What are my chances?

[nugget1988]

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Hello guys:

I am currently a junior and plan to apply for medical schools over the summer and am curious about my chances of getting in:

Here are my basic stats and extracurriculars:
NC State Engineering Freshman Year: 3.98 g.p.a.
UNC Chapel Hill Biostatistics: 3.49 g.p.a. (transfered)
Total Cumulative g.p.a. 3.67
Plan to take MCAT over summer

Extracurriculars:
Spent summer volunteering in New Orleans about 300 Service Hours
Lead Relief trips back to New Orleans and will be co-chair of the campus organization that organizes relief trips (have lead two and participated in 5 week long break trips all together)
Eagle Scout
UNC Public Service Scholar
APO National Service Fraternity:
Voting Delegate at 2010 National Convention
Served on Rush and Service Committees
Shadowed urologist in surgery 12 hours
Wrote and administered a survey to NC urologists about robotic surgery with professor at Duke
Red Flag: Withdrew for a semester sophmore year when I wasn't sure where I was going with my degree.

I really want to go to Tulane because I know they are very big with community service and I also feel very passionate about New Orleans, but I am concerned about my g.p.a. dropping. My major is very challenging and requires me to take 12 graduate classes in our school of public health. I am just curious if medical school will look down on me not doing quite as well in such a challenging major. I also don't have much research experience, but I would rather spend my time doing community service.

Any suggestions about my chances at Tulane?

 

[bucks2010]

Some high grades in upper-level science classes would do you well - have you done well in any upper-level classes recently to offset the downward trend?

Applying as early as possible would probably be a good idea in your case. When exactly do you plan on taking the MCAT?

As an aside, 12 graduate classes for an undergraduate major? So if I'm reading this right, about ~25% of your credit hours are in graduate level classes? That's pretty intense.

 

[Catalystik]

Any suggestions about my chances at Tulane?

Your red flag isn't taking a semester off, it's a lack of apparent clinical experience, interacting with sick people (unless you didn't overtly state it), and insufficient shadowing. Your community service is terrific, and overshadows the brief research activity.

Your GPA drop off is a concern, especially as grading in grad level classes is commonly perceived to reflect grade inflation. Another full year of strong academic performance would be helpful, particularly in upper-level Bio and Biochem.

Consider delaying your application goal to summer 2012 to achieve the goals discussed.

 

[nugget1988]

Thanks to both of you. Yes the major requires 12 graduate math and statistics classes. The truth of the matter is that I absolutely hate statistics, and I think my grades are suffering as a result. My plan now is to switch majors, get some clinical experience, and apply summer 2012.

Thanks, and best of luck to the two of you.

 

[Catalystik]

Protecting your GPA is key, so that sounds like a good decision.