Unweighted GPA Differences Between UofA and UofC

[Broccoli]

Hello everyone!

 

Inspired by MGB's poll, I'm wondering how your GPA was scored by UofA vs UofC. Please only reply to the poll if you:

 

1) Applied to BOTH UofA and UofC (obvious...)

2) Do not qualify for the weighted GPA for UofA (or know your unweighted, cGPA at UofA? So that your assigned GPAs from both schools are comparable)

 

This way, I'd like to get a feel for how the two schools interpret our marks.

 

Reason for poll: In the last few years, UofC posted much lower GPA's of the entering class than UofA. However, it's tough to compare their standards if they interpret our GPA's differently.

 

Thanks!

[milos]

I've read it's normal Alberta 4.0 (UofC, with obvious interpretation) vs OMSAS esque 4.0 (UofA). Though I am eligible for a year to be dropped this seems accurate. I guess we shall see. Maybe change to poll to the fields or agrees with OMSAS evaluation?

[thatonekid]

I guess I can't vote in this poll based on your criteria. But I like voting...

 

[MGB]

The U of A GPA calculation confused me. Even after they dropped my lowest year, my cGPA score there was lower than any other school I applied to in Canada...which doesn't make a lot of sense. I called them to have it explained and this is what I was told:

 

I did my undergrad in BC at a school on a 4.3 scale and so they did a straight conversion of my best 3 years GPA to the 4.0 scale...about a 3.70 became a 3.56. My point to the admissions officer was this...the only difference between the 4.3 scale at my institution and the 4.0 scale at U of A was that an A+ received a 4.3 instead of only a 4.0. The numeric assignments for all other grades are EXACTLY the same. Therefore, a true and fair GPA adjustment should be made by evaluating each course, and basically just adjusting any 4.3 scores to 4.0...in theory, if I never received an A+ my GPA should convert as EXACTLY the same. Upon me telling her this, she agreed with me and said she wasn't aware of such a discrepancy...but of course...nothing could be changed.

 

I wasn't expecting to get an interview at U of A as a result of this, but I still did even with them saying my cGPA was a 3.56...am wondering if there wasn't some subjective component to the academic score since I also have a Masters degree. Anyways, end result, my 3-year cGPA at U of A is almost 0.2 LOWER than my 4-year at U of C. I hope they adjust how they do that conversion in the future, because if what I was told is true, than in my opinion, it's the wrong way to convert it.

 

Hoping this is all irrelevant come admissions decisions anyways

[Erk]

I wasn't expecting to get an interview at U of A as a result of this, but I still did even with them saying my cGPA was a 3.56...am wondering if there wasn't some subjective component to the academic score since I also have a Masters degree. Anyways, end result, my 3-year cGPA at U of A is almost 0.2 LOWER than my 4-year at U of C. I hope they adjust how they do that conversion in the future, because if what I was told is true, than in my opinion, it's the wrong way to convert it.

 

Hoping this is all irrelevant come admissions decisions anyways

 

Having a master's gives you an automatic +1 in your score... can't remember if it is pre or post interview, but either way it adds up to a not-insignificant boost.

 

Sucks about the wacky GPA calculations. I wish they'd do a little more research before adjusting :/ there aren't that many schools with systems to learn. Really I wish Canadian universities would just decide on a single GPA system and call it a day.

[suziep100]

Having a master's gives you an automatic +1 in your score... can't remember if it is pre or post interview, but either way it adds up to a not-insignificant boost.

 

Sucks about the wacky GPA calculations. I wish they'd do a little more research before adjusting :/ there aren't that many schools with systems to learn. Really I wish Canadian universities would just decide on a single GPA system and call it a day.

 

But based on GPA calculations, +1 point from masters doesn't significantly change your GPA scores, whereas 0.1 cGPA difference can make difference by +4 points.

 

I actually kind of wish that they calculated 15% pre-reqs and the other 15% cGPA....

[Broccoli]

Alright, only 19 voters at the moment but I am seeing what I expected. UofA reads our marks as being higher than UofC. This may exaggerate differences when comparing the two schools. For example, the average GPA's from a few years ago:

 

UofA: 3.87

UofC: 3.69

 

But these reported scores are based on their individual interpretations of the applicants' marks.

[NinjaTurtle]

Alright, only 19 voters at the moment but I am seeing what I expected. UofA reads our marks as being higher than UofC. This may exaggerate differences when comparing the two schools. For example, the average GPA's from a few years ago:

 

UofA: 3.87

UofC: 3.69

 

But these reported scores are based on their individual interpretations of the applicants' marks.

 

Please elaborate...

[Broccoli]

Sorry this reply is so late. For simplicity`s sake, let`s say everybody applying has a percentage avg, and that avg is 85%.

 

Perhaps UofA`s conversion is 85% = 3.87

 

While UofC`s conversion is 85% = 3.69

 

Lets say both schools` entering classes have 85% averages. So the schools have the same `caliber` of matriculants, but report their matriculants differently.

 

I`m aware that the disparity between the schools gpa conversion isn`t huge and probably doesn`t account entirely for the 0.18 (3.87-3.69) gpa difference. But the differences between the schools exaggerates the difference.