Omsas Gpa

[Guest mdhopefully]

Hey everyone,

on the dal website it says omsas gpa conversion table will be used for gpas. How do they correlate this with the 3.7/4.3 cut offs for oops? it will be impossible for anyone to get over 4.00, anyone know how this works?

thanks!

[007]

I looked at the website and my guess is that they updated the main admissions page to say they are using the OMSAS scale but didn't update the minimum admissions requirements page yet. Not to worry, whatever they do, it will be consistent and fair for all students.

[Starzee]

Does the new OMSAS calculation of GPA mean that different schools will be weighted differently? I just checked the OMSAS conversion chart and my university is not listed. Should I worry?

[Madz25]

Hey everyone,

on the dal website it says omsas gpa conversion table will be used for gpas. How do they correlate this with the 3.7/4.3 cut offs for oops? it will be impossible for anyone to get over 4.00, anyone know how this works?

thanks!

 

I thought Dal changed to a 4.0 scale a few years ago for the admissions process. I remember reading last year that all grades would be converted to a 4.0 scale...or something like that.

[Guest mdhopefully]

this is from there website: Non-Maritime applicants must achieve a minimum total MCAT score of 30 with a minimum score of 10 in each category. One minimum score of 9 is allowed as long as the minimum total score is 30.

 

Non maritime applicants must also achieve a minimum GPA of 3.7 on a 4.3 scale in each of the last two consecutive years of full time study. If you apply and have previously completed your degree then we will also consider your best 3 out of the 4 years of full time study.

so they still are considering the 4.3 scale, but using omsas conversions......myabe they just add 0.3 after they convert using omsas?

mdhopefully

[SarahZ]

maybe they are just using the table to convert from omsas to their school, like an omsas 3.9 would be a 4.0 at dal or something, cause can't the table be used to convert from omsas to each school as well?

[007]

Like I said before, it's likely that they updated the main page, but not the other text yet rather than playing around with adding 0.3 etc.

 

As for your University not being listed, you can always either call the school you are applying to or OMSAS to find out how your grades will be converted.

[Guest mdhopefully]

hey 007, so do you think the cut-offs then would drop too? or would it be 3.7/4.3 just switched to 3.7/4.00?

thanks

[Starzee]

thanx 007, I suppose I'll email Dal and find out what the new conversion means for me. I hope they don't drop my GPA because my school isn't listed.

I think ur right Madz, I also remember something last year about them converting to a 4.0 and using that instead of converting everyone else out of a 4.3. Either way, i think the cut-offs are still the same.

[Madz25]

hey 007, so do you think the cut-offs then would drop too? or would it be 3.7/4.3 just switched to 3.7/4.00?

thanks

 

I always assumed it was 3.7/4.0 for OOP.

[JewelLeigh]

If you look at the OMSAS conversion, 3.7 on a 4.3 scale is equivalent to and 80+ average. On a 4.0 scale, 3.7 also corresponds to and 80+. The only difference between the 4.3 scale at Dal and the typical 4.0 scale is that 90+ have different values (4.3 and 4.0 respectively) and 85-89 have slightly different values (4.0 and 3.9 respectively). Otherwise, the 4.3 and 4.0 scales are essentially the same. Thus, the OOP cut-off will very likely be 3.7 on the 4.0 scale. If you aren't sure how your gpa works out, either use the OMSAS conversion scale, or if your school isn't listed just figure out each course as a percent (based on your school's grading system) and then average it (for each of your last two consecutive years)...if you're about 80% or higher, then you are likely a-ok for the OOP cut-off.

 

Also note that you cannot simply use the omsas scale to try to convert your gpa. Because it is not a linear scale, this does not work. You must convert each individual course and then recalculate your gpa based on the conversion to the 4.0 scale.

 

[AMmd]

does dal look at your best 2 years for OOP?

and if its the case.. the gpa is still 3.7 out of 4.3?

 

edit: sorry i answered my own question .. the last two years! Im going to Dal baby!

[JewelLeigh]

Just for anyone else wondering, I'll answer your question anyway:

 

Dal looks at the LAST two consecutive years. So for example, if you are done your undergrad degree when you apply, they will look at your 3rd and 4th year. If you are finishing your last year of undergrad the year of your application, they will look at your 2nd and 3rd years. (This all assuming a 4 year degree.) EACH of these two years must be above the cut-off (3.3 for Maritimers, 3.7 for non-Maritimers).

 

IF your last two consecutive years do not each meet the above requirement, then they are willing to consider your best three. This obviously only applies to applicants who actually have 3 other years to consider. In other words, there is a limited number of applicants who this rule will help - someone who has completed 4 years and who meets the cut-offs in 3 of the 4 years, with the 1 year that doesn't meet the cut-off being one of the last two.

 

Again, as above, Dal's cut-offs should be applicable to both the 4.3 scale and the 4.0 scale since anything below 85% gets the same grade point on both scales. Thus, I believe the OOP cut-off is 3.7 on either scale and the Maritime cut-off is 3.3 on either scale.

[AMmd]

thanks for the precisions.

i was just wondering, i am from Quebec and i am doing a 3 year undergrad, because i did Cegep previously (and some courses were credited). I read on the website that they dont like a 3 year undergrad... what happens to me in that case?

[JewelLeigh]

Since they consider each file individually, I doubt your 3 year degree will hurt you since things are so different in Quebec. Don't quote me on it though.

[AMmd]

I should tell them: as per JewelLeigh, I should be asked for an interview hehe

but most undergrads here a 3 years. so i wonder if they consider the fact that i did cegep before and count that a my 1st year or something... does anybody have more info on this?

[bioboy2007]

Just to clarify, getting 3.7 in each of the last two consecutive years does not qualify you for an interview. The 3.7GPA and 30MCAT are cutoffs for simply applying to Dal as an OOP applicant. To my understanding, all parts of the application are looked at, and depending on the competitiveness of your whole application, you are invited for an interview.

[kaymcee]

Any word on how stringent they are about those years being a full course load?

[bioboy2007]

Kaymcee--

 

I've heard that Dal's pretty flexible about their definition of a full course load. One of my friends who is applying this cycle, took 9 courses during one of her last two years and was told to append another essay indicating why she did that and what she was up to during that time.

 

Also, if you scroll through some of the earlier threads, I remember some other applicants who also got by with only 9 courses during the year.

 

Good luck.

[pseudo]

i am from Quebec and i am doing a 3 year undergrad, because i did Cegep previously (and some courses were credited). I read on the website that they dont like a 3 year undergrad... what happens to me in that case?

 

I'd say it's quite possible. There's at least one person in my class who had a 3 year degree (with no Cegep). I'm certain Dal would consider your Cegep courses and probably count you as a 4-year degree.

[a41]

Does anyone know if they look at the top 5 classes in each semester if you take more than a normal full course load?

 

I think my GPA should be ok, but as an engineering student I've already taken 39 classes in the first 3 years...it'd be really good if they only took the top 10 classes from each year!

[JewelLeigh]

A great question a41 and one I can sympathize with since I too was an applicant from Engineering Unfortunately, I can't be helpful at all, because I don't remember the answer! I know each med school sorta treats these things differently, with some considering all courses taken (summer, evening, over-loaded) and some taking your best courses that make up a full-time schedule. I can't for the life of me remember which one Dal falls into....sorry about that. (Makes this a bit of a useless post I know, but I just wanted to tell ya I sympathized, haha.) However, I can assure you that Dal doesn't seem to have any extra obstacles for Engineering applicants - in my class of 90, there are 6 of us

[tyro]

Does anyone know if they look at a fifth year outside of your degree as a continuing student or in your degree by deferred graduation? The only year that will be above the cutoffs is my 4th year.

[Clake09]

I have terrible first year marks, but my second & third are averaged to a 3.85, I've called Dal so many times but I keep getting different answers on how the calculate the GPA, one lady told me it was all four years and the next said the last two. Help!

[youngdad]

I have terrible first year marks, but my second & third are averaged to a 3.85, I've called Dal so many times but I keep getting different answers on how the calculate the GPA, one lady told me it was all four years and the next said the last two. Help!

 

I believe the website says if you are not finished an undergraduate degree they take the most recent two. If you are finished your degree they take your best three.