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Best 2 Years for Co-op students


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So I've already e-mailed admissions about this and am waiting for a response, but I thought I might as well post here and see if anyone had a similar situation.

 

So when I asked admissions earlier about how co-op students would be looked at, as we don't have regular Sept.-April school years, I was told that 1 full year would be looked, in addition to another year that can be broken up but needs to be of the same year level (eg 2 third year terms with a co-op term in the middle).

 

Anyways, in order to satisfy the full year that I needed I switched around a work term that I had in order to have 8 straight months of school. My schedule looks like this:

 

January - April 2009 -> 3A term

May - August 2009 -> co-op work term

September - December 2009 -> 3B term

January - April 2010 -> 4A term

May - August 2010 -> co-op work term

September - December 2010 -> 4B term

 

It seems that I have ONE full year now but it consists of half a third year term and half a 4th year term and then an additional split year, once again consisting of half a third year term and half a fourth year.

 

If any co-ops out there that have applied with messed up term schedules could help me sort this out it would be greatly appreciated.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey

 

I'm in the same situation as you with co-op... Here is the response I got back from admissions...

 

"Co-op students must now meet the minimum GPA in one year with a full course load taken between September and April as well as in one other year consisting of 2 terms within the same academic 'year', for example, both academic terms of Year 2."

 

Hope that helps. It doesn't help me because of my class schedule... looks like they'll be taking my 2A 2B and 3B 4A terms... very unfortunate considering Ive had a 3.95GPA over my last 4 semesters (2B, 3A, 3B, 4A).

 

Semester 1 - Fall Classes

Semester 2 - Winter Classes

Semester 3 - Summer

 

Semester 4 - Fall Classes

Semester 5 - Winter Co-op Work Term I

Semester 6 - Summer Classes

 

Semester 7 - Fall Co-op Work Term II

Semester 8 - Winter Classes

Semester 9 - Summer Co-op Work Term III

 

Semester 10 - Fall Classes

Semester 11 - Winter Classes

Semester 12 - Summer Co-op Work Term IV

 

Semester 13 - Fall Classes

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9.1.1 Co-op Students

If applicants are enrolled in an Honours-level co-op degree program their academic course work will be considered as follows:

One of the two years considered for admissions purposes must have 5 full or equivalent courses taken between September and April. This year must meet the minimum GPA cutoff for the current application cycle.

• The second eligible year for consideration will be the best academic year of the remaining years with a full course load. Please note that an “academic year” in this case will consist of the two semesters which combine to complete one of the mandatory “years” of the program. (E.g., Third year may consist of courses taken from September-December 2009 and May-September 2010 but the student is registered by their university as being a third-year student.) We will not consider two semesters belonging to different academic years.

 

Does the bolded text mean that only one year has to be w/in the "min GPA range"? If so, what does this mean then for the "best 2 year GPA"?

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9.1.1 Co-op Students

If applicants are enrolled in an Honours-level co-op degree program their academic course work will be considered as follows:

One of the two years considered for admissions purposes must have 5 full or equivalent courses taken between September and April. This year must meet the minimum GPA cutoff for the current application cycle.

• The second eligible year for consideration will be the best academic year of the remaining years with a full course load. Please note that an “academic year” in this case will consist of the two semesters which combine to complete one of the mandatory “years” of the program. (E.g., Third year may consist of courses taken from September-December 2009 and May-September 2010 but the student is registered by their university as being a third-year student.) We will not consider two semesters belonging to different academic years.

 

Does the bolded text mean that only one year has to be w/in the "min GPA range"? If so, what does this mean then for the "best 2 year GPA"?

 

For UWO, all applicants ultimately need to obtain the posted GPA cutoff in EACH of their two best undergraduate years (Sept-Apr).

 

The above bolded statements is an exception for co-op students. Co-op students need to have one "regular" year, where a full-course load is carried between Sept-Apr, that meets the posted cut-off.

 

In addition, co-op students need to have an additional two semesers, each with a full-course load, that when combined, form the second "academic" year. This year must also meet the GPA cutoff for interview eligibility.

 

For example, let's say that in my fourth year, I had a co-op placement during the fall (Sept-Dec) and I completed the regular academic year over the following winter and summer (or following fall) term. Then that winter semester would be combined with my following summer (or fall) semester to form my second "academic" year.

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so basically what you're saying is that even though my last four semesters where I took:

 

3A (1 4th year, 3 3rd years, 1 2nd year) GPA = 3.74

3B (4 3rd years and 1 4th year) GPA = 3.98

4A (3 4th years and 3 3rd years) GPA = 3.98

4B (4 4th years and 1 3rd year - in progress) GPA = ???

 

Are my best grades, they will take my 2 semesters from 2nd year just so that they are "part of the same academic year"? Seems a bit illogical.

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so basically what you're saying is that even though my last four semesters where I took:

 

3A (1 4th year, 3 3rd years, 1 2nd year) GPA = 3.74

3B (4 3rd years and 1 4th year) GPA = 3.98

4A (3 4th years and 3 3rd years) GPA = 3.98

4B (4 4th years and 1 3rd year - in progress) GPA = ???

 

Are my best grades, they will take my 2 semesters from 2nd year just so that they are "part of the same academic year"? Seems a bit illogical.

 

OK, so your third year will likely meet the interview cut-off: it has a GPA of 3.86 and it appears that you have carried a full-course load and the course levels are appropriate.

 

Does this year (3A/3B) lie in the regular academic season (Sept-Apr)? Remember you need at least one year with a full-course load that falls between Sept-Apr, regardless of your co-op program requirements. Clearly, your fourth year doesn't lie in the regular academic year (since you are completing 4B in the fall), so if you are expecting your third year to be used for interview eligibility at UWO, then it must take place over Sept-Apr.

 

Assuming you also meet the MCAT cut-offs and your interview goes favourably, you would probably be given a conditional acceptance pending the completion of your fourth year with a GPA that also meets or exceeds the cut-off (assuming you don't already have two years that meet/exceed the GPA cut-offs).

 

Oh and for the purpose of ranking applicants for admission, the best ONE YEAR GPA is used. Although all admitted students will have their two-best years meeting/exceeding the posted cut-offs.

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So I've already e-mailed admissions about this and am waiting for a response, but I thought I might as well post here and see if anyone had a similar situation.

 

So when I asked admissions earlier about how co-op students would be looked at, as we don't have regular Sept.-April school years, I was told that 1 full year would be looked, in addition to another year that can be broken up but needs to be of the same year level (eg 2 third year terms with a co-op term in the middle).

 

Anyways, in order to satisfy the full year that I needed I switched around a work term that I had in order to have 8 straight months of school. My schedule looks like this:

 

January - April 2009 -> 3A term

May - August 2009 -> co-op work term

September - December 2009 -> 3B term

January - April 2010 -> 4A term

May - August 2010 -> co-op work term

September - December 2010 -> 4B term

 

It seems that I have ONE full year now but it consists of half a third year term and half a 4th year term and then an additional split year, once again consisting of half a third year term and half a fourth year.

 

If any co-ops out there that have applied with messed up term schedules could help me sort this out it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'm not sure about this, but since this year consists of semesters that belong to different 'academic' years (e.g. third and fourth respectively), I'm not sure if it will be considered by UWO in terms of the GPA cut-off. They make it clear that they will not "consider two semesters belonging to different academic years."

 

BUT, maybe this only applies to the second best-year GPA and as along as the semesters take place over Sept-Apr, then this may be OK.

 

Sorry I probably only complicated the issue!

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