Application Cycle One: 2010

• Undergraduate college: University of Pennsylvania
• Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

• Total MCAT SCORE: 520
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 132, CARS 129   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.98
• Science GPA: 3.98

Summary of Application Experience

Looking back at the mistakes I\'ve made/the things I would have changed:
1. I should have tried to get published. Publications are the best indicator for success in academia, which schools like Harvard (to which I was rejected) obviously value.
2. I should have studied more for the MCAT. I scored well on my practice tests, but one week of studying wasn\'t enough to score high consistently.
3. I should have applied to more schools. At first I planned on applying to 12, but I got lazy with the secondaries and only applied to 8. At first I thought I would be fine, since my application was solid. Not a good idea. I was never invited to interview at Jefferson or Tufts, which I hoped would be \"safeties.\" I got waitlisted at Pitt, which was a surprise. (My parents are both alums and my dad\'s an associate professor.) Then I found myself only accepted at Temple while waiting to hear back from Penn, Columbia, and Harvard. Luckily, Columbia came through. Now I\'m just waiting to get the official word back from Penn on the 15th.