Serious Advice About Applying For University

Colleges and Universities A-Z McGill University
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I'm a BC High School student currently in Grade 12. I have a few questions about applying so I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone who may be able to answer my questions.</p>

<p>1) I'm pretty sure the transfer deadlines for most Universities is in January 2012. Is this true?</p>

<p>2) Okay so I slacked off a ton in Grades 10 and 11 and my marks reflect that. My math teacher was telling us today that since all provincial exams for BC students have been cancelled this year (except for English 12), that you can't take them even if you want to. Previously, it was optional, but this year, no one can do them. So, according to her, our Grade 10 and Grade 11 provincial exam marks are going to be used to determine whether or not we get scholarships or not. And this confuses me, because I always assumed that Grade 12 marks were used to determine scholarship eligibility, and that provincial exams had nothing to do with it. Can anyone clear this up for me?</p>

<p>3) Our teacher also informed us that we are allowed to go back and do any and all Grade 10 and Grade 11 provincial exams that. Seeing as my marks weren't too good, do you think it's worth it to re-do them?</p>

<p>4) Are government loans also based on provincial exams? If not, what are they based on?</p>

<p>5) I've always assumed that I don't have to pick a major in University until second year, but most people I've talked to have said that even if I don't pick one until my second year, I'll still have to take all the mandatory courses in my first year to be eligible for acceptance into the major I end up choosing. I have always thought that in first year I'd be able to take courses from all over the place (ex: arts, science, business etc...), see which ones tickle my fancy, and then apply to the field that I'm most interested in. Is this not true?</p>

<p>6) I hear that Universities use our top 6 Grade 12 courses to weigh our average, and thus, our acceptance. I'll be getting my first report card in November, but I only have 4 classes per semester. Does this mean I'll have to use 2 Grade 11 courses?</p>

<p>7) When you apply to University, are you applying into a specific field or what? Like what are you doing when you're applying? Other than the mandatory courses most first year students have to take, will I be able to choose a wide variety of courses, or a very limited scope of courses because I'd be applying into a specific field?</p>

<p>Your kindness for responding is greatly appreciated!</p>

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<p>Come on guys I see this getting views but no one’s answered. Someone please help me out ;)</p>

3

<p>Most posters here are Americans and are unfamiliar with Canadian high school and funding practices. </p>

<p>As for major, you do not usually have to apply for a particular major. Rather you apply to a particular faculty. If you apply to Arts, you can take a wide variety of Arts courses first year before choosing an Arts major. But, if you take all Arts classes your first year, for example, you won’t be able to transfer to Engineering.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply :wink: Faculty? I always thought that applying to a faculty meant that you were majoring in that as well. Take, for example, the Faculty of Arts. Wouldn’t it be the same thing as applying for a bachelor of arts, thus meaning that you are applying to major in arts? Or, are there multiple different majors to choose from in each faculty?</p>

<p>Am I allowed to take courses my first year from a wide variety of faculties? Like let’s say I take a couple of sciences, a couple of arts, and maybe 1 or 2 from business. Does that mean that I would be able to major in any of those in my second year?</p>

<p>Thanks for your help, and I’m still hoping a Canadian student can help me out with my other questions.</p>

5

<ol>
<li><p>Most Canadian universities rely either exclusively or almost exclusively on grade twelve marks for determining admission and scholarships. McGill does want the full transcript from Canadian students from grades 10 to 12, but I don’t know how they weight the grade 10 and 11 marks (and the weighting or use might be different for different McGill faculties and schools).</p></li>
<li><p>If by government loans you mean students loans, then no they are not based on provincial exams or any of your marks or your academic strengths. They are based primarily on your financial picture. Go to the Canada student loan calculator to get an idea as to what factors into your financial picture. At no time will you be asked about any grades or exams.</p></li>
<li><p>First year programs vary between universities and within the colleges/schools/faculties within a particular university. For example, most Colleges/Faculties/Schools of Engineering in Canada have very few, if any, options in first year. On the other hand, most Colleges/Faculties of Arts or Arts and Science allow a great deal of freedom in first year, and after first year, you usually do not “apply” to get in to your major; instead you simply choose a major. Most Business/Commerce Colleges/Schools/Faculties are somewhere between Engineering and Arts&Science as to the freedom in first year (i.e. normally some required courses and some electives).</p></li>
<li><p>Some Canadian universities use only 6 grade 12 courses for admission purposes, but none of them “use our top 6.” Rather there will always be certain required courses within the 6 (or the 5 or the 7). As previously mentioned, McGill appears to look somewhat more wholistically at transcripts and does not have the simple formula that many other Canadian universities have. </p></li>
<li><p>Agree with what tomofboston writes above.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>You should: a) See your guidance/school counsellor about these questions in respect to the particular schools that you are interested in;
b) attend your school’s information sessions on post-secondary education;
c) read the websites of universities that interest you.</p>

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<p>In response to your second set of questions: </p>

<p>Most Faculties/Colleges/Schools have many majors within them. For example, in Arts students can major in English, Spanish, History, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy etc… In Engineering, one can major in Chemical Eng, Eng Physics, Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering, Petroleum Eng, Electrical Eng etc… In Business, one could major in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, . . …</p>

<p>At most universities, there are restrictions about taking courses from other faculties. While at many universities Engineering students usually take some courses in Arts & Science, non-Engineering students usually cannot take any Engineering courses (unless special permission is granted which would be very rare for a first year). Non-medical students cannot take courses in Medicine. Check what is allowed at the particular universities and faculties/colleges/schools you are interested in.</p>