Confirmation on AdCom decisions: N.S. 1st, N.B. 2nd?

[Guest Oliver Sacks]

Just wondering if any of the moderators or anyone else can now confirm that the Admissions Committee will be reviewing all N.S. applicants first, then N.B., then P.E.I.?

 

When I interviewed on Feb. 11th, the Dean indicated that they would "probably" be doing it by province this year. Has that "probably" become a "definitely" yet?

[Guest JewelLeigh]

There has already been several posts about this and it has not been confirmed. If and when this is confirmed, it will be posted on the admissions website.

[Guest cactus]

HTML Comments are not allowed

[Guest PMD109]

It's official, Bluenosers first (Feb-May), Newbies second(May-June) and Islanders third(June). Oh the waiting....

[Guest cedar05]

WOW it takes them that long to decide on NS applicants. Does this mean that every NS applicant will find out by may unless you are placed on the waitlist? What about NS applicants that are deferred, will they still find out in late June after the last admissions meeting?

[Guest scooter]

Hey, Wanted to be the first to say how much waiting till May will SUCK!! that means if we get accepted we'll have less than a month to apply to scholarships (Islanders looks like might miss deadlines all together), it also means everyone at MUN will have to accept then wait- which means the wait-list won't move till then.... So if we don't get in we have 3 months to find jobs and something to do with our life.... any suggestions (on the what to do with my life bit and/or how to stop stressing so much)?.

 

Scooter "most impatient waiter 2006".

[Guest darrenhfx]

The only thing I can add is a suggestion to read the top 20 distrctions list compiled by a previous group of Dal apps further down the forum list. I'd post a link if it was allowed.

Best of luck all.

 

D

[Guest JewelLeigh]

Hey, Wanted to be the first to say how much waiting till May will SUCK!! that means if we get accepted we'll have less than a month to apply to scholarships (Islanders looks like might miss deadlines all together), it also means everyone at MUN will have to accept then wait- which means the wait-list won't move till then.... So if we don't get in we have 3 months to find jobs and something to do with our life....

 

I never cease to be amazed at the extent to which some of you complain. While I realize that the entire process is very tough, and waiting is not that fun....the administration have given out this information in an attempt to RELIEVE the anxiety associated with waiting. If they didn't use this provincial approach and/or didn't tell you about it, then you would all be stressed for possibly 5 months straight! This was meant as a favour to the applicants to allow those of you who won't be reviewed until later to relax a little more until that time.

 

Secondly, consider the fact that many fulltime jobs wouldn't give 3+ months notice before they would expect you to begin. Is 3 months really that unreasonable an amount of time to get sorted and ready to begin? If so...I bet there are other qualified applicants who would gladly take your spot with only a day's notice. Not to mention that the reason this process takes so long is that the admissions committee carefully considers and discusses EVERY SINGLE eligible Maritime applicant. I challenge you to find a more personal approach elsewhere.

 

Thirdly, it is silly to assume that some people may miss the scholarship deadlines. Obviously the admin in the admissions office will modify due dates such that all of the incoming med 1s who are accepted have the same opportunity to apply (with the possible exception of those waitlisted and then accepted late in the summer). And expecting more than a month for preparing scholarship applications? 1 Saturday afternoon was all it took for me and I doubt it would take any other applicants significantly longer.

 

I sincerely apologize if this sounds harsh (and it is not aimed at you specifically Scooter..your post was just the last straw for me)...I simply am frustrated at the extent of complaining. I was there once too...so I understand how hard it is...but I don't believe this gives anyone the right to constantly complain about almost every single thing about the process. Dal tries very very hard to be fair to all applicants, and to do the whole process in the a considerate manner for all of you. Please be mindful of this thoughtfulness given to you as applicants and perhaps give some of the same consideration in return before you are quick to complain.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if in many of your applications, there is mention about having a positive outlook. Let's try to live up to the positive and outstanding people most applicants claim to be!

[Guest PMD109]

Well said I would say. I can speak for a lot of people when I say Dalhousie's admission process is probably the most user friendly and simplistic. I'm glad they posted the review order....sure we're all waiting week to week its only human but heck Ontario schools don't notify people until late May. And JewellLeigh is correct in saying most of us would start medicine with 24 hours notice!

[Guest DancingDoc]

AND it's awesome that the reason we have to wait so long (if you are not NS) is that they are reviewing each of our files one by one. If I'm going to have to wait, I could not pick a better reason!!!

[Guest Wayne Thomas]

You know what impresses me? That JewelLeigh, our moderator, cares enough about this forum to say something like that. We all know that you're right. Truly, I am not jumping on the band wagon (the JewelLeigh wagon) but the way I see it one should never wish your time away. No person who frequents this forum, or is waiting for a decision to be made about their admission knows that they'll be alive or well enough to accept an offer should it come. Please be thankful that you're in the position you're in because some aren't, and some never will be. Sorry to be so solemn but a little perspective goes a long way.

 

Peace

[Guest scooter]

Hey Guys, I do think you are right people will complain at the drop of a hat (I was hit by a minivan on my bike that day and was hung over from my b-day---so i was a bit cranky!), but I would like to note that i didn't complain about them letting us know about the dates- that is really awsome of them letting us know. When I had my interview the Dean mentioned it to me so I have had almost a month maulling over the idea of it--And it is a great thing that they review each applications carefully, however waiting until May still sucks. I have been holding to the idea that i might find out before I have to start buying plane tickets to where ever I am studying next year (Canada or Europe).

 

And though I would be the first to accept on a two minute warning, 3 months does realistically cut it close. I had to decline a year long contract by March that started in August! A lot of jobs have similar processes for hiring (ie civil service), where you do prelim tests then the next level then the next level then interviews, but when you get towards the end, the odds are far more in your favour than med school odds.

 

Best of luck to all the NS kids, please start posting your happy news as you get so we can all congradulate you on your job well done.

 

Scooter

Ps does anyone else's spell check not work- my apologies for the bad spelling

[Guest HaliEngineer]

Another one of us in the waiting game - As much as we complain, at least it helps pass the time!

 

For those of us in NS, I've figured out our chances each week (what can I say, I'm an engineer) of getting our file reviewed:

 

I've assumed 11 meetings of the committee, and with each successive week, your chances improve if you assume you haven't been reviewed the past week.

 

Week 1 (Feb 20) 9%

Week 2 (Feb 27) 10%

Week 3 (Mar 6) 11%

Week 4 (Mar 13) 12.5%

Week 5 (Mar 20) 14%

Week 6 (Mar 27) 17%

Week 7 (April 3) 20%

[break for OOP files]

Week 8 (April 24) 25%

Week 9 (May 1) 33%

Week 10 (May 8) 50%

Week 11 (May 15) 100%

 

More interesting stats:

You have a 7/11 (64%) chance of getting your file reviewed before the break for OOP files.

 

Assuming 10 files/meeting, there are about 110 files.

Assuming 12 files/meeting, there are about 132 files.

Assuming 15 files/meeting, there are about 165 files.

Last year's class had 56 Nova Scotians out of 90 (62%)

(Last year's class had 253 Maritime interviews, 62% of that is 157 - so if we're close to representing the applicant pool, then we're likely close to 15 files/meeting-or an extra meeting)

 

Assuming these things hold true again this year, and that the above assumptions are true (11 meetings, 10, 12, or 15 files/meeting), Nova Scotia Applicants have a 34-51% chance of acceptance. (34, 42, or 51%, actually, based on the 3 assumed files/meeting)

 

 

Hope this helps everyone get through the days...Anyone know how many files get deferred? (More stats!)

[Guest geekpunk]

Hahaha...

 

That has easily got to be the most thorough analysis of potential file review ever posted. Thank God for engineers! :smokin

[Guest darrenhfx]

Very nice!

 

I was wondering whether or not it's possible to send out letters after reviews the first 10-15 files. It's not as if they have much to compare with. My hypothesis is that there is an A pile that get acceptance letters, a B pile is held over to the following week, a C pile that get deferred, and the "not this year" pile that get the letter that I won't mention for fear of jinxing myself and anyone else reading this. Unfortunately if this hypothesis is true, it messes up the engineer's stats

 

If my hypothesis is false, oh well, it helped kill a few minutes of anxiety.

 

D

[Guest PMD109]

Yeah it makes you wonder....what if the first couple weeks are all incredibly stacked with good applicants...they might accept 28 of 30 files. Would that not force them to scrutinize the last files that much more?

[Guest HaliEngineer]

I (somewhere) got the impression that the committee votes on each file as it is presented. From that, I'm assuming that there's some sort of "cutoff" (say 80% agree that the person should be accepted) - that person gets a letter right away.

From 60%-80% get a deferral, say, and "carryover" to the next week, these people would get deferred.

 

I don't think there is any comparison between files - either in each meeting or overall - I think that the committee is made up of people who generally "know what it takes" to get through medicine, and can judge an applicant on his/her merits...Otherwise the whole system of sending out letters immediately following each meeting falls apart.

(The opposite to your idea about early meetings having 28/30 files accepted could also happen - what if they've accepted 35 already, and the last 3 meetings have 45 phenomenal applicants...eek.)

[Guest JewelLeigh]

(The opposite to your idea about early meetings having 28/30 files accepted could also happen - what if they've accepted 35 already, and the last 3 meetings have 45 phenomenal applicants...eek.)

 

Not to worry folks. While there are some people accepted at the earlier meetings, the system has been refined over many years to avoid a mistake like the one quoted and to make sure every phenomenal applicant receives acceptance, no matter when reviewed throughout the process. I understand this concern for sure, but I can assure you that if you are one of the best 81 Maritimers in the applicant pile, you'll be accepted sooner or later in the cycle.

 

Good luck!

[Guest speedyg]

If the sequence was NS, NB then PEI, does that mean NS applicants who haven't heard are most likely rejected?

[Guest Madz25]

Short answer: NO.

 

The original plan was to go in that order (NS 1st, NB 2nd, PEI 3rd), but as it was stated on the Dalhousie website, they decided to look at the NB and PEI applicants for which a "clear cut" decision could be made before completing all NS decisions. If you haven't heard yet, it's because they haven't reviewed your file. That doesn't mean you are rejected.

 

Madz