<p>somemom: I think your daughter has a decent chance at getting into at least some med school this cycle, maybe not ones in California. As an athlete getting a 3.6+ at Berkeley is noteworthy and should stand out in her application. I only wonder if these accomplishments may have deterred her from studying masterfully for the MCAT.</p>
<p>Is the verification for the OD school in TX processed by TMDSAS, like all other UT medical schools?</p>
<p>Is TCOM one of the “better” schools among all DO schools? I am just curious: Why does your D apply to this particular DO school only but not any other DO schools? For example, does she have some tie with TX? (I believe TCOM is inside UNT, the school where Norah Jones was graduated. If your D happens to like Jazz music, she may like that envirenment. Do not laugh at this: My child once said that it would be wonderful if he could be in some music program there, instead of working on his medicine-related ECs, during his gap year.)</p>
<p>My impression is that her stat plus her ECs is definitely qualified for that school. A 3.6+ GPA from a very competive flagship university like your daughter’s is very respectable IMO.</p>
<p>My DD was planning to do DO schools as a safety based on SDN info, her list of timing was
AMCAS- submit
TMDSASA- submit (including TCOM)
then do the DO school format
they have their own format system, she wrote the essay, we were researching to pcik 3-4 schools and by the time we got done and realised she would need to send another 4 transcripts, another LOR packet, etc, that the DO system did would not take the transcripts we sent to Interfolio/TX, that schools wanted their own LORs
And after talking to some really nice (:eek:) experienced SDN people on the DO board who also said why DO? </p>
<p>DD decided she did not feel passionate toward DO and that if the hassle factor of doing that app system was enough to deter her, she ought to just work on her secondaries and try for MD. If she does not get in, I guess she will do a masters and decide about a retake. But, she had already researched and been happy with what she learned about TCOM. So, just going with her gut instincts.</p>
<p>We do have family in TX, she has been there, played sports and done try out camps there, and she would be happy to go to TX, but researching the other DOs we got some real turn offs and it felt like we were reaching to hard for safeties. She decided, and I agreed with the decision, to just go for what she wants.</p>
<p>So, she had picked TCOM as one of her 3-4 DO schools and in was part of the TMDSAS system so she kept it on the list, but did not pursue the whole other system to add 2-3 more to the list.</p>
<p>She applied very broadly and hopefully wisely and will just take it as it comes.</p>
<p>MCAT2: I think your child will be in the same cycle as mine - also taking a gap year after graduation this year.</p>
<p>Somemom: Sounds like your daughter has a good strategy.</p>
<p>twinmom: Has your child taken MCAT?</p>
<p>It’s around the corner - studying as we speak!</p>
<p>If anyone in the future has questions, they are also welcome to pm me, as I just finished my application cycle and it is all fresh in my mind.</p>
<p>As a frequent SDN poster, I warn everyone who has not gotten accepted to medical school to avoid it. I am so happy that I never heard of it until half way through my cycle this past year, it would have driven me mad.</p>
<p>Average MCAT is a 27, average applicant is a 29, average accepted student is a 31.5ish, as seen on the aamc website (this doesn’t include DO schools, which tend to be closer to the 25-29 range in terms of average MCAT. If someone wants quotes from specific schools, I have a full list of average matriculant MCAT and GPA scores, which is by far more helpful than average/median scores for everyone who was accepted. A kid with a 41 who is accepted at 10 schools is counted in each average, so many schools can be 2-3 points lower than posted in the MSAR). Almost all of the top ten range from 35-36. WashU is about 37.5, and a couple schools are in the 34 range (U wash is like 31-32). Harvard’s average is exactly 36. A competitive GPA is slightly variable depending on school/mcat, but 3.7+ is pretty good to go. Double digits are the way to go, nothing below an 8, especially verbal. A sub 8 verbal will destroy you, period.</p>
<p>Kaplan exams are harder than the MCAT, AAMC exams seem to be a little easier, but are also curved harder. Most people seem to score within 2 points of their Kaplan. AAMC is more variable. I actually scored 5 points away from my AAMC, but one away from Kaplan!</p>
<p>Except for Case Western and Sinai, no school below the top 20 of the US News ranking has a score above a 34, in terms of average accepted. So, a 33 is pretty competitive at most medical schools, even Dartmouth and Brown.</p>
<p>April of Junior year is the most common MCAT test taking time. Some people choose to do it at the start of their Junior year, and if you are prepared it isn’t a bad idea. You get plenty of time for a second chance.</p>
<p>are intro courses in pre-med heavy schools (cornell, upenn, jhu, etc) difficult?? or is it just the curves, which are intended to weed out students?</p>
<p>
SDN is pretty funny. :D</p>
<p>The curves in my opinion are harder than the material, but I’m sure people are on both sides of that argument. However, I suppose that the exams themselves might also be more difficult when compared to less pre-med heavy schools, but ultimately having a curve counters for that.</p>
<p>Exams=/= material. The material is easy when compared to what comes later, but a professor can make a hard exam regardless of the material’s difficulty.</p>
<p>Hi, </p>
<p>What are schools looking for when they ask “what can you contribute to the medical school community?”</p>
<p>Can anyone please help? Any advice?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Please use old threads for information only, do not post and revive them. Instead please use the New Thread button to ask your questions.</p>