Low marks for university Physics advice needed

[anu420]

hi, i am currently in grade 12 (last year of high school)
i really want to apply to physics (i live in Canada, Ontario), my school level insanely high, and and i am passing math with an average of about 55%. i hate chemistery but i still have to take it as it is required. i am also getting a 52% in that. the rest should be average of about 75% to 80%.my final average might come out bieng less than 70%...
my low average doesn't mean i not good, i really have a passion for physics, it just means that the on the test, we get questions we have never even imagined before! its not just me, more than half the class is failing.
is there any chance to get into a university in ontario. i like Queens university, and york is good too. i don't think uofT will accept me. but will any other.
IS there a CHANCE to get into any university at all??
would refrence leters help??

 

[fss]

Reference letters will help if they are good enough to make up for your grades.

 

[anu420]

how many do i need and what shoud they say? :)
do people with low averages actually get into universities with reference leters?
i really want to go to Queens university, their program is very stable

 

[Choppy]

If you are struggling in high school, what makes you think university will be any easier? Most people find it the other way around.

Your best chance to get in is to pull your marks up. That means putting more time in studying - even when you don't like it so much. Your guidance office or the university website will be able to tell you what marks you need for acceptance into the program. If you can't make those, there isn't much of a chance to make it in.

Also, please take the time to type properly.

 

[anubis01]

To be perfectly honest you will not get accepted to any university with an average lower than 70%.

You should talk to some advisers at different universities for the admission's average for Physics. I know the University of Ottawa, and the University of Carleton have an admission average of 70%, and that's the absolute cutoff.

However before making a decision, I think you need to ask yourself how are you going to do better at the university level if you're already struggling so badly with high school.

 

[MECHster]

To be perfectly honest you will not get accepted to any university with an average lower than 70%.

You should talk to some advisers at different universities for the admission's average for Physics. I know the University of Ottawa, and the University of Carleton have an admission average of 70%, and that's the absolute cutoff.

However before making a decision, I think you need to ask yourself how are you going to do better at the university level if you're already struggling so badly with high school.

It's Carleton University, sorry had to.

And, you won't get in anywhere if you have 50s in physics and math. Your best bet is to retake math next semester (I'm assuming it's advanced functions), and to re-take physics in night school, or the other way around. If you improve to mid to high 60s in those two subjects with an overall average in the 70s, you should be able to get accepted into worse programs (not Queens).

 

[General_Sax]

You might want to look into a technical program at a local college.

 

[CheckMate]

If more than half of your class is failing the course than there's a problem. You should talk to the principle about it.

 

[anu420]

do universities look at the school level? there are a few people who did really bad in this school last year and are quite successful in university this year. not quite sure how they got in the program though, but they are pretty successful

 

[MECHster]

do universities look at the school level? there are a few people who did really bad in this school last year and are quite successful in university this year. not quite sure how they got in the program though, but they are pretty successful

For the most part Canadian high schools are standard (thus no SATs) and Universities will just see your final marks of grade 11, plus your mid-terms and finals for grade 12. They base their decisions primarily on the grades. Some schools tell you to fill out a questionnaire (I know Queens and Waterloo do). I'm not sure what to tell you other than try to re-do the courses or try really hard to get 60s, and you'll get in somewhere.

 

[AndersonMD]

There are some Universities that will accept you with a 70's average, but Queen's is not one of them. It is a smaller school and prides itself on its very high admittance average (~90%).

If you are barely passing high school physics the likelihood of you doing well at University physics is very low, it doesn't get any easier.

"it just means that the on the test, we get questions we have never even imagined before!"

Yup, and the further you get the less your questions will be standard memorized questions, you have to be able to think outside the box.

As far as getting into "any" university, the University of Manitoba for example admits people down to about "65%". Though I believe this is a ploy to get money from first years (who largely drop out), most people who make it to second year are the ones that entered with 80% +.

 

[flyingpig]

I personally recommend you to stay around before applying to college and hone on your skills and then apply. Just for a year I mean