GPA question

[beng]

I think dal is pretty open minded to programs that have requirements other than the stated minimums. For example, I believe engineers enrolled in coop programs that require summer courses are somehow appraised on a case to case basis. I think the best advice would be to do everything in your power to meet the minimum requirements, and then communicate any remaining issues to the admissions committee (as soon as the issues become foreseeable!).

[doc2B]

If you're taking the amount of classes = to a full course-load for your program then you'll be fine. If there is any concern about it that you can put an explanation in your application. Even though some of your courses are P/F we still consider them to contribute toward you taking a full-course load although obviously they're not considered toward GPA. So, I wouldn't worry about struggling to take courses beyond what your program expects you to take as a "full course-load".

 

As for co-op summer courses are considered in those situations because they are considered a "regular" semester for co-op students.

 

Also, for residency status if you're not from the maritimes you have to live/work here (not as a student) for 1 full year before being considered a maritime resident.

 

I hope this helps.

[zeitgeist]

Does Dal only consider grades from 2nd and 3rd year if you're still completing your 4th year at the time of application (assuming above 3.7)?

 

Is it correct that in order for your 3rd and 4th year grades to be considered, you must have already completed your 4-year undergrad degree at time of application?

[HBP]

Does Dal only consider grades from 2nd and 3rd year if you're still completing your 4th year at the time of application (assuming above 3.7)?

 

Is it correct that in order for your 3rd and 4th year grades to be considered, you must have already completed your 4-year undergrad degree at time of application?

 

yup, only can use what's available right

[Nurse]

I checked with my school and they won't let me take extra courses outside my program. So basically I am stuck with having to do the following in my third and fourth year.

 

Year 3 total courses 8 and total credits 28 since my clinicals are worth 4 credits each.

 

Year 4 total courses 5 with one clinical(final practicum) and total credits including everything is 26 credits.

 

If Dal is very very picky about me having to take at least 30 credits per year I could take a course or two through Athabasca University in my fourth year and go from there. I am not sure how Dal would look at me taking a social science course along with my nursing program....any thoughts???

[doc2B]

You can always contact the admissions office to find out for sure. But I know that if that is considered a full course-load for your program it is acceptable to Dal. So you should have to take any extra courses. Although, if you are taking extra course they can be in whatever you'd like them to be in. If you are concerned at all there is a section on the application for you to express your concerns to ensure that the admissions office knows that this was a full course-load.

[oldnewbie]

Yes, definitely call Dal to clarify. No point in taking additional courses if they are not needed.

[Nurse]

Thanks again guys.

 

So I am wondering what sort of 2 year gpa average is accepted at Dal for In province.

 

Thanks

[doc2B]

It really depends on the strength of the rest of your application. There are some people that are accepted with 3.3 gpa and some with a 4.0 gpa and anywhere in between. Usually the people on the lower end of the GPA spectrum have a lot of other things on their application, especially with regards to the supplemental section (extracurricular activities and the essays) and often they've done very well on the MMI. It also helps to have a good score on your MCAT if your GPA is on the lower side.

 

The admissions committee is looking at the complete package and not just your GPA so, while having a high GPA is great for scoring extra points, as long as you meet minimum standards academically there are other places where you can make up the points enough to be accepted.

[w8kg6]

The best thing to do would be to check out the thread about Accepted/Rejected/Waitlisted. It's the first one on the Dal forum. Here's my post from last year, if it gives you any point of reference. I was IP.

 

Hey, I got my letter a few days ago, but I've been too busy figuring out my next steps to post, heh. I've been watilisted at number 11 for the NB pool. First off, the standard stats:

 

First undergrad: BScKin (3.6 OMSAS Best 2 years, graduated 1 year early)

Second undergrad: BSc Chem Eng, Biomedical Option (Just finished first year, GPA was not used for Dal)

In both undergrads, I had a huge course load (average 7 classes per semester, some as high as 9).

 

MCAT: First Attempt, 10-8-10-S, Second Attempt 10-10-11-S

 

ECs: 2 years varsity athletics, canada games athlete, 2 years hospital volunteering experience (working directly with children in peds ward), 1 year special olympics coach, 1 year vice president of engineers without borders, 6 months job shadowing with physician, regular small things (orientation committee etc.)

 

Work experience: Pulp mill summer student (not very relevant, but just for posterity's sake), summer kayaking guide, housekeeping crew at Panorama Mountain Village (basically a cleaning lady), online tutor (25 hrs/week during the schoolyear, did this for 2.5 years).

 

Interview Experience: Some stations good, some stations excellent, no stations awful. One of my interviewers stopped the interview about 3 minutes in, said he had seen all he needed to see, and started to tell me about the program they had to offer at Dal.

 

Frankly, I'm not 100% sure where the bottom fell out. It looks like I'm going to end up being 4th or 5th alternate by the time summer's end rolls around... so right at the top of the people who will ultimately be rejected.

 

EDIT: I figured I'd update this and say that I wound up at 4th on the WL officially (even though there were 2 more who went to MUN instead, so it was really position 2, heh). For those checking this thread in the future, the NB pool moved 7 spots in total (but SJ campus should make this number substantially larger for the class of 2014).

[astudentis]

Are you wondering who gets accepted into medical school? Here are the statistics for students who entered in 2008, and who will graduate in 2012

 

* Average age is 24 years

* MCAT average score = 30 (24 – 40)

* GPA average score = 3.8 (3.3-4.0)

* There are 48 Females (47%) and 54 males (53%) in the class of 2012

* 19% of the accepted students have graduate degrees, both MSc and Ph.D.

* There were 90 applicants accepted from the Maritimes (NB,NS,PE)

* 8 applicants from the Non-Maritimes (rest of Canada plus international)

* In addition we accepted 1 dentist into our joint program of the MD/MSC (OMFS), plus 3 Military applicants (MMTP)

 

* Provincial breakdown looks like this:

o 21 students will be from NB

o 7 students will be from PE

o 62 students will be from NS

o 8 students from outside the Maritimes

 

How Many Applicants?

Class of 2012

 

* Total Applicants – 688

 

* Maritime applicants – 311

 

* Eligible – interviewed - 239 – 89 positions offered

* Ineligible / non-competitive – 72

 

* Non-Maritime applicants – 377

* Eligible – 250 – 60 interviewed – 9 positions offered

* Ineligible/non competitive/no interview offered – 317

[Nurse]

Thanks again guys for the info.

 

So the bottom line here is to keep my gpa up because it seems like that's what gets your application looked at. I've done my MCAT this summer and got 10-10-10-R. I've got over 10 years worth of EC's to fill my application with(I am 29).

 

So as long as I can keep my gpa high and figure out the # of courses per semester with Dal, I should at least be a reasonable if not competitive candidate.

[w8kg6]

Thanks again guys for the info.

 

So the bottom line here is to keep my gpa up because it seems like that's what gets your application looked at. I've done my MCAT this summer and got 10-10-10-R. I've got over 10 years worth of EC's to fill my application with(I am 29).

 

So as long as I can keep my gpa high and figure out the # of courses per semester with Dal, I should at least be a reasonable if not competitive candidate.

 

At least reasonable. Your MCAT makes bare cutoffs for OOP student (which you would be until working in NS for at least a year before applying). So long as you keep your GPA above a 3.8 OMSAS, you'll make minimum cutoffs.

[Nurse]

I have no intention of applying to Dal as an oop. Plus I want to work for a couple of years, make some money and then apply. These couple of years will give me three things to do:

 

1. Make me eligible for an IP applicant category.

 

2. Gives me 2 years in case I have to do more courses etc or even a second undergraduate/Masters etc. in case my BN marks are not competitive.

 

3. Improve on my MCAT's if needed.

[doc2B]

As an in province student I wouldn't worry about your MCAT score 30 is competitive. If I were you, even though you likely have strong ECs I would make sure you can manage to stay on top of some ECs that are important to you while you work. Not everyone is able to do that, especially if you have some volunteer work that is important to you. If you don't get the grades that you need you might want to upgrade those but then you run into some troubles with the fact that you need to do a full course-load and work at the same time and if you come here just to go to school it doesn't make you a resident of NS. Although you can try to set-up an appointment with someone from admissions to discuss some of these matters because it seems like it is very important to you that you attend Dalhousie (particularly as an IP student).

[Nurse]

doc2b

 

Thanks for the response. yeah My wife's family is from Nova Scotia and she is currently working in Halifax while I go to school in Calgary. I will be moving to Halifax after graduation and work as a RN there. I know it's very hard to be working full time and have a full course load. So I am going to work harder to get a very competitive gpa the first time around because honestly i don't want to do another undergrad and take a full load with a full time job.

 

Thanks again.

[Salsalover99]

I would like to apply to Dal but I can't for the life of me figure out my GPA. I will apply as a maritime resident and my cumulative GPA would be 3.69 (3.7 rounded up) averaging my graduate degree and my best 2 years of undergrad. I also have a BEd and have been teaching for 10 years. I have tons of extra curricular activities, leadership roles and volunteer experience. Do I have a chance?

 

I haven't written the MCATs yet but am planning in April. Hopefully I can get at least 10s.