Definitely seems like a fickle process. I've seen several profiles on mdapplicants with similar stats who have gotten in with no problems, and others who couldn't get a sniff in US allo schools. I've gotten my AUC application filled out and ready to go, but we'll see.

I improved my MCAT from a 25S to the 27T through self-study and wonder how much of a bump I could get by retaking again. My impression is that the law of diminishng returns starts to kick in. Taking more sciences is also a good idea, but the good grades are unlikely to make too much of a difference at this point as I have a lot of undergrad hours to dilute them.

AUC definitely seems like a great school and doesn't sound like a bad backup plan. Thanks for your responses and good luck to you both.