Guest dopetown Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 I've been hearing a rumour about how UT selects their interviewees. Apparently, applicants are RANDOMLY placed in a pool that will be rejected without any assessment. I heard as much as 40% of the applicants will receive rejections based on this luck of the draw. Is this true? Who knows the answer damn it?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WindsorBoy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 That is DEFINITELY NOT true. I have two friends who have worked on the admissions committee there and they are my sources. What you are saying is entirely UNETHICAL and serious repurcussions would be possible for the school. What they do is have a predetermined cutoff (unknown supposedly but I suspect 3.6GPA and 9,9,9,N on the MCAT) and they only review those who meet it. If you are one off the MCAT, they will review your app as well. Finally, if you indicated that your transcript does not reflect your ability on your OMSAS app, they will review your app as well. Hope this helps. Please use my Ask WindsorBoy thread in the General forum. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ollie Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 I have never heard of this before and would agree with the above that there is no way that this could be true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rBurgundy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 The cut-off you talk about is in reference to undergrads right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dopetown Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Yes this is regarding undergrads. I'm glad to hear at least some people are refuting this retarded rumour. I have also heard of some people with 3.90+ GPA (even one with 4.00), a solid MCAT score, and great extracirriculars getting rejected pre-interview. At first I just thought it was because some of these applicants were 3rd year kids, yet some 3rd year young'uns with a LOWER GPA and similar EC's still got interviews. Does this mean a stupid personal essay can Make or Break your application? I read MEMED's posts, but the scoring process still isn't that clear to me. Even if you make the cuts with 3 years behind you, you still need about 30 points to get an interview. How are we supposed to get these points if we're awarded only one bonus point per experience? If you know what's going on, please shed some light on this matter. Windsorboy? Jesus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MEMED Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 The References are worth 20 points, the Essay is worth 10 and the Personal sketch (extracurriculars) are worth 10 points. Thats 40 more points up for grabs after all the academic/gpa/research/publications/awards stuff is added up to give a mark out of 60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kingrad Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Hey Windsor Boy. "If you are one off the MCAT, they will review your app as well".... do u know any details about this? I have one 8 on the MCAT. And am curious to know how my application will be assessed in comparision to all ppl who made cutoffs. Thanks for any info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Hi there, It did seem to be true that UofT would overlook an MCAT section score that was one point below the "cut-offs". I know some folks who received interviews from UofT within the past few years who were in that very position. Bear in mind, however, that these policies can change with any application cycle so unless the information has come recently from someone within the administration, it might be wise to check the latest policy with them. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peachy Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 The question about being slightly below the MCAT cutoffs is addressed in the official U of T Admissions FAQ, where it says 4) Should I not apply if I don’t meet the minimum MCAT marks? Applicants who fall slightly below the minimum MCAT requirements, but believe their file to be extremely competitive in all other aspects may apply and will have their files assessed. Candidates should be aware that the lower MCAT scores will be a factor in the admissions process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UTMed07 Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Apparently, applicants are RANDOMLY placed in a pool that will be rejected without any assessment. I heard as much as 40% of the applicants will receive rejections based on this luck of the draw. Is this true? Who knows the answer damn it?! Stated simply, I don't think the rumour has ANY foundation whatsoever. The only truly random part of the process is that applicants are assessed in batches (see FAQ question #12). As for: I have also heard of some people with 3.90+ GPA (even one with 4.00), a solid MCAT score, and great extracirriculars getting rejected pre-interview. At first I just thought it was because some of these applicants were 3rd year kids, yet some 3rd year young'uns with a LOWER GPA and similar EC's still got interviews. Does this mean a stupid personal essay can Make or Break your application? The essay is important and I think that is a good thing. Being a doctor is more than doing well on the MCAT and getting good grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avenirv Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 you are right. there are applicants that have stelar GPA and MCAT and are rejected. BUT they have not completed the required load of classes. if you get light exposure/no exposure to what the medical schools expects from you then they reject you upfront. no offence, here an hypotetical example: you go to a load of classes of something that you really enjoy (geography, history, communications and art history) you may get extremely high grades. let's say you get 4.00. but you will be rejected. what about MCAT: heavy kaplan, heavy kaplan, heavy kaplan. check how many IT guys with all kind of certifications are looking for jobs and you will ask yourself how did they got those certifications ? the answer: cheat-sheets. memory. it is just hypotethical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peachy Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Nothing that avenirv wrote in the post above is factual. There are numerous medical students who took the bare minimum of required courses and were accepted. You will not be rejected "upfront" for having "light exposure" to medical sciences in your undergraduate degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dopetown Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 what about MCAT: heavy kaplan, heavy kaplan, heavy kaplan :| What does that even mean, anyway? You can't rely on memory to score well on the MCAT, and you certainly can't bring cheat sheets. wtf? And, no, I'm not offended. I'm just a little confused. edit: Having read the above posts and other related threads, I found that most of you have nothing conclusive to add to this issue beyond a variation of the popular "everything matters" statement. Those who know what's going on know who they are. As for the rest of you: if you don't know what you're talking about, and you're just adding your own speculation to the discussion, you'll just be feeding the fire. This is how rumours spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thesaug Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 its been while since ive been on this board... in regards to your question dopetown and the rumor, justlike the previous posters have said, its not true. About the process, no one is going to tell you exactly how the scoring works. The basics is that everything is considered and is important i.e. your gpa, your course load, your references, your sketch and your personal statement. They all play an important role in determining whether you will get an interview. Applicants are ranked after being scored in all these areas, and then interview offers are sent out accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CareBear15 Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 "Does this mean a stupid personal essay can Make or Break your application?" Yes, this is true. For U of T, the personal essay has got to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AngrySmurf0T9 Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 If your personal essay is poorly written, why would they want to interview. Your essay is mean to show your seriousness, senerity, intelligence, commitment.... If your essay is filled with errors or communicates your intentions mediocresly, they'll interview someone else who has put more effort in to their application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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