University questions

[MonsieurFish]

Alright so im in grade 12 and have a few quesitons about getting into university next year. so i want to get into engineering at u of c. i think that the requirements are an average of around 80? now what exactly does this "average" have to consist of. i belive i read somewhere you need to have math 30, chem 30, physics 30, ELA 30, math 31. so im doing pretty decent in those, but what other marks do i have to hand in that will matter for me getting into university? my main concern is social cause im pretty good at math, but absolutlely blow at social. will this affect anytthing or do i not have to give them that mark?

also, how many marks do i hand in? can i only hand in 30 level marks or could i hand in couses like gym 20 or computer science 20? and does anyone know the actual requirements for engineering at u of c? thanks

[I-Hate-Hulse]

http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/2006/how/index.htm

Get used to not being spoon fed info like you are in high school. You'll have to fend for yourself.

[STeeLy]

I've just started University... But I didn't go to U of C... I am instead at Carleton University out in Ottawa. However, I was enrolled myself into the IB program so I cannot specially tell you ur what ur Alberta marks should be to get into U of C... Engineering, it should be about the high 70 at LEAST... consiting... If the Website provided by IHH doesn't give you enough, talk to the Guidance counsellors... they should be able to help you out.

[Azure]

If it says 80, get 90.

Thats what my teachers always told me.

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

I've just started University... But I didn't go to U of C... I am instead at Carleton University out in Ottawa. However, I was enrolled myself into the IB program so I cannot specially tell you ur what ur Alberta marks should be to get into U of C... Engineering, it should be about the high 70 at LEAST... consiting... If the Website provided by IHH doesn't give you enough, talk to the Guidance counsellors... they should be able to help you out.

Ah a Carleton Student? How are you liking it so far?

And Fish, I suggest talking to your counsellors, calling the university or checking their website as others have suggested to find out for sure. You don't want to make mistakes or take peoples word for it when it comes to this sort of thing.

[REDVAN]

I go to U of C, this is my 4th year. My brother just started his first year in Engineering.

The average you need to get in is around 80... do the best you can.
The classes you need are exactly what you listed: chem, phys, math, calc,engl/soci (I think you get to pick... but I am not sure). If you suck at one subject, social studies, then you shouldn't worry.

[BlackArcher101]

Keep in mind it's very competitive. I believe the average required for acceptance has increased each year in the past 3 years. Next year won't be any different. I'm guessing high 80's, even approaching 90.

I've seen a history of past averages needed for acceptance on their website, but I'm having trouble finding it right now. I'll post it if I find it.

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Keep in mind it's very competitive. I believe the average required for acceptance has increased each year in the past 3 years. Next year won't be any different. I'm guessing high 80's, even approaching 90.

I've seen a history of past averages needed for acceptance on their website, but I'm having trouble finding it right now. I'll post it if I find it.

I heard they removed the averages because they thought it was misleading, but I could be wrong.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Azure

If it says 80, get 90.

Thats what my teachers always told me.

What a bad teacher, why would they tell you to get 90?

You should always go for 100%

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

What a bad teacher, why would they tell you to get 90?

You should always go for 100%

Well if they said that, you would get 90%. So I guess they should say always go for 110%.

[SeeGeeWhy]

U of C Engineering Undergrad Office
Telephone - (403) 220 5732
email - engginfo@ucalgary.ca

Also, here is a website that directly answers the questions in your post:
http://www.schulich.ucalgary.ca/stud...rospective.htm

Good source of information for the sorts of questions you will have.

Best of luck from a fellow 'geer.

ERTW!

[mykalberta]

If you dont have the marks right out of high school you can go to a Mount Royal or equivilant in a transfer program, just remember that if the UofC is anything like the UofA, if two candidates are tied on marks they will always take the student in their institution first.

MYK

[troutman]

20 years ago I did a year of Engineering at U of C. Back then they admitted twice as many students as they should have. Half the class was weeded out (including me) after 1st year, and half the class went on to 2nd year. Couldn't they have saved us all the trouble and just admitted the best engineering students to begin with?

I could do all the homework assignments, but the exam questions were so hard, only a small percentage of the students could answer them. I think I got 1/150 on one physics mid-term; I was able to write down one formula, and the rest of the exam was blank.

You really need to be gifted at math and physics.

[wooohooo]

Hey,

I'm at UA right now, but I do have a couple friends at UC doing eng. and from everything i've been told, the average they got in with was from low-mid 80's (82-83) to high 90's. But Universities generally accept everyone with 90's first of course, then they start looking at the 80's and if it is between you that has an 83 and some guy that has an 83 in Vancouver, they'll definetly take you over him. But generally, I think those entrance marks are pretty correct, not saying that if you have a 80 you'll get in, but with everyone applying to multiple universities they're not going to be going to all of them of course. But generally about 3-5 percent higher is what you want to aim for. But aim for at least 90's, those scholorships... they do wonders... trust me

Note: Apply to AS MANY scholorships as you can possibly find, and volunteer alot of LEADERSHIP positions. I had a friend that just volunteered doing this and that, and didn't get the scholorship because he had no leadership positions.

[Clarkey]

My advice to you is to not be too worried about what people have to say. Find out what you need to do by checking the university calendar (under admissions) and get r done. You are going to hear all kinds of b.s. from people in the next year about university, be careful who you listen to. Also, don't rely on your parents to figure things out for you, get the u of c calendar or check it out online and read up on it, don't procrastinate on this, knowing what you need to do makes working for it a lot easier.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by fotze

That is funny, was it physics 259 or 269. Those are the two that I look back at and still shudder. I don't think it was the difficulty alone, just coming from high school with great marks and figuring it was going to be a cakewalk. I remember seeing a guy crying after a 259 midterm, and he was one of those older students (late 30's) who went back to school. It was disturbing.

First year engineering was an absolute whore. I had a 98% in Math 31 and figured I would be one of the smart ones, but when you get to University there will most likely be ALOT of smarter people from you, the smartest from the provice and beyond, so it is quite humbling. And a lot of those smart people have no qualms doing 12 hours homework a day and I did have qualms about that.

and then combine that with boozin and trying to hump.

The year I took 259 the passing mark for the final was something like 14%. The top mark in the class was 21%... brutal.

That is why beer is your friend.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

The year I took 259 the passing mark for the final was something like 14%. The top mark in the class was 21%... brutal.

How can that really be called learning? Similar thing when I was in college, we had a required accounting course. Between us and the afternoon class taking the same thing there were 5 out of 60 of us who were passing, and 3 of those people were passing because they took accounting in high school. I went to the department head and explained the situation, and she suggested I should get a tutor. When I told her that wasn't acceptable; that the prof should be able to teach, she said that some of the courses were "weeder" courses to weed people out.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

The year I took 259 the passing mark for the final was something like 14%. The top mark in the class was 21%... brutal.

That is why beer is your friend.

This tells me that they are not teaching the material properly.

[SeeGeeWhy]

No ****, eh?

I think they do it on purpose to help shock you into the culture of university... sink or swim.

The problem is that it is a really intense applied math course that is pretty abstract. The amount of material that actually gets covered isn't that much, but the level of expected understanding is high.

For example, they'd give you a question something along the lines of:

You have a point charge a x cm away from a line. Derive an equation describing the magnetic field strength along that line an infitine distance away from the point.

So... you have to take abstract concepts and apply them to bull**** questions like that. All you would do in class is go over dozens of these examples for various shapes, and the labs were just as useless.

Everything about it points to it being a weeder course.

Oh yeah, that and the formula sheet you get is crap if I remember correctly.

[MonsieurFish]

Originally Posted by fotze

First year engineering was an absolute whore. I had a 98% in Math 31 and figured I would be one of the smart ones, but when you get to University there will most likely be ALOT of smarter people from you, the smartest from the provice and beyond, so it is quite humbling. And a lot of those smart people have no qualms doing 12 hours homework a day and I did have qualms about that.

and then combine that with boozin and trying to hump.

that sounds pretty much what i'm like right now. i'm real good at math and think i shoudl be able to handle it.... hope the end part doenst come true also.