Upper Year Transfer Process Into Life Sciences
Standard Operating Procedure for review of applications for admission into
LISC-P-BSH (all sub-plans) or LISC-M-BSH
The LISC office will accept applications for admission into LISC-P-BSH (all sub-plans) or LISC-M-BSH from students who are entering year 3 or 4 of other degree programs (including those who are currently in the LISC-G-BSC plan). However, there are two constraints that limit the number of students that can be accepted. These constraints are:
The maximum number of students that can be admitted is 5 students/year (based on a policy established by the Faculty of Arts and Science); and
- The number of students in the BSC plans is capped (based on a policy established by the Faculty of Arts and Science). This cap was set at 220 for students entering LISC before 2011. The cap increased to 235 in 2011. The number of students can not exceed the cap that was in place in the year that corresponds to the applicants first year of studies. Please note that we do not ‘lose’ many students as they progress from year 2 to 3 and from year 3 to 4.
Assuming that the enrolment is less than the cap, applications for admission will be reviewed according to the following policies.
- First priority will be given to those students whose first year marks exceeded the minimum admission requirement in the year that the student would have applied for LISC if they had applied at the end of their first year. The minimum varies from year since we accept the top 220 or 235 applicants. The applicable minimum from previous years are as follows:
2008 73% (on the best 3 of 4 first year core courses)
2009 72% (on the best 3 of 4 first year core courses)
2010 78% (on the best 3 of 4 first year core courses)
2011 GPA 2.7 (based on all first year courses)
This policy is designed to ensure that we are fair to those students who fell below the minimum and thereby maintain the integrity of the admission process.
- Strict application of the above policy would mean those students who failed to achieve the minimum grade for admission in year 2 would be permanently barred from the BSH LISC plans. I am uncomfortable with this policy as there should be an opportunity for second chances. Thus, I would consider a transfer to the BSH LISC plans if the applicant’s cumulative GPA equals or exceed 2.5 at the end of year 2 or 3. The value of 2.5 was chosen since it equals the minimum GPA required for acceptance in year 2.
2. Applications will be reviewed at the end of the first round of applications (typically in early to mid June) and at the end of July. To avoid a first-come, first-served process, 3 of the available 5 positions will normally be filled after the first round of applications (assuming that there are spaces relative to the cap). The remaining positions will be filled at the end of July.
