What are my chances? Applying in third year undergrad.

[Guest Dockrh]

What are your chances on being accepted with just 3 years undergrad? Is there a certain amount of people that are admitted with just 3 years? Many say after 4 years, a 3.8 or higher GPA is competetive. Is this the same as a third year applicant?

 

Thanks a lot,

 

dockrh

[Guest sunE]

I got in with a 3 year undergrad degree. So did 4 of my friends. All at U of Manitoba.

 

I think these days there's a trend favoring 4 year students though.

[Guest Jochi1543]

I think a few schools want an Honours degree (Western, I think? Not 100% sure, but I know some schools do). With the rest, I think it's just that slightly higher standards are applied to your application - you are compared to more experienced and, arguably, better educated students, so both your academic and non-academic record need to stand up to the challenge. For example, if you've never taken a 400-level course and have the same GPA as an applicant with several 400-level courses, the other person has had a better chance to present his or her ability to cope with challenging academic coursework.

[Guest superstorecanadian]

I have a brief question if the OP doesn't mind

 

When you say 4 years, does it mean that the student has already finished four years of university? Or is he/she on the verge of completing his/her 4th year when applying to med school?

 

Does that mean a 3-year Applicant only gets his 1st and 2nd year marks looked at?

 

Thanks!

[Guest sunE]

When you say 4 years, does it mean that the student has already finished four years of university? Or is he/she on the verge of completing his/her 4th year when applying to med school?

 

It can mean either or. You can be a student who has already graduated with a 4 year degree (BA or BSc). Alternatively, it can also mean a 4 year student who is currently in their 4th year while the application process is occuring. This means that student will be done his/her courses by April/May (whenever classes finish).

 

Does that mean a 3-year Applicant only gets his 1st and 2nd year marks looked at?

 

For Preliminary screening, yes. The GPA of the 3 year applicant will be looked at up until that moment. So if the student was finished 2 years and currently enrolled in the 3rd year, then an interm transcript would be reviewed by the committee. Then, after all your 3rd year courses are done and completed, the marks get finalized. The University then requests a final transcript. AND THEN, they tell you whether you got in or not. At least that's how U of M works. I'm sure others are the same?

[Guest rubberoduck]

Ok Ontario definitely does not do what UofM does.

 

As far as I know, in all the schools in Ontario, there is a definite trend favoring 4th year graduates, although the schools don't explicitly state it, it's evident in the interview/acceptance pool.

 

for the 2006/2007 application cycle, Western will only take those who will have completed their Hon. Bach degree by acceptance time, this means that you have to have finished your third year and apply at the start of your 4th year.

 

UofT has a weighting formula that favors 4th years. If you have COMPLETED 3 years of undergrad by the time you submit your application, you can drop 3 full credits (out of the 15 available, in any combination), and they don't count the 4th year (as told by Lesley), but you have to have 5 full credits on your 4th year time table in order to receive that priviledge, and I'm sure they revoke it if you drop courses in the middle (at UT the drop date without academic penalty is long before the interview offers is mailed, so if you drop before, your GPA may fall below the cutoff and you may lose the chance to get an interview; if you drop after, presumably because of a low mark, that mark stays on your transcript, which may sufficiently lower your final year GPA to revoke your acceptance)

 

As for the other schools, Queens and McMaster, they don't have any direct policy that would disadvantage the third years, thus they accept more third years compared to UT. However, Queens has a sufficiently high MCAT cutoff, and they ask for more demonstration of ECs. I imagine that a 4th year would have more opportunity in this respect. McMaster's standards are fairly mysterious, because they weighe the interview far more than everything else, so it's a one-time shot, but I imagine that a 4th year may demonstrate more maturity?

 

If you're a third year, don't apply to Ottawa, it's a waste of money, and I've only heard of 1 third year from UT being accepted in the past 2 years. They don't explicitly deny third years, but judging from past experiences, they are more harsh on third years than any of the other schools. They will reject your based on your ECs, which is completely arbitrary, and make very little sense. Thus, you might as well accept that they don't want third years.

[Guest 0T6]

rubberoduck.. lol yah only one 3rd year from UT was accepted in my class (me ) but there are quite a few from other schools, I'd say in all there are about 10 in my class and I know of a few 3rd years that got in this year (I think at least 1 from UT, I don't know if they chose to go to Ottawa though).

 

I've talked to the admissions dean about this and there's no strict bias against 3rd years, Ottawa wants the best students that will go on to make the best physicians and if those students apply in 3rd year then Ottawa will ask them to come in for an interview, but they've still got to perform really well at the interview. And chances are the applicant him/herself will probably interview elsewhere as well, and in the end may not choose Ottawa for whatever reason.

 

So yah.. if the $75 won't break you and you think you're at least close to the cutoff for your demographic in past years, then definitely apply!

[Guest jos264]

Im going to ottawa this fall and I only completed 3 yrs...i know of 3 other 3rd yrs going there as well. I also got into mcmaster, so its definitely worth it to apply after 3 yrs.

[Guest hp18]

Can you please advise me how to make it (in addition to high GPA). I am UT undergrad and expect to be above 3.8 (GPA)......I do not mind any med school if I can get in after 3rd year. What's the trick?

[Guest karlpilkington]

"The Trick" to getting in is that there is no trick.

[Guest GundamDX]

lol agreed. If your GPA is that high and you have outstanding ECs just go for all of the schools you're interested in. If your MCAT is good too you'll probably get interviews at a lot of places (duh) hehe