New Admissions troubles

[Guest AB newbie]

I think something fishy is still going on in admissions. When letters first came out, I got a rejection from UBC. About two weeks later like many of you I got a second rejection letter in which my percentile scores actually went down. Roughly two weeks after that the receptionist at one of the places where I volunteer informed me that UBC had just called to verify my volunteer experience. I thought it was really strange that UBC should still be checking my file when I had already been rejected (twice in fact!).

 

When I spoke to Carol in admissions she was quite vague and apologetic, and kept saying that ubc was in "quite a difficult position" and that "something like this had never happened before". She confirmed that my file had been reopened and said that I would be placed high on the waiting list.

 

Fast forward a week- I got a call from Carol saying that the acceptance package was in the mail and ubc was offering me a spot in this year's class.

 

I am truly confused as to what is really going on at admissions. Have all the people originally waitlisted at UBC been accepted? I'm thinking that maybe more people than anticipated turned down offers at ubc and the waitlist was not long enough to fill up the remaining 128 seats.

 

I would love to hear from you if this has happened to you or someone you know or if you have any insight as to what is really happening down at admissions.

 

thanks

 

M

[Guest not rex morgan]

Well first of all, congrats! Good news, if not completely confusing.

 

I have one friend who just got an acceptance. She was not on the waitlist either. She was told that UBC had completely burned through their waitlist. I was told by another friend that the waitlist was 40 people this year (it has been 25 in the past). I can only assume that they were predicting going through at least 25 (but not 40) b/c tuition was increasing and more people would be turning down their acceptances. This would explain the "this has never happened before comment." It doesn't explain why they aplogised and said they'd be placing you at the top of the waitlist. Something does sound a bit amiss. Anybody got any lawyers in the family? Private investigators? :\

[Guest UBCMed]

Does anyone think this is possible: Is UBC getting a bad rap on this board, and, as a result, people are turning it down for other schools?

[Guest VG]

I got accepted into a few med schools this year and as a result I asked some Doctors in different hospitals re which school I should consider and quite a few of them had said "not UBC" : the med students they are turning out now are not too good and the new training program to come for the new med students are not going to be too good either, not too well thought out. I am off to TO.

[Guest not rex morgan]

Anything's possible, but I really doubt this board has that much power. Firstly, it seems that UBC increased their waitlist size this year in anticipation of alot of people turning down their acceptances, hence the list of 40 rather than 25. Secondly, I haven't really noticed that much dissing the school itself (although I haven't been diligently checking every post). I've mostly noticed complaints about the admissions process. Tons of people still applied, so this forum wasn't a deterrant for that. I know there are quite a few people in my class that were lucky enough to get offers from more than one school. Dollar for dollar, UBC was the better deal so they chose to come here.

 

I do know UBC had a problem with the admissions process a few years ago. They took so long to get their acceptance/rejection letters out, tons of people had already accepted offers at other schools. They went through alot of the waitlist. I suspect that money and this admissions offer folly have contributed to their lack of takers.

 

Hmm. As I was writing this post, someone posted dissing UBC itself. To be honest, I don't totally understand what you're saying about the training program. The school graduated the first batch of the new program recently. The students fared well in the Carms match, and their liscencing exams. Anyways, tangential topic. U of T is also a good school. I hope you enjoy yourself. I'm sure there are quite a few people here that thank you for opening up another spot for them.

[Guest VG]

Also, too much PBL time, talked to some med students there and the comments I read from this message board re UBC med admissions/med school really helped in my decision not to accept UBC.

[Guest monkey]

Hey ABNewbie,

 

Congrats on getting yet another acceptance!!!! so are you gonna be debating UA and UBC?

[Guest Jennifer Y]

People are turning down UBC b/c of increase in med tuition? Where is there a cheaper med school for residence of BC? Think there must be other reasons.

 

Also, first 2 years at UBC, last 2 years divided between Victoria, Prince George and Vancouver. Any truth to this?

[Guest not rex morgan]

BC residents do have a much higher chance of getting into UBC. Some people have residency status in two provinces. For example if they grew up in Ontario or Quebec, and did their undergraduate degree at UBC, they will have status in both provinces. Their chances of getting into a few schools are, therefore, pretty good. Some people also have some amasingly high grades (not me). We're talking 97% averages. They tend to be courted by other schools. UBC, for years, has had a cap on it's tuition. Med tuition was around 4 thousand dollars. This year, the incoming class will be billed 6500, and in subsequent years, the school is talking about raising tuition to over 10,000.00. I know, for example, Alberta schools are cheaper than that. McGill's tuition is less than 3000 if I remember correctly. I'm sure not everybody who turned down their offer did it b/c of money, but I do know there were quite a few people in my class that chose to come to UBC b/c the tuition was lower than the other schools they were accepted to. I would assume there is a small number of grad students who didn't get their thesis in and some students just thought the program at another school would suit them better. Fair enough. The fact that UBC increased their waitlist size from 25 to 40, before they sent out acceptance letters tells me they were expecting to run through the waitlist faster. Tuition is one big change.

 

To answer your question about Victoria and PG, I have heard rumors about opening up branches of the school there. As far as I know, they don't plan on shipping us off there in our third and fourth year. In those years we are on the wards, and we are generally concentrated at lowermainland teaching hospitals, although I'm sure you could arrange an elective in PG if you wanted to. The school is expanding soon, so there will be a new building on campus, and subsidiary schools across the province (Victoria and PG). It is possible that the threat of growing pains kept people away this year too.