[repost] chicago, Philly, New York schools

[depression_is_in]

I am a reapplicant, but have not applied to any of the schools listed last year (applied to Albany but honestly probably don't want to be there anyway). I am from the midwest, so the out east schools are more appealing if they are in major cities (harder to get home if I am in Burlington Vermont, for example). I would prefer to only apply to 1 school from each city, with Quinnipiac added in (unless advised otherwise). My issue is balancing my hours w/lower MCAT averages at each school-Help me decide SDN!

Me: reapplicant. 514, 3.75 (both BCPM + AO), ~5000 research hours, ~300 clinical hours (not-shadowing), ~200 community volunteering. taking gap years in research
Also, have 2 institutional actions for underage drinking :/
(you can imagine how its hard for me to pick high research schools that are more stern against disciplinary actions)

Them:
Rosalin: higher average MCAT than Loyola (~514), might appreciate my research more?
Loyola: lower average MCAT than Rosalin, but might want more clinical/volunteering??
(not applying to rush with my lower volunteering/clinical hours)

Temple: lower MCAT (~511), appreciate research, but they require a dean's letter for IA's. Might reject me outright because of this?
Thomas Jefferson: higher MCAT (~514), might be more appreciative of my research hours?
Drexel: Lower MCAT, lost their hospital, BUT THIS MIGHT MEAN less kids apply, therefore I have a better chance...
Penn State: not in Philly, tons of applications, unsure if it is worth it.

New York Medical College: lower MCAT, don't know much about it otherwise
Einstein: higher kitty (~514), again, might appreciate the research hours more. Might be anti-institutional actions because higher reputation.

Quinnipiac: think I have a good chance here.

Personally I am leaning towards Loyola, Temple, and New York Medical College. I have a unreasonable bias against med schools that don't have undergrad populations because somehow I got it into my head that this means a school is less legitimate (ie. just built to suck out money from med students as opposed to being a real academic institution). this is non-sense, of course, but hence hesitation for Einstein, Rosalin, etc.

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[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[GreenDuck12]

Are you unable to get a deans letter? When did your two IAs occur? How long ago was the last one?

 

[GreenDuck12]

I have a unreasonable bias against med schools that don't have undergrad populations because somehow I got it into my head that this means a school is less legitimate (ie. just built to suck out money from med students as opposed to being a real academic institution). this is non-sense, of course, but hence hesitation for Einstein, Rosalin, etc.

This really isnt rationale, as you acknowledge. Medical schools operate at a net loss for the institutions that host them based on tuition dollars. They use procedures to help cover the costs associated with operating a medical school since tuition is far short of covering the full range of operations for academic programs. Remember, these programs do operate as not for profit entities unlike a few other US MD/DO programs and Caribbean programs. There are plenty of reasons not to apply to programs and of course it is your choice where to apply. To increase your odds of an acceptance I would encourage you to re-evaluate this particular issue.

 

[gyngyn]

This thread can be followed here: Chicago, Philly, and New York Private Schools