What are my chances? Please be honest!

[swissdesigirl]

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I am a junior at a top 20 private school, and I am planning to apply this upcoming cycle (2013-2014). I am in-state in Ohio. I am majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and minoring in Spanish.

Freshman year, my GPA was at its highest (3.77 cGPA at the end of freshman year). I was making all A's and A-'s with the exception of one B+ in a 200 level art history course that I didn't really need/want to take.

Sophomore year, I made a C+ in Organic Chem 1, which brought my GPA down to a 3.69. The semester after, I made a B in Organic Chem 2, but my GPA still fell a bit to a 3.66.

This year, my grades will most likely be a mix of A's and B's, although none are out yet. I will probably end up with some form of a 3.65-3.67 for cGPA, and somewhere around a 3.4 for sGPA. I know that next semester, I will be able to make all A's (I'm only taking 3 courses, all science because I'm taking a Kaplan MCAT prep course).

I have been pretty worried about med school apps because my GPA isn't that great, and there isn't really an upward trajectory to my grades. I essentially have just one semester to improve before I begin to apply. Additionally, our school does composite letters, which means that all LORs are due by March (which is stressing me out).

With those stats, how well should I aim to do on the MCAT in order to be competitive? I did very well on the SAT, and I am quite good with standardized testing, especially the verbal section.

If you need info about extracurriculars or anything like that, I'll be happy to provide it. I just didn't want to go on forever in my first thread 🙂

Thank you so much!

 

[Lucky Louie]

You asked for chances and that totally depends on several factors you didn't list. Where do you intend to apply? What score do you anticipate obtaining on the MCAT? What kind of ECs do you have (science and non-science)?

 

[anguisette]

With those stats, how well should I aim to do on the MCAT in order to be competitive? I did very well on the SAT, and I am quite good with standardized testing, especially the verbal section.

If you need info about extracurriculars or anything like that, I'll be happy to provide it. I just didn't want to go on forever in my first thread 🙂

Thank you so much!

Always aim as high as you can 🙂. Study hard and when you have your score it'd be easier to say which schools you're more competitive at vs others.

 

[swissdesigirl]

You asked for chances and that totally depends on several factors you didn't list. Where do you intend to apply? What score do you anticipate obtaining on the MCAT? What kind of ECs do you have (science and non-science)?

Here are my extracurriculars:

Basic science research - 1 summer of paid research at OSU James cancer center (40 hours a week), 2 semesters in an immunology/virology lab at school working with influenza A virus (around 5-8 hours a week), Summer Undergraduate Research program for 10 weeks (40 hours+ a week) in a cell bio/neuroscience lab working with fragile x syndrome and a paid semester of 9 hours a week in that same neuroscience lab continuing the same project. For my summer project, I received a grant from the National Fragile X Foundation.

Shadowing: Summer after freshman year, I shadowed in allergy/immunology both with a private clinic and the local children's hospital's immunology/allergy clinic. I got 4 half days at each location (so approximately 35 hours total). I plan to shadow more this summer.

Volunteering at nearby children's hospital: 3 hour shifts weekly in the emergency department for the past 2 semesters (my first semester i worked a 9-midnight shift which was pretty rough)

I was on the executive board of the Hindu Students Association for a year and a half - freshman year, i was a freshman representative. I served as the volunteer chair my sophomore year. I am still involved now, just as a general body member.

This year I am the chair of our chapter of Unite for Sight, which is a nonprofit that aims to cure global preventable blindness, especially in impoverished countries. I have been a member since freshman year, and all the executive members graduated last year, so I took on the job of being one of only 2 executive board members who are fundraising and trying to get rechartered.

I am also an advocate and peer facilitator in a group called Sexual Assault Peer Advocacy, which helps educate our college community in what to say, what not to say, and how to help survivors of sexual assault. It's a relatively new organization, and I joined this semester as soon as I learned about it.

I am also a member of University Chorus and have participated in it for 2 years now.

As for schools I plan to apply to, I want to apply to schools that are either in Ohio or near it, since I am in state there. As of yet, I am still working on my short list.

I plan to get above a 30 for sure on the MCAT. I was told that to be competitive, I should aim for around a 35, but I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet. I wanted to study chem and orgo before I took the diagnostic (I need to reacquaint myself with them since it's been a while). I'll update you.

Thanks so much!

 

[swissdesigirl]

So after this semester, my GPA is a 3.62. I'm pretty disappointed in myself, but it will be able to come back up to a 3.67 cGPA and a 3.57 sGPA by the time I apply. Anybody want to give me an idea of how those stats are?

 

[Shouraisei]

So after this semester, my GPA is a 3.62. I'm pretty disappointed in myself, but it will be able to come back up to a 3.67 cGPA and a 3.57 sGPA by the time I apply. Anybody want to give me an idea of how those stats are?

Those gpas are fine in my opinion (in fact, mine are the exact same). You said you attend a top 20 school so I'd imagine that courses are difficult and there is little grade inflation, something that medical schools will take into consideration. Just do well on the MCAT (30+) and I'm sure that and your ECs will get you an acceptance! Best of luck 🙂

 

[kickster]

You should be fine since you are a resident of the great state of Ohio

 

[darkjedi]

It's fine. A 3.6 is about the average matriculant GPA anyway. Just make sure that your GPA trend reverses and starts going up again. If you can manage to do better in the upper level sciences, you can prove that you can handle the sciences.

 

[ace425x]

Your chances aren't too bad considering what you've posted. Your GPA, although not the absolute best, is still pretty solid. You just need to ace your MCAT along with doing the extracurricular stuff. If you get anything higher than a 35 on the MCAT you're pretty much guaranteed to get in somewhere.. Just work on doing some extra stuff that will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd when it comes time for schools to pick applicants for interviews, and you should be fine!

 

[swissdesigirl]

You just need to ace your MCAT along with doing the extracurricular stuff. If you get anything higher than a 35 on the MCAT you're pretty much guaranteed to get in somewhere.. Just work on doing some extra stuff that will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd when it comes time for schools to pick applicants for interviews, and you should be fine!

What would make me stand out? I feel like my extracurriculars show continuity and an interest in community service/public health as well as clinical medicine, which is what I am interested in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!