What do you think of my list of schools?

[pushkin]

Ok, so far I have pared my list of schools to apply to down to 29! I'm just wondering what people think. Are there schools I should add, or some I should take off? Before I list them, here are some basics about me:

BA in religion, gpa 3.56. Postbacc premed classes (at a community college) plus several electives (at a 4-year), gpa 3.96. Overall gpa 3.71. MCAT: 40T. EC's: hospital volunteer, chemistry research, music, art, some athletics and community service, lots of study and volunteering overseas. Minnesota resident. Interest in research (moreso than primary care) and possibly a combined MD/MPH later on.

My list thus far:

Boston University
Columbia
Dartmouth
UCLA
Emory
George Washington
Georgetown
Harvard
John's Hopkins
USC
Mayo
Mount Sinai
NYU
Northwestern
Stanford
Vermont
Tufts
Tulane
UCSF
U of Chicago
Connecticut
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota--Twin Cities
Minnesota--Duluth
Penn
Pittsburg
Cornell
Yale

Also:
McGill (Montreal)
U of Toronto
possibly others in Canada
The Irish schools through Atlantic Bridge and/or Aussie schools

Now, does it seem skewed any particular way? I want to have a good range of high/mid/low tier and exciting foreign options. Does it seem like I have that? Do I need to apply to so many schools? I have to admit, a couple are there just because I'm intrugued by the part of the country they're in (e.g. Emory and Tulane), although it's a total mystery whether I'd actually be able to survive in the south. By the way, I'd love to go overseas, so rather than apply to too many "lower tier" US schools (if such a thing exists) in places I wouldn't want to live, I think I'll just cast my net wider, towards Ireland and Australia. On the other hand, looking at that list of US schools, I feel like those are mostly very hard to get into. It would be nice not to be rejected everywhere. Can anyone offer a bit of advice?

Thanks!

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[Bones2008]

I know there're people who would say otherwise, but I think you're applying to WAY too many schools. Your stats (especially your MCAT) are off the chart! There is no way you should be applying to more than 20 schools, and that might even be pushing it. Closer to 15 might be better. As a comparison, I applied with a 37/3.6 to 14 schools and did plenty fine in the process. Also, your list seems to lack any sort of cohesive features. You apply to the teency Mayo and the huge UMich and NU. You apply to schools in big cities like New York and Chicago and some rural schools. Also, there is no way you're not getting into a U.S. schools unless your PS, your LOR's, or your personality suck bad. If you want to stay in the U.S., drop all those foreign schools along with at least 10 others in the U.S. Ask yourself some questions about what you want:
Curriculum (traditional vs. modern, lecture vs. problem-based)?
Location (East/West/Midwest)?
Urban/Rural?
Cost?
Class Size?
Reputation?

You have outstanding stats. Don't waste your money (and, especially, time) by throwing yourself at all these schools and wearing yourself thin.

 

[Spitting Camel]

Get rid of all of the foreign schools as well as BU and/or Tufts (the difference is negligible between the two), and all of the schools that are in states you would rather die than live in...

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I'd like to point out that there is no ' in Johns Hopkins.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

And may I suggest SGU.

 

[farleyisgod]

............

 

[Pinkertinkle]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=77246

 

[jlee9531]

I'd like to point out that there is no ' in Johns Hopkins.

hahaha....

well there comes a JHU rejection.

 

[Bones2008]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=77246

A classic thread. I'm guessing you think the OP made a fake post. Yeah, possibly, now that I look at it; but I've been reading so many "I don't think my 32 MCAT is good enough" threads lately I dunno what to think. I give the benefit of the doubt, all the same.

 

[pushkin]

It isn't a fake thread at all. I do appreciate the advice I've gotten, at least the serious responses.

I am only applying to foreign schools because I'd seriously like to move overseas. Note that I'm applying to some really GOOD foreign and Canadian ones... Also, I've posted in the international section enough times that I think you will see I'm serious (I used to have a different username, 2ndave, but I changed it awhile ago. I'm not a fake poster though.) You can also look up my plethora of posts on oldpremeds.com, if you're truly suspicious.

Ok, I agree there's no cohesion to the list. That's because I haven't made up my mind about things like school size, type of curriculum, or even area of the US. (Although certain areas are definitely left off.) I'd like to make those decisions once I've gotten to know some different schools a bit. (On their websites, schools brag so much I can't really tell what they're actually about.) I'm open to different parts of the country, and both rural and urban.

Thanks for the advice re. Tufts/BU. That's helpful to know. Are there any main differences between the two that could help me choose one or the other? Ok, I can do some research, but any advice is great. If there are any other places on my list which seem like duplicates, please let me know!

I'm happy with my academic numbers. But there is more to getting in to med school, and finding the right one, than numbers. I like to think I have a good personality, but who knows what adcoms will think come interview day! Plus, I'm nontraditional (age 31, humanities major). I appreciate the suggestion to limit the list to 15 or 20 though. I want to! But which ones to cut?

Thanks!

 

[pushkin]

Also, I just looked at that linked thread. Please don't associate me with that guy. He's a jerk.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Ah, okay, too many trolls running around these days, I'm glad you're not one of them. Anyhow, why do you wish to move over seas? Where do you plan to practice medicine eventually? Also, I do not doubt that you can get into a mid to top tier US school.

 

[MNgrrl]

If you aren't interested in primary care as much as research, get rid of U of MN Duluth! That's their specialty, and almost solely take people who really want to do primary care. Anyhow, with those #'s, you are likely to get into UMN TC anyhow! Plus U of MN TC has an excellent school of public health if you are interested in a MPH.

 

[willthatsall]

Are you serious right now? You have a 40T. Apply where you want to go and don't apply where you don't want to go. It's not like you need advice on where you are competitive. Don't be a %$#@ face.

 

[pushkin]

Please don't call me names! ;-) Geez. I only got my MCAT score yesterday. Before that I was just another community college attendee who got flack for THAT during previous posts...

I am rethinking Duluth. It's just that as one of my in-state schools, I thought I better. Ok, I will mull it over some more. I love Lake Superior though.

Really, med school admissions seem arbitrary to me. Ok, I wasn't trying to be a prick by asking this question, so don't think that about me please. I just identify myself as the kind of nice, albeit somewhat anti-establishment person that usually gets _rejected_ by med schools. A couple years ago, one upper tier school told me that because I went to a community college for post-bac classes, the value of my undergraduate degree from a good school had basically been erased! So I often feel like I am dealing with a certain amount of snobbery in this process, and it seems to me it can't hurt to be prepared. If a school seems too snooty, that's something I'll only discover while visiting, and that's the kind of thing that would turn me off.

As far as going overseas, well, it would be great to get away from the US with its lack of universal health care, I feel. Also the political scene here isn't much to my liking. McGill, in Montreal, is really appealing to me because it's got all the obvious good things about an American school (residency matching would not be a problem)--but it's also in Canada. In the future, I want to work for Doctors without Borders, the World Health Organization, Red Cross, or something along those lines. I'm only this summer really discovering science research. I don't think I'll be super competitive in that area though, since my experience is somewhat thin. But I'll try.

Ok, thanks again. I appreciate the input.

 

[mellantro]

honestly you have a GREAT shot at any school. there is a poster on SDN, i think her screenname is omores, and i remember reading that she was a nontraditional like you with similar scores and was granted a full scholarship to duke or hopkins or some top tier school. i think schools like stanford, mayo, ucsf, etc, ones very responsive to nontrads will be very keen to interview and hopefully accept you with some nice scholarship offers!.

to save money cut your list down and do maintain a handful of middle and lower tier schools, but you have an awesome shot at the top tier and/or prestigious intl schools i.e. Mcgill and UT.

good luck and great job on the MCAT!

 

[akpete]

If you aren't interested in primary care as much as research, get rid of U of MN Duluth! That's their specialty, and almost solely take people who really want to do primary care. Anyhow, with those #'s, you are likely to get into UMN TC anyhow! Plus U of MN TC has an excellent school of public health if you are interested in a MPH.

I definitely agree with MNgrrl. Duluth is a waste of your time. For Minnesota I would concentrate on UMN-TC and Mayo. You'd probably be happier there than Duluth, which is basically all primary care.