Guest leviathan Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 For those who applied, what NAQ scores did you have, and could you describe the things you put on your application to get that NAQ score? I'm trying to figure out if I'll have any chance of redeeming my AQ score with a good NAQ score when I apply this September. I think it's been mentioned it doesn't matter what your individual scores are, as long as AQ+NAQ is greater than the cutoff for interviews/acceptance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GundamDX Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 That's correct, this year's cutoff is 36.0/50 Others might offer different opinions on this but I think it's really hard to get a high NAQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dr nomis Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 I agree...I think it's hard to score high in NAQ. Especially when they score something like the "High Performance" category out of 5, but "two is a good score for that category," as I was told by my file reviewer. Here are some tips I wrote on boosting NAQ. They're what I used and I believe they're what helped me get in. Originally posted on www.futuremedstudents.com I was shocked when I first applied (unsuccessfully) how low my NAQ was. I thought that would be the strongest part of my application. Remember, though, that they make your NAQ score based on a few specific criteria, which are spelled out in your file review you'll receive in the mail: Leadership Service Ethic Working with others High Performance (something you have done at an extremely high level - the Olympic medalists that get into UBC Med score high on this, for example) Diversity So, when you are filling out your essay and extracurricular list, make sure that you emphasize these aspects of what you have done, so that someone who reads through your file will score you high on these aspects. This may be as simple re-wording something. For example, in your extracurricular you may have written "Medical staff at BC summer games." Instead, try writing "Led of a team of 5 first-aid attendants for BC summer games; planned for event, coordinated meetings, assisted participants" Someone reading the second phrase would likely score you higher for "leadership," "working with others" and perhaps even "service ethic." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GundamDX Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Yup, very true it's a matter of being smart about the way you are presenting your EC experiences and how you tie these entries together in your essay. I don't know how much weight is being put on the essay but I also felt that it's a vital component of your NA evaluation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leviathan Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Thanks, guys. This was VERY helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nickets Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 Also, there is a paragraph on the UBC website talking about the characteristics they look for in their candidates. It reads something like "has maturity, intelligence, a demonstrated social responisiblity, commitment to continued learning...." it goes on and on. But I found it very useful to make sure what I was saying in my NAQs reflected back on that paragraph and showed I had all the characteristics they were looking for. It is all in the wording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dr nomis Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 The document Nickets is referring to can be found at www.med.ubc.ca/__shared/a...05398.pdf. The quote is as follows (section 3 of the above document): Students are evaluated and selected on the basis of academic and non-academic criteria. Non-academic criteria include motivation, maturity, integrity, emotional stability, realistic self-appraisal, social concern and responsibility, reliability, creativity, scientific and intellectual curiosity, a positive attitude toward continued learning, aptitude for problem solving and decision-making, the ability to communicate verbally and in writing, leadership potential, the capacity to understand and cooperate with others, a concern for human welfare, and a demonstrated high level of erformance in any aspect of human endeavour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Burachan83 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 For those who applied, what NAQ scores did you have, and could you describe the things you put on your application to get that NAQ score? I'm trying to figure out if I'll have any chance of redeeming my AQ score with a good NAQ score when I apply this September. I think it's been mentioned it doesn't matter what your individual scores are, as long as AQ+NAQ is greater than the cutoff for interviews/acceptance? Just to throw in my 2 cents, it doesn't matter what your individual scores are in in the AQ and NAQ to get an INTERVIEW, but it does matter to get an ACCEPTANCE. When I first applied, I scored 25/25 AQ and 88/100 on the interview but I got a red flag on my 13/25 NAQ. By red flag I mean I was told no matter how strong my AQ/interview/other parts of the application were, they could not accept me with such a low NAQ. The average NAQ for matriculants that year was 16.8 I believe. I was told for my particular case that a NAQ of 15/25 would have been sufficient. I had another potential flag with getting a 9 on the Biological Sciences component of the MCAT, but wasn't because I demonstrated ability in that area with my prereqs. Beware of the red flags; they could sink an otherwise stellar application. If you are concerned about a low AQ, you must demonstrate to AdCom that you have what it takes, like a very high MCAT or a year with a >85% average or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Persistent Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 Hey Burachan Just a questiong regarding the potential flag on your BS score of 9 on the MCAT... who advised you that it would/could have been flagged. My understanding is that a score of 7 or below would be flagged but anything over that would be fine.:\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dr nomis Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 One person who attended my group advising session last year asked, "Does the 36.5/50 interview cutoff set up people to get invited for an interview who have no chance of getting in?" The advisor somewhat balked at this question and said that it didn't really, but personally I think that it does. Unlike Burachan, who got a high AQ but low NAQ, the person at my advising session had a stellar NAQ, having spent months travelling and working in hospitals around the world. It was their AQ holding them way back, with percentages in the 50s and 60s and the worst MCAT scores I had ever heard of (4 on one section). The point is that UBC wants well-rounded applicants; people who, on paper at least, don't appear to have spent all their time in their room studying and have actually contributed to society. That's all well and good, but I believe the system collapses for people like Burachan, or like the person at my advising session. I don't see how you can say that the system doesn't set up people to get invited for an interview but have no chance of getting accepted, if they're going to "red-flag" a low mark. This is unfortunate not only for false hopes, but also for inconvenience to the applicant, and time wasted. An applicant would probably be better off not getting an interview, getting an advising session earlier in the year, and having several more months to improve their application. Perhaps the simplest way that UBC could rectify this is that if people are red-flagged in either NAQ or AQ, they don't get invited to an interview; ie. you need a 36.5/50, AND both NAQ and AQ have to be over 15... do they do this already? (I know that some Ontario med schools do a similar method for MCAT cutoffs - you need at least a 31 but min 9 in each section) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Persistent Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 No UBC does not do this... but I agree, they should. If a candidate gets a red flag in the NAQ, AQ, or the MCAT they should at least be notified of the flag even if they do still get invited for an interview. What's the point in keeping your hopes up high when the ad.com/ad.office already knows since January that these people will not get in... UNLESS... The only flip side I can think of is IFFFFFF a red flagged applicant has ever gotten in despite the flag. I doubt one ever has since there would be enough competitive applicants without flags to ever really consider a flagged applicant. But, if that is the case, then I can see a point in bringing them on to the next round. The ad.com, in my opinion, should basically ask one question before making the selection for interviews "If this applicant aces the interiew (with a 10 Recommendation and 90+ or whatever is considered a high score) will he/she have a chance to get in?" If the answer is no, they should end their application right there...don't you think? Or they should at least be notified that they are receiving an interview but they are flagged. The reason I say this is because the experience of undergoing that interview is great. So, this way these applicants can have that experience but still have the extra four months to fix the flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Burachan83 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 Persistent - I was advised by the lady at the feedback session. Now that I think about, it may not have been a red flag. I remember her calling the 9 a "problem" but she said it didn't matter because of my prereqs. I remember her just briefing remarking about it as a side comment. The main focus of the feedback session was that I needed to boost up my NAQ. By the way, go England in tonight's match against Paraguay! (I'm a loyal Canadian keeping his allegiance to the British Crown ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 England vs Paraguay 1:0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 I'm cheering for every team against England. The English squad are a bunch of overpaid, overvalued, self-centered losers. Proof: the only goal scored in the last match was an accidental Paraguayan header into his own net. Also, I want the English to lose because I have debt on UK credit cards and when England does poorly the £ goes down . So go everyone else!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 A goal is a goal, and even tho Gamarra helped Beckham scored it!! Go England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 I always cheer for the underdog which England is not. After 5 years in England the psychotic English fans have done a wonderful job of motivating me to support everything that they despise (everyone not English). I especially want to see Trinidad & Tobago beat their former rulers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 lol. Where abouts in England did you live in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest muchdutch Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 go T & T! woot!!!:b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 I lived in Oxford but worked alot in Manchester, Coventry and Sheffield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 11, 2006 Report Share Posted June 11, 2006 Why were you in England? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 11, 2006 Report Share Posted June 11, 2006 I did my PhD there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 did you do your phd in Oxford? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I did. Or more correctly - I am. I still need to go back for my defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shetland23 Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Are you female? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Hey Shetland, I pm'd you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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