Can someone explain to me how GPAs work for Canadians?

[cookiemonster99]

Firstly I don't really understand what these GPAs mean can someone explain it to me please?

BCP
SGPA;
Non-sci:
Total GPA

how do they calculate it?

also, for a Canadian what is a competitive GPA for dental schools if I want to apply?

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[cookiemonster99]

BCP = biology chemistry physics
sGPA = sicnece GPA
non-sci: you already know
Total GPA = total GPA...how else to explain this...

USA:

100-96.66 = A+
93.33-96.65=A
90-93.32=A-
89.99-86.66=B+
86.65-83.33=B
83.32-80=B-

and so on...

Pass = 60%

in CANADA:

100-90 = A+
89.99-83.33=A
83.32-80=A-
79.99-76.66=B+
76.75-73.33=B
73.32-70=B-

and so on...

Pass = 50%

That's why you'll notice canadians will have superior GPA on this forum compared to the rest of us. Also, canadian Dental schools have minimum GPA requirements and they're usually in the range of 3.7-3.95 (4.00 if you're applying after 2nd year). So you don't see that many US students applying to schools up there (even the Canadians attending US colleges).

Unfortunately, not a lot of US admissions committee are aware of this fact and take Canadian students' GPA as they do US GPA.

I guess if you're applying to Canadian schools, you want to be at around 3.7 minimum to even have a chance.

if you're applying to US schools just have around 3.5-3.6


Hope that helps.

I'm a little confused in regards to the GPA stuff.
When you mean biology chem and physics
does it mean ANY courses that is taken under the faculty of biology is considered biology. It may seem like a stupid question but one of my "biology" course is actually stats so would that be considered under biology?

and when you mean science GPA- I'm assuming ALL science courses are taken into consideration? For example: i've taken cell bio, histology, physiology etc those are considered sGPA?

to make things a bit worst
your above post about the percentage to letter grade.
on the back of my university transcript there isn't A- or B+
just this:

A+= 90-100
A= 80-89
B= 70-79
C=60-69
D-50-59

I realize that the American dental schools use a 4.3 scale.
but our credit system is also different.
we divide our courses into half year or full year(0.5 credit or 1.0 credit)
So is it any different for us when applying to American schools?

Just to complicate things more haha
What do american schools think about full course loads?
I have a couple years that I dropped a course(due to a bad midterm) and took it over the summer. Do american schools require you to have a full course load?
A full course load means: 5.0 credits at the end of sept-april season.
It's equivalent to 10 half courses but there could be full year that is 1.0 credits.

 

[Jungerr]

The GPA system differs from school to school. You should do some research into how your school GPA matches up with the AADSAS system.

And as for the poster above saying that admission committees is not aware of the differences... HAH! yeah, ok.

 

[cookiemonster99]

The GPA system differs from school to school. You should do some research into how your school GPA matches up with the AADSAS system.

And as for the poster above saying that admission committees is not aware of the differences... HAH! yeah, ok.

doesn't the AADSAS do the conversion for you for when you apply?
I'm just worried I don't have a competitive enough GPA and my course load isn't
really "full" because of one year(2nd year).
basically, I'm trying to get an idea of how american schools calculate GPA
and if they care about full course load

 

[Jungerr]

I'm a little confused in regards to the GPA stuff.
When you mean biology chem and physics
does it mean ANY courses that is taken under the faculty of biology is considered biology.

Yes

It may seem like a stupid question but one of my "biology" course is actually stats so would that be considered under biology?

Is it something like "Statistics applied to Biology"? Then yes, it would count as Biology.

and when you mean science GPA- I'm assuming ALL science courses are taken into consideration? For example: i've taken cell bio, histology, physiology etc those are considered sGPA?

yes

to make things a bit worst
your above post about the percentage to letter grade.
on the back of my university transcript there isn't A- or B+
just this:

A+= 90-100
A= 80-89
B= 70-79
C=60-69
D-50-59

I realize that the American dental schools use a 4.3 scale.
but our credit system is also different.
we divide our courses into half year or full year(0.5 credit or 1.0 credit)
So is it any different for us when applying to American schools?

You will have to convert credit weights to credit hours. Generally (I don't know your school so I don't know exactly) 1.0 credit = 6 credits and 0.5 = 3 credits.

Just to complicate things more haha
What do american schools think about full course loads?
I have a couple years that I dropped a course(due to a bad midterm) and took it over the summer. Do american schools require you to have a full course load?
A full course load means: 5.0 credits at the end of sept-april season.
It's equivalent to 10 half courses but there could be full year that is 1.0 credits.

Some schools do definitely prefer a full course load. It will say so on their website under admissions, so I suggest you start your research there.

 

[Jungerr]

doesn't the AADSAS do the conversion for you for when you apply?
I'm just worried I don't have a competitive enough GPA and my course load isn't
really "full" because of one year(2nd year).
basically, I'm trying to get an idea of how american schools calculate GPA
and if they care about full course load

Yup, they will do the conversion for you. But if you're worried about your competitiveness, you might as well try to figure out your scores to see how broad and to which schools you should be applying to.

 

[cookiemonster99]

Yup, they will do the conversion for you. But if you're worried about your competitiveness, you might as well try to figure out your scores to see how broad and to which schools you should be applying to.

that's what i'm trying to do haha.
the above conversion is what my schools goes by.

if 80 is an A which is a 4.0 and 90 is a 4.3
I think I might have around a 3.6ish GPA.
But at the same time. There are a couple of WDN(withdrawn/dropped) courses
on my transcript.
How will the schools look at that?

 

[Jungerr]

that's what i'm trying to do haha.
the above conversion is what my schools goes by.

if 80 is an A which is a 4.0 and 90 is a 4.3
I think I might have around a 3.6ish GPA.
But at the same time. There are a couple of WDN(withdrawn/dropped) courses
on my transcript.
How will the schools look at that?

Your GPA looks good.

To be honest I have no idea how withdrawals would affect your application. I would THINK it doesn't affect anything since you've withdrawn from the course before you received a grade, but I'm not too sure.

 

[cookiemonster99]

Your GPA looks good.

To be honest I have no idea how withdrawals would affect your application. I would THINK it doesn't affect anything since you've withdrawn from the course before you received a grade, but I'm not too sure.

I'm basing my assumptions off of canadian schools.
For example: University of Western Ontario Schulich's faculty of dentistry
clearly says that there will be a penalty if less than a full course load is taken when looking at applicants.
Since the course load for me in 2nd year was just 3 courses ( i ended up withdrawing from most of my courses because of health reasons).
And just this past year I only dropped 1 course but I took it in the summer and made it up.
I thought some schools care that you have to have a certain credit hours for each year.
any thoughts?

 

[cookiemonster99]

You will have to convert credit weights to credit hours. Generally (I don't know your school so I don't know exactly) 1.0 credit = 6 credits and 0.5 = 3 credits.

What about classes with labs?

for example organic chemistry: each week we have 3 hours of class + every other week would be a 3 hour lab.
Is that still counted as 3 credit hours?
Also, there are classes with tutorials. Some of my classes like histology had tutorials and labs but some classes like cell biology for me
only had a one hour tutorial. How does credit hour differ for these classes?