WMAC - 3.98 gpa/511 MCAT/strong clinicals

[LeMonTrEE68]

Hi, I'm trying to finalize my school list for the upcoming 2024 cycle. I acknowledge my MCAT is below the average MD admittance, but I've decided to take a shot hoping my extracurriculars would compensate a bit. I did try to apply broadly, but any further suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Here are more infos about me:

State: GA

Degree: BS in Biochemistry/minor in Health & Medical Sciences. (Soon-to-be-graduate! Yay!)

Self identification: ORM Asian Female. First-gen.

MCAT 511 (127/125/130/129)

3.98 cGPA (and sGPA)

Clinical experience:

-5040 hours (3.5 yrs) as a MA/scribe at ED and Internal Medicine.

-864 projected hours for a gap yr job at the same ED as a ED technician

-80 hours of Shadowing (Pediatric Endocrinology, General Surgery, PICU)

Non-clinical employment:

-350 hrs as undergraduate TA for economics

-1450 hours (2 study-abroad summer programs in France/Barcelona) undergraduate TA for organic chemistry

Volunteering:

-300 hours in RedCross as donation ambassador

-100 hours as a peer mentor for incoming first generation Freshman

-200 hours as a daycare teacher at church

Research (Biomedical Engineering):

-2 co-authored pubs

-400 hrs in lab for sample prep, wet lab, data processing, journal reviews

-Applying to work as a clinical research assistant for my gap year

Other EC:

-Keyboard player/vocalist in a school band for 2 yrs + also worked as a manager for another yr

-VP of Korean cultural society on campus for 2 yr

-On Dean's List throughout the college years. Received a state-funded full tuition ride.

-Outstanding Senior (scholarship recipient for that)

School List:

- Stanford
- Duke
- Emory
- Pitts
- Mt. Sinai
- Case Western
- Kaiser
- U Michigan
- USC Keck
- Rochester
- Dartmouth
- Ohio State
- Cincinnati
- Einstein
- U Mass
- Medical College of GA
- Wake Forest
- Stony Brook
- Maryland
- Boston
- Tufts
- Penn State
- Brown

Thanks a bunch in advance. Wish my best luck to all of you guys going through this cycle with me! We got this!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LindaAccepted]

I think you are aiming too high given your MCAT. Choose 5 of the schools with average MCATs of over 515 that you feel are the best fit for you and then select another 10-15 where your MCAT is under the average but still above the 75%. And then select 5 where you have a very competitive MCAT and that you'd be happy to attend.

The alternative is retaking the MCAT, if you think you can improve it, and then applying to your list either later this cycle or next cycle.

Wishing you luck!

 

[theoceanman]

School List:

- Stanford
- Duke
- Emory
- Pitts
- Mt. Sinai
- Case Western
- Kaiser
- U Michigan
- USC Keck
- Rochester
- Dartmouth
- Ohio State
- Cincinnati
- Einstein
- U Mass
- Medical College of GA
- Wake Forest
- Stony Brook
- Maryland
- Boston
- Tufts
- Penn State
- Brown

I highlighted many of the schools that are way out of your range and that you most likely will not get an II from/unrealistic to apply to.

Although I may sound rude, it seems that your school list is based on random or sporadic selections of “name-brand” schools that are recognized for their prestige in academia, especially with your lack of mission-fit to many of these schools on top of your score.

Google “SDN Mission Fit” and “SDN How to make a School List” as well as using MSAR to see where you are realistically able to apply because your current school selection will lead to a disastrous cycle and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars down the drain. You should be able to do some research on schools that fit your MCAT and GPA realistically.

 

[chilly_md]

This is a more realistic list:

MCG
Mercer (though you don’t have any rural exp)
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin
VCU
EVMS
Wake
Vermont
MCW
Wayne State
Oakland
Georgetown
George Washington
NYMC
Albany
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Quinnipiac
Nova MD
TCU
Creighton
Hackensack
Belmont (when it opens)

Many of these schools value service, so having most of your non-clinical volunteering in advertising blood drives or doing church daycare could hold you back.

 

[LeMonTrEE68]

This is a more realistic list:

MCG
Mercer (though you don’t have any rural exp)
Tufts
Rosalind Franklin
VCU
EVMS
Wake
Vermont
MCW
Wayne State
Oakland
Georgetown
George Washington
NYMC
Albany
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Quinnipiac
Nova MD
TCU
Creighton
Hackensack
Belmont (when it opens)

Many of these schools value service, so having most of your non-clinical volunteering in advertising blood drives or doing church daycare could hold you back.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into those schools! (P.s.The volunteer at the Red Cross I did was to check-in donors and cleaning up the facility. The name does sounds like it might be a advertising job) Think I should work on more volunteering during my gap yr

 

[LeMonTrEE68]

I highlighted many of the schools that are way out of your range and that you most likely will not get an II from/unrealistic to apply to.

Although I may sound rude, it seems that your school list is based on random or sporadic selections of “name-brand” schools that are recognized for their prestige in academia, especially with your lack of mission-fit to many of these schools on top of your score.

Google “SDN Mission Fit” and “SDN How to make a School List” as well as using MSAR to see where you are realistically able to apply because your current school selection will lead to a disastrous cycle and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars down the drain. You should be able to do some research on schools that fit your MCAT and GPA realistically.

Thank you for your honest input! My head was toward the more research heavy schools when it came to selecting schools, so probably that's why I ended up with most of higher-ranked schools in my list. Glad to know this before submitting the actual app

 

[theoceanman]

Thank you for your honest input! My head was toward the more research heavy schools when it came to selecting schools, so probably that's why I ended up with most of higher-ranked schools in my list. Glad to know this before submitting the actual app

Yes, go with chilly_md’s list and you should receive multiple II’s from those schools.