To gain admission into Canada’s most prestigious university programs, mid-90s grades are not enough

A recent Globe and Mail article has highlighted what we see every day when meeting with high school students: to gain admission into some of Canada’s most competitive university programs, having a high grade 12 average is not enough. Admissions are more competitive than ever, with rising grade inflation meaning that more and more applicants have grade averages in the mid to high 90s.

Highly selective programs in areas such as Health Science, Engineering and Commerce attract a lot of applicants from Canadian high schools and often receive several times as many applicants as there are seats. For these most competitive programs, with grade inflation causing grade 12 averages to go up, supplemental applications play a big role in selection, and universities look at factors beyond a student’s high school grades to make admission decisions.

Supplemental applications give schools a chance to see who students are beyond just their grade point average through the use of tools such as personal statements or video interviews. For students aiming at competitive programs, this means that in addition to focusing on academics in high school, they need to work to build an experience profile and engage in meaningful extracurricular activities that show initiative, leadership and a genuine interest in their chosen field, such as volunteering, joining clubs, pursuing personal projects, or gaining relevant work experience.

The strongest applications come from students who pair strong academics with authentic experiences that reflect who they are, and that’s exactly what helps them stand out to competitive programs. Strong academics start your story; meaningful experiences make it unforgettable.