Calculation of the overall average (OGPA) and Adjusted academic average (AGPA) Help

[IsItTooLate]

Hello, I am trying to understand the details of the calculation of the overall average (OGPA), derived from all university-level transferable courses and the removal, when applicable, of credits from the lowest academic year to give an adjusted academic average (AGPA).

1. Do the credits included in the calculation spreadsheet include any and all courses at the GRADUATE and UNDERGRADUATE level from any North American University that have a letter or numerical percent grade?

I am aware the the lowest year is dropped and of the COVID winter semester drop as well.

 

 

 

[Dr. Monkey]

Hey, they use to have a really great excel document with examples on it but I can't seem to find it. It's my understanding that you have to submit transcripts showing all graded courses you have completed in university, regardless of the level. From this, they will calculate your GPA from graded courses only, pass/fail, etc. will be ignored. They will begin dropping classes from your lowest year from worst grades to best grades until a minimum of 90 credit hours is reached or the whole year is removed (30 credits only). This means that some will have partial years removed and others will have the whole year dropped. I believe, if the lowest year has less than 30 credits, they may remove more from the next lowest year but that might be incorrect. Though, I have never applied as a grad student, this is my best guess.

[IsItTooLate]

11 hours ago, Dr. Monkey said:

Hey, they use to have a really great excel document with examples on it but I can't seem to find it. It's my understanding that you have to submit transcripts showing all graded courses you have completed in university, regardless of the level. From this, they will calculate your GPA from graded courses only, pass/fail, etc. will be ignored. They will begin dropping classes from your lowest year from worst grades to best grades until a minimum of 90 credit hours is reached or the whole year is removed (30 credits only). This means that some will have partial years removed and others will have the whole year dropped. I believe, if the lowest year has less than 30 credits, they may remove more from the next lowest year but that might be incorrect. Though, I have never applied as a grad student, this is my best guess.

Thanks for the reply.

Indeed it is here:

https://med-fom-ugrad.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2022/05/tools_gpa_calculator.xls

I already did the calculations according to the instructions including the drop and everything looks ok. It includes any and all courses.

https://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/before-you-apply/evaluation-criteria/

 

But I am still not clear on the so called Graduate Student Applicants policy.

https://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/before-you-apply/admission-requirements/

Does it only apply to UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies students?

If someone was doing a masters at another university and didn't want to finish it before med school and it was course based, I don't see this policy speaking to that at all. Either way seems like an incredibly unfair policy, especially for part-time students.

[kronos]

If you're a master's student, UBC Med needs you to finish that before starting med school. You don't apply to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Agree that it's unfair for some circumstances, but it's really created to stop people from dropping out midway through a master's since they got into med school which would negatively affect so many labs

[IsItTooLate]

3 hours ago, kronos said:

If you're a master's student, UBC Med needs you to finish that before starting med school. You don't apply to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Agree that it's unfair for some circumstances, but it's really created to stop people from dropping out midway through a master's since they got into med school which would negatively affect so many labs

I get that UBC policy as it relates to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, but I don't go to UBC and my program is course based and in no way involves a lab. Nor am I studying full-time. I think the policy only applies to UBC students under the Faculty of Graduate Studies since the page says absolutely nothing about any other programs or universities. I will clarify with the school and if I am wrong the solution is to officially withdraw from the Masters before the July 31 deadline. Some people do a graduate certificate, or do a Masters only as it concerns some courses part-time with no intent to ever graduate. I know this sounds strange but it's done when part-time to maintain a registration status, not to finish the program. I can drop half-way through my online Masters which has zero effect on any lab because it's course based. Not that I was ever intending to finish it because already have another one. I was interested in a few specific courses only which require a registration to be maintained to take them.

If I were to finish the Masters it would take about 3 more years part-time, which sounds absurd just to apply to med school. What if someone can't afford to finish their Masters program? It sounds a bid discriminatory to disqualify them because of what is ultimately a financial factor or other intervening socioeconomic life event. If the policy is that strict outside of UBC (which the page is silent on) then the only solution is to withdraw from the program and not be "registered". And all of that just to apply, without any guarantee of admission chances.

I suspect the Graduate Student Applicants policy only applies to registered UBC Graduate students and is probably an institutional agreement with the UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies.

 

[kronos]

14 hours ago, IsItTooLate said:

I get that UBC policy as it relates to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, but I don't go to UBC and my program is course based and in no way involves a lab. Nor am I studying full-time. I think the policy only applies to UBC students under the Faculty of Graduate Studies since the page says absolutely nothing about any other programs or universities. I will clarify with the school and if I am wrong the solution is to officially withdraw from the Masters before the July 31 deadline. Some people do a graduate certificate, or do a Masters only as it concerns some courses part-time with no intent to ever graduate. I know this sounds strange but it's done when part-time to maintain a registration status, not to finish the program. I can drop half-way through my online Masters which has zero effect on any lab because it's course based. Not that I was ever intending to finish it because already have another one. I was interested in a few specific courses only which require a registration to be maintained to take them.

If I were to finish the Masters it would take about 3 more years part-time, which sounds absurd just to apply to med school. What if someone can't afford to finish their Masters program? It sounds a bid discriminatory to disqualify them because of what is ultimately a financial factor or other intervening socioeconomic life event. If the policy is that strict outside of UBC (which the page is silent on) then the only solution is to withdraw from the program and not be "registered". And all of that just to apply, without any guarantee of admission chances.

I suspect the Graduate Student Applicants policy only applies to registered UBC Graduate students and is probably an institutional agreement with the UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies.

 

Don't know where you're getting the suspicion that it applies only to UBC grad students. If you search on the forum or Google you'll see that this question comes up pretty much every year and it definitely applies to all grad students. I've heard of students getting their acceptances pulled since they weren't able to finish their master's by the July 31 deadline. The only time I've heard they've been lenient on it was the first COVID year.

I also believe that withdrawing will disqualify you from this cycle. The page says "Failure of notification or withdrawing from a graduate program any time after application submission will result in ineligibility. There are no exceptions to this policy." 

It does sound like your situation might a little unique though so it definitely worth an email to MD Admissions and see what they say. Please keep the forum updated on the response so that future applicants can stay in the know

[IsItTooLate]

On 1/31/2023 at 3:21 PM, kronos said:

Don't know where you're getting the suspicion that it applies only to UBC grad students. If you search on the forum or Google you'll see that this question comes up pretty much every year and it definitely applies to all grad students. I've heard of students getting their acceptances pulled since they weren't able to finish their master's by the July 31 deadline. The only time I've heard they've been lenient on it was the first COVID year.

I also believe that withdrawing will disqualify you from this cycle. The page says "Failure of notification or withdrawing from a graduate program any time after application submission will result in ineligibility. There are no exceptions to this policy." 

It does sound like your situation might a little unique though so it definitely worth an email to MD Admissions and see what they say. Please keep the forum updated on the response so that future applicants can stay in the know

Thanks, you're right better to double check than have a problem later. It's for next cycle not this cycle, and don't plan on taking any courses past July so can just withdraw from the program before the deadline if need be. I will double check until then.

I guess this policy must really cut down on applicants because I know a few people who started a masters in the med faculty elsewhere and jumped to their home MD program ASAP before even getting halfway through the Masters. I guess they wanted those med faculty prof reference letters. 

[Dr. Monkey]

When you withdraw, you are no longer in an active masters program. Meaning you have finished the program, similar to if you graduated from it. You will still have to submit your transcripts and grades from that program, which will be used on top of you undergrad to calculate your overall GPA. At least that's my take on it.