5th year undergrad student - apply?

[macman]

Hey guys,

 

I am sort of faced with a dilemma whether to apply this year or not (to either Canadian or American schools). I am taking the extra year this upcoming fall for missing credits, so I will most likely be considered part-time. How do Canadian and American schools look upon students who are taking additional years to graduate? (From what I've heard, it doesn't look too good). I know that I won't be able to apply for Western (Schulich) for sure, but I wasn't able to determine if I was eligible to apply for other schools. I'm afraid that they won't even look at the part-time courses done in the extra year - is this assumption correct?

 

 

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[rmorelan]

Hey guys,

 

I am sort of faced with a dilemma whether to apply this year or not (to either Canadian or American schools). I am taking the extra year this upcoming fall for missing credits, so I will most likely be considered part-time. How do Canadian and American schools look upon students who are taking additional years to graduate? (From what I've heard, it doesn't look too good). I know that I won't be able to apply for Western (Schulich) for sure, but I wasn't able to determine if I was eligible to apply for other schools. I'm afraid that they won't even look at the part-time courses done in the extra year - is this assumption correct?

 

 

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

Generally they don't consider part time years (there are exceptions) but that shouldn't really be blocking you from applying if you have already a competitive GPA. I guess should ask why you are "missing" credits etc

 

Out of curiosity, is there some reason that you have excluded Western? Is your current GPA best of two years too low in your mind?

[nosuperman]

Generally they don't consider part time years (there are exceptions) but that shouldn't really be blocking you from applying if you have already a competitive GPA. I guess should ask why you are "missing" credits etc

 

Out of curiosity, is there some reason that you have excluded Western? Is your current GPA best of two years too low in your mind?

 

If that were the case (OP doesn't have 2 years ≥ 3.70) then he likely won't be competitive anywhere. Probably a course-load/course-level restriction?

[macman]

If that were the case (OP doesn't have 2 years ≥ 3.70) then he likely won't be competitive anywhere. Probably a course-load/course-level restriction?

 

 

I'm missing credits because I dropped a course too late, so it shows as an "F" and not an "incomplete" (sigh). This kills my what would have been 3.8 GPA in my final year to about 3.1 - I'm not sure how schools are going to look at my final year . I also have a 3.8 in my 3rd year, but my first two year GPAs are not as competitive.

 

As for not applying to Western, I was talking to my dean who told me I would be ineligible.

 

I was thinking of applying to Mac with their new entrance formula this year. But my cGPA not above 3.6, so my chances are likely slim.

[nosuperman]

So you could use your 3rd and 5th yr GPA for UWO. Hows your MCAT (preferably your breakdown) ?

[Caylynn]

Why not take a full course load in your 5th year? Even if it means taking courses that don't count towards your degree. That way you'll have your third year and your fifth year with a full course load.

[rmorelan]

I'm missing credits because I dropped a course too late, so it shows as an "F" and not an "incomplete" (sigh). This kills my what would have been 3.8 GPA in my final year to about 3.1 - I'm not sure how schools are going to look at my final year . I also have a 3.8 in my 3rd year, but my first two year GPAs are not as competitive.

 

As for not applying to Western, I was talking to my dean who told me I would be ineligible.

 

I was thinking of applying to Mac with their new entrance formula this year. But my cGPA not above 3.6, so my chances are likely slim.

 

Ok! that makes sense - you may (it does happen) that you can appeal that inc and get it removed. Did you try to get your advisor to help you deal with that? sounds like you moved up the food chain a bit but I thought I would ask. Why were you so late in dropping the course? I have reversed that situation when I accidentally dropped late a course by the way. i also dropped the wrong course once too and got it fixed 9 weeks later. Got to stop doing important things at 3am

 

Now I guess I should say that IF you were to do a full time fifth year you could apply to western conditionally. Since you are at school anyway I thought I would point that out. That would set you up to apply to Queens later on as well.

[macman]

Ok! that makes sense - you may (it does happen) that you can appeal that inc and get it removed. Did you try to get your advisor to help you deal with that? sounds like you moved up the food chain a bit but I thought I would ask. Why were you so late in dropping the course? I have reversed that situation when I accidentally dropped late a course by the way. i also dropped the wrong course once too and got it fixed 9 weeks later. Got to stop doing important things at 3am

 

Now I guess I should say that IF you were to do a full time fifth year you could apply to western conditionally. Since you are at school anyway I thought I would point that out. That would set you up to apply to Queens later on as well.

 

Oh I've tried to get the F removed, haha, but to no avail.

My MCAT scores weren't good (BS:9/PS:9/VR:10/S) and I was hoping to write sometime in January if needed while studying part-time. Which is why I was banking on only applying to Mac this year.

 

I guess I could do a F/T 5th year, do my mcats the following summer and then apply in OMSAS next year...or apply to Ireland now, haha.

[nosuperman]

I guess I could do a F/T 5th year, do my mcats the following summer and then apply in OMSAS next year...or apply to Ireland now, haha.

 

It'd probably be worth it to get at those 2 year schools. Plus it'd even help with the GPA for Mac. Just write the MCAT in the summer, it doesn't make a difference so long as its before mid-September.

[Prothrombin]

Why not take a full course load in your 5th year? Even if it means taking courses that don't count towards your degree. That way you'll have your third year and your fifth year with a full course load.

 

What he said. I'm taking going to be taking a 5th year as well to make up for missing credits, but i'm taking a full course load. As long as you're doing the 5th year towards getting your degree and not just "for fun", all schools will look at it; even if it means you're only missing 1 course.

[macman]

So after looking at the 2011 OMSAS instruction booklet, it appears that Schulich doesn't look at repeated courses. According to the document: "If a course is repeated, the course is not counted in the course load for that year, nor is it factored into the GPA calculation for that year. Therefore, if you take five full or equivalent courses but one of them is a repeat course, that year will be considered to have less than a full course load and is not suitable for GPA calculations" (pg 54)

 

So basically I have to overload in order to have my 5th year counted... great.