Declined interview? Please post your stats

[biggles]

My guess is that if you had spent more time describing your volunteer experiences and your work as a counsellor in your essay, you could have increased your scores in "service ethic" and "capacity to work with others" significantly. I was told in my feedback session that those were the areas where most people got marks and that those were the easiest to increase your score in. The leadership and high performance scores are hard to do well in - and probably not worth your time from a strictly getting into UBC med point of view.

 

Mind you...last year, all the sections were out of 5 so it's a little bit different, but I think with the increased scores for service, capcity to work with others, and diversity, this point is only accentuated if anything.

 

 

Good advice- cheers. My essay was philosophical waffle for the most part, so I'll definitely rewrite it and incorporate your suggestions.

[biggles]

If you expect a decent NAQ score you NEED to put more effort into the essay. It's the one chance you have to show the AdCom that you are more than just your AQ. Write it at least a month early and get as many people as you can to read it over.

 

 

Started it already! Thanks for the advice. I'm kicking myself that I didn't ask more questions before starting the application. I assumed that the essay was largely a formality. It's the "Low IQ -> Lack of planning -> No interview" pathway: a highly effective way of keeping half-wits (like me) away from the healthcare system.

[paulista]

Started it already! Thanks for the advice. I'm kicking myself that I didn't ask more questions before starting the application. I assumed that the essay was largely a formality. It's the "Low IQ -> Lack of planning -> No interview" pathway: a highly effective way of keeping half-wits (like me) away from the healthcare system.

 

a half-wit who is going to have a killer essay next year. good luck. (it took me the 2nd application to get the essay right as well)

[Gracie]

I've heard that if you go back to try and increase your GPA but the courses arn't towards a specific degree that some schools won't look at those marks..

 

is this true for UBC?? my last 60 is 83% (my overall isn't as good -- first and second year were pretty brutal for me...) and i was thinking about trying to get it a little higher, but i didn't want to waste my time if it wasn't going to help.

[Poolboy]

After I finished my B.Sc. and took a couple of years off I decided to become a doctor. I went back to school to increase my GPA (my overall was about 73% from my first bachelors) and do my Biochem pre-req, so I took a full course load and was considered Unclassified because I wasn't working toward a specific degree. UBC didn't hold it against me - I know some schools do, but UBC was good about it.

 

I then took another year off and volunteered abroad then went back and did a year of Education (my B.Ed.), to boost my GPA some more (I got my overall up to about 78%, and my last 60 to 90% - so going back can make a difference, you just need to keep working at it).

[D-Rock]

According to UBC's website:

Students who have completed programs that include all the prerequisites and who enrol in unclassified non-degree programs for the sole purpose of improving their academic qualifications for admission are advised that only a small proportion of such candidates ultimately gain admission.

 

From talking to classmates, I'd say this is true, but it doesn't seem like UBC officially minds if you take an unclassified year (i.e. by saying, "GPA increased 10%, but subtract 3% for unclassified; but hey, maybe they do).

 

However, I personally believe any further education you do should be geared toward improving yourself for a medical or non-medical career.

[horlicks]

i think doing a post-bac might help. it's not unspecified, but it does give you an additional year for boosting gpa

________

Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant Picture

[Poolboy]

Just be wary of doing a Masters - since you will have to take a year off of applying, and there are not a lot of classes that can actually bring up your GPA.

 

I liked Education because there was a full years worth of courses to bring up my GPA, they were easy courses (in relation), and it gave me a job afterwards (that I really enjoyed) - but if your in BC and you want to boost your GPA by taking Education you need to go to Uvic - UBC and SFU only offer Pass/Fail courses - Uvic offers graded courses.

[kgmed23]

IP

First time applying, rejected pre-interview. Finished degree this year.

AQ - 17

Overall - 75 (now 79)

last 60 - 80 (now 88)

pre-req - 72.27

 

NAQ - 18.36

Leadership - 2.5

service ethic experience - 4.285

capacity to work with others - 4.285

diversity of experience - 4.285

high level of performance - 0.5

 

TFR: 35.36

 

I think i might be able to score some higher points on AQ this year. My NAQ hasn't improved much except a publication and few other things. My essay last year was horrible in my opinion. I had one day to write it because i was away on holiday. BAD TIMING

 

First hurdle: make interview this yr

[Superking25]

Just to remind all you science majors out there...

 

Accuracy is how close a calculated value is to an actual value (determined with the use of standard reference materials!).

 

Precision is how many significant figures you have in your calculated value (determined with the use of relative standard deviation).

 

The number 0.999999517 is much more precise than the number 1. But if your actual value you're calculating should be 1.1, then 1 is more accurate. UBC's NAQ marks have unusual precision!