the usual "what are my chances" question

[smile101]

Hi,

 

I would love some feedback on how I could improve/ whether I have a chance

 

Undergrad degree with a fairly sucky GPA over the 5 years:

1:3.36

2:3.35

3:3.45

4:3.3

5:3.59

 

I'm currently finishing up a Masters degree GPA: 4.0 (with multiple international conferences, but no publications). I have also worked for multiple summers in research labs.

 

MCAT: 31O

 

And really fantastic EC's

 

I have applied to med schools twice, but no interviews

[thehumanmacbook]

Your cGPA may be too low for a masters degree to offset the mark. Have you asked them for a breakdown of your score and what you need to improve?

 

Diversify your ECs, perhaps? Is there something that you really practice at a high level?

 

The O on your writing sample may be too low as well. Maybe consider writing a great MCAT to alleviate the marks?

[smile101]

Hey thanks for your input!!

 

Interestingly my academic component isn't ranked too bad at the U of C (I had

37.68, cut off was 38.65). My activities scored 16 (cutoff was 16.3), my MCAT scored 9 (ave was 8.52) and my references were 7 (cutoff was 6.95). Overall I was just shy of the U of C invite (my score 69.68, while the cutoff was 70.77).

 

I do plan on re-writing my MCAT, but aside from that I really REALLY need to find something concrete to improve upon. I feel like I have been endlessly improving upon my EC's but not seeing any improvement in my scores.

[dguo1]

hey smile

 

not sure where u got the cut off numbers, the online stats said that for invites the lowest gpa is around a 33.5, lowest activity was around a 12, lowest reference was like a 3 (yeah...needs to pick better refs), and lowest gpa was 2.7, which is way lower than urs. could u clarify with the cutoffs?

 

thx

[smile101]

Hi

 

I am looking at the "mean score" displayed for each section (pre-interview). This isn't actually a cutoff, but when you average all of the mean scores you get a number very close to the cutoff for their interviews, so it is a pretty good approximation...

[kylamonkey]

OK- I'm not an expert or anything, but something about your post is just screaming "need to reword my ECs to get a better score"

 

I upped my score by 3.5 points (12.7-16.3) with UBC within a year, and I have to credit it to losing any humility I had and rewriting EVERYTHING. It took about 60 hours of work. I really tried to sell myself.

 

I might be totally off base, but a grad student who is very close to the average invited GPA academics and the average invited ECs is not missing the academics, and not missing the ECs if you've been working hard at it. There's something else.

 

I really credit this forum for helping with my ECs. Last summer when I was rewriting, I would post ideas on this site, get feedback, and send troublesome descriptions to people I trusted through PM to get their help.

[Slashsev01]

Hey thanks for your input!!

 

Interestingly my academic component isn't ranked too bad at the U of C (I had

37.68, cut off was 38.65). My activities scored 16 (cutoff was 16.3), my MCAT scored 9 (ave was 8.52) and my references were 7 (cutoff was 6.95). Overall I was just shy of the U of C invite (my score 69.68, while the cutoff was 70.77).

 

I do plan on re-writing my MCAT, but aside from that I really REALLY need to find something concrete to improve upon. I feel like I have been endlessly improving upon my EC's but not seeing any improvement in my scores.

 

i dont understand...if ur below the cutoff? isnt that the areas u need to improve??

 

if u dont have the 38.65 you wont get the interview

[Slashsev01]

also doesnt U of C and U of A look at last 2 years or best + masters gpa

 

 

u have a 4.0 in "one year"...and the other best was 3.6...i guess ud need a 3.8-3.9 extra year plus the 4.0..to offset the gpa cutoff

 

iam also assuming that ur in province...

 

y not try ontario?they have some bonus features for masters...

[smile101]

I really shouldn't have used the word "cutoff," because it isn't a cutoff. The values I posted are averages of people who have applied, the only cutoff is the total score, which obviously I am below. However, I can make up a below-average academic score in another area. Unfortunately this is proving to be really difficult to do.

 

BTW neither the U of A nor the U of C looks at only two years. U of A looks at four years of undergrad grades (but ignores grad school grades). U of C looks at your entire academic history in a holistic sort of way.

 

I am an albertan, but I might have to look at ontario schools. I am thinking of U of T or McMaster, but it seems silly to apply there when I can't even get an interview in province!

[bloh]

Your problem is that your stats are on the low-end of the spectrum in every single category. As you said yourself, you are below the average of interviewed applicants in academics and ECs and just barely above average in the MCAT and references.

 

You are close to getting an interview though and will just need to reapply and hope for the best. You obviously can't do anything with regards to your academics (short of starting another undergrad).

 

Your references should be able to be 8+ particularly as a graduate student. You have the privilege of having a faculty member that knows you well. This should be your strong suit.

 

You could also rewrite the MCAT although I find this to be a low yield endeavor. But if you do get a 33Q+, it'd add several points which you badly need right now.

 

Try to publish.

 

Continue doing ECs and getting involved. Because your stats are on the low end, you just need to keep trying and hope you get lucky.

[smile101]

Interesting point about the reference letters... Do other grad students out there find their supervisors are very unreliable when it comes to writing med reference letters? Mine always submits a letter, but is VERY immature about the whole situation.

 

Obviously I'm not keeping this person as a reference, but it is a huge let down, as this person knows me very well, and has the potential to write a very strong letter for me. Unfortunately they have a strong dislike of everything medicine-related

[thehumanmacbook]

Then find a supervisor/community leader who isn't immature about the process. I understand that it's very difficult because I have supervisors like that as well, but there has to be someone out there that you can really impress yourself upon that you will make an excellent physician. Remember that your LORs do NOT have to be academic related, and they DO NOT have to be from long-term relationships. Evidently the latter is the better, but sometimes a letter from someone who says good things and doesn't know you that long is better than someone who says bad things and knows you for an extended period of time.

[Slashsev]

I really shouldn't have used the word "cutoff," because it isn't a cutoff. The values I posted are averages of people who have applied, the only cutoff is the total score, which obviously I am below. However, I can make up a below-average academic score in another area. Unfortunately this is proving to be really difficult to do.

 

BTW neither the U of A nor the U of C looks at only two years. U of A looks at four years of undergrad grades (but ignores grad school grades). U of C looks at your entire academic history in a holistic sort of way.

 

I am an albertan, but I might have to look at ontario schools. I am thinking of U of T or McMaster, but it seems silly to apply there when I can't even get an interview in province!

 

 

are you sure UofC isnt best 2 year (which incls a masters gpa)

[thehumanmacbook]

I think they look at your best two years to see if you meet cutoff...but afterwards they look at it holistically.