3.7/511... FINAL SCHOOL LIST HELP

[wizarddoc2213]

Hi!

I'm trying to finalize my list of schools to apply to this cycle... just looking for some advice/honest critique of my school list.

1. 3.7 GPA (Biology major with Chemistry minor, Honors in Chemistry, science GPA is roughly the same as cum GPA)
2. MCAT= 511 (86th percentile). Breakdown of 127/127/129/128
3. Pennsylvania resident, but I'll be working in CA over the summer at John's Hopkins CTY and possibly research at a biotech firm in the fall
4. White female; 22 years
5. Undergrad school= Forbes Top 50 school, Forbes Top 30 Liberal Arts Universities
6. 1450 hrs of clinical experience (ER tech, lots of shadowing, JHUCTY Health Assistant), ~300 clinical volunteering (at hospital and dementia ward)
7. Honors Thesis in Chemistry, and over 250hrs of clinical research experience
8. Shadowed cardiology(outpatient, inpatient, surgery), OBGYN (outpatient and surgery), neonatology, pathology, family medicine (inpatient and outpatient), emergency medicine
9. Non-clinical volunteering= mentored low income/high risk teens
10. Other extracurricular activities = 2 years Varsity XC/Track, teaching assistant, on the executive board for three clubs
11. Dean’s List; Women’s Cross Country Academic Honors for High GPA; NCAA Division I League Cross Country Rookie of the Year; NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country All-League Honors, Henrietta S. Treen Scholarship Recipient

Here's the school list:

1. UPenn
2. Boston
3. USC Keck
4. Georgetown
5. Dartmouth
6. Tufts
7. Temple
8. George Washington
9. Einstein
10. Drexel
11. Jefferson Kimmel
12. USF-Morsani
13. Hofstra
14. Tulane
15. Penn State
16. New York Medical
17. Quinnipiac
18. Commonwealth

If everything works out, I'd love to be in either the Philly, DC, NYC, or Boston area for med school. I'd say Georgetown, Temple, and Dartmouth are my top schools, although I do have connections at USF-Morsani. UPenn, Boston, and USC Keck are my reach schools. I may throw in two more reach schools in there just for fun. I eliminated a lot of the Chicago and Michigan schools, along with Wake Forest and Creighton solely because I do not want to live in those regions.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Also please let me know if my list is too top heavy. Thanks

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[Faha]

You have a good list and should receive several interviews with your stats.

 

[Goro]

Here is a more realistic list (and "reaches just for fun" is a good way to flush money down the toilet. Take your Mom out to a Mother's day dinner instead).

I suggest:
U VM
Duke (maybe)
Case (maybe)
Mayo (maybe)
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Western MI
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)

Any DO program. I can't recommend Touro-NY, or LUCOM, for different reasons. Start list with PCOM and NYITCOM

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Your MCAT, though adequate, is too weak for top schools such as UPenn (keep in mind that UPenn is not only top, but ultra top)

 

[wizarddoc2213]

Your MCAT, though adequate, is too weak for top schools such as UPenn (keep in mind that UPenn is not only top, but ultra top)

Gotcha! I figured I'd apply anyways, along with Cornell and Yale. I have an interesting story behind my whole college career, and have a 4.0 streak going since junior year with some very challenging courses. Maybe one of those schools will find my application appealing. Probably not, but you never know if you do not try.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Gotcha! I figured I'd apply anyways, along with Cornell and Yale. I have an interesting story behind my whole college career, and have a 4.0 streak going since junior year with some very challenging courses. Maybe one of those schools will find my application appealing. Probably not, but you never know if you do not try.

80% of people applying to those schools think that their application is interesting.

The reason why we are discouraging you from applying to the top schools is because, obviously, you're gonna wanna spend most of your time on the secondaries for those schools, which is MUCH better spent on other schools.

Trust @Goro on this