Where do I apply? 3.9 GPA 523 MCAT

[gu5andr3]

Hey guys, I'm a 1st generation college student and I've had no one to guide me through this whole process but luckily I've managed... until now. The Wedgedawg system is telling me to send 80% of my applications to places like Stanford & Vanderbilt. Aside from what I've read, I have very little knowledge on what makes these kinds of applicants and if I have any business applying there. I have a few schools in mind, but I would love if you guys could help me expand my list. Any help would be amazingly appreciated! Thanks a ton! Here's some facts about me.

MCAT: 523

GPA: 3.91

Undergrad: University of South Florida

Residence: FL

URM: Not sure if I am; I'm Colombian.

EC: Commisioned artist, 40 hours of reach out and read, 300 hours shadowing, 240 hours volunteering at a clinic camp in a dominican village, 1.5 years University Ochem tutor, 240 hours of research, 1 poster presentation, 40 hours volunteering at veterans hospital.

Personal details: 1st in the family to get a high school diploma and 1st to go to college. I'm from an impoverished rural area in Colombia. Came to the U.S. around 10. Trilingual.

Schools I'm interested in: USF Morsani, UF, UCF, Columbia, Mayo, Dartmouth

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[OneTwoThreeFour]

Apply to wherever you want. Places with a stronger emphasis on research (like Stanford) may not offer you interviews but many more will.

 

[gu5andr3]

Apply to wherever you want. Places with a stronger emphasis on research (like Stanford) may not offer you interviews but many more will.

Like actually anywhere, even top 20's? Sorry if I come of as a little hesitant, this whole process is extremely unfamiliar to me and I'm a little nervous hahaha

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[gu5andr3]

Where is your state of residence ?

Florida resident, I attend USF

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Like actually anywhere, even top 20's? Sorry if I come of as a little hesitant, this whole process is extremely unfamiliar to me and I'm a little nervous hahaha

Yes, I'd include top 20's-particularly those with a stats heavy reputation- but not do exclusively those. You have kind of a luxury of thinking about where you want to live rather than throwing 30 applications to the wind-does New York appeal to you for four years? Do you want to stay in the southern half of the country? How important is being near family? Can you handle the cold that you'd get in Mayo or Dartmouth?

 

[gu5andr3]

Yes, I'd include top 20's-particularly those with a stats heavy reputation- but not do exclusively those. You have kind of a luxury of thinking about where you want to live rather than throwing 30 applications to the wind-does New York appeal to you for four years? Do you want to stay in the southern half of the country? How important is being near family? Can you handle the cold that you'd get in Mayo or Dartmouth?

Oh wow, I didn't know that was a thing. I'll start looking into stats oriented schools then. Do you have any suggestions on some or a reputable place to look? And I guess that is quite a luxury. I'll try and find a way to pay it forward, thank you! 🙂

 

[QueenAudrey]

MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) is a great, cheap resource for data on med school admissions.

I am no expert, but here are some schools that I believe are especially stats-oriented:

Wash U St Louis
Vanderbilt
NYU
Emory
Pritzker/Chicago

If I were you, I would also add schools that prize Spanish fluency, such as:

UCLA/David Geffen (I know you’re OOS)
Sinai
Miami/Miller

Good luck to you! Pay attention to advice offered by Faha, LizzyM, Goro, gyngyn, gonnif, MedEd, DokterMom, Catalystik if they post on your thread. They are actual experts. Take advice from random premeds (like me) with a heavy dose of salt.

 

[Faha]

As long as you apply to all 8 of your Florida schools you can add any OOS schools that appeal to you. Avoid state public schools that accept few non residents.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

 

[Goro]

Apply to wherever you want. Places with a stronger emphasis on research (like Stanford) may not offer you interviews but many more will.

This

 

[Snippybiscuit]

Hey guys, I'm a 1st generation college student and I've had no one to guide me through this whole process but luckily I've managed... until now. The Wedgedawg system is telling me to send 80% of my applications to places like Stanford & Vanderbilt. Aside from what I've read, I have very little knowledge on what makes these kinds of applicants and if I have any business applying there. I have a few schools in mind, but I would love if you guys could help me expand my list. Any help would be amazingly appreciated! Thanks a ton! Here's some facts about me.

MCAT: 523

GPA: 3.91

Undergrad: University of South Florida

Residence: FL

URM: Not sure if I am; I'm Colombian.

EC: Commisioned artist, 40 hours of reach out and read, 300 hours shadowing, 240 hours volunteering at a clinic camp in a dominican village, 1.5 years University Ochem tutor, 240 hours of research, 1 poster presentation, 40 hours volunteering at veterans hospital.

Personal details: 1st in the family to get a high school diploma and 1st to go to college. I'm from an impoverished rural area in Colombia. Came to the U.S. around 10. Trilingual.

Schools I'm interested in: USF Morsani, UF, UCF, Columbia, Mayo, Dartmouth

Do you feel as if being a 1st gen College student has made the admissions process harder/more confusing?

 

[deleted314957]

Hey guys, I'm a 1st generation college student and I've had no one to guide me through this whole process but luckily I've managed... until now. The Wedgedawg system is telling me to send 80% of my applications to places like Stanford & Vanderbilt. Aside from what I've read, I have very little knowledge on what makes these kinds of applicants and if I have any business applying there. I have a few schools in mind, but I would love if you guys could help me expand my list. Any help would be amazingly appreciated! Thanks a ton! Here's some facts about me.

MCAT: 523

GPA: 3.91

Undergrad: University of South Florida

Residence: FL

URM: Not sure if I am; I'm Colombian.

EC: Commisioned artist, 40 hours of reach out and read, 300 hours shadowing, 240 hours volunteering at a clinic camp in a dominican village, 1.5 years University Ochem tutor, 240 hours of research, 1 poster presentation, 40 hours volunteering at veterans hospital.

Personal details: 1st in the family to get a high school diploma and 1st to go to college. I'm from an impoverished rural area in Colombia. Came to the U.S. around 10. Trilingual.

Schools I'm interested in: USF Morsani, UF, UCF, Columbia, Mayo, Dartmouth

If you applied to only those six, i assure you you would have an acceptance.

 

[DokterMom]

Do you feel as if being a 1st gen College student has made the admissions process harder/more confusing?

It absolutely makes things harder and more confusing. It's just one more area where the privileged have invisible advantages.

If you can find a mentor who will help you through, DO THAT! If there's no one at your college (and even if there is) make full use of the SDN network.

If you're not crystal clear on what to do, starting now, ask away!

 

[deleted972488]

If you applied to only those six, i assure you you would have an acceptance.

OP applied last year, received 21 interview invites, and was accepted to 11 schools, including Harvard with a REACH scholarship.

 

[fuzzydoc303]

Hell yeah, good job OP!! Love to see POC excellence.

 

[Snippybiscuit]

It absolutely makes things harder and more confusing. It's just one more area where the privileged have invisible advantages.

If you can find a mentor who will help you through, DO THAT! If there's no one at your college (and even if there is) make full use of the SDN network.

If you're not crystal clear on what to do, starting now, ask away!

I feel as if it totally does ,which is why I asked him . I really wish it were not that way

 

[Snippybiscuit]

OP applied last year, received 21 interview invites, and was accepted to 11 schools, including Harvard with a REACH scholarship.

What’s “op” ?

 

[deleted972488]

What’s “op” ?

Original poster / thread starter

 

[Walter Raleigh]

@Goro: is the clinical volunteering a bit light? In addition, might the Dominican volunteering be seen as medical tourism? Granted, OP's background (an impoverished rural Colombian village) might lead him to be granted a bit of slack for these things by top-20 schools - and stats aside, his clinical experience is barely adequate.

 

[deleted972488]

@Goro: is the clinical volunteering a bit light? In addition, might the Dominican volunteering be seen as medical tourism? Granted, OP's background (an impoverished rural Colombian village) might lead him to be granted a bit of slack for these things by top-20 schools - and stats aside, his clinical experience is barely adequate.

OP already had a very successful cycle.

 

[Snippybiscuit]

Original poster / thread starter

Did he end up going to Harvard? Lol