Application Cycle One: 06/14/2009

• Undergraduate college: California State University

• Total MCAT SCORE: 514
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 129, C/P 128, CARS 129   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 4.00
• Science GPA: 4.00

Summary of Application Experience

4/11/09
I\'m taking the MCAT in mid-April. Schools listed above are those that I will definitely be applying to, others will be added depending on MCAT score. For what it\'s worth, I\'m expecting something in the vicinity of 35, as that is my practice score average over the last 3 weeks.

4/26/09
Took MCAT 4/18. It\'s been a week and the score-waiting continues. I\'m building a list of schools assuming a certain MCAT score. It will be narrowed down no matter what, and tweaked depending on the actual score I receive. In the end, I\'m aiming to apply to 25 schools. The breakdown will be something like this: 5 safety, 7 competitive, 5 reach, and all CA schools + Oregon.

I\'ve also started writing my PS and have begun to request LoR.

5/13/09
The one week countdown to scores is on. What a long month.

I\'ve started filling out AMCAS and requested transcripts from a JC I took some GE classes at. My university won\'t have spring grades out until the week of June 8th, so I just submitted the forms instructing them to send them when they\'re ready. I figure AMCAS will have them sometime between June 15th and 18th, which is later than I wanted, but oh well. If my primary isn\'t verified by the second week of July I\'ll be annoyed, but I think I\'ll make that easily.

Also, 2 of my 4 LOR are in. I should have all of them in the next two weeks.

5/21/09
Well, my MCAT score is back; 33M. I\'m pretty disappointed as my practice test average was around 36, but I\'m not going to retake. I have no idea what happened with the writing section. I\'m guessing my essays were not long enough.

The list of schools on here is now updated for the most part; I\'ll probably still change it slightly before I submit it and I\'d like to get it down to 25-27 schools. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

In other news, I got an unexpected A in a class, which means I\'ll officially be applying with a ---. It was in doubt for a few weeks. My AMCAS is progressing nicely. In fact, pretty much everything is done except my personal statement, which I\'m going to work on next week. The transcripts from my JC are in, so that\'s all I can do there until my university comes out with grades. LOR are the same as before, although I think the last two are close to being done.

Again, any comments on my list of schools would be really helpful.

6/15/09
My list is finalized, AMCAS is submitted, LOR are submitted and received. Still waiting on transcripts, hopefully they\'ll be in soon. Until then there\'s nothing to do but wait.

7/11/09
I was verified on July 1st. Since then I\'ve received 16 secondaries, and I know I have at least 2 more on the way. Still missing UCSF and UCSD, but I got UCLA, Davis, the fee request from Mayo, VCU, and I\'ve been approved for the WF secondary. Pretty happy on the screened secondary front.

30 schools is a lot. I may end up filling out all these secondaries, but for now I\'m sitting on Georgetown (expensive) and U Chicago (hard). Gotta do Davis and VCU this weekend.

7/17/09
I\'m getting these out pretty slow, but oh well, I\'m working a lot of hours. Currently sitting on UChicago, Gtown, UCSD, and Case. SD is my first priority, then Case. Decided I would apply to CCLCM, too.

7/26/09
Still going. I\'m sitting on 3 (USC, Gtown, UChicago) and I\'ve received all but 8 secondaries. The only 2 screenies I don\'t have are UCSF and Vanderbilt. USC should go in this week, and if I don\'t have anymore secs by Monday or Tuesday I might do Gtown.

8/13/09
Three interviews scheduled, most of my secondaries received (no Vandy or Oregon). I\'m not going to do Toledo or Loyola at this point; if I don\'t have another interview invitation by mid-September I will send those two in. I can\'t decide about Oregon, but I don\'t have it anyway so I\'m not worrying about it.

What I still need to do for sure:
1. Submit Stanford
2. Make sure UCSF gets complete (already submitted).
3. Make sure USC gets complete (already submitted, but taking forever to download letters).
4. Go to interviews. I don\'t think I\'ll get another one scheduled before my first trip to the east cost, but I will be making another one in October, so if I get more I\'ll schedule them then.

2/21/10
Making my profile searchable again as my cycle is pretty much over. Feel free to ask questions if you\'re a CA applicant.