For some of Canada's most prestigious university programs, mid-90s grades are not enough

Globe and Mail

3 days ago

Lauren McGuire, a recent Grade 12 graduate from Oakville, Ont., had her sights set on applying to a university program in health sciences, a competitive stream that's often a stepping stone to medical school.
She had top marks and impressive extracurriculars, but she still knew it would be a tall order to get one of the most sought-after spots in Canada.
Applying to nine programs with an average grade of about 95 at the start of the application process (it improved to 97 by the second semester this year), she crossed her fingers and hoped for the best, aware that some of her targets have acceptance rates lower than even Ivy League schools.
Ms. McGuire didn't get into life sciences at McMaster University (where there were nearly 34 applicants for every spot last year) and was put on a waiting list for the health sciences program at Queen's University (about 18 applicants for every spot). But she did get accepted to a life sciences program at the University of Toronto, which she describes as a 'dream school.'
'I was happy to be able to go to a school that I'm really passionate about,' Ms. McGuire said.
Canadian university admissions don't tend to see the competitive frenzy that surrounds applications to elite schools in the United States. But there are a handful of programs in Canada that attract an avalanche of applications for a relatively small number of seats.
For high achievers accustomed to chasing a goal, the challenge of getting into a sought-after program may be driving a cycle where more students pursue the relatively small number of programs they see as prestigious. It's not uncommon for the prestigious programs to attract even more applications over time, despite already low odds of success. For example, one of McMaster's most sought-after programs, honours health sciences, has seen a nearly 65-per-cent increase in applications since 2020.
'A lot of people really put these programs on a pedestal, knowing that they are the best of the best, and kind of being able to prove themselves,' Ms. McGuire said. 'They want to get into a good program to say that all their hard work bore fruit.'
Some students no longer target a preferred university but instead a certain kind of program. If the preferred program is full, the applicant will often choose an entirely different school. That has made for a more anxious application process, even as most educators advise students to see what kind of courses they enjoy once they start university. One province is even introducing legislation that aims to bring more clarity to admissions decisions.
Applications in Canada tend to be assessed by departments and programs within universities, rather than the university as a whole. That means there isn't just one application process at a university, but many that operate simultaneously. And entry requirements, grade cut-offs and the scarcity of seats can vary considerably, even within the same institution.
Highly selective programs in engineering and commerce, for example, tend to attract a lot of applicants from Canadian high schools. They often have several times as many applicants as there are seats. Those programs inevitably inspire stories of a graduating high school student with an average in the high 90s who was somehow turned down by one top university and accepted by another.
Ms. McGuire said the midterm period of her Grade 12 year was intense, as she and her friends spent nearly every spare moment studying, checked for newly posted grades and talked through their anxiety about how their futures might be altered by a good or bad grade.
'It just felt like a pressure cooker,' she said.
Murado Murado, a recent high school graduate from London, Ont., who has the same first and last name, took aim at top business programs in his final year.
He had an average grade of 96, but he knew that wouldn't be enough to guarantee he got into the program of his choice.
'I was nervous because there were so many people with 98 averages. I've heard horror stories where a 99-average student got rejected,' Mr. Murado said.
For the business schools he was applying to, Ivey at Western, Smith at Queen's and Rotman at the U of T, supplemental applications play a big role in selection, he said. For Ivey, where he ultimately got in, he had to list five to seven extracurricular activities, provide references, explain his impact on the community, write a personal profile and do a recorded video interview, where he responded to questions he was given in advance. On its website the school says its admission decisions are 'truly a 50/50 balance between academic achievement (grades) and leadership contribution.'
'They really do look at these supplemental applications. I know many people who did have the marks and the qualifications, but just because of the competitiveness of the program it really comes down to their impact," Mr. Murado said.
How admission decisions are made has recently become a political issue in Ontario.
Bill 33 would grant the government the right to force universities to make admission decisions on what it defines as merit. The government says its goal is to enhance transparency so students know how they're being evaluated. But it raised objections from students and faculty who said it infringes on universities' long-held right to determine whom to admit and on what basis.
Ontario Bill 33 undermines university autonomy and access to education, critics say
Universities are becoming more demanding of applicants, but is it better preparing students?
For now, universities will sometimes make admission decisions based only on academic performance, meaning a student's grades in high school, and sometimes they'll look at other things. For competitive programs in particular, departments will look at other factors for clues to evaluate a student's potential captured in personal statements or video interviews.
The University of British Columbia, for example, describes the personal profile section of its application, which asks for short essay responses to supplied questions, as 'crucial.' to its process. The university uses those responses to determine whether a students is a 'good fit,' it says on its website.
Queen's requires applicants to its most competitive programs in health sciences, commerce and nursing to include a supplementary application, which consists of one written and one video response. The university website says it may use information in the supplementary application in addition to the academic record to make admission decisions.
The University of Waterloo said it looks at other factors beyond a student's high school grades when making admission decisions. It uses an admissions information form (AIF), which asks a series of questions to elicit information about an applicant's experience and interests. On its website it says that several engineering programs 'accept students with averages in the mid-80s, and sometimes students with slightly lower averages are admitted over students with higher averages if they have a really strong AIF.'
One of the difficulties in admissions is the impression that the average grades of applicants have risen in recent years. Can an admissions officer really discern a difference between a student with a 95 average and another from a different school with an average of 94?
Dwayne Benjamin, vice-provost ofstrategic enrolment management at the University of Toronto and an economist by background, said there appears to have been a long-term trend to grade inflation for high school students in Ontario. That wouldn't be a problem if grades could rise beyond 100, he said, but once averages get into the 90s, a compression effect takes hold that can make admission decisions more difficult.
'This is why other jurisdictions have standardized tests,' Dr. Benjamin said.
On the whole, he said, an Ontario Grade 12 average is strongly predictive of first-year performance in university. And a slightly better predictor is a student's Grade 11 marks.
'I think the reason for that is that students are probably getting more honest feedback through Grade 11,' Dr. Benjamin said. In Grade 12, both students and teachers are aware of the importance of the grades for university admission, he said.
At the U of T, Dr. Benjamin said most of the time the admission decision comes down to grades. In the most competitive programs, departments will look for more information from personal statements to help them decide which students will be the better match for the program. But for students disappointed about not getting the program they want, he points out there are many programs at the university where the level of competition is not as high.
According to data from the Ontario Universities Application Centre in late June there were more than 1,300 programs across the province with places still available for fall of 2025 for students with an average of 75 or above.
Here are some of the most sought-after programs of study, according to nine of Canada's top universities.