Western Interview Discussion 2016

[NewDirection]

Hey guys, the thread for discussion...here it is!

[NewDirection]

So I was rejected based on my undergraduate degree not meeting requirements, though I'm pretty sure it does.

 

I've e-mailed the office. Anyone have any experience with this?

[thethirdlaw]

No email yet, weird.

[freewheeler]

No email yet, weird.

 

 

Same.

[doubledip]

New MCAT cutoffs as follows (non-swomen):

 

New MCAT

 - 127 (BB) /127 (CC) /130 (CARS)

Old

 - 10 (BS) / 10 (PS) / 11 (VR)

 

Was thoroughly shocked by my interview invite with 11/11/11 split resulting in rejection last year

[sdj78we9jtf2o3mgfvj298j]

Anyone know if they're interviewing the same number of applicants? I'm suspicious of the lower cutoffs.

[geegee94]

 

New MCAT cutoffs as follows (non-swomen):

 

New MCAT

 - 127 (BB) /127 (CC) /130 (CARS)

Old

 - 10 (BS) / 10 (PS) / 11 (VR)

 

Was thoroughly shocked by my interview invite with 11/11/11 split resulting in rejection last year

 

Pretty shocked by the 130 minimum in CARS..

[2020]

Missed the new  MCAT cutoff by one point

[yogachick]

Anyone know if they're interviewing the same number of applicants? I'm suspicious of the lower cutoffs.

They're interviewing 450 this year. I think that's similar to other years.

[rmorelan]

So I was rejected based on my undergraduate degree not meeting requirements, though I'm pretty sure it does.

 

I've e-mailed the office. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

every year is different but the school tends to be reasonable - you have to prove that it does.

 

I guess they didn't tell you why? course load? right level of courses? going to be completed on time?

[SunAndMoon]

I rewrote the mcat to do better in the BS section and the cutoff goes down by two points. I end up not getting interviewed even though my overall %ile score is approx. 95. Had I not rewritten I would've scored an interview. Great.

[rmorelan]

I rewrote the mcat to do better in the BS section and the cutoff goes down by two points. I end up not getting interviewed even though my overall %ile score is approx. 95. Had I not rewritten I would've scored an interview. Great.

 

gezzz sorry to hear that - that is extremely frustrating

[thethirdlaw]

Western needs to rethink their admissions process methinks.

[NewDirection]

every year is different but the school tends to be reasonable - you have to prove that it does.

 

I guess they didn't tell you why? course load? right level of courses? going to be completed on time?

 

No, not specifically, just that "According to your OMSAS application, your degree does not meet our selection criteria". But I wrote the a message reiterating that I had a full course load, at the right level, which will be completed this semester, and that it's an honours undergrad degree (as is my first).

 

I remember reading about a similar situation last year and that person did eventually receive the interview.

 

Still raises the ol' anxiety level a bit.

[thethirdlaw]

No, not specifically, just that "According to your OMSAS application, your degree does not meet our selection criteria". But I wrote the a message reiterating that I had a full course load, at the right level, which will be completed this semester, and that it's an honours undergrad degree (as is my first).

 

I remember reading about a similar situation last year and that person did eventually receive the interview.

 

Still raises the ol' anxiety level a bit.

 

2nd degree? Western changed their 2nd degree requirements this year.

[rmorelan]

No, not specifically, just that "According to your OMSAS application, your degree does not meet our selection criteria". But I wrote the a message reiterating that I had a full course load, at the right level, which will be completed this semester, and that it's an honours undergrad degree (as is my first).

 

I remember reading about a similar situation last year and that person did eventually receive the interview.

 

Still raises the ol' anxiety level a bit.

 

yeah now you have to deal with the stress of finding out one way or the other - good luck, the school will be busy but will get back to you.

[NewDirection]

yeah now you have to deal with the stress of finding out one way or the other - good luck, the school will be busy but will get back to you.

Thanks for the encouragement, I hope it pans out!

[NewDirection]

Western has the most tragically flawed system for med admissions in Ontario.

Not super in love with the process right now but I actually like Western because of the transparency.

 

Maybe they are favouring old MCATs just a bit because they know that those who only have the old MCAT will only be able to apply this year.

 

There are always trade-offs and here I think they actually balanced as well as they could.

[Thermophilus]

I was gutted by the CARs cutoff despite what I thought was a competitive application.  Strange that so much weight went to a single MCAT section.

My MCAT: 520 (132/129/131/128)

 

Missed it by that much.. 

[rmorelan]

that is the one major drawback to a entirely transparent objective system - you can miss a target by just a sliver and you still missed it. Harsh.

[sdj78we9jtf2o3mgfvj298j]

Hey everyone,

 

Is interview scheduling on a first-come first-serve basis? I want to wait til I hear from Queen's tomorrow before selecting my preferences.

[jlkhhylyiluh6]

Not super in love with the process right now but I actually like Western because of the transparency.

 

Maybe they are favouring old MCATs just a bit because they know that those who only have the old MCAT will only be able to apply this year.

 

There are always trade-offs and here I think they actually balanced as well as they could.

that's not how the cutoffs work, and judging by some of the responses here not many people seem to understand.

 

The cutoffs are set BY THE APPLICATIONS THEMSELVES. They define a set number of people they want to interview (450), then set the cutoff to make it so 450 people get interviewed. There is no pre-setting of these cutoffs to make it easier for certain people (besides the SWOMEN advantage). The only reason it would go down is if people with lower scores are applying, which is likely what happened because the people with higher MCATs already got in last year and no one new is taking the old one this cycle.

[hardknocklife]

Regardless of how they choose the cuttoffs though, its tough to know that 1 or 2 multiple choice questions from one exam that I wrote on one day (which produces a score that is known to fall within a range of values anyways) could be keeping me out of medical school.

[davisfenos]

Western has the most tragically flawed system for med admissions in Ontario.

 

Wait, I thought that was Northern.

[thepit]

Did anyone notice that the important information form said all classes much be complete by April 30th? I was operating under the assumption that it used to be that we had to graduate by the end of June and was planning to take a pair of online courses in the early spring to meet the deadline. May have to decline the interview if it's as hopeless as it seems.