WAMC MD 3.97/516 NJ resident, need to cut down school list

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[Faha]

UNC admits few non residents with no connection to the state. Add Cooper-Rowan and Hackensack.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

If the Boston school is Harvard or MIT, then the list looks fine imo. If it is BC/Tufts/BU etc. Then I would say that you should replace the following with targets since they’re bordering the extreme high reach category. Alternatively, you could leave them but add a target for each one that would be applied to in addition to the others

Duke
Mt Sinai
Stanford
UVA
Mich
Mayo
Vanderbilt
UNC
Pitt

 

[chilly_md]

Remove Rush as their accepted students usually have a lot more face to face non-clinical volunteering hours.

 

[premedasaurus]

If the Boston school is Harvard or MIT, then the list looks fine imo. If it is BC/Tufts/BU etc. Then I would say that you should replace the following with targets since they’re bordering the extreme high reach category. Alternatively, you could leave them but add a target for each one that would be applied to in addition to the others

Duke
Mt Sinai
Stanford
UVA
Mich
Mayo
Vanderbilt
UNC
Pitt

Why are Pitt and Stanford extreme high reach schools for OP? Pitt's median MCAT is 517 and Stanford's was 518 according to MSAR.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Why are Pitt and Stanford extreme high reach schools for OP? Pitt's median MCAT is 517 and Stanford's was 518 according to MSAR.

Stanford could easily fill its class with 522+/3.9+ applicants. However, they tend to choose a bunch of applicants who have some kind of hook (high impact pubs, Olympic athlete, Fulbright scholar, nonprofit founder, high gpa at an Ivy League) They’re willing to take these over high scorers. Unless there is something similar that is not listed in the original post, Stanford will be off limits for all intents and purposes. Never hurts to apply just to see, but it should never take away from targets.

Pitt is a little easier, but when I interviewed a few years ago (pre covid so in person), almost everybody went to a Ivy or Ivy equivalent school or Pitt UG. Maybe this was because it was an early interview day, but I would wager that Pitt is similar in that they’re looking for something extra in addition to stats (less extent that stsnford)

Like I said, it doesn’t hurt to apply but these should never take priority over more reasonable apps or reduce the number of targets one applies to

 

[semagram]

UNC admits few non residents with no connection to the state. Add Cooper-Rowan and Hackensack.

Added, thanks so much! Does the rest of the list look fine?

 

[semagram]

Stanford could easily fill its class with 522+/3.9+ applicants. However, they tend to choose a bunch of applicants who have some kind of hook (high impact pubs, Olympic athlete, Fulbright scholar, nonprofit founder, high gpa at an Ivy League) They’re willing to take these over high scorers. Unless there is something similar that is not listed in the original post, Stanford will be off limits for all intents and purposes. Never hurts to apply just to see, but it should never take away from targets.

Pitt is a little easier, but when I interviewed a few years ago (pre covid so in person), almost everybody went to a Ivy or Ivy equivalent school or Pitt UG. Maybe this was because it was an early interview day, but I would wager that Pitt is similar in that they’re looking for something extra in addition to stats (less extent that stsnford)

Like I said, it doesn’t hurt to apply but these should never take priority over more reasonable apps or reduce the number of targets one applies to

Understood: Stanford's just a dream school of mine. I don't think I have any real hooks, but I'd be kicking myself if I didn't apply.

Other than my MCAT, is there anything that's holding me back in the other reach schools you mentioned? Is it really not worth applying to them? I'd like to consider myself a good applicant, but let me know if there's anything extra I can do in my gap year to give myself an edge. I'm considering clinical research primarily.

Thanks so much for your response!

 

[semagram]

Remove Rush as their accepted students usually have a lot more face to face non-clinical volunteering hours.

Done, thank you! I have some more projected hours, but are my hours fine for other schools on my list?

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Understood: Stanford's just a dream school of mine. I don't think I have any real hooks, but I'd be kicking myself if I didn't apply.

Other than my MCAT, is there anything that's holding me back in the other reach schools you mentioned? Is it really not worth applying to them? I'd like to consider myself a good applicant, but let me know if there's anything extra I can do in my gap year to give myself an edge. I'm considering clinical research primarily.

Thanks so much for your response!

Yes definitely apply if it’s your dream school! You never want to have any regrets.

You are a very good applicant and will almost certainly get in somewhere. However, the T20 schools are notoriously difficult and seem to only be getting more competitive each year. Thus, one can be a good or even great applicant and strike out at the schools mentioned above.

In terms of improving your app during your gap year, it would really depend upon if you’re applying this cycle or applying after a gap. Either way, taking some initiative (ie maybe starting some service org) or getting published could help you. The bad thing about a 516 (which is a great score) is that it is a tad low for top schools. However, it is too high to justify a retake. Some of the schools that you list have MCATs in which a 516 is at or below the 10th percentile.

But don’t worry, I think you’ll get into a good school!

 

[semagram]

Yes definitely apply if it’s your dream school! You never want to have any regrets.

You are a very good applicant and will almost certainly get in somewhere. However, the T20 schools are notoriously difficult and seem to only be getting more competitive each year. Thus, one can be a good or even great applicant and strike out at the schools mentioned above.

In terms of improving your app during your gap year, it would really depend upon if you’re applying this cycle or applying after a gap. Either way, taking some initiative (ie maybe starting some service org) or getting published could help you. The bad thing about a 516 (which is a great score) is that it is a tad low for top schools. However, it is too high to justify a retake. Some of the schools that you list have MCATs in which a 516 is at or below the 10th percentile.

But don’t worry, I think you’ll get into a good school!

Thanks again for your response!

This is precisely the dilemma I was dealing with: too high for a retake, too low for top schools. As you've pointed out, T20s are a crapshoot anyway, so I'll just apply to see where I land. I'll be sure to add a few more targets.

I graduated in the winter of 2021, so I'm taking technically 1.5 gap years I guess (timewise, nomenclature is weird). I'm planning on applying this cycle (2023 matriculation) and am working this fall through next spring.

Thank you so much for the vote of confidence!!!

 

[Faha]

Added, thanks so much! Does the rest of the list look fine?

Yes.

 

[chilly_md]

Done, thank you! I have some more projected hours, but are my hours fine for other schools on my list?

Yes, that should be fine.