Originally posted by Fritz
Actually $$ was the reason why I did not add more schools.
But if you don't mind me asking, what schools did you apply that are non California, and are more likely to accept non traditional, and are more within our reach with the MCAT and gpa averages?
Well, I picked my schools based on a few factors. I made sure I read through the websites of all the schools thoroughly beforehand, and I also considered interview feedback that people had posted on SDN to see if they got a bad vibe from the school or if the students really hated it there. This helped me eliminate a few. I also figured there was no point in applying to schools that would clearly be more interested in advancing their reputations as prestigious institutions than considering someone normal like me. I got the distinct impression that I should not apply to Columbia or U. Chicago, for example, unless I wanted to waste some money. Being sort of a tech geek (hey, I've worked in Silicon Valley for the past 4 years), I also created a big spreadsheet where I plugged in all the data I could get on how many people applied to each school and how many were accepted, including the all-important number of out of state students who matriculated. Just for kicks, I can tell you that statistics dictate that out-of-staters who apply have the best chance of getting into the following 20 schools:
South Alabama, Baylor, Cincinnati, Columbia, Creighton, Harvard, Indiana, Drexel, Minnesota, Nebraska, NYU, Ohio State, MC Ohio, UT Dallas, UT Galveston, UT Houston, UT San Antonio, Utah, Washington U, MC Wisconsin
Now, that's just what the numbers say... that doesn't mean I think I'd get into Harvard by any means.
From of that, plus whether or not I had the feeling the school was non-trad friendly based on their website and SDN, I chose my schools. I also thought about whether I could live in the area where the school is located for four years and whether my boyfriend would have a shot at finding a decent job if he moves with me (this eliminated most schools not in big cities).
Of those 20, I applied to 7, plus a bunch more. I know MC Wisconsin is non-trad friendly and I think people like us should be the type of applicants schools like Drexel, Temple, and Jefferson look for (i.e. not too high, not too low). I'd also put my money on some of the state schools in the midwest.
Don't know how well I've answered your original question, but that's my humble opinion.
And man, is this waiting around to hear something hard!
