WAMC/School List (525 MCAT, 4.0 sGPA, 3.98 cGPA, ORM)

[changidy]

Hi! I've tried looking through MSAR and other online resources to try and come up with a tentative school list on my own, but still unsure if it really makes sense. Thank you for any advice you can give!

1. cGPA: 3.98 and sGPA: 4.0
2. MCAT: 525 (131/132/131/131)
3. State of residence: WA, ties to KY and IL
4. Ethnicity and/or race: ORM, Asian male
5. Undergraduate institution: T10, graduated winter 2022
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 450 hrs scribe in outpatient clinic, 130 hrs volunteering at free health clinic
7. Research experience: 600 hrs wet lab, no pubs/posters
8. Shadowing experience: 34 hrs (primary care, ophthalmology, cardiology, dermatology), 16 hrs virtual shadowing, 16 hrs projected (cardiology)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 150 hrs Special Olympics coach, 20 hrs pediatric activity coordinator
10. Other extracurricular activities: RA leadership, scribe trainer
11. Relevant honors or awards: Dean's list, summa cum laude

School List:
UW
Washington State
UIC
Northwestern
UChicago
Louisville
Kentucky
Cincinnati
Case Western
Ohio State
Indiana
Michigan
NYU
NYU LISM
Kaiser
Wash U in St Louis
UCSF
UCLA
USC Keck
Einstein
Hofstra
UVA
Rochester
Stony Brook
Iowa
UMass
USF-Morsani
Drexel
Wake Forest
Creighton
SLU

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[Mr.Smile12]

You should get attention, but I think you need to refine your list to schools where you really want to attend. Have you done any networking or outreach to come up with this list? Realistically check because you could be screened out if the adcoms don't believe you really want to go to their program, especially as an OOS student. Fair warning: you have just above the minimum threshold for non-clinical community service that could show service orientation. I'm okay with Special Olympics Coach, but understand that for some schools, your application will be compared against other applicants with much more hours with roles where you are clearly involved in empathizing with those in distress (in a non-clinical way).

It seems you left out any campus club activities (I see the RA), so I'm going to assume you have that.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Why do you want to apply schools like Drexel, SLU, Creighton with those stats? You should add Vandy, Hopkins, UPenn, schools that value stats more.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Add Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Vandy, Hopkins, Penn. BU, Emory, Duke

 

[deleted1163682]

Add Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Vandy, Hopkins, Penn. BU, Emory, Duke

Agree with this besides Harvard and Stanford. Yale, Vandy, Hopkins, Penn, etc. are all known to value stats a lot, so you should get lots of interviews. I agree with OP's initial thought about not adding Harvard or Stanford, as you have no coherent theme with social advocacy (a few hundred hours of coaching Special Olympics by itself does not count) and lack entrepreneurship + low research productivity gives you essentially 0 shot at Stanford. You have a great chance at virtually every other school with your stats, hours, and alumni status at a presumably feeder T10 UG.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'll agree with points made that tie into mine regarding your community service activities.

You can apply to the brand schools... your metrics will get you attention. But the pool is very different from average when it comes to experiences. Many schools like the Ivies and Stanford (and other brands for that matter) want to see community impact through innovation, entrepreneurship, or service. I don't get this from the scan of the WAMC. Your experience needs to be as impressive as your stats. (If not, the term "cannon fodder" can get applied here.)

You could still get a shot at those schools, but understand that you need to understand who you will be interviewing with. Prepare accordingly. (God... my editing...)

 

[MyOdyssey]

I'll agree with points made that tie into mine regarding your community service activities.

You can apply to the brand schools... your metrics will get you attention. But the pool is very different from average when it comes to experiences. Many schools like the Ivies and Stanford (and other brands for that matter) want to see community impact through innovation, entrepreneurship, or service. I don't get this from the scan of the WAMC. Your experience needs to be as impressive as your stats. (If not, the term "cannon fodder" can get applied here.)

You could still get a shot at those schools, but understand that you need to understand who you will be interviewing with. Prepare accordingly.

This is good advice.

I suggest to the OP that he take a gap year or two if he has his heart set on the T10 type schools, which his academic metrics would clearly qualify him for.

 

[changidy]

This is good advice.

I suggest to the OP that he take a gap year or two if he has his heart set on the T10 type schools, which his academic metrics would clearly qualify him for.

Thank you everyone for your advice on both my application and school list! I was worried my experiences were a weakness, so it's good to hear it given to me straight. I was already planning to take a gap year and have reached out to nearby community service opportunities, so I'll hopefully be able to flesh out that part of my application.

 

[Goro]

OP, I suggest these schools.
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Harvard
JHU
Mayo
Northwestern
NYU
U Chicago
U Penn
U VA
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
Case
Hofstra
Stanford
Baylor
BU
Pitt
Sinai
U MI
USF Morsani
UTSW
Brown
Kaiser (only 50 seats!)
Rochester
SUNY-SB
USC/Keck
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
NYMC
Ohio State
U Cincy
U IA
U MA
UCSF
Creighton
Gtown
Hackensack Meridian
Jefferson
Miami
NYU-LI
SLU
Tufts
U CO
U VM
UCF
UCLA [likes disadvantaged]
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
VCU
Western MI
Your state school(s)
Yes, it's a long list. Your job is to cull it down, based upon your needs/interests.

 

[Psyched*Out]

Agree with this besides Harvard and Stanford. Yale, Vandy, Hopkins, Penn, etc. are all known to value stats a lot, so you should get lots of interviews. I agree with OP's initial thought about not adding Harvard or Stanford, as you have no coherent theme with social advocacy (a few hundred hours of coaching Special Olympics by itself does not count) and lack entrepreneurship + low research productivity gives you essentially 0 shot at Stanford. You have a great chance at virtually every other school with your stats, hours, and alumni status at a presumably feeder T10 UG.

Would you say working with a food pantry for multiple years and eventually rising to a position where you run the pantry and facilitate all the orders to be social advocacy or entrepreneurship in any way? Or would that be more of a leadership thing since I didn't start the pantry to begin with?

 

[deleted1163682]

Would you say working with a food pantry for multiple years and eventually rising to a position where you run the pantry and facilitate all the orders to be social advocacy or entrepreneurship in any way? Or would that be more of a leadership thing since I didn't start the pantry to begin with?

Food pantry work is non-clinical volunteering. To clarify, social advocacy and entrepreneurship is not inherent in one activity. You cannot say volunteer at food pantry/soup kitchen = X quality. It needs to be present throughout your entire application for a theme to form.

Also, you're really overthinking this. Don't do activities that align with "social advocacy" or "entrepreneurship" to get into HYPS. Pursue activities that you enjoy and find gratification in doing.

 

[MyOdyssey]

@changidy Keep in mind that MCAT scores expire after a few years. Different schools have different expiration dates usually keyed to the number of years between a MCAT test date and a matriculation date.

Keep this in mind as you decide how many gap years to take.

 

[wait4u]

Thank you everyone for your advice on both my application and school list! I was worried my experiences were a weakness, so it's good to hear it given to me straight. I was already planning to take a gap year and have reached out to nearby community service opportunities, so I'll hopefully be able to flesh out that part of my application.

Had basically identical stats and similar extracurriculars. Got into one of the T-5-T10 schools on your list this cycle so it is possible but yes taking a gap year can make that more of a sure thing.