Brief Profile:
--EMT-Basic Certification --Fraternity - executive position and 3 leadership conferences --Twice a month middle school mentor through church --Honors Scholarship for being strong Honors student with 'potential to contribute to society' --Undergraduate Research Symposium - Top Award --Secondary Author, Journal of Immunology Paper (2.5 years immunology research) --Co-founder of small medical student org --Two summer medical internships in India: assisted in outpatient clinic/joined medical camps/shadowed; drafted 40+ page 'healthcare initiative' proposal with pediatrician for a community health project --Vail Summer Project (service/leadership/spiritual training) with a Christian campus ministry --CSU Honors Student, including writing an honors thesis --Departmental Graduating Senior Award for 'outstanding service and scholarship'
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 2008
Undergraduate college: Colorado State University
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 520
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 131,
C/P 129,
CARS 129
Overall GPA: 4.00
Science GPA: 4.00
Summary of Application Experience
My honest thoughts and advice about a few random parts of this process--
Above are only the schools I decided to submit the secondary for. I only fill out the application facts so thoroughly to give you a better picture of myself, not so you can know how wonderful I am or something. I hope I can count myself more mature than that.
MCAT: I scored a 30 on my first MCAT, and 37 on my second six weeks later because I was getting 35ish on all my practice tests. Imagine this: if you got rejected from all your schools, would you regret not taking it again? I would recommend thinking about it that way if you score 'low' on your first one.
AMCAS: Fill out relatively early for more interview likelihood, but don't flip out getting it done until near the end of the summer. Completing secondaries in a timely manner is equally, if not more, important. Likely, one or more of your schools will not tell you until March anyway, so no point fretting too much about knowing October 15.
Also, realize that schools are finicky. My state school (CU) with a 25%-ish in-state acceptance rate rejected me outright--yet I was accepted at three other great schools (two of them in the 'early rounds' of a small number of acceptances) and interviewed at Harvard. Fortunately, I wanted to go out of state anyway, so it ends up being a mutual understanding. Still very weird though. Be prepared for plenty of surprises like this, and to wait up to 6 months for decisions even if the schools say it may be soon.
MY ADVICE: Cast your net to various schools, and ONLY ones which you are excited about going to, not just with 'numbers in your range' or because they have a great rep. You'll be much more excited about a school when it comes time to make a decision (if you get multiple acceptances) and much more confident that you are in the right one if you only get one acceptance.
Also, those who come from a 'mere state school' for undergrad, don't let that factor get you down. You won't be paying off massive undergrad debt in addition to med school debt, and I doubt this was a major factor in any of the committee decisions.
