Brief Profile:
May 08 MCAT = 30 August 08 MCAT = 36; AMCAS complete with new score ~16 september 08 Finished secondaries between mid-August and mid-October.
1 year research w/ bioinformatics 2 years intense research in molecular biology lab Various pre-med honors, volunteering, shadowing, fraternity involvement. Various research and academic honors from the school.
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 2008
Undergraduate college: Top 20 public/top60 national
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Institution: Biochemistry
Area of Study: Biological/Life Sciences
Degree Obtained: B.S.
Total MCAT SCORE: 519
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 132,
C/P 129,
CARS 126
Overall GPA: 4.00
Science GPA: 4.00
Summary of Application Experience
Biggest thing in my opinion (beside GPA/MCAT) are your letters of recommendation. Do whatever it takes to begin research early and make sure your mentors & other faculty know you and will speak well about you. Also, compose very well articulated personal statement/MD-PhD/research statements that argue why these programs should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on you.
Going back, I would have submitted my app earlier (and nailed the MCAT the first time). I would not have went on my MD-only interviews. Submitting late meant getting my secondaries in even later. I had the later interview opportunities, which certainly hurt me at the top programs because there were less slots available. I am very fortunate that the process turned out well, because for a lot of people it does not end as well.
