Hi Aska,
So I got through my 1st semester of 1st year! I had previously asked a question before complaining about my laziness and my C marks, but thankfully with your motivational words, I made it through with 3 A’s…and 1 C! That C is really worrying me. I’m in life sciences, and I know for programs like human bio and evolutionary bio, the requirements are only 4.0 FCEs, but for microbiology, since it has limited enrollment, it says:
“…with an average of at least 70% on these 3.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) and a final mark of at least 60% in each course. While it is difficult to predict what will be competitive course marks and average in a given year, based on previous years, the estimate is: course marks = mid 70s; average = mid 70s.”
I did get a C in one of the half courses (0.5 FCE), but the rest are A’s…unfortunately that brings me down to a mid-high 70s average on 1.5 FCE’s for now, but if I complete my 2nd semester STILL with an average of mid-70s, will I have a very low chance of getting into that program? In other words, how accurate are the “estimates” of the required marks they give on the program requirements website?
Can you very briefly go through how this subject POSt thing works? Is application only at the end of 1st year? And if it isn’t, can I keep applying? Also something else unrelated, how important are sessional and cumulative GPAs, if they are at all?
Thanks! 🙂
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Hey hey!
Glad to know I’ve been helping you!
See, that’s the annoying thing about most UofT websites. I find them to be extremely vague and not particularly helpful. I usually find myself in a state of “well, that was basically completely useless” whenever I looking for something specific on a UofT website or calendar or whatnot.
Anyhow, while UofT is infamous for sending students into zones of “mid-70s” or “low-80s,” they are usually accurate as starting grounds. Meaning to aim for the specific grade is good, but usually it’s best to go for a bit higher. So if you’re asked for mid-70s, don’t just go for a 74. Maybe aim for a 77?
But if you end up with a mid-70 average with the first year bio/chem/math combo that you need for this program, I think your chances of getting in will still be good. It’s hard to say anything concrete when it comes to a required average since it moves around depending on the number of applicants, but I stress that your odds would be okay if you at least had the minimum asked for. Still, mid- to hopefully-high-70s would work best!
If you don’t get in during the first round, however, you can always retake one of those classes (or two, I suppose) to raise your average among them — granted, whether you’ll be allowed to do so or not will be a tricky thing that you’ll have to discuss with the department. But say you did retake, if you bumped up your grade, you’d then be able to reapply in the second round.
And as for your question about sessional and cumulative GPAs… how important are they? Well how important is air? How important is food? How important is Netflix?
Ahem. Okay fine, maybe that was a little crazy but for the most part, I find people treasure their GPAs here at UofT. You’ll need at least a CGPA of 1.85 to graduate, and if you graduate with a 3.2 CGPA or over, you get this thing called “distinction.” And if you’re over 3.5 at that point you get “high distinction.” Fancy, right? But aside from those pretty names, grad schools like to look at your CGPA too so… Yeah. They’re pretty important.
Hope that helps!
enjoying the snowfall,
aska