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UofT Interview discussion - 2012


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As agonizing as UT's system is, I much prefer their holistic review process to schools such as UWO. It's much fairer than rejecting thousands of applications because they happened to get one more question wrong on one section of the MCAT than another applicant. I think we in Ontario are somewhat lucky that every school has a slightly different system and they cater to different types of students with differing strengths and weaknesses. Most of us have a shot SOMEwhere.

 

I don't know about Ontario applicants being lucky. Stats say it all. I would consider applicants in other provinces lucky. Some of them have an acceptance rate of over 25%!!!

 

The bottom line is that Ontario is very competitive. Ontario applicants have it the worst in North America for getting into medical school. California students may have it just as bad as Ontario students but they have other US schools to rely on... and are notorious for going all over the US for medical school. You can't really say that about Ontario applicants because of the very limited number of OOP spots available here in Canada. It's ironic because an Ontario applicant has a better shot State side than in other provinces in Canada. But then you have to deal with the crazy US tuition fees if you decide to go State side.

 

I would say that it sucks to be an Ontario applicant. Not lucky.

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As one of the 600 rejected today I feel like I deserve to have a say in all of this. Every school has their own system of "weeding out" people pre-interview and yes, numbers alone cannot guarantee anything. As an immigrant I am undoubtedly disadvantaged when it comes to essay writing but at the same my life experiences, I think, should at least make up for some of it. I thus think that u of t could learn a bit from the American system which, instead of being rigorous in their cutoffs, take on a far more holistic approach in determining who gets to interview and ultimately who deserves an acceptance. However, systems do indeed work in the way that they are designed, and I don't doubt that u of t breeds brilliant physicians. I don't take the rejection too badly only partly because I've received acceptances elsewhere; this is the premed game and I lost to u of t...but that's why we apply broadly and I'm positive that u of t had good reason to reject me, and if they believe that I am not a good fit, I trust that it might very well be the case.

 

Do I feel like I deserved at least an interview? Yes. But who doesn't? :) if theres a will, there's a way. Best of luck to all of us :)

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at the end of the day calmodulins post has no baring on how you will do!

 

UofT wouldnt reject someone with those averages, unless someone did not know how to write an ABS/Essay

 

No bearing, and I'm not saying I am somehow so entitled that I deserve an interview invite. I'm just saying that there's a bizarre element to Canadian medical school admissions, however you want to interpret "bizarre". My point is that they WILL reject people with high stats and there is NO certainty in the Canadian process.

 

And for those who are thinking of reapplying next year and is willing to bear the financial trauma - I'd suggest adding American schools to your list.

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I thus think that u of t could learn a bit from the American system which, instead of being rigorous in their cutoffs, take on a far more holistic approach in determining who gets to interview and ultimately who deserves an acceptance.

 

Hmm, UofT doesn't have rigorous cutoffs. (3.6 for undergrad and 3.0 for grad applicants plus weighting system isn't exactly rigorous by any means) If anything, UofT is TOO holistic and those with crazy stats may feel unfairly treated because the process is too subjective.

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Hmm, UofT doesn't have rigorous cutoffs. (3.6 for undergrad and 3.0 for grad applicants plus weighting system isn't exactly rigorous by any means) If anything, UofT is TOO holistic and those with crazy stats may feel unfairly treated because the process is too subjective.

 

Sorry by rigor I meant hard cutoffs...and yea you're right. They're not by any means rigorous.

 

In the States, schools generally look at an application as an entire "package". There is very little, if any, implementation of a "formula" type of admissions process. Undergrads with a 3.2 can get into Harvard, so long as another part of their application is strong.

 

I think you meant that U of T has a "well rounded" approach, not holistic.

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Hmm, UofT doesn't have rigorous cutoffs. (3.6 for undergrad and 3.0 for grad applicants plus weighting system isn't exactly rigorous by any means) If anything, UofT is TOO holistic and those with crazy stats may feel unfairly treated because the process is too subjective.

 

If GPA of average accepted applicant was closer to 3.6 (like what it is at UofC, for instance) then I'd believe that the selection criteria isn't rigorous! :P How many people getting interviews actually have GPAs in that ball park? Especially when the average GPA of people admitted over the years is something closer to 3.9?

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No bearing, and I'm not saying I am somehow so entitled that I deserve an interview invite. I'm just saying that there's a bizarre element to Canadian medical school admissions, however you want to interpret "bizarre". My point is that they WILL reject people with high stats and there is NO certainty in the Canadian process.

 

And for those who are thinking of reapplying next year and is willing to bear the financial trauma - I'd suggest adding American schools to your list.

 

Yep, good advice. I wish I didn't leave my fate to canadian schools :(

 

And hey, if you got a shot at living in NYC, your the winner in the end of the day.

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If nothing else I love in the states that you can advocate for yourself via letters etc. In Canadian it feels so out of control... And we spend hours on premed101 trying to make sense of the madness through stats threads like these. Sorry for continuing the conversation. Back to stats!

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UofT is one school, as hard as it is I would try to take this in stride. Just because one school doesn't grant you an interview does not mean they don't think that you would make a great physician, it just means that they have others they think are more suited to their school. The admissions office would tell you that they refuse invites for hundreds of VERY qualified applicants each year. If all schools were perfect at picking the most qualified applicants then the same ~200 people would get into all six Ontario schools and the rest of us would be stuck on the waiting list. Every school has a different definition of a stellar applicant, good luck to you all through the rest of the process! I'll see some of you at interviews :)

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No bearing, and I'm not saying I am somehow so entitled that I deserve an interview invite. I'm just saying that there's a bizarre element to Canadian medical school admissions, however you want to interpret "bizarre". My point is that they WILL reject people with high stats and there is NO certainty in the Canadian process.

 

And for those who are thinking of reapplying next year and is willing to bear the financial trauma - I'd suggest adding American schools to your list.

 

I was in that boat last year. Had a wGPA of around 4.0 and all the other good stuff, but got rejected pre-interview everywhere. This year, I applied to the states and Canada and have gotten in to the states and received an interview at UT.

 

It's worth reapplying and if you want to be a physician badly, then I would also suggest applying to the states on top of Canada.

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If GPA of average accepted applicant was closer to 3.6 (like what it is at UofC, for instance) then I'd believe that the selection criteria isn't rigorous! :P How many people getting interviews actually have GPAs in that ball park? Especially when the average GPA of people admitted over the years is something closer to 3.9?

 

True, perhaps the GPA requirement is harsher for ugrads in reality, which I cannot comment much on as a grad applicant.

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Rejected

 

GPA: 3.97 unweighted, 4.00 weighted

MCAT: 14 PS / 14 V / 14 BS / S writing

ECs: research heavy, leadership, mentoring, volunteering

Essay: Most of my interviewers thus far commented on it?

Graduating this year.

 

Having interviewed at many top American schools (and been accepted), I now know the true meaning of "holistic admissions" and how it goes both ways. Adios, U of T.

 

How in the bloody hell does this guy not get an invite.... maybe one of the unwritten requirement for guys is that you need to have a 12 inch penis or something, that would explain some of the ludicrous rejections ive seen

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Wow... I really thought the process was different... but after reading that old thread... I feel like it should be called the "Nope" box hahaha holy smokes I never knew there were so many refusal dates...... but there are also many invite dates hurray hahaha

 

start reading around page 11... then quickly flip through ... and you see the same trend hahahaha

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