This might be a stupid question but is a 9.5 GPA a 80% ? Or is anything below a 10 under 80% ?Im asking this because I think this is the GPA we need to maintain in order to get our scholarship for next year( i could be wrong) Oh and...im applying for a couple of jobs and need a transcript. Do I need to get a printed copy from mac or can i just use the marks on mugsi, like print screen then or some thing.


thanks

a GPA of 10 is at least 80%

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...07/sec_143.htm

The McMaster GPA scale is a little funny in that although 10 means 80%-84%, you only need 9.5 to retain your entrance scholarship (or perhaps any other scholarship that requires you to maintain an 80%+ average), because 9.5 is considered an 80 in this case. Yeah kind of confusing I know...

For sure, you only need 9.5 as a sessional average each year to retain your entrance scholarship. You do not need to print anything. In May/June, it will say on your transcript if you have reached an SA of at least 9.5 (this also means you make the Dean's Honours List), and McMaster will automatically make sure you get the same amount of money for your entrance scholarship the next year. You don't need to do anything .

Edit: Sorry I didn't read the job app part. Some employers may want an actual transcript, others don't mind having the printed copy from MUGSI. The thing about the MUGSI one is that it doesn't have your name or student number on it. I guess check with the employer..? I'm thinking the marks straight from MUGSI should be okay...depends...

If you don't get the 9.5 in your first year but get it in your second, can you get the scholarship back?

Unfortunately, I don't believe so. To my knowledge, as soon as you dip below a 9.5 SA, you lose your scholarship. For example if you get: yr 1 >9.5, yr 2=9.3, yr 3 >9.5, you already lost your scholarship in yr 2 so you won't get it back even though you got >9.5 in yr 3.

Quoted from Student Financial Aid & Scholarships:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To All First Year Students Who Have Received a McMaster Entrance Award in September 2008:

Terms and Conditions of Award Retention
2008 Entrance Award Program

If you received a McMaster Entrance Award in September 2008, you need to be aware of the terms and conditions to retain your award.

[...]

To receive your second entrance award installment (in Sept. 2009):

• You must achieve a sessional average of 9.5, with no failures, on a minimum of 24 units ('full-time' status) in Level 1(2008-2009 fall/winter session).
• You must register for Level 2 (2008-2009 fall/winter session).
• Payment will be credited to your student account when you register for the next session in September. (Your second installment decision will appear on MUGSI by the end of July.

Please refer to the 2008-09 Undergraduate Calendar to review the terms and conditions for retention. Summer courses do not count towards your full-load course requirement.

So the 9.5 is only considered an 80% in terms of getting a scholarship? If I get a 9.5 cumilitive average, thats still below 80%?



Im really confused now, i clearly remember reading last year that we need alleast an 80% to maintain our scholarship. so wouldnt it make sense that 9.5=80% ??

A 9.5 is never considered an 80% under any circumstances, it will always be lower than 80%. Just know that you need to maintain an average of at least 9.5 in order to keep your scholarship, regardless of anything you may have read prior to this point in time.

Andrew Phan
BSc II

Originally Posted by phana2

A 9.5 is never considered an 80% under any circumstances, it will always be lower than 80%. Just know that you need to maintain an average of at least 9.5 in order to keep your scholarship, regardless of anything you may have read prior to this point in time.

I think the problem is because a 9 represents the range 77-79 and 10 represents the range 80-84. Then what is a 9.5, right? Is it 78 because it's in the middle of the range? But that doesn't make sense because 9 represents up to 79%, so >9 means >79%. So then is it 80 because it's between 9 and 10? but isn't 10 = 80%?

I don't think we can say that "9.5 is never considered an 80%". The thing is profs don't even ever give us stuff like 9.5; it's either 9 or 10 (if it's around an 80%). That's why you don't have to maintain a 10 to keep your scholarship.

If you're dealing in decimals I would say 9.5 = 80% as an overall mark. But as individual course grades 10 is when you get 80%.

Maybe I will ask the registrar when they open again. -_-

when it says the scholarship mark of 9.5 is based upon a minimum of 24 units, does that mean we can drop some of our crappier courses or does this sessional average count for all courses

It's based on a minimumm of 24 units because that's the load considered for a full time student. So I don't think you can just drop your lowest courses if you have more than 24 units. Sessional avg included all your the courses you take for that session.

guess i could be a full time and a half student with 37 units -_- oh well it was worth a shot dont slack off 2nd term guys!

Originally Posted by phana2

A 9.5 is never considered an 80%

Are you sure?

Originally Posted by Undergraduate Calendar

*The Honour Awards are renewable at the same value provided that students remain full-time (24 units or greater) and achieve a Sessional Average of 9.5 (approximately 80%) with no failures in each year of University study. Awards may be held until graduation or for four years, whichever is less.

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /CALEN...07/sec_960.htm

This has proved much more tricky than previously thought. I always thought the cut-off was 9.6. 9/12=75% whilst 10/12=83%. That would make 9.5 a 79% while 9.6 is an 80%. After all, our grades are out of a 12 point scale. However, the last post pretty much quashes what I say since I am not in any sort of power position at Mac regarding the issue.