Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Shot At Interview?


Recommended Posts

Hi all.

Just got my MCAT scores, 12/10/11/33 PS/VR/BS/Total, which is slightly lower than I was expecting. My cGPA is 3.6 and my 2YGPA is about 3.8, and I have a completed MSc.

I've taken a quick look through the interview invites and see some similar stats but can't make heads or tails of it right now, most likely due to nerves. Do I have a shot at Queens?

Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't say much about Queen's since I'm a current applicant as well, but I think considering your GPA, Queen's is your best bet. I think it'll be difficult for you to get an interview because your GPA is still a bit on the low side even for Queen's, but your MCAT is decent and does meet all their cut-offs so I think your extracurriculars will be the deciding factor. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am fairly confident you can get an interview

 

With an MSc, it is OK if you GPA is in the lower range. Many many msc students with lower grades have gotten in with grades closer to 3.7.

 

Anyways, focus on your ABS and LORs 

 

You have a very good shot! (Plus, also since you're older, your non-trad experience will weigh in!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just tacking onto bclionsfan's comment:

 

With a 3.8 you most likely exceed the "commonly-agreed" (since no one really knows) GPA cutoffs for Queen's. For more reassurance, if you look in the Interview Invites thread, there have been applicants that received interviews w/~3.75 in the past cycle, although they were mostly MSc applicants (yay for you? :) )

 

After that they'd look at your MCAT, and with your scores you have also made the cutoffs of "10 in each section with 32+" (based on data collected by Trojanhorse, a premed101 member). So all it really comes down to is indeed your ABS in determining whether or you will receive an interview. As an older applicant I think this would be your benefit. I think LOR are usually thought to be a pass/fail thing, but perhaps for MSc applicants there is a stronger emphasis? I'm not sure.

 

TL;DR - Go ahead and apply, and good luck to you in this cycle! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely worth applying :)

 

- MCAT is fine

- GPA is already reasonably close to where we think the cutoff usually lies (for undergrads, if there's a different cutoff for the pools, which I believe there is)

- MSc completed

 

Does Queen's weigh graduate applicants differently? Do they go in a different pool? I thought that Queen's weights everyone the same but will allow graduate students to use one year of their graduate degree to meet the cutoff. Or is a different cutoff set for grad students?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does Queen's weigh graduate applicants differently? Do they go in a different pool? I thought that Queen's weights everyone the same but will allow graduate students to use one year of their graduate degree to meet the cutoff. Or is a different cutoff set for grad students?

 

Honestly it's such a black box, and I have no idea. I feel like they do go into a pool with more lenient criteria, but I have absolutely no way to confirm this (short of getting involved with admissions, but then I wouldn't be posting about it on here).

 

The best support I have would be from the admissions site, but it's a bit vague:

 

 

Applicants who have completed a graduate degree and meet the MCAT cut but are slightly below the GPA cut will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Admissions Committee.

 

By the way, I'm almost completely positive they cannot use a year of the grad degree in the GPA calculation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was under the impression that this was their policy:

 

1) Everyone is looked at together, the typical cutoffs are made
2) Grad students who hold their completed degree, meet the MCAT cutoff but not the GPA cutoff, are reviewed separately. If deemed acceptable, they're invited to interview.

Source: http://meds.queensu.ca/education/undergraduate/prospective_students/graduate_students

I don't recall seeing anything regarding the grad courses replacing one year of undergraduate GPA (I know Calgary has this policy though).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly it's such a black box, and I have no idea. I feel like they do go into a pool with more lenient criteria, but I have absolutely no way to confirm this (short of getting involved with admissions, but then I wouldn't be posting about it on here).

 

The best support I have would be from the admissions site, but it's a bit vague:

 

 

 

By the way, I'm almost completely positive they cannot use a year of the grad degree in the GPA calculation.

 

Ya Queen's is driving me crazy...In the OMSAS 2015 booklet, it states "no preference is given for any level of training" so that makes me think that Queen's weighs UGs and grads equally. But then they state that grad students will be given an extra look so I'm confused...

 

Average is different then cut-off..

 

Haha I know...I suppose I'm assuming that the wGPA will be higher than the cGPA and I was hoping the wGPA average was somewhere in the 3.7s

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya Queen's is driving me crazy...In the OMSAS 2015 booklet, it states "no preference is given for any level of training" so that makes me think that Queen's weighs UGs and grads equally. But then they state that grad students will be given an extra look so I'm confused...

 

 

Haha I know...I suppose I'm assuming that the wGPA will be higher than the cGPA and I was hoping the wGPA average was somewhere in the 3.7s

 

Oh no, I meant that if the Associate Dean said that the average cGPA for accepted applicants was 3.76, then that's entirely different then the cut-off being 3.76.  

 

Does that make sense?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh no, I meant that if the Associate Dean said that the average cGPA for accepted applicants was 3.76, then that's entirely different then the cut-off being 3.76.  

 

Does that make sense?  

 

Haha ya I understand that the cut off will likely be below the average cGPA...I guess I'm just trying to determine by how much. I wish Queen's would be a tad bit less secretive with their process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha ya I understand that the cut off will likely be below the average cGPA...I guess I'm just trying to determine by how much. I wish Queen's would be a tad bit less secretive with their process.

 

I do apologize if that was an unnecessary over-clarification on my part  :)

 

Yes, it's frustrating how 'secretive' the process is at most Canadian schools.  I, personally, think it's worth applying to Queen's if you have a >3.50 cGPA, or a >3.70 L2GPA.  That's just based on the trends I've seen on these boards over the years, and discussions with other applicants.  Furthermore, since it's based on the applicant pool, there's literally no harm in applying... Except some mild finger cramping from having to click the Queen's button on OMSAS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do apologize if that was an unnecessary over-clarification on my part  :)

 

Yes, it's frustrating how 'secretive' the process is at most Canadian schools.  I, personally, think it's worth applying to Queen's if you have a >3.50 cGPA, or a >3.70 L2GPA.  That's just based on the trends I've seen on these boards over the years, and discussions with other applicants.  Furthermore, since it's based on the applicant pool, there's literally no harm in applying... Except some mild finger cramping from having to click the Queen's button on OMSAS.

 

Haha its no worries! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...