McGill Early Decision Apllication?

[Guest ilitvino]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone is considering to apply to McGill via an early decision? Do you know what are they looking for in early decision applicants (MCAT, grades, etc.)?

[Guest yntrrr]

Hi, I applied last year for early decision (OOP). The purpose of the early decision application is to basically fast track applicants whose first choice is McGill into getting acceptance so they don't have to worry about the hassle of applying everywhere else. If you are considering this, try getting your materials to the admissions office ASAP, and if they are interested, they will contact you ASAP (for me, I was contacted a few days after the last of my materials arrived). The good thing about early decision is that if you are not considered competitive enough, you are still eligible in the regular pool (and this is true even after your interview if you do not receive early acceptance).

I suspect they look for MCAT scores in the high 30's and GPA's relatively high as well (3.9s). This is especially true if you are OOP (due to the low number of positions). Your autobiographical letter must be very strong as well, do not underestimate this.

I'm surprised McGill is the only Canadian school to offer Early Admission, as I think it eliminates some of the stress of applying to med school. If you are serious about it, and you think you have what it takes, go for it... There really is nothing to lose, as you'll just be entered into the regular applicant pool if it doesn't work out.

Good luck!

[Guest ilitvino]

Thanks yntrrr,

I think that I will go ahead and give it a shot. I think my chances are pretty good. And then... we'll see.

 

Regards,

Ivan

[Guest rubberoduck]

Hi I'm an OOP student applying to McGill's MD program. Can you tell me more about this early decision thing? I just started my online registration today and it's a long process. What's the deal with filling in all honors and awards, how far does it go back?

[Guest ilitvino]

Actually, rubberoduck, where did you find the place to put down your honors and awards? I could not find anything on that regards and the Admissions officer told me just to mail in my CV along with the list of honors and reprints of published papers for consideration.

 

Also, here is the info from McGill's site on Early Decision Program:

 

Early Acceptance (excluding Med-P applicants) for exceptionally strong candidates may be considered. Well-rounded students with a strong academic record and high MCAT scores and who meet all the requirements for the M.D.,C.M. program may apply for the early decision program by clearly indicating that they want to be considered for this program. Applicants must ensure that all required documents (including official transcripts, official MCAT scores, autobiographical letter as well as three reference letters) are sent immediately to the admissions office. Once the file is complete, the admissions committee will review it and a decision will be made within ten days as to whether early interviews will be offered. Successful candidates who accept our offer of early admission to the Faculty of Medicine at McGill must withdraw their application(s) to, or acceptance(s) from other medical schools in order to maintain their accepted status at McGill.

[Guest McGillMedWannabe]

are you out of province or in province?

[Guest ilitvino]

I am considered to be in-province (I have just recently immigrated to Quebec from the United States ).

[Guest McGillMedWannabe]

i was wondering if you heard anything from the admission office? how long does early decision take? iknow it takes 10 days for an interview but how much tim euntil they give you a decision?

[Guest ilitvino]

My experience is that the admissions office is very much on top of the process. Once all your documents are in ... it should not be too long for you to hear something.

 

My advice is that if you are pretty much set on McGill than go ahead and apply via Early Decision. If for some reason you do not qualify for admission immediately, they will still consider your application along with the general pool. You have nothing to loose.

[Guest McGillMed2010]

did you get an interview yet?

[Guest ilitvino]

Actually, i had an interview on Thursday (October 20th) and I have been accepted yeasterday (October 27th).

 

So, if everything goes well we will be in the same class. When did you file your application?

Regards,

Ivan

[Guest McGillMed2010]

I havent submitted by stuff yet (still waiting on one refrence letter). Would you mind sharing your stats just to see if its worth sending it in for early decision or waiting until january.

 

how was the interview? what type of questions did they ask? was it the deans interview

[Guest Togo]

Hey ilitvino

 

Congratulations on your acceptance! I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. I sent you a PM

 

THanks

[Guest ilitvino]

Sure, I will be happy to share my info with you. My MCAT was 37 (10VR, 13PS, 14BS), I hold a BS in Biology and a BA in Chemistry (Summa Cum Laude with Dept. Honors) from the University of Kentucky. I am a Phi Beta Kappa. Currently, I am finishing up my Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I have published a number of research papers in the national peer-reviewed journals, attended conferences, TAed, reviewed papers for the journals, and all the other good stuff that usually comes with a Ph.D. Also, I was applying as a permanent resident of the Province of Quebec (and a permanent resident of Canada).

 

As you can see, my case is a bit unusual. Hence, please do not let the above numbers discourage you from applying (especially if you are a resident of Quebec). I think that as long as you can show a few years in a row of consistently excellent performance -- you will be just fine

 

As you can see my VR score was the lowest on my MCAT. My first language is actually Russian, while English is my second and French is going to be my third language. I think that McGill, being located in the french-speaking province of Quebec, is particularly sensitive and understanding to non-native English speakers getting a lower VR score on the MCAT.

 

My interview experience was absolutely great. The people in the admissions office were very nice and I had a lovely discussion with my interviewers about my research and clinical experiences, goals in life and reasons for choosing McGill. We have also discussed differences in research and clinical care in States vs. Canada. One of my interviewers was a basic scientist, while the other was a physician (family medicine). There was no stress or pressure. I also met (through the interview process and otherwise) with number of Medical and M.D.-Ph.D. students at McGill. I was much impressed by the quality of the students and how positive they were about their experiences at McGill.

 

In summary, I left McGill even more certain that I want to attend this school than before I have arrived there for my interview.

 

I wish you the very best of luck and hope that your experience will be just as positive as mine. Let me know how it all goes for you.

 

Ivan

[Guest noncestvrai]

Congratulations Ivan, it's nice to see that McGill still picks people with a research background. Since you are from Russia, you will not mind the cold winters? We like hockey too...

 

I salute your wish to learn French, this will impact a great deal on your experience in Quebec.

 

Welcome to the big McGill family.

 

noncestvrai

[Guest McGillMed2010]

Hi Ivan,

 

I'm a bit nervous about early decision because most of the people who get in usually have either PhD or Masters degrees. I'm still an undergrad and don't have any publications or anything really special. I'm actually Russian as well! Congrats on getting in and hopefully we will be in the same class next year!

[Guest ilitvino]

Merci beaucoup pour votre mots tres gentils, noncestvrai. Actually, I am moving to Montreal because I so much adore the French culture and the French language. I have studied French here at Hopkins and I look forward to intesify my studies once at Montreal. I was much impressed, when I learned that McGill will actually allow me to take French language courses free of charge. I do think that it is absolutely necessary for anyone who wishes to make a life in Quebec to learn some French. Now this being said, I think that we all need to work harder (the francophones and the anglophones in Quebec) to stive to live in better harmony.

 

As far as the weather goes... I very much look forward to find myself in a colder climate. I like Maryland very much except for summers (May to October), when the temperature raises to 95-110F and humidity reaches 80-100%. On those days my brain seem to turn into some mush, while my body becomes a non-functional piece of flesh. Imagine a Russian polar bear accidently dropped somewhere in the Sahara...

 

Now, back to the question of interviews:

 

I'm a bit nervous about early decision because most of the people who get in usually have either PhD or Masters degrees.

 

Dear, McGillMed2010, I don't think that the above is true at all. Usually a very small percentage of a given class have graduate degrees. Most people being interviewed have not finished their bachelor's. In fact, I was just contacted by a person, who is heading to McGill for and early decision interview next week. This individual is still working on his Bachelor's at UBC. The real key is to be confident in your record and try to present it in the best possible way. Remeber the key question is NOT what or where are you now, but what/where you are going to be 10 years from now! Speaking in mathematical language do not worry about your current position or location, but do worry about the slope/speed (the first derivative) at which you are moving. I hope that I have convinced you not to worry about not having an MS or Ph.D. next to your name, when you are applying to Med Schools.

 

Cheers,

Ivan