Which schools to apply to? Is my list alright?

[because101]

Hello,

This is another "what schools should be on my list" post. I am not applying for another year, but I want to at least get an idea of what I should be looking for. Is my list too top heavy? Too bottom heavy? Just right? Also, tips on how to help my application would really help as well!

California raised attending UC Davis.
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Computational Biology
GPA: 3.80
MCAT: 514 (128, 130, 130, 126)
Lab experience: 4 years in a lab at the Vet School with 1 year as acting lab manager, 1 year shadowing in neuroscience lab Total: 2500+ hours
Publications: 6 publications in peer reviewed journals with 2 as lead author
Research is my strongest aspect, and I am highly considering MD/PhD programs to almost all of the listed schools. (Input on that would be helpful as well!)
Clinical hours: 300 hrs
Nonclinical hours: 400 hrs
Clinical Shadowing: 100 hrs

List of Schools:
USC
Stanford (why not)
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
UC San Fransisco
UC Los Angeles
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
Georgetown
University of Chicago-Pritzker
University of Massachusetts
University of Michigan
Mayo
University of Minnesota
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Washington


Thank you so much for the help!

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[Dr. Stalker]

You need more mid-tier and low tiers.

Add:
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
SUNY Stony Brook
Hofstra
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel or Penn State
Tufts
BU

 

[because101]

You need more mid-tier and low tiers.

Add:
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
SUNY Stony Brook
Hofstra
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel or Penn State
Tufts
BU

Thanks!

 

[Faha]

State public schools such as U Minnesota, UMass, U Connecticut, Oregon and U Washington accept very few non residents with no connections to the state so remove those. Consider adding these schools:
Boston University
Tufts
Hofstra
Tulane
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Creighton

 

[because101]

State public schools such as U Minnesota, UMass, U Connecticut, Oregon and U Washington accept very few non residents with no connections to the state so remove those. Consider adding these schools:
Boston University
Tufts
Hofstra
Tulane
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Creighton

That helps a lot! Thank you very much. Would you say that I have any listed schools that are too top heavy that should be removed? Stanford is my "Hail Mary" school.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I'd chop:

NYU or Mt Sinai, U Conn, U penn.

NYU or Mt Sinai - keep one, not both
U Penn you really need a 524+, they're a complete stat *****. a 514 is godly, but just not godly enough for them lol, but don't feel bad, very few people get in there anyway! You'll have a very successful cycle.

Additionally, please invest in purchasing the MSAR. This is a database where you can identify schools based on GPA/MCAT metrics, in-state/out of state bias, and make a more thorough list.

 

[Goro]

Hello,

This is another "what schools should be on my list" post. I am not applying for another year, but I want to at least get an idea of what I should be looking for. Is my list too top heavy? Too bottom heavy? Just right? Also, tips on how to help my application would really help as well!

California raised attending UC Davis.
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Computational Biology
GPA: 3.80
MCAT: 514 (128, 130, 130, 126)
Lab experience: 4 years in a lab at the Vet School with 1 year as acting lab manager, 1 year shadowing in neuroscience lab Total: 2500+ hours
Publications: 6 publications in peer reviewed journals with 2 as lead author
Research is my strongest aspect, and I am highly considering MD/PhD programs to almost all of the listed schools. (Input on that would be helpful as well!)
Clinical hours: 300 hrs
Nonclinical hours: 400 hrs
Clinical Shadowing: 100 hrs

List of Schools:
USC
Stanford (why not)
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
UC San Fransisco
UC Los Angeles
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
Georgetown
University of Chicago-Pritzker
University of Massachusetts
University of Michigan
Mayo
University of Minnesota
Einstein
Mount Sinai
NYU
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Washington


Thank you so much for the help!

What is the attraction for public schools???? Hail Mary apps are simply donations that the schools don't need. Take your mom out to dinner instead.

Here is a more realistic list:


UCF (maybe)
Duke
U Cincy
U VM
Pitt
Mayo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Georgetown
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Netter
Oakland-B
Tufts
UCD
UCI
UCR IF you're from the Inland Empire
UCLA
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)

 

[sss1219]

I'd chop: NYU or Mt Sinai - keep one, not both

NYU is also pretty stat whorey (average MCAT is like a 520 or something) in case that helps in making the decision

 

[Dr. Stalker]

NYU is also pretty stat whorey (average MCAT is like a 520 or something) in case that helps in making the decision

Honestly, Keep Mt. Sinai and drop NYU, you're entirely correct. NYU wants that juicy 522+ lol

 

[because101]

What is the attraction for public schools???? Hail Mary apps are simply donations that the schools don't need. Take your mom out to dinner instead.

Here is a more realistic list:


UCF (maybe)
Duke
U Cincy
U VM
Pitt
Mayo
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
MCW
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Georgetown
Emory
USC/Keck
Tulane
Dartmouth
Loyola
Netter
Oakland-B
Tufts
UCD
UCI
UCR IF you're from the Inland Empire
UCLA
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)

Thank you for the list! I was definitely a bit top-heavy.

 

[mwsapphire]

Honestly, Keep Mt. Sinai and drop NYU, you're entirely correct. NYU wants that juicy 522+ lol

Uuhhh, median at NYU is a 520 and median at UPenn is a 518. You don't need a 522 or 524, respectively...


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[Dr. Stalker]

Uuhhh, median at NYU is a 520 and median at UPenn is a 518. You don't need a 522 or 524, respectively...


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They're both stat ******. To be competitive, they're pushing for 520+ scores. The median at those two schools are dragged down by some heathen with a mere 512 .

 

[md-2020]

They're both stat ******. To be competitive, they're pushing for 520+ scores. The median at those two schools are dragged down by some heathen with a mere 512 .

The top schools actually have pretty restricted 10-90%ile ranges. 512 would comfortably put you in the bottom 1-2% at my school (10%ile of 515), and I assume to Penn/NYU to be the same. Therefore the average isn't being dragged down a ton of relatively "super low" scores <512.

As a non-URM my general advice is to target places where your MCAT is spot on the average or at most a point/2 below. But definitely no need to score 6 points higher than the mean to be very competitive.