WAMC 3.9/523 School list/Gap year suggestions?

[rainier]

Do not quote please

I’m currently trying to plan my two gap years and wondering if anyone has any advice on what to focus on in the coming years. I also started thinking about my school list and was wondering if anyone could provide any feedback. I’m not sure how to balance making a reasonable list and not discounting yield protection (obviously super super thankful for my MCAT but just makes me uncertain how to proceed here). Any advice on schools to cut or add would be so helpful! I know there are no safeties but any schools that aren’t known for yield protection would be great. I also would love to stay in an urban area (lived in cities my whole life) but not a deal breaker. Also definitely let me know any schools to cut if I don’t seem like a good fit.

cGPA: 3.9 and sGPA: ~3.85
MCAT: 523 (131, 130, 131, 131)
State ties: WA in-state, college in MA
College: Top 50 private, bio major
ORM - white female
Clinical employment: 900 hours ob/gyn medical assistant, 250 hours COVID tester
Clinical volunteering: 50 hours at a children’s hospital (stopped because of COVID)
Research: 750 hours as a research assistant in a micro bio lab and 1000 hours in neuroscience lab (top 5 university), no pubs/posters
Shadowing: 50 hours (hopefully) in ob/gyn (post COVID)
Non-clinical volunteering:

• 500 hours health educator in public/underserved high schools (also on leadership for club)
• 250 hours STEM mentor in public/underserved high schools (also on leadership for club)

EC:

• President of social NPC sorority
• 100 hours TA for bio class
• 60 hours tutor for gen bio for 1st gen/UR college students

Honors/Awards: Honors Program, scholarships, Dean’s List
Hobbies: Hiking (planning to 5 month backpacking trip prior to applying)

School list:

• University of Washington
• Washington State
• Columbia
• Einstein
• Emory
• Harvard
• Johns Hopkins
• Kaiser
• Mayo Clinic
• Mt. Sinai
• Northwestern
• NYU
• Rochester
• Stanford
• UChicago
• UCSF
• UPenn
• UPittsburgh
• USC
• Vanderbilt
• WashU
• Yale

Thanks for all your help!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[spottedcory]

I think it's a bit top heavy. Add more midtiers and some low tiers. Schools like OSU, Miami, Cincinnati, etc. Imo, yield protection isn't really a thing if you fit a school's mission.

 

[Banco]

You're obviously a top tier applicant in terms of activities and stats. Your list is still too top heavy - it's fine to apply to all these top programs, but have a few mid-tiers/safeties too: Jefferson, Temple, OHSU, Case Western, Georgetown, GW, Miami, and other schools in your region to name a few.

In terms of gap years, I don't think you need any (let alone 2), so do whatever you'd like, as you've checked off all the boxes already.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

While I admit the list may be a little top heavy, you should get plenty of attention from your in-state schools, so leverage that unless you really don't want to go there.