The admissions team made an announcement that weighting (wGPA) would no longer be a part of the admissions process. So, what does this mean for applicants this year?
If you plan to apply in the future, you will be assessed on your overall GPA (cGPA) which is calculated using all undergraduate course grades obtained on a full-time basis during fall, winter, and/or spring/summer semesters.
The Admissions Committee made the decision to remove weighted GPAs in response to the increasing trend of students not carrying a full course due to additional commitments. This will give applicants the freedom to arrange their courses in a way that suits their individual needs and not worry that they will be disadvantaged by not carrying a full course load.
While we understand that this decision may affect prospective applicants in different ways, we are confident that this is the right direction to provide fairness and equity for the largest number of applicants in the future. The change in weighted GPA starts in the 2022-2023 admission cycle (Fall 2023 medical school entry).
The University of Toronto always strives to make the admission process fair and equitable for all applicants. If you, as an individual, feel that you have a unique circumstance that affected your academic performance, you may include an Academic Explanation Essay in your application material, which we will consider when processing your application file.
Will this drive your average GPA cutoff numbers down?
The minimum GPA requirements remain the same, but it is expected that the competitive GPA, which helps determine full file review eligibility, will be lower than in previous cycles. The competitive GPA has always fluctuated from year to year, as this is largely determined by the applicant pool.
Since wGPA will no longer be part of the admissions process, would other sections be considered more heavily or not?
The GPA remains an important part of the admissions assessment, but it is just one of the components assessed in the overall review of the application. If a full file review is completed, the GPA is not the major component in the assessment for interview, but it is still an important part of the initial screening.
What are implications towards graduate applicants?
The undergraduate GPA has always been a component of the academic assessment of graduate applicants. The implications for graduate students are generally the same as for undergraduate applicants. The minimum required GPA (3.3) will not change, but the competitive GPA may be lower than what it was in previous cycles.
