My final marks=SUCK!!

[Guest worriedapplicant]

Please help: I really need to hear opinions on this:

 

1. This year (Sept-April) I took a partial courseload to upgrade my marks [7 courses at my prov university and 1 correspondance course (community college)]. Well this little plan backfired on me as I ended up with a full year 2.88 in my Physics course (the rest were good) but my GPA (for this year) took a beating: 3.44.

 

2. I interviewed at Queens this year-- Question: do these marks invalidate my file as they are less than the GPA cutoff?

 

3. Some Added info:This "upgrade" year is not part of a degree program. Finished that last year.

I phoned Anne Cumpson and she said that even though this is not a full year they would "look at it" (didn't tell her it was not degree-based though)...But she also said that my 2 year average cannot drop below their cutoff (the individual years do not have to meet the cutoff).

 

Do I trust her on this-- or will this story change when it come to review my file?

 

4. Does this screw up my chances for application next year?? (Note eligable for interviews via the 2 year rule?)

 

Would greatly appreciate any help. Ripping my hair out over this one...

[Guest m]

I'm not totally sure on this one either. What is the "two year rule", though? I mean, does that need to include the most recent year, or is it just the best two years?

 

You may want to check the OMSAS booklet.. if it describes the two years as being the most recent FULL two years, then you're okay if you want to reapply. I also recall having seen something wherein if your last two years do not meet the cutoff, then they will look at your other years in addition, but this could be incorrect.

[Guest RAK2005]

I think if you have completed a degree then you should be ok... if this years upgrade GPA of 3.44 was the final average for, say year 3 of undergrad you could have been in trouble.

 

As for interviewing at Queen's this year, and falling below the interview cut-offs at year end, this could cause trouble. You really need to ask Anne about your unique situation in person. My feeling is that it could affect your chances. Once I was accepted I was required to submit a final transcript of my marks. I don't know what would have happened if I had dropped below the cut-offs.

 

Call the office and be clear about your situation, specifically about how much your GPA dropped... they should give you a straightforward answer.

 

Best of luck.

[Guest anotherone]

Hello,

 

I think I may have a good chance of falling into this category as well. Oh well... WorriedApplicant, can you post what you find when you call the office?

 

Thank

[Guest anotherone]

just a question

 

i just finished my 4th year

interviewed at queens

my first three years of undergrad is fine

but thsi last year i will likely drop below the cutoff

my final average for all four years is well above the cutoff

do you think this will be a problem?

 

thanks very much

[Guest RAK2005]

Here's how it works...

 

If overall you have a GPA (all years) > 3.57 you're ok, regardless of how 4th year turns out. If NOT, the LAST two years are used as a cut-off. Here's the text from our admissions page:

 

The first cutoff is based on the cumulative converted grade point average (OMSAS Conversion Scale) of all years of undergraduate study.

Students who do not meet this cutoff but whose average in the most recent two years of undergraduate study is at or above the cutoff will be included in the group to be considered for the second cutoff.

 

The second cut-off is MCAT levels.

 

Again, I am not sure what happens post-interview ! I assume you'd have to stay above these levels, but lord only knows how things work in medicine admissions. I'd really like to know what Anne says. I'd ask her myself, but I am not going to be at the school for a week or so.

[Guest worried appplicant]

RAK 2005, thats really nice that'd you'd offer to talk to Anne-- but I will make the call 1st thing tomorrow. Post what she said here.

 

Fingers crossed, everyone.

[Guest anotherone]

any news about what's happening to us who didn't do so hot in the last year?

 

thanks!

[Guest worriedapplicant]

Hi everybody,

 

Sorry about the delay. I couldn't talk to Anne yesterday (work) and the Pacific Time Zone caught up w. me.

 

This is all dependant on the candidate having an interview:

 

1. Anything above 6 courses is considered a full course load.

2. It doesn't matter if your low year is part of a degree or separate.

3. If you are moderately close to the cutoff= you are fine. (ie. +/- a few hundredths of a GPA point). The committee will look at you application and see if you screwed lots of courses up or just ie. Physics. They will look for an overall trend.

 

4. If you are off by more than that= you are screwed.

[Guest StomachHurts]

worriedapplicant,

 

I noticed that you said your final GPA is 3.44 for this year. I'm in a similar predicament and was wondering what the admissions office said about your case specifically? Just out of curiosity, will 3.44 disqualify you?

[Guest worried applicant]

hi StomachHurts,

 

She said that given that my overall average (when added with the other years of application) are still over 3.57, I am O.K. For next year=screwed.

[Guest governorgeneral]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> For next year=screwed<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

 

if your overall gpa is still over 3.57, and the cutoffs don't change next year (as said in another forum - it's been 3.57 for the past 2 years), why would you be screwed?

[Guest RAK2005]

I could be a problem, as if you have less than 4 complete years of university they take your last two year. Thus if the last year or 2nd last year are below 3.57 it would eliminate you from the cutoffs.

[Guest OneBadSkwerl]

RAK2002 . . .

 

Are you saying if my CGPA over 4 years is below 3.57 but my last 2 years are well above 3.57 I still meet the cutoff? Just clarifying!

 

Scotty

[Guest RAK2005]

Yes, according to our admissions website... here's the quote:

 

The first cutoff is based on the cumulative converted grade point average (OMSAS Conversion Scale) of all years of undergraduate study.

Students who do not meet this cutoff but whose average in the most recent two years of undergraduate study is at or above the cutoff will be included in the group to be considered for the second cutoff.

 

Here's the link:

meds.queensu.ca/medicine/...ction.html

 

Hope this helps. Back to studying

[Guest governorgeneral]

actually, now i'm a bit confused...

 

about the "cutoff" - i thought that had to do with choosing the people to interview. but once you were invited for an interview, "Final assessment will be based on the assessment of the interview and Personal Information Form [essays]"; no mention of a specific GPA, though "offers will be conditional on the candidate's having maintained an academic standing acceptable to the Admissions Committee".

 

by "acceptable", do they mean "at or above the [3.57] gpa cutoff"? that's how i understand it. (sorry if i'm beating this to death...)

[Guest Ian Wong]

Floating to the top...

 

Ian