WAMC/School List: 3.92 cGPA/ 3.72 sGPA, 511 MCAT, URM AA

[zoroisthebest]

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Hey everyone! I just got my MCAT back and I'm thinking about restructuring or constricting my school list and wanted your advice. Wanted to know if there are any schools I should absolutely cut out or any schools that I have neglected to add, etc.

I am applying this cycle and am expecting my application to be verified soon. Thank you!

1. cGPA and sGPA: 3.92 cGPA, 3.72 sGPA

2. MCAT: 511 (130/124/126/131)

3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US): Pennsylvania

4. Ethnicity and/or race: URM (African American)

5. Undergraduate institution: Public T80

6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
EMT: 447 hours

7. Research experience and productivity:
Clinical Research Assistant in a physical rehabilitation lab at my university: 240 hours
No posters and no publications

8. Shadowing experience/specialties represented:
150 hours with a neurosurgeon

9. Non-clinical volunteering:
a) Public Library Volunteer- 80 hours
b) Food bank- 20 hours

10. Other extracurricular activities :
a) TA for several chemistry and other science courses- 500 hours
b) MMA club- 980 hours

11. School List:

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

I'd still add your HBCU medical schools (they are not on your admit lists except Howard). Keep all your in-state Pennsylvania schools, and I also suggest adding the two PA-based DO schools (PCOM, LECOM) if you want to avoid being a reapplicant.

Your community service hours are light, and service orientation activities (food bank) are meager. (I consider library work as an academic activity; ask anyone working in university libraries or museums.) In fact, I generally pay no attention to activities with fewer than 50 hours unless it's shadowing. With low service orientation, your application may be at risk of getting screened out at most schools. You definitely have too few hours for the Jesuit schools like Loyola and Georgetown.

Are you connected with any mentoring organizations designed to help aspiring Black (male?) physicians?

 

[zoroisthebest]

Welcome to the forums.

I'd still add your HBCU medical schools (they are not on your admit lists except Howard). Keep all your in-state Pennsylvania schools, and I also suggest adding the two PA-based DO schools (PCOM, LECOM) if you want to avoid being a reapplicant.

Your community service hours are light, and service orientation activities (food bank) are meager. (I consider library work as an academic activity; ask anyone working in university libraries or museums.) In fact, I generally pay no attention to activities with fewer than 50 hours unless it's shadowing. With low service orientation, your application may be at risk of getting screened out at most schools. You definitely have too few hours for the Jesuit schools like Loyola and Georgetown.

Are you connected with any mentoring organizations designed to help aspiring Black (male?) physicians?

I wasn't aware that library volunteering wasn't looked upon well, I don't want to be screened out of course. I am not connected with any mentoring organizations like that, I didn't know about them. Should I join one? What's an example and how could that help me?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I wasn't aware that library volunteering wasn't looked upon well, I don't want to be screened out of course. I am not connected with any mentoring organizations like that, I didn't know about them. Should I join one? What's an example and how could that help me?

It's not that library volunteering is disfavored, but it doesn't carry the weight to help you stand out when it comes to service orientation.

I would encourage you to connect with SNMA. The national team is very active on social media, and it would be good to connect with chapter officers at schools on your list. If you succeed in getting into medical school, this group will be your posse for the rest of your life.

 

[Faha]

Many of the schools on your list are unrealistic with a MCAT of 511. Also, some schools screen at 150 hours for non clinical volunteering and you have 20 hours at the food bank. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Geisinger
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Dartmouth
Brown
Tufts
Boston University
Einstein
New York Medical College
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Emory
Miami
Tulane
TCU
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
Cincinnati

 

[zoroisthebest]

It's not that library volunteering is disfavored, but it doesn't carry the weight to help you stand out when it comes to service orientation.

I would encourage you to connect with SNMA. The national team is very active on social media, and it would be good to connect with chapter officers at schools on your list. If you succeed in getting into medical school, this group will be your posse for the rest of your life.

Hey, thank you for more great advice! I've looked on Instagram and found the SNMA pages. I apologize for my ignorance but is there anything else I can do to better connect with these groups or should I just be sending messages to the different institution pages and let them know I intend on applying?

Also, I am not located in the city of my undergraduate institution, so I guess I would have to wait until the fall to try and connect or see any events in person?

Sorry again, any help is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[zoroisthebest]

Many of the schools on your list are unrealistic with a MCAT of 511. Also, some schools screen at 150 hours for non clinical volunteering and you have 20 hours at the food bank. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Geisinger
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Dartmouth
Brown
Tufts
Boston University
Einstein
New York Medical College
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Emory
Miami
Tulane
TCU
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
Cincinnati

Thank you very much for this refined school list, I appreciate it! Was this new list based off excluding schools with that 150 hour requirement? And would you happen to know what schools have those requirements?

Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hey, thank you for more great advice! I've looked on Instagram and found the SNMA pages. I apologize for my ignorance but is there anything else I can do to better connect with these groups or should I just be sending messages to the different institution pages and let them know I intend on applying?

Yeah, just drop a comment or say hi. Don't be creepy.

Also, I am not located in the city of my undergraduate institution, so I guess I would have to wait until the fall to try and connect or see any events in person?

Virtual events?

 

[Faha]

Thank you very much for this refined school list, I appreciate it! Was this new list based off excluding schools with that 150 hour requirement? And would you happen to know what schools have those requirements?

Thank you!

Thank you very much for this refined school list, I appreciate it! Was this new list based off excluding schools with that 150 hour requirement? And would you happen to know what schools have those requirements?

Thank you!

I excluded schools that expect many hundreds of hours of non clinical volunteering (Georgetown, Loyola, St. Louis). I also excluded many top tier schools because your MCAT is 511 and you would also be competing with applicants with several hundred hours of non clinical volunteering. Some of the schools I listed may also screen at 150 hours but I do not know which ones.

 

[zoroisthebest]

I excluded schools that expect many hundreds of hours of non clinical volunteering (Georgetown, Loyola, St. Louis). I also excluded many top tier schools because your MCAT is 511 and you would also be competing with applicants with several hundred hours of non clinical volunteering. Some of the schools I listed may also screen at 150 hours but I do not know which ones.

Ok, I see what you are saying then. The reason I had some higher tier schools on is because I saw an adcom on reddit say that URM with 510+ mcats could have a better chance at getting in top tier schools even with a lower mcat score like mine. Thoughts?

 

[Faha]

Ok, I see what you are saying then. The reason I had some higher tier schools on is because I saw an adcom on reddit say that URM with 510+ mcats could have a better chance at getting in top tier schools even with a lower mcat score like mine. Thoughts?

The Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action changed that calculation. That may have been reasonable to have had top tier schools in 2022 but not in 2025.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ok, I see what you are saying then. The reason I had some higher tier schools on is because I saw an adcom on reddit say that URM with 510+ mcats could have a better chance at getting in top tier schools even with a lower mcat score like mine. Thoughts?

We have verified expert adcoms here (I don't know how that works on reddit).

Maybe if you had more service orientation activities, but from what you showed in your WAMC profile, I don't agree with that opinion.

 

[LunaOri]

Although I agree with my esteemed colleagues that your application is not competitive for “top tier” schools, nearly everyone includes a “Hail Mary” or two on their list. Nothing wrong with doing that (if you can afford it). Maybe pick the one (UPenn) that is in your state of residence.

 

[zoroisthebest]

Many of the schools on your list are unrealistic with a MCAT of 511. Also, some schools screen at 150 hours for non clinical volunteering and you have 20 hours at the food bank. I suggest these schools with your stats:
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Geisinger
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Dartmouth
Brown
Tufts
Boston University
Einstein
New York Medical College
George Washington
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Wake Forest
Emory
Miami
Tulane
TCU
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
Indiana
Cincinnati

Hey, I was going through these schools, and I have seen that people say Tulane, TCU, Eastern Virginia, and Virginia commonwealth can be pretty service oriented. For someone like me on the lower end of service hours, are they still worth a shot?

 

[Faha]

Hey, I was going through these schools, and I have seen that people say Tulane, TCU, Eastern Virginia, and Virginia commonwealth can be pretty service oriented. For someone like me on the lower end of service hours, are they still worth a shot?

Yes, because your stats are competitive for those schools. They are also in cities with large African American patient populations and schools do values applicants than can relate to their patient population.

 

[zoroisthebest]

Yes, because your stats are competitive for those schools. They are also in cities with large African American patient populations and schools do values applicants than can relate to their patient population.

thank you!, I am liking this school list. I had some final additions that I want to run by if you don't mind, I am pretty nervous about applying and want to cast a wide net. How do you feel about adding Ohio state, Haceknsack, Nova, Rosalind Franklin, Albany, Western Michigan, and medical college of Wisconsin.

 

[Faha]

thank you!, I am liking this school list. I had some final additions that I want to run by if you don't mind, I am pretty nervous about applying and want to cast a wide net. How do you feel about adding Ohio state, Haceknsack, Nova, Rosalind Franklin, Albany, Western Michigan, and medical college of Wisconsin.

You could add any of those schools.