What can I do to increase my chances for a top 20 school?

[siliconchins]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[dcc23]

I am just finishing with freshman year at a top 5 liberal arts college and am thinking about premed. My GPA is alright, ~3.6-3.7, and my sGPA is around ~3.8. I know I could be doing better, especially for my freshman year.

I am also doing some pathology research (my third year, around ~1090 hours so far and in the same lab) and I am currently coauthored on one paper under review and will be coauthored on another paper for a project I am currently working on. I have also done some independent research and got semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in 2011. Also, since the university I research at is affiliated with a hospital, I can probably shadow some doctors this summer as well.

I have also applied to volunteer at a hospice for some clinical experience, although I'm mainly doing it because I heard from friends that it is an eye opening and intense experience. I have also applied to some other volunteer programs for my own interests, such as nature photography for the local park service.

I've also started to look over the material for the MCAT. Mainly, until several months before the test, I am just going to make sure that I review the material I know and strengthen my core through repetition and exposure to the questions.

What else could/should I be doing to maximize my chances?

Go grab a drink and relax for a second for your own sanity.

 

[catzzz88]

I am just finishing with freshman year at a top 5 liberal arts college...
My GPA is alright, ~3.6-3.7...
I am also doing some pathology research ...
I can probably shadow some doctors this summer as well....
I have also applied to volunteer at a hospice for some clinical experience...
I've also started to look over the material for the MCAT...
What else could/should I be doing to maximize my chances?

With these points, it looks like you are on a great track! Bring your GPA up; you should have a nice upward trend.

To "maximize" your chances, you certainly need to get one more thing; LEADERSHIP. Build something, lead something, come up with an idea. Form a club, generate a fundraiser, gather and inspire your peers!

If you want some ideas, here is a post that I made a year ago about how to organize a successful fundraiser. It all takes practice, so you might as well start early!

Best,
C

 

[siliconchins]

.

 

[Frazier]

Why is going to a T20 of major importance to you?

There are plenty of awesome schools >20.

That said, your GPA of 3.6-3.8 is perfectly fine.

To answer your question, the biggest thing you could do to boost your chances at a T20 is to destroy the MCAT. Unfortunately, you only have so much control over that (or else everyone would do it).

Outside of destroying the mcat and maintaining a >3.6 gpa, you should come up with some X-factors for your application.

With a mediocre gpa/mcat, you won't get in without X-factors.

 

[darkjedi]

Get some more leadership type positions (not just in name, but actually producing something substantive and involves leading peers), non-medical EC's (something you're personally passionate about), and a >97th percentile MCAT score. Having all those will give you about a good a chance as you can get for a traditional student.

 

[Lollygag]

Even though it's been said a million times before, one of the best ways to impress top 20 school's is to find something you are passionate about and excel in it rather than having a laundry list of activities that don't seem to tell a story about who you are as an applicant. None of us can tell you what that is. We can only tell you what most people have which is leadership, research, volunteering etc...

You should also ask yourself why you want to attend a top 20 medical school, every medical school in the U.S. will make you a great doctor. Top 20 school's will just give you more debt, while making you a great doctor lol their really not necessary unless you want to do significant research after medical school or work in a medical school hospital on the administration or do healthcare policy, things along those lines..

 

[siliconchins]

.

 

[sakabato93]

What would be a >97th percentile MCAT score?

36+
https://www.aamc.org/students/download/320554/data/combined12.pdf.pdf

But this MCAT format is over after 2014. It seems like you're an advanced student, so you may take the 2014 MCAT. But remember that the 2015 MCAT will be completely different.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Start a non-profit. ADCOMs will eat that right up, just like the Cookie Monster!

At least for now, they will go the way of medical mission trips eventually. Better take advantage of it now.

 

[muddyduck7]

Top 20 school's will just give you more debt

I will preface this by saying that I tire of the "top 5 or bust" mentality on SDN, and I think that for the majority of people, it can be really toxic.

Having said that, the "Top 20" school to which I am matriculating gave me far and away the best financial aid package of any of the medical schools that accepted me. Not all states have inexpensive instate tuition options. For PA, Penn State is pretty comparable to the costs of private schools... So sometimes, a "Top 20" school may give you less debt 🙂

 

[darkjedi]

What would be a >97th percentile MCAT score?

I said 97th percentile because I don't know what 97th will be for the new MCAT (I'd imagine somewhere around 48), but it is currently ~36.

 

[siliconchins]

.