Honest advice about applying to T20 schools !!
Hey! Just wanted to come on here and get some advice. I’ve been told that I have good stats but I was wondering if they are good enough for some T20 schools just to prepare my expectations. (Sorry for the long post)
I went to a top public school and got a total 3.81 gpa and science 3.7 with an upward trajectory. I studied abroad in Spain for a semester. My degree was a bachelor of science in public health and I minored in chemistry. I also got a full ride merit scholarship for undergrad that funded all my summer projects (just for context later). I’m taking my MCAT soon hoping to get a 518+.
Background I’m first gen, URM (black woman), daughter of immigrants which is a big aspect of my app.
Clinical- 2800+hours I work as a oncology clinical research coordinator and I worked in a free clinic (mostly pediatric nutrition) in the biggest slum in east Africa (this is consistent over many years also where my parents immigrated from so not trying to push irresponsible global medicine stuff- unpaid/service)- context I speak 3 languages.
Non clinical internships- one in Baltimore with a public health org focused on community based research and service in underserved communities (mostly black) and I worked for another public health org in Switzerland mainly focusing on improving breastfeeding practices mostly among refugee and migrant populations as well as a RCT for breastfeeding in Lao PDR. These were both summer opportunities unpaid.
Service project- making a Mediterranean inspired diet that tied with my culture and making a cookbook, disseminating it to local immigrant farmers with high diabetics and heart disease burden, teaching cooking courses on it. (I went to Greece to learn about the med diet)
Non clinical Volunteering- family homeless shelter 100+ hours
Leadership- multiple leadership opportunities in college, chair of our nutrition coalition, chair of a sorority breast cancer fundraiser, leader of my scholarship black affinity group, chair for our mock World Health Organization conference, and chair of the cancer health equity group for this cancer alliance (post-grad)
Research- 1000+ hours, 2nd author on 2 papers I also worked as a research assistant paid. Most of my work was based in nutrition
Shadowing- global shadowing in Singapore, and Kenya, domestic in the ICU, OB, and oncology over 300 hours
My main theme through my app is working with underserved populations, nutrition, effective global health.
Please note I’m super super grateful for my scholarship program because they funded this and made it all happen.
Do I have a chance at some of the T20 schools? If so, could anyone drop suggestions of any schools that seem like they would be a good mission fit.
Posted May 6, 2026, 9:42 PM UTC