WAMC 4.0/517 Reapplicant next yr help

[ProteinShakeshack]

I've applied to ~33 schools this year and think I'll need to reapply next year considering how little II I've gotten so far. I'm honestly extremely depressed even though I know I shouldn't take rejections personally. Right now, I'd like to focus on how I can improve my chances for next year. I think my biggest weaknesses were essays and letters, so I'm thinking of quitting my current full-time bench research job to get CRC or EMT experience and increase patient exposure. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to improve my school list and/or what activities I should focus on this year.

Here are my stats and the school list I applied to this year:

1. sGPA: 3.96, cGPA: 3.98
2. MCAT: 517
3. WA resident ORM
4. Large Public state school for undergrad (2 gap years since graduation so far, will be going into 3)
5. Clinical experience: 200 hrs free clinic, 500 hrs ED scribe, 75 hrs hospital volunteer
6. Research experience: 4000 hrs in the same lab. 1 Co-first author pub, 2 poster presentations (1 international, 1 undergrad), 1 undergrad research scholarship. (Might be able to add couple more pubs for next cycle)
7. Shadowing: 100hrs spread out in family med, pediatrics, emergency med
8. Nonclinical Volunteering: 150 food bank, 100 tutoring, 180 memory care
9. VP for a cultural student organization.
10. Immigrant, moved to US during high school

Stanford
Harvard
Columbia
Yale
Mayo
Chicago
Cornell
Mt Sinai
Michigan
Northwestern
Case Western
UCLA
UCSF
Boston
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Brown
Kaiser Permanente
Emory
Keck
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Tufts
Maryland (Significant ties, lived in MD for high school)
Thomas Jefferson
University of Washington (IS)
Georgetown
NYMC
George Washington
Wake Forest
SUNY Upstate
Temple
Penn State
Saint Louis
Miami.

This year I got IIs from Georgetown (Post-II R) and UW (no result yet).
I'm surprised I got interest from more holistic schools than research-heavy schools when my activities are clearly research-heavy. I'm wondering if research-heavy schools are looking down on my MCAT and honestly considering retaking it...

Thanks in advance!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[chilly_md]

Don’t retake the MCAT. If you end up having to reapply, add some more hours for non-clinical volunteering as I believe UW (and WSU, which has a more specific preference) looks for that.

Were any of the hours you listed projected when you submitted your app? That could have held you back if that was the case.

You did aim a bit high with some of your choices, but had other schools that should have been interested. Get your essays reviewed and vetted (including by one of the personal statement readers on SDN).

I’d suggest:

Mayo
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Tufts
Maryland (Significant ties, lived in MD for high school)
Thomas Jefferson
University of Washington (IS)
Georgetown
Saint Louis
Miami
Creighton
UVA
VCU
Colorado
Iowa
Western Michigan
USF Morsani
Vermont
Washington State
Stony Brook (maybe)
UMass

Hopefully you receive good news from UW and/or additional interviews. You may want to apply to PNWU and perhaps a few other DOs too if you become a reapplicant.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your metrics are fine.

Build more experience in the community service category.: food bank, memory care specifically. While acceptable, the number of hours can be bulked up (met minimum, but need more to be more desirable). Compared to the number of research hours in your description, it doesn't show your service orientation competency as well.

 

[Frigidcold]

It'd be insane if you had to reapply. Stats/ECs look good. Like you mentioned, it really seems like it must be something writing/LOR/interview related.

 

[ProteinShakeshack]

Don’t retake the MCAT. If you end up having to reapply, add some more hours for non-clinical volunteering as I believe UW (and WSU, which has a more specific preference) looks for that.

Were any of the hours you listed projected when you submitted your app? That could have held you back if that was the case.

You did aim a bit high with some of your choices, but had other schools that should have been interested. Get your essays reviewed and vetted (including by one of the personal statement readers on SDN).

I’d suggest:

Mayo
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Rochester
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Tufts
Maryland (Significant ties, lived in MD for high school)
Thomas Jefferson
University of Washington (IS)
Georgetown
Saint Louis
Miami
Creighton
UVA
VCU
Colorado
Iowa
Western Michigan
USF Morsani
Vermont
Washington State
Stony Brook (maybe)
UMass

Hopefully you receive good news from UW and/or additional interviews. You may want to apply to PNWU and perhaps a few other DOs too if you become a reapplicant.

All my hours are completed. With projected included, its research 6000 hrs and nonclinical volunteering ~700hrs I believe.

Thank you for your school list!

 

[ProteinShakeshack]

Your metrics are fine.

Build more experience in the community service category.: food bank, memory care specifically. While acceptable, the number of hours can be bulked up (met minimum, but need more to be more desirable). Compared to the number of research hours in your description, it doesn't show your service orientation competency as well.

Food bank Im continuing to volunteer there. Memory care was from freshman year college and I cant continue that since the place closed down for financial reasons then. Im considering quitting my research job this month, so I can do full time volunteering until I can land a clinical job.... Hopefully thatll do wonders to my volunteering hours and LOR

 

[chilly_md]

All my hours are completed. With projected included, its research 6000 hrs and nonclinical volunteering ~700hrs I believe.

Thank you for your school list!

Quitting the research job to get non-clinical volunteering and a clinical job would be a good idea. If your personal statement discusses your research or research interests, that would be something to change as well to make it more centered around patients and medicine.

 

[ProteinShakeshack]

Quitting the research job to get non-clinical volunteering and a clinical job would be a good idea. If your personal statement discusses your research or research interests, that would be something to change as well to make it more centered around patients and medicine.

Very minimally discusses research. Only 1 out of 5 paragraphs is on research actually. However, 5/15 activities are about research so that could really be improved. I appreciate your advice, thanks!!

 

[LunaOri]

What were your 3 most meaningful activities? Were you able to write about them in a way that shows what you learned as well as what you did?

 

[tompremed]

UW's post II acceptance rate is pretty high. So you still have hope! Seems that your activities are research heavy but your stats (MCAT) are not good enough for research focused schools. Pivot to more community service/EMT is one option. If you think you can get MCAT to 520+, then keeping the focus on research is a possibility if you have to re-apply, as you will have a few more publications (hate to see all the efforts go to waste).

 

[ProteinShakeshack]

UW's post II acceptance rate is pretty high. So you still have hope! Seems that your activities are research heavy but your stats (MCAT) are not good enough for research focused schools. Pivot to more community service/EMT is one option. If you think you can get MCAT to 520+, then keeping the focus on research is a possibility if you have to re-apply, as you will have a few more publications (hate to see all the efforts go to waste).

If I could retake the mcat to get 520+ would that work? Ive gotten so many feedback to not retake with my current score, but if I could have any assurance that I will be more successful with a better mcat score I know i can go get it. I am so full of anger and resent at myself I want to have somewhere to put this energy anyways...

 

[chilly_md]

If I could retake the mcat to get 520+ would that work? Ive gotten so many feedback to not retake with my current score, but if I could have any assurance that I will be more successful with a better mcat score I know i can go get it. I am so full of anger and resent at myself I want to have somewhere to put this energy anyways...

As has been said before, your score is not the problem. In fact, if you try to retake it, it will call into your question your decision making and readers will see you as a perfectionist.

Take a look at LunaOri’s question about your 3 most meaningful as well.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Very minimally discusses research. Only 1 out of 5 paragraphs is on research actually. However, 5/15 activities are about research so that could really be improved. I appreciate your advice, thanks!!

Not sure if this is why your observation that research heavy schools are not responding. Keep trusting the process.

Your MCAT is good enough for some MD/PhD programs so I don't agree that a higher one is required.

Did you network with any schools or students before applying or during the interview process? We helped give you feedback with your diversity essay before, right?

 

[ProteinShakeshack]

Not sure if this is why your observation that resrarch heavy schools are not responding. Keep trusting the process.

Your MCAT is good enough for some MD/PhD programs so I don't agree that a higher one is required.

Did you network with any schools or students before applying or during the interview process? We helped give you feedback with your diversity essay before, right?

Yes I dont have too many connections other than at my alma mater which is the only post II result Im waiting on. Im actually considering getting a consultant to sort my application out. I think my reflection on my experiences have been mediocre...

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

As for retaking the MCAT: if you decide to do something for a couple of years and wait until it expires because you are looking at or pursuing Plan B or because you have decided to do something like the Peace Corps, sure, retake. A retake now wouldn't do much; I could only suggest it - and then rather reluctantly - if you have become an animal on official AAMC practice tests, taken timed. What is an animal, in your case? 525+. Consistently.

Odds are, you're not that good at the MCAT; few people are. Good luck, maybe add some DO schools if you want.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Food bank Im continuing to volunteer there. Memory care was from freshman year college and I cant continue that since the place closed down for financial reasons then. Im considering quitting my research job this month, so I can do full time volunteering until I can land a clinical job.... Hopefully thatll do wonders to my volunteering hours and LOR

I don't know about your geography, but hospice care likely is available near you. Check the SDN activity finder to help you.

 

[tompremed]

I assuming you are a UW graduate. I am in Seattle (Bellevue) and know a few UW graduates (ORMs) who got into good medical schools. I'd be happy to meet and share their experiences if you haven't got any acceptances after the New Year....

 

[happy_squidward]

Ur stats and ECs are amazing congrats! I agree retaking the MCAT is too risky and tbh your current score will not hold you back from any program based on the acceptance ranges of almost every school assuming all subsection scores are above 125. You may have to work a bit more on the writing sections if you decide to reapply. I asked the pre-health advisors at my undergrad and a few med students I knew to proofread my app a few months before submitting it. I would also recommend broadening your school list a bit if you are able to.

Might also be worth it to look into your interview skills and do mock interviews more before your next interview. I think the UW career center offers those to alumni.

Good luck!