<p>Hi, I just received my MCAT score and I am currently deciding which schools to apply to / which schools are worth applying to. My LOR are very strong and my personal statement is, from what I've been told by my pre-med advisor, very strong as well. Any chances, guidance, help overall would be great.</p>
<p>These are my credentials:</p>
<p>Biochemistry Major at Stonehill College (small LAC in MA); Honors program
cGPA = 3.97 (currently second in class)
sGPA = 3.98
MCAT = 32S; VR = 8; PS = 12; BS = 12</p>
<p>Synthetic organic chemistry research last year at Stonehill College - 480 hours
Presented Poster at American Chemical Society Conference (DC)
Publication as author currently being submitted</p>
<p>Biomedical Research at Harvard Medical School (New England Primate Research Center) this summer - 350 hours</p>
<p>Teaching assistant for general/organic chemistry classes - all Sophomore, junior, Senior years - 5 hr/week</p>
<p>Multiple chemistry awards for being highest in class</p>
<p>Volunteered for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America since 2005</p>
<p>Member of a few clubs and honor societies at college</p>
<p>My <em>potential</em> school list is as follows, please help me refine/chance it!</p>
<p>Tufts
Georgetown
Boston University
St. Louis University
University of Vermont
Jefferson
Rosalind Franklin
George Washington
Dartmouth
NYU
Loyola
Harvard
University of Pennsylvania
Cornell Weill
NorthWestern Feinberg
Stanford
Albert Einstein
Vanderbilt</p>
<p>With a verbal of 8 I might consider retaking, especially if you want any real shot at reaches like Harvard. What is your state of residence? Add any in state schools that you haven’t yet. I would also look into more middle of the road or less competitive MD programs like NYMC, Tulane, etc.</p>
<p>My state of residence is NH, so no state schools for me… and Dartmouth doesn’t really prefer NH residents I don’t think.</p>
<p>The reason I don’t want to retake is that for practice tests my verbal was always 8-10 range and there is a good chance it won’t go up, while the other two may go up or down (was averaging 12-15 bio, 11-13 Phys). Would the S in writing and high marks in humanities make up for VR at all?</p>
<p>I realize some of the higher up schools are far reaches, the only reason I would even consider Harvard is because I have multiple doctors on staff at the medical school writing me very strong recommendations that may help compensate, same thing with NorthWestern, although only one there.</p>
<p>What about some of the other middle range schools - like BU, Tufts, Georgetown etc?
Any schools I should definitely take out you think? Or that would screen out an 8 VR?</p>
<p>No, WS and classes can’t make up for a low BR score.</p>
<p>Schools that would screen out an 8 for sure I don’t know. But schools like the Ivy’s and Northwestern are good bets. Just look at the MSAR, if their 10th percentile isn’t an 8 then your chances are pretty much nil.</p>
<p>Are you applying to state schools at all? Your list has very selective schools. Did you try website? It is asking for each individual section, it might give you good pointers. I plugged in my D’s stats (after she applied though, which is OK, her list is 7 schools, with couple state schools and she consulted wih her pre-med advisor on all of them, which is probably the best thing to do)</p>
<p>I can not apply to any state schools in my state because there aren’t any. In other states the accepted statistics seem to be comparabale to some other schools that I would prefer to go to - like BU, tufts, georgetown - and the state schools in other states accept a very low percentage of out of state applicants usually, so my chances at the statistically similarly schools seem to be better, as well as me wanting to go there more.</p>
<p>I tried the website and it essentially gave me blue throughout - meaning I am a “competetive applicant” almost everywhere accept for the schools that accept almost universally in-state applicants. With my stats, even the Ivies and Northwestern were considered “competitive.”</p>
<p>I’m not planning on applying to all of these schools, I think I’m going to take out Cornell, Penn, Stanford, Vandy at least.</p>
<p>I would drop Georgetown for reasons stated numerous time in other threads; too many applicants, too many “connected” acceptances, and they can be as selective as they want to be with the rest. I would also add more schools in the USNWR 30-50 rankings. I would also add a bit more geographic diversity.</p>
<p>Your VR score may automatically screen you out at Harvard, Penn, Stanford, Weill and Feinberg. Have you discussed this list with your pre med advisor?</p>
<p>^Any “very competitive”? I would include those.<br>
I do not know how good estimate is that, but it seems to be reasonable based on D’s results. For example, her chances at Harvard (did not apply) are tiny bit higher than U of Mich. (public OOS), so it seems to make some sense.</p>
<p>There’s a LOT of risk retaking the MCAT especially if practice tests were in the range of your actual score. Better use of your time and effort would to be spent creating a more realistic list. You can have a few reaches but would be better served with more schools that you better match. Why go against the odds when they are long to begin with?</p>
<p>I have significant problems with the posted website. I would recommend looking at school averages or seek out the what are my chances spreadsheet at student doctor network.</p>
<p>I agree with eadad, in particular because VR is not easy to improve. My own D. did not improve it during prep. at all, while improving considerably scores in other 2 sections. It is just the way she reads, which has helped her actually with her GPA (her opinion). She just got very lucky to get the highest of her practice VR on her real MCAT which has made total score very balanced. She made reasonable efforts to improve VR (reading Economist…, taking VR practice sections), but she realized it was waste of time and focused more on other 2 sections. If the problem was with other sections, then studying more could improve scores., but with VR, you can count only on being more lucky (or less).</p>
<p>The fact that it has such wide ranges of labeling competitiveness. A 32 should not be labeled competitive for a school with an average of 35-36. Also, the SDN spreadsheet does take state of residence in mind. It is also is more up to date and has a clearly legitimate source for its data (the MSAR).</p>
<p>are you talking about the lizzyM spreadsheet that uses your GPA, MCAT, and state of residence and then ranks them from Long Shot, Hopeful, Go for It?</p>
<p>Yeppers. It’s still floating around here and there. You can search for it and find someone who mentions that they have a copy. I used to, and I think it’s available online.</p>
<p>Type in Medical School Odds Calculator into Yahoo. Second link. Despite your high GPA, I think your chances are still overestimated. Here are the schools that I think are within potential grasp based on modifying your stats a bit on the calculator. Factor out schools that don’t accept instaters.</p>
<p>U of Connecticut
U of Miami
Indiana U
U of Iowa
U of Massachusetts
U of Minnesota
St. Louis U
SUNY Downstate
Stony Brook
U of N. Carolina
Wake Forest
Penn State
UTMB
U of Wisconsin
U of Alabama
UC Davis
Georgetown
Florida International
U of S. Florida
MC Georgia
Rosalind Franklin
U of Kentucky
U of Maryland
Wayne State
U of Missouri Columbia
Creighton
UMDNJ-NJMS
UMDNJ-RWJMS
Albany
SUNY Upstate
OHSU
Jefferson
Texas A&M
UT Houston
U of Vermont
MC Wisconsin
U of S. Alabama
Loma Linda
U of Hawaii
Loyola
U of Nebraska
U of Nevada
U at Buffalo
U of Toledo
U of Oklahoma
Temple
U of S. Dakota
Texas Tech Lubbock
UT San Antonio
U of Washington
W. Virginia
Anything less competitive</p>
<p>^ Drop UNC, UMass and U Washington from that list.</p>
<p>Definitely would apply to Texas Tech, UT San Antonio, UTMB and A&M. UT Houston is a bit more of a long shot but I would apply there…one app for all Texas schools (except Baylor)…don’t waste time or effort on Baylor or UTSW.</p>
<p>Ok, thank you guys so much for all this help and input.</p>
<p>this is the refined list I’ve come up with so far</p>
<p>Northwestern
Harvard
Tufts
Albert Einstein
BU
Georgetown
George Washington
St. Louis U
New York MC
Albany
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola - Chicago
University of Vermont
NYU
Dartmouth
Jefferson</p>
<p>The reason I don’t have any of the Texas schools is because when looking at the MSAR I saw that matriculants are nearly all In-state residents. The same thing goes when I researched a large portion of the state schools on that list.</p>