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Appealing minimum GPA cut-offs?


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So here's the story, morning glory: Originally, I thought I was invited to interview at Western having satisfied both years of the 3.75 GPA cut-off. Turns out that in reality, I've only satisfied one year of it.

 

Why? Because at my university, in one year, one of the courses listed on my transcript was worth 4 credits, and I got a 4.0 on it. Because it was worth 4 credits, it was a little more heavily weighted, and gave my GPA for that year a 0.01 boost. So for one year, on my university transcript, my GPA was exactly 3.75, making UWO's minimum cut-off. So along with my other year, I thought I was good to go in terms of satisfying all reqs.

 

But in the OMSAS record, that 4-credit course is given the same weight as other 3-credit courses, so I don't get that 0.01 boost. My OMSAS record lists my GPA in that year as 3.74. Therefore, I don't make the cut-off using the OMSAS record. Problem is, I'm in my last semester at school here and I'm extremely doubtful of making the cut-off again. :(

 

I emailed the admissions office, and the nice person there said that I can appeal on the grounds I just described. I've searched the forums, but haven't found anything on appealing based on these grounds. Do you know anyone who's appealed and succeeded? Do you think my appeal would even be considered reasonable?

 

Personally, I think I'm being fair, as a 4-credit course is more workload, and thus, should be more heavily weighted, but then again, I'm also extremely biased. :P Thanks in advance for your help!

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You should certainly appeal if it becomes an issue (i.e. you are granted an acceptance conditional on having two 3.75 years at the end of the year).

 

Don't stress out until it becomes a problem; wait until you have an acceptance and then appeal to stop them from taking it away.

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[qutoe] Don't ask us - ask them! Email them ASAP if you're trying to get an interview this year (is that what you're asking about?) You have nothing to lose, so no reason not to.I already interviewed with them this year (March 2009). I'm just wondering if there was anyone on the boards who ever appealed at UWO, and what their results were. :)

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not quite the same, but i had issues getting an interview with western because even though i had 31 credits one year (combination of 2, 3 and 4 credit courses), it ended up being half a course short on the OMSAS scale and didn't appear to be a full time year, but I emailed western and they accepted it as what was on my transcript, not as what OMSAS decided it was (keep in mind this was only to get an interview, not relating to getting accepted, so it may be different, who knows). I would think that they would also consider the course weighting on your transcript, but it may take an appeal to get it looked at closer i guess? Perhaps wait until after the next interview weekend and maybe the admissions office would have a bit more time to look at it and figure it out.

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I think they do adjust it automatically. At UWO's first year engineering, there is a course that is worth 4 credits. On OMSAS, you can not select 4.0 credits. A friend of mine from engineering who got accepted - a 2010er- said that they automatically converted it for his application. It could have been that the 4.0 credit was also taken at UWO, and they recognized and later adjusted it.

 

In any case, it has been done before - so don't worry :)

 

Best thing would be to talk to Darla, she's very helpful from what I have heard.

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I think they do adjust it automatically. At UWO's first year engineering, there is a course that is worth 4 credits. On OMSAS, you can not select 4.0 credits. A friend of mine from engineering who got accepted - a 2010er- said that they automatically converted it for his application. It could have been that the 4.0 credit was also taken at UWO, and they recognized and later adjusted it.

 

In any case, it has been done before - so don't worry :)

 

Best thing would be to talk to Darla, she's very helpful from what I have heard.

These were reassuring words, thanks. :)

 

When you say "they automatically converted it," who's "they?" Mary-Ann, the lady I've been emailing at their office, said that UWO just uses OMSAS's cGPA record. Does UWO go and convert the record later themselves?

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