Application Cycle One: 2004

• Undergraduate college: springfield-heights institute of tech
• Undergraduate Area of study: Engineering/Technology

• Institution: state univ of central kans @ Springfield
• Area of Study: Engineering/Technology
• Degree Obtained: Masters

• Total MCAT SCORE: 517
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 129, CARS 129   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.47
• Science GPA: 3.48

Summary of Application Experience

I guess I'm lucky to have several interviews so far with a relatively low GPA. I switched majors very late (second semester junior year) after getting bored with bio (hence, low BCPM GPA) and really struggled through engineering (hence, low u/g GPA). I did better in grad school (4.0 BCPM, 3.69 overall) but I don't know if it'll be enough.

I feel I've already screwed up a couple of times in this process. For my AMCAS, I included all of my engineering math classes as 'math,' (which really hurt my BCPM GPA...) but none of my science related engineering courses as BCPM... which would have significantly helped. And, I don't know how to do this, but I should have made sure my LORs were good before having them sent out. I didn't get along with my master's thesis advisor, but he promised to write me an LOR if I gave him an extra semester after I finished my thesis. (Actually, he basically threatened to NOT write an LOR if I didn't stay... but let's not split hairs.) Doesn't sound smart, huh? (I had mistakenly assumed that an LOR by definition is good... we'll find out in a few months, I suppose...)

Also, don't spend too much time on SDN! Every time I browse the forums, I feel like retaking the MCATs... and I did fine considering I had taken the pre-req courses five+ years before I sat for the exam. [haha... I spent so much time there that my company's firewall has blocked the site! Woo!]

Applying to 29 schools while working fulltime (and taking classes) is not a good idea. I've had a lot of trouble meeting deadlines, and it'll only get worse as the year comes to an end and I have to meet my year-end goals. In retrospect, I would have been more selective (check it, more realistic) about which schools I applied to. I also decided to withdraw from a good bunch of schools after the AMCAS, so it's just money down the drain. Still, at least most of the paperwork is done... now it's just sit and wait to see what happens...

Liked Einstein and _loved_ Vanderbilt... will likely hear back from Einstein in mid-January, Downstate in a few weeks, and unfortunately waitlisted at Vanderbilt... meanwhile, 1 more interview and waiting waiting waiting waiting