What are my chances?

[toffee_bloom]

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KY resident, bio major, female ORM, public school.

AMCAS GPA:
- Cumulative - 3.91
- Science - 3.86

MCAT Score:
- Total: 508 (77%)
- Physics: 127
- CARS: 125
- Bio: 128
- Pysch: 128

Clinical volunteer activities: 140+ hours in the ER

Physician shadowing: 40+ hours shadowing an oncologist/hematologist

Research: 60+ hours over 2 years, helped make two posters

Nonclinical volunteer activities: 150+ hours with various non-profit organizations

Employment: 1200+ hours as a CNA

Leadership:
- Mentoring Chair for a pre-med fraternity
- Vice President for a pre-health honors society

Other honors:
- Honors Scholar
- plan to write senior honors thesis and graduate summa cum laude

School List:

1. Columbia
2. Albert Einstein
3. Feinberg
4. Loyola
5. Rush
6. Rosalind Franklin
7. Pittsburgh
8. University of Kentucky
9. University of Louisville
10. Case Western
11. University of Cincinnati
12. WashU
13. Saint Louis
14. Vanderbilt
15. Wake Forest
16. Virginia Commonwealth
17. Eastern Virginia
18. Georgetown
19. Jefferson
20. Medical College Wisconsin

We'll see how this cycle goes!

 

[DarthKat]

A lot of the schools on your list are definitely MCAT dependent. Your list is extremely top heavy.
Its difficult to help you make a list without an MCAT score, but I'd definitely add more lower tier schools.

Also Pakistani-Americans are overrepresented in medicine. That would not be an advantage in the admission process.

 

[toffee_bloom]

Okay, thanks! Any suggestions on what lower-tier schools to add?

 

[DarthKat]

I would invest in the MSAR. Look for OOS friendly schools with lower MCAT averages. Maybe Rosalind Franklin, Albany,NYMC...

 

[toffee_bloom]

I would invest in the MSAR. Look for OOS friendly schools with lower MCAT averages. Maybe Rosalind Franklin, Albany,NYMC...

Yes, I've looked at the MSAR for my current list of schools, but I will definitely look at ones with lower MCAT averages! Thanks a lot!

 

[toffee_bloom]

Okay, so I'm planning to add these schools to apply to:

1. Rosalind Franklin
2. Leonard M. Miller
3. NYMC
4. Albany
5. Tulane
6. Virginia Commonwealth
7. Eastern Virginia

Their MCAT averages are a little lower and each accepts at least 40% OOS students. Is this a good number of lower-tier schools to have?

Also, I have a general question about course requirements. Some schools are picky about accepting credits from AP, online, or community college classes. I do have AP English credit, but I took it again my freshman year anyway. However, I've noticed some schools' websites specify that they want you to have a full year of English. The English class I took was honors and so counted for both 1 and 2 even though it was only one semester. I'm worried about whether or not this would be accepted at the schools that are picky about English. The ones I've read this stuff about have been on Columbia, Saint Louis, and Vanderbilt's websites. I know some will accept expository writing courses in place of that, which I have, but as far as I know those 3 schools didn't specify. Should I call the admissions office and ask about that specifically?

I probably should have posted the question somewhere else, but I thought I would might as well ask since that might affect what schools I end up applying to!

@Goro and @gyngyn I would love to have input from one of you about this!

EDIT: Took off Meharry

 

[Vain Brother]

how have you been scoring on your practice exams? your MCAT is really going to be the crucial missing piece here. take off meharry since they're HBCU

 

[toffee_bloom]

how have you been scoring on your practice exams? your MCAT is really going to be the crucial missing piece here. take off meharry since they're HBCU

Well, I really am not sure if there is any use in taking the old practice exams, because those scores can't be compared to the new ones at all (at least that's what admissions people have been telling me). I would love to take a practice exam for the new MCAT that can give me a score, but the aamc only has one out right now and it does not provide a score...they said they won't have that until around August, well after I've applied.

Also, since I am going to be one of the test takers in May, I won't get my score back until 45 days later, after I've already applied. So I'm basically sending in my application to all these schools before I'll know what my score is! I don't want to wait that long to get my score back though and then apply.

I haven't been getting a lot from people on the admissions boards about how exactly they're going to evaluate this new MCAT. The aamc has determined that a 500 will be the average, but then again the people that are taking the test in April/May will be the ones to set the scale, which is why it's going to take so much longer for us to get our scores back. Even still, with it being so new, the averages that will be recorded in the first 6 months it's distributed will be so much different a year or two from now because by then there will be so many more practice exams and other materials to review with.

I'm not saying that the new MCAT will not be a factor in this application cycle, of course I will aim for an above average score, I'm just wondering how these new scores will be put up against applicants that have the old MCAT score and even how applicants with the new MCAT will be compared against each other. All this uncertainty really troubles me.

 

[Vain Brother]

right, wow, had no idea there was going to be that much uncertainty with the new MCAT. you guys have it rough

one thing you could always do is just apply to one school (one you know you're definntely applying to anyway) once AMCAS opens, so you can get verified ASAP. pre-write a bunch of secondaries while you wait for your MCAT score, then tailor your final list accordingly based on your MCAT score

 

[gyngyn]

@Goro and @gyngyn I would love to have input from one of you about this!

I'm waiting for the MCAT.

 

[toffee_bloom]

right, wow, had no idea there was going to be that much uncertainty with the new MCAT. you guys have it rough

one thing you could always do is just apply to one school (one you know you're definntely applying to anyway) once AMCAS opens, so you can get verified ASAP. pre-write a bunch of secondaries while you wait for your MCAT score, then tailor your final list accordingly based on your MCAT score

Ahhh that sounds very stressful haha. Maybe I'll do like half and half!

I'm waiting for the MCAT.

Me too lol. But would you happen to know what I can do about that one year of English? I was wondering if schools that specify that accept a course that counts for two English classes even though it was just in one semester.

 

[gyngyn]

Fair enough, but would you happen to know what I can do about that one year of English? I was wondering if schools that specify that accept a course that counts for two English classes even though it was just in one semester.

You could email admissions and ask. It doesn't need to be completed until you matriculate, anyway. The problem being you don't know which schools to contact without the MCAT (except your state schools).

 

[toffee_bloom]

You could email admissions and ask. The problem being we don't know which schools to contact without the MCAT (except your state schools, if any).

Yeah the most uncertain part of my entire application will be my MCAT score...or lack thereof. =/ I just feel completely in the dark about this new one, all I can really do is study and do practice questions, but there's nothing that can give me an approximate score or anything...

 

[Vain Brother]

you should do the early application trick I mentioned. then make a big list with 3 sections

1) schools you are applying to no matter what
2) schools you'll apply to if your MCAT is between x and y
3) schools you'll apply to if your MCAT is between y and z

obviously there will be some overlap and some last-minute decisions to make but it'll be a good way to save time and this way you won't be starting from scratch in July when your MCAT finally comes back

 

[toffee_bloom]

Hey guys! So I have updated my first post with my official MCAT score (508), it's about the equivalent of a 29-30. So I accordingly adjusted my list by taking out a lot of top-tier schools that I had before (UVA, Pritzker, Duke, Perelman), but still kept some in as reaches. I've also added some low-tiers whose MCAT score averages are more within my range. I am hoping that my GPA will help me a little with that.

I've already updated my application with these new schools, but if you think I should add any more, please suggest any! I went with these based off of MCAT/GPA averages, location, and having at least a 50% OOS acceptance.

I know that WashU is the biggest reach and it is a dream school due to a personal connection which is why I'm applying.

I will definitely update this at the end of the cycle so hopefully it will help out people that are in a similar situation as me.

 

[Goro]

Here's a more realistic list:

Rush
NYMC
Creighton
Albany
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Loma Linda (but read their list of don'ts)
MCW
St. Louis U
WVU
Jefferson
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
GWU
Georgetown
Tufts
U Miami
Wake Forest
EVMS
VCU
All new MD programs except Hofstra, Central MI, Va Tech, FIU, FAU and UCF
Any DO program
Your state school(s).

 

[toffee_bloom]

Thanks a lot Goro! I already have 7 of those you listed on my list, but I'm also going to add Jefferson, MCW, and Georgetown for a total of 20 schools.