What are my chances? (Reapplicant)

[FreeDarko]

Last year I recieved two interviews but was rejected across the board (probably because I applied in Sept. and only to upper level schools and I had nearly zero clinical experience). This year, I am applying to
Tulane, UIC, Tufts, Creighton, Rosalind Franklin, SUNY Upstate, SUNY Downstate, Albany, Wake Forest, UVM, Temple, GWU, Jefferson, Loyola, MC Wisconsin.

Here are my stats

GPA = 3.67 (Major upward trend; Freshman/First Semester Soph GPA = 2.8, Second Semester Soph until Graduation GPA = 4.0)
BCMP GPA = 3.89
MCAT= PS 10 VR 11 BS 12, O

Extracurrics:
Tutoring (x2yrs)
Teaching (x1 yr)
First Author in Social Psych Publication (2009)
Shadowed General Internal physicians (x1 mo)
Volunteer at Hospital (x5 mo and counting)
Orgo Scholarship (2008)

What do you think my chances are? Thanks in advance!

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[Mobius1985]

Your stats are fine and your list reasonable, though many would say you should be applying to 15-20 schools.

Five months of hospital volunteering is a good start, but still not much considering the average applicant has 1.5 years. For you I'd say it's very important to continue this activity through the application year so you can report ongoing activity in your update letters. And if you end up applying again, you'll have a good amount of experience by then. For shadowing, 8-40 hours for each of 2-3 physicians is enough (preferably different specialties for each). You look to be very strong in teaching, but do you have anything to list under leadership? Was the social psych thing a research activity?

 

[FreeDarko]

Thanks for the advice Mobius.

I don't have much to list under leadership, unfortunately. The social psych thing began as my senior thesis, but I enjoyed working on it so I decided to take it a little further (my advisor and I continued working on it for ~6 months after I graduated and it is going to be published in an academic journal soon) IDK if that is leadership or not...

Oh, and I will DEFINITELY continue volunteering at the hospital - I know that is my biggest weakness at this point.

Thanks again Mobius. Does anyone else have anything to add?

 

[FreeDarko]

Shameless Bump

 

[Stratego]

Authorship of a publication is a "publication" or "research. It is not "leadership". Are you planning to hold your submission until the paper is published so you can cite it as such?

Or are you going to wait a year to apply so your application will have the usual and customary elements and get stronger consideration? You really don't want to go through this process a third time. Then you'd have a year to get all your ducks in a row and really shine.

 

[FreeDarko]

I actually submitted the primary on Tuesday and was verified yesterday. Since I took 4.5 years to get through college, and was rejected last cycle (costing me another year), I'm antsy to move on to the next stage. You might be on to something though... I hope that I didn't apply prematurely.

Thanks for the input stratego!

 

[Stratego]

I wish you the best of luck. Like Mobius suggested, keep building on your activities so you have relevant, helpful information to include in future update letters. Leadership, added clinical experience, publication, and more shadowing are all important for you to let schools know about.