Should I apply? 3rd year, 3.7 GPA, strong extracurriculars

[Leonidas]

I know I probably will not get in , but realistically should I even apply or is my GPA too low?

 

GPA 3.70 omsas

3rd year applicant

MCAT 37 o

BC Resident

Good to excellent EC's and references

[ellen]

Do you have a lot of research or clinical experience? If you do, and you rock out a stellar personal statement I think you could get in.

[charmin]

I've heard from some reliable sources that once you make the cutoffs (3.6), a strong essay and strong references are pretty much what determines whether or not you receive an interview. Makes sense when you consider there are thousands of applicants with outstanding GPAs and outstanding sketches that don't receive interviews.

 

Believe it or not, your extracurriculars don't have to be THAT strong to get into UT meds. Of course, they shouldn't be weak, but average ECs are okay. It's how you present them in your essay which is more important. And strong references doesn't necessarily have to be someone prestigious. Their website clearly states that status of referee does not matter. I didn't believe this was true until I was told otherwise.

 

And although U of T meds does have a reputation for being research focused, it is possible to get in without any research! This is clearly stated on their website (applicant will not be penalized for lack of research) but once again for some reason I didn't believe it until someone told me. Then again my sources could be wrong, so anybody is more than welcome to correct what I just posted.

[nowai]

All the 3rd year applicants I know who were accepted had very nice marks as well as everything else. But the sample size is small since UT's class is only 10% third years.