What should I think?

[benz240]

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I also got one of those "not too good but not too bad" MCAT scores, although it's balanced - 30R; 10PS 10VR and 10BS. My GPA isn't too hot (~3.6) but I have a lot of research (including three published papers) under my belt. I'm doing a pretty uncommon major (Polymer Chem., minor in Biotech.) but I really want to do the MSTP route at a school that would offer the NIH-funded option.

This past April was my first take, and I really would like to go ahead and send in my AMCAS to get the ball rolling early....but do you think I'll get in with these stats? I know I'm probably a little ambitious aiming for Hopkins and Duke as my first two choices, but I have some 'safety' schools in mind too. FYI - I'm a rising senior in college, so I do have some time, but like I said I'd like to enter immediately after graduation. I'm still deciding where else to apply, any advice from MSTP'ers?

 

[wetlightning]

hmm

30 is really not bad, but with your gpa it might be a stretch to aim for JHU and Duke

i might be the wrong person to answer this, but my advice is this...

are you so set on top 10's that it would crush you not to go to one? in that case, retake the mcat, cause a 30 and a 3.6 probably won't walk you in the door. if not, you are just fine

i'm not an MSTP'er, so my advice may be quite invalid.

just my 2 cents, however

p.s. add top 20 and other top 50 schools to your list, b/c just shooting for top 10 is very risky, even with an incredibly high mcat and gpa

 

[benz240]

As far as applying to top 10 schools, I'm definitely not putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. I realize that I probably need some mid- to low-level MSTP schools on my AMCAS, but I have yet to decide what those will be.

I really do enjoy research, and I didn't do it just for my resume or post-grad applications. I can clearly and enthusiastically explain anything about the many projects I've been involved in over the years, so I'm looking forward to the interviews. But I've gotta get past the paper apps first!

Thanks in advance for the help

 

[hardy]

This past April was my first take, and I really would like to go ahead and send in my AMCAS to get the ball rolling early....but do you think I'll get in with these stats? I know I'm probably a little ambitious aiming for Hopkins and Duke as my first two choices, but I have some 'safety' schools in mind too. FYI - I'm a rising senior in college, so I do have some time, but like I said I'd like to enter immediately after graduation. I'm still deciding where else to apply, any advice from MSTP'ers?

Apply. MSTPs are much more focused on your research experience than your stats. If you have published three papers then go ahead and apply!

 

[tank you]

p.s. add top 20 and other top 50 schools to your list, b/c just shooting for top 10 is very risky, even with an incredibly high mcat and gpa

ok, let me give you a story about my friend. his stats were 3.9/37 stanford grad w/masters in chemical engineering.

first time he applied to ONLY top-10 schools, thats it, few waitlist, NO acceptances.
second time around he applied to 42 schools, accepted to UC davis and UPitt.

 

[Arsenic]

moving to the MSTP forum, you may get better responses there.

 

[oasis786]

You can definitely get into a top 10 with a 30/3.6 and excellent research experience. Is it very likely? Probably not, but it's not unheard of either. In order to get into a MSTP like JHU or Duke, your recommendation letters, personal statements, etc. will have to be pretty stellar. A few well-known bigwigs backing your applications wouldn't hurt either. In your case it also will make a pretty big difference whether your pubs are first-author or not. A GPA of 3.6 from a highly technical major is not bad, however.
If you're ok with the prospect of ending up at one of your safety schools, go ahead and apply right now - you will most likely get in somewhere, and who knows, that might even be at one of your top choices. If you won't be satisfied unless you end up at a top-tier program, retake the MCAT. I was going to take a year off to fix up my MCAT - I didn't feel it was good enough to get where I wanted to be - but I ended up applying last minute and got some great offers, so you never know!

 

[benz240]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Great advice. I was 98% sure I'd apply without a retake, and what I've read here indicates I should go ahead and do just that. I am co-first author (with a PhD) on one of my publications, the other two I had moderate roles in. I should have another one and maybe two more by the end of the year, hopefully that news makes it to the schools I'm applying to in time.

On that note, can anyone recommend me some mid-tier MSTP schools that are surprisingly underrated? Of course I have looked at the typical "top-100" lists and all the info on each school from sources like the AAMC, Kaplan, PR, US News, etc., but I'd also like some insider info. I want a strong medical institution, but also a place that really caters to the dual-degree students as well...and I know there are some "sleeper" schools out there that don't get as much recognition as the Big 10.

 

[JETER]

Benz,

What are your research interests? This should help you in selecting schools that are strong in your area.

 

[jaegwon]

Benz,

What are your research interests? This should help you in selecting schools that are strong in your area.

Not to highjack Benz' thread - but i could use his question answered for someone with a focus on Neuro.

Thanks.

 

[benz240]

I'm really interested in BME and also GI/Hepatology. Other than those two (which I have had some exposure to), I am equally interested in most of the other fields in medicine. I don't care too much for chemical synthesis (pharmaceutical engineering or whatever its called) since I've done plenty of that throughout undergrad. But there's so much to choose from, so pretty much any field with a lot of room for discoveries and advancements (which doesn't narrow it down much, I know) would interest me.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

benz240,

My sophomore year dorm suitemate, who was a year below me, applied with similar stats and ended up going to Harvard for MSTP. Morale of the story...you never know until you apply.

I will warn you about retaking the MCAT. Regardless of your first score, you will have to significantly improve on the 2nd try for it to make an impression on the admissions committee.

If you want to go through the MCAT again in August, that's your call. May I recommend, though, that this time around do NOT release the scores like you did on the first one (I'm assuming you checked off that box saying release scores for the April MCAT). That way you have the option of letting programs know about it. If you do much better, then release them and send the programs a nice little note saying, "Oh by the way, I had a stroke during the first MCAT but I got better and check out the 40S I got on the second MCAT." If you do worse...the 2nd MCAT attempt never happened

 

[JETER]

I'm really interested in BME and also GI/Hepatology. Other than those two (which I have had some exposure to), I am equally interested in most of the other fields in medicine. I don't care too much for chemical synthesis (pharmaceutical engineering or whatever its called) since I've done plenty of that throughout undergrad. But there's so much to choose from, so pretty much any field with a lot of room for discoveries and advancements (which doesn't narrow it down much, I know) would interest me.

I don't know much about the GI/Hepatology stuff, but my research interest is BME, so I got to learn a lot during the interview season last year. Besides the obvious big dogs in BME (HMS/MIT JH, Duke, Penn) a couple somewhat less competitive schools offer outstanding BME opportunities: The best most likely is Emory/GeorgiaTech. Also, Mayo is doing some cool $hit, but the MSTP is hard to get into (5 students/yr). Baylor/Rice is outstanding in bioengineering. I know nothing about the california schools, but I assume their awesome. In terms of pure engineering in conjunction with schools that allow MD/PhDs to do the PhD in anything, it is hard to beat UIUC and Penn State, however Penn State's MSTP status is on the rocks (gone?) and UIUC is not MSTP. Personally, I was very impressed by UIowa's and UWisconsin's BME departments, and these schools have big MSTP class sizes and less competition, so you might have more luck in securing a spot.

Good luck, and follow Andy's advice with the MCAT retake.

 

[benz240]

benz240,

My sophomore year dorm suitemate, who was a year below me, applied with similar stats and ended up going to Harvard for MSTP. Morale of the story...you never know until you apply.

I will warn you about retaking the MCAT. Regardless of your first score, you will have to significantly improve on the 2nd try for it to make an impression on the admissions committee.

If you want to go through the MCAT again in August, that's your call. May I recommend, though, that this time around do NOT release the scores like you did on the first one (I'm assuming you checked off that box saying release scores for the April MCAT). That way you have the option of letting programs know about it. If you do much better, then release them and send the programs a nice little note saying, "Oh by the way, I had a stroke during the first MCAT but I got better and check out the 40S I got on the second MCAT." If you do worse...the 2nd MCAT attempt never happened

I think I've decided to go ahead and apply this year with my scores. At least I'll have the advantage of getting my AMCAS in earlier than all the August takers, if nothing else. If nothing comes of this round, I'll take it again next April (I should know everything by then) and start over. But for some reason I thought you couldn't "hide" your scores after 2003 from ANYONE, med schools included...?? Maybe I was mistaken.

It's encouraging to hear that others in my shoes got great admissions, so I'm just going to put everything I've got into my app and subsequent secondaries and of course the interviews. Thanks again guys

 

[xanthines]

I took it twice, one in 1999 and the other iin 2003. They both showed up on my application. I get the impression that you can't "hide" your scores unless they're pretty old.

-X

But for some reason I thought you couldn't "hide" your scores after 2003 from ANYONE, med schools included...?? Maybe I was mistaken.