How much emphasis is put on ECs preinterview?

[mrewmrew]

Does anyone know how ECs are weighted pre-interview compared to GPA? I know Ottawa is a pretty EC heavy school but their entrance average is also one of the highest in Canada, second only to UofT. If I were to apply with a 4.0 cgpa, what are the chances of me landing an interview with average ECs? As a third year applicant? Fourth year? And by average (below average?) ECs I mean (long term music (high school bands, piano level 8), club swimming 10 years, art classes 8 years, 350 hrs hospital volunteering various departments, various scholarships (merit based, deans list), random high school competitions, immigrant ESL tutor, english/math tutor for disadvantaged adults, lifeguard, exec on predental society, NO RESEARCH AT ALL (except maybe honours thesis in 4th year), random university leadership things )

 

Also, when Ottawa says they don't look at mcat, essentially that means you don't have to write it right?

 

Thanks

[maclyfe]

i dont think anybody knows. probably a half/half sort of thing. your ECs look good. you don't need to write the MCAT for ottawa at all.

[hamham]

The third years I know who were invited for interview had wGPA close to 4.0. And all of them are from Ontario.

 

The fourth years and graduate students I know who were invited had lower wGPA (but mostly >3.88). But maybe b/c their lower GPA is compensated by more ECs. Ottawa seems to like graduate students though. Everyone I know who has a masters/phd and meets the wgpa cut-off were invited for interview.

 

No need MCAT for Ottawa. Someone 2 years ago got in w/o ever writing that beastly-exam.

[rmorelan]

The third years I know who were invited for interview had wGPA close to 4.0. And all of them are from Ontario.

 

The fourth years and graduate students I know who were invited had lower wGPA (but mostly >3.88). But maybe b/c their lower GPA is compensated by more ECs. Ottawa seems to like graduate students though. Everyone I know who has a masters/phd and meets the wgpa cut-off were invited for interview.

 

No need MCAT for Ottawa. Someone 2 years ago got in w/o ever writing that beastly-exam.

 

Wasn't the only one

 

There is a very simple reason they don't use the MCAT - there is no french version.

[mrewmrew]

Thanks for the feedback guys

 

I'm really hoping a high gpa will offset my ECs. I'm hopeful because there was a frequent poster by the name of FrenchToast who got into ottawa and mac as a third year applicant and she had "mediocre" ECs according to herself. She did have a 4.0 cgpa though. Her stats are posted in the ottawamed accepted/rejected thread

[Savac]

Thanks for the feedback guys

 

I'm really hoping a high gpa will offset my ECs. I'm hopeful because there was a frequent poster by the name of FrenchToast who got into ottawa and mac as a third year applicant and she had "mediocre" ECs according to herself. She did have a 4.0 cgpa though. Her stats are posted in the ottawamed accepted/rejected thread

 

I don't have the best ECs either, and I got an interview last cycle with 3.99

[goingplaid]

There is a very simple reason they don't use the MCAT - there is no french version.

 

+1 (10 Char) Same w/ the QC schools.

 

I would say that it comes downs to a GPA cut off first, after which they invite a number based off of a collaborative GPA + EC evaluation. (Higher the GPA [above the cut off], the lower the ECs needed, and vice versa])

[hamham]

Thanks for the feedback guys

 

I'm really hoping a high gpa will offset my ECs. I'm hopeful because there was a frequent poster by the name of FrenchToast who got into ottawa and mac as a third year applicant and she had "mediocre" ECs according to herself. She did have a 4.0 cgpa though. Her stats are posted in the ottawamed accepted/rejected thread

 

I always thought you were gunning for DMD, judging from your username.

 

Last year, during the interviews, we were informed that ~1200 applicants met the wgpa cut-off. That's way too many applicants, so they used ECs to reduce that number to about ~550 (including the French stream) before sending out interview invitations.