What is a competitive GPA for UBC?

[neurologist19]

I see on the website that their average is hovering over 88% usually, but what I wonder about is that what would be a competitive GPA, and how your AQ score maps to your GPA. For example, what would be the difference between AQ of three people with the GPAs of 84, 88, and 92? Is the increase in the score linearly proportional to the increase in the GPA or they use other types of measures to calculate scores based on your GPA? This question came to my mind when I saw this post about OP with GPA of 84% and the comments very quite discouraging. I thought if the average GPA is 88, then the GPA of 84 could be compensated for easily by improving your EC, but it seems it might not be the case.

[scubadancingg]

Honestly who knows anymore, and I have feeling you might be referring to my recent post haha

If you google "UBC Aq score calculation" people have come up with speculation formulas to calculate it and its somewhat linear (difference between 84 vs 88, is the same difference between 88 vs 92). 

A lower GPA can't necessarily be compensated "easily" because the NAQ scoring can get subjective no matter how much they try to standardize it. Peoples scores fluctuate every year and you are being evaluated against a very qualified applicant pool. Most of us tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to ECs. We think we have "good" ECs, when in reality they are really average ECs compared to everyone else, and can end up being slightly below or above average depending on your luck that specific cycle.

If you already have a below average AQ like myself (that you know for sure is certainly below average looking at past published stats), and your ECs are now "average," you are now a slightly-below average applicant/still below average applicant. 

That being said is has always been accepted that, despite the NAQ subjectivity you still see people getting admitted with 80-85 GPAs, so even if it low you can still have a glimmer of hope if you have been building up EC activities over the years, whereas someone with a 70-75 average really should be doing a second undergrad or choose another path. The thing is that from this years interview invites, people are thinking that even 80-85 might be too low and these "underdog" group of people are now actually the 84-89 gang (with the "average" applicant now instead having a low 90s GPA opposed to the universally accepted high 80s GPA that everyone knew for many years). It is all speculation, nobody knows anything really. 

But also I really think that if you are a non-trad or mature applicant, you are at far more of an advantage than a university student/recent grad who has the same GPA as you, and have less worrying about this imo 

[neurologist19]

1 hour ago, scubadancingg said:

Honestly who knows anymore, and I have feeling you might be referring to my recent post haha

If you google "UBC Aq score calculation" people have come up with speculation formulas to calculate it and its somewhat linear (difference between 84 vs 88, is the same difference between 88 vs 92). 

A lower GPA can't necessarily be compensated "easily" because the NAQ scoring can get subjective no matter how much they try to standardize it. Peoples scores fluctuate every year and you are being evaluated against a very qualified applicant pool. Most of us tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to ECs. We think we have "good" ECs, when in reality they are really average ECs compared to everyone else, and can end up being slightly below or above average depending on your luck that specific cycle.

If you already have a below average AQ like myself (that you know for sure is certainly below average looking at past published stats), and your ECs are now "average," you are now a slightly-below average applicant/still below average applicant. 

That being said is has always been accepted that, despite the NAQ subjectivity you still see people getting admitted with 80-85 GPAs, so even if it low you can still have a glimmer of hope if you have been building up EC activities over the years, whereas someone with a 70-75 average really should be doing a second undergrad or choose another path. The thing is that from this years interview invites, people are thinking that even 80-85 might be too low and these "underdog" group of people are now actually the 84-89 gang (with the "average" applicant now instead having a low 90s GPA opposed to the universally accepted high 80s GPA that everyone knew for many years). It is all speculation, nobody knows anything really. 

But also I really think that if you are a non-trad or mature applicant, you are at far more of an advantage than a university student/recent grad who has the same GPA as you, and have less worrying about this imo 

Yeah it was your post haha. You have a good point. it seems that AQ is the part that you have total control over, so it makes sense that if a person puts his/her effort mostly on improving this part of their application. It is insane that the averages are shifting toward 90s, but it is what it is I guess. I am a mature applicant as well, and not to be sounding conceited, but honestly I think it is easier for me to achieve a 90+ GPA if I enroll in a second undergraduate now compared to when I was a kid back in college. I am far better at time management, being productive, and in general carrying myself better in school. A lot of glamorous aspects of the college (partying, being away from family and independence, girls, etc) are of no to little interest to me, so I think I can just sit on my and study all day if I decide to. Having an education and career to fall back on also takes pressure if things do not work eventually, so it also helps to be more confident and less anxious as mature student. My first GPA was actually good and I got into grad school as well, but apparently it is not good enough for medical school, so here I am.

 

[frenchpress]

If you look at the stats available for the last three years posted, you’ll see that usually a little over 20% of the class has a gpa in the 80-85% range. There has been a trend downward over the years (in 2014 it was nearly 30%), and the stats aren’t up for last year yet, but I honestly don’t think it will be THAT much different. It’s a decent chunk of the class. There’s a huge difference between competitive GPAs for OOP and IP applicants. As an IP I think it’s still fairly doable to get into UBC with an average in the 80-85% range, you just need a NAQ / ECs to offset it. That gap is a lot harder to close when you’re OOP, and you’re competing for a lot fewer spots.