A member with a strong GPA but an IELTS score exactly at University of Manitoba's minimum requirement (6.5) for an MA in Economics asked whether that was risky, and whether it's always better to score higher than the minimum.
What the thread clarified:- A GPA that clears the requirement by a wide margin is generally the strongest factor in an admission decision — members were direct that a candidate should go ahead and apply on the strength of a high GPA even with a bare-minimum IELTS score.
- Scoring exactly the minimum IELTS band is not automatically disqualifying — the common belief that you need a band above the minimum was described as more nuanced than an absolute rule.
- Where a higher band can matter is as a tiebreaker. If two applicants have otherwise similar profiles, the one with the higher IELTS score may be favoured — so it's a secondary factor, not a hard admission requirement.
The practical takeaway: a GPA well above the program's minimum is more influential than an IELTS score exactly at the cutoff — apply if your GPA is strong, but understand that a higher language score can still tip the scale between otherwise similar candidates.