- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
- Messages
- 497
- Reaction score
- 236
Hi everyone,
I’m posting because I’m looking for some advice. I’ll post my stats, honors, ECs, etc. first and then ask my questions after.
General Info:
-cGPA: 3.94
-sGPA: 3.93
-MCAT: 37 (10VR, 13BS, 14PS)
-Major: Spanish (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
-Elective BCMP courses: Calc III, Systems Neuroscience, Biochemistry
-Elective Humanities / non-science courses: Music Theory, Piano, Cultural Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic
Awards / Honors (I’m only planning on listing my two honors society inductions on my 15 experiences section):
-University Honors Program
-Dean’s List every semester
-Graduated with Latin Honors (Magna Cum Laude)
-Phi Beta Kappa Induction
-Sigma Delta Pi (National Spanish Honors Society) Induction
ECs / Other:
-Tutoring: ~500 hours
-ED Scribing: ~10 months
-Shadowing: hopefully ~100 hours (I currently have about 30 and I’m hoping to get more over the course of this Spring)
-Study Abroad semester in Spain
-Service Immersion in Eastern Kentucky (Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations): 4 weeks, one week per summer for past four years
-Volunteer/tutor/mentor for an organization that helps Spanish-speaking children with afterschool tutoring ~75 hours
-Spinning: ~2.5 years (I got really into spinning over two years ago and it helped me lose some weight. I’m considering getting certified to teach courses soon and this is a tentative thing I might put on my 15 experiences section)
I’m not posting to ask what my chances of getting into medical school are, but rather to ask what kind of schools I should be applying to. I know that my stats are competitive but I don’t have any research experience and while I do have what I consider ECs that are valuable and meaningful, I feel that my ECs, when looked at as a whole, might not be the best. The best way I can explain this is that my father had three strokes when I was a freshman and, while I was still in school, there was a lot going on at home that kept me distracted so I could really only focus on my schoolwork. Then, during my sophomore year, when my dad’s condition had kind of stabilized and I had started getting into a rhythm and working on plans to volunteer and stuff like that, I had to leave after the fall semester to take care of my dad because no one else could. I took a few courses at a local CC when I was home with him and eventually got back to my university to start summer classes about a year and a half later. After that summer and the next fall semester (I started tutoring this semester), I left to study abroad in Spain for six months. I came back and tutored some more during the next year. Long story short, I feel that ADCOMs might think my ECs are kind of sporadic and not “long lasting enough.” I could be totally wrong about this, which is why I’m here asking for advice. I do feel like I’m a unique applicant with the experiences I’ve had so I guess that’ll be working in my favor but I’m not sure about where I should be applying.
Considering my stats, ECs and what I’ve just shared, these are my main questions. What kinds of schools do you guys think I should apply to? Would I be able to get into a “top 20 school?” Should I apply to mainly mid tier schools and go for one or two top schools? I’m planning on applying to about 20 schools, and at least 3 or 4 of them are going to be in Philadelphia/PA since I went to school in Philly and still live there now. I’m not really sure where else to apply, though. Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance (and sorry for such a long post)!
I’m posting because I’m looking for some advice. I’ll post my stats, honors, ECs, etc. first and then ask my questions after.
General Info:
-cGPA: 3.94
-sGPA: 3.93
-MCAT: 37 (10VR, 13BS, 14PS)
-Major: Spanish (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
-Elective BCMP courses: Calc III, Systems Neuroscience, Biochemistry
-Elective Humanities / non-science courses: Music Theory, Piano, Cultural Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic
Awards / Honors (I’m only planning on listing my two honors society inductions on my 15 experiences section):
-University Honors Program
-Dean’s List every semester
-Graduated with Latin Honors (Magna Cum Laude)
-Phi Beta Kappa Induction
-Sigma Delta Pi (National Spanish Honors Society) Induction
ECs / Other:
-Tutoring: ~500 hours
- GED students ~200 hours
- Student-athletes ~150 hours
- First generation college students ~150 hours
-ED Scribing: ~10 months
-Shadowing: hopefully ~100 hours (I currently have about 30 and I’m hoping to get more over the course of this Spring)
-Study Abroad semester in Spain
-Service Immersion in Eastern Kentucky (Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations): 4 weeks, one week per summer for past four years
-Volunteer/tutor/mentor for an organization that helps Spanish-speaking children with afterschool tutoring ~75 hours
-Spinning: ~2.5 years (I got really into spinning over two years ago and it helped me lose some weight. I’m considering getting certified to teach courses soon and this is a tentative thing I might put on my 15 experiences section)
I’m not posting to ask what my chances of getting into medical school are, but rather to ask what kind of schools I should be applying to. I know that my stats are competitive but I don’t have any research experience and while I do have what I consider ECs that are valuable and meaningful, I feel that my ECs, when looked at as a whole, might not be the best. The best way I can explain this is that my father had three strokes when I was a freshman and, while I was still in school, there was a lot going on at home that kept me distracted so I could really only focus on my schoolwork. Then, during my sophomore year, when my dad’s condition had kind of stabilized and I had started getting into a rhythm and working on plans to volunteer and stuff like that, I had to leave after the fall semester to take care of my dad because no one else could. I took a few courses at a local CC when I was home with him and eventually got back to my university to start summer classes about a year and a half later. After that summer and the next fall semester (I started tutoring this semester), I left to study abroad in Spain for six months. I came back and tutored some more during the next year. Long story short, I feel that ADCOMs might think my ECs are kind of sporadic and not “long lasting enough.” I could be totally wrong about this, which is why I’m here asking for advice. I do feel like I’m a unique applicant with the experiences I’ve had so I guess that’ll be working in my favor but I’m not sure about where I should be applying.
Considering my stats, ECs and what I’ve just shared, these are my main questions. What kinds of schools do you guys think I should apply to? Would I be able to get into a “top 20 school?” Should I apply to mainly mid tier schools and go for one or two top schools? I’m planning on applying to about 20 schools, and at least 3 or 4 of them are going to be in Philadelphia/PA since I went to school in Philly and still live there now. I’m not really sure where else to apply, though. Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance (and sorry for such a long post)!
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