New Mcat Cutoffs For 2014/2015 Applicants?

[WesternMan]

Is Western likely to raise the MCAT cutoffs above 9-11-12 (PS-VR-BS) for 2014/2015 non-SWOMEN applicants? 

I have a 12-11-12 (PS-VR-BS), but I am nervous that they will raise the VR or BS scores again (even though 11 for VR and 12 for BS are both 95th percentile).

[Aetherus]

Is Western likely to raise the MCAT cutoffs above 9-11-12 (PS-VR-BS) for 2014/2015 non-SWOMEN applicants? 

I have a 12-11-12 (PS-VR-BS), but I am nervous that they will raise the VR or BS scores again (even though 11 for VR and 12 for BS are both 95th percentile).

Don't worry about it, I highly doubt they will increase VR or BS higher then they currently are. I had the exact same score as you, your MCAT will not present you from getting in to any other school in Canada so I wouldnt worry too much about it.

 

I think it is more likely that PS goes up, but we will see. Last cycle, the increase to a 12 bio took many by surprise (jumped from 10 to 12)

[rmorelan]

Don't worry about it, I highly doubt they will increase VR or BS higher then they currently are. I had the exact same score as you, your MCAT will not present you from getting in to any other school in Canada so I wouldnt worry too much about it.

 

I think it is more likely that PS goes up, but we will see. Last cycle, the increase to a 12 bio took many by surprise (jumped from 10 to 12)

 

yeah, no one knows - not even the school at this point - but not much room to increase things due to the dramatic reductions at the tails of the normal distribution the scoring is based on (12-13 is a huge jump basically). Plus there really isn't any other factor going on - no new sections are dropped from the MCAT etc.

 

They can always play with the GPA - that was 3.75 in the past (not saying they will only that the focus doesn't have to be solely on the mcat).

[Aetherus]

yeah, no one knows - not even the school at this point - but not much room to increase things due to the dramatic reductions at the tails of the normal distribution the scoring is based on (12-13 is a huge jump basically). Plus there really isn't any other factor going on - no new sections are dropped from the MCAT etc.

 

They can always play with the GPA - that was 3.75 in the past (not saying they will only that the focus doesn't have to be solely on the mcat).

I agree it seems more likely for the GPA to go up a couple of points or Physical to go up at this point.

[uwopremed]

The BIO and Verbal will not be raised.  I would bet EVERYTHING I OWN on that.  The physical could be raised, and the GPA could be raised.

 

That being said, raising the GPA would be a pity.  As many of use know - it is easy to game the system and get a close to 4.0 gpa at many universities.  Some programs, like MAC Health SCI, just hand them out for essentially showing up.  Keeping a threshold like a 3.7 or 3.75 at least allows bright kids in very challenging programs, like engineering, at least some chance at medical school  And the objective MCAT at least allows for that.  Look - I myself got a 4.0 over 4 years - and while I am pretty bright - much of it had to do with knowing what courses to take, how to complain to get bumped up to 90, and knowing the right group of friends with old tests.  That's so much of it - and not everyone has access to that.  At Western - getting in in with some of the Asian cliques was SUPER KEY for my success (and I'm not Asian myself - but without that access, you are screwed).

 

I'm getting interviewed irrespective at UWO this year; my chances at other schools are dependent on how my biograph sketch goes.  I got no interviews last year - but this year I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

 

[xkittens]

The BIO and Verbal will not be raised.  I would bet EVERYTHING I OWN on that.  The physical could be raised, and the GPA could be raised.

 

That being said, raising the GPA would be a pity.  As many of use know - it is easy to game the system and get a close to 4.0 gpa at many universities.  Some programs, like MAC Health SCI, just hand them out for essentially showing up.  Keeping a threshold like a 3.7 or 3.75 at least allows bright kids in very challenging programs, like engineering, at least some chance at medical school  And the objective MCAT at least allows for that.  Look - I myself got a 4.0 over 4 years - and while I am pretty bright - much of it had to do with knowing what courses to take, how to complain to get bumped up to 90, and knowing the right group of friends with old tests.  That's so much of it - and not everyone has access to that.  At Western - getting in in with some of the Asian cliques was SUPER KEY for my success (and I'm not Asian myself - but without that access, you are screwed).

 

I'm getting interviewed irrespective at UWO this year; my chances at other schools are dependent on how my biograph sketch goes.  I got no interviews last year - but this year I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

this is probably my favourite post ever

[Ocelot]

What about the possibility of lowering BS and raising PS or GPA? 12 seems so high for a hard cutoff when PS is only 9

[groovydan]

The BIO and Verbal will not be raised. I would bet EVERYTHING I OWN on that. The physical could be raised, and the GPA could be raised.

 

That being said, raising the GPA would be a pity. As many of use know - it is easy to game the system and get a close to 4.0 gpa at many universities. Some programs, like MAC Health SCI, just hand them out for essentially showing up. Keeping a threshold like a 3.7 or 3.75 at least allows bright kids in very challenging programs, like engineering, at least some chance at medical school And the objective MCAT at least allows for that. Look - I myself got a 4.0 over 4 years - and while I am pretty bright - much of it had to do with knowing what courses to take, how to complain to get bumped up to 90, and knowing the right group of friends with old tests. That's so much of it - and not everyone has access to that. At Western - getting in in with some of the Asian cliques was SUPER KEY for my success (and I'm not Asian myself - but without that access, you are screwed).

 

I'm getting interviewed irrespective at UWO this year; my chances at other schools are dependent on how my biograph sketch goes. I got no interviews last year - but this year I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Mac health sci just giving out 4.0s for showing up eh.

Where does a clown like you get your information from? Do you mind sharing that? Did you go there ? Or are you just butthurt that you didn't get in ?

[jmatt1122]

What about the possibility of lowering BS and raising PS or GPA? 12 seems so high for a hard cutoff when PS is only 9

 

It's always possible, but I don't know that I'd bank on it. The applicant pool tends to get more competitive each year, not less.

 

Mac health sci just giving out 4.0s for showing up eh.

Where does a clown like you get your information from? Do you mind sharing that? Did you go there ? Or are you just butthurt that you didn't get in ?

 

Calm down. Are you in health sci? It does have that reputation so I don't think targeting your frustration at uwopremed is quite fair. Also I've personally spoken to a few health sci students at interviews and they agreed that it wasn't hard to maintain top grades.

[Ocelot]

It's always possible, but I don't know that I'd bank on it. The applicant pool tends to get more competitive each year, not less.

 

 

Calm down. Are you in health sci? It does have that reputation so I don't think targeting your frustration at uwopremed is quite fair. Also I've personally spoken to a few health sci students at interviews and they agreed that it wasn't hard to maintain top grades.

 

True, I know they prob would never have a standalone decrease. I was thinking more along the lines that 9/11/12 is more lopsided than say something like 10/11/11 or 11/11/11. I would think the latter would give a similar sized interview pool, but that's just off the top of my head.

[Aetherus]

True, I know they prob would never have a standalone decrease. I was thinking more along the lines that 9/11/12 is more lopsided than say something like 10/11/11 or 11/11/11. I would think the latter would give a similar sized interview pool, but that's just off the top of my head.

I think possibly western would prefer having super competent people in Bio as they see it as more applicable to medicine... not saying I agree but the fact is that Western has no prereqs so having such a high Bio score ensures people have a good base in Biology. They might also be scared they will share too much of a similar pool with Queen's if they go for a more well rounded score (it would be somewhat similar to Queen's cutoff).

 

Anyways, speculation won't change a thing, we will find out in a couple months!

[rmorelan]

I think possibly western would prefer having super competent people in Bio as they see it as more applicable to medicine... not saying I agree but the fact is that Western has no prereqs so having such a high Bio score ensures people have a good base in Biology. They might also be scared they will share too much of a similar pool with Queen's if they go for a more well rounded score (it would be somewhat similar to Queen's cutoff).

 

Anyways, speculation won't change a thing, we will find out in a couple months!

 

except last year was the first and only year bio was that high. If the school collectively valued bio so highly then highly then why only have it show up so forcefully then?

 

I think it was more likely that the only logical pattern of mcat cut offs with the VR fixed at 11 that also got around 450 applicants for interviews was what they did. There are simply not an infinite number of possibilities that work after all and choices are limited  - thus it is VERY easy to over think things for Western  

[yesmedyes]

Mac health sci just giving out 4.0s for showing up eh.

Where does a clown like you get your information from? Do you mind sharing that? Did you go there ? Or are you just butthurt that you didn't get in ?

 

FYI, I was talking to a mac health sci prof recently and he thought it was ridiculous how profs in other departments do not give their students high marks when they know the students are aiming for med school. He told me he always makes sure he gives his students a 90+ overall because it is nothing for him to give them a high mark, but for the students it could mean a lot. 

 

Of course this is just one prof, but there have been way too many incidents similar to this that i have heard about, this was one of the first hand ones so I trust it a lot more than other rumours.

[groovydan]

It's always possible, but I don't know that I'd bank on it. The applicant pool tends to get more competitive each year, not less.

 

 

Calm down. Are you in health sci? It does have that reputation so I don't think targeting your frustration at uwopremed is quite fair. Also I've personally spoken to a few health sci students at interviews and they agreed that it wasn't hard to maintain top grades.

Haha I am fully calm. How does uwopremed say that and not expect people to be offended ? I am in health sci and I guess the last 4 years I got my 3.9s by "just going to class".

And what does he say about the difficulty of westerns biomed if he pressures his profs into giving him marks ?? Recycled tests?

Jeeze sounds like westerns biomed gives out marks just for "showing up.

[bruhh]

The BIO and Verbal will not be raised.  I would bet EVERYTHING I OWN on that.  The physical could be raised, and the GPA could be raised.

 

That being said, raising the GPA would be a pity.  As many of use know - it is easy to game the system and get a close to 4.0 gpa at many universities.  Some programs, like MAC Health SCI, just hand them out for essentially showing up.  Keeping a threshold like a 3.7 or 3.75 at least allows bright kids in very challenging programs, like engineering, at least some chance at medical school  And the objective MCAT at least allows for that.  Look - I myself got a 4.0 over 4 years - and while I am pretty bright - much of it had to do with knowing what courses to take, how to complain to get bumped up to 90, and knowing the right group of friends with old tests.  That's so much of it - and not everyone has access to that.  At Western - getting in in with some of the Asian cliques was SUPER KEY for my success (and I'm not Asian myself - but without that access, you are screwed).

 

I'm getting interviewed irrespective at UWO this year; my chances at other schools are dependent on how my biograph sketch goes.  I got no interviews last year - but this year I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

lol 

 

that was funny. Showing up = 4.0 GPA. are you saying that because you heard it from some narcissistic Mac gunner who bragged about the program being easy, or do you always just talk out of your ass. 

[Jaybird]

Ladies, you're all very pretty.

[jmatt1122]

I get the equivalent of 4.0GPA for showing up. Not even mad.

 

(okay maybe a bit of work goes into it)

[Selstaar]

Reading this made my day. It's probably the funniest thing I've ever read on PM101.

 

Hating on health scis is getting a little old. They already get enough flack from PIs within the institution and just about every other program at Mac. People need to give it a rest. Like a number of degrees with a great amount of flexibility, it really is what you make of it. Some people use the flexibility to explore diverse interests and take advanced courses that terrorize most undergrads...others use the opportunity to take first year courses they've already taken under a fourth year course code. Damning an entire program because of the perception of this latter group is unfair to them and sort of disregards their individuality. Some of the most remarkable individuals I've ever met have come from here. Whether or not they have it a little easier than you is irrelevant. I'd almost argue that complaining about it makes you seem entitled and oblivious of your own privilege.

[xkittens]

Reading this made my day. It's probably the funniest thing I've ever read on PM101.

 

Hating on health scis is getting a little old. They already get enough flack from PIs within the institution and just about every other program at Mac. People need to give it a rest. Like a number of degrees with a great amount of flexibility, it really is what you make of it. Some people use the flexibility to explore diverse interests and take advanced courses that terrorize most undergrads...others use the opportunity to take first year courses they've already taken under a fourth year course code. Damning an entire program because of the perception of this latter group is unfair to them and sort of disregards their individuality. Some of the most remarkable individuals I've ever met have come from here. Whether or not they have it a little easier than you is irrelevant. I'd almost argue that complaining about it makes you seem entitled and oblivious of your own privilege.

Just the fact that this choice exists for health sci majors warrants hate

jks I only hate on arts majors

[Organomegaly]

FYI, I was talking to a mac health sci prof recently and he thought it was ridiculous how profs in other departments do not give their students high marks when they know the students are aiming for med school. He told me he always makes sure he gives his students a 90+ overall because it is nothing for him to give them a high mark, but for the students it could mean a lot. 

 

Of course this is just one prof, but there have been way too many incidents similar to this that i have heard about, this was one of the first hand ones so I trust it a lot more than other rumours.

 

Never happened to me. What prof, out of curiosity? 

[yesmedyes]

Never happened to me. What prof, out of curiosity? 

Sorry, wouldn't want to say his name (mostly to protect my identity because I am one of his few undergraduate research students)

[Organomegaly]

Sorry, wouldn't want to say his name (mostly to protect my identity because I am one of his few undergraduate research students)

 

That's fine. 

 

It's just that dozens of people, at some point or other, have made interesting claims about BHSc which for some reason or other are never given the opportunity to be validated. I.e. a lot of "My friend said...", "my cousin is in the program and this prof said...", "I was in the program for a year and dropped out because it because of so and so"...it is really quite bizarre that you find such a high proportion of people who have some sort of insider knowledge when, having been in the program yourself, have experienced none of what is purported. While it's true that I don't experience everything, you would think that I would experience some of it or heard about some of it.

 

So I'm not denying that this professor said that necessarily, but I begin to see some doubt when I can think of no single professor who would and no single professor who has given everyone in the course an A+ based on my 3 years in the program. 

 

It's also an issue of integrity. Some people have asserted to me that the Dean of BHSc has "fixed" people's orgo marks after health scis performed poorly in the course. Asked in the program about it, somewhat shamefully,..all I got was laughter. remember you are making an attack on people's integrity when you make false claims about their moral behaviour, and somehow the dean of this program has had more  ridiculous assertions made than I can count on both hands. 

 

what's somewhat ironic is that the program as a whole has many, many issues surrounding it (which I won't begin to discuss here) which make it less than the dream program people often think of it as..yet these issues are never brought up which really just shows me that the people who speak about the program with such a resolute understanding really have little conception of what its true strengths and weaknesses are. 

 

i.e. that a prof would overtly encourage high grades for medical school success is something all of my peers would laugh at. in fact, one of the common complains to faculty from students is that we feel the faculty is a little doubtful of us for wanting to pursue the medical school route and this is frustrating when we constantly need to re-affirm our intentions to them. so hearing about a prof who is more or less celebrating it is indeed something I would be very curious to see in bhsc 

[yesmedyes]

That's fine. 

 

It's just that dozens of people, at some point or other, have made interesting claims about BHSc which for some reason or other are never given the opportunity to be validated. I.e. a lot of "My friend said...", "my cousin is in the program and this prof said...", "I was in the program for a year and dropped out because it because of so and so"...it is really quite bizarre that you find such a high proportion of people who have some sort of insider knowledge when, having been in the program yourself, have experienced none of what is purported. While it's true that I don't experience everything, you would think that I would experience some of it or heard about some of it.

 

So I'm not denying that this professor said that necessarily, but I begin to see some doubt when I can think of no single professor who would and no single professor who has given everyone in the course an A+ based on my 3 years in the program. 

 

It's also an issue of integrity. Some people have asserted to me that the Dean of BHSc has "fixed" people's orgo marks after health scis performed poorly in the course. Asked in the program about it, somewhat shamefully,..all I got was laughter. remember you are making an attack on people's integrity when you make false claims about their moral behaviour, and somehow the dean of this program has had more  ridiculous assertions made than I can count on both hands. 

 

what's somewhat ironic is that the program as a whole has many, many issues surrounding it (which I won't begin to discuss here) which make it less than the dream program people often think of it as..yet these issues are never brought up which really just shows me that the people who speak about the program with such a resolute understanding really have little conception of what its true strengths and weaknesses are. 

 

i.e. that a prof would overtly encourage high grades for medical school success is something all of my peers would laugh at. in fact, one of the common complains to faculty from students is that we feel the faculty is a little doubtful of us for wanting to pursue the medical school route and this is frustrating when we constantly need to re-affirm our intentions to them. so hearing about a prof who is more or less celebrating it is indeed something I would be very curious to see in bhsc 

 

I agree that there are so many rumours out there, which is why in my original post i mentioned "Of course this is just one prof, but there have been way too many incidents similar to this that i have heard about, this was one of the first hand ones so I trust it a lot more than other rumours."

 

So yes I do not believe all the rumours, this was a first hand experience which is the only reason I brought it up.

 

As for other issues that the program has that you mentioned, you should certainly bring them up with faculty members/ academic advisers. Of course there might not be a sudden change, or any change at all. But it might benefit future BHSc students.