Only wrote CARS what are my chances for Calgary?

[VigoVirgo]

23 years old, OOP, cGPA is 3.65 but wGPA for U of C is 3.83 and could be 3.85+ by the time I am finished my undergrad (in my last year, BA).

I wrote the CARS section of the MCAT on a whim with only 2 weeks of preparation and scored 130.

Very average/standard EC"s with long term volunteering in a health care setting (4 years, ongoing), maintained employment throughout my undergrad, hospital volunteering, some research, 3 publications (undergrad journal so it's nothing superb), 1 conference poster presentation, member of a couple clubs on campus. If extenuating circumstances come into play no one here needs to hear my sob story but life circumstances from when I was 15 up until about 20 significantly affected my mental health and education.

Do I have a decent chance or is it fruitless? Feel free to be as blunt and honest as possible. No sugarcoating.   I know it was probably stupid to only write CARS but I didn't have time to prep for the other sections and really just was thinking about applying to McMaster. Found out afterwards that technically U of C only looks at CARS but also does a "global academic assessment" or something along those lines so just want to hear what other people think. Do you know of any other successful applicants who did this?

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Seems like a good chance. It's all about how you wrote your top 10. However... did you not even try on the other sections? Haven't heard of someone not trying at all. Some people with low 120s in the other sections. As long as you meet their minimum requirements you stand a good shot at getting an interview. 

Edited October 15, 2018 by ThatCanadianGuy

[VigoVirgo]

20 hours ago, ThatCanadianGuy said:

Seems like a good chance. It's all about how you wrote your top 10. However... did you not even try on the other sections? Haven't heard of someone not trying at all. Some people with low 120s in the other sections. As long as you meet their minimum requirements you stand a good shot at getting an interview. 

That's right, didn't even try. Walked out early. You really think I have a good chance? Probably the best news I've heard in months haha.

[plzacceptme]

The only thing that this would hurt would be your 10% global academic score.

[Medddddd]

Hey!
I know someone who did this as well and is in their second year of med at UCalgary right now. He also only wrote CARS and then just put C for every answer on every other section (not sure what his scores were on these other sections, but I would imagine not good haha). 

He got in his first time applying so it shouldn't be a big deal. Having said that, he was in a different circumstance as he was already a professor and had years of research, etc. and just wrote the MCAT so he could be accepted into the program. 

But overall, I do not think it will affect you because the CARS section is the only section that is really weighted and other than that it should only affect your Global Academic score which accounts for 10% and takes into account your other MCAT sections but also takes into account other things, so it shouldn't put you too far behind. If you do not get in this cycle you could always e-mail admissions and ask them whether or not they think you should rewrite the MCAT or judge yourself given your file review scores. 

I think you are fine, you have a good GPA otherwise and good ECs so don't sweat it in the mean time. 

[Bcemslayer]

Having a good CARS score is obviously nothing but helpful, although doesn't count for a lot. 

Not writing the other sections I think is not a great idea, just because it shoots yourself in the foot for other schools. 

I know one person that did this, and didn't get accepted to U of C, not even an interview. Then wrote the whole MCAT and did get accepted the next year with the same application. But it's u of c, and the interview invite process couldn't be more inconsistent. 

[VigoVirgo]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:51 AM, initrams said:

Hey!
I know someone who did this as well and is in their second year of med at UCalgary right now. He also only wrote CARS and then just put C for every answer on every other section (not sure what his scores were on these other sections, but I would imagine not good haha). 

He got in his first time applying so it shouldn't be a big deal. Having said that, he was in a different circumstance as he was already a professor and had years of research, etc. and just wrote the MCAT so he could be accepted into the program. 

But overall, I do not think it will affect you because the CARS section is the only section that is really weighted and other than that it should only affect your Global Academic score which accounts for 10% and takes into account your other MCAT sections but also takes into account other things, so it shouldn't put you too far behind. If you do not get in this cycle you could always e-mail admissions and ask them whether or not they think you should rewrite the MCAT or judge yourself given your file review scores. 

I think you are fine, you have a good GPA otherwise and good ECs so don't sweat it in the mean time. 

 

Do you think if I just took a few intro sciences (even through distance learning) that would help the global academic assessment? I'm thinking just something like bio/chem. I already have neuroscience and stats if that helps at all (required for my degree).

[VigoVirgo]

20 hours ago, Bcemslayer said:

Having a good CARS score is obviously nothing but helpful, although doesn't count for a lot. 

Not writing the other sections I think is not a great idea, just because it shoots yourself in the foot for other schools. 

I know one person that did this, and didn't get accepted to U of C, not even an interview. Then wrote the whole MCAT and did get accepted the next year with the same application. But it's u of c, and the interview invite process couldn't be more inconsistent. 

Understood. Honestly, I'll be applying with the expectation of rejection but it's worth a shot. Just because I got such a good CARS score I want to at least try this for one cycle but if I get rejected then yeah I'll definitely write all the sections and expand the scope of the schools I apply to. Do you have any other general advice you could please offer on how to potentially improve my application/chances? Cheers.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Global academic assessment doesn't care about the specific degree you are doing. They just want to make sure that you are taking courses that are applicable to your degree and year. When I was in my third year, I took a first year wrestling course - easiest A+ of my life. HOWEVER, UofC did not think it was a very impressive A+ haha, if it had been a third year bio or chemistry class that was relevant to my degree, they would have been a lot more impressed. Or a third year business class if you are in business, etc. 

[VigoVirgo]

21 minutes ago, ThatCanadianGuy said:

Global academic assessment doesn't care about the specific degree you are doing. They just want to make sure that you are taking courses that are applicable to your degree and year. When I was in my third year, I took a first year wrestling course - easiest A+ of my life. HOWEVER, UofC did not think it was a very impressive A+ haha, if it had been a third year bio or chemistry class that was relevant to my degree, they would have been a lot more impressed. Or a third year business class if you are in business, etc. 

 

Ahhh, ok. That makes a lot of sense. Most of my classes are related to my major or other wise health in general with the exception of some electives (philosophy, etc).

[catlady403]

On 10/15/2018 at 1:43 PM, VigoVirgo said:

24 years old, OOP, cGPA is 3.65 but wGPA for U of C is 3.83 and could be 3.85+ by the time I am finished my undergrad (in my last year, BA).

I wrote the CARS section of the MCAT on a whim with only 2 weeks of preparation and scored 130.

Very average/standard EC"s with long term volunteering in a health care setting (4 years, ongoing), maintained employment throughout my undergrad, hospital volunteering, some research, 3 publications (undergrad journal so it's nothing superb), 1 conference poster presentation, member of a couple clubs on campus. If extenuating circumstances come into play no one here needs to hear my sob story but life circumstances from when I was 15 up until about 20 significantly affected my mental health and education.

Do I have a decent chance or is it fruitless? Feel free to be as blunt and honest as possible. No sugarcoating.   I know it was probably stupid to only write CARS but I didn't have time to prep for the other sections and really just was thinking about applying to McMaster. Found out afterwards that technically U of C only looks at CARS but also does a "global academic assessment" or something along those lines so just want to hear what other people think. Do you know of any other successful applicants who did this?

This was my strategy. I registered for the MCAT in August last year and wrote it a week later, just for CARS. Applied to Calgary and Mac and got into both.

[VigoVirgo]

10 hours ago, catlady403 said:

This was my strategy. I registered for the MCAT in August last year and wrote it a week later, just for CARS. Applied to Calgary and Mac and got into both.

 

That's incredible. Congratulations . Out of curiosity were you IP or OOP for Mac? What was your GPA?

[catlady403]

On 10/22/2018 at 5:45 PM, VigoVirgo said:

 

That's incredible. Congratulations . Out of curiosity were you IP or OOP for Mac? What was your GPA?

I was IP for both Calgary and Mac.

I honestly forget my GPA, it was 3.8something. It was different for both schools because they calculate it in different ways.

[Ali-oop]

I applied this cycle for U of C; my decision to do so was a bit last minute, once I realized  Cumming is only interested in CARS, as the MCAT is concerned. (I am in Nursing, so have not  taken Biochem as a whole class, nor Physics, OChem and Chem at the uni level. My plan originally was to finish Nursing and then take the science classes to prep for the whole MCAT.)  Given my last minute decision, all I prepared for was CARS, but I wrote the entire MCAT regardless, thinking it would "look bad" only to write CARS. Maybe this was to my detriment, in retrospect? I scored 129 in each CARS and Soc/ Psych, but only 122 and 121 in the science aspects, strictly by answering the ones I  thought I knew and guessing on the rest.

As far as the selection committee is concerned, should I only have written CARS rather than "winging" the two science portions as well? My GPA is 87.71% and I have done well in all my science classes within my BScN program (Medical Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Anatomy etc) so I hoped they would serve as proof  that I can learn science content. Anyone with any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. 

[MountainAmoeba]

you still get scored on the sections you don't write, so it doesn't really matter. 

[SPIE]

On 11/27/2018 at 4:30 PM, Ali-oop said:

I applied this cycle for U of C; my decision to do so was a bit last minute, once I realized  Cumming is only interested in CARS, as the MCAT is concerned. (I am in Nursing, so have not  taken Biochem as a whole class, nor Physics, OChem and Chem at the uni level. My plan originally was to finish Nursing and then take the science classes to prep for the whole MCAT.)  Given my last minute decision, all I prepared for was CARS, but I wrote the entire MCAT regardless, thinking it would "look bad" only to write CARS. Maybe this was to my detriment, in retrospect? I scored 129 in each CARS and Soc/ Psych, but only 122 and 121 in the science aspects, strictly by answering the ones I  thought I knew and guessing on the rest.

As far as the selection committee is concerned, should I only have written CARS rather than "winging" the two science portions as well? My GPA is 87.71% and I have done well in all my science classes within my BScN program (Medical Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Anatomy etc) so I hoped they would serve as proof  that I can learn science content. Anyone with any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. 

Did you end up getting in? What did you find was most successful in regards to the MCAT? Was writing just the CARS section okay for U of C or did you find writing the whole MCAT more helpful? I am a fellow RN myself and want some clarity to know how to prepare. Thank you!!

[SPIE]

On 10/15/2018 at 1:43 PM, VigoVirgo said:

23 years old, OOP, cGPA is 3.65 but wGPA for U of C is 3.83 and could be 3.85+ by the time I am finished my undergrad (in my last year, BA).

I wrote the CARS section of the MCAT on a whim with only 2 weeks of preparation and scored 130.

Very average/standard EC"s with long term volunteering in a health care setting (4 years, ongoing), maintained employment throughout my undergrad, hospital volunteering, some research, 3 publications (undergrad journal so it's nothing superb), 1 conference poster presentation, member of a couple clubs on campus. If extenuating circumstances come into play no one here needs to hear my sob story but life circumstances from when I was 15 up until about 20 significantly affected my mental health and education.

Do I have a decent chance or is it fruitless? Feel free to be as blunt and honest as possible. No sugarcoating.   I know it was probably stupid to only write CARS but I didn't have time to prep for the other sections and really just was thinking about applying to McMaster. Found out afterwards that technically U of C only looks at CARS but also does a "global academic assessment" or something along those lines so just want to hear what other people think. Do you know of any other successful applicants who did this?

Hi, did you end up getting in with just the CARS section?