Hey guys, so I'm trying to get a sense of where I'm at in terms of my chances. I'm taking a couple years off and doing some pretty cool stuff to help improve my chances.
My 35 mcat is the result of a retake, and I'm pretty stoked about it because it kind of helps make up for a pretty average GPA. I do have one fatal flaw, which was a C in orgo lab. It still haunts me to know I got such a terrible grade considering how well I did in the actual class (A).
Anyways, figured I would ask what my chances were at top 20 schools. I'm a VA resident, so I'm definitely applying to all instate schools, but I'd like to explore life in a different environment outside of the state.
My recs will be great (research prof, bio teacher, doc I'm working with, anthropology prof, all know me well and I've heard have talked highly about me)
I did some sweet research, got a poster out of it and a thesis, graduated magna cum laude from a fairly competitive school.
My EC are things I can talk about for days because I loved them. Things I am lacking are serious shadowing/clinical experience. I've shadowed maybe 2 doctors for a total of 15 hours maybe. With this next year, I'll have a chance to shadow more docs and really solidify my understanding of the profession and know why exactly I want to go into medicine.
Overall, I think I'm a pretty solid applicant, well rounded and all, but I fear my GPA will exclude me from consideration at many of the programs I'm looking into, mainly one's in large cities, which unfortunately also correlates to top 20 schools.
My PS has been reviewed a couple times, a few people loved it, a few people said it needs work, so I'm definitely going to improve it and make sure it flows better but in the end I'm going to keep it so it's representative of me. I'm planning on pre writing secondaries so I can submit them ASAP once receiving them.
Any other suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate any and all help!
My 35 mcat is the result of a retake, and I'm pretty stoked about it because it kind of helps make up for a pretty average GPA. I do have one fatal flaw, which was a C in orgo lab. It still haunts me to know I got such a terrible grade considering how well I did in the actual class (A).
Anyways, figured I would ask what my chances were at top 20 schools. I'm a VA resident, so I'm definitely applying to all instate schools, but I'd like to explore life in a different environment outside of the state.
My recs will be great (research prof, bio teacher, doc I'm working with, anthropology prof, all know me well and I've heard have talked highly about me)
I did some sweet research, got a poster out of it and a thesis, graduated magna cum laude from a fairly competitive school.
My EC are things I can talk about for days because I loved them. Things I am lacking are serious shadowing/clinical experience. I've shadowed maybe 2 doctors for a total of 15 hours maybe. With this next year, I'll have a chance to shadow more docs and really solidify my understanding of the profession and know why exactly I want to go into medicine.
Overall, I think I'm a pretty solid applicant, well rounded and all, but I fear my GPA will exclude me from consideration at many of the programs I'm looking into, mainly one's in large cities, which unfortunately also correlates to top 20 schools.
My PS has been reviewed a couple times, a few people loved it, a few people said it needs work, so I'm definitely going to improve it and make sure it flows better but in the end I'm going to keep it so it's representative of me. I'm planning on pre writing secondaries so I can submit them ASAP once receiving them.
Any other suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate any and all help!