Canadian Universities are extremely GPA centric, got rejected from all (11 uni and 1 college). Sharing my experience, might be helpful to others.

[lolcocks]

Hello everyone,

I applied for 11 Canadian Universities and 1 College for MEng ECE. Unfortunately, I got rejection from the last university today.

I know I had a low GPA (details below) but I did have a strong business based resume and an even stronger SOP. I even designed my own website highlighting the projects and products I designed.
But it looks are there are so few universities in Canada that they have to be GPA centric as as they get an insane number of applications due to easy residency.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%, 6.770 / 10 CGPA
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience (at the time of application)


I wanted to share this detail with others who might be applying with a low GPA. Chances of getting selected in an university are extremely low, even if you have a high class work profile.
It would be easier to get into a simple college but be wary that you will be sacrificing on the level of education which can cause problems later. So much so that I would suggest it's not worth it and better try for an university in another country.


Luckily, I knew my chances were low and decided to apply for universities in U.S. once my Canada application process was done.
And believe it or not, I got an admit from two out of five, one of them liked my profile so much, they actually gave me a scholarship for an out of state tuition waiver.

Trying to get my U.S. visa right now. Seems quite difficult.



I would like to tag and thank the following people for helping me throughout this journey:

@tapperb - You have been of insane help. The universities list you compiled was an extremely useful document, it's what I used to make a lit of all the universities to apply to. The amount of people you help on this forum is insane. Perhaps you are an angel in disguise.
I know @primaprime also helped with the universities list, I thank him for that as well but we haven't had much interaction.

@canuck78, @Ironclad, @Naturgrl, @scylla, @Simmidas, @visaaaa and @wonderbly - Thank you for all the replies to my stupid questions in the beginning, you got my journey started.

I would like to tag the following people who also helped and had conversations with me:
@Asdfg12rit, @Ayush Sharma, @harrypotter007, @janesama, @jbdot0941, @Karan64braaap, @life2525, @Petito, @Rokeshbheemaiah, @Sam24deep, @Sanketh_dc and @shopnodana91.

 

[canuck78]

Hello everyone,

I applied for 11 Canadian Universities and 1 College for MEng ECE. Unfortunately, I got rejection from the last university today.

I know I had a low GPA (details below) but I did have a strong business based resume and an even stronger SOP. I even designed my own website highlighting the projects and products I designed.
But it looks are there are so few universities in Canada that they have to be GPA centric as as they get an insane number of applications due to easy residency.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%, 6.770 / 10 CGPA
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience (at the time of application)


I wanted to share this detail with others who might be applying with a low GPA. Chances of getting selected in an university are extremely low, even if you have a high class work profile.
It would be easier to get into a simple college but be wary that you will be sacrificing on the level of education which can cause problems later. So much so that I would suggest it's not worth it and better try for an university in another country.


Luckily, I knew my chances were low and decided to apply for universities in U.S. once my Canada application process was done.
And believe it or not, I got an admit from two out of five, one of them liked my profile so much, they actually gave me a scholarship for an out of state tuition waiver.

Trying to get my U.S. visa right now. Seems quite difficult.



I would like to tag and thank the following people for helping me throughout this journey:

@tapperb - You have been of insane help. The universities list you compiled was an extremely useful document, it's what I used to make a lit of all the universities to apply to. The amount of people you help on this forum is insane. Perhaps you are an angel in disguise.
I know @primaprime also helped with the universities list, I thank him for that as well but we haven't had much interaction.

@canuck78, @Ironclad, @Naturgrl, @scylla, @Simmidas and @visaaaa, - Thank you for all the replies to my stupid questions in the beginning, you got my journey started.

I would like to tag the following people who also helped and had conversations with me:
@Asdfg12rit, @Ayush Sharma, @harrypotter007, @janesama, @jbdot0941, @Karan64braaap, @life2525, @Petito, @Rokeshbheemaiah, @Sam24deep, @Sanketh_dc and @shopnodana91.

A strong background in business doesn't mean that someone will do well in an academic environment. There are so many US schools that getting admitted is much easier than in Canada. Almost all masters program worldwide are GPAcentric.

 

[harrypotter007]

Good luck with your future dude. Thanks for mentioning me!

 

[imisstraveling]

what all universities did you apply to? Tire 1 universities look for your overall profile. CGPA is an elimination and not a selection criteria. When they get tons of applications, they need to have a method to filter out applications unless you have a strong LOR+Proposal.

 

[wonderbly]

So sorry Canada didn't work out for you this time. Perhaps you'll be able to transfer after a year in the US? All the best with your US study visa.

 

[Ghoname]

Hello everyone,

I applied for 11 Canadian Universities and 1 College for MEng ECE. Unfortunately, I got rejection from the last university today.

I know I had a low GPA (details below) but I did have a strong business based resume and an even stronger SOP. I even designed my own website highlighting the projects and products I designed.
But it looks are there are so few universities in Canada that they have to be GPA centric as as they get an insane number of applications due to easy residency.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%, 6.770 / 10 CGPA
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience (at the time of application)


I wanted to share this detail with others who might be applying with a low GPA. Chances of getting selected in an university are extremely low, even if you have a high class work profile.
It would be easier to get into a simple college but be wary that you will be sacrificing on the level of education which can cause problems later. So much so that I would suggest it's not worth it and better try for an university in another country.


Luckily, I knew my chances were low and decided to apply for universities in U.S. once my Canada application process was done.
And believe it or not, I got an admit from two out of five, one of them liked my profile so much, they actually gave me a scholarship for an out of state tuition waiver.

Trying to get my U.S. visa right now. Seems quite difficult.



I would like to tag and thank the following people for helping me throughout this journey:

@tapperb - You have been of insane help. The universities list you compiled was an extremely useful document, it's what I used to make a lit of all the universities to apply to. The amount of people you help on this forum is insane. Perhaps you are an angel in disguise.
I know @primaprime also helped with the universities list, I thank him for that as well but we haven't had much interaction.

@canuck78, @Ironclad, @Naturgrl, @scylla, @Simmidas and @visaaaa, - Thank you for all the replies to my stupid questions in the beginning, you got my journey started.

I would like to tag the following people who also helped and had conversations with me:
@Asdfg12rit, @Ayush Sharma, @harrypotter007, @janesama, @jbdot0941, @Karan64braaap, @life2525, @Petito, @Rokeshbheemaiah, @Sam24deep, @Sanketh_dc and @shopnodana91.

Congratulations for getting accepted in US universities.. I am almost the same case with refusal from Canadian Universities.. can you share with me the list of American universities and how did you communicate it... I am interested in master degree in education. My email is muhammad.ghoname@gmail.com
Best of luck

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

Hello everyone,

I applied for 11 Canadian Universities and 1 College for MEng ECE. Unfortunately, I got rejection from the last university today.

I know I had a low GPA (details below) but I did have a strong business based resume and an even stronger SOP. I even designed my own website highlighting the projects and products I designed.
But it looks are there are so few universities in Canada that they have to be GPA centric as as they get an insane number of applications due to easy residency.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%, 6.770 / 10 CGPA
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience (at the time of application)


I wanted to share this detail with others who might be applying with a low GPA. Chances of getting selected in an university are extremely low, even if you have a high class work profile.
It would be easier to get into a simple college but be wary that you will be sacrificing on the level of education which can cause problems later. So much so that I would suggest it's not worth it and better try for an university in another country.


Luckily, I knew my chances were low and decided to apply for universities in U.S. once my Canada application process was done.
And believe it or not, I got an admit from two out of five, one of them liked my profile so much, they actually gave me a scholarship for an out of state tuition waiver.

Trying to get my U.S. visa right now. Seems quite difficult.



I would like to tag and thank the following people for helping me throughout this journey:

@tapperb - You have been of insane help. The universities list you compiled was an extremely useful document, it's what I used to make a lit of all the universities to apply to. The amount of people you help on this forum is insane. Perhaps you are an angel in disguise.
I know @primaprime also helped with the universities list, I thank him for that as well but we haven't had much interaction.

@canuck78, @Ironclad, @Naturgrl, @scylla, @Simmidas and @visaaaa, - Thank you for all the replies to my stupid questions in the beginning, you got my journey started.

I would like to tag the following people who also helped and had conversations with me:
@Asdfg12rit, @Ayush Sharma, @harrypotter007, @janesama, @jbdot0941, @Karan64braaap, @life2525, @Petito, @Rokeshbheemaiah, @Sam24deep, @Sanketh_dc and @shopnodana91.

Best of luck dude. Keep being optimistic and persevering. Proud of you trying so hard despite the challenges.

 

[lolcocks]

A strong background in business doesn't mean that someone will do well in an academic environment. There are so many US schools that getting admitted is much easier than in Canada. Almost all masters program worldwide are GPAcentric.

Well obviously, all programs worldwide are GPA centric but I mentioned my business and work profile because in my case, it was the strongest part of my profile and tried my best to leverage it to get an admit.
Unfortunately, there are so few universities in Canada that they have to choose the best of the best, mostly in terms of GPA.

what all universities did you apply to? Tire 1 universities look for your overall profile. CGPA is an elimination and not a selection criteria. When they get tons of applications, they need to have a method to filter out applications unless you have a strong LOR+Proposal.

McGill University
University of Waterloo
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
Concordia University
University of Ottawa
Simon Fraser University
Carleton University
University of Saskatchewan
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Ontario Tech University
Conestogac College

So sorry Canada didn't work out for you this time. Perhaps you'll be able to transfer after a year in the US? All the best with your US study visa.

wonderbly! So sorry I forgot to tag you.
After giving it a lot of thought, I will most likely complete my program and work in US and then think about Canada a few years down the line.

Congratulations for getting accepted in US universities.. I am almost the same case with refusal from Canadian Universities.. can you share with me the list of American universities and how did you communicate it... I am interested in master degree in education. My email is muhammad.ghoname@gmail.com
Best of luck

Since this is about US, I will continue this over private message.

Best of luck dude. Keep being optimistic and persevering. Proud of you trying so hard despite the challenges.

Yes! You have been a great inspiration to me. I will always keep trying. Persistence is the key.

 

[arhue]

I guess it "depends". I had very poor grades in grade 12(mid50s) and no qualification after that, but had 5+ years of work experience. Applied to 2 colleges, got admission to both easily. Applied for visa with Seneca College and got it on first try.

 

[canuck78]

I guess it "depends". I had very poor grades in grade 12(mid50s) and no qualification after that, but had 5+ years of work experience. Applied to 2 colleges, got admission to both easily. Applied for visa with Seneca College and got it on first try.

Colleges and universities have very different entrance criteria except in some very in demand college courses where marks are more important..

 

[arhue]

Colleges and universities have very different entrance criteria except in some very in demand college courses where marks are more important..

Are unis more GPA centric? Just curious, I have no clue about how either evaluate applications. Would like to know.

 

[Rationalwarrior]

Are unis more GPA centric? Just curious, I have no clue about how either evaluate applications. Would like to know.

In my experience, top tier universities and highly competitive programs within them (especially business and law) place a premium on GPA. These uni’s receive a lot more applications than they have places for. So one of the easiest and justifiable way to slim the chunk is through “academic performance” or GPA. Unless you’re a famous/reputable person or born to them most of us are put through this process.

 

[arhue]

In my experience, top tier universities and highly competitive programs within them (especially business and law) place a premium on GPA. These uni’s receive a lot more applications than they have places for. So one of the easiest and justifiable way to slim the chunk is through “academic performance” or GPA. Unless you’re a famous/reputable person or born to them most of us are put through this process.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[Simmidas]

Well obviously, all programs worldwide are GPA centric but I mentioned my business and work profile because in my case, it was the strongest part of my profile and tried my best to leverage it to get an admit.
Unfortunately, there are so few universities in Canada that they have to choose the best of the best, mostly in terms of GPA.





McGill University
University of Waterloo
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
Concordia University
University of Ottawa
Simon Fraser University
Carleton University
University of Saskatchewan
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Ontario Tech University
Conestogac College





wonderbly! So sorry I forgot to tag you.
After giving it a lot of thought, I will most likely complete my program and work in US and then think about Canada a few years down the line.




Since this is about US, I will continue this over private message.





Yes! You have been a great inspiration to me. I will always keep trying. Persistence is the key.

Looking at your list, you have opted for top league universities where you might compete with the toppers of the world. I did suggest you over few occasions that take your chances with smaller universities.

 

[zekkeh]

Looking at your list, you have opted for top league universities where you might compete with the toppers of the world. I did suggest you over few occasions that take your chances with smaller universities.

there arent a lot of small universities that offer graduate studies in engineering. and OP did also apply for low tier unis like SFU and ontario tech. it's probably a confluence of factors such as his grades, and probably a lack of work experience, good references and good statements of purpose.