Brief Profile:
LizzyM of ~69, unusual mix of undergraduate studies with a DIY postbacc (3.9).
What I did right: I had a convincing story and addressed issues of low GPA by doing well on my postbacc and MCAT. Not all schools loved that/had the time to dig into my story, but for the schools that did, I think I stood out.
What I did wrong: I applied to way too many schools. Hindsight of course is 20/20, but I think I definitely could have applied to fewer schools. I was nervous and did not want to apply multiple times, so I found comfort in the numbers. Knowing what I know now based on the schools and typically what I interpreted how they evaluate candidates, I could have definitely knocked off a dozen or so. Another error I think I made was focusing too much on my work experience, as it is not 100% unique and there are several others with similar stories, I needed to make mine even more about my other experiences/characteristics besides what I've been doing the past 4 years.
All in all, extremely happy to have had the interview experiences I've had thus far, and grateful to have several acceptances!
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 05/31/2014
Total MCAT SCORE: 517
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 131,
C/P 127,
CARS 129
Overall GPA: 3.40
Science GPA: 3.20
Summary of Application Experience
8/9/14: FIRST REJECTION. UChicago, we were never meant to be. Never. I applied because I love Chicago and would love to be there, but alas. 8/12/14: Indiana rejection. It's fine ya Hoosiers! 8/12/14: FIRST II!! UMiami. So excited! 8/21/14: Second II! I'm in shock-DUKE! 8/26/14: Here's my shot at being a Cornhusker! 9/4/14: Getting some more OOS interest! Mizzou! 9/18/14: Rejected at my only state school. It burns! Really bummed about this one... 10/14/14: Some good news! UT @ Case! 10/15/14: SUCH A BIG DAY! II @ Columbia! AND ACCEPTED TO MIAMI!!! **insert weeks of silence** 12/2/14: II @ Dartmouth! 12/18/14: Getting cleaned out lately... lots of rejections. Ouch ouch. 12/22/14: Accepted at Nebraska!! 1/1/15: So thrilled to have 2 acceptances at the start of 2015, I had no idea what would happen during this chaotic, unpredictable journey. I am still hopeful to hear something in terms of interview offers from Northwestern, Emory, UCSD, USC, Penn, Baylor, or WashU. Maybe there is another II or two out there before the close of the season! 2/20/15: So relieved to have an acceptance at Dartmouth! On the waitlist at Case and Columbia, but I really loved my time at Dartmouth! I applied to way too many schools in retrospect, but I was feeling really nervous and only wanted to apply once. I guess it worked out, and it's only money! 7/27/15: Looking back on this crazy experience, I really lucked out. I applied to many schools I had no business applying to and interviewed at several of them. it was a great ego-boost through the cycle to interview at Duke and Columbia, despite not ultimately getting in. It shows that even with stats in the <10th percentile range, you can still be there on interview day. Good luck and aim high!
Applied, Rejected
Vanderbilt University
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: No
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: Yes
Summary of Experience:
No secondary, it was a long shot as well, but you probably shouldn't apply here unless your numbers are great! With no secondary though, this application was pretty cheap!
Summary of Experience:
Lots of people apply here, and many people got rejected with better stats than mine, so no hard feelings, but I love Boston so I had to try!
Summary of Experience:
Definite pipedream here and not surprised by rejection due to PLME. The information packet they send looks amazing, although I really question the "diversity" factor of Providence, which they highlighted.
Summary of Experience:
Such a pipe dream, but I lasted several waves of rejections, and I was able to provide an update letter, so I feel like I had a fighting chance!
Summary of Experience:
Really bummed about this one. I had a meeting with them to go over my application and they said my work experience wasn't clinical enough and that my desire to stay and practice in Wisconsin wasn't strong enough... apparently. Oh well!
Summary of Experience:
Applied as an after-thought... stats were more within range, but they do get a ton of applicants. Apply early if you really want to go here!
Summary of Experience:
After getting an II at Duke and Columbia, I figured I needed to shoot for the moon! Applied way late, and am on hold. No surprises there!
Summary of Experience:
Survived several rounds of rejections. Maybe they lost my application? Never small pooled either. Would not attend over Dartmouth.
Summary of Experience:
Second II! Amazing day at Duke. So blown away! Would be so amazed to be able to come here! True P/F and a 3rd year to explore your interests sounds awesome! Confused about my rejection since I thought this was my best interview. Maybe MMIs were not my forte.
Summary of Experience:
I could be a Tiger! Go MIZZOU! Ouch... rejection, but it was quickly fixed by getting accepted to another school 45 minutes later!
Summary of Experience:
So pumped!! UT! Really really liked my interview day at Case, Dr. Mehta is awesome! The curriculum being self-driven is great as well, but the less great part was the facility itself. Had a somewhat retro high school feel to it, but the hospitals are nice and new, so who cares where you're going to be taking classes? Ultimately withdrew after WL.
CaveCanem took the old MCAT and scored a 35 which is in the 96th percentile of all old scores.
We converted this to a 517 on the updated scale which is in the 95th percentile of the updated MCAT. We also converted CaveCanem’s section scores as follows:
CaveCanem scored a 14 on the Biological Science section of the old MCAT which is approximately equal to a 131 on the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems.
CaveCanem scored a 10 on the Physical Science section of the old MCAT which is approximately equal to a 127 on the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems.
CaveCanem scored a 11 on the Verbal Reasoning section of the old MCAT which is approximately equal to a 129 on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.
