WAMC + help creating a school list

[saucepan]

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Hello, I just got my MCAT score back and am pretty disappointed with the results (510). I'd like some help creating a school list, and I still think I'm in a decent position to apply.

Demographics: NJ resident, South Asian (ORM)

College: Rutgers University (In the midst of a gap year) recived an BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience
GPA and sGPA: 3.96
MCAT: 510

Experiences

Crisis Text line (Projected 208, Current 10)
MA for Gastroenterologist (Project 850 Current 22)
Shadowing (Vascular surgeon, ER, Peds) (200 hours)
Scribe (150 hours)
Chem TI (very similar to a TA) (144 hours)
Volunteered in homeless shelter overseas (53 hours)
Clinical Research involving Cardiology and Psychology (450 hours)
Volunteer EMT (Training to be crew chief) (Projected 825, Current 1025)
Teach Piano to 6 different students (Projected 254, Current 321)

Hobbies
Piano (Projected 200, Current 3000)
Scuba Diving (Anticipated 30, Current 40)


I'd appreciate any advice. Are there any glaring holes in my application other than my low MCAT? What kind of schools should I be applying to?

Edit: forgot to add that I am in the midst of organizing a blood drive (42 projected, 98 Current hours)

Edit 2.0: Some advisors have told me that since I do not have a paid position (none of these were paid expect for the MA that I recently started), I may be at a disadvantage. Is this something I should focus on?

Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do you have any service orientation activities?

 

[saucepan]

I think a lot of my activities hit that criteria (EMT, my cardiac research, and the homeless shelter experience being the biggest ones) but I could also argue that crisis text line and piano teaching hit that criteria if you think I'm lacking

Edit: If you are specifically talking about non clinical then I could talk about the homeless shelter, as well as the blood drive I am currently organizing

 

[Faha]

Your low non clinical volunteering hours (53 homeless shelter and 10 crisis text line) will limit your chances for interviews since some schools screen at 150 hours. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Your 3 New Jersey state public schools
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
Methodist (when it opens)
NOVA MD
Belmont
Alice Walton
Roseman
TCU
Ponce (St. Louis)
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont

 

[saucepan]

Thank you for the advice! Do they not take into account projected hours when looking at my activities? Also, would the blood drive organizing count as non clinical volunteer work as well?

 

[Faha]

Thank you for the advice! Do they not take into account projected hours when looking at my activities? Also, would the blood drive organizing count as non clinical volunteer work as well?

Projected hours have minimal value. Blood drive organizing is not what schools are looking for for service orientation activities.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Also homeless shelter OVERSEAS may not carry the same gravitas if you didn't engage in a similar activity in the US. Text line is not in-person service, and with the recent declaration that LGBTQ+ clients could not use 988 (have to use the Canadian hotline), I'm not sure how much gravitas it has without following up with an in-person role (such as an LGBTQ+ shelter volunteer, or similar). With practically no service orientation hours, your application may be at risk of getting screened out at schools where you have little mission fit.

Blood drive work is clinic-adjacent leadership (organizing events).

 

[saucepan]

Thank you for all the advice as well as the school list! I'll try to address them over the course of the next year.