What are my chances?

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cryhavoc

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In general? What type of schools should I apply to? How bad are my chances, etc.? Pretend I'm too poor to take it again (because I am) but not poor enough to qualify for reduced price.

I have a 3.75 GPA
I have a 3.5 sGPA
I have a 27 on my MCAT (10/9/8)
I have 200+ hours of clinical volunteering.
I have 100+ hours of community service.
300+ hours of research, no publications.
 
I'm trying to cut it down to 15 schools, I might increase the DO ratio given my recent MCAT score but for now, it is a huge list:
A.T. Still University (DO)

Southern Cal-Keck

UC Davis

Connecticut

George Washington

FIU-Wertheim

Florida

Florida State

MC Georgia

Mercer

Morehouse

Philadelphia College (DO) Georgia Campus

Chicago Med-Franklin

Tufts

University of New England (DO)

Stony Brook

Albany

New York Medical

Northeastern Ohio

Ohio University (DO)

University of Pittsburgh

Jefferson

Temple

Drexel

Commonwealth

Penn State

Philadelphia College (DO)

Lake Erie (DO)

West Virginia

Marshall-Edwards
 
So, MCAT score equals zero shot at Pitt, but I might get something published in the new few months. Maybe. And Pitt is a big research school, would it help at all? I only ask because I have a friend who got into Pitt with a 28 on his MCAT, lots of research.
 
cryhavoc said:
So, MCAT score equals zero shot at Pitt, but I might get something published in the new few months. Maybe. And Pitt is a big research school, would it help at all? I only ask because I have a friend who got into Pitt with a 28 on his MCAT, lots of research.
Click to expand...
Your $.
 
Okay, I'll put that in the "if family members offer to buy extra applications" list for now lol. I want the best 15 I can get into, a mix of MD and DO. (Please and thanks!)
 
Delete FSU unless you have strong ties to Tallahassee, they take like 1-5 OOS a year. Your scores are too low for UF and FIU probably.
 
I have a preference for PA, NY, CT, OH, WV, FL, GA but I would go anywhere really if I got in.
 
I suggest that you stick with DO schools and the below, a 27 MCAT score is circling the drain for MD schools. Pitt does not need the money in the form of your app fee. A Cell paper won't rescue a 27.

A.T. Still University (DO)
Frank Netter
Loma Linda
New York Medical College
Albany
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College of Wisconsin
Commonwealth
 
This whole switching formats thing is such a nuisance.I hate to spend the money on brand new study material, but if the old test was still going, I'd love a chance to retake it in a few months. What awful timing for me.

But whatever money I spend out new material and retaking the new test, will come out of my application money. Is my money better spent on 15 application and my old score, or 5-6 medical school applications and a chance that I might do better on this next test (currently enrolled in a biochem class and I have taken lots of psych classes).

I just don't know. I wouldn't mind going to a DO school but I don't like the idea that I'm incapable of getting into an MD school. Rubs me the wrong way and makes me want to retake it. The rest of my app is good, just that one thing is mediocre.

Just like college, had awesome grades and EC's but my mediocre SAT prevented me from going to prestigious schools then too.

___________
On another note, as long as I interview well, do you guys think I have a high chance of getting into at least one medical school (MD) given my stats? It would be useful to to know.
 
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gyngyn said:
Your chances based on historical norms are 35 to 40%. These figures tend to overestimate odds of acceptance, though.
Click to expand...

Why do they overestimate odds? Is this true across the board?
 
LuluLovesMe said:
Why do they overestimate odds? Is this true across the board?
Click to expand...
The overall odds of acceptance include mission-based schools for whom the passion for the mission is core to the acceptance. These schools have an honorable history of successfully taking risks (regarding stats) for those who personify their mission.
 
gyngyn said:
The overall odds of acceptance include mission-based schools for whom the passion for the mission is core to the acceptance. These schools have an honorable history of successfully taking risks (regarding stats) for those who personify their mission.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing this effect would be greater for applicants with stats below the accepted mean?
 
LuluLovesMe said:
I'm guessing this effect would be greater for applicants with stats below the accepted mean?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I understand your question. The mission based schools put much more emphasis on those with a validated commitment to their target population. MCAT scores and gpa's are secondary in importance to the mission (to some degree). Thus, they often have median scores that are lower than non-mission based schools.
 
gyngyn said:
I'm not sure I understand your question. The mission based schools put much more emphasis on those with a validated commitment to their target population. MCAT scores and gpa's are secondary in importance to the mission (to some degree). Thus, they often have median scores that are lower than non-mission based schools.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing that of accepted applicants with below average stats, a greater proportion are matriculating at mission based schools compared to high stat applicants. Therefore the effect of mission based schools is greater on the acceptance rates of lower stat applicants.
 
That and state schools, like LSU or U AB, which only take ISer's.



gyngyn said:
The overall odds of acceptance include mission-based schools for whom the passion for the mission is core to the acceptance. These schools have an honorable history of successfully taking risks (regarding stats) for those who personify their mission.
Click to expand...

It sill skews their avg stats downard.
Therefore the effect of mission based schools is greater on the acceptance rates of lower stat applicants.
 
Is there a list of mission based schools? My personal statement is basically all about how I want to go beyond my duties as a doctor to help out certain alienated groups in the community.
 
cryhavoc said:
Is there a list of mission based schools? My personal statement is basically all about how I want to go beyond my duties as a doctor to help out certain alienated groups in the community.
Click to expand...
Basically: The HBCU's, Loma Linda, the Puerto Rican schools and state schools with only one medical school.
The next group contains regionally focused schools (e.g. all TX public schools, SIU, NEO med, UCR, U of WA...)
Then come those with less penetrance of mission (e.g. the Jesuit schools).
Finally, those with a large proportion of "special programs" like Sinai, Brown, UMKC...

Your application has to closely match the specific mission of one of these schools in order to increase your odds, though. A validated commitment to (fill in the mission) has to be a prominent part of the story, otherwise your odds go down fast.
 
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Okay, now given my low MCAT score, is it safe to say I won't qualify for the kind of high-end schools that require biochem? If I'm not applying to any schools that require it, I'm thinking of taking it as Pass/fail, just for the knowledge. From my understanding, mostly upper echelon schools require biochem, if I can't get into them anyway, why risk my GPA with taking such a difficult class for a letter grade?
 
cryhavoc said:
Okay, now given my low MCAT score, is it safe to say I won't qualify for the kind of high-end schools that require biochem? If I'm not applying to any schools that require it, I'm thinking of taking it as Pass/fail, just for the knowledge. From my understanding, mostly upper echelon schools require biochem, if I can't get into them anyway, why risk my GPA with taking such a difficult class for a letter grade?
Click to expand...
Can you give an example of what you mean by "high end?"
Many fine schools have no specific pre-req's.
 
gyngyn said:
Can you give an example of what you mean by "high end?"
Many fine schools have no specific pre-req's.
Click to expand...

What I'm trying to say is that given my MCAT score, the only strong/decent parts of my app are my gpa and EC's. i stand to drop from a 3.5 to a 3.4 science GPA if I get a C in this course. And if most schools don't have it as a requirement, and it isn't needed for me to graduate, would it be in my best interest to take it as a pass/fail, and just use it to build a base of knowledge for when I take it in medical school? Given my major, I'm basically taking biochemistry for fun but stand to lose a lot if I get a C in it.

But if a lot of schools require it as a letter grade, I'll take it that way.

I mean you can say, "once you're in medical school, you should skilled enough to ace a college biochem class" but there is a huge time commitment in getting an A versus passing, and I rather use that extra time on volunteer projects.
 
cryhavoc said:
What I'm trying to say is that given my MCAT score, the only strong/decent parts of my app are my gpa and EC's. i stand to drop from a 3.5 to a 3.4 science GPA if I get a C in this course. And if most schools don't have it as a requirement, and it isn't needed for me to graduate, would it be in my best interest to take it as a pass/fail, and just use it to build a base of knowledge for when I take it in medical school? Given my major, I'm basically taking biochemistry for fun but stand to lose a lot if I get a C in it.

But if a lot of schools require it as a letter grade, I'll take it that way.
Click to expand...
Requirements vary and change every year. You may want to check the pre-reqs for some of the schools to which you are planning to apply.
 
I'm tempted to take this new MCAT, but I would like to apply early (June 1st) and my schedule is pretty packed to be study to take the MCAT by May 1st.

Is it still considered applying early if you send your old score in, say June 1st, and send an update with your new score like July 1st? I'd like a solid month (May) to study.

However, part of my packed schedule is biochem. I'll probably know it fairly well by the end of this semester. Maybe I will be well-off enough to take it by the end of April. So much in the air though.
 
cryhavoc said:
Is it still considered applying early if you send your old score in, say June 1st, and send an update with your new score like July 1st?
.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's early.
Don't take it unless you are going to do a lot better. Multiple unhelpful data points are much worse than one.
 
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