Type of marks required for any post-secondary institute

[wanted]

Hey guys...

I'm just wondering, what type of marks are required for any post-secondary institute, whether it be college or university. Can someone give me a range (ie: xx to xx) for whichever field/program. Just want to know to set some goals for next year. :)

BTW, am I at a disadvantage, my current HS is non-semestered. I'm 8 (frickin) classes at once, could this be a reason why my average was only 83 (even though 6/8 classes were >80 ??).

Thanks guys, all help appreciated. :)

*BTW, I have no-one of older influence to guide me, so I really appreciate all the help you guys give me. :) Not that I have no parents, but people who are the same age and experienced as you.

edit: I'm in Ontario if it helps.

[Absolute]

For Comp Sci at Carleton.... 80-85%

[biggunstwo]

for sheridan college you just have to pass high school

[danfromwaterloo]

As I recall, if you want to go to university, the ABSOLUTE lowest I believe is a high-60s to low-70s (that's for like Lakehead Arts).

If you want to go to College for a general program, you should be able to get in with just about anything, depending on the school and the program. Some are more demanding with their entrance criteria (some demanding upwards of an 80!) all the way down to general admission (ie. autistic kids can theoretically gain admission).

Depends where you want to go.

With an >80, you should be able to get into most Science, CS, and Engineering schools, mind you not the top ones. Make sure as well that your extracurricular activities are high and you should be okay for most programs.

In order to get into the best programs though, you need a 90.

[wanted]

Interesting, seems like I got to hit 90's...and do extra-curricular stuff.
Eeks! >:(

THis year I hit 83 with 60% effort term 1, 75% effort term 2, and 95% effort end of year.

Looks like a gotta cut RFD, probably save 2.5hrs during the year :lol:


j

[B40]

I have no idea what you're saying, since you're on my ignore list. But pick up a copy of the OUAC booklet, it lists all the schools, by program and the requirements to get in.

[StrayB]

THis year I hit 83 with 60% effort term 1, 75% effort term 2, and 95% effort end of year.


What does "[X]% effort" mean?

[divx]

Interesting, seems like I got to hit 90's...and do extra-curricular stuff.
Eeks! >:(

THis year I hit 83 with 60% effort term 1, 75% effort term 2, and 95% effort end of year.

Looks like a gotta cut RFD, probably save 2.5hrs during the year :lol:


j

they don't gave a rat a$$ about extra-curricular activities. I didn't put any on my admission form and they still took me in.

for UW electrical eng u need >90%
comp eng u need >85%
all other eng u need 85 - 90 ish

i gave them my transcript says 93.6% avg, then i got in. I didn't metion any extra curriular activities. It make sense, most extra curriular activities are not related to the field you are going to. But say if you joined a computer science club in HS and you want to take comp sci in university, then it might make a difference, otherwise, just your mark is good enough to convince them.


oh BTW, getting into university is the easy part, STAY in is the real challange :lol:

PS: a dude with 80% avg actually manage to get in comp eng here, he said he got 3rd or something in toronto programming competition or something like that. So I guess if you can get in the top 3 of some reputatable competition, then put that on your admission form, it helps.

PSS, with your mark of 80, you can get into most universities. don't worry about the ones that don't accept you, cause even if they do, chances are that you will drop out within first year. you want get in a university that's both reputable and passable, the least thing you can do is pass, if you pick the top 3 university and can't pass, what good will that do.

[afong56]

step 1: goto your public library. get the newest edition of maclean's magazine college and universities edition. read. this will give you general ballparks

step 2: goto your guidance department. identify the field of study you are most interested in, and ask them what are the minimum and averages for admission into say, 5 schools for that program

step 3: call the admissions department of your identified schools directly, some have toll free numbers

this will get you the most accurate answers.

the flux between schools and from year to year can be significant.

example: laurier suddenly went from baselining b students to b- to even c students, in one year. someone who went to laurier last year wouldn't be able to tell you that. your guidance counsellor can, as will the admissions department of the school.

my .02 cents

[divx]

step 1: goto your public library. get the newest edition of maclean's magazine college and universities edition. read. this will give you general ballparks

step 2: goto your guidance department. identify the field of study you are most interested in, and ask them what are the minimum and averages for admission into say, 5 schools for that program

step 3: call the admissions department of your identified schools directly, some have toll free numbers

this will get you the most accurate answers.

the flux between schools and from year to year can be significant.

example: laurier suddenly went from baselining b students to b- to even c students, in one year. someone who went to laurier last year wouldn't be able to tell you that. your guidance counsellor can, as will the admissions department of the school.

my .02 cents

isn't that due to double coherent? it happened to all university I think. UW dropped their standard too, cause they can't teach gr 12 grads the same material as they did for gr13 grads.

[Avenger]

Unless you want a specific institute, grades are irrelevant. If you are really stuck with bad marks, just remember, there is always places like Seneca and Windsor U :)

[Absolute]

I have no idea what you're saying, since you're on my ignore list. But pick up a copy of the OUAC booklet, it lists all the schools, by program and the requirements to get in.
Ahh, this made me laugh :lol:

[wanted]

What does "[X]% effort" mean?


time spent playing xbox, watching tv, making significant and great contributions to RFD versus time spent doing work.

ie: I spent 70% my time studying, and 30%.
That' would be 70% effot.

[Absolute]

time spent playing xbox, watching tv, making significant and great contributions to RFD versus time spent doing work.

ie: I spent 70% my time studying, and 30%.
That' would be 70% effot.

Hey. I've been watching your post count, nice "30%" RFD. :P

[wanted]

Hey. I've been watching your post count, nice "30%" RFD. :P


The growth in posts was because of summer.
:cheesygri

I remember 2 weeks ago, I had a good 100-150 posts over you. But all of a sudden you want on a posting spree :!:

i just did 1k (5-6k) in 11days :twisted: :lol:

[StrayB]

time spent playing xbox, watching tv, making significant and great contributions to RFD versus time spent doing work.

ie: I spent 70% my time studying, and 30%.
That' would be 70% effot.

Ah, okay. I initially thought it was a new grading scheme or something.

[Absolute]

I remember 2 weeks ago, I had a good 100-150 posts over you. But all of a sudden you want on a posting spree :!:

i just did 1k (5-6k) in 11days :twisted: :lol:
Lol, yep you beat me in posts per day :)

I remember last week you were 100 ahead of me, not sure how I passed you.

[Bordello]

Keep up the 83% average and you could get into most programs at university. For the competitive ones you'll need at least 90% though.

[afong56]

isn't that due to double coherent? it happened to all university I think. UW dropped their standard too, cause they can't teach gr 12 grads the same material as they did for gr13 grads.

actually, the double cohort went through two full years ago, in 2002-2003, so it wasn't a factor.

[shuffle]

My intent is not to lecture you or try to divert your focus but always remember that relevant experience can be just as valuable as post secondary education. If you have a passion (and that is a real important point - you need to LOVE the subject matter), consider scouting for that perfect entry level job... If you truly have a passion you will succeed.

Obviously this depends on your career choice path as well.

Or maybe I just got lucky.

[toalan]

If you come from a good high school then they add a few points to your percentage if you come from a crappy high school they discount a few percentage points. They say they do not discriminate based on school but that ain't the truth in the real world.

[Bordello]

If you come from a good high school then they add a few points to your percentage if you come from a crappy high school they discount a few percentage points. They say they do not discriminate based on school but that ain't the truth in the real world.
OK there. Where did you hear about this?

[toalan]

personal experience, and common sense

[B40]

they don't gave a rat a$$ about extra-curricular activities. I didn't put any on my admission form and they still took me in.


From what I remember being told when I was applying, extra-curricular stuff can help you get in if you're a few %'s below the cut off.

[LegiT]

So...

If "I" continue to get 90's and over in all my Academic/University courses, that would ensure me admission to most universities?

Just wondering...

[xIcewind]

most canadian universities, yes.

if you have any national / international competition (participation for those that require tests at each stage. eg. regional, provincial, national, international, etc) or good score on a cross-canada contest, you don't necessarily need the marks to get in.

[gilboman]

personal experience, and common sense

personal experience how?

this is not true btw. :lol: :lol:

[Bordello]

From what I remember being told when I was applying, extra-curricular stuff can help you get in if you're a few %'s below the cut off.
Some schools (ie. Queens) require you to fill out an extra form about yourself. It'll definitely impact your admission, not sure if it'll help you get over the cut-off though.

[will1087]

As a graduate this year and having gone through the whole uni process, I think I'll chime in. Im headed to Queens Comm next year so take my advice any way u want.

Any given university program requires 6 grade 12 courses of which its essential you have English and calculus, at least for the programs i looked into, as well as the essential prereqs for your given program. What you gotta remember is that you MUST have the prerequisites, but saying that, whatever else you take is completely up to you.

This is a strategy that i've used and got into my ideal program, academic accolades, and all with minimal work and tonnes of free time with friends and extra curricular stuff like sports.

First off, universities use your TOP 6 courses to calculate your average, and this is done with a computer so no consideration is taken to what courses your TOP 6 are. In this case, take the EASIEST options available (at a U level), this would usually include economics, law, or any given social science course, gym also works because you are allowed 1 or 2 M courses, dependent on your program. You want to take your 6 courses preferably starting in grade 11, by taking some gr 12 courses in grade 11. What I did was take Calculus and Computer engineering (both gr 12) in gr 11, getting them out of the way. In grade 12 I took English, Physics, Astronomy, Economics, Chemistry, Comp Sci, and Discrete Math. Mind you, the Calculus, Physics, Discrete, Chem, Eng courses were AP. What i did was stupid because i tried to "LEARN" so i took some hard courses that i didnt need to take. However, the 4 AP courses led to some good marks and the i scored in Astro and Comp Sci too. The rest of the courses i just slacked off and made sure to get 80+. But what I'm trying to say is, focus on 6 courses and make sure u dont fail the others.

[wanted]

Thanks will.
I've got 5 U for next year, f&r math, english, chem,bio, physics.
Not sure what I can add for number 6, oh I see, 6 overall (kind of low if it is)

[will1087]

From your prereqs, it looks like u wanta do a science/eng program in uni.

This year, entrance eng marks and sci marks in programs, in general, were REALLY low, engineering science only required a mid-high 80's when usually its a marqee 90+ course. From what it looks like, if you get 85 you'll have a really good shot at any uni. Extracurricular is important only in those really good programs or programs that value extracurricular activities like commerce, health science (mac), engineering science, mechatronics, AEO (Ivey), etc.

The top 6 used for your average are also ur best 6 U courses (pref gr 12) (incl. prereqs), i dont mean like top 6 from gr 9 and stuff.

[netgeek]

i needed 82 to get into Nursing (BScN) at Western

[DirtyDave]

makes me laugh. many of these schools require high marks. however once you graduate, many employers are hesitant to hire a 90% average student. Would much rather take a high 60% low 70% student. There is a difference between book smart and knowing how to do the job. An employer rarely can teach a 90% student anything, since in most cases tend to think the know everything of the job. where as a 70% student, is not a bad student, oviously knows what he/she is doing (he/she graduated after all!) but is someone who can still be taught. an employer can train a 70% student much easier then a 90%.

sounds crazy, sounds stereotypical, but it is the truth. ive seen it.

[UrbanPoet]

75-80% is really safe to get yourself into most arts programs.

85% would be safe for more speciailized fields

90% and up is for those top of the line best in canada type programs.

it depends on what ur into really....

[will1087]

makes me laugh. many of these schools require high marks. however once you graduate, many employers are hesitant to hire a 90% average student. Would much rather take a high 60% low 70% student. There is a difference between book smart and knowing how to do the job. An employer rarely can teach a 90% student anything, since in most cases tend to think the know everything of the job. where as a 70% student, is not a bad student, oviously knows what he/she is doing (he/she graduated after all!) but is someone who can still be taught. an employer can train a 70% student much easier then a 90%.

sounds crazy, sounds stereotypical, but it is the truth. ive seen it.

Well then again, what you've seen is a difference in the the way they've been taught. For a 70% student, they're much more applied, meaning they've taken more hands on type programs like mech eng, comp sci, stuff that they can get right down to work with. Of course a 90% student usually takes the program which requires the highest marks to get in, i.e. a more academic program. The jobs you're talking about are probably not the upper echelon of jobs, probably middle type income, because this is where applied people are more in demand, because they can get right down to work whereas people with much more theoretical degrees arent taught how to fix a computer but whereas how it works. In higher paying jobs, people with applied degrees will be scarce because they are taught to get down to work but cant think outside of what they've been taught. Its a matter of brains vs. brawn.

[JohnB]

From what I remember being told when I was applying, extra-curricular stuff can help you get in if you're a few %'s below the cut off.

B40s right - if youre slightly below the cut-off, like 83% and the official requirement is 85% then it might help you. Most Univs are there to make money, they dont want to turn away big $s due to a few percentage points at the start. Worst case write a nice letter and be persistant.

Dont under-estimate the power of a personal letter! Even if you don’t make it into your first choice right away (AGGGHHHH), call them up and register in level "0" courses part-time, and 99% chance you will be in next semester full time. If there’s a will there’s a mofo way.

But to your question for any engineering in Canada try to get at least an 85+% in all your important senior HS year courses like English/Calc/Algeo/Chem/Phy/Extra.

As you know high school grades aren’t exactly much to brag about - anyone who is serious can get in the 90s in most public high schools in Ontario. Sorry to say but its true.

If you’re showing off with a 90% from a public high school, then go to China or something where that literally equals a 50% at the MOST. Or conversely, go to some places in the southern US and this will equal a 400+++%

As corny as it sounds, honestly just try your best all the time at school and see what happens. If you study hard now it will pay off later. X-box wont pay the bills, and the GreyHound don’t float on water

What do you want to apply for ? Check out the req's online to be sure of the cut-offs, which are like guidelines.

JB

[divx]

wanted is still in gr 11 afaik, it's good to think ahead. I never actually thought of which university and which program to go in. until the end I asked my dad and he said electrical eng, and uw is #1 for eng, that's how i picked my major. I can't say I really enjoy it, but I somewhat like it.

[wanted]

wanted is still in gr 11 afaik, it's good to think ahead. I never actually thought of which university and which program to go in. until the end I asked my dad and he said electrical eng, and uw is #1 for eng, that's how i picked my major. I can't say I really enjoy it, but I somewhat like it.

correct
edit:starting in sep

[KevC]

85% should be good enough for pretty much anywhere. But remember, there are certain programs that you need to work hard for. Like SyDe and ECE at Waterloo and nSci at UofT (~90s). For LifeSci a low to mid 80 should be enough.

If you want a scholarship, be prepared to work extra hard. I didn't get anything for UofT, I got 90%. I got a bit of money from other places, and a heck of a lot of money from York lol.

Work hard and build a good work ethic during High School. It'll help for uni. If you study at least an hour a day, you should get 90s no problem. Get high marks in HS, it's not as hard as you may think. Strive for perfection. That's how I got my marks, then I started getting lazy hahaha.

Anyway, if you have good work ethic, staying afloat in Uni wont be difficult.

As for college and the like, (not hard to get in stuff) you don't even need to finish High School for. Not that I recommend it though. You can get in as a Mature student after a few years of work. Anyway, be cool... stay in school ;)

[felix]

for UW electrical eng u need >90%
comp eng u need >85%
all other eng u need 85 - 90 ish

You left out systems design engineering. Doesn't it have tougher requirements than computer eng depending on the year?

[m77m7]

If your school is non-semestered (i bet you're at either Streetsville, Frasor, or Port Credit) then you have an advantage because University is just like it. You don't have the same set of classes everyday and you'll have to be able to juggle many things at once in University. I would also take the advice from most people here lightly because I believe things have changed drastically since they eliminated OAC.

[afong56]

to supplement what i wrote earlier--

most schools grant admissions over the course of 'rounds'. guess who determines the applicants that go into each round? a computer.

applications are all sorted into overall %

round one, the computer automatically spits out offer letters to all applicants with say, a 90% overall average. this might be 10-15% of applicants. they wait a few weeks, count the number of people who accepted, and deduct it from their target enrolment.

then the computer drops to say 85%, and a bigger pile of letters is automatically generated and mailed. they wait awhile longer, then count the number of acceptances and deduct from their target enrolment number

and so on. at some stage, actual people start looking at applications. this is where your portfolio, extra curricular, etc. are looked at. of course, if you are a top athlete, etc. who has been scouted, then you can ignore everything i've written above. you will get in to the school for sure. the only question is how 'lucrative' they will make it for you, working within a system that, unlike the u.s., still doesn't officially permit perks and full scholarships for non-academic applicants (afaik).

[divx]

to supplement what i wrote earlier--

most schools grant admissions over the course of 'rounds'. guess who determines the applicants that go into each round? a computer.

applications are all sorted into overall %

round one, the computer automatically spits out offer letters to all applicants with say, a 90% overall average. this might be 10-15% of applicants. they wait a few weeks, count the number of people who accepted, and deduct it from their target enrolment.

then the computer drops to say 85%, and a bigger pile of letters is automatically generated and mailed. they wait awhile longer, then count the number of acceptances and deduct from their target enrolment number

and so on. at some stage, actual people start looking at applications. this is where your portfolio, extra curricular, etc. are looked at. of course, if you are a top athlete, etc. who has been scouted, then you can ignore everything i've written above. you will get in to the school for sure. the only question is how 'lucrative' they will make it for you, working within a system that, unlike the u.s., still doesn't officially permit perks and full scholarships for non-academic applicants (afaik).

top athlete won't be good at academic courses, so they won't need high avg for their program of choice anyway, probably be a gym teacher or something like that, i assume 80% is sufficient.

[h_f_p_3]

This year, entrance eng marks and sci marks in programs, in general, were REALLY low

I can vouch for that. I had a flat 80 avg at midterm and I got accepted to UofT for CompEng. I ended up with a 75.7% final avg and I still haven't recieved a rejection letter *knocks on wood* :D

[Headhunter]

For college, you pretty much just need to pass high school. There are a few aptitude tests, but they're a joke; most of the people in my English classes could barely spell their names.

As for university, it varies greatly...in Ontario, no program worth entering will even consider anything below 75%, and most are in the 80-90%.

[gilboman]

If you come from a good high school then they add a few points to your percentage if you come from a crappy high school they discount a few percentage points. They say they do not discriminate based on school but that ain't the truth in the real world.

This is actually true. When i was in high school a couple years ago, our guidance counsellor told us which universities gave our high school students priority. Back then, our school placed first in those provincial tests. No idea about now though.

[Bordello]

For college, you pretty much just need to pass high school. There are a few aptitude tests, but they're a joke; most of the people in my English classes could barely spell their names.

As for university, it varies greatly...in Ontario, no program worth entering will even consider anything below 75%, and most are in the 80-90%.
Actually, I don't think they'll even look at your application if your average is under 70%.

[HowEver]

isn't that due to double coherent? it happened to all university I think. UW dropped their standard too, cause they can't teach gr 12 grads the same material as they did for gr13 grads.

Those I met from the double cohort were doubly in-coherent.

Are you a UWO grad?

[divx]

nope. i didn't take gr13. our prof said they need to change the course notes (lowering the difficulty) before everyone gets owned. the previous notes were targeted at gr13 grads. now most people are gr12, they can't screw us all or else they will go backrupt.

[evman150]

Actually, I don't think they'll even look at your application if your average is under 70%.

Are you joking?

College is for people in the "barely graduated" club. 50-75%. There are some really dumb people that get into the college here. Basically all you have to do is apply to get in.

[divx]

Are you joking?

College is for people in the "barely graduated" club. 50-75%. There are some really dumb people that get into the college here. Basically all you have to do is apply to get in.

i don't blame them, in fact, i love them, if everyone becomes a PHD, then what will that make me look? more importantly, we need people to flip burgers for us so we can save our time on more important matters. you should appreciate them, because they are here to work their butt off making minimum wage while saving us time for brain intensive work. each sector of industry needs workers, we can't have everyone become too intelligent, then nobody will work the minimum wage jobs.

[Bordello]

Are you joking?

College is for people in the "barely graduated" club. 50-75%. There are some really dumb people that get into the college here. Basically all you have to do is apply to get in.
I was talking about university.

[m77m7]

nope. i didn't take gr13. our prof said they need to change the course notes (lowering the difficulty) before everyone gets owned. the previous notes were targeted at gr13 grads. now most people are gr12, they can't screw us all or else they will go backrupt.
I seriously doubt there is much truth to that for the rest of Ontario's universities, but maybe for UWO if you have a credible source. Not everyone in the freshman class comes from an Ontario high school, many students come from abroad. I don't know what the numbers are, but I know it is significant.

[devious9191]

Are you joking?

College is for people in the "barely graduated" club. 50-75%. There are some really dumb people that get into the college here. Basically all you have to do is apply to get in.

Many people that take up 'skilled trades', and go through college end up making quite a bit more than your average university graduate. Everyone and his mom has a university degree these days, while the number of people involved in skilled trades is steadily decreasing.

[afong56]

Are you joking?

College is for people in the "barely graduated" club. 50-75%. There are some really dumb people that get into the college here. Basically all you have to do is apply to get in.

wow, this is a pretty misleading statement. i'm just curious whether you have even graduated high school yet. as someone who has several university degrees, and been out in the working world for some time, i can honestly say, some of the smartest people i know are in college, or have finished a college diploma. skilled trades pay well, and college puts you out in the workplace long before any university will.

college is not for the 'barely graduated'--it is for those who wish to pursue very lucrative, skills-based careers.

i would not be disappointed in the least if my own children pursued college instead of university--regardless of the fact that their marks are higher than 75%

[felixdd]

BTW, am I at a disadvantage, my current HS is non-semestered. I'm 8 (frickin) classes at once, could this be a reason why my average was only 83 (even though 6/8 classes were >80 ??).
Nope. IMHO term schools are better because you are given more time to learn the material in your courses. Semester schools tend to be more "cram style", while in the term school you may have 8 courses simultaneously, they're drawn out and you have more time to develop in each of them.

When i was in high school a couple years ago, our guidance counsellor told us which universities gave our high school students priority. Back then, our school placed first in those provincial tests. No idea about now though.

I've spoken to registrars and guidance counsellors at the university level; they do not do such a thing. Think about it -- the university receives aplpicants from thousands of schools each year; they simply don't have the time to evaluate each school and give it a GPA compensation.

At the HS -> Univ. level, it's mostly a numbers game. Extracurricular play a role only when the choice is very tight. But with the sheer number of students going into university, the chances of extracurriculars making a difference is next to nothing. My advice is to work your GPA first and foremost. If you are still nervous after your high school year is over, then by all means take a year off and work on your extracurriculars and your resume! And on top of strengthening your resume, taking the year off into the real world also lets you know what the work force values. It's an unfortunate truth that in academia, the students often become ignorant of what it's really like in the working world, or in the field that they think they want to work in. Taking the time to scope things out before you make a big career choice will probably save you time in the future.

This is also what many may do when they are applying for med and graduate school: the numbers may get you past the initial screen process, but the interview and essay is what makes the difference because there are much fewer spots to these positions (~200-400, for example).

Any given university program requires 6 grade 12 courses of which its essential you have English and calculus, at least for the programs i looked into, as well as the essential prereqs for your given program. What you gotta remember is that you MUST have the prerequisites, but saying that, whatever else you take is completely up to you.
This is generally true, but there are exceptions. My friend was accepted into McMaster engineering (I think) without her physics OAC; she was told that she needed to take a summer course at the university to make up for it. In the meantime, she received a conditional acceptance.

But it's always better to get your prereqs together first.

First off, universities use your TOP 6 courses to calculate your average, and this is done with a computer so no consideration is taken to what courses your TOP 6 are.
Yes -- much emphasized!! At the HS -> Univ. level there are a lot of people. The concept of "admissions council" isn't as significant here as it is in the graduate level institutions.

[wanted]

reported to be moved.

[nkwu]

yea, the OUAC book with all the universities and thier programs/requiremenst is VERY useful.

I am entering grade 12, and have to put forth a hell of an effort(I gotta offset my lack of extra curriculars... >:( ). And while extracurriculars doesn't make alot of differeance in the acceptance process, it makes a huge difference for scholarships. ALthough a very high GPA will obviously compensate

I have also heard that unversities apply a +/- ratoing to each school, however I think this might be an automated process, or doesn't exist whatsoever.

I am in a semestered school, and Like it, because you don't have to "study as much"(and there are only 4 exams at the most). But I wouldn't mind a term school becasue the knowledge from each year has not permeated into my brain, so I find myse;f having to tak ealot of effort each year to referesh my memory.

I am surprised at some of the misconceptions about college. While college is not the best choice for some fields, it is a better choice for alot of poeple, and a college degree/certificate/diploma or whatever they call it in a specialized technical field can net a high income. The same applies for trades(our guidance office has been stressing this heavily )


As for your marks, guidance councillors themselves reccommend taking hte bare minimum to get accepted(but to also prepare if you want to make a change), and excel in your small course-load. So if you wanted, to say, go into business, my councillors recommended to not take your business courses, since they were not required to get in(although I wish I took some so I had a bit of experience). With that in mind, make your course choices wisely, and take a look @ the OUAC book or Universit coursebooks/information brochures to get an idea of what you have to take before choosing your grade 12 courses.

With that, I have chosen courses with a broad set of choices for my undergrad. I still dunno what I wanna do and plan to do my research by the end of this month, but what, exactly is the difference between computer science and engineering - when talking about career oppurtunities?(and what you do in school). I was always and still am confused.

[wanted]

Good advice, hopefully it will help all users too.


Anyone want to share their marks they entered with at their institute, for upcoming year or previous year as well?

[Bskll]

guidance people stress about going to college heavily because people working in skilled trades have been on a steady decline.

the good old days of being able to find a good locksmith/computer technican/car mechanic are long gone.

BTW, in the US, college applies to all post-secondary school.

eg. "my kid is going to Harvard college, is yours going to MIT?"

[Dickie]

they don't gave a rat a$$ about extra-curricular activities. I didn't put any on my admission form and they still took me in.

i gave them my transcript says 93.6% avg, then i got in. I didn't metion any extra curriular activities. It make sense, most extra curriular activities are not related to the field you are going to. But say if you joined a computer science club in HS and you want to take comp sci in university, then it might make a difference, otherwise, just your mark is good enough to convince them.

PS: a dude with 80% avg actually manage to get in comp eng here, he said he got 3rd or something in toronto programming competition or something like that. So I guess if you can get in the top 3 of some reputatable competition, then put that on your admission form, it helps.


If i'm not mistaken, at Waterloo the extra curricular activities are added on to your average to a point. Lets say the requirement for a program is 90%. So where someone with a 90% with no extra curricular activities could get in, its completely likely that someone with a 88% with extra curricular activities could get in. There is also an additional +/- rating for your school. So a 90% at one school could be looked at the same as an 85% at another school.

Don't underestimate the value of writing a good application as you could get selected for a scholarship. I know people who got $3500*4 at UW ECE (the Nortel Scholarship) and though they need an 85% for renewal (not that easy of a goal), it still helps.

So never exclude something from your application just because you don't think it will help. A good question to ask from co-op employers during interviews is just why they selected you. A lot of times the reason is something small, like your sports or music interests to show that you are well rounded.

Despite what people say marks are not everything. Hopefully that will be the FIRST thing you discover when arriving at University, if you haven't discovered it already.

I also like to say that I am very disapointed with the view that the majority of people take to college diplomas and the like. If you take the view that these people are unskilled and unintelligent, you will never rise to a position where you can actually have any managerial ability. Respect for other people and from other peopel, is a must if you want to rise in a company, and calling your co-workers people who could barely spell their name or graduate high school is not going to get you very much.

I hate this view of College programs that is especially prominent at Waterloo and other universities. Skilled trades are very important and not because they are, as someone so distastefully put it, "saving us time for brain intensive work", but because they require intelligence, skill and training. Respect the people who do these jobs, because I'm sure they are doing a better job than nearly all University graduates could do.

we can't have everyone become too intelligent, then nobody will work the minimum wage jobs.

A society that is highly educated and forces people of intelligence and educationg to work "stupid" jobs will just have more intelligent ways to do "stupid" jobs. It is my firm belief that it is impossible to have a society that is TOO EDUCATED.

[crowdpuller]

I dunno, I am part of the double cohort, however, if you marks in high 80s to low 90s. You are pretty much set for any school...

[astrix]

they don't gave a rat a$$ about extra-curricular activities. I didn't put any on my admission form and they still took me in.

for UW electrical eng u need >90%
comp eng u need >85%
all other eng u need 85 - 90 ish


made it into UW's EE with 84% Avg. But i think my extra cirricular helped alot.
Going to UT EE. Got into: MAC Eng, MAC business, Ryerson Business

so that's just my case... could be different for you...

[grilw]

So extra curriculars do help a bit eh !
So tell me if I'm doing good so far then !
For now , I have 40 hours of community involvement from a table-tennis club that I coached at , but will have over 200 on paper by the end of the month, from another organization.
I already have one recommendation letter from a big religious organization, stating that I volunteered for half a year in an office environment, and computer-related work as well )
I am going to be the president of a religious club at school next year (grade 12)
And I am hoping to have another reference letter from a kindergarten, stating that I helped out with activities and child-care .

Oh yeah , and I have had a zillion jobs already, and have been pretty consistent and successful in each one .
I am whole-heartedly hoping that this will SOMEHOW help me get into a good university.... either western ,schulich , or laurier or something like that .....
Trying to get into Business , but don't think I can get that 90 average that many universities demand . I might be able to achieve 85 though .... if I work my ass off , maybe a TAD more ?

Thanks for any insight .

[Tharyn]

So extra curriculars do help a bit eh !
So tell me if I'm doing good so far then !
For now , I have 40 hours of community involvement from a table-tennis club that I coached at , but will have over 200 on paper by the end of the month, from another organization.
I already have one recommendation letter from a big religious organization, stating that I volunteered for half a year in an office environment, and computer-related work as well )
I am going to be the president of a religious club at school next year (grade 12)
And I am hoping to have another reference letter from a kindergarten, stating that I helped out with activities and child-care .

Oh yeah , and I have had a zillion jobs already, and have been pretty consistent and successful in each one .
I am whole-heartedly hoping that this will SOMEHOW help me get into a good university.... either western ,schulich , or laurier or something like that .....
Trying to get into Business , but don't think I can get that 90 average that many universities demand . I might be able to achieve 85 though .... if I work my ass off , maybe a TAD more ?

Thanks for any insight .

It all really depends on the school, for example UofT and Waterloo Engineering have forms that you fill in that supplement your application. If the school doesn't have such supplemental forms for your program, then it might be a little difficult to convey all the additional information to the school.

Also, (I can only speak from Waterloo's perspective), but I've been told that the supplemental Waterloo Engineering form can add up to a max of 3% to your admissions average, but again this is entirely word of mouth.

But foremost try spending some more time on your studies if you want to reach the high 80s or 90s, don't rely solely on your extra-curricular to "possibly" get you in.

--Mark

[yan84]

they don't gave a rat a$$ about extra-curricular activities. I didn't put any on my admission form and they still took me in.

i gave them my transcript says 93.6% avg, then i got in. I didn't metion any extra curriular activities. It make sense, most extra curriular activities are not related to the field you are going to. But say if you joined a computer science club in HS and you want to take comp sci in university, then it might make a difference, otherwise, just your mark is good enough to convince them.

PS: a dude with 80% avg actually manage to get in comp eng here, he said he got 3rd or something in toronto programming competition or something like that. So I guess if you can get in the top 3 of some reputatable competition, then put that on your admission form, it helps.

Its true, I didn't have much extracirricular activities back in highschool either, and I got accepted in all that I applied for and got offered 3000$ busaries from all except for UofT, which I ended up attending. They don't care as long as you have the marks. Extracirricular activities only come in handy when you're on the edge of their cut off mark and they have to choose from a bunch of others also on the cut off margin, then i suppose the one with most experience and socially active will get chosen.

[will1087]

So extra curriculars do help a bit eh !
So tell me if I'm doing good so far then !
For now , I have 40 hours of community involvement from a table-tennis club that I coached at , but will have over 200 on paper by the end of the month, from another organization.
I already have one recommendation letter from a big religious organization, stating that I volunteered for half a year in an office environment, and computer-related work as well )
I am going to be the president of a religious club at school next year (grade 12)
And I am hoping to have another reference letter from a kindergarten, stating that I helped out with activities and child-care .

Oh yeah , and I have had a zillion jobs already, and have been pretty consistent and successful in each one .
I am whole-heartedly hoping that this will SOMEHOW help me get into a good university.... either western ,schulich , or laurier or something like that .....
Trying to get into Business , but don't think I can get that 90 average that many universities demand . I might be able to achieve 85 though .... if I work my ass off , maybe a TAD more ?

Thanks for any insight .

You definitly want to aim for a 90 average, if not low 90's. Unfortunately, 85 might not get you into the cutoff where they actually read your supplemantary app. I think the bare minimum mark you want to get is high 80's because that barely squeezes past the first weeding out of students. Once you get past that i think youll be really competitive in terms of extracurricular. Like what kind of classes are you taking right now? Are they really challenging or easy? Because for a business program,the prereqs are Calc and English and another U level math. Whast i recommend is take those and then 3 easy courses to get high marks. If thats what ur already plannin then try to improve your study habits and ur marks because gettin in uni is half the battle.

p.s.you missed queens for goodbusiness schools ;). I picked it over AEO (ivey), schullich, and rottmans.

p.p.s. if you like math you can get a double degree from laurier/waterloo, one for math, one for business.

[wanted]

:arrowu: :)

[Headhunter]

Unless you want a specific institute, grades are irrelevant. If you are really stuck with bad marks, just remember, there is always places like Seneca and Windsor U :)
Damn, ain't that the truth!

[divx]

A society that is highly educated and forces people of intelligence and educationg to work "stupid" jobs will just have more intelligent ways to do "stupid" jobs. It is my firm belief that it is impossible to have a society that is TOO EDUCATED.

nono, i mean if everyone becomes a P.H.D, then nobody would flip burgers.

[divx]

made it into UW's EE with 84% Avg. But i think my extra cirricular helped alot.
Going to UT EE. Got into: MAC Eng, MAC business, Ryerson Business

so that's just my case... could be different for you...

when i applied with 89.5% avg, they said EE is "full" and I can goto comp eng. Then after i brought my mark to 93.6% and they said there is space for me at EE again, strange, isn't?

[divx]

You definitly want to aim for a 90 average, if not low 90's. Unfortunately, 85 might not get you into the cutoff where they actually read your supplemantary app. I think the bare minimum mark you want to get is high 80's because that barely squeezes past the first weeding out of students. Once you get past that i think youll be really competitive in terms of extracurricular. Like what kind of classes are you taking right now? Are they really challenging or easy? Because for a business program,the prereqs are Calc and English and another U level math. Whast i recommend is take those and then 3 easy courses to get high marks. If thats what ur already plannin then try to improve your study habits and ur marks because gettin in uni is half the battle.

p.s.you missed queens for goodbusiness schools ;). I picked it over AEO (ivey), schullich, and rottmans.

p.p.s. if you like math you can get a double degree from laurier/waterloo, one for math, one for business.


yeah, if their cut off mark is 90, then they mean 90, for example, they told me to switch to comp eng when my HS mark was at 89.5, but they let me goto EE after I raised my mark pass 90

[g5cubed]

I dont think anyone mentioned this...
If your school is part of the FIRST robotics competition, make sure you join it. I have heard from many successful Waterloo candidates that their participation helped greatly in their admission acceptance. I even heard, being part of this club could boost your average 3-5%, but it matters what your primary position in the club is. Its always good to start when your in Grade 10, and possibly grade 11, preferably grade 9, because it gives you room for promotion. FIRST is also sponsored by Waterloo (so, they do respect it greatly). Basically in the FIRST club; your given a task (to build a robot to do a task), you collaborate your idea's with other club members (there are different sections of the club: design, engineering, programming and animation). Your group is then given all the materials, and your given (I think*) 2 months to build a robot. You then compete with other robots (from around the world), and if you are successful, you could travel to a city in the US to compete with the other winners. Overall, its alot of fun, but only when you participate.

[g5cubed]

I've got a Q. I'm going into Grade 12 this september, and I'm hoping to get accepted into business either at Schulich, Queens or Western. i heard from this forum that 'extra-curricular' activities are very important. So, i was wondering because I do alot of business on eBay (merchandising biz), and I hold a Silver Powerseller status (3k in sales/month), would that count as an extra-curricular activity. Im asking because its related to business, and since I would like to go to a business school, would it make a difference.

[wanted]

I've got a Q. I'm going into Grade 12 this september, and I'm hoping to get accepted into business either at Schulich, Queens or Western. i heard from this forum that 'extra-curricular' activities are very important. So, i was wondering because I do alot of business on eBay (merchandising biz), and I hold a Silver Powerseller status (3k in sales/month), would that count as an extra-curricular activity. Im asking because its related to business, and since I would like to go to a business school, would it make a difference.


are you using that as volunteer hours?
it wouldn't be extra-curricular because, it's not a program being run at your school is it...?

[Bordello]

I've got a Q. I'm going into Grade 12 this september, and I'm hoping to get accepted into business either at Schulich, Queens or Western. i heard from this forum that 'extra-curricular' activities are very important. So, i was wondering because I do alot of business on eBay (merchandising biz), and I hold a Silver Powerseller status (3k in sales/month), would that count as an extra-curricular activity. Im asking because its related to business, and since I would like to go to a business school, would it make a difference.
Yes it would. They'll definitely notice the entrepreneuralship, even if it's just eBay. Just note that in the personal statement in your application package (I think only Queens require this), they don't need details. Extra-curricular doesn't just have to be volunteering or stuff run by the high school.

[g5cubed]

are you using that as volunteer hours?
it wouldn't be extra-curricular because, it's not a program being run at your school is it...?
I was going to use it as an extra-curricular activity, but not as volunteer hours.

[wanted]

I was going to use it as an extra-curricular activity, but not as volunteer hours.

OK :)

[wanted]

:arrowu:

[phyrefly]

Some of the numbers here are way off. Here's the newest OUAC info (Info 69) if you want to take a look at last year's averages.

http://www.ouac.on.ca/info/programs_of_study.html

Does anyone know a way to get the list(s) that universities use to "rank" high schools, cause I want to know where my school stands. I tried counselling, but they had no idea (or pretended not to know) :| .

[divx]

:arrowu:

why r u bumping this thread? haven't you got the answer you were looking for?