What are my chances?

adagu14
Sun, 16 Sep 2012 13:41:53 +0000

Thank you all for responding.

My MCAT breakdown was a 12 BS, 12 PS and 10 Verbal. Unfortunately I was scoring higher on all my practice tests, but my verbal section didn’t go as well as usual. It was my first time taking the MCAT though. I’m considering retaking it, but I need to ensure that my verbal score will be stellar my second time through.

I’m most interested in these “top” medical schools due to the residency advantage they may bring. I have heard from many sources that top med schools produce more competitive applicants for top residencies, and since I hope to pursue a career in Radiology or Anesthesiology, I could use the advantage. However, I’ve also considered that if I attend a “normal” medical school (i.e. Wayne State, which is still a great school), I may be above-average and thus would still be able to land a more competitive residency position. I’m also a first generation college student and I would love to have a prestigious medical school under my belt for my own gratification.

Also, my GPA shows an upward trend (4.0 the last three semesters). My downfalls are in Organic chemistry from freshman year (B and B+), and physics from sophomore year (B- and B-).

I went to a below-average high school outside of Detroit with less than half of the students attending 4-year universities. My personal statement highlights the economic disadvantage I have overcome, having lived below the poverty line most of my childhood. Though I am a Caucasian male, I have not led the life typical of Caucasian males applying to top medical schools. I know some medical schools look at the “distance traveled” when admitting applicants, so I’m hoping I may have a slight edge in this area, but I’m not banking on it.

I actually have not applied yet; I’ve decided to take a year off before I apply. As of now, I plan on applying to all of the In-state schools (Umich, Wayne, Oakland and MSU), and Harvard, Yale, Duke, Stanford, UChicago, UCSF, UNC, UVirgina, Northwestern, Loyola, Case Western, Indiana, Penn State, Vandy, Emory, Boston University, Tufts, UConn, Dartmouth, URochester, Wisconsin, USC, Wake Forest and Brown. I know that several of those may be “reach” schools now, but my stats should be “competitive” for many of them as well, and hopefully “safe” for a few.