Course Load-Uwo Chances?

[NooraS]

Hi everyone,

 

I was just wondering what you think about my chances at UWO? My GPA (best two years) is 92% BUT I took less than full course loads every year, so my best two years were both 80% of a full course load (i.e. 24/30 credits). My RC score is 20.

 

It says on their website that "Grades of years with a course load equivalent to a minimum of four full courses will be utilized in the admissions process, but if the course load is less than five, a slight penalty is assessed against the grade, if used in the application process, to reflect the fact that it is based on a lighter course load." But I read somewhere here that people whose best two years are BOTH based on less than full course loads have a very slim chance of getting an interview. Please let me know how accurate that statement is! Do you know of anyone not making it to the interview for course load issues? Or anyone accepted even though they were taking less than full course loads every year? I never knew course load could be that important

[abciximab]

Hey there. I can understand how this can be a cause of anxiety, but unfortunately no one knows (to my knowledge) what the penalty is in terms of % knocked off your grade. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but from my experience reading the forums, it seems that the penalty is significant enough that it caused many people to not get an interview when they probably would have if they had the same average and a full course load. On the bright side, you have a great average and all hope is not lost! Let's hope the penalty is less than 2.5% per year because that would knock you down 5% which would put you at an 87% which is the minimum average for an interview (or around that). 

[NooraS]

Thanks for the reply! I don't know why I always assumed a "slight penalty" would bring my average down from 92% to around 90%..not less than 87%..that's so sad

 

Btw, I'm calculating my average by converting my A+'s to 95% and A's to 84.5%..there's no mark directly corresponding to an A at York University on the OMSAS, it should be something between 84 and 85..please let me know if that's not how they calculate it. Thanks!

[abciximab]

I definitely understand. Since they use the word slight, it gives the impression that the deduction will be minuscule, but from my experience on these forums, it seems substantial enough. I think the reason Western places an emphasis on a full course load is because we are juggling 10 courses at once right now and they want to be sure that you can handle that. 

 

If you're taking the midpoint of the range when calculating your grade then you're doing it correctly (i.e A+ is 90-100, so Western would take the % as 95). The exact percent will vary depending on which school you go to and what grading system they use. 

[ottawaliquid]

Do you know of anyone in your class who did take a year with a lower course load?  

 

Hoping for some anecdotal evidence

I took 4 courses one year and full course load the following.  When calculating my best two years,my GPA is pretty good though 3.96 so I'm hoping that the penalty is not so much that I at least get an interview.  24 on RC too so hoping that