Article 3: Simply Mcmaster – Admissions, Courses, Elm and Much More

Article 3: Simply McMaster

Admissions, Courses, Elm and much more

Section (1): Admissions

                Let’s go back a bit for this article because well I missed a very important topic pointed out by one of my readers, Msah. This topic is: How to get into Mac. Some people have asked how hard is it to get into Mac or what average is ‘good enough’, or what extracurricular activities will help them look good in the application?

                My answer to that is ‘it depends’. Honestly acceptance from Mac depends on a lot of things. These ‘things’ can range from simply your best six marks in high school to you extracurricular activities, and even to your ability to write a supplementary application. Most of all, these things will depend on the program you choose. Different programs have different cut-offs so that would be my first recommendation. Know you cut-off and make sure you are going to clear it. As much as I don’t want to sound like your guidance counselor but every year people apply to programs knowing that they will not meet cut-offs and yet expect acceptance. Sorry to disappoint but really I am not trying to be a pessimist… there are a lot of other great programs out there that you could better spend your time applying for. My next piece of advice will be that you should know the prerequisites for your first year courses and your second year courses. You see, most people just see the first year requisites and take what they need in high school to meet those but if you also take time to look at your second year courses you could take your optional courses in high school to your advantage. For example, Anne, she did not take grade 12 biology in high school because she was going into Math and Stats which is fine but in second year she switched to Physics and then wanted to get into the Med Phys program which has biology as its requisite. That was a slight problem because now she had to either take two more courses at Mac to catch up to second year or go back to high school, get the biology and take first year bio at Mac. The third piece of advice, more like a heads up…YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR PROGRAMS AT MAC. Some people simply know what they want to take but for people who have doubts in their program just make sure you keep your options open by taking diverse electives that will open up a lot of doors to other programs in second year. Other than meeting the prerequisites for your program I would recommend volunteering a lot and helping out with the community. This is NOT because it will look good on your application but because it changes who you are morally. It helps open your eyes and gives you a better perspective on life and this perspective will help you when you are applying to university. What kind of extracurricular activities or volunteering you should do, depends completely on you. If you like sports play on the school team, it will teach you teamwork and leadership. If you like helping kids volunteer at camps. If you enjoy helping seniors then help out at a senior home. There are so many things out there that you can get involved in, you just have to look around. Last, it goes without saying, but make sure you submit your application to university on time and as well as complete your community hours before the deadline. Not graduating because of incomplete community hours can be a b*tch. Just get it done.