Wondering how to improve for re-application cycle in 2026

[awesomesauce.]

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Hello!

I was hoping to receive some advice on where I can strengthen my application this upcoming cycle. I applied to 14 schools this cycle, and only received one interview invite that resulted in a waitlist. I have included my stats and school list from last year to this year for context. I feel as though my numbers are pretty good, so I am curious if it was my writing that failed me. If you would like additional information let me know!

2025 stats ~
GPA: 3.92 (BCPM: 3.89)
MCAT: 126/127/125/131 (509)
PREview score: 5
CASPER: fourth quartile
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Global Health
Shadowing hours: 41 (shadowed 1 CRNA, 2 MD, 1 DO)
Research hours: 939 hours w/ 2 publications (not first auth)
Non-clinical volunteering hours: 85 (was a mentor and tutor for school program)
Clinical volunteering hours: 0
Paid clinical hours: 575 (CNA in assisted living)
Leadership role: don't have any listed
LOR: Lab PI (MD), Tutoring boss, Shadowed doctor (MD), Teacher and mentor for 4 years undergrad (PhD), Professor of psych (PhD)
Other: Paid tutor (355 hours), Studied abroad for 2 months in Spain, 3 poster presentations, Paid transcriptionist (640 hours), Paid notetaker for disability resource center (45 hours), Band student for 12 years, Paid server (2400 hours)

2025 schools ~
Albany (no response yet)
Boston
California Northstate
Charles R. Drew
Rosalind Franklin (no response yet)
Drexel (no response yet)
George Washington
Georgetown
Loyola (no response yet)
MCW (no response yet)
Tulane
UC - Davis
Minnesota
Wisconsin (interview and waitlist)

2026 stats ~
GPA: 3.92 (BCPM: 3.89)
MCAT: 126/127/125/131 (509) (set to retake in April)
PREview score: 5 (will retake)
CASPER: fourth quartile
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Global Health
Shadowing hours: 41 (shadowed 1 CRNA, 2 MD, 1 DO) + 10 (shadowed 1 MD)
Research hours: 939 hours w/ 2 publications and 3 in the works
Non-clinical volunteering hours: 85 (was a mentor and tutor for school program)
Clinical volunteering hours: 36 (painting patient nails and playing piano in hospital lobby)
Paid clinical hours: 575 (CNA in assisted living) + ~2000 (PCA at Mayo Clinic)
Leadership role: serving on safe patient handling and unit coordinating committees
LOR: TBD

2026 schools ~ TBD, looking to stay localized to midwest

 

[PickaGodnPray]

Hoping your current cycle still finds some success and you get off the waitlist. Some schools are still sending II's out of the ones you haven't heard back from so there is still hope (I received Albany this week and declined so hoping it goes to you!).
Overall, there are a few things I can see that are limiting you. One is that your MCAT is on the lower end, so retaking and scoring better on that will open doors for you at other schools you applied to. As for the schools you applied to, some were donations like Boston where your stats were too low and others were a long shot with your low non-clinical and clinical volunteer hours (Gtown, GW). You would be surprised how a basic non-clinical hour screen can be the difference between an II and a pre-II R. Try to get 150+ hours serving vulnerable populations before you apply again if you need to. I know it is a lot, but I only got some of the interviews I got this year because of that. Best thing is to add more schools if you can afford it and sadly you will probably have to expand beyond the Midwest. A lot of those programs focus on their own state students first, so at places like Minnesota you have a harder shot.
Last thing I can say is try to make your experiences fit under a singular theme or narrative. Two things that changed on my app from this year to last was fitting all of my experiences under one central umbrella of service to a specific patient group and the other was getting 150+ non-clinical hours at a shelter. These two things increased my IIs by over double this cycle, so hoping it could do the same for you (but still hoping Wisconsin turns into an A for you).

 

[awesomesauce.]

Hoping your current cycle still finds some success and you get off the waitlist. Some schools are still sending II's out of the ones you haven't heard back from so there is still hope (I received Albany this week and declined so hoping it goes to you!).
Overall, there are a few things I can see that are limiting you. One is that your MCAT is on the lower end, so retaking and scoring better on that will open doors for you at other schools you applied to. As for the schools you applied to, some were donations like Boston where your stats were too low and others were a long shot with your low non-clinical and clinical volunteer hours (Gtown, GW). You would be surprised how a basic non-clinical hour screen can be the difference between an II and a pre-II R. Try to get 150+ hours serving vulnerable populations before you apply again if you need to. I know it is a lot, but I only got some of the interviews I got this year because of that. Best thing is to add more schools if you can afford it and sadly you will probably have to expand beyond the Midwest. A lot of those programs focus on their own state students first, so at places like Minnesota you have a harder shot.
Last thing I can say is try to make your experiences fit under a singular theme or narrative. Two things that changed on my app from this year to last was fitting all of my experiences under one central umbrella of service to a specific patient group and the other was getting 150+ non-clinical hours at a shelter. These two things increased my IIs by over double this cycle, so hoping it could do the same for you (but still hoping Wisconsin turns into an A for you).

Thank you very much for your response! Congratulations on a more successful cycle. I appreciate all your advice and kind words about this cycle. This was very helpful. The only thing I think I'll struggle with is fitting all my activities under a theme. My interests are very varied, so I've tried to collect a breadth of experiences that would point me in a more narrow direction of who I want to work with and what specialty I want to follow. Thanks again, and I hope everything works out for ya!

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence? Your low non clinical volunteering hours (zero in activities that medical schools are looking for) was a major factor in your poor application cycle as well as schools that were unrealistic with a MCAT of 509.

 

[awesomesauce.]

Where is your state of residence? Your low non clinical volunteering hours (zero in activities that medical schools are looking for) was a major factor in your poor application cycle as well as schools that were unrealistic with a MCAT of 509.

State of residence is Wisconsin. This cycle I'm working to increase those clinical volunteer hours and I'm retaking the MCAT in April.

 

[Faha]

State of residence is Wisconsin. This cycle I'm working to increase those clinical volunteer hours and I'm retaking the MCAT in April.

Let us know what your new MCAT score is. You should accumulate 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering such as food bank or homeless shelter since some schools screen at 150 hours.

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

State of residence is Wisconsin. This cycle I'm working to increase those clinical volunteer hours and I'm retaking the MCAT in April.

Being a WI resident and applying to UC Davis was a donation.

 

[RagingBolt34]

Hello!

I was hoping to receive some advice on where I can strengthen my application this upcoming cycle. I applied to 14 schools this cycle, and only received one interview invite that resulted in a waitlist. I have included my stats and school list from last year to this year for context. I feel as though my numbers are pretty good, so I am curious if it was my writing that failed me. If you would like additional information let me know!

2025 stats ~
GPA: 3.92 (BCPM: 3.89)
MCAT: 126/127/125/131 (509)
PREview score: 5
CASPER: fourth quartile
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Global Health
Shadowing hours: 41 (shadowed 1 CRNA, 2 MD, 1 DO)
Research hours: 939 hours w/ 2 publications (not first auth)
Non-clinical volunteering hours: 85 (was a mentor and tutor for school program)
Clinical volunteering hours: 0
Paid clinical hours: 575 (CNA in assisted living)
Leadership role: don't have any listed
LOR: Lab PI (MD), Tutoring boss, Shadowed doctor (MD), Teacher and mentor for 4 years undergrad (PhD), Professor of psych (PhD)
Other: Paid tutor (355 hours), Studied abroad for 2 months in Spain, 3 poster presentations, Paid transcriptionist (640 hours), Paid notetaker for disability resource center (45 hours), Band student for 12 years, Paid server (2400 hours)

2025 schools ~
Albany (no response yet)
Boston
California Northstate
Charles R. Drew
Rosalind Franklin (no response yet)
Drexel (no response yet)
George Washington
Georgetown
Loyola (no response yet)
MCW (no response yet)
Tulane
UC - Davis
Minnesota
Wisconsin (interview and waitlist)

2026 stats ~
GPA: 3.92 (BCPM: 3.89)
MCAT: 126/127/125/131 (509) (set to retake in April)
PREview score: 5 (will retake)
CASPER: fourth quartile
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Global Health
Shadowing hours: 41 (shadowed 1 CRNA, 2 MD, 1 DO) + 10 (shadowed 1 MD)
Research hours: 939 hours w/ 2 publications and 3 in the works
Non-clinical volunteering hours: 85 (was a mentor and tutor for school program)
Clinical volunteering hours: 36 (painting patient nails and playing piano in hospital lobby)
Paid clinical hours: 575 (CNA in assisted living) + ~2000 (PCA at Mayo Clinic)
Leadership role: serving on safe patient handling and unit coordinating committees
LOR: TBD

2026 schools ~ TBD, looking to stay localized to midwest

If you applied to charles drew, I'm guessing you're URM? In that case, I would recommend also applying to the other HBCUs.

 

[Med Ed]

I would say you only applied to about 5 realistic options: Wisconsin, MCW, Drexel, Tulane, and Albany.

Come back with a new MCAT and more volunteer hours.