U Of Calgary Interview Invites/regrets 2017

[coastalerosion]

Result: Reject
Time Stamp: Jan 24 - 9:49pm GMT
GPA: 3.6
Year: BSc. Biochemistry (U Alberta), DPhil (Oxford)
MCAT: 510 (128 CARS)
ECs: 2 publications, keynote student lecture at international conference + national conferences, strong community volunteering. Many ECs.
Geography: IP

First-time applicant, after considering a career change. I knew it would be hard but I didn't think I'd not even get an interview. I thought I put in a pretty comprehensive application. It's been nearly a decade since the courses that drop my GPA, but I can't think of what else would weaken my application. I guess for me to apply again, I'd have to take courses? I've just been through a difficult program already, so I'd be a little put-out if academic criteria ends up being what stopped my application.

[MSWschnoodle]

Result: Reject

Time Stamp: Jan 24 - 9:49pm GMT

GPA: 3.6

Year: BSc. Biochemistry (U Alberta), DPhil (Oxford)

MCAT: 510 (128 CARS)

ECs: 2 publications, keynote student lecture at international conference + national conferences, strong community volunteering. Many ECs.

Geography: IP

 

First-time applicant, after considering a career change. I knew it would be hard but I didn't think I'd not even get an interview. I thought I put in a pretty comprehensive application. It's been nearly a decade since the courses that drop my GPA, but I can't think of what else would weaken my application. I guess for me to apply again, I'd have to take courses? I've just been through a difficult program already, so I'd be a little put-out if academic criteria ends up being what stopped my application.

 

 

I would wait and see what your pre-interview scores were before deciding about whether or not you need to take more courses particularly because the U of C uses so many non-academic criteria in their application scoring. It's worth seeing exactly what areas held your application back so you can invest your energy in the most beneficial areas.

[coastalerosion]

I would wait and see what your pre-interview scores were before deciding about whether or not you need to take more courses particularly because the U of C uses so many non-academic criteria in their application scoring. It's worth seeing exactly what areas held your application back so you can invest your energy in the most beneficial areas.

Thanks for addressing my comment, and for this advice! The scores are released however in August of 2017 according to the email, so it appears it would be difficult to meaningfully address deficiencies within that time frame, you'd almost have to be aiming for the subsequent year. Nonetheless, I completed the MCAT without very much time to practice owing to the demands of my program, so I expect that writing it a second time before the next application cycle now that my program is complete would significantly improve my grade there. Disappointing, but I do understand it is difficult to gain acceptance to these programs!

[yup]

Result: Invite!  

Time Stamp: Jan 24 -4:29pm EST
wGPA: 3.99
Year: UG 4th year
MCAT: 512 (129 CARS)
ECs: Message me!
Geography : OOP

Really excited for this opportunity! 
 

[apricotjam]

Result: Invite
Time Stamp: Jan 24 - 2:30pm MST 
wGPA: 4.00
Year: 4th year Bsc. 
MCAT: 525 (132/130/132/131)
ECs: Lots of work with children and underprivileged communities. I also included some of my hobbies in there as well. Message me for more details! 

Essays: Probably spent a total of 5 hours writing the top 10s 

Geography: OOP

 

I'm super excited for this interview! Good luck to everyone   

[medphdhopeful]

Result: Reject

wGPA: only 3.43. I have a Ph.D from a good international University, but we don't do coursework for Ph.D's there so it doesn't count to my GPA

Year: non-trad with Ph.D

MCAT: 509 (124/127/127/130)

ECs: volunteering with school children (at my kids school), President of a small charitable society for last 3 years, general volunteering throughout Ph.D with science societies but I didn't really list them all in my top 10. Mostly talked about charitable society volunteerism in Top 10 and other life experiences (study, research, family, immigrating to Canada etc)

Geography: IP (live in Canada with dual citizenship, strong rural Alberta ties)

 

This was my second pre-interview rejection, I suspect mostly because of my low GPA (last year my file scores would've gotten me a high enough score for an interview if my GPA wasn't included, and I know it's not very competitive). I'm considering 2 more years of study to invoke the 10 year rule and get rid of the year that's dragging me down, but not sure if it's worth it/economically feasible at my age. It's certainly disheartening, but onwards and upwards I guess! Good luck to all with invites!

[ehagen]

Result: Invite!

 

Time Stamp: Jan 24 2:40 PM

wGPA: 3.89
Year: UG completed in 2013

MCAT: 520 (128 CARS)
EC: About average at best compared to other applicants I've talked to, I see my ECs as weaker than my GPA or MCAT scores.

Essays: Felt very good about half of them and decent about the other half...was not expecting (but of course hoping for) an invite!
Geography : IP

[2514237689]

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[dalabreezy]

Result: Reject
GPA: 3.77
Year: BSc. General (U of A)
MCAT: 521 (126 CARS)
ECs: Pretty diverse. I honestly think it's better than a good chunk of applicants at the age of 23, coming out of undergrad. Research, community-work, journalism, coaching, more research, teaching abroad for 6 months, scholarship received for my volunteer work as well. 
Geography: IP

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I thought my top 10 experiences were rather strong-- 3 friends who got in last year wrote them together with me (one had a similar GPA) said my write-ups were more targeted and more impressive than theirs. I'm interested to see how I scored. Can't help but feel completely bummed. 

Not sure my 3.77 puts me in the running for the U of A either.

[MountainAmoeba]

Result: Reject

GPA: 3.77

Year: BSc. General (U of A)

MCAT: 521 (126 CARS)

ECs: Pretty diverse. I honestly think it's better than a good chunk of applicants at the age of 23, coming out of undergrad. Research, community-work, journalism, coaching, more research, teaching abroad for 6 months, scholarship received for my volunteer work as well.

Geography: IP

 

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I thought my top 10 experiences were rather strong-- 3 friends who got in last year wrote them together with me (one had a similar GPA) said my write-ups were more targeted and more impressive than theirs. I'm interested to see how I scored. Can't help but feel completely bummed.

 

Not sure my 3.77 puts me in the running for the U of A either.

Don't dispare. The U of C and the U of A have different selection criteria. Good luck!

[Wile.E.Coyote]

Result: Reject

Time Stamp: Jan. 24th, 2017 - 4:49pm

wGPA: 3.85

Year: UG Complete

MCAT:  520 (128/130/130/132)

ECs: Quite strong. Multiple varsity sports, chamber choirs, and a lot of volunteering through undergrad. Tree-planting and camp counselling through the summers. Professional youth care worker, outward bound instructor and silvaculture crewboss post undergrad, as well as continued EC's and volunteering at home and abroad. 

Essays: Thoughtful and well written? Hard to say. 

Geography : OP

[Curiousaboutapps1]

I realize this is late, but for stats sake:
Result: Invite

wGPA - Probably around 3.98

Year- Fourth year UG
MCAT - 515

ECs - I think they are good. Mind you UAlberta rated them below average... but I still got an OOP interview at UBC. Hard to say how they are being judged

Essays - Honestly, I applied to so many schools, I forget what they were about.

Geography - OOP 

[DreamChaser1234]

Result: Invite!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED YOU GUYS!!!

GPA: 3.4x (idk how)
Year: BS 

MCAT: I'd rather not share, it was embarrassing. 
ECs: I published a short story in the children's section. You can find it at chapters. 

Essays: THIS WAS WHAT MADE IT FOR ME YOU GUYS!
 

I'd like to take this moment to congratulate the other students who got in. Keep #chasingyourdreams!!

 

<3 

[HiHopes]

I'm still following this topic and so I got emails when the two last people posted something. I swear I freaked out both times