What schools to apply to? Female URM

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[Chelsea FC]

Hi guys! I'm a female African-American PA resident (also first generation American), getting my MPH in GA, and I just got back my MCAT score today. I'm really excited because I did very well, but it's a bit lopsided compared to my GPA. I'm just wondering, what sorts of schools should I focus my applications on? I'm applying next cycle. Also, will my high MCAT score take some of the edge off my lower-than-average GPA?

GPA: 3.55
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT: 520 (!)
ECs: I worked two and a half years at a free health clinic providing patients with socioeconomic resources in the city that I lived in (I worked 5 hours a week each semester, so I guess I clocked in at least 300 hours?). I went on a medical mission trip several years ago and technically have 80 hours from that, but I know voluntourism is looked down upon so I'm debating including it as an experience. I worked in a research lab for a year, completed two research-based public health internships, and now work in an epidemiology research lab. No shadowing yet, but hope to get ~50 hours by the start of next application cycle. Lastly, I've held a leadership position as a program manager for my clinic, and two positions through my honor fraternity.

Any help would be super appreciated!!

Apply to any medical school you wish to, around 10-15 should be fine. Pick some top 20s schools and your state schools for back up but I would bet my left nut (which is my favorite) you will have multiple acceptance to choose from. Buy the MSAR when you want and compile a list and remember there isnt any school too high for you, i'm talking Yale, Harvard, Columbia etc... Just make sure you apply to 5-6 safety schools from your state as backup. Also great job at rocking the MCATs

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[URMfemaleMPH]

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[Chelsea FC]

Wow I definitely didn't expect that. Even with my low GPA?

Girl that GPA is more than fine for those schools especially with that MCAT. If you dont have a academic action against you for cheating or a criminal record you will be fine. So Jefferson, Pen state, Upenn, Drexel , Pitt, Commonwealth and some surrounding schools like Boston schools like Tufts, BU etc. Then set your sight at the Big IVY league schools they will be fighting over you. Congrats!

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[Chelsea FC]

That's honestly such great news, I'm so surprised. Thank you so much!!!

No need to thank me. You earned this girl! Hit up these part of the forums when you apply next year if you need any more help, or PM me i'm also applying to alot of those schools as well.

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[deleted642188]

Girl that GPA is more than fine for those schools especially with that MCAT. If you dont have a academic action against you for cheating or a criminal record you will be fine. So Jefferson, Pen state, Upenn, Drexel , Pitt, Commonwealth and some surrounding schools like Boston schools like Tufts, BU etc. Then set your sight at the Big IVY league schools they will be fighting over you. Congrats!

I would disagree, a 3.55 is still risky for an Ivy or Stanford. Congratz on the 520; hats off! While I encourage her to aim high and apply broad I would keep ivy elague schools at 3-4 picks. OP your stats and CV sounds like you're more competitive more a high-mid tier school like U Miami, Case Western/Cleveland Clinic, Rochester. You probably will be a good match for Emory in terms of what you've described. and I am sure an HBCU will offer you modest scholarships too.

My List in no particular order the slashes are schools to pick between or amongt:

U Chicago/Columbia/UPenn
Mt. Sinai
Cornell/Northwestern
Baylor/Duke
Johns Hopkins because they have a good amount of outrecah to the poor and underserved
Penn State
Philly Triplets - Temple/Drexel/Thomas Jefferson
U Miami
Rochester
The Commonwealth Medical College (especially if you live near Scranton)
Emory/Vandy
Rush Medical College
University of Michigan
SUNY Buffalo/Downstate
All of the HBCU
and the Baw-stun schools that Chelsea mentioned
OP if you become a Georgian Resident before applications, you qualify to apply to Mercer, Georgia Regents, and all of the Tennessee Public Schools

Edit: i only suggested the UTs, Buffalo, and STony Brook for fun and did a quick tweak

 

[Chelsea FC]

@Goro @LizzyM @GrapesofRath what do you think??

I think OP doesnt need any HBCU , she should include all her state schools then top 20s if all else is okay .. So Jefferson, Pen state, Upenn, Drexel , Pitt, Commonwealth and some surrounding schools like Boston schools like Tufts, BU etc. Then set your sight at the Big IVY league schools

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[deleted642188]

Excellent, thank you so much for your honesty and advice! I also feel somewhat uncomfortable applying Ivy League with my GPA, but I also don't want to be screened out of low-tiers because of my MCAT. And thanks for the tip on residency, I'm definitely considering it!

I just did some tweaking to the list

Georgia loves their people Mercer and Georgia regents only take 1-2 non-Georgians per year

outta curiosity how motivated are you to become a Georgian resident?

 

[Chelsea FC]

Excellent, thank you so much for your honesty and advice! I also feel somewhat uncomfortable applying Ivy League with my GPA, but I also don't want to be screened out of low-tiers because of my MCAT. And thanks for the tip on residency, I'm definitely considering it!

OP I just want to point out I disagree with his post and his list, for example SUNY Buffalo/Stony Brook are state schools and dont accept out of state people. I recommend you form a post in the What are my chances forum I will post below and repost this question so that the professionals can help you out. Also u dont need to apply to HBCU if you dont need to .

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/what-are-my-chances.418/

Also below here are people with similar grades as you
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/3-3cgpa-3-5sgpa-517-urm-nontrad.1205881/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/3-5-cgpa-517-mcat-urm-late-applicant.1217877/

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[URMfemaleMPH]

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[deleted642188]

OP I just want to point out I disagree with his post and his list, for example SUNY Buffalo/Stony Brook are state schools and dont accept out of stat people. I recommend you form a post in the What are my chances forum I will post below and repost this question where the professionals can help you out. Also u dont need to apply to HBCU if you dont need to .

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/what-are-my-chances.418/

Buffalo interviews a good share of OoS, according to the MSAR, 155 interviewees were OoS froma pool of 2250 applicants who wee non-New yorkers

You would be correct if I suggested to OP SUNY Downstate or Upstate

I concede that the UTs aren't friendly to non-Texans, but I think their prestige are worth a shot

 

[Chelsea FC]

Buffalo interviews a good share of OoS, according to the MSAR, 155 interviewees were OoS froma pool of 2250 applicants who wee non-New yorkers

You would be correct if I suggested to OP SUNY Downstate or Upstate

they only accept 17 though they are still a state school with public funding. Plus I think u are really undershooting OP chances. Actually SUNY downstate interview around the same and accept more Applied :2662 interviewed :291 matriculated 40. So I dont get your point

 

[deleted642188]

they only accept 17 though they are still a state school with public funding. Plus I think u are really undershooting OP chances. Actually SUNY downstate interview around the same and accept more

Only 17 matriculated, we dont know how many were accepted

and I suggested a good share of top tier schools too (11 exactly)

U Chicago/Columbia
Mt. Sinai
Cornell/Northwestern
Baylor/Duke
Emory/Vandy
Rochester
U Michigan

 

[Chelsea FC]

Only 17 matriculated, we dont know how many were accepted

and I suggested a good share of top tier schools too (10 exactly)

U Chicago/Columbia
Mt. Sinai
Cornell/Northwestern
Baylor/Duke

Re my post about SUNY Downstate above which you admitted have a instate bias but better numbers than Buffalo. I think you are wrong with this one but still love u though Hope school is going well

 

[deleted642188]

Re my post about SUNY Downstate above which you admitted have a instate bias but better numbers than Buffalo. I think you are wrong with this one but still love u though Hope school is going well

Fair enough about Downstate I concede i was wrong about that because downstate had more matriculants;

I dont feel like double checking Stony Brook but i would assume that a lot out of staters would apply there it practically is an Ivy in its own right. With median MCAT of 33-34

On a side note, I don't think that I am undershooting her; I am a firm believer of better safe than sorry and NOT going for broke

 

[deleted642188]

Re my post about SUNY Downstate above which you admitted have a instate bias but better numbers than Buffalo. I think you are wrong with this one but still love u though Hope school is going well

Thanks, med school is tough but I am surviving I hope your applications have been well and that the MCAT was what you and teh adcoms desired

 

[Goro]

Apply to any school you want to. Start with WashU, Stanford, U Chicago, U Penn and Harvard!

EDIT: I always recommend HBCs for African-American applicants, as well as your state schools.

Also add the Manhattan Titans

Hi guys! I'm a female African-American PA resident (also first generation American), getting my MPH in GA, and I just got back my MCAT score today. I'm really excited because I did very well, but it's a bit lopsided compared to my GPA. I'm just wondering, what sorts of schools should I focus my applications on? I'm applying next cycle. Also, will my high MCAT score take some of the edge off my lower-than-average GPA?

GPA: 3.55
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT: 520 (!)
ECs: I worked two and a half years at a free health clinic providing patients with socioeconomic resources in the city that I lived in (I worked 5 hours a week each semester, so I guess I clocked in at least 300 hours?). I went on a medical mission trip several years ago and technically have 80 hours from that, but I know voluntourism is looked down upon so I'm debating including it as an experience. I worked in a research lab for a year, completed two research-based public health internships, and now work in an epidemiology research lab. No shadowing yet, but hope to get ~50 hours by the start of next application cycle. Lastly, I've held a leadership position as a program manager for my clinic, and two positions through my honor fraternity.

Any help would be super appreciated!!

 

[Chelsea FC]

Thanks, med school is tough but I am surviving I hope your applications have been well and that the MCAT was what you and teh adcoms desired

MCAT was great! I am kinda late in the cycle having just being completed at schools due to a late committee letter but fingers crossed!

 

[deleted642188]

MCAT was great! I am kinda late in the cycle having just being completed at schools due to a late committee letter but fingers crossed!

Good to know! hopefully it still works out! If it is uplifting at least know that SUNY Buffalo doens't do rolling

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

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[deleted642188]

This is a template stratified by your stats; do note that you should research each school's class profile to determine viabilit, namely for Out-of-State Public Schools. this is my last post because I am not interested in further argument.

@Goro if you would like to add any suggestions feel more than welcome
Reach:
Washington University at St. Louis
Harvard/UPenn
Chicago
Columbia
UCLA/UCSF

Match:
Duke
Emory
Vanderbilt
Cornell/Mt. Sinai
University of Michigan/Northwestern
Rochester
NYU/University of Pittsburgh

Easy Match:
Tufts
Boston University
TCMC
SUNY Buffalo/Downstate
Philly Triplets
Albany
Georgetown/Wake Forest

"Backup"
All the HBCUs and your state school

and @Chelsea FC I am still sticking with Buffalo

 

[Michelest2017]

Hi guys! I'm a female African-American PA resident (also first generation American), getting my MPH in GA, and I just got back my MCAT score today. I'm really excited because I did very well, but it's a bit lopsided compared to my GPA. I'm just wondering, what sorts of schools should I focus my applications on? I'm applying next cycle. Also, will my high MCAT score take some of the edge off my lower-than-average GPA?

GPA: 3.55
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT: 520 (!)
ECs: I worked two and a half years at a free health clinic providing patients with socioeconomic resources in the city that I lived in (I worked 5 hours a week each semester, so I guess I clocked in at least 300 hours?). I went on a medical mission trip several years ago and technically have 80 hours from that, but I know voluntourism is looked down upon so I'm debating including it as an experience. I worked in a research lab for a year, completed two research-based public health internships, and now work in an epidemiology research lab. No shadowing yet, but hope to get ~50 hours by the start of next application cycle. Lastly, I've held a leadership position as a program manager for my clinic, and two positions through my honor fraternity.

Any help would be super appreciated!!

With your profile and that MCAT - you should apply to top schools, like Harvard/Stanford, and also a few backup...but yeah you've got it made! Congrats! Still work hard on the app...but low gpas really only become a problem with mediocre test scores... but with your gpa+test score I'd assume you just didn't take GPA boosters.. which is a positive thing