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UBC doesn't say how they use your score, but it isn't factored in until after the interview. Also, you can check out the admissions stats on their website. The average VR of the entering class has ranged from 9.16 to 9.34 in the past few years, so I'd say a VR of 9 is probably fine.

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  • 2 weeks later...

i'm curious to know how MCAT is factored into the final decision.

 

i'm IP and i've applied 4 times (!). 1st, 2nd application rejected post-interview, 3rd waitlisted until august, 4th rejected post-interview. i was applying all these times with a PS10-VR10-BS8-Q (28Q) and was under the impression that UBC just used the MCAT as a cutoff with 8 being the minimum in each section.

 

i just rewrote it this september as my original score was going to expire after this cycle. i buckled down and studied for a solid 3 months. results came back 14PS-11VR-12BS-R (37R). i wonder if this will be enough to get me over the hump and finally get that elusive acceptance letter? my AQ has been 24+ and my NAQ has been 14-15ish. seems impossible to add anything significant to that NAQ score.

 

could the improved MCAT be enough to get me in?

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Paulista I would bet that it's your naq that is your problem. If your aq is 24+ then you should really look at your naq. Your increased MCAT certainly won't hurt, but a 14-15 in the naq isn't great. Have you done anything outside your comfort zone like working with people with disabilities, drug addiction, the homeless or aboriginal people? Do you have any long term committments with regards to activities?

 

Have you applied to any other med schools in Canada? With high academics you stand a good shot at many other schools and your new MCAT score makes you pretty competitive as well.

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Paulista I would bet that it's your naq that is your problem. If your aq is 24+ then you should really look at your naq. Your increased MCAT certainly won't hurt, but a 14-15 in the naq isn't great. Have you done anything outside your comfort zone like working with people with disabilities, drug addiction, the homeless or aboriginal people? Do you have any long term committments with regards to activities?

 

Have you applied to any other med schools in Canada? With high academics you stand a good shot at many other schools and your new MCAT score makes you pretty competitive as well.

 

i've been trying to improve that blasted NAQ since my first application! i don't know what it is. i've worked as a care giver for people with disabilities for the past 3 years. i've done a ton of traveling. i've been a "big brother" for 2 years going on my 3rd. 2 years of coaching rep soccer. volunteered at a free ESL school for immigrants. + the usual sports, etc... i've always felt like my NAs were solid but who knows! when i added big brothers, coaching, language school etc... i think my NAQ score went up by a massive 0.05 points.

 

given i was on the waitlist for so long on my 3rd application i'm going to hope the stellar MCAT will help me move up a bit in that group that sits on the bubble. i would think if there are about 50 or so applicants with similar applications i should be able to leap ahead with the MCAT. that is, if i understand correctly how MCAT scores are used (tie breaker).

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i'm curious to know how MCAT is factored into the final decision.

 

i'm IP and i've applied 4 times (!). 1st, 2nd application rejected post-interview, 3rd waitlisted until august, 4th rejected post-interview. i was applying all these times with a PS10-VR10-BS8-Q (28Q) and was under the impression that UBC just used the MCAT as a cutoff with 8 being the minimum in each section.

 

i just rewrote it this september as my original score was going to expire after this cycle. i buckled down and studied for a solid 3 months. results came back 14PS-11VR-12BS-R (37R). i wonder if this will be enough to get me over the hump and finally get that elusive acceptance letter? my AQ has been 24+ and my NAQ has been 14-15ish. seems impossible to add anything significant to that NAQ score.

 

could the improved MCAT be enough to get me in?

 

Holy cow, that's a crazy improvement! Have you thought of applying out-of-province? With an AQ of 24+, I assume you have a good GPA, so you're almost guaranteed an interview at Queen's and Western.

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i've been trying to improve that blasted NAQ since my first application! i don't know what it is. i've worked as a care giver for people with disabilities for the past 3 years. i've done a ton of traveling. i've been a "big brother" for 2 years going on my 3rd. 2 years of coaching rep soccer. volunteered at a free ESL school for immigrants. + the usual sports, etc... i've always felt like my NAs were solid but who knows! when i added big brothers, coaching, language school etc... i think my NAQ score went up by a massive 0.05 points.

 

The subjectiveness of the naq score can drive people absolutely crazy. I scored a 14.91 naq for ubc which was below the average for those offered an interview (i believe it was 15.xx) However, I basically cut and paste my naq descriptions onto my UofA application and managed to score a 10.5 out of 14.75 (avg score 8.72) which was significantly above the average for those offered an interview. Suffice to say I have become somewhat jaded with the naq scoring. I have applied again this year, will wait and see what happens.

Keep your head up!

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humm i have talked about this long time ago in other threads but it's not really what you do it's what you learned from them. The essay serves as a bridge between your application and the interview. You can have 1000+ hours as a volunteer in a hospital but i bet that if you dont have a decent story or two to tell and you show NO insight as to how those experiences have changed you as a person and somehow LINK that to your motivation/ ambition to pursue medicine trust me those 1000+ hours are as useful as putting down 50.

 

having said that, they do the MMIs now, so it's a different ball game.

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humm i have talked about this long time ago in other threads but it's not really what you do it's what you learned from them. The essay serves as a bridge between your application and the interview. You can have 1000+ hours as a volunteer in a hospital but i bet that if you dont have a decent story or two to tell and you show NO insight as to how those experiences have changed you as a person and somehow LINK that to your motivation/ ambition to pursue medicine trust me those 1000+ hours are as useful as putting down 50.

 

having said that, they do the MMIs now, so it's a different ball game.

 

 

On the money. Granted, I'm not a med student yet, but this is what I kept in mind throughout my application.

 

A trillion hours don't mean much if you can't show how much it's shaped you. I'd think the essay counts for a surprising portion of the NAQ points.

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Ditto, I agree and know that when interview comes you need to shine no matter what's on your apps. The most common character trait I can see in my classmates is super confidence (if not the ability ti suppress fears)and the ability to think a problem through open mindedly. This is the MMI ticket and secret I give to all of you.

I believe myself more and more, especially when I know my apps doesn't sound half as good as the other posters, whether MCAT, AQ, NAQ. On paper I am extremely average and below in the NAQ. Must have just scratched by on the NAQ and been lucky that interview day - but I did go in confident and ready to nail the MMI. As for what I did to get ready... a little ethics reading throughout the year, always read the paper and esp. opinion articles, but no prep - only meditation in the week preceding.

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