Which Canadian University would may likely accept me with 3.9 GPA and SAT Score of 1740/2100?

International Students
1

I studied the American High School system.

I’ve narrowed the schools down to SFU, Victoria, UBC, UBCO, Alberta, Calgary, Toronto, York, UofOntario Institute of Tech, Waterloo, Western, McMaster, Carleton, de Montreal, McGillm Concordia, ETS, Laval, Sherbrooke, Memorial UofNewfoundland, Acadia, Dalhousie, Sain-Mary’s, St Francis Xavier, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick.

I narrowed them down to the above because they supposedly compete in the Canadian University Tennis Championships and I want to play Varsity Tennis. Anyhow, do you know if my scores could easily (or not) get me into any of the above? Have any of you gotten similar scores to mine and currently attend or have been accepted to a uni in Canada? I don’t plan on studying in French btw, so I’m guessing some of the above schs may be out of the question already… Thank you!

2

What is your scores for each section of the SAT?

I wouldn’t apply to Laval, Sherbrooke or Universite de Montreal. They are francophone universities. The rest are anglophone.

Canadian universities admit by program and the requirements vary significantly by program. What program(s) do you plan to apply for?

3

That is an unusually large number of schools at which to apply. I think you need to be thinking more about program and less about tennis. Also, keep in mind that varsity sports at Canadian schools will be very different than in the U.S.

4

Hi thanks for responding!

Critical Reading - 560
Math - 620
Writing - 610

Actually that adds up to 1790; that’s because I wrote the highest scores I’ve gotten for each section from my two attempts on the SAT.

I plan to apply for medicine or nursing.

There’s also another issue. I studied 1 semester freshman year in a US university but left after that so I’m just hanging out at home with my parents these days. Do I apply to Canada as a Transfer or a high school student? The websites usually ask to mention any post-secondary institutions attended, but then when they talk about transferring in general, they mention studying 1 year, and I’m here like…what do I do now? I don’t mind not transferring credit! I only got 7 credits from that one semester, and my grades were not great at all anyway. Am I still considered a transfer? Or should I start a new discussion…

Thanks!

5

@alwaysamom well, I definitely didn’t intend on applying to all of them. I can barely afford one application fee.
Good point, though. Thanks for the advice!

6

You should be contacting the schools you’re interested in as to whether you are considered a transfer. I don’t know about all Canadian schools but for some, yes, any post-secondary course work will mean you are a transfer applicant.

p.s. Med school is something you apply for after completing your undergrad.

7

Your critical reading score is too low for McGill and U of T. McGill requires a minimum of 620 on reading and U of T requires 600.

8

@bouders Understandable considering they’re the top schools in the country. Thanks.

9

Just my opinion or wild guess…


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SFU, Victoria

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Probably both very good choices for you. Very good universities but not the absolute toughest. Mildest weather in Canada (along with UBC), which might help a lot if anyone still plays tennis outside. With a 3.9 GPA I don’t think that these are a reach, but I would have at least one backup. Victoria is probably a little bit less rainy than SFU.


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UBC, Alberta, Calgary, Toronto, McMaster, McGill

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Probably a reach (or worse) in each case. Most or all of these are also academically quite tough. Note that in Canada it might be possible to get accepted to a university that is too difficult.


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UBCO, ETS,

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I don’t know what these are.


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York, UofOntario Institute of Tech,

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Don’t know.

Waterloo, Western,

I am not sure whether these would be considered reaches.

Carleton, Concordia, Dalhousie, Memorial UofNewfoundland

All probably good for you. Newfoundland weather is something that you should think about (mild winters, but stormy and wet)

de Montreal, Laval, Sherbrooke,

Parlez-vous couramment français? If you don’t speak French really well, forget it.

Acadia, Saint-Mary’s, St Francis Xavier, Prince Edward Island,

Good choices. All relatively small. Just based on their size I would expect that you are likely to have few strong tennis players to practice against (possibly very few tennis players at all). Probably safe with your GPA but still academically very good schools. My understanding is that Acadia won’t even look at your SAT scores, and the rest are SAT-optional.

New Brunswick.

It wouldn’t be my first choice.

10

@DadTwoGirls As usual, thank you! You are helping me so much in making decisions and moving forward with this long and strenuous process. Now I am faced with the trouble of application deadlines already passed or fast approaching. Hopefully I am not too late now.

11

Haven’t most deadlines passed by now? You are very late if you want to start in September.

12

" Haven’t most deadlines passed by now? You are very late if you want to start in September. "

Most have. I think that all deadlines are passed if you want financial aid. There are still some universities (including several in the list a few replies back) that are accepting applications.

13

Housing deadlines have probably also passed. Is it the transfer app dates that are still available?

To the OP: as I mentioned earlier in the thread, you should be considering what you want to study in university, and the tennis should be a secondary consideration.

14

@alwaysamom I do know that. But even after taking tennis out of the equation, I’m in a tough spot. I am sure you can already tell.
I haven’t received my college transcript yet, but I am sure I got below a 2.0 GPA. And from SFU’s website it states “If you are not in good standing or have a GPA of less than 2.00 ( 60%) , you will not be admitted.” Most universities do only consider transfers along the same lines as that statement. I really don’t think a 3.9 in high school can help me at this point, considering my college grades are terrible.
I actually started out searching for colleges, to get a certificate or diploma instead, since that’s the cheaper choice. But then not all of them transfer to university degrees, and honestly the prices are a bit absurd. Late last year, I was going to transfer to a community college in NYC that cost about 3800 USD a semester. In a great location in Manhattan! Could I find a college in Canada close to this price range? Nope. God help me. I really thought it’ll be cheaper in Canada, but all this is just confusing me now.

15

123o123: If I were your Dad, I would recommend that you do one of two things: Either (i) Take a gap year and apply earlier next time. or (ii) Apply to Dalhousie today, and use only your high school grades. Don’t even send them your university grades. Dalhousie is a great school, is large enough to have a very wide assortment of majors, and is large enough that it would seem reasonable that there might be other good tennis players there. Also, their application deadline hasn’t passed yet. Then spend the weekend looking through the full list of universities in the email above. A high school GPA of 3.9 will get you in, a college GPA of 2.0 will not, but apparently you were not a full year in university. At a minimum, call them today and ask about your situation (and note their time zone).

If you don’t apply really soon, then you aren’t going anywhere until next year (a year from September). However, I will admit that I know nothing about the application deadlines and admission policies of community colleges.

I am probably biased since I think that Nova Scotia is great, and my younger daughter and I toured Dalhousie about a year ago. It was larger than what she was looking for, but quite nice. If you want to play tennis seriously then large might be needed.

Also, if you get in, then let us know in this thread! Also, if you get in, they you obviously know that you need to study much more, always go to class, always do all homework right after it is assigned, and party much less.

16

@DadTwoGirls Great! Thanks. I am going ahead and planning to go through with your second option. It does seem like a risk to not inform them of my time in university before, but I can try anyway.
Just curious, when you say Dalhousie is large enough to maybe have other good tennis players, you just mean it as that and not that Dalhousie itself has a tennis team, do you? I researched and did not find them to have a team. Even so, it is fine. It does sound like a good school and I like that it is large. May I know what schools your daughter preferred?

And of course, I do really want to work hard and commit myself 100% to school. I just want another chance, that’s all.

17

Miraculously, I received my college transcript today and actually got above 2.0!!! I almost couldn’t believe it. I think this makes things at least a little easier now, What a relief.

18

Regarding Dalhousie: I would call and ask them about the time you spent in university (this was one semester, is that right?). If you can’t get them today I suppose you could apply without mentioning your bad semester but then call Monday and ask. I looked at pretty much any major that either daughter ever suggested, and Dal is good at quite a few things. However, neither daughter ever played tennis so I know nothing about that. I thought that your list only included universities with tennis teams. I also happened to notice recently that their application deadline is later than most other universities.

We have looked at most of the best small universities in eastern Canada, such as Mount Allison, Acadia, St Francis Xavier, and Bishop’s. My daughter hasn’t picked one yet. I don’t think that their deadlines have passed either.

19

@DadTwoGirls What do you think of the University of Manitoba and Brandon University? I’d love to know your thoughts on them, if you do know them well enough.

20

I don’t know much about either. The winters will be a bit cold, but you should be able to get used to it (get a warm coat, good boots, and silk gloves to wear under your mittens – local stores will have all of the above). I have heard good things about both, but I haven’t heard much and it was all second hand. We didn’t look at either largely because we live in New England (ie, much further east).