• current student,  residence,  woodsworth

    woodsworth why you gotta be so picky

    Hi! I would like to ask something about residency. I got placed into Woodsworth College but I’m not allowed to have a place of residency there as I place it as my second choice, and most likely they’re going to place me into Chestnut. I would really love to live within my college, their ensuite kitchen is what made me choose them. I emailed Woodsworth’s residency department but they’re not giving me a clear response. Is there anthing I could do? Were there any similar cases?


    hey there,

    it’s funny that you ask, because there was a similar case to this about 8 years ago… ah, the elusive woodsworth, swerving on student residence applications since 2014 (well, probably earlier than that too). i’m not sure if that poor kid ever did get into woodsworth res, but i’ll say the chances are probably veeeery slim.

    i would recommend to email woodsworth and plead your case, but it looks like you’ve already done that. so if the application portal and woodsworth residency department are both saying that you’ll probably be put in chestnut, well… that’s probably what’s gonna happen.

    if the lack of a kitchen is a real deal-breaker, you could also try looking into other housing options like campusone (although most rooms with kitchens look like they’re waiting list only right now), or renting a room off campus. on the other hand, you’ll have the rest of your adult life to cook your own meals — it might not be so bad to just spend your first year chilling at chestnut and mindlessly eating off the meal plan.

    best of luck,

    aska

  • first year,  residence,  woodsworth

    i [don’t] wanna [live] where the people are…

    Hi!
    I was accepted to U toronto Woodsworth College just yesterday :’) I’m super excited! but still waiting to hear back from other unis. I really want to live in the Woodsworth residence! (I love the apartment style single rooms :), however, I did not rank Woodsworth as my first choice on my OUAC application 🙁 Instead, I ranked Innis as first, and Woodsworth as second (i think).
    When I logged on to MyRes, it told me to rank Woodsworth, University College (as UC can supply some rez for Wdw students) and Chestnut in order of preference, but next to Woodsworth there is a note that said “Because you did not rank Woodsworth as first choice…..it is unlikely that you will be placed in this residence”. But if I saved my preferences this early, is there still a tiny chance I will be able to get into Woodsworth residence, or should i just prepare to hear bad news for my own doings 🙁
    Thank you so much for your help and time! 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i mean, i don’t know if you’ve been in woodsworth, but it’s kinda small (especially if you compare it to uc). they don’t really have a lot of room to spare. if that message appeared on your MyRes, then i’d prepare for the possibility of not being put there.

    however, most of uc’s accommodations are single rooms as well, so if you really want to be placed in a single room, i’d say ranking your choices as 1. woodsworth 2. uc and 3. chestnut should give you a pretty good shot at a single room.

    i also get that you like the apartment style because it’s bigger, and you don’t have to share a bathroom, etc. etc. but you know what? if you get a non-apartment or non-single type room, it’s not that big a deal. honestly, the more you have to adjust your style of living in first year, the better prepared you are for the rest of your life.

    you’re not going to be living with mum and dad for much longer, and the sooner you adjust to the necessity of roommates, shared washrooms/eating spaces, malfunctioning toilets and maybe having to live above a daycare for demon babies (i’m exaggerating. am i exaggerating? let’s not talk about my first year experiences), the sooner you’ll be prepared for life outside of school.

    i know, it’s not what you wanted to hear. but you know what? the university’s gonna be giving you some tough loving every once in a while, so it’s best you hear it from me first. alright? we good? cool. now put on a brave face and don’t let first year push you around, ‘kay?

    aska out.

  • admissions,  colleges,  computer science,  international students,  meal plans,  residence,  scholarships/bursaries,  woodsworth

    the longest question ever submitted to askastudent

    Hi there!
    I’m just currently trying to get my stuff together for applying to different universities and I just had some questions and things I need to confirm. I’m currently in Grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta and I want to get into Computer Science at Saint George.
    Firstly, I would like to eventually end up in the Software Engineering stream and I just wanted to make sure that this stream is under Computer Science and not engineering or its own department (different universities does this differently and I just need to make sure I’m applying for the right thing).
    Secondly, With the application process, if I were to apply right now, but my marks increase in the future could I update the marks?
    Thirdly, With Computer Science, do I need to submit my Math 30 mark or can I just submit my Calculus mark and skip over math?
    Fourthly, how do I go about getting my official transcripts to you? Is this an automatic process or would I have to talk to my school administrators?
    Fifthly, speaking of marks and transcripts, I know some Universities will look at your grade 11 mark if you are currently not finished a prerequisite, is this true at U of T? Also, is the application average calculated by taking the required courses then taking the highest courses on the transcript or is it based on submitted courses?
    Sixly, Okay I know you guys are probably sick of these questions about Colleges so I apologize beforehand. Anyways I just wanted to know how much being affiliated with a college really matter? Such as, would belonging to University College or Saint Mike’s over New College have an affect on future job prospects or grad school applications? (Basically how much does the prestige of a college matter).
    Sevenly (okay this numbering system is starting to sound ridiculous), what is the cutoff for Trinity College? I am afraid of putting Trinity as my first choice because I don’t want to jeopardize my chances of getting into Victoria, Innis or Woodsworth. Speaking of Woodsworth, as Woodsworth doesn’t come with a meal plan so what alternatives are there? Also I heard somewhere that Woodsworth won’t consider you if you don’t put them down as your first choice, is this true?
    8ly, Would getting a single room hinder on my social life, I’m worried that if I get a single room then I won’t be able to connect with as many people.
    9*10^0-ly, how much support is there for first years, I know this probably varies from college to college but just generally speaking are there a lot of support options? I have never been in Toronto so I would imagine I would be pretty lost without it.
    My highest marks as they currently stand: [information redacted for privacy purposes]
    Finally with this information what do you think my chances of getting into Computer Science and into Trinity are?
    And as a little side request, do you happen to know where I might find like a side by side comparison of the colleges? As well as where I might find scholarship information?
    Anyways thank you very much for taking the time to read this. This would definitely clear up somethings for me. I look forward to hearing from you!
    Best Regards.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    congratulations man, you win the award for longest question ever received on askastudent. i’m impressed that you wrote all this out, seriously. meanwhile, i’m sitting here trying not to dribble egg salad on myself. it’s a wonderful thing uoft does to you.

    i’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m gonna answer all of your questions briefly here, and i’m gonna refer you to our (NEW AND EXPANDED WOW) FAQ to answer some of the more general questions about colleges, living in residence, etc more extensively. sound good? good.

    let’s get to these questions.

    ———————————————

    Hi there!
    I’m just currently trying to get my stuff together for applying to different universities and I just had some questions and things I need to confirm. I’m currently in Grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta and I want to get into Computer Science at Saint George.

    Firstly, I would like to eventually end up in the Software Engineering stream and I just wanted to make sure that this stream is under Computer Science and not engineering or its own department (different universities does this differently and I just need to make sure I’m applying for the right thing).

    –> Software engineering does not exist as a separate stream at the downtown campus. UTSC’s computer science program offers a software engineering stream.

    Secondly, With the application process, if I were to apply right now, but my marks increase in the future could I update the marks?

    –> The final marks that the university looks at are your mid-May marks. Your school should be able to update these, and if not, you should be able to do so through OUAC. (If you have any trouble with this, contact OUAC directly.)

    Thirdly, With Computer Science, do I need to submit my Math 30 mark or can I just submit my Calculus mark and skip over math?

    –> Calculus and Vectors and Advanced Functions are both required

    Fourthly, how do I go about getting my official transcripts to you? Is this an automatic process or would I have to talk to my school administrators?

    –> Talk to your school about it! They should be able to help you out. Otherwise, see if you can apply through the OUAC 105 form, which is for out-of-Ontario students.

    Fifthly, speaking of marks and transcripts, I know some Universities will look at your grade 11 mark if you are currently not finished a prerequisite, is this true at U of T? Also, is the application average calculated by taking the required courses then taking the highest courses on the transcript or is it based on submitted courses?

    –> No. The application average is from your six highest courses including prerequisites. That stuff they tell you about universities sometimes looking at grade 11 marks is most likely a lie. obviously i’m not on any application committees, but if you’ve done well in grade 12, i’d say that’s more than enough.

    Sixthly, Okay I know you guys are probably sick of these questions about Colleges so I apologize beforehand. Anyways I just wanted to know how much being affiliated with a college really matter? Such as, would belonging to University College or Saint Mike’s over New College have an affect on future job prospects or grad school applications? (Basically how much does the prestige of a college matter).

    –> It really really doesn’t matter.

    Seventhly (okay this numbering system is starting to sound ridiculous), what is the cutoff for Trinity College? I am afraid of putting Trinity as my first choice because I don’t want to jeopardize my chances of getting into Victoria, Innis or Woodsworth.

    –> There is literally no cutoff. Admission also depends on the trinity college profile. Innis and Vic will not consider you if you don’t put them as #1. Woodsworth will.

    Speaking of Woodsworth, as Woodsworth doesn’t come with a meal plan so what alternatives are there?

    –> Here are some dining options available to all students.

    8ly, Would getting a single room hinder on my social life, I’m worried that if I get a single room then I won’t be able to connect with as many people.

    –> Not at all. You’ll be leaving with these people, using the same washrooms, eating with them on a regular basis…if you’re friendly and willing, you won’t have a problem meeting people.

    9*10^0-ly, how much support is there for first years, I know this probably varies from college to college but just generally speaking are there a lot of support options? I have never been in Toronto so I would imagine I would be pretty lost without it.

    –> I’m not quite sure what you mean by support. There’s plenty of academic support offered by each college and also by the university – all you have to do is look around!

    My highest marks as they currently stand: [Information redacted]. Finally with this information what do you think my chances of getting into Computer Science and into Trinity are?

    –> I ca’t be the one to tell you that. All I’ll say is, just apply, and don’t worry about it before you hear back from the university. Life is too short to stress out about a dumb little thing like this. Do the best you can, apply, and that’s really all you can do.

    And as a little side request, do you happen to know where I might find like a side by side comparison of the colleges? As well as where I might find scholarship information?

    –> That doesn’t exist. Scholarship information can be found here.

    best of luck,

    aska

    ———————————————

    and there we have it! like i said, some of these questions will be going into my new FAQ, so keep an eye out for that for an EXPANDED ANSWER to a lot of these questions, with more INFORMATION and GIGGLES than you could possibly imagine. thanks for the typing workout, and remember to stay cool *sunglasses emoji*.

  • extracurricular,  IB,  woodsworth

    the inside scoop on Woodie

    Hi aska,
    i just got accepted to U of T and can’t wait to start in the fall!! I have a few questions so ill be short and straight to the point
    1. where can i find a list of extracurricular activites at U of T? do the activities include volunteering, clubs etc.
    2. im taking the IB diploma and i read in the information booklet that you need a 5 in every course that you take to get into U of T. What if, after you do the exam you get a 4 in one of your higher level or standard level courses? i had a friend who got into U of T and got a 4 in math hl so he couldn’t get the transfer credit so im kind of confused about the whole thing
    3. i applied to woodsworth college and i read the descriptions and all and it sounds pretty good. Can any of you give me an actual u of t student perspective on the college? also do u know by any chance whether the college puts you in the rooms that are kind of similar to you (same personality, nationality etc) or just with random people? my school is also a boarding school and they have this system where they make the students fill out a questionnaire then pair up the students with similar answers.
    thanks and hope to hear soon from you guys!!
    (smile)

    ———————————————

    Hi there. I’m glad you’re so excited about coming to UofT and getting involved!

    It’s impossible to find a full list of extra-curricular activities around campus. There?s probably like, 1000 clubs or something here. But the Ulife website displays a pretty thorough list, and is a good place to start. The UTSU website also has a list of clubs. Also, there is always a club fair that happens during Orientation week (the first week before school), and you may be interested in going to that. During the club fair, UofT organizations will put up stands around King’s College circle and try to bribe you into joining them with free stuff. It’s a worthwhile event; I got some free pens, a water bottle, and a cute little mini-football.

    Also, you may be interested in applying for work-study/volunteer positions in the future; you can find applications for these on the careers website. I think most jobs will be available to you after starting second-year.

    I just checked out the admissions requirements for IB programs, and the Arts and Science admissions booklet says: Although applicants with predicted scores of at least 28 can be considered for admission to some programs, more competitive programs require at least 30 and as much as 35 on predicted scores. Applicants entering arts, science and commerce programs may receive a first year credit for each Higher Level subject passed with a grade of 5 or higher.

    Does that clear things up? You don’t necessarily need a grade of 5 in every course you take to be accepted to UofT, but you DO need a 5 in your Higher Level courses if you want to receive the transfer credits. Got it? Needless to say, the higher the grades, the better.

    Oh, and here’s a chart that shows what the IB transfer equivalents are.

    An honest opinion on Woodsworth? Their residence looks pretty and I sometimes pop inside Woodsworth to use their bathroom, which is quite clean. And there’s a second cup inside Woodsworth, as well as a nice lounge where you can do your homework. That’s about all I know about Woodsworth. Honestly, I’m sorry. I’m a little disconnected from the other colleges.

    Oh wait. Lucky you. My Woodsworth friend happens to be on MSN at the moment. Here’s what she has to say:

    Friend: the parties are insane…

    if you love to party, the wcsa will take care of it

    Aska: LOL

    Friend: not that many people use the student services (registrar and writing centre), so it’s really easy to book an appointment or even drop in

    but yeah, there isn’t much of a student feel..i don’t hang out with anyone from woodsworth

    Aska: LOL

    Friend: overall, it’s a regular college

    if you want to party, get in touch with the wcsa. if you need any academic or financial help, the registrar & writing centre are definitely there to help you. i wouldn’t go so far as to say that they go out of their way to make it the best college, but it’s definitely sufficient.

    And there you have it, a student perspective on Woodie. I left my excessive LOLing in the conversation just for you.

    Cynthia’s college series also has some good stuff on Woodsworth.

    On residences: I’m not sure about this either. Best to phone Woodsworth and ask. However, when I lived at Innis, I also filled out a questionnaire with questions like “What kind of music do you listen to?” and “How clean are you?” I was supposedly paired up with people who were similar to me. The Woodsworth residence miiiight operate similarly.

    And what do you mean thanks you guys? This is a one-man business, dear. The only living thing I talk to is my Pikachu in the corner.

  • commerce,  innis,  residence,  switching,  woodsworth

    see ya there

    Hi,

    I have just received acceptance from UT Commerce Innis College, but I wasn’t guarenteed in the Innis Residence…I looked at some of the posts and I saw some guy last year had same situation as me. Anyways, I did contact the Innis Residence by email by the way even though I didn’t get a response yet. Oh yeah, Do you know why they send response so late? I have been waiting 2 days now with no response.

    Also, Is changing college (like right now) possible even though I am already accepted? because I would like to change it to Woodsworth college since Woodsworth residence also has single rooms for every students.

    Other than that, Is UT Commerce a difficult major to deal with? I had head from others, the class average is somewhere from 50% to 65% which seems very low.

  • awkwardness,  friends,  frosh,  residence,  university-college,  woodsworth

    Can you find the Pig Latin in this post?

    ok, so from what i’ve heard, UC sounds like the best college (by best, i mean not religious, stuck-up, or too weird) and i’m kind of regretting my choice of Woodworth. it seems to lack character. i know it’s a little late now, but can anyone convince me that i made the right decision, or am i just going to have to make lots of friends at UC so i have an excuse for spending all my time there?
    thanks a lot.