MD Thoughts on my list, too late to add more schools?

[lscp45]

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This is me giving in to neuroticism but I'll do so if I have to goddamnit!

I have a 3.6 sGPA 3.58 cGPA and a 40 MCAT (from Northwestern, not sure if that's relevant).

ECs: 800 hours of paid work for a hospital research team (PI wrote an LOR)
152 hours of volunteering at a retirement home for people with dementia (supervisor wrote an LOR)
10 hours of shadowing a GP (wrote a LOR)
540 hours of undergraduate research in a chemistry lab (quit this after 8 months because I hated it, no LOR)
30 hours of music performance (open mics and such)
170 hours of a online political publication
256 hours paid work in a hematology lab


Schools:

BU
Columbia
Dartmouth
GW
Georgetown
Harvard
Hopkins
USC
NYU
Feinberg
Oregon
UPenn
Quinnipiac
Rush
Rutgers
UVM
Tufts
UCSF (only one that hasn't sent me a secondary yet)
UMass
Brown

I suppose I'm just worried that my GPA doesn't quite cut it for the ones I'm shooting for. Thoughts?

 

[nRomaleos]

This is me giving in to neuroticism but I'll do so if I have to goddamnit!

I have a 3.6 sGPA 3.58 cGPA and a 40 MCAT (from Northwestern, not sure if that's relevant).

ECs: 800 hours of paid work for a hospital research team (PI wrote an LOR)
152 hours of volunteering at a retirement home for people with dementia (supervisor wrote an LOR)
10 hours of shadowing a GP (wrote a LOR)
540 hours of undergraduate research in a chemistry lab (quit this after 8 months because I hated it, no LOR)
30 hours of music performance (open mics and such)
170 hours of a online political publication
256 hours paid work in a hematology lab


Schools:

BU
Columbia
Dartmouth
GW
Georgetown
Harvard
Hopkins
USC
NYU
Feinberg
Oregon
UPenn
Quinnipiac
Rush
Rutgers
UVM
Tufts
UCSF (only one that hasn't sent me a secondary yet)
UMass
Brown

I suppose I'm just worried that my GPA doesn't quite cut it for the ones I'm shooting for. Thoughts?

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/

 

[lscp45]

Not really what I was looking for, you clever bastard, you

 

[Banco]

What is your state?

Because unless you go to a state with these schools, you should remove them: Rutgers, UMass, Oregon.

You have a pretty excellent application. No it's def not too late to add more schools if you want. You could add more top and mid tiers.

 

[nRomaleos]

Not really what I was looking for, you clever bastard, you

my bad. these applications have made me a bit too snarky for my own good.

@Banco brings up great points.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Looks like a strong app overall. Don't list your research in terms of hours, but rather in terms of significance and what came out of it.

 

[lscp45]

@Banco thanks! Massachusetts I should've said! Yea for Rutgers, secondary asked for connections to the state so I talked about a New Jerseyan Latin teacher who got me into the Boss.

@nRomeleos they're certainly not good for a person. No worries

 

[md-2020]

@lscp45 you should be fine, don't count on any of the top schools obviously but NU is known to be quite rigorous and the 40 MCAT backs up that idea. As mentioned above the OOS publics are probably not going to be overly welcoming.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Skip the publics like others have said. You are wasting time with Oregon and Rutgers and Brown and Penn probably aren't good ideas either. You're kind of an interesting case because your GPA is below the 10th percentile at many of the big names and below the MD matriculant average(I know Northwestern is brutal but it's still worth pointing out) but your MCAT is above the 90th percentile for many schools.

These kind of situations always remind me of a thread last year where someone with a 42 MCAT didn't get into medical school and one of the thing ADCOMs were bringing up is the 3.5 GPA he had was too low for big names but the 42 MCAT was well above the 90th percentile at many lower tiers and hence they were probably some that keen on granting him interviews thinking he would never matriculate there. Now, I don't think that is the case with you; like I said NW is pretty well known for its insane rigor and a 3.58 is very good there. There are definitely those in your GPA range from NU who end up at very good schools. A 3.58 at NU is not a meh academic performance the way the guy who posted had a 3.5/3.4 at a generic State U. I think you'll be fine for this cycle. The reason I brought it up is because I would at least be cognizant of the a) lower tier schools where your MCAT is several points above the 90th percentile b) those where your GPA is a good 0.1 or below the 10th percentile. This isn't many schools but Harvard JHU WASHU and Penn all have 10th percentile GPAs at least 01. over yours and you listed 3 of them on your list. Doesn't mean don't apply to them just be aware of the stats.

So out of your list I think Boston U, Columbia, USC, NYU, Northwestern, Tufts and UMass and maybe Quinnipac and UVM are good additions. Here are some other ones perhaps worth consideration as well. Like I said I think it is worthwhile to note the 90th percentile MCAT for all lower tiers. That doesn't mean don't apply to them; just note the schools where your MCAT is a good 4-5 points or so above the 90th percentile at those schools.

Hofstra
Case Western
Einstein
Rochester
Mayo
Emory
Miami
Tulane
Saint Louis
Loyola
Wake Forest
Va Tech
Pitt
Duke
Vanderbilt
Sinai
Cornell

 

[lscp45]

Thanks, that's really thought out and helpful.

 

[lscp45]

Just making sure I understand what you're saying with that list at the end, you say I'm fine this cycle, is the implication that those are what I'd shoot for next time if things go to hell this time around? Or places I could and should add now?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Just making sure I understand what you're saying with that list at the end, you say I'm fine this cycle, is the implication that those are what I'd shoot for next time if things go to hell this time around? Or places I could and should add now?

Screw next cycle if I were you I would probably just add some of them now cover all your bases and maximize your shot at getting into a great med school now. While yes things are kind of on the late side it isn't that late to be adding new schools; you should still be mostly fine doing that.