By Manal Sheikh
For prospective students, admission to the University of Calgary is becoming more difficult as acceptance standards rise year after year.
The Haskayne School of Business and the Faculty of Nursing have seen the sharpest increase. At Haskayne, the average grade for acceptance was 82 per cent in 2012, compared to the low 70s in 2006. Nursing students coming from high school now need an 84 per cent average, while this number was in the mid 70s less than 10 years ago.
For early admission to all undergraduate programs — offered to high school students midway through Grade 12 — students need a 90 per cent average in four required Grade 11 courses.
Students’ Union vice-president academic Emily Macphail said this is the result of more students applying for limited enrolment spots.
“With an increased level of competition, the grades that are required to be competitive have increased,” Macphail said.
Standards for students in university transferring programs have become more competitive as well.
Jelena Vukosavljević, who is planning on applying to nursing as a transfer student this fall, has struggled with rising standards.
“It’s tough because the transfer GPA has been getting higher each year. Last fall it was a 3.62 and I was told it might be even higher this upcoming fall,” Vukosavljević said. “It would have definitely been easier to go in straight out of high school.”