HeLa Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Hello everyone, Just curious... Has anyone come across any new information or revelations regarding how much weight the adcoms will assign to CASPer in relation to wGPA and the ABS? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicardoKaká Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 I haven't heard anything specifically but just my thought... wGPA: - High emphasis remains, since no MCAT - Good chances with ~3.90+ --- BUT high 3.8 (3.88, 3.89) has shown to interview as well - Cutoff is 3.85 for IP ABS: - Less focused, GPA still dominates however interview invite will likely depend who is reading your sketch and if they like you CASPER: - Will be reviewed only if you pass the 3.85 wGPA cutoff, further screening process for interview invite - Likely < ~10% of the application (more of screening to ween out some applicants) Take this with a grain of salt, it is just my opinion on how I think Ottawa will send out their interview invites. Higher GPA the better, but a solid ABS and CASPer will likely help out the lower 3.9's and disqualify some high 4.0's (that lack ABS and poor CASPer - since we know some 4.0's don't always get interviews). All we can really do at this point is hope for the best. But I hope this is worth the read. Best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeLa Posted November 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 Thanks for your great insight, MDHopefulyMe! I feel like the addition of CASPer as part of the application to uOttawa came out of left field (i.e. I never heard any rumblings about it until June) so here's hoping that you are right about CASPer counting for a small percentage. I realize that it's pure conjecture on both our parts but do you have any thoughts as to why uOttawa chose to fully implement CASPer in its inaugural year rather than beta testing it just like NOSM had done a few years back before scraping CASPer as a requirement altogether? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicardoKaká Posted November 26, 2015 Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 One of my friends actually attends uOttawa and is part of the admissions committee, and I too asked the same question - The student that I know didn't even realize CASPer was being implemented this year, I remember earlier this summer reading through uOttawa FAQs and stumbling across it and then telling the student that I know that CASPer was being implemented Seeing as how this student hadn't even known and he was on admissions (remember this was summer so this also may have played into why the student didn't know CASPer was being implemented) I suspected that CASPer wasn't a huge deal. I talked to the student about CASPer and its use in uOttawa and the student also felt the same about how CASPer will tie into admission process - We suspected that it is more of a screening tool to ween out applicants, this makes sense for uOttawa overall seeing as how they receive so many applications with students 3.90+ A little more rant (again take with grain of salt): - I think uOttawa will get scores back from a 3rd party marking the CASPer exams, they will take these marks into consideration when screening out a few hundred applicants.. for example: Ottawa typically gets ~3500 applications, and ~1500 students usually meet the excellence of marks cutoff (these stats were retrieved from previous posters) - Those 1500 students will move onto the file assessment review, and those with solid ECs will be tossed into the "good" pile and will be likely sent an interview invite due to these considerations (gpa + ECs) - Now that they implemented CASPer they can further screen who they want to send an interview invite from these CASPer tests Lets say you have a 3.86 gpa (just above cutoff) and you have some solid ECs, but there is also a 3.95 applicant with roughly similar ECs - they will then use CASPer to further distinguish who they'd like to send an interview to. This would make sense since Ottawa doesnt have the MCAT to further screen applicants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_ _ Posted November 27, 2015 Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 One of my friends actually attends uOttawa and is part of the admissions committee, and I too asked the same question - The student that I know didn't even realize CASPer was being implemented this year, I remember earlier this summer reading through uOttawa FAQs and stumbling across it and then telling the student that I know that CASPer was being implemented Seeing as how this student hadn't even known and he was on admissions (remember this was summer so this also may have played into why the student didn't know CASPer was being implemented) I suspected that CASPer wasn't a huge deal. I talked to the student about CASPer and its use in uOttawa and the student also felt the same about how CASPer will tie into admission process - We suspected that it is more of a screening tool to ween out applicants, this makes sense for uOttawa overall seeing as how they receive so many applications with students 3.90+ A little more rant (again take with grain of salt): - I think uOttawa will get scores back from a 3rd party marking the CASPer exams, they will take these marks into consideration when screening out a few hundred applicants.. for example: Ottawa typically gets ~3500 applications, and ~1500 students usually meet the excellence of marks cutoff (these stats were retrieved from previous posters) - Those 1500 students will move onto the file assessment review, and those with solid ECs will be tossed into the "good" pile and will be likely sent an interview invite due to these considerations (gpa + ECs) - Now that they implemented CASPer they can further screen who they want to send an interview invite from these CASPer tests Lets say you have a 3.86 gpa (just above cutoff) and you have some solid ECs, but there is also a 3.95 applicant with roughly similar ECs - they will then use CASPer to further distinguish who they'd like to send an interview to. This would make sense since Ottawa doesnt have the MCAT to further screen applicants. So do you think this might mean more people with GPAs in the 3.85-3.90 range getting interviews? Assuming say equal ECs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicardoKaká Posted November 27, 2015 Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 So do you think this might mean more people with GPAs in the 3.85-3.90 range getting interviews? Assuming say equal ECs Tough to answer just due to how subjective ECs are and the whole process of CASPer being involved, but I'd say yes there might be a slight increase in those numbers (but I could be wrong) But just think of the type of applicant that you would like to interview and accept to your medical school, of course high GPA is needed, but you also want that balance and those behavioural skills (teamwork, collaboration etc.) which they may be looking for now through this CASPer test. Of course 4.0's with stellar ECs and a good overall CASPer would probably be selected over someone with a 3.85 - but if you start comparing people with closer ranges (i.e. a 3.89 applicant and a 3.91 applicant) it may be easier to decide who will get an interview with CASPer + ECs, rather than just ECs alone. At least that's my take on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg_McMuffin Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Well Ottawa was never that transparent about what formula they use to select interviewees (we just know that past the cut-offs, those with higher GPAs have a leg up). What if they're still going to look at GPA just as heavily, but spread the non-GPA points between casper and ABS? I guess we will see in Feb. It's going to be an interesting yr with the new MCAT and Ottawa using casper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg_McMuffin Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 As a side note, anyone know what the historical ave GPA for interview invites and/or admission is? I remember reading somewhere that it's 3.94 but I'm not sure whether I just made it up in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsojc Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 It's probably around that but that does not guarantee you anything...I received an interview one year with a wGPA of 3.97 and the next year I didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupchatt Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 It's probably around that but that does not guarantee you anything...I received an interview one year with a wGPA of 3.97 and the next year I didn't. This probably means 4.0 is not a guarantee either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeLa Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I think what's most frustrating about this whole process is the general lack of transparency and feedback. This is my third year applying and I feel just as in the dark as I did several years ago. Moreover, the subjectivity with which the ABS is assessed blows my mind. Although I have a 4.0 and solid ECs (if I may be so bold), I honestly don't feel that I am any better off than someone with a wGPA in the low 3.90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MED_ambitious Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Have any of you heard about interviews from Ottawa yet? or it contacting your verifiers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeministKilljoy Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Have any of you heard about interviews from Ottawa yet? or it contacting your verifiers? Ontario schools will contact the applicants towards the end of January re: interviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MED_ambitious Posted December 27, 2015 Report Share Posted December 27, 2015 Ontario schools will contact the applicants towards the end of January re: interviews. Thank you! Have any of you heard about your verifiers being contacted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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