FAQ: How do I calculate my GPA?

[Albertan10]

i'm currently at McGill doing my undergrad. i'm a little confused on the ontario GPA system. according to OMSAS McGill would calculate any mark over 85 as a 4.0, where as for the Ontario Medical schools any mark over 90+ would be a 4.0 and a 85-89 a 3.9.

 

my question is upon applying to schools in ontario, will my marks be changed to fit the ontario system. All final marks are given as letter grades on my transcript. no where is there numerical marks posted on the transcript, at times they are mentioned elsewhere. so will my A be evaluated on whether or not it should be a 3.9 or a 4.0, given that no numerical grades are posted on the transcript?

[wynd90]

Hi,

 

I am attending BCIT for a degree in radiation therapy and my current GPA after 3 semesters and 22 classes is 84%. BCIT uses all percentages to give out grades, does anyone know how this would fit into the OMSAS grad conversion chart?

 

Thanks!

[rmorelan]

Hi,

 

I am attending BCIT for a degree in radiation therapy and my current GPA after 3 semesters and 22 classes is 84%. BCIT uses all percentages to give out grades, does anyone know how this would fit into the OMSAS grad conversion chart?

 

Thanks!

 

Strange, is there something special about that school? It is not list as one of the available ones on the conversion chart?

[wynd90]

Yes, it's a technical school. But their classes are all accredited and it's a full degree program. Hopefully it falls under another university's conversion scale. Does anyone else have any idea?

[rmorelan]

Yes, it's a technical school. But their classes are all accredited and it's a full degree program. Hopefully it falls under another university's conversion scale. Does anyone else have any idea?

 

Time to call OMSAS I think If it is accredited it should fall under something!

[bigbuffblackboy]

Does anyone know if the med schools will round up your GPA? For example, if it is say a 3.848, will it be considered a 3.85?

 

Thanks

[mrgreek]

not sure... but i think it gets rounded to the nearest hundredth... aka .xx, however, id contact each school if i were u...

[NewfieMike]

why does it matter? How much of a difference is 0.002 going to do?

[AdamP]

3.744 vs. 3.745 would at some places....

[thatonekid]

I believe it is rounded up, because I have a friend who had a 3.796 which appeared on his OMSAS application as a rounded 3.80 (vs a truncated 3.79).

[The Law]

I also think it's rounded up, but I'm not sure - this is just a hunch. Although you have also to consider the fact that not all schools go with the OMSAS GPA. For example, let's say you are considering Ottawa and they decide OMSAS year 3 x 3, OMSAS year 2 x 2, OMSAS year 1 x 1 all divided by 6... and then you end with a 3.8455. It's now the school's policy and not OMSAS' that will decide what happens to your GPA.

 

PS - Mike, it could potentially make a big difference... 3.845 would be an auto-rejection from Ottawa, but a 3.85 would keep your hopes alive!

 

Best bet: E-mail the schools and get an answer straight from the horse's mouth! Unless med schools would rather be another animal... lion's mouth? (yikes, don't go near a lion's mouth... oy vey, I digress)... then report back here and let us know what they say.

[bigbuffblackboy]

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep you guys posted.

[Krafcik]

Is their such a conversion table for Alberta and British Columbia Institutions?

 

Thanks

[iraqattaq]

Alright here is a question I haven't found (feel free to yell if it has been posted)

 

I am currently at the UofW in Bio and I have done 4 Semesters

 

Semester 1: 3.31 GPA (3 courses)

Semester 2: 3.30 GPA (4 courses, considered full-time at Windsor)

Semester 3: 2.35 GPA (4 courses, " ")

Semester 4: 2.45 GPA (4 courses, " ")

 

My question is when I am applying to Western and UofT where they will only calculate my GPA based on 5 full courses will my previously 4 semester still play a factor?

 

Also which schools in Canada have the "Best 2" "Last 2" "Full Course loads" rules?

[Pantaloons]

Is their such a conversion table for Alberta and British Columbia Institutions?

 

Thanks

 

UBC

UBC uses pure percentages. No conversion.

They have a bunch of prerequisites you should check out.

The info is on their website.

 

Alberta

The GPA is calculated on all undergraduate post-secondary transferable course work you have ever done with the exception of applicants who have completed four or more years of post-secondary transferable course work.

For applicants with four or more years of post-secondary transferable course work, the admissions cumulative academic average is calculated with the deletion of the lowest annual average, provided it is not the most recent completed year, or the one and only year where 30 units of course weight (five full course equivalents) have been completed.

 

They do the GPA on a 4.0 Scale. I'm not sure if it's the same OMSAS 4.0 scale. It's probably on their website somewhere.

[Pantaloons]

Alright here is a question I haven't found (feel free to yell if it has been posted)

 

I am currently at the UofW in Bio and I have done 4 Semesters

 

Semester 1: 3.31 GPA (3 courses)

Semester 2: 3.30 GPA (4 courses, considered full-time at Windsor)

Semester 3: 2.35 GPA (4 courses, " ")

Semester 4: 2.45 GPA (4 courses, " ")

 

My question is when I am applying to Western and UofT where they will only calculate my GPA based on 5 full courses will my previously 4 semester still play a factor?

 

Also which schools in Canada have the "Best 2" "Last 2" "Full Course loads" rules?

 

The OMSAS booklet probably has the answer to these questions.

 

I don't know the answer to your UofT question, but I don't think you'd qualify for their special formula which allows you to drop 6credits/year.

 

Western looks at your Best two full time years, though I believe one of those years has to be a senior year (i.e.: 3rd or prospective 4th).

 

Queen's looks at your most recent two years.

 

I can't remember which schools have the Full Course loads requirement (my knowledge is only so encyclopedic), but I bet you the answer is in the OMSAS booklet.

[iraqattaq]

Thanks Pantaloons

[bkool4ya4]

what happens if i take a half course (0.5 credits) that runs for the full year....

do i count it as taking 1 course or 2 courses?

plz tell me it's 1 .........

[AdamP]

counts as a full year for omsas (so 2)

 

I've actually called on that one (although for me it was helpful), and it's in the booklet, near the front somewhere.

[bkool4ya4]

counts as a full year for omsas (so 2)

 

I've actually called on that one (although for me it was helpful), and it's in the booklet, near the front somewhere.

 

so do I multiply the GPA value by 2? as well as count it as 2 courses?

[avenir001]

yes.......

[AdamP]

so do I multiply the GPA value by 2? as well as count it as 2 courses?

 

don't quite understand the question. Count it as you would a full course. (on omsas that means putting it as a 2)

[roxxy]

Do we use the OMSAS table to calculate our entire transcript (all 4 years) together or separately for each year?

 

For example, UofT requires 20 credits (FCE) to graduate, so would we convert each course mark into OMSAS grade and then divide by total # of courses for all 4 years (often 40 if course worth is 0.5 each)?

 

Does OMASS also include summer courses?

 

"You then add up all the points, and divide by the total number of courses you have taken in each semester." --- *how would this work if you in some semesters took 5 courses, others 4 or less?

[rmorelan]

Do we use the OMSAS table to calculate our entire transcript (all 4 years) together or separately for each year?

 

For example, UofT requires 20 credits (FCE) to graduate, so would we convert each course mark into OMSAS grade and then divide by total # of courses for all 4 years (often 40 if course worth is 0.5 each)?

 

Does OMASS also include summer courses?

 

"You then add up all the points, and divide by the total number of courses you have taken in each semester." --- *how would this work if you in some semesters took 5 courses, others 4 or less?

 

A lot of what you are asking is actually school specific. Some count summer courses, others do not. Western has rules about over 5 courses per term, some have special rules the have latter years count more than earlier ones, U of T has a course dropping system...... They don't like to make it too simple All the rules are in the OMSAS application manual.

 

The primary purpose of OMSAS is to simply collect all the courses you have ever taken and their grades, and actually VERIFY that this information is correct for the various medical schools. That way the schools know that that the information they receive is right and they don't have to go out and verify it themselves (cheaper for OMSAS to do that rather than 6 separate schools doing it 6 times - and by cheaper I mean cheaper for us the students). Then each school can extract the information they use from those raw grades using their particular formula.

 

Now all this being said the OMSAS GPA conversion chart is followed by all the schools for particular courses (basically they all agreed to follow that chart), and you do need to entire all of your courses into the system - including summer ones.

[swank]

Hi,

 

I am attending BCIT for a degree in radiation therapy and my current GPA after 3 semesters and 22 classes is 84%. BCIT uses all percentages to give out grades, does anyone know how this would fit into the OMSAS grad conversion chart?

 

Thanks!

 

From wikipedia, so take it at face value.....

 

BCIT "provides full- and part-time polytechnic education leading to certificates, diplomas, bachelor's degrees in technologies and trades. (However, because it is not a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges, its degrees are generally only recognized for further studies through agreement with the receiving institution)."