What Canadia schools to apply?

[sekem]

As a US student, GPA 3.7 and MCAT 26, what Canadian schools should I apply to ?

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[Meat Cookie]

None, because your scores are too low for Cdn schools.

 

[dr_dre]

^we know the competition is tight here in Canada because there are less schools and many applicants. Some people will do anything to limit competition and scare others out of applying.

The fact is your GPA scores are great. I know people in Ontario who got in with 3.58s. Your MCAT is a bit low so you might want to apply to non-MCAT requiring schools like McMaster, Ottawa.

If you are of a diverse cultural background, live in a rural area, or have moved around with your family while growing up, you might consider Northern Ontario because they like such applicants - something to do with practicing in a rural area with lower-income families.

Queens and UofToronto look at the MCAT. I don't remember the exact cutoffs, you should check the web. If you have the money might as well apply to them anyway and see what happens.

Good Luck!

 

[06cadapplicant]

Actually for Ottawa last year the cut off GPA for interview was 3.8+ .... although it doesnt require MCATs..

 

[mac_kin]

Actually for Ottawa last year the cut off GPA for interview was 3.8+ .... although it doesnt require MCATs..

3.8?? That may have been the average GPA of the accepted students....but a cutoff for interview?

Could you provide a link to the source of that information please?

 

[MeowMix]

3.8+ is the Ottawa cutoff for out-of-province applicants.

Mac has a cutoff of 3.0 but in reality the vast majority of their students have > 3.8.

Read the websites carefully before you spend $$ applying.

Also, their GPA calculation is different (varies by school) and may be fairly different from your AMCAS GPA. Again, read website and calculate it yourself. If you did very well in later years of undergrad, it may be to your advantage since those years are more heavily weighted at some schools.

 

[trustwomen]

As a US student, GPA 3.7 and MCAT 26, what Canadian schools should I apply to ?

As a U.S. student, you will have to choose from the very few schools that accept non-Canadians. I think that's McGill and (maybe?) U of T. I don't think MacMaster does anymore, they put their international application cycle "on hold" a few years ago. Ottawa doesn't take internationals, I'm fairly sure.

That said, you have no shot at McGill or UofT because they do require the MCAT, and the cutoff is generally 30 to even be called for an interview (if you had 28-29, I might say go for it, but not 26...sorry). You might have had a shot at Mac, so keep checking their website in case they reanimate the international applications.

Does anyone else know of other Canadian schools that accept non-Canadians?

 

[Meat Cookie]

Some people will do anything to limit competition and scare others out of applying.

Yeah some people. Except that I've finished med school. But thanks for speculating.

The fact is your GPA scores are great.

By the other replies in this thread I hope you can tell that you're way off the mark here. An international applicant with those scores should save his/her money.

 

[dr_dre]

Yeah some people. Except that I've finished med school. But thanks for speculating.

By the other replies in this thread I hope you can tell that you're way off the mark here. An international applicant with those scores should save his/her money.

I know US kids with scores lower than that attending Ontario med schools.
The fact is even though they say they make that first cut-off based on GPA, they have skimmed through most of your file.

A student with 3.7 with adequate clinical experience, EC's, research will beat out a 4.0, 45T who never left his study room throughout undergrad.

There is always a shot. I say if you have the extra $600 + money you'll need to come up for interviews, go for it!
Apply to 3 or 4 schools, why not?

 

[pattycanuck]

A student with 3.7 with adequate clinical experience, EC's, research will beat out a 4.0, 45T who never left his study room throughout undergrad.

Partly true. It may depend on the school you apply to. For example, if you apply to UofT, it appears that research may bode more an advantage to you - Canada's Centre of the Universe (apparently for academia they think as well 😀 ). Apply to Mac and (again, in general) ... more artsy backgrounds may give you a better chance.

If anything, look at the mission statement of the school and what they have going for them - more than not, the requirements for admission can reflect what they want ...

...but who am I to comment, just that most of my friends are now staff and the schools they got admitted to generally fitted their academic profile (ie they fit the profiles of what the schools wanted in their students).🙄

 

[Scottish Chap]

As a US student, GPA 3.7 and MCAT 26, what Canadian schools should I apply to ?

It depends on what else you have in your application you make you stand out. I know an American who was accepted to a Canadian school last year with a 28 on the MCAT with a 6 on the verbal section (third attempt, 24, 24 on the first two attempts) and I know others that have been interviewed with lower than a 27 so I disagree with trustwomen; applying as an international to Canada with average stats is not the same as applying as a Canadian (more competeitive pool). The U of T accepted MCAT subsection scores at low as 6 this year and 5 last year (though I'm sure the low subsection was offset by a strong performance on the others for each person). This might not be the general rule but the MCAT does not hold as much weight at the U of T if you are a stellar appplicant otherwise. I agree that you should retake the MCAT to make yourself as competitive as possible but if you're set on applying to Canada this year, don't go any wider than McGill and the U of T (the latter, particularly if you have publications and/or a graduate degree). McMaster won't admit applicants from the U.S. Good luck!

 

[akinf]

Likw moar have said on here, if you decide to apply, I hope you have some stellar ECs. I am also applying and I don't want to discourage you either, but to be realisitc, your MCAT is low, but UofT only uses it as a cut-off. McGill takes international students so you may want to try there. Your GPA for McGill isn't bad, but for UofT and McMaster, it is on the low side. You can take your shot at these schools, but if I were you, I'd start by retaking the MCAT.

 

[tupac_don]

As a US student, GPA 3.7 and MCAT 26, what Canadian schools should I apply to ?

First of all, for the love of god, why would you want to apply to Canadian schools. Two with that GPA and MCAT you have a snowball's chance in he**. You are much better off applying to American schools, you have much better chance of getting in.

London--has cutoffs that are in the 30 for MCAT range, same with Queens

You might have a chance with Ottawa, since they don't require MCAT, but, there is only 1-2 spots for international grads, would be very tough and you would have to be a stellar candidate for them to take you.

McMaster--theoretical chances

Toronto--forget about it


Apply to US schools and you are a shoe in, if you improve MCAT just a bit, you are set for most US schools.

 

[trustwomen]

First of all, for the love of god, why would you want to apply to Canadian schools. Two with that GPA and MCAT you have a snowball's chance in he**. You are much better off applying to American schools, you have much better chance of getting in.

London--has cutoffs that are in the 30 for MCAT range, same with Queens

You might have a chance with Ottawa, since they don't require MCAT, but, there is only 1-2 spots for international grads, would be very tough and you would have to be a stellar candidate for them to take you.

McMaster--theoretical chances

Toronto--forget about it


Apply to US schools and you are a shoe in, if you improve MCAT just a bit, you are set for most US schools.

Ottawa doesn't take non-Canadians. You have to be a citizen or a permanent resident - unless you have a parent who completed medical school at U of Ottawa (only exception). http://www.medecine.uottawa.ca/admission/eng/AdmissionPolicy.html

Don't have time to find the link, but I'm pretty sure that Western and Queens don't take internationals.

McMaster hasn't taken them in the past few years, and their international applicant pool is still on hold. http://65.39.131.180/ContentPage.aspx?name=MD_Prog_-_Admissions_-_Internation_Applicants

So, I reiterate; I am fairly certain that the only two schools that the OP CAN apply to are McGill and U of T, and I doubt that a 26 MCAT will cut it at either of those. Scottish Chap, which school did your under-27 friend get interviewed at? And which one took the 28? (I suspect that McGill does look fondly at its own international undergrad students when they apply for med - b/c they figure those kids probably will actually matriculate at McGill and save them the headache of having to offer it to someone else. Though I would hope that the 28 was offset by a Killer GPA...)

 

[trustwomen]

I know US kids with scores lower than that attending Ontario med schools.

Tell me about them! What schools, what scores?

I thought only UofT took Americans?

 

[Scottish Chap]

Tell me about them! What schools, what scores?

I thought only UofT took Americans?

They do. McMaster once did, but this is a thing of the past. For the other Ontario schools, you must be a permanent resident/landed immigrant of Canada. One school (not U of T or Mac) states that this policy may be waived if a parent is an alumnus of that medical school, but I do not recall which one.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Scottish Chap, which school did your under-27 friend get interviewed at?

U of T.

And which one took the 28?

McGill.

Numbers are important--I make no bones about it--but It's definitely not all about numbers in Canada if you are an international. Same story if you apply to British schools.

 

[pattycanuck]

They do. McMaster once did, but this is a thing of the past. For the other Ontario schools, you must be a permanent resident/landed immigrant of Canada. One school (not U of T or Mac) states that this policy may be waived if a parent is an alumnus of that medical school, but I do not recall which one.

Not sure if it applies, but Queen's had this policy for undergraduate (everthing else but medicine inserted here). Might be Queen's because of this - they like to take care of their own 🙂

And look at me ... a Queen's alumnus 😀 😀