WAMC: 1st Reapp, 3.46 GPA 52X MCAT

[Squalene]

29 ORM.
First degree was a 3.2 GPA then I did a ~90 credit post bacc with a 4.0.
Scored a 509 MCAT last cycle bc of a severely stressful time period and test anxiety. Based on practice exams and UW progress I'm looking at a 52X score this cycle.
50%ile Casper (retaking).

Previous 5 year career in social services before my post bacc (3/5 years were clinical social services).
200 hours clinical volunteering.
100 hours research in Uni.
Only E-shadowing but about 120 hours.
Clinical Research Assistant at a children's hospital since November (~2k hours by June).
No pubs.

Not really sure what sort of schools I should even apply to.

I'm thinking of just going down the list and applying to 40/50 of the t50 schools and seeing what happens lol.

I was able to get 5 interviews from 25 apps this last cycle at mid tier schools however I believe my MCAT held me back as well as I presented myself/my interests/motivations differently in interviews than I did in my application.

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[Mr.Smile12]

I was able to get 5 interviews from 25 apps this last cycle at mid tier schools however I believe my MCAT held me back as well as I presented myself/my interests/motivations differently in interviews than I did in my application.

Whoa... don't bury the lead here. Where did you apply/interview? Results? State of residence?

Sure if you retake and get a 520+, things might help you for some more schools.

 

[Squalene]

Whoa... don't bury the lead here. Where did you apply/interview? Results? State of residence?

Sure if you retake and get a 520+, things might help you for some more schools.

Florida. Applied to state schools, schools with similar scores to mine, as well as upstate NY schools to be near my parents.
I was able to get IIs at FSU, UIC, IUSOM, SUNY-US, and Drexel.
I'm still waiting to hear back from 3 of them (DD) but some other personal circumstances/commitments will require I withdraw all apps by May 1st.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

some other personal circumstances/commitments will require I withdraw all apps by May 1st

You're still burying the lead. What happens if you got an offer? Would you turn it down? What if you got an offer after May 1? Why is that date magical?

You had 5 interviews! In general, you did a great job!

 

[Squalene]

You're still burying the lead. What happens if you got an offer? Would you turn it down? What if you got an offer after May 1? Why is that date magical?

You had 5 interviews! In general, you did a great job!

Time sensitive commitments to people in my area would require I withdraw all apps on May 1st if I don't receive an A by then. I won't receive any acceptances after May 1st because I'll have withdrawn my applications and be fully dedicated to the 24/25 cycle reapp.
I will be withdrawing specifically so as not to risk an acceptance I can't take.
I don't want to say more than that.

Sorry I wasn't familiar with the term "bury the lead".

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Time sensitive commitments to people in my area would require I withdraw all apps on May 1st if I don't receive an A by then. I won't receive any acceptances after May 1st because I'll have withdrawn my applications and be fully dedicated to the 24/25 cycle reapp.
I will be withdrawing specifically so as not to risk an acceptance I can't take.
I don't want to say more than that.

Sorry I wasn't familiar with the term "bury the lead".

Can I ask why you are reapplying? I can't represent all schools, but if you ask to withdraw from schools that put you on a waitlist, you want to be sure it does not jeopardize your chances of getting interviewed or considered again for the next cycle. Would you request a deferral if you got an offer in the next two weeks? What is preventing you from withdrawing now?

I passed over

a severely stressful time period and test anxiety

509 is not a bad score, and you got 5 interviews regardless. I'm not sure I understand your reasoning that you felt your MCAT held you back. 5 interviews out of 25 schools is a great result!

More likely factors:
120 hours of e-shadowing, no in-person. I'm not sure how your 5 years in social services factored in decisions to interview or not, but I suspect the schools who did interview you felt it was an asset.

 

[Squalene]

Can I ask why you are reapplying? I can't represent all schools, but if you ask to withdraw from schools that put you on a waitlist, you want to be sure it does not jeopardize your chances of getting interviewed or considered again for the next cycle. Would you request a deferral if you got an offer in the next two weeks? What is preventing you from withdrawing now?

I passed over

509 is not a bad score, and you got 5 interviews regardless. I'm not sure I understand your reasoning that you felt your MCAT held you back. 5 interviews out of 25 schools is a great result!

More likely factors:
120 hours of e-shadowing, no in-person. I'm not sure how your 5 years in social services factored in decisions to interview or not, but I suspect the schools who did interview you felt it was an asset.

Because I don't have to make those commitments until May 1st.
So prior to May 1st I can choose not to make them. But I have to make a decision by May 1st.

I do not believe the schools I'm waiting for accept deferrals after April 30th.

I've already spoken with the adcoms and been told withdrawing after May 1st will not affect my chances on a reapp.

Also, you're right that 509 is not a bad score. All the same, it's not even the average at the schools Im waiting to hear back from and it's not like your stats no longer matter after your interview. They are still taken into account.

Considering I've worked very closely with physicians for most of my career I do not think the shadowing had a huge impact.
Especially considering the primary value in shadowing is seeing what physicians do, and whether or not that's something you would like to do.
Also, the social services had probably the largest impact on my app. Medicine necessarily involves awareness of SES related obstacles to health which is what I primarily dealt with.

Respectfully, this post was intended to help me decide what schools to apply to in the 24/25 cycle. Not to analyze my 23/24 app.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Respectfully, this post was intended to help me decide what schools to apply to in the 24/25 cycle. Not to analyze my 23/24 app.

I understand but we are limited to what you have told us. Did you post your WAMC profile and receive a list from us before? I haven't found one from last cycle. As a reapplicant, we cannot isolate cycles as if they are de novo experiments. (I'm also biding time for the list-makers.)

Since you are planning on an MCAT retake, many will withhold listing schools until you post an official result.

What I can glean:
1) Your "second bachelors" GPA helps you. Schools that reward reinvention will value this.
2) I think your social services work is highly valued and will help you with service-oriented schools for sure (including those that interact with social workers interprofessionally).
3) The low MCAT might have excluded you from some schools who put more weight on MCAT as preparation for medical school than your postbac coursework (which I wouldn't know since I don't see your transcript). Regardless #2 can still override this concern at some schools that may not be known as service-oriented schools.

I agree if you get a 52x MCAT, you make the decisions much easier and can get #3 off the board.

 

[AJS59]

Because I don't have to make those commitments until May 1st.
So prior to May 1st I can choose not to make them. But I have to make a decision by May 1st.

I do not believe the schools I'm waiting for accept deferrals after April 30th.

I've already spoken with the adcoms and been told withdrawing after May 1st will not affect my chances on a reapp.

Also, you're right that 509 is not a bad score. All the same, it's not even the average at the schools Im waiting to hear back from and it's not like your stats no longer matter after your interview. They are still taken into account.

Considering I've worked very closely with physicians for most of my career I do not think the shadowing had a huge impact.
Especially considering the primary value in shadowing is seeing what physicians do, and whether or not that's something you would like to do.
Also, the social services had probably the largest impact on my app. Medicine necessarily involves awareness of SES related obstacles to health which is what I primarily dealt with.

Respectfully, this post was intended to help me decide what schools to apply to in the 24/25 cycle. Not to analyze my 23/24 app.

Out of curiosity, is there anything preventing you from making those personal commitments on May 1 and then reneging on them should you get off a waitlist after that point? It seems silly to throw away a potential A even if it requires some awkward things (quitting a job with no notice, breaking a lease prematurely) but I do get that you might have other reasons to want to stick with things.

 

[Squalene]

Out of curiosity, is there anything preventing you from making those personal commitments on May 1 and then reneging on them should you get off a waitlist after that point? It seems silly to throw away a potential A even if it requires some awkward things (quitting a job with no notice, breaking a lease prematurely) but I do get that you might have other reasons to want to stick with things.

Reneging on this commitment is not an option.

I would like to get into medical school of course, but it's not worth being dishonest and screwing over people I care about. For that it can wait another year.