NSERC Grade Requirement: am I screwed?

[StackUnderflow]

So I always thought that NSERC's grade requirements were 80+ for the doctoral grants. Which is pretty true for Canadian schools according to http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/students/tools/gpa-conversion-chart.html. However, I'm in a US school where B's are routinely given for grades between 80 and 90. As a result of this, my GPA is B+ for that first year of grad school (which was half courses, and half research). Did I completely screw myself out of NSERC's requirements?

I should also mention that I only took 5 courses in the entire year, it was supposed to be mostly research.

Edited May 18, 2016 by StackUnderflow

[TakeruK]

The US grade system is strange to me, as a Canadian. Some of my courses have grades where 90-100 is the A-, A and A+ range, 80-89 is the B-, B, B+ range etc. However, others grade on some weird arbitrary system where they look at the distribution at the end of the semester and then use natural breaks in the distribution to award grades to various clumps of students. 

Here is what I think:

You may not have to worry at all. Sometimes transcripts come with explanation of how grades are awarded. Also, you won't be the only person ever to be applying from US programs---the evaluators will likely know what your grades mean (they might even have US degrees themselves). I also think you will meet the "minimum" requirement because combining your undergrad and grad GPA should likely be over 80% (A- in most Canadian schools) so you don't have to worry about automatic rejection based on grades.

If you are really worried, you should get your letter of reference writer from this school to explain your academic performance. I am assuming you are going to ask your thesis advisor to write a LOR for you---ask this person to write about your academic performance.

Finally, remember that for the doctoral grants, the academic performance is only worth 30% of your evaluation (20% for community service, 50% for research and research potential). 

[StackUnderflow]

8 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

 

The US grade system is strange to me, as a Canadian. Some of my courses have grades where 90-100 is the A-, A and A+ range, 80-89 is the B-, B, B+ range etc. However, others grade on some weird arbitrary system where they look at the distribution at the end of the semester and then use natural breaks in the distribution to award grades to various clumps of students. 

Here is what I think:

You may not have to worry at all. Sometimes transcripts come with explanation of how grades are awarded. Also, you won't be the only person ever to be applying from US programs---the evaluators will likely know what your grades mean (they might even have US degrees themselves). I also think you will meet the "minimum" requirement because com

 

Thanks for a swift reply. I would have no problem at all if they averaged my last 2 years (my final 2 years of Canadian grades are solidly A+ even by US standards). But the eligibility wording states that: "have obtained a first-class average (a grade of "A-") in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).". Which to me seems like they want A- in both of those years and not an average. I also have no problem if the requirement was an 80% average, because I got more than 80% in all of my courses (but 80% is a B not A- in the eyes of my profs). I don't think it's a big deal as long as I can get over the eligibility hurdle and actually get committee eyes on my application, but I'm not certain about that eligibility hurdle.

[TakeruK]

Maybe you can contact the NSERC staff and find out how you can indicate that your US grades does meet the minimum eligibility criteria. I would do this now, over the summer, instead of close to the Fall application deadline.