Re: doing masters before applying

[2021letsgo]

Could you guys give me any suggestions/advice (pros/cons) on doing masters before applying to boost my gpa  

[bearded frog]

6 hours ago, 2021letsgo said:

Could you guys give me any suggestions/advice (pros/cons) on doing masters before applying to boost my gpa  

• Pros:
  • UBC, U of A, and memorial looks at graduate GPA the same way as undergrad.
  • Calgary includes graduate GPA as a single year of undergraduate GPA in their calculations
  • Sask includes graduate courses in it's GPA other than the spring semester before matriculation
  • Dal lets you use 15 credit hours (out of 60 total) of graduate GPA in their GPA calculation
  • If it's a research masters you will get a thesis and maybe a pub or two out of it which won't help your GPA but can help offset a lower GPA, relatively
  • Some schools will give you bonus points or extra consideration if you are in progress or have completed certain types of graduate degrees at time of application (for instance U of T will give "credit" for a completed course-based masters or an in-progress research masters, but not an in-progress course masters, mac will give credit if you have graduated by time of application), but this is hard to take into account
• Cons:
  • As far as I know, Ontario schools and any not listed above do not consider graduate GPA so if you'd like to apply broadly it's usually better to do more undergrad if GPA is a concern.

Source: got a masters before med school, should have done more undergrad

[zoxy]

On 5/25/2021 at 12:25 PM, bearded frog said:

I am not aware of any other school which considers graduate GPA so unless you're ride or die UBC it would be much better to do more undergrad if GPA is a concern

UCalgary, UAlberta, and USask include your masters grades in calculating your GPA. UCalgary's is particularity generous if I remember correctly.

[bearded frog]

7 minutes ago, zoxy said:

UCalgary, UAlberta, and USask include your masters grades in calculating your GPA.

Thanks! I have updated my post. If only they did when I applied

[indefatigable]

42 minutes ago, zoxy said:

UCalgary, UAlberta, and USask include your masters grades in calculating your GPA. UCalgary's is particularity generous if I remember correctly.

54 minutes ago, bearded frog said:

• • I am not aware of any other school which considers graduate GPA so unless you're exclusively set on western Canada it would be much better to do more undergrad if GPA is a concern.

Dalhousie also has a generous policy:

https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/admissions/gpa-requirement.html

For completeness -

• McMaster also gives a "1%" bonus
• McGill uses "Academic Context" which may give a boost too.
• for a research based graduate degree, the threshold for a competitive GPA at UofT is lowered

https://mdprogram.mcmaster.ca/md-program-admissions/how-we-select/selecting-our-students

https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/prospective/selection-process/academic-evaluation

https://applymd.utoronto.ca/academic-requirements

[naptime98]

To add on to this, Memorial also includes graduate courses in GPA calculation.

[bearded frog]

Thanks for the additional info, I have again updated my post.

1 hour ago, indefatigable said:

For completeness -

• McMaster also gives a "1%" bonus

McMaster requires the graduate degree to be conferred by time of application for credit.

[indefatigable]

11 minutes ago, bearded frog said:

Thanks for the additional info, I have again updated my post.

McMaster requires the graduate degree to be conferred by time of application for credit.

Thanks for updating and clarifying.