What are my chances for medical school? Its somewhat urgent so please help!

[MasterCobra]

Hello SDN members! I had just joined SDN and I am still thinking if I should apply for medical schools for the next cycle. More details of my application is provided below:

Academic Stats:
GPA and sGPA: 3.60
MCAT: 525

ECs:
Publications: 7
Research: 3-4 years
Shadowing: Showered with 4-5 different medical specialities
President of 3-4 Charity Organizations
Volunteering for 4 years
And more on!

What are my chances for top 20 medical schools? Does my low GPA hinder my chances? Let me know your opinion.

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[MasterCobra]

@gyngyn @LizzyM @Goro

 

[walkerson242]

I would refrain from showering with physicians. It sounds like you have developed close relationships with them, however, this may look adversely on your application. I would recommend shadowing instead.

 

[Goro]

Work on the self-esteem. Your GPA is only 0.1 point below the national median., and it's still > the 10th %ile even at top schools.

Getting accepted is 100% on you. I do expect lots of IIs.

Hello SDN members! I had just joined SDN and I am still thinking if I should apply for medical schools for the next cycle. More details of my application is provided below:

Academic Stats:
GPA and sGPA: 3.60
MCAT: 525

ECs:
Publications: 7
Research: 3-4 years
Shadowing: Showered with 4-5 different medical specialities
President of 3-4 Charity Organizations
Volunteering for 4 years
And more on!

What are my chances for top 20 medical schools? Does my low GPA hinder my chances? Let me know your opinion.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Lol at 3.6 being "low".... especially with. 525. OP you are good, as Goro said expect a lot of interviews.

The showering comment above is golden @walkerson242

 

[Promethean]

The only thing I could possibly add to what the wise Goro has said is:

Do you want to be a med student at a top 20 school, or do you want to be a physician? Not to say that you can't achieve both, but the clout of your school isn't really that big a factor for much of anything but your own ego. Ain't nothing wrong with healthy and well-earned self-esteem, but do make sure your priorities match your values.

 

[kneeshoe]

7 publications in 4 years? My god that's insane LOL. You have a good shot at many top schools and your GPA as mentioned is only slightly less than median BUT you have a killer MCAT score.

 

[MasterCobra]

Thank you all for your kind words. I really appreciate your encouragement and its very nice of you all. I had asked this question about my GPA since I have been following mdapplicant site for a long time and its depressing to see that only 3.9+ and 520+ are the ones that eventually ended up at top 20. I rarely seen 3.6s making into top 20s. Is it because of other factors?

 

[efle]

I rarely seen 3.6s making into top 20s. Is it because of other factors?

3.6s rarely carry half a dozen pubs, charity work and a 40+ MCAT

I think you could make a list of just top 20s and have a disgusting number of interviews

 

[MareNostrummm]

Hello SDN members! I had just joined SDN and I am still thinking if I should apply for medical schools for the next cycle. More details of my application is provided below:

Academic Stats:
GPA and sGPA: 3.60
MCAT: 525

ECs:
Publications: 7
Research: 3-4 years
Shadowing: Showered with 4-5 different medical specialities
President of 3-4 Charity Organizations
Volunteering for 4 years
And more on!

What are my chances for top 20 medical schools? Does my low GPA hinder my chances? Let me know your opinion.

Our lord and savior has arrived.

 

[Knicks17]

That MCAT THO, nice job man

 

[MasterCobra]

I am just asking this for my curiosity. JHU, Harvard, WUSTL has a 10% gpa as 3.7. Does that mean they will not look into your application if its lower than 3.7? I am just asking this so that I could save money and replace those 3 with other schools. Thanks again everyone!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I am just asking this for my curiosity. JHU, Harvard, WUSTL has a 10% gpa as 3.7. Does that mean they will not look into your application if its lower than 3.7? I am just asking this so that I could save money and replace those 3 with other schools. Thanks again everyone!

No it just means that only 10% of their class has a GPA below a 3.7. With your MCAT and depending on your ECs you might must be in that 10%. Especially for WashU.

 

[efle]

I am just asking this for my curiosity. JHU, Harvard, WUSTL has a 10% gpa as 3.7. Does that mean they will not look into your application if its lower than 3.7? I am just asking this so that I could save money and replace those 3 with other schools. Thanks again everyone!

Apps like yours tend to be the ones that still get interviews with a lower GPA.

E.g. md-2020 with a 3.5sGPA but 100th percentile MCAT, bunch of pubs etc, who still got love from the tip top schools

 

[MasterCobra]

Thank you all for your reply!

 

[MasterCobra]

@Goro I wanted to ask. If I take a bunch of online courses and raise my GPA to 3.70 will that be frowned upon? I am taking certain online courses since I was interested in the field of astronomy and math but I am scared if admission officers will misunderstand it. Once again, thank you so much!

 

[Goro]

Some schools are OK with online coursework, but the gestalt is that whatever GPA you get from them isn't that valued.

@Goro I wanted to ask. If I take a bunch of online courses and raise my GPA to 3.70 will that be frowned upon? I am taking certain online courses since I was interested in the field of astronomy and math but I am scared if admission officers will misunderstand it. Once again, thank you so much!

 

[MasterCobra]

Some schools are OK with online coursework, but the gestalt is that whatever GPA you get from them isn't that valued.

Goro do you mean that they will get rid of those credits and recalculate my GPA since it isnt valued that much?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Goro do you mean that they will get rid of those credits and recalculate my GPA since it isnt valued that much?

No they just won't care what you get, unless you do poorly in them. It is expected that you ace online courses, so when you do it doesn't really add much to your app.

 

[MasterCobra]

No they just won't care what you get, unless you do poorly in them. It is expected that you ace online courses, so when you do it doesn't really add much to your app.

Yep. I get your point but isnt there a difference from 3.6 vs 3.7? Like would admission officers see this as a bad thing since I am using some advantage or something?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Yep. I get your point but isnt there a difference from 3.6 vs 3.7? Like would admission officers see this as a bad thing since I am using some advantage or something?

What? Do you mean a difference between a 3.6 and 3.7 in online courses? Or for overall GPA?

 

[MasterCobra]

What? Do you mean a difference between a 3.6 and 3.7 in online courses? Or for overall GPA?

Once again, thank you so much for your quick reply. I really appreciate the help from you guys. Oh I meant my overall gpa increasing from 3.6 to 3.7 due to online courses.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Once again, thank you so much for your quick reply. I really appreciate the help from you guys. Oh I meant my overall gpa increasing from 3.6 to 3.7 due to online courses.

No they won't care. The difference between a 3.7 and 3.6 is minimal