GPA for Canadian clinical psychology programs

[Clinpsyc01]

Does anyone know what an acceptable GPA would be for Canadian clinical programs? I assume most successful applicants probably have near perfect grades, but what kind of GPA will get people past initial screening, etc.? Waterloo's mean average for incoming students was 91 last year- is that lower or higher than most clinical programs? 

[FacelessMage]

I was told by a prof on an admissions committee, that once your GPA is above 3.70, it's negligible. Most applicants will have extremely strong GPAs, and people with lower GPAs usually supplement them with strong research experience/GRE scores/reference letters.

[child_health]

On 2/14/2016 at 3:24 PM, FacelessMage said:

I was told by a prof on an admissions committee, that once your GPA is above 3.70, it's negligible. Most applicants will have extremely strong GPAs, and people with lower GPAs usually supplement them with strong research experience/GRE scores/reference letters.

I feel like this is kind of a vague response that might need a bit more context. Each school has different cut-offs to consider applicants, and different competitive GPA based on how strong their candidates are. I know that lots of Canadian programs end up accepting students with very high GPAs because even though their cutoff mark is low, the quality of their applicants are very high. I wouldn't say that GPA above a certain mark is negligible... but yes, similar to what was said, there are other factors that are seen as just as relevant if not more than GPA. (ie: reference letters, research experience). 

Bottom line is that this whole GPA business is school/program dependent and you should contact the schools for the most accurate information.

[Jay's Brain]

I agree with child_health in that it is very school dependent. Through the grapevine I have heard of different cutoffs and expectations. If it give any positivity, I do want to say that GPA is not the end all and be all. Students with decent GPA, but excellent research experiences have also been accepted to competitive programs. Sometimes it may also have to do with fit. If you were to apply local, speak with current faculty members at your institution and see who they know and what they can do for you. A good word and reference also goes a long way besides the traditional GPA merit!

A few other nuances to think about so hope that helps!