DeGroote Strategy
Verified against McMaster UGME June 2026. Reverify every cycle — formulas change.
The Selection Math
Pre-interview (~32/32/32 + ≤4 grad bonus): cumulative GPA, MCAT CARS, Casper. Nothing else is scored — no ECs, no essays, no program prestige, no upward trend.
Post-interview: 70% MMI, 15% GPA, 15% CARS. The interview is the application.
Gates: 30 half-credits by May of entry year · GPA ≥ 3.00 · CARS ≥ 123 (most recent attempt only) · Casper 2 (typed + video).
Implications, ranked
- GPA ≥ 3.90. Cumulative, all years equal, no drops, repeats count twice, summers count. A first-term B is permanent. The tutoring system exists to prevent exactly that. Electives are GPA instruments.
- CARS is a years-long build. Verbal reasoning on dense humanities prose. Daily reading from year 1 (cars-log), formal prep from summer 2027, one prepared write summer 2028. Never retake casually — the most recent score replaces a better old one.
- Casper 2 is worth as much as GPA pre-interview. Trainable in the application year: ethics frameworks, structured answers, typing speed, video presence. Not before — no compounding value.
- MMI decides admission (70%). Practice circuits in interview season. Maturity compounds here — another reason the year-4 cycle is the real shot.
- References & ABS aren’t scored pre-interview at McMaster but are required, verified, and scored elsewhere. Log everything with verifiers as it happens (activity-log); cultivate three CAF-ready referees from term 1 (references).
3 + 1 Plan
| Cycle | When | Posture |
|---|---|---|
| Year-3 shot | OMSAS fall 2028 → entry 2029 | Free shot. 2 years of grades, structurally unbiased at DeGroote, ~4% base rate. Take it seriously, expect nothing. |
| Year-4 main | OMSAS fall 2029 → entry 2030 | The real cycle. 3 years of grades, completed-degree eligibility everywhere, CARS written with maturity, honours BSc in hand. |
Risk Register
- Single bad term → cumulative GPA scar. Mitigation: gap detection weekly, MSAF awareness, drop-deadline awareness per syllabus (process-syllabus extracts policies).
- CARS plateau → the 32% nobody can tutor quickly. Mitigation: habit starts now, measured from 2027.
- Casper variance → one sitting per cycle. Mitigation: structured prep in application year; year-3 sitting is also a live rehearsal.
- Single-school tunnel vision → DeGroote is one lottery. Mitigation: school-matrix kept current; course-load choices already protect Western/Toronto eligibility.