California 2013 Applicant: Some feedback would be much appreciated.

[Corvid]

I plan to apply for medical school June 2013. I'd like to stay in California for medical school, ideally. I really want to go to UCI or UCSD medical school.
I'm currently a junior at UCSD if this is helpful. These are my current stats:

GPA: 3.96
MCAT: 31P (9 PSs, 11 VR, 11 BS) I didn't do as well as I wanted to (wanted at least double digits in each category)

-Volunteering: 50+ hours at a VA nursing clinic. I will continue volunteering throughout senior year and after (will get me around 200+ hours by the time I apply)
-Employment: I've been a lab assistant for a year now, working 8-10 hours a week.
-Research: Haven't started, but will be starting some research this summer and and will continue throughout my senior year and after.
-I will be a TA for physiology, pharmacology, and/or cell biology.

I'm on the fence about re-taking, I averaged a 34 on my practice tests, but for some reason I doubt I can do that much better. I have a tendency to do poorly on standardized tests. Besides, I'd really hate to have to study for the test all over again, especially since I used up all of my practice AAMC tests.

Additionally, because I am applying in 2013, I am taking a year off (I plan to volunteer/research while working to pay off undergraduate student loans, which I have a fair amount of).

Some advice about what areas I need to work on would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your responses in advance.

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[Corvid]

Purchase some practice tests from another test prep company and don't retake until you are consistently scoring two points better than your target score. You'll be fine with your current score, but if you want to compete at UCSD you could stand to gain a few points.

So are you saying that as I stand now, I have a slim chance at UCSD? Or that I still have a chance, but a couple of points on the MCAT would help?

 

[Corvid]

You still have a chance, but a couple of points on the MCAT would help.

Alright, thanks for your insight. I'll take your advice and see how I do on some practice tests, if I find that I'm consistently getting a 36 (target 34), I'll retake. If not, I'll take my chances.

As it stands right now, I plan to really step up my extracurricular activities. I have some good plans for that.

 

[riseNshine]

I know someone with similar stats who got into a top UC, but had excellent extracurriculars..I think you'll be fine..make the whole package shine

 

[Jamie561]

I know someone with similar stats who got into a top UC, but had excellent extracurriculars..I think you'll be fine..make the whole package shine

Qft. Your ECs are really subpar.

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[yellowfish]

Alright, thanks for your insight. I'll take your advice and see how I do on some practice tests, if I find that I'm consistently getting a 36 (target 34), I'll retake. If not, I'll take my chances.

As it stands right now, I plan to really step up my extracurricular activities. I have some good plans for that.

To me, this is currently your biggest weakness. Getting more ECs would make your application stronger than a few points on the MCAT.

 

[Corvid]

To me, this is currently your biggest weakness. Getting more ECs would make your application stronger than a few points on the MCAT.

I have a a whole summer and the entirety of my senior year to really build on research/volunteering experiences. So when I apply in June 2013, I should have a solid clinical volunteer background, research (possibly a publication), a bit of non-clinical volunteer work (volunteering at an animal shelter, amongst other things), and a year of being a teaching assistant. I know this is still not enough, so I welcome any other suggestions.

 

[huskydock]

I have a a whole summer and the entirety of my senior year to really build on research/volunteering experiences. So when I apply in June 2013, I should have a solid clinical volunteer background, research (possibly a publication), a bit of non-clinical volunteer work (volunteering at an animal shelter, amongst other things), and a year of being a teaching assistant. I know this is still not enough, so I welcome any other suggestions.

Yay for a fellow UCSDer!

Anyways, it would be INCREDIBLY beneficial if you also aimed to get leadership experience, awards, honors, the like. That way, you don't end up becoming the cookie cutter applicant with good stats + average ECs (even if you do have all that stuff). Where's the part of your app that tells schools that you are a leader? Most top med schools, which UCSD certainly is IMO, want to train future leaders in medicine. You're a junior now, so definitely push to get some sort of distinction. My 0.02.

 

[Corvid]

Yay for a fellow UCSDer!

Anyways, it would be INCREDIBLY beneficial if you also aimed to get leadership experience, awards, honors, the like. That way, you don't end up becoming the cookie cutter applicant with good stats + average ECs (even if you do have all that stuff). Where's the part of your app that tells schools that you are a leader? Most top med schools, which UCSD certainly is IMO, want to train future leaders in medicine. You're a junior now, so definitely push to get some sort of distinction. My 0.02.

WOO UCSD!

Would TAing count as a leadership experience? Because technically one "leads" his/her academic section . In all seriousness though, I don't see how I can gain a meaningful leadership position in just one year. I feel I have to go out and do something grand...But what? And I don't think piggy-backing on a preexisting student group will cut it for me, I'd like to be more of an innovator, I want to start something great. (At this point I'm not asking for what I should do, but just openly running through ideas here, haha).

On another note: I'd really hate to use this on my application to make me stand out (I feel it'd be a sort of desperate attempt to stand out: "look at me I'm sort of sick but I've done all these things!") but I technically have a physical "hardship" that I've dealt with for the past 5 years, ulcerative colitis. It was pretty bad in the beginning, but after a while of trial and error/switching doctors/trying new therapies and medications, I've beat it down into submission to a point where I lead a relatively normal life (other than taking daily medication, watching my diet, avoiding stress as much as possible, etc.). The whole experience gave me a deep appreciation for my health, especially knowing this disease can and probably will strike back (remission rarely lasts forever). I could go on for hours about how this experience has affected me (and one of my close family members who had the same disease, but a much more rampant form that was cured, at the cost of her entire colon :S).