WAMC? LOW research/520 MCAT/4.0

[beepbeepboopbop02]

Hey all, as we get closer to hitting submit on AMCAS I’m getting worried that I need to restructure my school list because of my low research. I am specifically concerned about the T20s/30s on it because everywhere I see online (here and Reddit), people that get in to those always have like a minimum of 1000+ hours research, usually with a pub. I only have 500 hours + 1 poster, but no pub.

22 ORM, F
4.0, 520
Regular undergrad state school

RESEARCH: 500 hours, 1 poster
CLINICAL PAID: 1100+ hours scribe
CLINICAL VOLUNTEERING: 200 hours clinics
NON-CLINICAL VOLUNTEERING: 220 hours shelter, food bank, mentor for low SES students
LEADERSHIP: 300 hours
TA/TUTOR: 400+ hours

No X factors

SCHOOL LIST: Harvard, Stanford, U Penn, UCSF, NYU, Columbia, Yale, Duke, UCLA, Mayo, WashU, Vanderbilt, U Chicago, Mt. Sinai, Cornell, U Mich, Emory, U Pitt, Northwestern, Boston U, Case Western, Brown, Keck, U Miami, Dartmouth, UA Phoenix, George Washington, Kaiser, Einstein, U Colorado, Rosalind Franklin, USF Morsani, UVA, Stony Brook, Zucker, Wake Forest, Penn state, OHSU

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[Mr.Smile12]

Your perceptions may fool you. Neither this site nor Reddit represents scientific samples of the entire applicant pool. But I think you may have a top-heavy list.

In the Spring 2025 Applicant Experience survey, I ask applicants about their research accomplishments, including publications. Not many undergrads can claim authorship on a publication, so this isn't a problem.

You do have a potential issue with a lack of service orientation activities. Teaching/tutoring/mentoring are on practically every premed's application and won't help you stand out. I would need more information on what "sanctuary" means by itself, but if you want to play in the high-metrics applicant pool, you should have 250 minimum hours at submission to keep pace. Plus I would like to know your mission fit.

 

[Faha]

Your research is fine. Where is your state of residence? What is the breakdown of your 150 hours of non clinical volunteering?

 

[beepbeepboopbop02]

Your perceptions may fool you. Neither this site nor Reddit represents scientific samples of the entire applicant pool. But I think you may have a top-heavy list.

In the Spring 2025 Applicant Experience survey, I ask applicants about their research accomplishments, including publications. Not many undergrads can claim authorship on a publication, so this isn't a problem.

You do have a potential issue with a lack of service orientation activities. Teaching/tutoring/mentoring are on practically every premed's application and won't help you stand out. I would need more information on what "sanctuary" means by itself, but if you want to play in the high-metrics applicant pool, you should have 250 minimum hours at submission to keep pace. Plus I would like to know your mission fit.

Thanks for the reply! The sanctuary I volunteer at is a night time shelter for homeless people to come when other places close. We give out the resources most other shelters do but also have on-sight therapists and social work.

 

[beepbeepboopbop02]

Your research is fine. Where is your state of residence? What is the breakdown of your 150 hours of non clinical volunteering?

150 nonclinical breakdown = 100 hours of volunteering at shelter for homeless populations, 70 hours mentor for low SES students (only 4H/week so tough to get lots of hours here). Forgot to add 75 hours (going to underestimate this I think it's closer to 90 but I cannot be sure since they did not record it) of food bank volunteering in undergrad. Thanks for the reply 🙂

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OR. 150 nonclinical breakdown = 100 hours of volunteering at night time sanctuary for homeless populations, 50 hours of meeting with economically disadvantaged HS students every week (only 4H/week so tough to get lots of hours here). Forgot to add 45 hours of food bank and food distribution volunteering in undergrad. Thanks for the reply 🙂

With your metrics and looking at your wishlist, you should have 250 hours completed when you submit your application. 150 avoids getting screened out at most schools, but 250 keeps you on pace with many other applicants who go for brand-name schools. I'd also suggest pushing more food bank hours; I tend to ignore activities with 50 hours or fewer, and you are compared with applicants who will have hundreds of hours in non-clinical service orientation activities. You are on the right track, but to be safe, you need more.

If you are a reapplicant, complete the Spring 2025 Applicant Experience survey.

 

[Faha]

OR (I just now realized I forgot to put OHSU on it, so I edited that!)

I suggest these schools with your stats:
OHSU
Mayo
Colorado
Arizona (Phoenix)
Iowa
Northwestern
U Michigan
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Washington University (in St. Louis-almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
Vanderbilt
Emory
USF Morsani
Duke
U Virginia
George Washington
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein (free tuition)
Mount Sinai
NYU (free tuition)
Rochester
Boston University
Tufts
Dartmouth
Brown

 

[beepbeepboopbop02]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
OHSU
Mayo
Colorado
Arizona (Phoenix)
Iowa
Northwestern
U Michigan
Case Western
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Washington University (in St. Louis-almost a guaranteed interview with your stats)
Vanderbilt
Emory
USF Morsani
Duke
U Virginia
George Washington
Jefferson
Pittsburgh
Hofstra
Einstein (free tuition)
Mount Sinai
NYU (free tuition)
Rochester
Boston University
Tufts
Dartmouth
Brown

This is awesome, thank you so much! As someone who is really going into this sort of blindly, things like this are incredibly helpful.

 

[beepbeepboopbop02]

With your metrics and looking at your wishlist, you should have 250 hours completed when you submit your application. 150 avoids getting screened out at most schools, but 250 keeps you on pace with many other applicants who go for brand-name schools. I'd also suggest pushing more food bank hours; I tend to ignore activities with 50 hours or fewer, and you are compared with applicants who will have hundreds of hours in non-clinical service orientation activities. You are on the right track, but to be safe, you need more.

If you are a reapplicant, complete the Spring 2025 Applicant Experience survey.

Will do, thank you for this advice!

 

[beepbeepboopbop02]

@Mr.Smile12 would you say that applicants need to meet or surpass exactly 250? For instance, 235-245 versus 250+. Is it the actual number that gets screened? I am taking on extra shifts at a shelter and will be able to surpass it by end of May, however I am curious as to whether the med schools are scanning for the physical number itself or if it's just a range.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12 would you say that applicants need to meet or surpass exactly 250? For instance, 235-245 versus 250+. Is it the actual number that gets screened? I am taking on extra shifts at a shelter and will be able to surpass it by end of May, however I am curious as to whether the med schools are scanning for the physical number itself or if it's just a range.

It's not a hard filter. You can be reasonably close (i know I'm talking to some who like to draw out their GPAs to the fourth decimal). But I advise you need to keep up with high metrics applicants, especially if many have much more than this number.

250 is on average 5 hours a week for a year.

You still have to do your job reflecting on the impact of each experience on you and your community. Quality is as important as quantity to be a credible applicant.