GPA Boost Idea

[Guest Adampg]

I've been reading through some post with people in a similar situation to mine (Low Undergrad GPA) and pretty much the only option seems to be doing a second undergrad degree in terms of marks boosting (exception is UWO with 'special year'). I was thinking about it, and thought what about if you enrolled for a second undergrad degree, completed one year with high GPA and reapplied. You would already have a degree so it wouldn't have to worry about the 3 year min. stipulation. In that way you could count that year towards your GPA average and have a 'special year' that is eligible at all med schools? Once you were accepted you could just drop out of the 2nd undergrad degree, only having paid a one year tuition. What does everyone think?

[Guest aneliz]

The problem is that some schools, for example UWO, do not allow you to do this. If you are taking a special year, it must be just that, a special year. Not the first year of a new degree program. For UWO, you must have two years that meet the GPA cut from your most recent degree (they do not look back at previous degrees if you have started another one). You also cannot mix and match years from between two degrees to meet the cuts. So, your idea would not work. If you were to start a new undergrad degree, for UWO's GPA purposes, you would have to complete a minimum of 2 full years of your new degree, assuming that both of those years met the GPA cut off.

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

Sounds stupid. Don't waste your money. Actually, go ahead, be my guest! Just don't get all upset when UWO rejects you!

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest acarpent1]

That might work for Ottawa U.. they look at your three most recent years.. period.

[scarface]

Actually your idea might work for Western too. If you do well enough in your first year to make the cutoff and your MCAT makes the cutoff, you are eligible for an interview. However, your acceptance would be conditional, meaning that your current year would have to be above the cutoff. Then you could drop out of your 3 year degree having only paid 2 year tuition. In fact, you might not even have to drop out if enough courses from your first degree transfer over to your second degree. However, your first degree must be an honours degree, according to UWO's new policy.

 

I think your idea is good if you want to go to UWO's med school. After all, a master's degree, or even a PhD won't help you at this school unless you've got some decent undergrad marks.

[TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

No, your idea will not work for the purposes of UWO's "special" year. The rules for the "special" year are stated quite clearly, and you cannot use the first year of a second degree as a "special" year, in fact, you can't have any 1st year courses as part of a "special" year, as aneliz stated earlier. You can only take a fifth "special" year as a "continuing studies" student and nothing else. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time.

[trustwomen]

I've been reading through some post with people in a similar situation to mine (Low Undergrad GPA) and pretty much the only option seems to be doing a second undergrad degree in terms of marks boosting (exception is UWO with 'special year'). I was thinking about it, and thought what about if you enrolled for a second undergrad degree, completed one year with high GPA and reapplied. You would already have a degree so it wouldn't have to worry about the 3 year min. stipulation. In that way you could count that year towards your GPA average and have a 'special year' that is eligible at all med schools? Once you were accepted you could just drop out of the 2nd undergrad degree, only having paid a one year tuition. What does everyone think?

It would work for Ottawa, which looks at three last years and weights the last one most heavily, and would work for Mac, which averages everything, and I think Toronto as well, which looks at the last two years.

 

Depends how low your GPA is, though.

[sickgirl]

May I ask what the criteria for a special year are? This is the first I have heard of it...

[TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

The definition of a "special year" is unique to UWO and can be found on the UWO admissions website. You can find it there.