• admissions,  failing,  getting into U of T

    religion class who?

    February 28, 2026

    Hey! I read a post about a failing mark you have answered but I still wanted to ask you myself because my situation is slightly different. I applied to Life Sci at St. George, Life Sci (Health Sci Stream) at Scarborough, and Psych and Brain Studies at Mississauga. So far, I have been admitted to Mississauga. The average of grade 11 marks was 88.2, of all grade 12 marks sent in November was 82.0, but the average for top 6 was 89.8. The issue is that I failed religion, it is neither a pre-requisite nor my top 6. 35 was written as my midterm mark on OUAC but now it will show 35 as a final mark and that I failed the course. My question is will all three programs send me an automatic rejection letter, even though it is not a pre-requisite and my other marks are all in the 90s? I mean, Mississauga accepted me even with the 35 as my midterm, so I want to assume they won’t care too, too much? If I retake it and I pass with mid 80s, will they consider my second attempt? Thank you!

    heyyo, 

    ooo i love that you did your research! i always love an aska archivist.  

     

    you’re right that uoft will only consider your top six in your average, with that including any required prereqs for your program. as you said, religion would be… neither of those for you.  

    i already think it wouldn’t really be a problem, but the fact that you’ve already gotten into utm is a really really good sign! (congrats, btw!) 

    you won’t get a rejection from a program you’ve already been accepted to, unless that admission was conditional, which I’m assuming it wasn’t. if the program would’ve autorejected you for failing a course, they wouldn’t have sent out an admission knowing your midterm was a 35. 

    soooo from here on out, let’s just pretend nothing happened with that course. religion who? 

    atp retaking the course would mean doing it this summer (unless your school has a weird semester system). no point in doing that since you’ll already have gotten your admission decision by then (it’ll be may by the latest).  

    best of luck with your last sem of high school and i hope you get all the admissions your heart desires! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  life science,  social sciences

    admissions and averages and prereqs oh my

    February 24, 2026

    Hi! I am a grade 12 student who has applied for lifescience at all 3 campuses. I am scared that my final chemistry grade will end up low 70s. I will be able to get my admission average to mid to high 80s but should i be worried like I am scared that they will reject me for having a low grade in a science.

    Hi! I’m currently a grade 11 student in an Ontario high school, and I just recieved my final marks for semester 1. They range around 70-89, which I was really bumbed about. There were many ups and downs this semester. I’ve heard that grade 11 marks matter for university, and will look at my grades. I’ve always been curious to appy to uoft, espcially social sciences. Do I still have a chance of getting in, to uoft or any other social science program, if I do well next semester or in gr12? Thanks!

    heyyo, 

    i’ve decided to answer both of your questions in the same post because, guys, have you seen how many admissions questions i’ve gotten lately? i even added a new section to the faq page for you guys. now of course i love getting your questions but it might save YOU some time to check out that faq.  

    ok with that out of the way, i’m gonna do a bit of an infodump.  

    low chem grade?

    Megamind "No Bitches?" meme [3264x3264] : r/MemeRestoration

    at utsc and utm life sci admissions are generally high 70s and low to mid 80s, respectively, but as you mentioned, yes, the admission average for life sci at utsg is mid-high 80s. however chem is NOT a required course for the admission stream. this means that if it’s your lowest mark (or second-lowest, if you’re taking 8 grade 12 courses), it won’t be included in your top 6 average that uoft looks at. 

    now you may ask, aska, how is chem not required for life sci? and the answer is… well, it depends. some upper-year programs of study do require you to have taken high school chem to enroll, but they don’t require you to have gotten a specific grade in the class, just that you passed it. 

    wait wait wait, so does grade 11 reallllly matter? 

    worry not my friend, while uoft DOES look at grade 11 marks, what you get in grade 12 will matter more. 70-89 is a pretty wide range and since the admission average for soc sci at uoft’s main campus is mid-high 80s, you’re probably already in a good spot! i also have to mention that uoft has two other campuses: utsc (located in scarborough) recommends around mid 70s for soc sci programs, and utm (in mississauga) asks for an overall average of 75 and min 70 in english. totally apply to all three! and yes, I’m a bit traitorous for this, but… you should definitely have a shot at soc sci programs at other unis too. 

    (i know, i know…)

    hope this helped both of you! for any other future uoft hopefuls reading this please go check out the faq section, you may have your question answered without having to wait for your dear old aska to respond. 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • failing,  repeating course,  sociology

    a fail, too, shall pass

    February 16, 2026

    I have failed SOC101 and am wondering if what do I do now. I failed it in my first semester in my first year of university and am absolutely horrified. The prof teaching the course just made the content and course in general not enjoyable. I don’t know how to tell my parents. I worked so hard and messed up two big assignments which led to the failure. Im so scared on what to do next. It feels like the end of the world. I wan to major in psychology and want to be a psychiatrist and am genuinely worried that this will effect my future plans.

    heyyo, 

    aw im sorry to hear about your situation :/ 

    first of all, i want you to know it’s totally normal to fail a course, especially in first year. you’re just getting used to what uni is all about, there’s a lot going on, it can be overwhelming. a lot of other people are in your boat, and it absolutely isn’t the end of the world. hell, one of my professors once told me that they failed a first-year course in the same discipline that they’re now teaching. as for your parents… i’m no expert but if you have a good relationship with them it might help to talk to them to get that burden off your shoulders; it may be hard but it’ll feel better in the end. if not, don’t panic, because i promise you this doesn’t derail your whole uni career. 

    i’m assuming you’re referring to soc100 at utm or utsg, since there doesn’t seem to be a soc101 on any campus? either way, both soc100 courses aren’t requirements for the psych major. 

    now ok, it’s a bit weird i’m so enthusiastic about this, but that is actually awesome news. because this means you have a lot more choice! it’s up to you if you want to take the course again or not. imo, since it’s not necessary for your program, you may not want to redo a course you’ve already struggled with. though, if you ever want to minor in soc or take upper year courses in it, you may have to take the course again.   

    if you do decide to take the course again (and even if you don’t, tbh), it might help to figure out how you could improve your assignments in the future. guessing it was prolly a paper of some kind (?) in which case you could always bring it to your college/campus writing centre to get some feedback!! 

    also, if you’re worried about med/grad school admissions since you mentioned wanting to be a psychiatrist, i have more good news for you: the grades you get in your first semester of first year are the LEAST important thing about your academic career.  

    despite being a bit late in response to this i reallllly hope this helped and that you feel a bit better about everything!! have courage my friend, and know aska is cheering you on from the shadows.

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • askastudent announcement,  no one asked

    aska on reddit? it’s more likely than you’d think…

    February 4, 2026

    my subjects, i have some excellent news for you today. 

    i have decided to get down in the dirt with you guys on the venerable website known as reddit.com. 

    that’s right, i, aska, am now answering your weirdest, most oddly specific, spur-of-the-moment questions when you post em on r/uoft, r/utsc, and r/utm. of course, you don’t have to ask for me to show up, i will just be gracing you with my presence. 

    Waving Season 1 GIF by The Spanish Princess

    if you’re a superfan, you might’ve noticed that i became active back in around november (good for you) BUT aska is simply a very busy person and has only gotten around to telling all you non-aficionados now. 

    so if you’re on uoft reddit and ever see a super knowledgeable and insightful answer, check who posted it, and i’d bet you a hundred bucks it was u/askastudent_.

    (that bet is not legally binding, by the way).

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  competition,  GPA,  life science,  u of tears

    the early bird catches the… admission?

    January 21, 2026

    hi! I’m referring to U of T St. George and planning to apply to Life Sciences for Fall 2027 through early admission. In general terms, what would be considered a super safe bet academically for early admission, without discussing personal grades or chances? I’m trying to understand overall competitiveness. Also, I’ve heard a rumour that Life Sciences at U of T tends to result in lower GPAs than other universities due to program difficulty and grading. Is that accurate or a misconception? Thanks! 

    heyyo,  

    what is with all the life sci kids asking questions these days? i guess you guys just really love aska. don’t worry, i love you too.

    the thing is that early admission doesn’t really exist at uoft, at least in the sense it does at other unis — for one, you only apply once, not separately for “early” and regular admissions. in fact uoft sends its first round of acceptances in february, later than most ontario unis (it was the last one i got!). february is the earliest i recall seeing for first round of admissions, though the website says they can come out as early as late january.  

    soooo “early admission” at uoft basically just means you might get your acceptance about a month before most people, who get admissions in march-may. now if getting in january/february is what you want, you’ll have to apply earlier too. this year the deadline to be considered for that first round was november 7th. if you miss it, welp, no “early admission,” but as long as you apply by the final deadline, you’ll be considered for all the other rounds!  

    for life sci mid-high 80s is the admission range, so you’d probably wanna be on the higher end of that (or even higher) if you want in on the first round.

    and yes, trust me, i am very much aware of the rumours. i’m not in life sci so tragically i can’t give you my personal experience, but i’ve heard varying things from different people. some are able to get really high gpas and others don’t. maybe the ratio is a bit different than other unis? i’m not sure. some stats prof should assign their students a project to figure that one out for us.

    but what i can say is that lots and lots and lots of people have gone from uoft life sci undergrads to phds and med schools (either at uoft or other unis)! it’s absolutely not impossible to do well.  

    i’m sorry i couldn’t fully confirm or deny your question about the rumours, but i hope this still helped! best of luck applying next year! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  arts & sciences,  getting into U of T,  life science,  UTSC

    there’s two of them?!

    January 14, 2026

    hello! I’m a grade 10 student who wants to attend either campus (UofT or UTSC) to study biochemistry. I’m a pretty average student (70s-80s) but am trying to improve and want to know if doing SHSM, Co-Op and passion projects actually make a difference in my chance of being accepted? Thank you!

    heyyo, 

    soooo i fear you may have a doppelganger, because literally the last ask i got was ANOTHER grade 10 wanting to go to utsg or utsc for life sciencey stuff, getting grades in the 80s, and wondering about ecs. 

    am i in groundhog day? are you the same person? 

    hey, i thought i’m the one who’s supposed to answer questions, not ask them… 

    well i guess it doesn’t matter if you’re the last person’s doppelganger or were, like, twins in your past life, because as aska it is of course my obligation to answer your question… you may also wanna check out my answer to your doppelganger’s question, though. 

    the rundown of that post is that ecs basically don’t matter for admission into either utsc or utsg (downtown campus, what im assuming you mean by uoft). utsg life sci is looking for high 80s average, utsc is mid-high 70s. 

    as for shsm and co-op, as with ecs, neither of them matter. one thing to keep in mind though is that the co-op portion of courses are not considered for admissions (aka it won’t hurt you to take them, but those grades aren’t factored in). so make sure you have 6 other grade 12 courses besides your co-op if you take it 

    however if you’re interested in either of them i’d say go for it! while they may not make a difference for admissions, they could be super valuable for a) helping you figure out if you’re interested in a field and b) for securing volunteer/work positions in the future. you never know what doors that might open up! 

    hope that helped, my doppelganger friend!! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • mental health,  no one asked

    feeling the (varsity) blues?

    January 3, 2026

    ok ok, forgive me for that title but i couldn’t resist, it was right there. 

    bringing you a non-question post (!!!) for the first time in a bit because, heartbreakingly, the winter semester begins in a couple days.  

    (pretend it’s snow instead of rain)

    i’m sure a lot of us are feeling kinda like garbage right now, between going back to classes, the holidays wrapping up, and the brutal reality of toronto winters. sooo i decided to put together a late gift for you all and make a post gathering some of the best resources at uoft if/when you’re not in a great headspace. 

    general info 

    the absolute BEST place to start, imo, is the main mental health resource site. it’s a pretty handy spot that gathers info on all the different resources available to students, including counselling, workshops, everything under the sun. there’s also some more websites for each campus that are specific to the resources available there: 

    if you’re new to ontario, navigating the health system (especially when it comes to mental health services) can be a total pain. luckily there is a spot on the mental health website where you can learn more about it! 

    in person, you can also visit the health and wellness centres at each campus: 

    urgent 

    there’s also some services you can access (for free as a uoft student!) if you’re really in need of someone to talk to asap. for instance, until recently i had no idea that you could get same or next day counselling appointments for specific issues! there’s also a 24/7 help line for students you can call anytime, staffed by professionals. 

    now if you or someone you know is in danger, prioritize safety and call 911 or uoft campus safety 416-978-2222 (which has trained counsellors on the line). if it’s not immediate danger, you can call 9-8-8, the suicide crisis helpline free for everyone, and there’s always the 24/7 help line for students i mentioned above. 

    in general, 100% check out this list of places to get urgent support for a variety of issues. 

    i hope you all found this little post useful! please please please check out the main mental health website when you can, even if you’re not in need of any of their services at the time, it’s great to have some ideas in your back pocket if/when you ever gotta use em. 

    good luck to all of you loyal subjects this sem and may you have a very not-blue year!! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  arts & sciences,  getting into U of T,  life science,  UTSC

    my passion project? passing my classes

    January 3, 2026

    I’m a Grade 10 student with an 80s average and I wanna get into UofT or UTSC and major in something like medical science. However, I am not in ANY clubs or anything and have done basically nothing outside of passing my classes. Do passion projects really matter for UofT acceptance? What can I even do now I’m sorry

    heyyo, 

    no need to apologize, questions are literally what i’m here for. and i mean literally. that’s kinda the whole point of my life, actually. 

    and i have more good news for you: you have absolutely no reason to worry about not doing any clubs or ecs in high school. this is because at uoft, the programs most people interested in med sci apply to (life sci at utsg or life sci/health sci at utsc), only require grades. yippee!  

    your average is in a pretty solid place right now, too, since utsg life sci is looking for a mid-high 80s average. both life sci and health sci at utsc want you to aim for mid-high 70s. so no, passion projects do not matter for the kinda programs you’d probably be interested in. unless your passion project is, as you say, passing your classes, which is a pretty important project i guess. 

    for right now just focus on keeping your grades consistent, around mid-high 80s for utsg. since you’re only in grade 10, you don’t have to worry about your grades this year, as uoft only looks at grade 11 and 12 marks. while it’s great to get into good study habits early, and ecs could open doors to job opportunities later on, you can mostly chillax for now and focus on the totally valid passion projects of hanging out with your friends and doomscrolling. oh, and passing your classes.

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • campus life,  cool things,  extracurricular

    putting your best foot forward

    December 26, 2025

    Hello, i am in grade 12 and want to go to uoft next year and I’m wondering what formal events there are at st george campus? like dances, galas, stuff like that. Thank you!

    heyyo, 

    ooo it’s not everyday that someone asks about the more social side of uoft. unless of course it’s to ask if we’re really all lonely here. 

    Lonely The Simpsons GIF

    i had to do quite a bit of digging for this one and i discovered that there are SO MANY formal events that happen on campus. like i knew of some of them but WOW there’s a lot. 

    to start, most of the colleges have their own events (if you don’t know what a college is at uoft, there’s more info here, but basically for arts and science students it’s your social/administrative hub on campus and where you’d usually live if you’re in res first year).  

    personally aska has only been to uc’s fireball, which happens in january-february and is themed (this year it’s alice in wonderland!). and yes, they do play fireball by pitbull. 

    but i know people in trin, vic, and st mikes who’ve mentioned college formals before. i found some info that trin apparently has two events called the conversat and saint’s ball, and i know one of them ran last year but i can’t find any more details :/ oh, and importantly, i’m pretty sure any uoft student can attend any college dances, although if you’re a student at that college you may get a discounted price or priority access to tickets. engineers also have their own thing (as per usual) with their formal dinner dances. 

    during orientation there’s formals too usually. uc and woodsworth did one this year I believe, and trin/vic/st mikes colleges have done joint formals the past few years. i know they did it at the rom one year. like, you can dance with dinosaurs. where else can you do that?

    Video gif. Three people in full T-Rex costumes doing a coordinated line dance outside of an office building.

    student associations also run formal events, there’s way too many for your humble aska to research ALL of them but i literally just saw an ad for a formal run by the tamil students’ association (and i know a lot of other cultural student groups put on formals!). your programs could also put on some events as well, which might also include more academic award nights or receptions.  

    so the world of dances and formals is BIG at uoft, and you just kinda gotta know where to look. my advice is to start following the social media pages of the colleges (and your college’s orientation when it’s created) during the summer, and then also the pages for programs or clubs you might be interested in joining (you can see a list here) (which you should probably do anyways).

    hope this helps!!

    cheers, 

    aska 

     

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  • admissions,  internal transfer,  mental health

    who doesn’t love filling out forms?

    December 24, 2025

    Hi I’m a student at UTSC looking to do an internal transfer to UTSG. My question is how does CGPA reflect based on extenuating circumstances? To put it short, I was doing well in my first semester and ended with a 3.2 GPA. But, second semester, disaster and outside influence tanked my GPA in which I had to go to counseling for. But then during summer I got a 3.3 again. But my cumulative is a 2.5, 0.2 short off the bare minimum. Can I still apply as an internal transfer and what should I do?

    heyyo, 

    first of all, i’m sorry that you had to go through what you did last year. and you should be really proud of what you accomplished in the summer despite that! 

    Pointing At You Fx Networks GIF by The Bear

    now as you mentioned, yes, you do need at least a 2.7 cgpa to transfer from utsc to utsg. however, the good news is that, like all applicants, you can fill out a snazzy little form called a request for special consideration. so basically, in your join uoft portal, you should see a section where you can find the form. you’ll be able to explain your circumstances so that the admissions team knows what’s up! and as a little bird told me (who happens to be more than a little qualified on the matter), admissions teams do look closely at these forms and they can play a big part in admission decisions.  

    Interested Up Close GIF by Buyout Footage

    also, my own two cents here, but i think since you’re already quite close to the minimum gpa, you may be in a good position. especially since you’re on an upward trajectory! 

    Nervous Abc GIF by The Bachelor

    another thing i have a bit of insider knowledge on is that you may get your offer a bit later than some other applicants (think may/june) because admissions wants your final grades to come in. however the good news is that, if you get a late offer, it will most likely NOT be conditional! so, one less thing to worry about. 

    one last thing i wanna mention is that, while i know you were going to counselling last year, if you ever do feel that you’d like to talk to someone again there’s a lot of stuff available for uoft students that a lot of people don’t know about. if you haven’t used it before there’s a huge list of resources on the main mental health site. you can also check out same- or next-day counselling if you’re downtown, or there’s a free hotline just for students. and you could take a look at the utsc-specific site! there’s a ton of places and people out there that you can turn to if you need it. 

    Video gif. A tabby cat looking into and reaching up toward a fisheye camera, as its face presses up to the lens.

    i wish you the best of luck with your application!! you got this.

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  summer

    this news is good news

    December 14, 2025

    Hi!! i’m a gr 11 right now and i’ve never been good at english and it brings down my top 6 (i wanna get into life sci). if i take english in summer school, would uoft view my english mark as an inflated one? (St. George Campus!)

    heyyo, 

    yippee it’s awesome you’re already considering coming to uoft! 

    you’re totally not alone with english bringing your average down, so many people in my high school who were aiming for some super competitive stem programs also had the same conundrum. 

    the good news is that uoft doesn’t care where you take your classes, as long as they’re through a ministry approved school. if the summer school course you wanna take is through your regular school/board OR an online accredited platform, you have nothing to worry about! 

    the sky is falling, hold onto your socks because the good news doesn’t end there: uoft also doesn’t consider grade inflation. well, i guess that’s not good news to everyone… but in your case, it means that even if your summer course is perhaps a little bit easier than it would be during the normal school year, it won’t affect your chances. 

    so…. yay! good news on all fronts i think. just make sure that if you decide to take english during the summer, do it during this upcoming year (NOT the summer after grade 12). uoft requires you to have completed or be registered in all your prereqs by admission. 

    good luck and try not to let hamlet ruin your summer vacation.

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • campus life,  clubs,  drama,  extracurricular

    the theatre kids are eating good

    November 21, 2025

    What is the art scene like at UofT? I mean, like theatre, drama, artsy fartsy type of scene? I’m currently a grade 12 student who is super involved in my school’s theatre and drama club, and I would like to know if UofT St. George has active drama clubs or student-run theatre groups? I applied to UofT already for social sciences, and I plan on studying environmental studies or political science! I also ranked Victoria College as my number 1 bc I heard that it is involved in theatre (?) I plan to be super involved in UofT’s extracurriculars, so I’m just wondering if there are any opportunities in theatre arts such as plays, performances, gigs, etc. :)))  Thank you!

    heyyo, 

    omg hi fellow theatre kid!  

    Book Of Mormon Hello GIF by Official London Theatre

    yes, back in my high school days aska was also into drama. alas, while i still am, it’s fallen off a bit for me. 

    but i’m gonna make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you, because i have just the best news for you: utsg has TONS of active drama groups! in fact, the day i was researching your question i went to a student production with my friends later that night! 

    a great place to start is the website for the uoft drama coalition, which has links to all of the major drama clubs and societies. some of the stuff on there is a bit outdated, though, so i’d recommend looking at the instagram pages of the individual groups for more relevant info! here’s a few: 

    also, i would totally recommend checking out hart house theatre programs. hart house is utsg’s main extracurricular hub and their theatre always has stuff going on, from workshops to competitions to festivals. i can personally say that the classes they offer are super fun and also great to practice your audition skills. i took one last year and it was so worth it! the classes do cost money but they’re heavily discounted for uoft students. 

    Not Bad Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

    on the topic of vic college, like i linked above they do have their own theatre group and the general vibe around campus is that they’re one of the more “artsy” colleges, BUT many of the other colleges also have their own theatre groups. you’re also not restricted from most roles at other colleges’ drama societies, so no matter which college you end up at you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved! 

    oh, and if you’re into the more scholarly side of drama, you could always take a course or two from the centre for drama, theatre, and performance studies.  

    so yeah, us theatre kids are eating good at utsg. 

    see you on stage next year!!  

    end scene laura grey GIF by The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • international students,  prospective student,  scholarships/bursaries

    hit it with your best shot

    November 20, 2025

    Hello :),  

    I stumbled upon your website while researching about the University of Toronto and I really appreciate that you’re helping prospective students. I completely understand if you can’t answer my question or don’t have time, but I thought I’d give it a try.  

    I’m a high school student from Germany in my junior year and I’ve been thinking  about applying to the University of Toronto. Since I’ll need substantial financial support to study abroad, I’ve been looking into different scholarship options like the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship. 

    For context: My GPA is currently around 3.8 (about a 1.2 in the German system). Outside of school, I dance, play the piano and badminton and I’ve been taking university courses like law and psychology just out of interest. I’ve already earned some credits. I volunteer as an altar server, at a home for people with disabilities and I also give private tutoring. I was part of the student council last year and currently represent my grade. 

    I was honored with a “Best in Town” award and took part in an academy for talented students in my state that was run by Oxford students as well. I work for a newspaper that supports refugees and I’ll be doing research for an organization that focuses on psychological cruelty against children and be part of a national youth council. I’ve also done an internship at Charité (one of the top hospitals) and at a psychiatric facility. 

    I know you obviously can’t say whether I’d actually get admitted, but based on your experience, do you think my profile sounds strong enough to be a competitive candidate for the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship? I’ll graduate high school in 2027, so I don’t have my 12th or 13th grade grades yet, just what I’ve achieved so far. 

    Also, I was wondering: do you think it makes sense to apply to U of T and rely on the automatic consideration for other scholarships, without applying for the Lester B. Pearson scholarship? Or is it generally unrealistic to get enough funding that way as an international student? 

    Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, I’d really appreciate any honest advice you can give :)). 

    heyyo, 

    hi from across the ocean!! 

    i’m super glad you asked this question cause i think it’s super relevant and important, and like, who doesn’t want to know more about a full ride scholarship? 

    i’m guessing you’ve already seen this but just in case you haven’t, i would totally recommend checking out this website that has (most) of what you’d need to know for the scholarship.  

    to summarize the important stuff:  

    • you have to be nominated by your high school between july and october of the year you apply to uoft (so, in your case, 2026) 
    • check to see if your school has nominated anyone before! ask a principal or someone in your school’s administration if they have and tell them you’d like to be nominated next year (and go through whatever system they have in place for deciding who gets nominated!) 
    • IF your school hasn’t nominated anyone before, ask them to fill out this form. it’s closed right now but it should open in time for next year’s nominations! 

    you are tragically correct in that i am really not qualified to say whether you would get the scholarship or not. i have ears in many places but, alas, not in the pearson scholarship decision room. well, not right now at least. 

    the best i can do for you is suggest that you do some research on past winners to see what sorta traits those bigwigs in the scholarship committees are looking for. you can browse the profiles of last year’s winners here, and if you’re super dedicated you can look at the winners in the past several years near the bottom of the main scholarship page.  it seems like a lot of winners have a lot of experience with community involvement, extracurriculars, and personal projects.

    now, as for whether or not it’s worth it to apply to uoft: i say there’s never any harm in trying! ok, i’m probably (definitely) biased here but you’ll never know unless you try. of course, do apply to the pearson scholarship, but also keep in mind there’s a lot of other scholarships to be had, too!  

    like you mentioned, there are automatic admission scholarships that you’d find out if you’ve been awarded when you’re accepted to the university. there’s also other scholarships available for international students that you can check out. some of these are only for one year, some are automatically applied to your whole degree, and some can be renewed only if you keep your grades up to a certain level. 

    oh, and it really wouldn’t be a question about uoft without mentioning our colleges. if you apply to the faculty of arts and science (which has most of uoft’s undergrad programs), you will be a member of one of seven colleges, which is basically your administrative home base and where you’ll probably live on residence if you decide to live on campus in your first year. each college gives out admission awards to their own students. these are awarded to students in upper years as well as those in first year. 

    soooooo yeah! from all that i think it’s totally worth it to apply to uoft, you never know and it is ALWAYS worth trying! you seem to be super active in your community and extracurriculars already which is fantastic, keep up the great work with that and your grades and you’ll totally have a shot. 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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