Tailor school list to stats?

[Doc2be20]

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I see posts telling applicants to tailor their school list based on their stats and other activities. I have the MSAR, and while I can look at that for scores, how about other parts of my app? The only reason I knew Rush was big on service requirements was because I read it on here. Do people just spend hours going to each school's website to look at their preferences? Sorry i'm just confused right now. I have a list of my state schools, since i'm applying to all of them, but i'm confused for out of state/private? Thanks.

 

[Mansamusa]

Where do you want to live? Who do you want to serve in the future? Research or nah? What mission do you want your school to have?

Stuff like that. You also should look at the websites of each school you are applying to in order to gauge if you are a good fit. Plus some secondaries and almost all interviews ask you why you want to attend that particular school

 

[neekzg]

Are you picky about location? Outside of stats, that was my first criterion for narrowing the huge list of schools. I avoided public schools ($$$ for OOS usually) in other states and other institutions that have a heavy in state bias (on the MSAR this is when OOS pool gets few interview invites). Eventually, you should spend a fair amount of time perusing each school website to see what you can learn about the school and whether it's a good fit (super focused on community health? strong connections with MBA/public health programs (like 4 yr dual programs)? health policy opportunities? Christian/religious atmosphere? etc)

 

[Doc2be20]

So I have a Lizzy M of 68, Florida resident, so obviously all those schools. I'm honestly not picky about location, I don't care much about anything specific , I just want to get into a med school. That's why i'm having such trouble narrowing it down lol

 

[Mansamusa]

So I have a Lizzy M of 68, Florida resident, so obviously all those schools. I'm honestly not picky about location, I don't care much about anything specific , I just want to get into a med school. That's why i'm having such trouble narrowing it down lol

Good state to come from- you may not need a ton of OOS schools. Do you have any kind of theme to your app? Ie. Research, languages, underserved, public health, etc.

If not, choose schools where your stats are reasonable and you have a reason why you would want to attend other than just wanting to get into med school

 

[Doc2be20]

Good state to come from- you may not need a ton of OOS schools. Do you have any kind of theme to your app? Ie. Research, languages, underserved, public health, etc.

If not, choose schools where your stats are reasonable and you have a reason why you would want to attend other than just wanting to get into med school

I've spent years working with children in undeserved parts of my city. My parents came from Guatemala, so I started a tutoring foundation for Latin American children. So, I guess schools that focus on giving back? I have a lot of clinical volunteer hours too. I have never done research, so I hope that doesn't limit me lol

 

[Mansamusa]

I've spent years working with children in undeserved parts of my city. My parents came from Guatemala, so I started a tutoring foundation for Latin American children. So, I guess schools that focus on giving back? I have a lot of clinical volunteer hours too. I have never done research, so I hope that doesn't limit me lol

Add Tulane definitely. You have the Miami schools covered. If you have the service hours, Rush. Maybe Loyola. Temple. Throw in NYMC. Don't know what else. VCU doesn't care too much about research either.

The lack of research might limit you, so I would focus more on mission schools. If you are from South Florida, then you'll have a good shot with FIU

 

[Doc2be20]

Add Tulane definitely. You have the Miami schools covered. If you have the service hours, Rush. Maybe Loyola. Temple. Throw in NYMC. Don't know what else. VCU doesn't care too much about research either.

The lack of research might limit you, so I would focus more on mission schools. If you are from South Florida, then you'll have a good shot with FIU

Tulane says that they want 3 letters, 2 from science professors. "If you are out of school or your undergraduate degree is not science based, then choose 3 professionals that know you well."
I graduated last year, and was planning on having 1 science professor, 1 non science, and 1 physician write letters. Do you think that would be acceptable. Especially since I didn't have a science based degree. They wouldn't look down on me right?

 

[Mansamusa]

Tulane says that they want 3 letters, 2 from science professors. "If you are out of school or your undergraduate degree is not science based, then choose 3 professionals that know you well."
I graduated last year, and was planning on having 1 science professor, 1 non science, and 1 physician write letters. Do you think that would be acceptable. Especially since I didn't have a science based degree. They wouldn't look down on me right?

You'd have to ask them, but I was under the impression that a lot of schools want 2 science LORs (don't quote me on that, but I just remember seeing that on some school websites and my committee required at least 2 science LORs)

 

[ChrisMack390]

My strategy was this:

-Place all 180 or so schools on a spreadsheet
-Delete all schools with very heavy IS bias (except mine, of course)
-Delete schools like TCMC and Loma Linda with very specific missions that I do not fit
-Delete schools that I don't have a prayer of getting into (except 2-3 'dream' schools I wanted to keep even if SDN would yell at me)
-Delete schools in geographic areas you really don't like or for whatever reason you don't want to go to them

Just doing that left me with about 50 schools. From there I researched more about each school - which ones might like higher MCAT/lower GPA people, which ones might be fond of my ECs due to similar programs at the school, which ones did posters in my WAMC think I'd get interviews at, etc.

With this method it was not that hard to get down to ~30 schools.

 

[Doc2be20]

You'd have to ask them, but I was under the impression that a lot of schools want 2 science LORs

Oh ok. I assumed it was okay since they said if your degree wasn't science based, 3 professionals were fine.

 

[Doc2be20]

My strategy was this:

-Place all 180 or so schools on a spreadsheet
-Delete all schools with very heavy IS bias (except mine, of course)
-Delete schools like TCMC and Loma Linda with very specific missions that I do not fit
-Delete schools that I don't have a prayer of getting into (except 2-3 'dream' schools I wanted to keep even if SDN would yell at me)
-Delete schools in geographic areas you really don't like or for whatever reason you don't want to go to them

Just doing that left me with about 50 schools. From there I researched more about each school - which ones might like higher MCAT/lower GPA people, which ones might be fond of my ECs due to similar programs at the school, which ones did posters in my WAMC think I'd get interviews at, etc.

With this method it was not that hard to get down to ~30 schools.

This is a great idea!! Thank you very much! I know Loma Linda has a specific mission bc of the religious aspect, but what is TCMC's mission? Thanks.

 

[Mansamusa]

Oh ok. I assumed it was okay since they said if your degree wasn't science based, 3 professionals were fine.

Oh wait, saw that you already so it may not apply to you for that reason

TCMC serves rural PA, but I got a II there even though I have lived my entire adulthood in major cities

 

[Doc2be20]

Oh wait, saw that you already so it may not apply to you for that reason

TCMC serves rural PA, but I got a II there even though I have lived my entire adulthood in major cities

What do you think made you appeal to them? I looked at their stats, and since my GPA is good, but on the lower side, it might be a good fit. But I am from Miami lol

 

[ChrisMack390]

I am not particularly interested in living in a rural area. I felt like applying to certain schools, like TCMC, would require me to kind of lie or at least not be totally forthcoming in order to get accepted. On some level that's part of the game, but at the same time that specific case would leave me posting one of the bull**** "should I go to this school or reapply next year?" topics, so I chose to avoid that.

Not to mention none of my ECs have anything to do with what they are interested in....surprised to hear another urbanite got an interview.

 

[Doc2be20]

I am not particularly interested in living in a rural area. I felt like applying to certain schools, like TCMC, would require me to kind of lie or at least not be totally forthcoming in order to get accepted.

Not to mention none of my ECs have anything to do with that.

Oh I see. Even though i'm from the city, i'm open to living in a rural area, so I guess i'll add that to my list.

 

[Doc2be20]

One other thing: Does it look bad to have no non-academic awards? I have no research as well, so does this look very bad?

 

[ChrisMack390]

Oh I see. Even though i'm from the city, i'm open to living in a rural area, so I guess i'll add that to my list.

I'm open minded as well, but I can't imagine the school would take me at my word on that given that type of volunteering I've been involved in. Like I said, I'm surprised another very urban experienced person got an interview, so I could just be wrong on this (or they could be an outlier).

 

[Doc2be20]

I'm open minded as well, but I can't imagine the school would take me at my word on that given that type of volunteering I've been involved in. Like I said, I'm surprised another very urban experienced person got an interview, so I could just be wrong on this (or they could be an outlier).

Oh, earlier you said you weren't interested in living in a rural area, which is why I assumed you didn't apply. I'm interested in living in a rural place, and I probably won't get a II since I grew up in an urban place but oh well.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Oh, earlier you said you weren't interested in living in a rural area, which is why I assumed you didn't apply. I'm interested in living in a rural place, and I probably won't get a II since I grew up in an urban place but oh well.

I'm not particularly interested. I hope to give it a try in med school, but who knows I may hate it and after my 4-8 week stint ends I'll never do that again. Or maybe I'll love it an do residency in Alaska.

I don't think that's the kind of commitment a place like TCMC is looking for, I think they want people they are reasonable certain will want to work in rural PA.

Again, this is how I perceived the school, but @Mansamusa had a different experience. Mansamusa, did you have rural related ECs or no?

 

[Mansamusa]

I'm not particularly interested. I hope to give it a try in med school, but who knows I may hate it and after my 4-8 week stint ends I'll never do that again. Or maybe I'll love it an do residency in Alaska.

I don't think that's the kind of commitment a place like TCMC is looking for, I think they want people they are reasonable certain will want to work in rural PA.

Again, this is how I perceived the school, but @Mansamusa had a different experience. Mansamusa, did you have rural related ECs or no?

Not at all. I ended up turning down the II too. It might be that they don't have enough applicants from their goal demographics to interview and I have a high MCAT