Where should I apply?

[Franzliszt1]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi, first thread on SDN.

Is it good advice to apply to some "reaches" as well as some "fallback options"? Or should I stick to schools that are in my range? Also, I'd like advice on the schools I'm thinking of applying to. Please tell me if I'm shooting too low or too high.

White, cGPA 3.58, sGPA 3.5 MCAT 516

1. Minnesota (In state)
2. Tulane
3. Eastern Virginia
4. Quinnipiac
5. Geisinger
6. Emory
7. UAB (Out of state)
8. South Alabama (Out of State)
9. Western Michigan
10. Wisconsin (Out of State)

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

 

[getdown]

Apply broadly, 10 doesn't seem enough. You can have a couple of reach schools but you should focus on mid tier schools i.e. anything other than Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, UCSF schools.

 

[RedPanda55]

Hi, first thread on SDN.

Is it good advice to apply to some "reaches" as well as some "fallback options"? Or should I stick to schools that are in my range? Also, I'd like advice on the schools I'm thinking of applying to. Please tell me if I'm shooting too low or too high.

White, cGPA 3.58, sGPA 3.5 MCAT 516

1. Minnesota (In state)
2. Tulane
3. Eastern Virginia
4. Quinnipiac
5. Geisinger
6. Emory
7. UAB (Out of state)
8. South Alabama (Out of State)
9. Western Michigan
10. Wisconsin (Out of State)

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

I'm sure you have your reasons for picking those schools but here's some other midwest schools I'd add to your list.

For MN, make sure to apply both UMD and UMN-TC, consider Mayo as well.
MCW
Rosalind-Franklin
Rush
Creighton
Iowa
UND
Wayne state

Outside the midwest, look at private schools more. Chances for ya at state schools are slimmer in comparison.
Tufts
BU
NYMC
georgetown
Miami
Drexel
Temple

Consider some reach schools as well, just a few!

 

[Faha]

Do you have any shadowing or clinical volunteering hours or clinical work experience?

 

[Franzliszt1]

Do you have any shadowing or clinical volunteering hours or clinical work experience?

I have ~200 hours of clinical work experience, 50 of hospital volunteering. Also set up two JDRF one walks on campus and I'm an Eagle Scout.

 

[Faha]

Unless you have some strong connection to Alabama delete those 2 schools. I suggest these schools with your stats and EC's :
Minnesota
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Creighton
St. Louis
Tulane
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Quinnipiac
Vermont

 

[Franzliszt1]

Unless you have some strong connection to Alabama delete those 2 schools. I suggest these schools with your stats and EC's :
Minnesota
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Creighton
St. Louis
Tulane
NOVA MD
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
New York Medical College
Seton Hall
Quinnipiac
Vermont

Thanks for all your help! I am getting an undergraduate degree from University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa... I also voted here. Does that qualify as a strong connection in your book? Thanks again.

 

[Faha]

Yes, that is a strong connection to Alabama.

 

[Goro]

Hi, first thread on SDN.

Is it good advice to apply to some "reaches" as well as some "fallback options"? Or should I stick to schools that are in my range? Also, I'd like advice on the schools I'm thinking of applying to. Please tell me if I'm shooting too low or too high.

White, cGPA 3.58, sGPA 3.5 MCAT 516

1. Minnesota (In state)
2. Tulane
3. Eastern Virginia
4. Quinnipiac
5. Geisinger
6. Emory
7. UAB (Out of state)
8. South Alabama (Out of State)
9. Western Michigan
10. Wisconsin (Out of State)

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

I suggest the following, provided your GPAs are > 10th %ile, and even better, > 25th %ile.:
UAB
U MN
Case
Mayo
U VM
U Toledo
USF Morsani
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
USC/Keck
Dartmouth
MCW
Loyola
Emory
BU
Mayo
Duke
Case
Pitt
Hofstra
Tufts
Oakland-B
Western MI
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Nova MD

 

[Goro]

Apply broadly, 10 doesn't seem enough. You can have a couple of reach schools but you should focus on mid tier schools i.e. anything other than Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, UCSF schools.

As a teaching moment, UCLA only takes 0.5% of applicants from OOS. I can't recommend it to non-Californians, unless they're superstars.

 

[getdown]

As a teaching moment, UCLA only takes 0.5% of applicants from OOS. I can't recommend it to non-Californians, unless they're superstars.

I knew UCLA was competitive but didn't realize it to be like that. But, on the other hand, I'm not surprised. California's biggest export to other states are med students.

 

[thenucleusaccumbens]

With your MCAT, you could definitely add a couple of reach schools. I suggest Case, Pitt, and Mayo. Although your GPA is on the low end for t20 schools, your MCAT is solid for these schools, so you could get lucky depending on the rest of your application. Definitely suggest applying broadly to more than 10 schools