Statistically Speaking.....

[Guest flora]

For Ottawa med school (and for any other one in fact)..around 2100 application, and 496 interviews right?

 

And, the interviews are based on wGPA cutoffs as well auto sketches.....

 

I'm just wondering....does this mean that there is exactly a 496/2100 ~24% of getting an interview?

 

The reason why I'm asking is...not to offend anyone...but how many of the 2100 do you think applied just for the hell of it to see if they can get in...or how many do you think applied knowing that they have almost no chance (due to GPA or other stuff like they dont have the prereques..) of getting an interview?

 

Do you think one's chance of getting an interview goes up significantly as one's wGPA rises?

 

This definetly shows why I should have never, ever taken a statistics course!

[Guest JD]

Yes, there are people who apply even though they won't be close to the cutoffs. Trying to guess how many would be nothing more than mere speculation. But there are still MANY people who do make the cutoffs, so although the chances might be better than 24%, it's far from a shoo-in.

[Guest MayFlower]

Flora,

 

I agree with JD...while 496 were interviewed this year the competition is still quite fierce considering there were only, I believe 128 spots...and some of these were for francophones (I believe about 40 but I could be wrong on this one) so that leaves about 88 spots for english-speaking applicants...so, about 18 percent of all those interviewed this year got a spot in the english program...and about 4 percent of all english-speaking applicants got in this year...about 6 percent of all applicants got a spot in either the french or english programs this year. I think these stats are correct, however, I'm quite tired...so it's possible I've made an error.

 

MayFlower

[Guest Sil]

Hey Flora:

 

I decided to extrapolate from what I see in my job in admissions for the faculty of Law. They get 2000 applications for 120 spaces, about 1000 do not have the minimum required GPA and are pretty much rejected without being looked at by admissions committee. Somebody from here told me that the same thing happens in medicine but this is all speculation in my part. So I would say that you are right in your assumption.

[Guest kk]

But Mayflower, aren't the stats kinda misleading?

 

I mean, yes one can say 496/2100 (21%) gets an interview, and then 18% of the interviewees gets accepted...which means that right from the beginnning you apply, you have a (.21)X(.18) = 0.0378 or 3.78% change of getting accepted...BUT, that is based on the assumption that everyone is EQUAL, when in fact, that isnt the case at all....

 

So flora, while yes there are many people who probably apply just for the heck of it...it isnt really a 21% that you will get an interview because not all people are equal....but if you have a 3.92 GPA and solid extracirrcs, your chances for an interview will be much greater than someone who has a 3.80 GPA and ok extracirrics...the only way you can really use those statistics for an interview is if ALL the applicants had the same qualifications as u...then it would exactly like a lottery...

 

Any thoughts on this??? Or maybe I'm just looking in to it too deeply

[Guest V]

I agree kk....

 

The assumption was that everyone is equal. You have to realize that low section scores on the application can keep someone out, and for others, high section scores can get you in.

 

In the end, I think that the 21% figure is misleading. I think however, it is a figure that many use for comfort. They look at it and think they have really good odds (1 in 5). If thats what keeps you going, then by all means go for it. But the reality is that it really depends on the applicant and the application markers, when it really comes down to it.

[Guest kk]

Hi V,

 

when you mean misleading, do you mean that in a negative, or positive way depending on what your sketch is like?

 

Kk

[Guest Sil]

I think they are misleading because your chances of an interview are probably closer to 40% or 50% if you make the cut off and significantly increases if all the portions of the detailed sketch are filled.

[Guest JSS02]

I don't know if the numbers are actually correct, but I heard that in the application cycle for the class that just finished first year, there were < 700 people who made the GPA cutoff. That means the vast majority (>70%) of people who made the cutoffs received an interview. If you have a 3.85+ GPA you probably have a good shot, but of course one should never count on anything.

 

Also, keep in mind that they probably need about 200 offers to fill the class of 123, so it's a little bit better than it looks. Plus of course as people mentioned earlier, not all applicants are equal so it's not like they're drawing you out of a lottery (though at times it may feel that way...).

[Guest kk]

Hmm...thats good to hear...I think that stats can be very misleading because they can give false hope to those who don't have a chance, or discouragement to those who do...of course..who am I to say who has a chance

[Guest V]

Exactly.

 

I heard too that few make the high Ottawa GPA cutoffs. This means that if you are above average (good marks, great extra currics, research, volunteer and basically enough for all the sections they require) then your chances of getting an interview are higher. Exactly what, its hard to tell. However, just because you have stellar marks and a great application, does not guarantee an interview.

 

Thats just part of the the medical school application mystery (kinda like how they got the caramel in the caramilk bars.... )

[Guest MayFlower]

KK,

 

Of course you are completely correct...these are "neutral" stats...they assume a completely random model of selection, when, of course, this isn't the chance. I always prefer to be conservative when considering stats...

 

MayFlower

[Guest MayFlower]

V,

 

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> I heard too that few make the high Ottawa GPA cutoffs. <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

 

 

I'm not sure how high the Ottawa GPA cutoffs are...my GPA, by the OMSAS conversion table is 3.73...I received an interview this year...

 

edit: I should have mentioned that I was applying to the anglo program (although I'm bilingual) and I reside in the Ottawa area.

 

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> Thats just part of the the medical school application mystery (kinda like how they got the caramel in the caramilk bars.... ) <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

 

I know how they get the caramel in the caramilk bars by the way...it's a fairly straightforward engineering principle...if you would like me to post...I might, if you're nice to me...

 

MayFlower

[Guest JSS02]

Ottawa has different cutoffs depending on your location of residence. I think the requirements for out of province applicants approached 3.9, and for anglo-Ontarians who are outside the Ottawa region and not from an underserved area, it was around 3.8.

[Guest V]

Sorry Mayflower,

 

What I meant to say (which is exactly what JSS02 just posted) was that too few make the GPA cutoff, because the cutoff's are much higher for people applying to the Anglophone program from OUTSIDE the Ottawa area. I believe in the past 5 years the GPA cut-off has ranged anywhere from 3.8-3.9 (seriously, just ask nicole racine).

 

 

 

Mayflower, how do they do it? I thought I was already nice to you....