moonlight93 Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 Hi Everyone, I am wondering if someone can help me in regards to chances of admission for the 2017 program. I graduated in 2015 and just recently decided as to what I want to do with my life. I want to get into PT (first priority) and then OT program. My over cGPA is 3.3 whereas my sub-gpa is 3.5. I still need to take pre-requisites in physiology (6 credits), anatomy (3 credits), statistics (3 credits), and english (3 credits). Since I live in Alberta, there is also a requirement of a specific course by U OF A if you want to get into their PT program, which I also plan to take. I will be volunteering over the summer and all the way till December to complete the volunteer requirements. My questions is this: If I do well on the pre-requisite courses I take plus about 4 or 5 months of volunteering, would I still be competitive enough for admission into the 2017 program? or do I need to take an additional year and raise my GPA even further. Assuming I am only talking about 18 overall credits that I would take, how much would I be able to raise my GPA to make me competitive? I am assuming a 3.6 after all these courses if I do really well on the prerequisite, or should I take one whole year worth of courses? I am just confused please help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OThopeful18 Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 With a 3.6 sub gpa it would be difficult to get an admission offer. Queen's considers applicants with great work experience. You would make the gpa cut off for Queen's. Most PT programs want atleast 3.8 or higher subgpa and for OT you need around 3.7 to be competitive. Although the gpa requirements seem to go higher every year. You might have a chance at U of A's OT with a 3.6. Realistically it would be better to improve your gpa to atleast a 3.7 and then apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OT16hopeful Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I agree with OThopeful18, 3.6 is kind of impossible with PT, and although it is possible with OT, it is still on the lower end. Some applicants do make it with a 3.6, but they usually have much more extensive experiences built through a long period of time. I would recommend upgrading with additional classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystal93 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 You can calculate the most you could raise your subGPA in x credits mathematically - that's what I did last year to see the maximum subGPA I could acquire by the following cycle. You could always apply for the next cycle with your subGPA of 3.6 or whatever it is, but just keep in mind that, as others have mentioned, you're be on the lower end of the spectrum. They also mentioned that individuals accepted with lower subGPAs have years of experiences, so reflect on your past experiences and how they have prepared you for PT/OT. While your experiences themselves are important, you also want to write essays that demonstrate what you have learned. If you've had jobs/volunteer experiences/hobbies that have taught you the essential skills needed for PT/OT practice, then talk about what you learned in your essays and potential interviews. While your chances for admission won't be the greatest with a lower subGPA, your chances would be zero if you don't apply at all. I would suggest looking into schools' cutoffs and statistics for the incoming class. Read the forums to see the statistics of accepted/waitlisted/rejected students for the schools you're considering. If you're tight on funds, for example, don't apply to certain schools - ex. McMaster PT and Toronto PT use subGPA only as criteria to invite applicants to interviews, and while I don't know the exact cutoffs for this cycle, it was around ~3.8. Best of luck with your courses and your applications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I wouldn't waste money on applying to McMaster and U of T as stated above, but it's definitely possible to get into schools like McGill, queens, and Western with a <3.8 subGPA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystal93 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I agree with Kip, but I want to emphasize that these students have extensive work and volunteer experiences, often long-term and closely related to the profession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OThopeful18 Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 Wouldn't you have to meet the GPA cutoff before the schools look at your work experience? With a 3.6 it might be worth applying to Queen's (OT/PT) and U of A (OT). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OT_Van16 Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 It is worth applying to McMaster with a 3.6 GPA for OT! I made it into the program with ~3.6 GPA. I got into the interview stage based on my GPA, work and volunteer experience. Once you make it to the interview stage, your entire application is then weighted 75% on the interview and 25% on the rest. Only 300 applicants get to that point so your odds significantly increase. Although it may sound intimidating to go through an MMI, it is totally worth going for if you feel your GPA is at a disadvantage. If you get waitlisted for the interview, there's a good chance you'll make it in because many people cancel out of fear of the interview or believe they have a better chance at other schools. I was rejected from Queens and UofT, but because of the interview, I believe it's what got me in. I actually had a better chance with McMaster because I could prove myself in person rather than what was on paper. So definitely do not count McMaster out Hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystal93 Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 It is worth applying to McMaster with a 3.6 GPA for OT! I made it into the program with ~3.6 GPA. I got into the interview stage based on my GPA, work and volunteer experience. Once you make it to the interview stage, your entire application is then weighted 75% on the interview and 25% on the rest. Only 300 applicants get to that point so your odds significantly increase. Although it may sound intimidating to go through an MMI, it is totally worth going for if you feel your GPA is at a disadvantage. If you get waitlisted for the interview, there's a good chance you'll make it in because many people cancel out of fear of the interview or believe they have a better chance at other schools. I was rejected from Queens and UofT, but because of the interview, I believe it's what got me in. I actually had a better chance with McMaster because I could prove myself in person rather than what was on paper. So definitely do not count McMaster out Hope that helps! Congratulations it's true that McMaster is one of the few Canadian OT programs that has interviews, so it gives interviewees like you the chance to shine. While grades are important, there are many soft skills that are extremely valuable. Just to note for future applicants, the selection process for interviews at McMaster is purely subGPA - they only learn about you and your experiences based on what you bring up at the interview. Post-interview it's 75% interview and 25% subGPA. Also, a quick Google search shows that for the 2015 cycle McMaster's cutoffs for the interview were 3.81 for PT and 3.64 for OT. Cutoffs tend to go up each cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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