MD What are my chances at a top tier med school? with 4.0 GPA and 518 MCAT

[medico123]

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence? Do you have any clinical volunteering hours? Any other EC's besides research?

 

[Tots]

Your stats will get you a look anywhere obviously. It will be your activities and essays that get your in the door and particularly how you discuss these activities.

If all you did was research and shadow you will have a hard time at the 'top' medical schools IMHO, unless the research experience was particularly exceptional.

 

[medico123]

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[Faha]

It would help your application if you accumulate 50 hours of physician shadowing and 200+ hours of clinical volunteering (hospital setting would be good). If you do so you could receive interviews at these schools:
UMass
Tufts
Boston University
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Rochester
Albany
New York Medical College
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Pitt
Case Western
Washington University
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Tulane
St. Louis
Creighton
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Mayo-AZ
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia

 

[medico123]

Thank you Faha, so you don't think I have a chance at Ivys, Hopkins, Duke?

 

[Tots]

Thank you Faha and Tots.
I am from Massachusetts.
I have until next June to make my application more attractive to top schools. What do they look for in addition to academics?
What would make my application stand out?
I had done lot of volunteering in high school and wasn't able to continue after I went to college. I may reach out to those organizations to see if I can get involved again.

Thank you Faha, so you don't think I have a chance at Ivys, Hopkins, Duke?

If you want to be competitive at these top schools you need to do something you are passionate about and excel in that. Ideally service oriented given you say you lack volunteering experience. So find something you are passionate about, get involved, and then tell a compelling story.

Just a warning, its generally obvious when someone starts a bunch of activities just prior to applying for the sake of applying.

 

[Dox4lyfe]

Dang; a lack of even mediocre ECs will hurt. Admissions is no longer a numbers game. You can try for reaches, but it will be a tough upwards climb.

If you're dead set on top tier schools, I'd recommend at least one gap year, if not two, to get a solid amount of service, volunteer or work experience, teaching and leadership. That should make you competitive for the top schools.

 

[medico123]

If you want to be competitive at these top schools you need to do something you are passionate about and excel in that. Ideally service oriented given you say you lack volunteering experience. So find something you are passionate about, get involved, and then tell a compelling story.

Just a warning, its generally obvious when someone starts a bunch of activities just prior to applying for the sake of applying.

 

[medico123]

Agree with all that said! Thank you, appreciate your candid feedback.
If I continue volunteering at the same organizations as I did in high school, can I include the umpteen hours I accumulated in high school to what I do now? How far in years can an activity be included in my app?
Sorry for beating this topic to death.
Also another question, do people use a service to review ur essays? If yes, can you suggest some good ones.
Thank you!

 

[workaholic181]

Hello!
I have 4.0 GPA and 518 in MCAT.
Ethnicity - Indian
I have 3 years of research and shadowed a couple of doctors this summer.
What are my chances at top tier med schools?
And if someone could give me the med schools I have good chance of getting in, that would be greatly appreciated

You have a puncher's chance at top schools IMO. That said, apply broadly so you don't end up getting no acceptances. Every year there are a bunch of posts from people with similar stats who only applied top heavy and didn't get in anywhere. The competition for top schools is tremendous, especially for Indian American applicants.

Good luck OP!

 

[Faha]

Thank you Faha, so you don't think I have a chance at Ivys, Hopkins, Duke?

Those are reaches with your current EC's.

 

[Goro]

Agree with all that said! Thank you, appreciate your candid feedback.
If I continue volunteering at the same organizations as I did in high school, can I include the umpteen hours I accumulated in high school to what I do now? How far in years can an activity be included in my app?
QUOTE]

High school hours only get cred when they are continued into college. I don't know how the gap in volunteering years will appear to screeners/Adcom members. This is a job for @LizzyM, @Med Ed and @gyngyn!

What I worry about is that you'll look as if you devoted everything to your academics, and no to the service components that are just as important. You were expected to be able to walk and chew gum, after all. Worse comes to worse, do a gap year.

On your stats alone, I recommend (when you're ready):

Wash U
U Chicago
NYU
U Penn
Vanderbilt
Columbia
Sinai
Cornell
Northwestern
Case
Harvard
Yale
Stanford
JHU
U VA
U MI
U AZ
U VM
U WI
U Cincy
Ohio State
U IA
UCSF
UCLA,
UCSD,
Miami
Tulane
Albert Einstein
Emory
BU
USC/Keck
Mayo
Rochester
Dartmouth
Duke
Pitt
Hofstra
Your state school

 

[medico123]

Those are reaches with your current EC's.

Hi Faha,
Did you mean those are 'SAFETY or 'REACH'?

 

[Faha]

Hi Faha,
Did you mean those are 'SAFETY or 'REACH'?

They are reaches due to your lack of clinical volunteering non clinical volunteering.