3.7 GPA

[Moonlight2]

Hello everyone, 

Is there anyone on this forum who is, or knows someone who has received a McGill interview this year or last year, with a cGPA of 3.7-3.75?

I would really appreciate it if you can comment here and tell me what you know about their other stats and what extracurriculars they had.

Thanks

[CanMedMedMed]

5 minutes ago, Moonlight2 said:

Hello everyone, 

Is there anyone on this forum who is, or knows someone who has received a McGill interview this year or last year, with a cGPA of 3.7-3.75?

I would really appreciate it if you can comment here and tell me what you know about their other stats and what extracurriculars they had.

Thanks

Hi,

I was accepted to McGill Medicine this year with a 3.70 cGPA. I worked hard to prepare for CASPer and thought my CV was pretty good. In general my advice would be to focus on things that are interesting to you. There are no 'required' extracurriculars so just do what you're passionate about! I also had a 519 MCAT which probably helped me a bit post-interview.

 

[Readyforthis2018]

On 4/7/2018 at 9:57 PM, Moonlight2 said:

Hello everyone, 

Is there anyone on this forum who is, or knows someone who has received a McGill interview this year or last year, with a cGPA of 3.7-3.75?

I would really appreciate it if you can comment here and tell me what you know about their other stats and what extracurriculars they had.

Thanks

Yes, several people with cGPA <3.7 were interviewed. They did have upward trends and stellar ECs though. If your CASPer and ECs (CV) are strong, you'll be within the competitive range to receive an interview. GL!

[HoopDreams]

Regarding your GPA

I guess what you want to hear is this : yes, you could get in with 3.7.
The GPA is only one of numerous factors that play a role.
Therefore, it is very hard to compare 'your' 3.7 to 'another' 3.7.
It is not exactly a strength, nor a weakness. 
Don't let it limit you.

Regards extra-curricular :

I did not do anything amazing.
I just pursued my passions, mainly running and writing.
In the process, I was lucky enough to get involved in unique experiences.
I did not participate in them to get into medical school.
I just did it because I was passionate about them.
A lot of people kept telling me that I was wasting my time pursuing them.
That I should be studying instead or focusing on research and clinical work.

Volunteering in a hospital, being VP XYZ of a student association or having participated in a run for cancer.
Don't get me wrong : they are all amazing and noble experiences.
I did the 'usual' volunteering that we mostly all did.
But did it make me stand out when compared to people with 4.0 GPA, 4.0 pre-reqs and 10 x more hours of volunteering?
I doubt.

Good luck !:)

[medium fundamental]

I was refused pre-inteview and recently got my rankings…but I was really surprised by this:

my cGPA is 3.68, but my academic ranking was 270ish/817! (my CASPer really killed me)

Keep in mind:

I probably got a decent amount of points for the Overall Context part of the academic ranking (10% of the 70%):

(a) the progression of difficulty of coursework: I didn’t think I was getting points for this as it wasn't obvious, but I guess they must have considered this

(b) post-bachelor's academics:  I have a completed MSc with 4.0 gpa, ongoing PhD

(c) the recognition of professional degree programs: mine was not a professional degree, so no points for that

Also, my cGPA had an upward trend (1^st semester terrible but huge increase in 2nd, and also increased every semester afterwards) but there’s no points for that *officially* as far as I know…

So some additional hope for sub-3.7 gpas!

[pepito21]

Can everyone ask their rankings (admitted/refused pre-interview/refused post-interview)?

[Eudaimonia]

10 minutes ago, pepito21 said:

Can everyone ask their rankings (admitted/refused pre-interview/refused post-interview)?

Only refused pre/post-interview applicants will get their scores to help them improve next cycle

[Focused]

Should an IP applicant with a 3.70 cGPA  (non-professional undergrad completed) with an excellent CV (according to the rankings given post-refusals) do a master's degree or start another undergrad in order to maximise their chances of getting an interview...? I have a big dilemma and would like some opinions. Thanks!

[Bambi]

If you are referring to applying to McGill, I don't consider you require either. If referring to other schools outside Quebec, GPA is king.

[SpeedyPotato]

10 hours ago, Focused said:

Should an IP applicant with a 3.70 cGPA  (non-professional undergrad completed) with an excellent CV (according to the rankings given post-refusals) do a master's degree or start another undergrad in order to maximise their chances of getting an interview...? I have a big dilemma and would like some opinions. Thanks!

Master's would probably help IMO, that's what I did and I got my first interview this year. 

[MedP111]

11 hours ago, Focused said:

Should an IP applicant with a 3.70 cGPA  (non-professional undergrad completed) with an excellent CV (according to the rankings given post-refusals) do a master's degree or start another undergrad in order to maximise their chances of getting an interview...? I have a big dilemma and would like some opinions. Thanks!

How was your ranking for the academic portion of the pre-interview consideration? If you were close to being in the top 300, then a Master's could be enough to get you the interview. If you're far away from it, then a second undergrad would likely be more helpful. 

[Focused]

19 minutes ago, MedP111 said:

How was your ranking for the academic portion of the pre-interview consideration? If you were close to being in the top 300, then a Master's could be enough to get you the interview. If you're far away from it, then a second undergrad would likely be more helpful. 

My overall rank was 315 with a 3.65 cGPA! I now have 3.70 for the next application cycle. Yet they change the number of invited applicants every year (ranged from 270-290 in the past couple of years) and I worry my CV score might drop next year...

[MedP111]

1 hour ago, Focused said:

My overall rank was 315 with a 3.65 cGPA! I now have 3.70 for the next application cycle. Yet they change the number of invited applicants every year (ranged from 270-290 in the past couple of years) and I worry my CV score might drop next year...

That's a solid ranking, you were really close! This year was particularly competitive GPA-wise (average GPA of IP interviewees being 3.88, a record high by far), so in a "normal" year you probably would've made it. But I don't know if this is going to be the new normal going forward. You certainly have a shot next year with a somewhat higher GPA and hopefully more advanced courses, and a Master's can give you the push you need.

That being said, given the seemingly increasing competition and the uncertainty of your CV score and Casper performance year-by-year, going the Master's route will not give you a sure-fire shot at an interview. I think doing the Master's would be worthwhile if you're actually interested in whatever field you're considering doing the degree in, genuinely enjoy research and/or think you could actually benefit from that degree down the road (perhaps to help you get more research positions when in med school, getting into academic medicine down the line, etc.). If you're not really interested in that and are solely seeing the Master's degree as a stepping stone to med school, I would honestly consider a second undergrad instead if you're deadset on McGill, especially if you can manage to get a second undergrad done in 2 or 3 years, which is around the time it takes to do a Master's anyway. Boosting your GPA to 3.9+ on a second undergrad will give you a much better shot at med schools than having a Master's.

[SunAndMoon]

16 hours ago, Focused said:

Should an IP applicant with a 3.70 cGPA  (non-professional undergrad completed) with an excellent CV (according to the rankings given post-refusals) do a master's degree or start another undergrad in order to maximise their chances of getting an interview...? I have a big dilemma and would like some opinions. Thanks!

You have to be strategic. You don't need to improvee your GPA for McGill, but it would help. If you're also applying to other schools, your GPA is likely too low. A master's degree rarely helps you get into med, and when it does, it is only marginal. 

That being said, depending on what specialty you're into and its leveel of competitiveness, it can sometimes be helpful to have a grad degree, but that's another story...

[HoopDreams]

On 4/7/2018 at 9:57 PM, Moonlight2 said:

Hello everyone, 

Is there anyone on this forum who is, or knows someone who has received a McGill interview this year or last year, with a cGPA of 3.7-3.75?

I would really appreciate it if you can comment here and tell me what you know about their other stats and what extracurriculars they had.

Thanks

I read from your past posts that your GPA was largely lowered by 9 credits completed at the UofT.
Then, you pursued another major at Concordia and got about 3.98/4.3 (3.9/4 at McGill scale).
I would try to see if there is any way to re-take the 9 credits at UofT while doing a master's.
I feel that would be the safest and most strategic approach.

[Moonlight2]

On 6/3/2018 at 6:29 PM, HoopDreams said:

I read from your past posts that your GPA was largely lowered by 9 credits completed at the UofT.
Then, you pursued another major at Concordia and got about 3.98/4.3 (3.9/4 at McGill scale).
I would try to see if there is any way to re-take the 9 credits at UofT while doing a master's.
I feel that would be the safest and most strategic approach.

Thank you HoopDreams. That’s exactly what I plan to do next year. But for this coming cycle I won’t be able to repeat the courses, & that’s why I was wondering about the chances with my current GPA.

[doctor_snow]

It's more of an uphill battle but it is possible, yes. I know several and I myself had below a 3.5. My application was competitive in other ways.

[Nin]

Hello!

If i can ask, what kind of experiences do you have in order to be competitive? what did you do to make up for a lower GPA?

Thanks!

[DrNan]

I know this may sound like a silly question but people who get refused post interviews, are the chances high of receiving an MMI again next year? Do you guys know anyone who  if received an interview first year and don't receive it in the second one? 

Thanks

[Al22]

On 11/24/2019 at 3:53 PM, DrNan said:

I know this may sound like a silly question but people who get refused post interviews, are the chances high of receiving an MMI again next year? Do you guys know anyone who  if received an interview first year and don't receive it in the second one? 

Thanks

Yes, here are my approximative stats from the past 3 years showing how it can change from one year to the next:

2017: Academic: 470/850; CV and personnal statement: 60/850; TOTAL: 155/850 invited
2018: Academic: 500/815; CV: 190/815; CASPer: 515/815; TOTAL: 465/815 rejected
2019: Academic: 525/820; CV: 7/820; CASPer: 315/820 ;TOTAL: 350/820 rejected
 

But for me the change from personnal statement to CASPer in 2018 definitly disavantaged me :/

Also I think the GPA of applicants rises every year, explaining why my academic ranking keeps on dropping while my undergrad (completed since 2014) GPA obviously stays the same at 3.6 

[DrNan]

23 hours ago, Al22 said:

Yes, here are my approximative stats from the past 3 years showing how it can change from one year to the next:

2017: Academic: 470/850; CV and personnal statement: 60/850; TOTAL: 155/850 invited
2018: Academic: 500/815; CV: 190/815; CASPer: 515/815; TOTAL: 465/815 rejected
2019: Academic: 525/820; CV: 7/820; CASPer: 315/820 ;TOTAL: 350/820 rejected
 

But for me the change from personnal statement to CASPer in 2018 definitly disavantaged me :/

Also I think the GPA of applicants rises every year, explaining why my academic ranking keeps on dropping while my undergrad (completed since 2014) GPA obviously stays the same at 3.6 

Thank you for the insights!!

Also, last year your CV was 7 thats SO IMPRESSIVE!! 

SO NERVOUS NOW!! its because my casper sucked this year

[Anna95]

Hi, 

I am currently a student  at McGill in my last year in the Dietetics program. I have completed all my classes that contribute to my cGPA and only have stage left. My cgpa is 3.74/4.00. do I have a chance if applying in the medical program for next year? Thanks a lot guys 

[giraffe3]

21 minutes ago, Anna95 said:

Hi, 

I am currently a student  at McGill in my last year in the Dietetics program. I have completed all my classes that contribute to my cGPA and only have stage left. My cgpa is 3.74/4.00. do I have a chance if applying in the medical program for next year? Thanks a lot guys 

I definitely think you have a chance. I would say that because your GPA is on the lower end you would have to make up for this with a strong Casper and CV but it is definitely do-able. You can also improve your academic context score by enrolling in a masters next Fall when you are applying. This year I know a number of students, including myself who have been offered an interview in the 3.70 to 3.79 range. Good luck!

[Anna95]

Thanks for answer @giraffe3

do you know what my CV should look like so I can put all the chances on my side (i.e. what they are looking for)?  And do you know if students who have completed studies at McGill have a « bonus » vs other applicants? 

also, in what program did you study prior to applying?

[giraffe3]

@Anna95

Listen I don't work in admissions but in my opinion the biggest thing for your CV isn't so much so what you are doing (but you should obviously have a background with a number of work experiences, extra-curricular and volunteer initiatives), but how you explain it in the "description/reason for inclusion" area and what you learned from it. It's basically a chance to write yourself a cover letter but in mini segments relating to each of the activities you are involved in. People talk about having a "theme" to your CV such as a variety of experiences with seniors, for example showing that you enjoy working with the elderly. 

In terms of coming from McGill, they do not advertise that you get a bonus for this, but obviously it is only the admissions committee that would know the truth. Personally I don't think they give preferential treatment to the school you come from. They say on their website that "academic context", which is worth 7% is based off (a) of the progression of difficulty of coursework, (b) post-bachelor's academics and (c) the recognition of professional degree programs (i.e.: programs that lead to the practice of a profession for which one must be a member of a professional order). Just so you know this last line is directly from their site: https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/prospective/selection-process/academic-evaluation

Hope this helps!