Help!

[holla08]

Hi,

I'm a McGill grad with a low gpa (3.0), 30O MCAT and am working on completing a thesis based masters (course work gpa 3.65).

 

Am I ever going to have a chance with the low undergrad gpa? Are there school that would look @ my masters more instead?

 

Thnx

[Jochi1543]

3.0 is quite a challenge. What's the breakdown by year? What's your MCAT by section, and which province are you a resident of?

[holla08]

I can claim AB and ONT.

 

Yr 1:2.7

Yr 2: 2.5

Yr 3: 3.1

Y3 4: 3.55

 

Grad: (4 courses over 1 year - 3.65)

 

MCAT August 05 - 11V, 11BS, 8 PS, O

[Jochi1543]

Wow, sounds like another degree is in order. I was hoping maybe you'd have at least one year at 3.7+, but without it, you basically have zero chances right now. So another bachelor's is what it'll take to stand a chance at this point, unless, of course, you are willing to consider the Caribbean.

[holla08]

Hey thnx for the advise. Any ideas on US schools?

[Jochi1543]

3.0 is too low for US schools, even for a US applicant. You have a much better chance of getting into CDN schools than US if you are willing to do another degree.

[tooty]

3.0 is too low for US schools, even for a US applicant. You have a much better chance of getting into CDN schools than US if you are willing to do another degree.

 

I second this.

[toffeetree]

do master's (which you are doing now), or enroll in a postbac program.

[OneDay]

I agree with futuredoc. You have a good chance at UofT being a grad student. Their gpa cutoff for grad students is 3.0, and that is the weighted formula (which could apply to you if you carried a full course load each year). They consider grads separately, so do your best to boost up your research productivity before the application deadline. Try to get a paper submitted for publication if you can...do poster presentations at Research Days. And your grad marks are good, so you don't have to worry about that. And if you don't get in this round, try again! And think about transferring into your PhD and applying after that. I don't know about you, but I am in grad school now, and there is NO WAY I would every go back to do another undergrad degree. Just make yourself a better applicant and highlight your grad research. Each school is different, and grad students do get different considerations at some of the Canadian schools. Check out Ottawa, and their WGPA, see if you make the WGPA grad student cutoff of 3.50. Good luck!

[holla08]

Thanks again!

 

I finish my masters this summer so I should have a few pubs after that although I've already had 3 published abstracts, faculty at a conference and 3rd author on a paper.

 

I must admit i'd rather not do another undergrad. I'd be into FP so even with the extra time it would take, going to school abroad (australia) would be less time than another 4 years plus med.

 

I wrote the MCAT while working full time and I was thinking about writting it again but taking some time off to study. Not sure how much more this will boast my chances though.