May 12 Countdown Thread 2020

[short_stack]

2 minutes ago, William Osler said:

But they said they wouldnt ...

Oh?? Did they really?? How did I miss that haha. I thought they said it would be based on whatever application info they already have ie our entire OMSAS app

[James Nystead]

1 minute ago, Anon1 said:

I agree - nothing else makes sense

How about button is meaningless? An IT glitch makes more sense than Mac adcom going back on their word 

[SnowmanTheSWOMEN]

IDK, individuals with high stats who also received multiple interviews at EC-heavy schools such as UofT and Queen's should have seen the button then. And keep in mind that some people only apply to McMaster without having entered in their ABS, so that would be highly unfair.

[Anon1]

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[GLWL]

1 minute ago, HeyMrSnowman said:

IDK, individuals with high stats who also received multiple interviews at EC-heavy schools such as UofT and Queen's should have seen the button then. And keep in mind that some people only apply to McMaster without having entered in their ABS, so that would be highly unfair.

I also doubt they used other aspects of the application for those reasons 

[sprite4524]

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[MedicineLCS]

I would not be surprised at all if Mac does not release stats on this cycle due to it not being representative of their typical admissions process. 

Even if they do release stats, the utility of those stats for gauging competitiveness would be suspect as waitlist movement may be impacted by a lack of in-person site visits and a desire to stay closer to home. 

Finally, on the whole representatives thing, sometimes we seem to forgot the people posting here represent a subset that is likely higher in stats and more competitive than average because of their level of interest in the process. If you only hung around here you'd think that 3.8+ GPAs and 515+ MCATs were normal (which leads to other perception issues...) 

1 minute ago, William Osler said:

If we cannot figure out McMaster's formula to lead to the stats we've seen today getting buttons, then we must conclude that buttons are meaningless and do not confer an offer

No one knows their CASPer result, so even if someone with a lower GPA/CARs score gets an invite it doesn't mean their CASPer was great. For all we know, they were the 551st person to interview. I would be extremely hesitant to try and reverse engineer an unknown formula when a major part of it is hidden from view. 

Just now, William Osler said:

How about button is meaningless? An IT glitch makes more sense than Mac adcom going back on their word 

You're making a lot of assumptions to assume it's only an IT glitch. I would imagine it's not supposed to be there before May 12th, making it a glitch in effect, but I would be hesitant to throw out the significance of it only affecting Mac interviewees. We can't see behind the OMSAS server wall, and it's possible it's a indication of something. But in the end, no one knows, and I think it's safest to simply wait until May 12th and not try to overthink the whole process. Personally, I find all the attention this one button is causing kinda funny. 

[theinbetween]

23 minutes ago, GLWL said:

I was just reading through all the posts and started to wonder, do you think McMaster could have reached out to all the other schools in Canada to see if any of the applicants that they have will be receiving an offer of admission from another school? This could make them accept those applicants who may not have received another offer (which explains the button showing up for a lot of people who only have Mac). I’m just wondering about this because stats wise, I can’t quite see a pattern with how they are selecting because some people have posted very high stats with presumably decent casper scores to warrant them an offer, but they don’t have the button showing. A lot of these people seem to have interviews at other schools as well. The email that Wendy sent out awhile back mentions how McMaster is reaching out to other schools in Canada and how they are undergoing extensive data analysis of our current applications.

Also, if they actually use this approach, it would limit the number of people who would be receiving an automatic interview next year, thus less hindering next years application cycle for Mac.

what are your thoughts, or am I just crazy lol.

I honestly highly doubt that they would do all that work, especially during this time. This would take so much effort to coordinate everything for Mac and for the other universities.

At the end of the day, I would find that method extremely unfair to applicants if they were rejected from Mac only because another university offered them an acceptance - maybe some applicants prefer Mac because they're from Hamilton and want to stay there for family / partner etc. 

I think that e-mail from Wendy is talking about maybe how other schools are analyzing their applicants post-interview given the circumstances (some online interviews vs not online ie. Queens case, etc).

We see this every year though, people with amazing stats getting rejected pre and post interview. I think in this case, because there was no interview, I have a feeling that Mac valued the Casper a lot vs. GPA and CARS since it is the only indication that is somewhat similar to MMI. At the end of the day, we never know how we did on the Casper - maybe they had a new cutoff for it that is higher than pre-interview to make this decision. Maybe ABS too. 

Honestly, who knows... I am probably wrong. I don't think we will ever know what happens behind closed doors with admins. 

[James Nystead]

There are multiple people every year that apply to Mac due to it having 0 prereqs and not requiring science portions of the MCAT. I know of people that blanked 118 the other sections but due to their liberal arts background got a 132 in CARS and the rest in history. No doubt they wouldve blanked ABS as well

[theevilsloth]

It's in McMaster's best interest to get the highest quality of applicants they can for their class. This has nothing to do with whether or not those applicants had other interviews. If they decide that they want an applicant, they'll offer them an acceptance with the hopes that they accept, possibly choosing mac over other schools.

[SnowmanTheSWOMEN]

Just now, pureblue said:

The thing is, OMSAS isn't a "Mac" platform. I am certain that there's no option for a specific school to toggle this button on or off - it comes directly from the OUAC. It is definitely a glitch, but we don't know if it is indicative of applicant admission status or not. There is no reason it would show for Mac specifically, but not other schools.

But it does, because applicants who've had other interviews but not Mac are not seeing it. Unless all of them are getting rejected post-interview...

[short_stack]

3 minutes ago, GLWL said:

I also doubt they used other aspects of the application for those reasons 

I want to believe that too because I do think my ECs are pretty good. I meet all the generic premed checklist things haha but I have a couple unique things in there. I’m also a pharmacy student so I’m kinda older and have had lots of opportunities in that realm too which I think are pretty unique. I’m sure everyone’s References would’ve given them 5/5 scores too, because we all ask people who will write that we’re amazing! Further, people who have interviewed at EC heavy schools like Queens have not gotten The Button

[sprite4524]

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[James Nystead]

3 minutes ago, theinbetween said:

I don't think we will ever know what happens behind closed doors with admins. 

Literally above our pay grade lol

[James Nystead]

I think it would be quite telling if other applicants who interviewed elsewhere started seeing the button appear in batches OR if OMSAS removed it 

[short_stack]

I think what would’ve really cinched it is if someone had asked through SAM whether the button should be visible this early before offers come out, and if so, does it imply those who can see it are getting offers? I know that’s really direct though so maybe they wouldn’t even answer that lol

[GLWL]

6 minutes ago, theinbetween said:

I honestly highly doubt that they would do all that work, especially during this time. This would take so much effort to coordinate everything for Mac and for the other universities.

At the end of the day, I would find that method extremely unfair to applicants if they were rejected from Mac only because another university offered them an acceptance - maybe some applicants prefer Mac because they're from Hamilton and want to stay there for family / partner etc. 

I think that e-mail from Wendy is talking about maybe how other schools are analyzing their applicants post-interview given the circumstances (some online interviews vs not online ie. Queens case, etc).

We see this every year though, people with amazing stats getting rejected pre and post interview. I think in this case, because there was no interview, I have a feeling that Mac valued the Casper a lot vs. GPA and CARS since it is the only indication that is somewhat similar to MMI. At the end of the day, we never know how we did on the Casper - maybe they had a new cutoff for it that is higher than pre-interview to make this decision. Maybe ABS too. 

Honestly, who knows... I am probably wrong. I don't think we will ever know what happens behind closed doors with admins. 

Would it really be that much work though? We are all identifiable through our 6 digit ouac number. An email being sent with all of our numbers to the other schools, who then cross match the numbers to people they are offering admission shouldn’t be that difficult.

[GLWL]

8 minutes ago, theevilsloth said:

It's in McMaster's best interest to get the highest quality of applicants they can for their class. This has nothing to do with whether or not those applicants had other interviews. If they decide that they want an applicant, they'll offer them an acceptance with the hopes that they accept, possibly choosing mac over other schools.

I agree with that, but this year everything is different, they don’t know who is the best as there is no interview which is normally worth 70%. Would the other metrics like gpa cars and casper be able to tell them who the best applicants are?

[James Nystead]

Just now, GLWL said:

Would the other metrics like gpa cars and casper be able to tell them who the best applicants are?

Its good enough for pre-interview so

[SnowmanTheSWOMEN]

 

9 minutes ago, theinbetween said:

I honestly highly doubt that they would do all that work, especially during this time. This would take so much effort to coordinate everything for Mac and for the other universities.

At the end of the day, I would find that method extremely unfair to applicants if they were rejected from Mac only because another university offered them an acceptance - maybe some applicants prefer Mac because they're from Hamilton and want to stay there for family / partner etc. 

I think that e-mail from Wendy is talking about maybe how other schools are analyzing their applicants post-interview given the circumstances (some online interviews vs not online ie. Queens case, etc).

We see this every year though, people with amazing stats getting rejected pre and post interview. I think in this case, because there was no interview, I have a feeling that Mac valued the Casper a lot vs. GPA and CARS since it is the only indication that is somewhat similar to MMI. At the end of the day, we never know how we did on the Casper - maybe they had a new cutoff for it that is higher than pre-interview to make this decision. Maybe ABS too. 

Honestly, who knows... I am probably wrong. I don't think we will ever know what happens behind closed doors with admins. 

I doubt that the CASPer is valued that highly because I know someone who has received feedback for CASPer from another university (i.e. McGill) and they were in the top 5% of all applicants. That person also had a very competitive GPA and CARS but did not see the button.  Also keep in mind the individuals who received interviews OOP Manitoba.

 

[SoftTings]

The theory that Mac is strictly accepting students that didn't get acceptances elsewhere is bizarre. It goes directly against the principle of trying to select the best possible candidates

If there's a student who scored in the 100th percentile in CASPER, had a perfect GPA, and had a perfect MCAT score they would almost certainly receive multiple offers. So you think McMaster would decide to reject this person? What would even be the motivation to do that?

I have no clue what the button means, if anything, but I can assure you this isn't it

[sprite4524]

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[SnowmanTheSWOMEN]

2 minutes ago, GLWL said:

I agree with that, but this year everything is different, they don’t know who is the best as there is no interview which is normally worth 70%. Would the other metrics like gpa cars and casper be able to tell them who the best applicants are?

Well I do remember hearing that it doesn't matter if the second batch or first batch of applicants are chosen in terms of physician competence.

[short_stack]

3 minutes ago, HeyMrSnowman said:

 

I doubt that the CASPer is valued that highly because I know someone who has received feedback for CASPer from another university (i.e. McGill) and they were in the top 5% of all applicants. That person also had a very competitive GPA and CARS but did not see the button.  Also keep in mind the individuals who received interviews OOP Manitoba.

Yes but there are also people with low stats and presumably great casper who see button. And if we’re assuming they did coordinate offers with other schools, the OOP Manitoba applicants might have gotten an offer from some other uni and not Mac. I really doubt that they are actually coordinating anything so the other conclusion is that all these people with perfect everything got shafted by Mac? lol why 

[chxiel]

On 5/7/2020 at 8:05 PM, SoftTings said:

The theory that Mac is strictly accepting students that didn't get acceptances elsewhere is bizarre. It goes directly against the principle of trying to select the best possible candidates

If there's a student who scored in the 100th percentile in CASPER, had a perfect GPA, and had a perfect MCAT score they would almost certainly receive multiple offers. So you think McMaster would decide to reject this person? What would even be the motivation to do that?

I have no clue what the button means, if anything, but I can assure you this isn't it

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