Omsas Gpa

[touchthesky]

Hey All,

 

I'm just a little confused on how OMSAS calculates GPAs (the OMSAS manual is making no sense to me!) I just want to make sure I have the right idea:

 

So:

 

full year course (1.0 at U of T) (Sep-April) is worth 2 weights

Half year course (0.5 at U of T) (Sep-Dec) is worth one weight

 

My question is: do you multiply your OMSAS score for each course by its weight, and then divide the total scores/total course weights?

 

Any clarification on the calculation would really help!

 

Thank you

[rmorelan]

Hey All,

 

I'm just a little confused on how OMSAS calculates GPAs (the OMSAS manual is making no sense to me!) I just want to make sure I have the right idea:

 

So:

 

full year course (1.0 at U of T) (Sep-April) is worth 2 weights

Half year course (0.5 at U of T) (Sep-Dec) is worth one weight

 

My question is: do you multiply your OMSAS score for each course by its weight, and then divide the total scores/total course weights?

 

Any clarification on the calculation would really help!

 

Thank you

 

Sounds like you are doing it correctly

 

There are also some different ways the schools use GPA - some schools use a break down off your GPA by various years (Western, in one case Queens, or the weighted GPA used by Ottawa) or the cummulative GPA (like MAC, or after potentially courses being ignored Toronto).

[tijuana]

On a somewhat related question, how do you calculate your gpa using the UofT formula. i.e. dropping 3 full year courses if you've taken 15 full courses. Can I just delete my lowest courses, and omsas will show me the "UofT gpa"?

[touchthesky]

Sounds like you are doing it correctly

 

There are also some different ways the schools use GPA - some schools use a break down off your GPA by various years (Western, in one case Queens, or the weighted GPA used by Ottawa) or the cummulative GPA (like MAC, or after potentially courses being ignored Toronto).

 

Wonderful! Thank you SO much for your reply! I was just confused because this is the way that OMSAS states it:

 

"OMSAS calculates the Cumulative Average by adding all of the course weights and all of the converted grades and then dividing the total course weights into the total coverted grades. Please note: it is not an 'average of the averages.'"

 

The statement of "divide total course weights into the converted grades" really throws me off because it doesn't suggest to multiply the full year course OMSAS grade by 2 and the half-year course by 1.

 

So, for a full year course where an 85% is attained, it would be converted to OMSAS 3.7 and then 2 x 3.7 = 7.4 in the calculation, versus including the OMSAS score of 3.7 in a calculation where its weight of 2 is not accounted for.

 

LOL I hope I'm on the right track...sigh it's going to be a looong few months ahead between the MCAT and OMSAS

[rmorelan]

On a somewhat related question, how do you calculate your gpa using the UofT formula. i.e. dropping 3 full year courses if you've taken 15 full courses. Can I just delete my lowest courses, and omsas will show me the "UofT gpa"?

 

Basically - assuming you have taken no less than a weight in courses of at least 10 on the OMSAS scale you get to drop 2 course weights per year of schooling. For most people you get to drop two standard courses for each year you attended university.

 

This assumes you have NOT taken any summer courses though, as you have to record those in the OMSAS application but they do not count in any way towards your Toronto GPA (unless there is some special circumstances).

[rmorelan]

Wonderful! Thank you SO much for your reply! I was just confused because this is the way that OMSAS states it:

 

"OMSAS calculates the Cumulative Average by adding all of the course weights and all of the converted grades and then dividing the total course weights into the total coverted grades. Please note: it is not an 'average of the averages.'"

 

The statement of "divide total course weights into the converted grades" really throws me off because it doesn't suggest to multiply the full year course OMSAS grade by 2 and the half-year course by 1.

 

So, for a full year course where an 85% is attained, it would be converted to OMSAS 3.7 and then 2 x 3.7 = 7.4 in the calculation, versus including the OMSAS score of 3.7 in a calculation where its weight of 2 is not accounted for.

 

LOL I hope I'm on the right track...sigh it's going to be a looong few months ahead between the MCAT and OMSAS

 

You have to give yourself credit - literally here A 85% is a 3.9 not a 3.7 on the OMSAS scale. That could be a big deal. Otherwise you are on the right track! It works pretty much as you would expect.

 

Hang in there - after going through it I can definitely say the journey is a marathon not a sprint. You are starting early though, that is great!

 

I am so glad/lucky I got in on the first try. Glad this is behind me now!

[touchthesky]

You have to give yourself credit - literally here A 85% is a 3.9 not a 3.7 on the OMSAS scale. That could be a big deal. Otherwise you are on the right track! It works pretty much as you would expect.

 

Hang in there - after going through it I can definitely say the journey is a marathon not a sprint. You are starting early though, that is great!

 

I am so glad/lucky I got in on the first try. Glad this is behind me now!

 

LOL! Thank you very much!! OOPS! In my panic mode of trying to figure out these calculations, I put in a 3.7 instead of a 3.9! But yes it would then be a 3.9 x 2 = 7.8. I am glad I am on the right track - I felt like I was misinterpreting OMSAS. lol

 

Congratulations on getting in on your first try!! And thank you again for being so helpful

[Cnussey]

Basically - assuming you have taken no less than a weight in courses of at least 10 on the OMSAS scale you get to drop 2 course weights per year of schooling. For most people you get to drop two standard courses for each year you attended university.

 

This assumes you have NOT taken any summer courses though, as you have to record those in the OMSAS application but they do not count in any way towards your Toronto GPA (unless there is some special circumstances).

 

I don't understand this: do they mean summer courses, as in an intersession (7wks) or summer courses as in a trimester system (just another 14wk period like fall & winter)? I can understand why schools would drop intersessions...but in a trimester system it would be unfair, considering the courses are equally credible. (Not to mention the difficulty of deciding to study or hit the beach).

[rmorelan]

I don't understand this: do they mean summer courses, as in an intersession (7wks) or summer courses as in a trimester system (just another 14wk period like fall & winter)? I can understand why schools would drop intersessions...but in a trimester system it would be unfair, considering the courses are equally credible. (Not to mention the difficulty of deciding to study or hit the beach).

 

It isn't fair, but it is just the way it is. I took courses all year around and must have 20 courses in the summer terms (May - Sept), but Toronto doesn't consider these towards GPA (they will count towards taking needed prereqs though). Toronto also isn't alone - Ottawa, Queens (in the best two years case), Western......

 

Some people use this as a weapon in their toolkits - taking tough GPA busting courses in the summer (like say organic chem or english for some) means the course will not be considered at some schools.

 

The rule is supposed to be for consistency sake but it is probably getting dated. Summer courses, particularly with the rise of coop programs, are quite common.

[Cnussey]

It isn't fair, but it is just the way it is. I took courses all year around and must have 20 courses in the summer terms (May - Sept), but Toronto doesn't consider these towards GPA (they will count towards taking needed prereqs though). Toronto also isn't alone - Ottawa, Queens (in the best two years case), Western......

 

Some people use this as a weapon in their toolkits - taking tough GPA busting courses in the summer (like say organic chem or english for some) means the course will not be considered at some schools.

 

The rule is supposed to be for consistency sake but it is probably getting dated. Summer courses, particularly with the raise of coop programs, are quite common.

 

It makes it very difficult since all my A+s are in the summer. I wouldn't be able to obtain my degree by distance without the usage of summer courses--I'd be scrambling to find pre-requisites years from now! Meh, something else to add to the written components.

[rmorelan]

It makes it very difficult since all my A+s are in the summer. I wouldn't be able to obtain my degree by distance without the usage of summer courses--I'd be scrambling to find pre-requisites years from now! Meh, something else to add to the written components.

 

Darn, that's not good! You seem to have an interesting course schedule - may I ask how you have structured things?

 

MAC will still consider them, as will Queens if you are going the cGPA route rather than best of two years.

[Cnussey]

Darn, that's not good! You seem to have an interesting course schedule - may I ask how you have structured things?

 

MAC will still consider them, as will Queens if you are going the cGPA route rather than best of two years.

 

Structure is an interesting word.

 

Business has a number of requisite courses and a lot of electives--thankfully, all my previous classes fall into that category. They don't always offer the courses you need during a certain semester so you have to either obtain waivers or re-arrange your course selections to fit what you've been given.

 

I've had my second baby during mid-terms (ever try to nurse and write at the same time?) last winter driving me to begin mostly part-time studies or 3 courses per semester (also, forcing me into summer studies if I wish to graduate on time). We live in a rural town where there is no child care and so I am slowly working my way back up to a full course load this fall.

 

Ah well...if I require taking an extra year of full-time studies to be accepted the 2nd time round then so be it.

 

EDIT: They won't count best of two years--I only have one full-time semester each year I've been doing this and all my other credits were transferred from beg. & quitting a previous degree from 2001-2003.

 

Complications make the world go round.

[Halcyon]

Structure is an interesting word.

 

Business has a number of requisite courses and a lot of electives--thankfully, all my previous classes fall into that category. They don't always offer the courses you need during a certain semester so you have to either obtain waivers or re-arrange your course selections to fit what you've been given.

 

I've had my second baby during mid-terms (ever try to nurse and write at the same time?) last winter driving me to begin mostly part-time studies or 3 courses per semester (also, forcing me into summer studies if I wish to graduate on time). We live in a rural town where there is no child care and so I am slowly working my way back up to a full course load this fall.

 

Ah well...if I require taking an extra year of full-time studies to be accepted the 2nd time round then so be it.

 

EDIT: They won't count best of two years--I only have one full-time semester each year I've been doing this and all my other credits were transferred from beg. & quitting a previous degree from 2001-2003.

 

Complications make the world go round.

 

Oh wow, that must have been challenging.

 

Where are you all applying to? (sorry if you posted this somewhere else, and I didn't see it).

 

Good luck!

[rmorelan]

Structure is an interesting word.

 

Business has a number of requisite courses and a lot of electives--thankfully, all my previous classes fall into that category. They don't always offer the courses you need during a certain semester so you have to either obtain waivers or re-arrange your course selections to fit what you've been given.

 

I've had my second baby during mid-terms (ever try to nurse and write at the same time?) last winter driving me to begin mostly part-time studies or 3 courses per semester (also, forcing me into summer studies if I wish to graduate on time). We live in a rural town where there is no child care and so I am slowly working my way back up to a full course load this fall.

 

Ah well...if I require taking an extra year of full-time studies to be accepted the 2nd time round then so be it.

 

EDIT: They won't count best of two years--I only have one full-time semester each year I've been doing this and all my other credits were transferred from beg. & quitting a previous degree from 2001-2003.

 

Complications make the world go round.

 

Wow, ok - this is a complex case. You are likely going to what to discuss this with the schools (Queens, and Mac still seem to be options most direct I think here(?)). Probably need to see the exact break down to suggest anything more There is always a way!

[Cnussey]

Oh wow, that must have been challenging.

 

Where are you all applying to? (sorry if you posted this somewhere else, and I didn't see it).

 

Good luck!

 

McMaster, NO, Queen's, UofT (don't know why...lol), & MUN.

 

MUN & NO are my best bets...rural student and all.

[Cnussey]

Wow, ok - this is a complex case. You are likely going to what to discuss this with the schools (Queens, and Mac still seem to be options most direct I think here(?)). Probably need to see the exact break down to suggest anything more There is always a way!

 

I've worked out my complicated answers down to the last crossed t