• admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  polisci,  social sciences,  St. George,  subject POST,  UTM,  UTSC

    a polisci question on election day

    November 8, 2016

    Hi, what are the approximate averages needed for ontario students to get into BA political science at St George, Mississauga and Scarborough? Thanks

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    hello there,

    first, let’s break this down. at U of T, political science falls under the category of social sciences. if you want to pursue political science, you might consider applying to the social sciences stream after high school.

    once you are accepted, you’ll first have to complete a total of 4.0 FCE’s (full course equivalents, or credits) until you can be accepted into a political science program, be it a major or a minor. 4.o FCE’s just means that you’ll only be able to apply after first year. keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need to get into your program after first year, you can enter in second year and on!

    in terms of admission into the social sciences stream at each campus, you’ll see here that they recommend the following averages: low to mid 80’s for U of T St. George, mid 70’s for UTSC, and mid to high 70’s for UTM.

    before you choose your first year courses, definitely refer to the calendar and look at what courses you’ll have to take and what grades you’ll need to get to be accepted into the polisci program. since i am the nicest stranger you’ll never meet, i’ve linked you to the political science calendar of each campus: UTSG, UTM, and UTSC so you can see what you’ll need. you’re very welcome.

    giphy-5

    i hope you get into polisci and do some good in the world. don’t forget to thank aska when you receive a nobel prize. happy (or unhappy) election day!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  social sciences

    admissions questions are my favourite questions. really. admissions questions are m –

    January 20, 2015

    I’m failing grade 12 math my average is a 48. However my other courses are 95+ will this affect me getting into U of t St George campus for social sciences

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    hey there,

    it may affect you to a certain extent, in that you need to pass a certain number of classes to, you know, graduate high school. and uoft kinda requires that you get your high school diploma before you come to university. crazy, right? i know.

    however, in terms of your admissions average – as i’ve said time and again – only your top six 4U/M courses (including prerequisites) will be counted (provided you’re an Ontario high school student).

    so the mark itself shouldn’t affect the average they’ll use to determine admission, assuming math isn’t a requirement for whatever program you’re interested in (which it’s probably not, because social science*), assuming you’re presenting more than 6 Grade 12 University/Mixed courses.

    now, let’s all try to move past this question, shall we?

    cheers,

    aska

    * i should add that, once you actually get to uoft, there are some social science programs – like economics – which require Grade 12 calculus (that’s MCV4U1), so math may be necessary for you down the line, EVEN IF it’s not calculated as part of your top six. just so you know.

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  • admissions,  humanities,  social sciences

    humanities vs. social sciences: THE SHOWDOWN

    September 1, 2014

    Two questions: 1) which area has the most admissions on the st george campus 2) which is easier humanities or social sciences?

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    hey there,

    are you asking which stream is the least competitive? because uoft is silent as a dead cat about admission stats for undergrad arts & science students.

    however, if you want to see how you may measure up to your peers, you can take a look at the anticipated grade ranges for fall 2014 in both the humanities and social sciences for incoming students. just remember that those numbers may change from now to whenever you’re planning on applying to uoft.

    as you’ll see, the anticipated grade ranges for the humanities and social sciences are the same. this leads me on nicely to your next question:

    the humanities and social sciences are, for all intents and purposes, the same. yes, they’re formally distinct in uoft’s vernacular, but once you get into first year, there’s not much of a difference between humanities and social sciences students.

    if you look at the course calendar, you’ll see that the courses are not divided by stream – they’re listed by department. occasionally, maybe there’ll be a priority for social science or humanities students for a certain course, but practically speaking, a humanities student and a social sciences student could have the exact same schedule in first year.

    the real difference is in the faculty name: arts and science. if you’re a science student or a computer/mathematical/physical science student, you will have very different courses from most humanities/social science students.

    if you’re trying decide what you want your program to be and trying to figure out levels of difficulty, the thing you want to be looking at is our subject POSTs. they vary widely in competition, popularity, and how many people they admit. you’ll be required to pick one or more subject POSts by the end of your first year, so it’s worth it to peruse them now!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • humanities,  social sciences

    why is there even a distinction who knows

    June 27, 2014

    Which program is easier to get into.. Humanities or social sciences at The st. George campus ?

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    hey there my uninaugurated chum,

    i can see you’re new ’round these parts. the humanities and social sciences are the same at uoft. same requirements, same stream, same level of difficulty getting in. it’s subject POSts you have to worry about.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • social sciences

    commerce is for cool kids only

    June 27, 2013

    Hi there! I stumbled upon your site while trying to figure out what I can study if admitted to the social sciences program. I applied originally for commerce, but was accepted into social sciences instead. What is social science and what would I be studying (I’m sorry if that sounds completely ignorant)? Would I be able to transfer into the commerce program eventually? I don’t want to accept the offer if I’m not sure what I’ll be studying.

    Thanks a lot for your help!

    -Sarah

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    Hey Sarah,

    Social science is a whole range of programs so you can study virtually whatever you want as long as you meet the requirements.

    Off the top of my head, social sciences can include sociology, anthropology, economics, women and gender studies, political science, yada yada yada. Take a look at this giant list though to get a better feel.

    As for transferring to commerce… well, take a look at this post all about transferring into Rotman after spending first year in Arts & Science. To be completely honest, chances are quite slim, but there’s always hope as long as you get the grades! 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

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