• admissions,  grades,  new kids

    …when we’re cruisin’ to geth er.

    June 29, 2009


    Hi there! I have accepted my offer from University of Toronto – St. George Campus (Innis College) for life science. The letters I have received states that I must maintain a good academic standing, in order to keep my acceptance. Other universities have provided a specific average that I must maintain (for example, Waterloo mentions that I must keep an average of 75% or above). I was wondering what final average would I need to maintain; also, if my final average goes below a certain range, will I be rejected?

    Waiting your earliest reply:)

     

     

    I’ll give you the bad news first.

    YES, it is possible that your offer to U of T will be withdrawn should your final transcripts not be up to snuff.??? (who/what/where?IS snuff??)

    It is also possible that your offer will stand, but you would?be admitted on academic probation (i.e. must achieve C- average in first year).

    The good news is that?the ominous statement in?your offer?letter?is pretty much intended to prevent grade 12’s from accepting their offer of admission and then throwing in the towel for the rest of the school year. Much to your chagrin, there is no hard-and-fast rule as to what the conditional high school average is. Rather, it is relative to what your transcript said when you applied. So, the evil marks police are really looking for a drastic drop in your average.

     

    There are also some individual subjects that are scrutinized more heavily than the others. For all new admits to Arts & Science, your English marks should not take a drastic fall. For Life Science students (like you) your high school Maths, Chem, Bio (and sometimes Physics) marks should stay relatively similar as well.

     

    Your Parenting class mark matters less. That is, unless you actually killed the creepy robot baby, in which case you’re out.

     

    Is “drastic”?fall too ambiguous for you?

    How about a “dramatic” fall?

    Not good enough?

    An “embarrassing” fall?

     

    Now I know your type. So I know that you won’t be able to sleep until I tell you an actual number between 50 and 100. Right? Alright… twist my arm… I’ll tell you. It’s 78%.

     

    That was a lie. I just made that up based on being better than Waterloo.

     

    But what if U of T DID give a definitive minimum average, like 75%? Wouldn’t that just enable students to calculate the bare minimum effort they needed to get by? What kind of academic mentality is that?

    (Engineering students’ ears are ringing everywhere right now).

     

    I’m gonna go on a limb and guess that you are a keen life sci kid, who wouldn’t just call it a day after getting your offer from U of T anyway. So, don’t worry.

     

    But if you are still worried, you can try contacting your College Registrar’s Office and annoying them directly with your question. They will be able to check out the situation, contact Admissions & Awards, and then get back to you on your prospects. But seriously people, only do this if your grade 12 marks really took it in the teeth.

    Should your original offer be withdrawn (and you will find out sometime in the latter half of the summer), then you can submit a statement to Admissions & Awards explaining why that happened, which ‘may’ save your –––.?If, after reading this, you’re lower back is?perspirating profusely, perhaps you?will pro-actively issue a letter to Admissions;?just?a little something extra for?your file.

     

    After all that, I guess I didn’t really answer your question. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that I can’t.

     

    Good luck!

     

    Aska

     

     

    P.s. I will congratulate you on choosing U of T over Waterloo. Was it the stale smell of pickled cabbage that turned you off? Or are you just a chorizo (over bratwurst) kinda girl/guy??

     

    P.p.s. That chorizo joke was kinda deep. Check out the disproportionate number of Portuguese speakers around the St. George campus: http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/pdf2/cpa79.pdf. Love ?em!!

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  • innis,  new kids

    A defunct link on a U of T website?! (a first for everything)

    June 12, 2009

    I cannot access to this website
    http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/innisacademicorientation.pdf

    ———————————————

    Ooooh. A straight shooter. I respect that.

    Alright Calamity Jane, try this:

    http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/AOS_International_2009.pdf

    (it’s the 2009 version)

    Finally, a U of T document that uses PINK! Or perhaps it’s magenta… or fuchsia.

    What’s this University turning in to?!? … late withdrawals, credit/no-credit, tertiary colour schemes.

    P.s. For future reference the document can be found at

    http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/NewAdmits.htm > “Special Update… click here” (this link is now also broken. just goes to show that time will get us all in the end – aska 2014).

    P.p.s. I’m not sure why this song popped into my head after answering your question. Let it rekindle your love OR confirm your hatred (I’m on the fence… for once).

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  • campus,  first year,  friends,  new kids

    Coolness validated.

    June 1, 2009

    Hey there..
    Ok so, I’m going to be visiting Toronto sometime soon.. And I live at like the other end of the world, so it’s not like I’m gonna be making this trip again before august or September or whenever term starts.. (I’ve been admitted into arts and science, first year).. So heres my question… It says t-cards will be made available from June 1st.. But i’m going to be out of toronto by June 1st… So is there anyway I can request to get it made earlier? Cuz I’m guessing without a t-card I can’t get a utoronto email address… And then I have no way to act cooler than the other people stuck in this hell hole by joining the University of Toronto network on facebook!..
    Also while I’m visiting what all should I be picking up and getting done? (For example I’m gonna check out my residence and pick up a calender, so whats the other stuff I can finish off?)

     

    Hi. Great questions. I actually laughed out loud at one point. Okay, get over yourself.

    It breaks my heart (…and I swear I have one) that this reply is arriving too late for you. At least it’ll be relevant for other newbies.

     

    You can’t get your TCard printed before June 1st, you will have to wait until you move to Toronto in the fall, when you can contend with a million other people lined up to get theirs. Irritating, I know. Unless everyone ELSE reads this and picks theirs up in advance. Potentially you will be the only one then. This will be little a test of Aska’s power.

     

    It’s true that you need your TCard to be issued your UTORid, which is necessary to create your email account… which is necessary to join the Facebook network… which is necessary to make your friends feel uncool. However, you certainly don’t need your TCard to make your friends feel less cool. Take my word for it. There are tonnes of strategies to elevate yourself above the clique.

    -join the Toronto network

    -change your education information

    -take photos of the campus and post them in an album (toss in a photo of the ROM… that’ll get ’em)

     

    If you really wanna be Toronto-cool, you might as well start selling out to the latest non-conformist trend (note the rich oxymoronic-ness). Think sickly thin boys with scarves and sloppy-haired girls in men’s dress shirts.

     

    Come to think of it, you don’t have to elevate your own coolness to gain advantage over your friends.’ Why not knock them down a few pegs? That’s my modus operandi, and look where it got me – getting paid to make fun of people.

     

    But seriously, if you are a new student visiting campus in the summer, do these things:

    a) visit your rez (check out this link: http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/residence/ToursMay-Aug2009.pdf)

    b) visit your college Registrar’s Office

    -pick up the Calendar & Timetable

    -check, in advance, if they are conducting any summer orientation sessions for new students

    -make an appointment, in advance, with an academic advisor (super useful)

    c) visit the undergraduate coordinator from the Department of any prospective Programs of Study

    d) partake in a “walking” campus tour:

    -until you are enrolled in your courses (27 July), you won’t really know where your classes will be held – so identifying specific buildings will be less useful in June, but the walking tour will introduce you to buildings that are more universally relevant to students

    e) eat something awesome:

    -Future Bakery & Caf (Bloor & Brunswick)

    -Daddy O’s (Sussex & Spadina)

    -Harbord Bakery (Harbord & Major)

    f) go up the CN Tower:

    -just kidding

     

    Is that enough for you? Good luck.

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  • frosh,  new kids,  student groups

    If a tree falls in the forest, and no one reads the flyer…?

    May 29, 2009

    What campus club/organization is in charge of Frosh week?? I need to contact them for frosh kit questions…any possible contact would help. Thank you in advance.

    A simple question. A less simple answer.

    Much like Canadian Federalism, Frosh Week responsibilities are divided amongst U.T.S.U. and the individual Colleges.

    UTSU (the metaphorical federal gov) will do the concert, parade, and clubs fair – typically on the last day. They will also amass the basic “frosh kit” (e.g. laundry bag, XXL t-shirt, random flyers that you’ll never look at).

    It is your College’s Student Society (‘provincial gov’) that will conduct registration, and organize the itinerary for the majority of Frosh Week. They will also supplement the frosh kits with another t-shirt (probably just an XL this time), some college paraphernalia, and some more useless papers.

    Sometimes college residences will host Orientation activities too (…they’re like municipal gov’s!).

    The International Student Centre will also host activities (…yep, my metaphor just ran dry).

    I’m going to take this pro-active opportunity to say (from experience) that you must participate in the Frosh Week of your OWN College. So, if your high school friend goes to Trin, and you’re at Innis… it looks like you’re gonna have to make a new friend. Bahahaha!

    Seriously though, participating in Frosh Week is a critical way to socially transition to the university and the city. It WILL be awkward and tiring at times, but if you are a good sport I promise you’ll have a blast.

    You can expect a registration form in the mail from your Student Society/Union/Council in June or July, or sometimes you can just register on the website:

    Innis New St. Mikes Trin U.C. Vic Woodsworth UTSC UTM

    P.s. I’m sorry UTSU. You were a casualty of my metaphor. I would never suggest that you resemble Steve Harper & Co.

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  • colleges,  new kids

    brits go to trin, architects go to woodsworth

    December 12, 2008

    hey!
    i’m thinking of going to U of T next year (september ’09) and was just wondering what residences are good for a first year British student?? I’ve been looking at Innis and St. Mikes, and University College sounds nice but would like the real picture of what these residences are like as a student – not just the overly long descriptions that each college has written.

    So which is good and which is not so good?

    Thanks!

    ——————————————————————-

    Hey, im applying to the faculty of arts and science for architecture. i was wondering which colleges in your opinion are the best? and if any college would be more equipped for a future architectural student? im an international student, so i cant really go and check them out myself. been to their websites and honestly cant really get much out of them. essentailly, im look for a college which is fun, but also allows students to study and work easily within it.

    thanks!

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  • admissions,  new kids

    attention all nervous highschoolers! your attention please!

    June 13, 2008

    Hey! I’ve been admitted to Innis and UToronto has asked to see my final grades. The only thing is I’m pretty sure that I’m going to get a C+ or a C in one of my classes. My other final grades will be As and a couple of Bs. UToronto said that my offer of admission would be subject to cancellation if my final grades aren’t of “acceptable standing”. Will they cancel my offer of admission because of the C or am I just overreacting and worrying myself over nothing? Thanks

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  • admissions,  commerce,  new kids

    what happens? now you PARTY!

    June 7, 2007

    Heyy.. so i’ve accepted my offer for commerce @ st.george on the ouac website, NOW WhAT?? how do i make an appointment with someone that will help me with my schedule? is there a number/ website to call? i said before i was staying on res, now im not, is there something i should do to change that on my profile? basically.. yeah.. what the hell do i do next? ahah, thanks!
    ps. your sarcasm is quite amusing, awesome site.

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  • business,  new kids,  registration,  ROSI

    classic aska feature :how to register (read your registration handbook!)

    July 28, 2006

    alright first years. i know that you might be feeling a little nervous for Tuesday, August 1st when you register for courses. unfortunately i won’t be here to help you out, since i’ll be on the road to lovely cleveland, ohio. so i’ve prepared an ultra-detailed, idiot proof guide to registering for courses on your first day and what to expect when trying to tame the awful she-beast that is ROSI.

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