quarters at the university, out of four, I've received a 3.84 and a 3.88 GPA. Also, although my GPA is low at the first community college, I took only a few math classes and no science, so my science GPA is probably between a 3.6 and 3.7.


I got a 38 on the MCAT (13V, 13P, 12B. P on writing, lol), which is part of the reason I decided to wait until now, my final year, to apply to medical school. The hope was that I could bring my GPA up from a lackluster first year at the university, and so far that's been going well.

I worked as a supervisor for about 18 months during my time out of school at a major international corporation, although what I did was purely local, I think it was pretty solid leadership experience. I also worked a more blue collar job during that time. Last year I worked in a chemistry lab and got co-authorship on a small publication in Science, and this year I'm working in a genetics lab that is a little more closely aligned with my actual interests (biology and biochem as opposed to what essentially amounts to "bucket chemistry"). I volunteered at a local medical center for about 6 months, and have also done some volunteering involving tutoring and assisting students in college admissions more broadly. I've yet to do any shadowing but expect to have at least 40 hours of it by the time I send in my application this June.


I feel like intellectually I warrant consideration for top-tier schools, but it worries me that I had such a bad time of it my first run through, and when everything is averaged I may just be denied outright since it drags my overall down so much. Am I worrying a bit too much about what happened such a long time ago, or should I also apply to a fairly large number of medium-tier schools as a failsafe? I of course plan to apply to a few regardless, but I'm primarily shooting for Columbia, Pritzker, Stanford, Harvard, etc. - schools of that nature. Should I be a bit less ambitious here, or do I have a realistic shot?

Thanks for any input you can provide.

 

[bravofleet4]

Well there's nothing wrong with including a few reaches into your application but obviously you have to be realistic and include middle-tier schools in your list. Let's face it, you have some unique experiences but overall your EC's aren't very impressive. If you want to apply to IVY's, shouldn't you have focused on activities that will do the most to improve your application? I mean the supervisor job and bluecollar work seems like it took a lot of time out of your schedule but focusing more on research would've been more beneficial I think. Aren't the IVY's very heavy on research accomplishments? Exactly what were your motivations for taking the jobs? You also don't have much clinical experience or club participation.

I don't think your MCAT or your GPA will keep you out of the IVY's so much as your EC's.

 

[fahimaz7]

You'll be fine. It might not happen the first time, but you will get in to a good school. What state are you in?

 

[Catalystik]

I came up with an overall GPA of 3.159. Anyone feel free to correct me.

I think you're being overly ambitious. Your GPA is not going to meet a lot of automatic cut offs, so your upward trend may not be appreciated at those schools. Your MCAT score will get you a closer look by some schools. And therein will lie your chance.

You have leadership. You'll have two years of research and a pub. You have some teaching and some community service (hours unspecified). And you have very sparse clinical experience. In addition to getting in the shadowing, I hope you'll continue a regular, weekly acquisition of this essential activity.

If I were you, I'd apply broadly and to a lot of schools (30). Go ahead and include some dream schools, but be realistic and list mainly schools in the mid-selectivity range with a healthy number of safety schools as well. In the event you are not accepted anywhere, continue to build your ECs during your application year, especially in clinical experience as you'll have a below-average amount, at best, when June2010 comes. Also, substantial leadership and strong community service really appeal to the more-selective schools (well, all schools, actually).

One of SDN's members applied last year with a 2.92 and MCAT of 43, with incredibly strong ECs and a steep upward grade trend and got one acceptance. It can be done, despite a low cGPA, with luck, a compelling PS, strong LORs, and great interviewing skills.

 

[Schemp]

Just to clarify, I wasn't doing those jobs before returning to school for any specific purpose. I was biding time while I figured out what I wanted to do. I was really fed up with school by the time I left the first time, and hadn't entertained the idea of being a doctor since junior high. When I made the decision, it was more of an excuse to go back to school because I missed learning. I was obviously not certain medicine was specifically what I wanted to pursue, but as I actually took the science classes and learned more about the field (the good and the bad), I became much more confident of my choice, and here I am today.

 

[Schemp]

And thank you for your suggestions. I am very aware that I need more ECs, clinical in particular, and hope to get some meaningful experience with that beyond hospital volunteering. In my experience that hasn't been very satisfying or really given me any better idea of the environment and working conditions of workers dealing with actual patient contact.

 

[Schemp]

You'll be fine. It might not happen the first time, but you will get in to a good school. What state are you in?

I'm in Washington. I'm not really interested in attending their med school, even though it's a great one, but I'll still be applying. I'm much more interested in going to the east coast than anywhere else, mostly because I've always lived in Washington and want to experience something different.

 

[iamxp]

I'd say you definitely have a good chance especially with a 3.6+ sGPA and 38 MCAT. Apply broadly and wisely! 🙂

 

[DendWrite]

I'm in Washington. I'm not really interested in attending their med school, even though it's a great one, but I'll still be applying. I'm much more interested in going to the east coast than anywhere else, mostly because I've always lived in Washington and want to experience something different.

I don't know how much lower your cGPA is than your sGPA...an sGPA of 3.6ish and an solid, balanced 38 on the MCAT (great score by the way) is pretty competitive. I know that some schools are more strictly numbers based but that others will look at your upward trend.

I'd say that if your cGPA is below a 3.5, a lot of the schools you mentioned (top-10s) are going to be a serious reach. I'm not saying that you shouldn't apply to any of them, as you are a bit of a non-trad, have a lot of life experience, a killer MCAT (and a Science pub...that I would kill for 😀) etc. I think that the problem, as has been mentioned, is that you might not make it past some of the screening at the top schools so that a human actually reads your app (which in your case is important).

Lack of clinical experience will be the biggie IMO. I'd say that if you really, really want a shot at the top research schools, you should take a year off and bulk up on clinical experience. It sort of depends on if you'd be happy going to a mid-tier school or not. I'm sort of against applying to "safety schools" that you wouldn't want to go to...I'd say apply once and do it right.

I'd say for this year that if you apply to a good number of mid-tier schools and do a good bit more clinical volunteering, you have a good shot at getting in. Best of luck with the process, and if you need anyone to help read a PS or something, feel free to P.M. me.

 

[iamxp]

I don't know how much lower your cGPA is than your sGPA...an sGPA of 3.6ish and an solid, balanced 38 on the MCAT (great score by the way) is pretty competitive.

I think Catalystik calculated OP's cGPA to be 3.16ish. See above.

3.16 overall/3.6+ science/38 MCAT should still give OP a decent shot provided she has some decent clinical experience.

 

[joshinjosh]

dang, a publication in science!? 😱 that's some big stuff

With your science paper, ec's, MCATs and upward trend GPA, you have the caliber to become top tier med school student. But your overall is sitting at a 3.1. You really got to hope adcoms look past that.

I have a similar story. I did all med prereqs during running start 100+ credits. Even though I didn't do too bad at cc, I've been told by admissions offices of some top uni that they kind of frown upon cc work, and that it's best to take lots of upperlevel coursework at a uni to demonstrate competence. I've been at UW for the past four years because I decided to do 2 extra years.

Taking the extra years has really comparably made me a "strong" applicant, but even so with my cc background I still feel a bit shaky at my chances at some of the top schools over on the east coast.

I also prefer not to go to UW.

 

[Schemp]

dang, a publication in science!? 😱 that's some big stuff

With your science paper, ec's, MCATs and upward trend GPA, you have the caliber to become top tier med school student. But your overall is sitting at a 3.1. You really got to hope adcoms look past that.

I have a similar story. I did all med prereqs during running start 100+ credits. Even though I didn't do too bad at cc, I've been told by admissions offices of some top uni that they kind of frown upon cc work, and that it's best to take lots of upperlevel coursework at a uni to demonstrate competence. I've been at UW for the past four years because I decided to do 2 extra years.

Taking the extra years has really comparably made me a "strong" applicant, but even so with my cc background I still feel a bit shaky at my chances at some of the top schools over on the east coast.

I also prefer not to go to UW.

That's very interesting. I've always kind of known adcoms would look down on CC classes, but it's not as though as I had a choice. I'm doing my best to demonstrate that my grades there weren't a fluke or due to them being particularly easy relative to university classes (some were, some weren't).

Have you applied yet? Two extra years seems like a long time to just to prove yourself - either way you're at the university at least two years taking mostly upper-level stuff, right? I'm hoping that I can maintain around a 3.8+ for the rest of the year and that continuing my med center volunteering to over a year, two quarters of different, more biochemistry-related research, and at least 60 hours of shadowing will give me a good shot, EC-wise. I can't imagine staying in my undergrad any longer than I have to... I just turned 25 and am already going to be taking a year off after I graduate, so I'm kind of in a hurry to get on with my life.

Did you transfer from a local CC too? I came from Cascadia.

 

[joshinjosh]

No, I have yet to apply, starting to prepare everything right now for the 2010 cycle (for 2011 admission). Well, taking 2 extra years wasn't too hard of a decision for me b/c now I'm back on track with my students my age, 21.
You got a great score, how long and how did you prepare for the mcat?

I 'transfered' from bcc. You still go to uw? i'm also a biochem major.

 

[Schemp]

I used the summer to study for the MCAT. I was in a clinical trial, so I had a lot of free time for about a month. I studied lightly for a month or two, then the last month I studied 3 or 4 hours a day, about 5 days a week. Probably a little less than that actually, I'm not the most studious individual. Most of my time went to studying bio (mostly because it interested me most) and verbal. I was scoring 14s on my official practices for bio but ended up with a 12 on the real thing. I was scoring 12s on the physical sciences and verbal though, so it worked out to the same score.