Birdy Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I had one class where the professor basically killed everyone on the final and only a couple people in the entire class got higher than 65% on the final. The class average was insanely low and even most of the top students came out with 70s. I got a 71 so this one grade means the absolute maximum GPA I can achieve for this year is 3.87 if I get 90+ in every other course (which I have so far.) Considering I applied with a 3.98, this rankles more than a little bit and it is a big problem. I'm OOP. The minimum for my pool is 3.87. According to admissions, I have to maintain a 3.87 this year (not wGPA including this year, but GPA for this year alone) or I will not meet the conditions of an acceptance, should I receive one. This would result in an acceptance being rescinded if I receive one and get even one more mark below 90. This semester, I am taking biochem from a professor who pretty much does not give out marks over 85 ever. It is the only section offered. I am considering withdrawing my Ottawa application prior to invites because, honestly, it would suck to attend an interview and then finish the year with a 3.86 and have to withdraw at that point. I am wondering what other Ottawa applicants would do in this situation, and if anyone knows if they automatically rescind offers in these cases or if it is considered on a case-by-case basis. In three years, it is my one and only bad mark, and I went into the exam with an 89% in the course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z12345 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I had one class where the professor basically killed everyone on the final and only a couple people in the entire class got higher than 65% on the final. The class average was insanely low and even most of the top students came out with 70s. I got a 71 so this one grade means the absolute maximum GPA I can achieve for this year is 3.87 if I get 90+ in every other course (which I have so far.) Considering I applied with a 3.98, this rankles more than a little bit and it is a big problem. I'm OOP. The minimum for my pool is 3.87. According to admissions, I have to maintain a 3.87 this year (not wGPA including this year, but GPA for this year alone) or I will not meet the conditions of an acceptance, should I receive one. This would result in an acceptance being rescinded if I receive one and get even one more mark below 90. This semester, I am taking biochem from a professor who pretty much does not give out marks over 85 ever. It is the only section offered. I am considering withdrawing my Ottawa application prior to invites because, honestly, it would suck to attend an interview and then finish the year with a 3.86 and have to withdraw at that point. I am wondering what other Ottawa applicants would do in this situation, and if anyone knows if they automatically rescind offers in these cases or if it is considered on a case-by-case basis. In three years, it is my one and only bad mark, and I went into the exam with an 89% in the course. That is a tough situation for sure. Have you confirmed with admissions whether the rule is firm? I would guess that it is. The way I see it is that you have 3 options: - try your best to get all 90s this semester and attend the interview if you get one (hope for the best, this would be my choice but it's difficult when you factor in finances and the potential mental blow. But you have a very strong app for other schools and getting in somewhere else would lessen the blow). - Withdraw your Ottawa app - Reduce your course load (depends on how many credits you have) so that it wouldn't factor into the wgpa but that would be risky for other schools, so probably not recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupchatt Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Don't withdraw. Work hard and do amazing in interview. 3.87 is not impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Does this condition apply only for OOP candidates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Does this condition apply only for OOP candidates? No, it's apparently conditional acceptance for all applicants. It's on their page about acceptances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organomegaly Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Change the biochem course if possible for an easier one. Do you NEED to take it? Also, it it completely out of the picture to get the grade in that course bumped up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 No, it's apparently conditional acceptance for all applicants. It's on their page about acceptances. Does it only apply for those who haven't finished their undergrad yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Change the biochem course if possible for an easier one. Do you NEED to take it? Also, it it completely out of the picture to get the grade in that course bumped up? I have to take biochem because I only took one semester orgo so it's the only way to meet the chem requirement for Ottawa. I am appealing the grade, as is much of the class, but I am not banking on it. *edit to add: I have decided not to appeal the grade. It was valid and there's no basis for my appeal. I probably could wheedle the school into giving me a better mark but it wouldn't be terribly ethical so I won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Does it only apply for those who haven't finished their undergrad yet? I'm wondering the same thing. I would think it's only for those who haven't completed undergrad. Anyone know for sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 I'm wondering the same thing. I would think it's only for those who haven't completed undergrad. Anyone know for sure? I would assume it applies to those who are still in school while applying. The wording on the website is precisely Selected candidates must successfully complete their current academic year, including having maintained their average; (the average must not be lower than the minimum WGPA cut-off that was established according to geographical status). When I asked for clarification on whether "the average" refers to overall or specifically the current year's average, Diane Parent copied the above statement into her really email and added: If you are registered in your third year when applying to our MD program, you must maintain within that year your average (the average must not be lower than the minimum WGPA cut-off that was established according to their geographical status). The last part is the same policy copied again, and I've actually heard differently from former applicants, but based on what she said, and the fact that the condition of acceptance states "their current academic year" I would assume it applies to anyone who is currently in school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 What happens if you're in 1st year of a new program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arttomed Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 What happens if you're in 1st year of a new program? As long as you have full course load you need to maintain the average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I will be withdrawing my Ottawa application once I find out whether or not they would interview me (I want to know for next year.) The likelihood of me finishing this semester with five 90%+ marks is fairly low and I really don't want to spend the ~$800-$1,000 on an interview for a shot in the dark. My financial situation isn't terribly precarious, but I have to be sensible about my expenditures and I'd rather just save the money for my next application cycle (or an awesome acceptance party if my other apps are successful) instead of possibly pissing it away in the event that I get an 89 or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I will be withdrawing my Ottawa application once I find out whether or not they would interview me (I want to know for next year.) The likelihood of me finishing this semester with five 90%+ marks is fairly low and I really don't want to spend the ~$800-$1,000 on an interview for a shot in the dark. My financial situation isn't terribly precarious, but I have to be sensible about my expenditures and I'd rather just save the money for my next application cycle (or an awesome acceptance party if my other apps are successful) instead of possibly pissing it away in the event that I get an 89 or something. Are you currently in the last year of your undergrad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 Are you currently in the last year of your undergrad? No, third. I will be applying to six to nine schools next year if I don't get in this year, so I have to balance my chances of success against my resources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetherus Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 No, third. I will be applying to six to nine schools next year if I don't get in this year, so I have to balance my chances of success against my resources. I would strongly urge you to go to the interview if you get one. Getting first hand experience at the interview is very very valuable if you are going to reapply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I would strongly urge you to go to the interview if you get one. Getting first hand experience at the interview is very very valuable if you are going to reapply!I've had one interview already and expect I will get at least one more. Frankly, $800-$1000 (flight, hotel, taxis, food, dry cleaning) for "experience" interviewing for a school from which I intend to withdraw my application is at best an irresponsible use of my funds when my husband and I are already stretching resources to afford all of this. If I lived within driving distance I'd go, but it is too far away to justify the expense. As it is, I have significant interviewing (on both sides of the table) experience from other stuff. Being a non-trad has its uses, so I'm not too worried about that part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organomegaly Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I've had one interview already and expect I will get at least one more. Frankly, $800-$1000 (flight, hotel, taxis, food, dry cleaning) for "experience" interviewing for a school from which I intend to withdraw my application is at best an irresponsible use of my funds when my husband and I are already stretching resources to afford all of this. If I lived within driving distance I'd go, but it is too far away to justify the expense. As it is, I have significant interviewing (on both sides of the table) experience from other stuff. Being a non-trad has its uses, so I'm not too worried about that part. It seems that you've made up your mind. However, since you've been able to get a 4.0 GPA in one semester before, there is no reason to think it is suddenly unattainable or extraterrestrial. I have been in courses were only 30 out of a 1000 students get an A+ at the end of it...so, yes, some course can be very hard, but I would be skeptical of comments that a prof never gives above an 85. So he has never given out an A+ final grade ever? I find that hard to believe and in fact probably think it is untrue without even knowing him/her - it certainly could be true that he rarely gives out 90s, but never? Have some faith in your self - you could be one of the few that makes it happen, especially since you have exceptional circumstances motivating you. Besides, I think you should not fixate so much on the future right now and get your semester rolling. You may not even get an Ottawa interview and this rumination would thus be of waste. Should you get one, you can re-evaluate how you feel at that time. You'll have a better idea of where the semester is headed. You can even decline your interview further into the year closer to the actual date, should you feel like you won't make that 3.87 after all, where you would have an even better idea of where the semester is headed. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 My friend called them and he was told that this condition applies only for those who are still in their undergrad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald_Duck Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Dude absolutely do not withdraw! You would be doing yourself a HUGE disfavor; 800-1000 is nothing compared to the tuition you are going to pay once you are enrolled. Think about it, if you don't apply this year, and let's say you average falls below that 3.87, next year when you apply, this year is going to count x3, and is going to be weighted like crazy, it will make it much more difficult for you to reapply (considering you have a 3.98 right now). You have 0 to lose (else than a bit of money) if you accept and go to the interview, and maybe you'll end up going over 3.87 and get accepted, you would have saved 1 year! I know I would feel like shit if my average didn't actually drop and I would have got accepted..... think about the alternative: your average drops, making much harder for next year since its weighted like crazy! Just try now and hope for the best, maybe its not this years grades that need to be over the cutoff but your weighted gpa; meaning if you end up with 3.86 this year, perhaps they will weigh it with your previous years and you will be still over the cutoff for conditional acceptance. Make sure you think this through, because you don't want to blow this close opportunity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeynut Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 No, it's apparently conditional acceptance for all applicants. It's on their page about acceptances. You are correct, my acceptance last year was conditional on this fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.