moving to alberta to gain IP, competitiveness?

[Albertan10]

i hope it's okay if I also post the same message at the university of alberta forum. i would like to get as much input as possible.

 

Hey guys, i wanted some input regarding my level of competitiveness at both calgary and alberta. I understand the admissions process has changed over the past 2 years. i remember one of calgary or alberta would look at the best 2 years for the GPA, and the VR wasn't worth as much as it is now. i beleive the mcat was scored based on 15 in the past.

 

i'm also wondering if anyone can speculate on the amount of changes they would have for the next upcoming admissions cycle. would the same requirements to gain IP status be the same? i ask this because i plan to move to alberta, after being rejected this year at mcgill. i've been looking into pursuing a masters degree, which hopefully i can graduate in a year.

 

here are my stats. I am currently OOP.

 

I've completed 2 undergrads.

first one cGPA: 3.52

second one cGPA: 3.94

cGPA of both undergrads is just ~3.69.

MCAT: 11/10/8 R (PS/BS/VR/WS).

ECs/Volunteering: sports, research, TA, hospital...

 

i assume rewriting the mcat for the third time might be something to consider? but can i even be competitive at the moment?

 

I've seen the stats on this site for those who have gotten interviews or whom have been rejected. some of the stats are very impressive and i'm hoping aren't representative of everyone who gets in. i would appreciate any help.

 

thanks so much

[osteon]

i hope it's okay if I also post the same message at the university of alberta forum. i would like to get as much input as possible.

 

Hey guys, i wanted some input regarding my level of competitiveness at both calgary and alberta. I understand the admissions process has changed over the past 2 years. i remember one of calgary or alberta would look at the best 2 years for the GPA, and the VR wasn't worth as much as it is now. i beleive the mcat was scored based on 15 in the past.

 

i'm also wondering if anyone can speculate on the amount of changes they would have for the next upcoming admissions cycle. would the same requirements to gain IP status be the same? i ask this because i plan to move to alberta, after being rejected this year at mcgill. i've been looking into pursuing a masters degree, which hopefully i can graduate in a year.

 

here are my stats. I am currently OOP.

 

I've completed 2 undergrads.

first one cGPA: 3.52

second one cGPA: 3.94

cGPA of both undergrads is just ~3.69.

MCAT: 11/10/8 R (PS/BS/VR/WS).

ECs/Volunteering: sports, research, TA, hospital...

 

i assume rewriting the mcat for the third time might be something to consider? but can i even be competitive at the moment?

 

I've seen the stats on this site for those who have gotten interviews or whom have been rejected. some of the stats are very impressive and i'm hoping aren't representative of everyone who gets in. i would appreciate any help.

 

thanks so much

 

 

Unless it's a course-based Master's, you won't finish in a year. That, I can almost 99% assure you.

 

Your stats are good, but I wouldn't necessarily say you'd for-sure get an interview at UofC, and I don't think anyone here could really give you that sort of guarantee. Sure, you have good grades, a decent MCAT VR score, and what appears to be decent EC's, but EC's are currently worth 60% of the pre-interview score - and even if you have a lot of good EC's, it doesn't assure you a spot, since it's quite subjective and highly dependent on what you convey to the reader in your writing. Meaning, you could be a perfect applicant in terms of GPA, MCAT, EC's, but if you don't get your point across in your EC's, expect an outright rejection. Conversely, you could have a 3.3 and a 6 VR and get an interview with a stellar EC section. There are no guarantees here, like there are at places like Western or Queen's.

 

I highly doubt the admissions grading scheme or requirements will change much for the next cycle. Big changes don't happen all the time, and when they do, they take time to monitor how effective they were.

 

Anyways, maybe this is not the most positive post, but it's probably better worth your time to hear this than someone else saying to you "move across the country; you're a shoe-in." My personal thought is that if you want to improve your chances and can spare a couple thousand in debt to move for a grad degree, move to AB, do a MSc, apply to UofC in first year, if you get in great, but if not apply again the year after but also apply broadly across Canada in that second year. MSc financial support is available, but you've missed the deadlines for the 2012-2013 year, so things could get pricey.

[Rewz]

I'm guessing you don't speak French, so no UdeM, UdeS and UL.

 

Are you really that non competitive for McGill? McGill looks at your second bachelor GPA only when it's better than your first one, so your score is really good for them.

[Albertan10]

^ similarly if i have 5 years they would drop one from my understanding. that would then give me a cGPA of 3.76.

[Asta]

I'm guessing you don't speak French, so no UdeM, UdeS and UL.

 

Are you really that non competitive for McGill? McGill looks at your second bachelor GPA only when it's better than your first one, so your score is really good for them.

 

Your UofC GPA will also be awesomely high with your 2 best years, although of course no GPA guarantees you an interview.

 

Minor note, U of C does not look at best 2 years anymore.

 

**Edit, I didn't read. CCM beat me to this.

 

Also, U of C only looks at VR for MCAT, and 8 is pretty low. Just so you know, U of A looks at composite MCAT score (including writing).

 

Good luck!

[NewfieMike]

Unless it's a course-based Master's, you won't finish in a year. That, I can almost 99% assure you.

 

Your stats are good, but I wouldn't necessarily say you'd for-sure get an interview at UofC, and I don't think anyone here could really give you that sort of guarantee. Sure, you have good grades, a decent MCAT VR score, and what appears to be decent EC's, but EC's are currently worth 60% of the pre-interview score - and even if you have a lot of good EC's, it doesn't assure you a spot, since it's quite subjective and highly dependent on what you convey to the reader in your writing. Meaning, you could be a perfect applicant in terms of GPA, MCAT, EC's, but if you don't get your point across in your EC's, expect an outright rejection. Conversely, you could have a 3.3 and a 6 VR and get an interview with a stellar EC section. There are no guarantees here, like there are at places like Western or Queen's.

 

I highly doubt the admissions grading scheme or requirements will change much for the next cycle. Big changes don't happen all the time, and when they do, they take time to monitor how effective they were.

 

Anyways, maybe this is not the most positive post, but it's probably better worth your time to hear this than someone else saying to you "move across the country; you're a shoe-in." My personal thought is that if you want to improve your chances and can spare a couple thousand in debt to move for a grad degree, move to AB, do a MSc, apply to UofC in first year, if you get in great, but if not apply again the year after but also apply broadly across Canada in that second year. MSc financial support is available, but you've missed the deadlines for the 2012-2013 year, so things could get pricey.

 

This is exactly what I did. Except I had MSc funding my first year. I had 1 application, 1 interview, 1 acceptance IP at Calgary.

 

3.89, 11/8/11/S (PS/VR/BS). My stats compared to the others who were accepted with me:

 

GPA: above average

MCAT: on/below average

ECs: average

LoR: highest score given

Interview verbal: average

Interview written: below average

[TheBestMedicine]

i've been looking into pursuing a masters degree, which hopefully i can graduate in a year.

 

On a semi-related note... I am in my second year of an MSc, my GPA is (4.0 or 90%), it was based on two courses taken in one academic term.

 

My GPA on my UC application is 3.76, whereas that on my UA application is 3.93. I've never really looked into why this is. However, my 4 years of undergraduate work had very similar averages (~86%). So, off the top of my head I assumed that UA counts my grad GPA and that UC ignores it.

 

Does anyone know if that is the case?

 

If so, it would seem that there is a large advantage to completing a grad degree and being IP in Alberta. Especially since many other schools ignore grad GPA until the degree is complete. However, if you do a one year masters (which I think some schools will ignore even once completed), then this would not help you as you wouldn't have a grad GPA when you apply.

[Guest alliek]

I know that in order to count for IP at UC you just need to live there a year before class registration, so by July this summer, but I thought that was only if you weren't in school, I thought it was two years if you were doing a masters? I could be wrong but you might want to check into this.

 

I think this is also my plan if I don't get in this year. My calgary GPA is 3.57, my first MCAT attempt was 8/9/10 (PS/BS/VR) but I'm retaking that this summer.

 

I think I would do pretty well in the academic merit section, I did an engineering degree so the courses were all pretty hard and we often had to take 6 or 7 courses a semester and my trend in grades has definitely gone up (3.9 in fourth year).

 

My ecs are kind of limited because of the engineering degree but I'm volunteering in a hospital now and I spent a semester volunteering at an AIDS clinic in East Africa two years ago.

 

I don't mean to highjack your thread but anyone have any advice based on my stats?

[osteon]

I know that in order to count for IP at UC you just need to live there a year before class registration, so by July this summer, but I thought that was only if you weren't in school, I thought it was two years if you were doing a masters? I could be wrong but you might want to check into this.

 

I think this is also my plan if I don't get in this year. My calgary GPA is 3.57, my first MCAT attempt was 8/9/10 (PS/BS/VR) but I'm retaking that this summer.

 

I think I would do pretty well in the academic merit section, I did an engineering degree so the courses were all pretty hard and we often had to take 6 or 7 courses a semester and my trend in grades has definitely gone up (3.9 in fourth year).

 

My ecs are kind of limited because of the engineering degree but I'm volunteering in a hospital now and I spent a semester volunteering at an AIDS clinic in East Africa two years ago.

 

I don't mean to highjack your thread but anyone have any advice based on my stats?

 

Your GPA is lower than average. They let you drop your first year in the calculations, but GPA only counts for 20% pre-interview. The fact that you did your degree in engineering has no bearing on the score you get here. The only place it MIGHT play into things in the 10% dedicated to subjective assessment. They MIGHT give you points for engineering, but they also MIGHT take away points for a poor first MCAT. No one really knows. Suffice it to say that the subjective component is not worth much, so don't bank on the fact that because you did engineering they'll grade you better.

 

The fact that you mention your EC's are limited...will really limit you at Calgary. As you have described your EC's so far, I don't think IP status would get you an interview at Calgary. EC's, or rather "attributes" are worth 60% pre-interview. Even with a 4.0 GPA, 45T MCAT, if EC's are limited, chances at an interview are slim. Additionally, it's not just the EC's you do, but the "quality" of the EC. UofC looks for specific characteristics, such as leadership, management, scholarly achievement/research, ethical reasoning, community involvement etc. It's all in their applicant manual, but basically each characteristic is worth 10% pre-interview.

 

So, my advice is that if you want to move to Calgary, boost the EC's significantly before doing so, or else I don't think there will be any benefit for you.

 

You mentioned you have an upward GPA trend; have you considered UofT, Western or Queen's? An MCAT improvement could probably secure you an interview easier at those places than it would at Calgary.

[tooty]

I know that in order to count for IP at UC you just need to live there a year before class registration, so by July this summer, but I thought that was only if you weren't in school, I thought it was two years if you were doing a masters? I could be wrong but you might want to check into this.

 

you are wrong. where do people get this from god damn it?

[mcgillbiochemist]

I remember reading somewhere (a school official document) that each Canadian/Perm. Resident applicant must claim the SAME province of residence in all of the applications to medical schools.

 

If this rule were strictly enforced, moving to Alberta (hence claiming AB residence) will make you lose your Quebec privilege; this is really a tough choice.

 

Your cGPA, especially the second degree one, is great, and I really think it can make the cut off of any of the four Quebec medical schools. Given that you went to CEGEP, I assume it will not be too hard for you to catch up your French again and apply to the three French medical schools.

 

I think the chance of getting in as a QC resident is better than an AB one, although AB has the best success rate among Anglophone provinces. Try to work on French and apply to the three French schools, and I think that will be a better way to improve your chance.

 

I understand that French schools sometimes reserve 80% of their seats for CEGEP direct entry students, which you can do nothing about anyhow. Don't be scared away by the huge applicants number of each French school, despite they have so many applicants, many of them, as far as I understand, only apply because it is so easy to file an application (no long essays, references, etc), and getting into medicine, optometry, vet. med., pharmacy etc, for them, will be a better thing than struggling in any graduate programmes. As a veteran and someone who has plan to go into medicine since a long time ago, you should be in a much better position than many of those applicants.

 

Good luck!

[Asta]

I dont think this rule exists. Otherwise, I would expect to see it posted with the IP rules in the school applicant manuals.

 

I am IP in BC and AB because I meet the criteria for both.

 

I remember reading somewhere (a school official document) that each Canadian/Perm. Resident applicant must claim the SAME province of residence in all of the applications to medical schools.

 

If this rule were strictly enforced, moving to Alberta (hence claiming AB residence) will make you lose your Quebec privilege; this is really a tough choice.

 

Your cGPA, especially the second degree one, is great, and I really think it can make the cut off of any of the four Quebec medical schools. Given that you went to CEGEP, I assume it will not be too hard for you to catch up your French again and apply to the three French medical schools.

 

I think the chance of getting in as a QC resident is better than an AB one, although AB has the best success rate among Anglophone provinces. Try to work on French and apply to the three French schools, and I think that will be a better way to improve your chance.

 

I understand that French schools sometimes reserve 80% of their seats for CEGEP direct entry students, which you can do nothing about anyhow. Don't be scared away by the huge applicants number of each French school, despite they have so many applicants, many of them, as far as I understand, only apply because it is so easy to file an application (no long essays, references, etc), and getting into medicine, optometry, vet. med., pharmacy etc, for them, will be a better thing than struggling in any graduate programmes. As a veteran and someone who has plan to go into medicine since a long time ago, you should be in a much better position than many of those applicants.

 

Good luck!

[astrogirl]

There are a few schools that won't let you claim IP status if you are also claiming IP status in other provinces (Dal is the only one I can think of but there are probably more), but many don't care. But you should certainly look into it for the schools you want to apply to before moving somewhere to get IP status so you don't accidentally lose your IP status elsewhere.

[Albertan10]

I remember reading somewhere (a school official document) that each Canadian/Perm. Resident applicant must claim the SAME province of residence in all of the applications to medical schools.

 

If this rule were strictly enforced, moving to Alberta (hence claiming AB residence) will make you lose your Quebec privilege; this is really a tough choice.

 

Your cGPA, especially the second degree one, is great, and I really think it can make the cut off of any of the four Quebec medical schools. Given that you went to CEGEP, I assume it will not be too hard for you to catch up your French again and apply to the three French medical schools.

 

I think the chance of getting in as a QC resident is better than an AB one, although AB has the best success rate among Anglophone provinces. Try to work on French and apply to the three French schools, and I think that will be a better way to improve your chance.

 

I understand that French schools sometimes reserve 80% of their seats for CEGEP direct entry students, which you can do nothing about anyhow. Don't be scared away by the huge applicants number of each French school, despite they have so many applicants, many of them, as far as I understand, only apply because it is so easy to file an application (no long essays, references, etc), and getting into medicine, optometry, vet. med., pharmacy etc, for them, will be a better thing than struggling in any graduate programmes. As a veteran and someone who has plan to go into medicine since a long time ago, you should be in a much better position than many of those applicants.

 

Good luck!

 

thanks for your input. please see my reply in the alberta thread.