Chances

[medschoolhopeful.]

Hi everyone, 

has anyone know of anyone or know the chances of someone getting an interview with ~3.3 cgpa and a CARS score of 132. Is it realistic or a waste of an application? 

Thank you to anyone who helps:) 

[Persephone]

Never hurts to try, and a good CASPer could be the ticket.

People do get in with lower GPA's: http://mdprogram.mcmaster.ca/docs/default-source/admissions/classof2020.pdf?sfvrsn=2

[FlameGrilledChicken]

Anything is possible

[bearded frog]

On 2/15/2018 at 6:01 PM, Persephone said:

Never hurts to try, and a good CASPer could be the ticket.

People do get in with lower GPA's: http://mdprogram.mcmaster.ca/docs/default-source/admissions/classof2020.pdf?sfvrsn=2

All that says that there were 6 people who had GPAs less than 3.5, not if they were less than 3.3. Also be aware that these may include aboriginal stream applicants, etc, so not necessarily applicable.

OP I would say that since your cars score is the highest I cannot say for certain that it would be a waste but I don't think you should hold your breath.

[random_dent]

On 2/21/2018 at 11:43 PM, bearded frog said:

All that says that there were 6 people who had GPAs less than 3.5, not if they were less than 3.3. Also be aware that these may include aboriginal stream applicants, etc, so not necessarily applicable.

OP I would say that since your cars score is the highest I cannot say for certain that it would be a waste but I don't think you should hold your breath.

It is not a waste and it is not impossible to get an interview with these scores.  Another user of this forum got *accepted* last year (not just an interview) with a 3.3 GPA and CARS of 130.  Don't underestimate how mediocre life sciences students with high GPAs and good CARS can be on CASPer!

I got interviewed this year with 3.39 GPA and 132 CARS.  It's all about the CASPer.  If you are top tier in CASPer and CARS, you'll get interviewed with a low GPA.  And, at least I keep telling myself this, once you get to the interview stage admission is 70% based on the interview, which is basically just a real-life CASPer, so you should have an advantage there.

Mac wants good people (as shown by CASPer/MMI) who are smart (as shown by CARS), then they can *teach* the medicine.  Don't give up!

Also, calling you out, bearded frog, for assuming aboriginal applicants would fall into the bottom 3% of applicants for GPA.  Weird assumption to be making, especially when the only published "advantage" offered to indigenous students is the ability to defer their MCAT submission timing. 

[Edict]

McMaster doesn't actually have many aboriginal students in the first place so I don't think there is much sway in those numbers regardless. I do think it is worth applying but just don't expect too much is all. 

[bearded frog]

On 3/23/2018 at 0:38 PM, random_dent said:

Also, calling you out, bearded frog, for assuming aboriginal applicants would fall into the bottom 3% of applicants for GPA.  Weird assumption to be making, especially when the only published "advantage" offered to indigenous students is the ability to defer their MCAT submission timing. 

Mac has an entirely separate application stream for aboriginal applicants. I absolutely do know that aboriginal applicants are accepted with lower GPAs, which I 100% support. I don't think aboriginal applicants make up the bottom GPAs, but they are accepted with lower GPAs, so the lowest accepted GPAs may reflect these student who were selected for other merits. I mean, we desperately need aboriginal physicians, and our society puts aboriginal students at a disadvantage, so a traditional GPA is not the best way to appraise these students, and needs to be considered in context.