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5th Year Undergrad Experiences/Success Stories


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I've heard many stories of students receiving admission after completing a masters. However I have not heard much from those that chose to do a 5th extra year of their undergraduate studies (to improve their GPA). Has anyone taken this route, and if so was it successful? Would you do it again, or were there disadvantages you hadn't considered.

 

Any insight would be very appreciated!

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Be careful with this - many schools have a policy in place that only courses taken in full year studies that lead toward completion of a bachelors degree can be used in the GPA calculation. Double check for your particular prospective schools! Only a few schools offer the possibility of taking a "special year" (Western comes to mind) or calculate GPA using absolutely all post-secondary courses (McMaster comes to mind).

 

Be sure to check the OMSAS handbook for the schools you're interested in, to see their particular policies on GPA calculation.

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Be careful with this - many schools have a policy in place that only courses taken in full year studies that lead toward completion of a bachelors degree can be used in the GPA calculation.

Yes, but you can also complete a 5th year of undergraduate studies by simply continuing in a 4-year program without graduating (which is what I'm doing this year). As long as your 5th year courses are considered part of your 4-year degree, there should be zero problems with recognition of the 5th year by med schools.

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Yes, but you can also complete a 5th year of undergraduate studies by simply continuing in a 4-year program without graduating (which is what I'm doing this year). As long as your 5th year courses are considered part of your 4-year degree, there should be zero problems with recognition of the 5th year by med schools.

Yes this is what I am considering. Just to confirm: is it still okay to do this if you met all degree requirements after your 4th year? That is, I would have been eligible to graduate after 4 years.

 

Also (if you don't mind me asking), what were the deciding factors that led you to choose to complete a 5th year? Over perhaps working in a lab or pursuing graduate studies.

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Just to confirm: is it still okay to do this if you met all degree requirements after your 4th year? That is, I would have been eligible to graduate after 4 years.

 

Also (if you don't mind me asking), what were the deciding factors that led you to choose to complete a 5th year? Over perhaps working in a lab or pursuing graduate studies.

For your first question, it depends on your university; some will force you to graduate if you've met all the requirements. I wasn't sure what my university's policies were, but after speaking with my program's dean, I figured it would be best to play on the safe side. The dean agreed to let one of my courses that were supposed to count towards my degree NOT count, so that my student account said that I was missing one course to graduate.

 

I decided to do a 5th year because I am extremely close to being competitive for Ontario med schools; my grades are fine, and the only thing standing in my way is my MCAT score. If I did a master's degree after graduating from my 4-year degree, I wouldn't be able to reapply to med school for another 2 years. But since I am only doing a 5th year, I can rewrite the MCAT and reapply to med school this year. As well, I am taking some courses this year in order to be eligible to apply to some professional masters programs, in case I still do not get accepted to med school after this year.

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For your first question, it depends on your university; some will force you to graduate if you've met all the requirements. I wasn't sure what my university's requirements were, but after speaking with my program's dean, I figured it would be best to play on the safe side. The dean agreed to let one of my courses that were supposed to count towards my degree NOT count, so that my student account said that I was missing one course to graduate.

 

I decided to do a 5th year because I am extremely close to being competitive for Ontario med schools; my grades are fine, and the only thing standing in my way is my MCAT score. If I did a master's degree after graduating from my 4-year degree, I wouldn't be able to reapply to med school for another 2 years. But since I am only doing a 5th year, I can rewrite the MCAT and reapply to med school this year. As well, I am taking some courses this year in order to be eligible to apply to some professional masters programs, in case I still do not get accepted to med school after this year.

Thanks for answering my questions :) You brought up an issue I had not considered (possibility of being forced to graduate).

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  • 5 months later...

OntarioMedHopeful, I think I can speak for all who took a 5th year to be eligible for schools like Western and Queens, and have received invites (or even those who are in 4th year and have received conditional invites from Western) will say that it was worth taking an extra year.

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  • 2 years later...

I was just wondering if this thread can please continue. I'm quite lost as to whether or not I should take an extra year from Undergrad (5th year).  :(

It depends on what you want out of it. Are you looking to improve your GPA? Do an honours/research? Or feel like you should still be doing school if you don't get in this round (not necessarily a great reason). 

 

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I am about to finish my fifth year, but debating if I should do a sixth year. I pursued a fifth year to increase gpa and planning to apply to schools which looks at two years (western, queens). My first fours years are not competitive at all. Is there anyone else who had success after 6 years of undergrad? 

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It depends on what you want out of it. Are you looking to improve your GPA? Do an honours/research? Or feel like you should still be doing school if you don't get in this round (not necessarily a great reason). 

 

I was looking to improve my GPA and possibly do some research on the side if I find one.

 

 

I am about to finish my fifth year, but debating if I should do a sixth year. I pursued a fifth year to increase gpa and planning to apply to schools which looks at two years (western, queens). My first fours years are not competitive at all. Is there anyone else who had success after 6 years of undergrad? 

Doing fifth year can be pretty scary but I admire your dedication. I don't have any experience with doing 6th year or knowing someone who did 6th year but its up to your current GPA and your MCAT score. If your current GPA is high enough then I think that doing a 6th year may be unnecessary. By the way, I don't want to ask a too personal question but does student aid still helps out a student who does a 5th year?

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I was looking to improve my GPA and possibly do some research on the side if I find one.

 

In that case, then I think that it is a good use of time. I did a 5th year to get my honours and raise my GPA and it work out really well! 

 

 

 

I am about to finish my fifth year, but debating if I should do a sixth year. I pursued a fifth year to increase gpa and planning to apply to schools which looks at two years (western, queens). My first fours years are not competitive at all. Is there anyone else who had success after 6 years of undergrad? 

If you are looking to increase your GPA, as I assume you are, then it would be possible. There is a poster above that has taken a 6th year. However, as they say in their post, but it will be important to justify why you took 6 years to do an UG in an interview.

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I was looking to improve my GPA and possibly do some research on the side if I find one.

 

 

Doing fifth year can be pretty scary but I admire your dedication. I don't have any experience with doing 6th year or knowing someone who did 6th year but its up to your current GPA and your MCAT score. If your current GPA is high enough then I think that doing a 6th year may be unnecessary. By the way, I don't want to ask a too personal question but does student aid still helps out a student who does a 5th year?

 

 

Do you mean OSAP? I don't think they usually do but in my case, I had to justify my reasons for taking an extra year. However, if I decide to pursue one more year (6th), they will not provide any financial aid. 

 

In that case, then I think that it is a good use of time. I did a 5th year to get my honours and raise my GPA and it work out really well! 

 

 

 

If you are looking to increase your GPA, as I assume you are, then it would be possible. There is a poster above that has taken a 6th year. However, as they say in their post, but it will be important to justify why you took 6 years to do an UG in an interview.

Is it acceptable to use "low GPA" as a justification, of course with valid reasoning as to why the GPA was lower in the first couple of years. I guess it will all depend on my mcat score this summer and if I can do well, then sixth year is a definite possibility. 

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Do you mean OSAP? I don't think they usually do but in my case, I had to justify my reasons for taking an extra year. However, if I decide to pursue one more year (6th), they will not provide any financial aid. 

 

Is it acceptable to use "low GPA" as a justification, of course with valid reasoning as to why the GPA was lower in the first couple of years. I guess it will all depend on my mcat score this summer and if I can do well, then sixth year is a definite possibility. 

Well, I think it can be put a little more eloquent than "low GPA". Taking more school to make yourself a better applicant is, in my mind, a perfectly acceptable justification. 

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  • 10 months later...

I am doing a fifth year, mainly to raise my GPA. However, I added a minor to my BSc degree so that I have an "excuse" to take a fifth year LOL 

 

all in all, my cGPA isnt that great, probably 3.6 ish at most by the end of my fifth year.. but I figure, it's still better than nothing at all..  i am not sure, can any one offer some insight? 

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On 3/24/2018 at 3:44 PM, marriat said:

I am doing a fifth year, mainly to raise my GPA. However, I added a minor to my BSc degree so that I have an "excuse" to take a fifth year LOL 

 

all in all, my cGPA isnt that great, probably 3.6 ish at most by the end of my fifth year.. but I figure, it's still better than nothing at all..  i am not sure, can any one offer some insight? 

ALWAYS do extra years to boost up that GPAs. Canadian med schools don't care what school, program, degree, courses, and why you took any of them as long as you got a good GPA according to each school's algorithm. MSc, work experience, etc. don't really do much to improve your chances, but each .1 increase in GPA sure will.

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