WAMC (522, 3.97, PA ORM, Trad applicant)

[marmaladetoast]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a WAMC I'm applying based on location and trying to stay (sort of) urban, costal (east or west) and avoid too much heat (reasoning for the lack of schools in the South & the Midwest). That might be a stupid way to apply, but I figure if I'm going to live there for years, I might as well try and screen now. I'm looking for advice on cutting schools + adding more targets because I believe my list is pretty top-heavy.

Thank you in advance!

1. cGPA: 3.97; sGPA: 3.97
2. MCAT: 522 (130, 132, 130, 130)
3. State of Residence: PA (ties to VA and NY)
4. Ethnicity and/or race: ORM
5. Undergraduate institution: low tier public
6. Clinical experience: 1000+ ED scribe + more projected (over 2-3 years)
7. Research experience:Lots of separate ones
   1. Clinical research w/ a CS component: 530 + 600 projected, responsibilities vary, talked abt in my W/A
   2. Data/educational research: 150-200 projected + helped write the pub on the subject (this was virtual though)
   3. senior honors thesis: 50 + 80 projected (self directed, only abt 10 people at my institution do this per year bc it's not required)
8. Shadowing experience: 80 overall, split between gen surg, trauma surg, urology , rads oncology
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 220 + 150 projected as a school librarian for an underserved institution
10. Other extracurricular activities:
    1. Student government position related to health equity (300ish hours)
    2. summer health equity community position (paid, 300ish)
    3. cultural club (400), summer waitressing (200ish)
    4. TA (200 + 200 projected ish),
11. Relevant honors or awards: aforementioned pub + dean's list + outstanding leader award for extracurriculars (if that counts)
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: strong interest in comp sci + cs assisted research, strong medical humanities, but overall tried to build a narrative as a jack of all trades
13. LORs: 5 total (1 science prof, 1 non-sci prof, 1 DO, 1 PI, 1 extracurricular supervisor)

School List:
Columbia, NYU, Einstein, Sinai, Cornell, Hofstra, Boston U, Penn, Temple, Drexel, Jeff, Pitt, USUHS, Stanford, Georgetown, GW, Maryland, Hopkins, USC, UCSF, Yale, Brown, Tufts.

Unsure abt location:
UVA, Geisinger, Penn State, VCU, Case Western, Ohio State, UChicago, Northwestern

Any other additions or cuts, I'd love to hear!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Non-clinical volunteering: 220 + 150 projected as a school librarian for an underserved institution

Librarian work doesn't usually help those who are in distress, but sometimes they offer community service opportunities like tax prep or passport processing. What were your specific roles because I'm unsure this will take care of service orientation, but it's possible it covers a bit.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

That might be a stupid way to apply

Props to knowing what you want and where you want to live.

Of your original list, I feel like you should drop Drexel, Temple, and GW due to your stats.

You could potentially add Emory (I don't know if it's too hot for you), UCSD, UCI, and UCLA (coastal CA, not much heat), Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia. I honestly don't know much about the climates on the East Coast, but I tried, lol.

You should get many interviews.

 

[LunaOri]

Props to knowing what you want and where you want to live.

Of your original list, I feel like you should drop Drexel, Temple, and GW due to your stats.

You could potentially add Emory (I don't know if it's too hot for you), UCSD, UCI, and UCLA (coastal CA, not much heat), Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia. I honestly don't know much about the climates on the East Coast, but I tried, lol.

You should get many interviews.

I disagree with the advice to drop schools, especially those in the applicant’s home state (at least, wait until you hear from Faha, who has a great deal of experience in this field. The person who gave you the suggestion is a premed).

 

[marmaladetoast]

Librarian work doesn't usually help those who are in distress, but sometimes they offer community service opportunities like tax prep or passport processing. What were your specific roles because I'm unsure this will take care of service orientation, but it's possible it covers a bit.

Sorry, I should have expanded a bit more! The organization I work with is an established nonprofit that reopens and staffs elementary school libraries that were shuttered due to underfunding from the school district where I am. So during my time with this org, I was part of a team that helped completely reopen, restock, and reorganize the specific school library I worked at over a summer. Now that it's open I go there weekly and read to groups of Pre-K - 4th grade and help the older kids check out books. When the school year starts again we're working to get and/or raise funds for more books!

 

[marmaladetoast]

I disagree with the advice to drop schools, especially those in the applicant’s home state (at least, wait until you hear from Faha, who has a great deal of experience in this field. The person who gave you the suggestion is a premed).

Thank you for the advice! I'm going to keep them for now

 

[marmaladetoast]

Props to knowing what you want and where you want to live.

Of your original list, I feel like you should drop Drexel, Temple, and GW due to your stats.

You could potentially add Emory (I don't know if it's too hot for you), UCSD, UCI, and UCLA (coastal CA, not much heat), Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia. I honestly don't know much about the climates on the East Coast, but I tried, lol.

You should get many interviews.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll do some more research into the UC schools & North Carolina

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

Your admit.org score put you in the top 3% of applicants. It did still suggest Temple and Drexel, but not GW.