Applying To American Schools? (Help)

[slick90210]

Hey Guys!

I was just curious if anyone knows how to convert % to GPA? If been told so many different things. I converted my grades in respect to the chart but that gives me a Canadian GPA which seems much higher -3.84- then it should be considering Harvard accepts 3.77GPA (American Standard). Is there a step I am not taking into consideration? And one last thing, I failed the second half of calculus in first year and took stats to cover for it. Do most american schools look at all 4 years or best 3 etc?

 

Thanks!

[Khan Lala]

Whatever grades you got in % convert it using the chart on AADSAS.

 

They look at your overall GPA and science GPA.

 

Good luck.

[slick90210]

Heyy! Thanks for the reply!

 

So American schools look at summer school credits. If i fail a 0.5 credit and retook a 0.5 credit in the summer and received a A+... I would average the two credits out?

[coolwater]

Everything that appears on your transcript, goes on AADSAS. If it is not on your transcript, then you don't need to mention it anywhere.

[Khan Lala]

Heyy! Thanks for the reply!

 

So American schools look at summer school credits. If i fail a 0.5 credit and retook a 0.5 credit in the summer and received a A+... I would average the two credits out?

 

yep; even if u retook a class your original grade will be included in your GPA.

 

but hey, atleast it'll give the impression that you're committed.

[Guest vert]

when converting %age marks to GPA, do American schools have a conversion guideline chart (like the OMSAS?). Or would the OMSAS just be used?

 

Thanks,

 

-- vert

[slick90210]

Well heres what I did and i'm pretty sure I did it right. Go to the OMAS or w/e table, make all your grades into letters.

Using those letters there is a chart for the american dentistry association (AADSAS or something) they have a chart -in a pdf- which takes letter grades and converts them into GPA's.

 

[Guest vert]

thanks!

do you by any chance have a link to that chart converting letter grades to GPA?

[microserf]

here ya go! http://www.adea.org/WebDocs/AADSAS/AppAADSASInstructions.pdf

Its on page 46 in case you were wondering.

As for converting from percentage to letter grade, it would be safer to ask if you school has their own scale rather the using the OMAS scale, see which one is to your advantage.

[pearlywhites]

The above info was very helpful. I've found that the American coversion scale really hurts your GPA if you come from a Canadian school that gives out percentage grades.

My OMSAS GPA for the best 2 years is 3.9 and best 3 years is 3.88, but my cumulative for American schools would only be a 3.26 and my first year grades aren't terrible. Is this normally the case? Are you able to convert your percent grades to letter grades to improve your GPA?

[carlitto]

Okay, I havnt read all the posts. I applied to US schools last year and had 100 questions about this. So I know a little bit about it.

 

If your school does not use a GPA scale, then the way to do it is:

 

1. Convert your grades to letter grades according to your school standards. i.e. get your schools letter to grade equivilancy chart (for example A+ = 90-100, A = 80-90).

2. Use the AADSAS chart to convert your letter grades to a GPA.

 

If you are at UWO, your american GPA will be higher than your canadian. It varies with schools.

[ad19]

Okay, I havnt read all the posts. I applied to US schools last year and had 100 questions about this. So I know a little bit about it.

 

If your school does not use a GPA scale, then the way to do it is:

 

1. Convert your grades to letter grades according to your school standards. i.e. get your schools letter to grade equivilancy chart (for example A+ = 90-100, A = 80-90).

2. Use the AADSAS chart to convert your letter grades to a GPA.

 

If you are at UWO, your american GPA will be higher than your canadian. It varies with schools.

 

 

Do you know or anybody else for that matter, know where to find UWO grade equivilancy chart?

[skulleader]

Hey, I wanted to take the American DAT and I wanted to know how to convert my credits into their semester hours thing.

[IHeartTeeth]

how many credit hours is 1 full course at UofT / UWO. For example BIO150... how many credits is that for AADSAS/american schools

[AllSmiles]

Usually a lecture course is 3 credits and a lab course is 4.

[mrsweasley]

how many credit hours is 1 full course at UofT / UWO. For example BIO150... how many credits is that for AADSAS/american schools

 

are you asking about for the "Course work" section on AADSAS when it asks how many credits a course was worth? I'm wondering abou that too... so would a lecture course that runs the full year be 6 credits then?

I've been putting 1.0... :S whoops

[AllSmiles]

Yup, full year is 6 credits for lecture. but a class that has a lab included in it is considered 8 for the year.

[smilee]

hahah thanks AllSmiles!

you answered the question I was just going to post

[sloken]

i've got an 82% average over four years, which is an A- at my school.

AADSAS calls an A- a 3.7

I went thru and followed the example in the pdf for every course I've taken and ended up with a 3.5

[Masaki]

Yup, full year is 6 credits for lecture. but a class that has a lab included in it is considered 8 for the year.

 

are you certain we input 6 or 8 credits for full year or full year plus lab? I have been putting in 0.5 and 1.0 for half and full year courses. Did they indicate anywhere on their site that you have to do it the other way?

I was under the impression that you have to put it in exactly they way it appears on your transcript, and my transcript says 0.5 or 1.0

 

hmmm I think it may be worth calling in about it. I may do that tumorrow

[ad19]

are you certain we input 6 or 8 credits for full year or full year plus lab? I have been putting in 0.5 and 1.0 for half and full year courses. Did they indicate anywhere on their site that you have to do it the other way?

I was under the impression that you have to put it in exactly they way it appears on your transcript, and my transcript says 0.5 or 1.0

 

hmmm I think it may be worth calling in about it. I may do that tumorrow

 

I would like to know the same thing... can you post your answer to the question if you do contact them?

[AllSmiles]

Ok, so I looked back at my old application from my first try a while back and I marked down the credits exactly as they were found on my transcript. So when I went to UT I put down the 1.0s and 0.5s and when I went to the states I put down the 3.0s and 4.0s...hope that helps! I don't remember what the final grades were though and if they computer did the calculations or not...it gets confusing with combining the Canadian and U.S. school grades.

[Masaki]

I tried calling them and they said just to go with what you felt comforatble with.

However, if I use the US system (vs my school's 0.5 vs 1.0 system), I end up with different GPAs because my school doesn't weigh lab courses heavier than regular courses.

hmm what should I do?

[sarasam]

Hi,

I go to UofT, and I called AADAS and explained to them that we have 1.0 and 0.5 for credits. he said put credit units exactly as shown on ur transcript, and he told me that they will convert it to semester hous. So for like BIO150 we should write 1.0 unit.

but u know there are 2 semesters Fall and Winter.

on the trasncript BIO150 for the fall semester is IPR and for the winter semester we actually have a mark so how are u seperating the fall and winter semester in ur application. transcript showns:

Fall BIO150 IPR

Winter BIO150 80

So how do u indicate that bio 150 was in progress in the fall semester?

[AllSmiles]

You mark it exactly like on your transcripts. So if it only shows grades for a year class during the second semester, then that is where you put it. They will know what you mean since they deal with many Canadians.