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MCAT Flag System


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Hi, 

 

I was wondering if someone could explain to me the 9/9/9 MCAT cutoff for UofT. I searched the forums and saw that it's a flag system, and I'm not quite sure what that means. Does this mean that if I meet this cutoff, MCAT scores don't matter anymore? As in, a 9/9/9 applicant has the same chances as a 12/12/12 applicant? I can't seem to find a formula like McMaster's.  

 

Thanks and so sorry if this is a really stupid question :(

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Pretty sure UofT has recently updated their FAQ to say that they are currently not accepeting anyone that does not make the 9/9/9 cutoff, so essentially for next cycle, an 8 in a section will eliminate you.

 

Okay, thank you! But according to their policy, a person who scores a 9/9/9 with a good GPA, diverse EC and good essays should still have a chance at an interview right? I just find that looking at stats of people who did get an interview, most seemed to have balanced 30+ scores… Sorry, completely freaking out between MCAT & applications at the moment. 

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I know this might be their official stance, but...lets say you have two files with similiar GPA and ABS, but one has a 37 and another has a 31. Why wouldn't they use the higher mcat as a tie breaker?

Well I think preinterview they do not have a fixed amount of interviews to give out, they essentially evaluate each applicant and determine if they would like to interview that applicant. So they wouldn't need a tie breaker preinterview because they would just invite both of them.

 

Post interview, I think they have enough aspects to evaluate without needing to consider the MCAT. That being said, theoretically, they can do whatever they want since everything is done behind closed doors and we have no idea how they rank applicants.

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Well I think preinterview they do not have a fixed amount of interviews to give out, they essentially evaluate each applicant and determine if they would like to interview that applicant. So they wouldn't need a tie breaker preinterview because they would just invite both of them.

 

Post interview, I think they have enough aspects to evaluate without needing to consider the MCAT. That being said, theoretically, they can do whatever they want since everything is done behind closed doors and we have no idea how they rank applicants.

 

+1

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I can think of some instances where a high MCAT helps, like if you have a poor year GPA-wise. A high MCAT can help demonstrate that you have what it takes academically, obviously it won't make up for an uncompetitive GPA but if you have a weak spot here or there, it could be a way to deflect attention from it. Toronto is a fairly subjective school. See their presentation for unsuccessful applicants and all the reasons they've rejected people - like weak reference letters, unbalanced ECs, "moderately strong" interviews. I find it hard to believe that they completely ignore the MCAT once you meet the cutoffs, and I suspect a stronger MCAT can still play a role somewhere.

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I can think of some instances where a high MCAT helps, like if you have a poor year GPA-wise. A high MCAT can help demonstrate that you have what it takes academically, obviously it won't make up for an uncompetitive GPA but if you have a weak spot here or there, it could be a way to deflect attention from it. Toronto is a fairly subjective school. See their presentation for unsuccessful applicants and all the reasons they've rejected people - like weak reference letters, unbalanced ECs, "moderately strong" interviews. I find it hard to believe that they completely ignore the MCAT once you meet the cutoffs, and I suspect a stronger MCAT can still play a role somewhere.

 

I think it's safe to assume that they stick by the rules they post. Also, a variety of people are involved in the process. Eg. what if it was the sole job of one person to screen by MCAT and pass apps on to other people? Those other people may not know anything about the MCAT of the files they are reviewing. I'm not saying that this is how UT operates but there are a variety of mechanisms possible by which they can easily stick to the rules they outline.

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