The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.
Happy Holidays
By Admissions on Dec 20, 2013
As the holidays are approaching, we wanted to let you know that the Admissions Office will be closed from December 24 at noon until January 1 (we will reopen January 2). During the closure, we will not be here to answer emails or phone calls. Please contact us before the holidays if you have questions or need help.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Your Admissions Team
MD Undergraduate Admissions
UBC Faculty of Medicine
2013/2014 Explanation of Scores & FAQs
By wong79 on Dec 09, 2013
We will soon be notifying applicants of their interview status. At this time you’ll be informed as to whether you’ve been selected to move forward onto the next stage of the selection process.
This year we made adjustments to the allocation of points to determine both the academic (AQ) and non-academic (NAQ) scores. For the non-academic section of the application the actual evaluation criteria remained the same and for the academic section, there were no changes to the grade conversion tables used. For both, the modification was in how the points (eg. AQ and NAQ scores) were distributed on the 50 point scale. (Remember AQ and NAQ scores are calculated out of 50 points each for a total file review score out of 100). This was done automatically and uniformly for all applicants. As NAQ scores can vary from year to year due to changes in submissions and the competitiveness of the applicant pool, the most unexpected changes will likely be in AQ scores. However, as long as your overall or adjusted percentage averages are correct, then your AQ score and resultant Total File Review (TFR) score are correct.
This change will affect the average score of the applicant pool and also the scores of each individual applicant. For those of you who receive the “Regrets, No Interview” letter, you will be able to view your scores by logging into your on-line application.
We will not be able to provide any further information about the revised point allocation, but feel it is a positive step as part of our on-going commitment to fairness and equality.
One note about the scores: It can be really disappointing not to get an interview. However, please try to see the AQ, NAQ & TFR scores as numbers, not personal judgments. If you get a low AQ or NAQ score we are not saying your GPA is bad or your non-academic experiences are worthless, or that you would be a bad doctor. The scores are an assessment of how your application compares against our evaluation criteria and the applicant pool, and that is all we intend them to be. Remember that this is a competitive application process and we have many more qualified and exceptional candidates applying than can be interviewed or admitted. Please refer to the Evaluation Criteria Section of the website and the FAQs below for help.
Below is an explanation of scoring, terminology and frequently asked questions:
OGPA = Overall GPA in UBC percentage
AGPA = Adjusted GPA in UBC percentage
AQ Score = OGPA (if not eligible for AGPA) or AGPA, converted to a number out of 50 (50 is the maximum score). That’s it – the AQ score is just your OGPA or AGPA, automatically converted to a number out of 50 by our computer system. Please note this year there was an adjustment to the allocation of points to determine the AQ score. The conversion mechanism is confidential. If you are a reapplicant, you may be concerned that your AQ score is significantly different from previous applications. However, to reiterate, if your averages are correct, your score is correct.
Your AQ score might be low, even if you have a good GPA, but as long as your OGPA or AGPA is correct, your AQ score is also right.
NAQ Score = the score given for the non-academic portions of the application converted to a number out of 50. All file reviewers are carefully trained, there are various checks throughout the process to make sure reviews are being done consistently, and the NAQ score is standardized to make up for any scoring variations between reviewers. Every year there are changes in the applicant pool which affect the scoring of the non-academic section. These include the competiveness of the pool, the addition or deletion of activities from an application (this only affects reapplicants), and adjustments made to the average candidate profile that reviewers use to help evaluate.
TFR Score = AQ Score + NAQ Score. Your TFR score might be really close to the cutoff. We have double-checked these files for accuracy, so unfortunately you might just be one of the unlucky ones whose score is really close but not quite high enough to get an interview this year.
FAQs
I received a Regrets, No Interview letter with my academic and non-academic scores. Can I get more information on the definition of these scores?
We cannot provide any further details or specifics regarding the results of your file evaluation, but our Evaluation Criteria page explains the scoring in more detail. You may also find it helpful to review the Interim Statistics on our Statistics page to assist you in determining the competiveness of your file.
I am a re-applicant. I have taken further coursework and/or I feel I have more activities and volunteer experiences than last year, but my scores have gone down. Why?
This year we made adjustments to the allocation of points to determine both the AQ and the NAQ scores. For the non-academic section of the application the actual evaluation criteria remained the same, and for the academic section, there were no changes to the grade conversion tables used. For both, the modification was in how the points were distributed. Remember, you can cross check your AQ score by seeing that if your average is correct, your score is correct. This was done automatically and uniformly for all applicants.
I was not invited for an interview; can I talk/meet with someone to discuss my application? I would like some more feedback.
Due to limited resources, we regret that we are not able to offer any feedback advising to applicants who were not granted an interview, nor can we provide any further information about the evaluation of your file.
I think that there has been a mistake in the academic evaluation of my file.
The academic evaluation was based on the credits and grades entered by applicants. If you believe that there has been a specific error, please send an email via the on-line application detailing what you believe the mistake to be. Please note that some applicants entered wrong information – eg. did not include all courses, excluded failed courses or used letter grades instead of percentages. In these instances the Admissions Office had to correct these mistakes by verifying courses and grades on official transcripts. Therefore, there may be a discrepancy between averages calculated by an applicant & the grades as they appear on the Application Status page of his/her application.
The calculation of the AQ Score is automatically performed by the online application system, so as long as your OGPA or AGPA (if applicable) is correct, your AQ Score is also correct.
I thought I should have been eligible for the Adjusted Academic Average to determine my academic score, but it does not seem to have been used.
The AGPA was calculated based on the courses and grades entered by applicants. The online system automatically determined (a) the lowest academic year which could be eliminated and (b) if this year could be dropped (i.e. if there were still 90 remaining credits). The Admissions Office verified that grades had been entered accurately by comparison with the official transcripts.
My overall GPA (or adjusted GPA if applicable) is slightly below the 75%/80% cut-off but I still feel my non-academic experiences are very strong and should have been reviewed.
Although we look for excellent non-academic qualities, these must also be accompanied by very good academic qualities to demonstrate an applicant’s ability to successfully handle the rigorous MD Undergraduate curriculum. It was determined that a lower AQ score (below 75% for BC and below 80% for OOP) cannot be offset by a strong NAQ score; hence these files were not reviewed.
I attended a university that did not use percentages for its grading scheme. How did UBC calculate averages from universities with different grading schemes?
Information on grade conversions, including our grade conversion tables, can be found on the Evaluation Criteria page of our website.
I am not happy with the non-academic score I received. Can I request another review?
We appreciate that you may be dissatisfied with the scoring of the non-academic portion of your file, but would like to assure you that the non-academic portion of your application was reviewed and evaluated fairly and consistently. We will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. At the beginning of each cycle, with guidelines provided by the Admissions Policy Committee, we establish a profile of an average applicant as a benchmark and points are allotted accordingly. Reviewers are trained and files are cross-checked. Although there cannot help but be a degree of subjectivity involved, we feel the standardized process keeps this to a minimum.
I was not invited for an interview and would like to appeal the decision.
We realize the importance of your application and appreciate that the results may be disappointing. Please be aware that we do our best to ensure that our evaluation practices are fair and consistent. Files are often double and sometimes triple checked to ensure accuracy. While we are unable to discuss your application over the phone, you may email Admissions through your on-line application if you have any specific concerns regarding your file evaluation. Please note that we will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. We will not make appointments with the Dean, Associate Dean, Director or an Advisor/Coordinator to discuss your application.
I’m not sure if I am seeing the right thing under the scores line on my Application Status page.
This is what you should see, depending on your application status:
Ineligible: no scores
Regrets, Partial File Review: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable)
Regrets, No Interview: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable), AQ, NAQ and TFR
Invited to Interview: no scores
Update on the Evaluation Process
By Admissions on Nov 15, 2013
Hello! We apologize for how quiet the blog has been over the last few months. If you are wondering why, it is because we reached another record number of applications this year. Over 2100 were submitted! Unfortunately some of these applications are not complete due to missing transcripts, MCAT scores, payments, etc. However, the vast majority are complete and as such we have a lot more work to do. Do not worry though, we are still treating every application with care, cross checking files as necessary and ensuring that every application receives a fair and consistent evaluation. We know you put a lot of time and energy into this process and we respect this by thoroughly and thoughtfully considering what you have included.
We plan to send all updated status notifications sometime in the first two weeks of December. We do not have specific dates yet, but will be honoring the August 15 early deadline and will notify the applicants who met this deadline first (provided they are invited for interview) before sending interview invitations to everyone else. If you are wondering what information you will receive in December, please review our blog entry from December 3, 2012. Most of the information will remain the same and we will post any changes closer to the notification dates.
Thank you and we’ll be in touch soon.
Permalink | No CommentsCommon Mistakes
By wong79 on Sep 04, 2013
We are quickly counting down the days until the application closes and the Admissions Office is abuzz with mail deliveries, updating documents, sending responses to emails and answering phone calls. For all of you furiously completing your applications from now until September 16, here are some common mistakes applicants make during this stage of the process (in no real order):
1) Miscalculating how much time it will take to complete the application. Without fail, every year we have one or two brave souls who open the application one day before the deadline. We strongly discourage this. The application is long and comprehensive and we recommend you give yourself several days to complete and submit it, plus additional time that you may not have realized was necessary to contact people and institutions to ensure your application is complete and accurate.
2) Not reading the HELP GUIDE while completing the application. The Help Guide is designed to answer many of your questions and to guide your application writing process. Read the Help Guide. Use the Help Guide. The most frustrating thing for the admissions team is when someone does not enter information into the application in the requested way. This is because it can take hours to reinterpret/adapt the information so that an evaluation can be performed- this is all done on the back end as no changes can actually be made to the application once it is submitted.
3) Not reading the prerequisite or BC residency requirements before opening the application. The prerequisites are listed here. Make sure you have them or can complete them during the 2013-2014 academic year, before you open the application. BC residency requirements are listed here. Account fees are non-refundable.
4) Not requesting transcripts early enough. The unfortunate truth is, you are quickly running out of time if have not already requested that your university print and mail your transcripts to us. All documentation must be physically IN THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE by the application deadline- not in the mail, not printed and stamped. If you are worried, have your transcripts couriered. This way you will know when they have been signed for. We are updating transcript statuses as quickly as possible, but it is a challenging task with the amount of mail we are receiving each day.
5) Sending transcripts to the wrong address: Only have transcripts sent to: Mailing address
6) Not contacting verifiers to ask their permission: The non-academic sections of the application require that you indicate contact information of a person who can verify each of your activities. This is generally a different person for every activity. Often, these people are hard to contact, they no longer work for the company you worked for, they have a different email address than you thought, they think about your experience differently than you did, or they are out of town for some part of the application period (Sept-May). In order for an activity to be considered, you must have a verifier who is reachable (preferably by email), speaks English, and is appropriate for that activity. See page 13 of the Help Guide for more information about verifiers.
7) Forgetting to submit additional paperwork: Please review the document checklist. All documentation must be submitted to the admissions office by the deadlines indicated on the checklist. Remember, BC residency changed this year so everyone claiming BC residency, including returning applicants, must submit new BC residency paperwork.
8) Improperly sending BC Care Card information: For the BC Care Card to be properly received through the Online Application System, you must scan and send both sides of the card and upload the document following the email instructions on page 20 of the Help Guide.
9) Forgetting to proofread the application: Once an application is submitted there is nothing the admissions office can do to change it. This includes changing your verifier, adding an activity, changing the dates of an activity, reducing/increasing the hours of an activity, fixing spelling issues, changing your grades, adding institutions, etc. Please proofread. This being said, for anything that could be viewed as an egregious error (eg. saying you did an activity for 2,000 hours when you meant 20, mistyping a “F” on your transcript as an “A+,” forgetting that you attended an entire institution, etc.) we do appreciate you emailing (through the OAS) to let us know. Forgetting is never an excuse for not meeting the deadlines. Therefore, the transcripts of even ‘forgotten’ institutions must be in by the deadline.
10) Submitting at the last minute/forgetting to pay the application fee: In our online application system it is possible to submit your application without paying the full application fee. BOTH are due by 12:00 PDT on Sept. 16, 2013. If you are submitting 30-20-10-5 minutes before the application deadline there are often technical issues from over usage on the server, something in your application doesn’t save properly; the payment program isn’t reading your credit card correctly, etc. We strongly suggest you attempt to submit the application before September 16. It is almost impossible to troubleshoot issues at the last minute and if you do not have both the application and the full application fee paid by the deadline your application will not be considered. We are strict about this policy.
Remember, we are updating transcripts and other documentation as quickly as possible. We will not be responding to emails asking if we have received your transcripts, moved forward your documents, etc. To check the status of your application and documents, click on the “Application Status” tab. If your documents have not been received, the onus is on you to ensure that they are.
Best of luck finishing and submitting your application!
Reminder: August 15th Early Submission Deadline
By wong79 on Aug 01, 2013
We hope you are enjoying your summer.
As we are fast approaching the August 15th early application deadline we would like to remind you:
Transcripts, supporting document, and CareCard documents receipt statuses are updated within 48 hours as they are received by our office. Please keep in mind there is a one day delay between when transcripts arrive at our mailing address and when they make it to our physical location. It is also important to enter the institution(s) on the transcript page so we can update the transcript as it arrives in our office. Please do not contact our office for the status of your documentation(s). You can check the status by logging onto the online application system.
Remember to release your MCAT scores using the AAMC ThX system. UBC is not part of the AMCAS system. Applications with missing MCAT scores will be made ineligible. MCAT scores will be uploaded 2-3 times a week.
For those who plan to or have already submitted an application for the early submission deadline please make sure all your supporting documents which include application fees, all transcripts, proof of BC residency (if applicable), and proof of name change (if applicable) are received by the Admissions Office by August 15 12pm PDT. As a reminder, applicants who meet the early deadline and who are invited for an interview will receive their interview invitation letter and will be able to book an interview one day earlier than applicants who have submitted after this deadline.
Note: WES/ICES evaluations and MCAT scores do not have to be received by August 15 to meet the early deadline but both must arrive by October 1.
We also recommend you read our help guide before starting on your application as it provides helpful guidance about how to include information in your application.
We wish you all the best!
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