• admissions,  courses,  getting into U of T,  psychology

    go dissect some frogs

    November 11, 2026

    hi aska! i am a gr 12 student planning on applying to uoft sg. i am stuck between lifesci and soc sci, however.  

    my average for gr 11 was 93.2, and i want to major into psych. i want to do lifesci because i want a bach of science and of course my psych major. however, i didn’t take gr12 bio and i’m afraid my mark is relatively low for lifesci applicants. 

    i am leaning towards applying soc science but am afraid of not getting into the psych major route (or taking the bio course that i need). should i YOLO and go for the lifescience application? i looked at the reddit google spreadsheet of course averages and that has only served to make me nervous.  

    i also looked at previous aska questions and my question is more related to getting into specific courses. would myself being a soc sci student taking psych 1st year be hard to get into? (or also my bio prereq!) 

    thank you! 

    heyyo,

    do not fret! let me let you in on something: your admission category doesn’t matter nearly as much as you might think it does.

    now, i know you’re prob thinking “hmmm, aska, i’m not so sure about that…” but trust. your admission category does give you priority enrollment in courses related to that category. so in your case, yes, being in life sci would allow you to enroll in the psychology course you need earlier than if you were admitted to soc sci. however, being in a certain admissions stream doesn’t prevent you from taking classes (or enrolling in majors) from other streams.

    for the psych major, the only first year course you need is psy100, which is a huuuuuge 1000+ person class that’s usually offered both semesters. i can say with nearly absolute certainty that you would be able to get into psy100 as a soc sci student, as long as you enroll as soon as you can.

    assuming your grades stay mostly the same this year, i also don’t think they should be the only factor in your decision. life sci has an admission average of mid-high 80s, which you’re above right now. soc sci is looking for mid-80s, so not that much of a difference. these can change from year to year, but afaik it’s been around the same range since i started looking at them, which was about 4-5 years ago now (yes, aska is starting to feel a little old…)

    i’m not sure if that reddit spreadsheet you mentioned was about averages for high school or for uoft courses, but either way i have the same response: the people who engage with academic stuff on reddit (especially uni applicants) are mostly those with the highest grades. as i’m sure you’ve seen, they looove to brag, which usually puts other people down. i’m sure there are plenty of other hopeful applicants like you (with amazing grades that just aren’t in the top 5%), who see all those 97s and 98s and are too embarrassed to share their own averages. rest assured that that spreadsheet probably doesn’t reflect reality, at all.

    on another note, one super important thing to keep in mind is that the psych major requires grade 12 bio, which you said you aren’t taking. i would veeeery strongly recommend taking it in your next semester, or if not, online over the summer before your first year. there are some ways that you could possibly get around this, but it’s not worth the effort and risk involved.

    another thing to think about is what other program(s) you might wanna take. at uoft, you typically pair a major with either another major or two minors. if a field you might be interested in is related to either soc sci or life sci, well, that may push you towards one or the other.

    in the end i think you’ll be fine either way. if your grades drop by quite a bit, it might be better to aim for soc sci. but otherwise, either stream can lead you to that psych major. the only thing i can tell you for certain: get that grade 12 bio credit!! enjoy your time dissecting frogs (or whatever it is that people do in bio classes).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T,  international students,  prereqs

    math in the land down under

    October 15, 2026

    hiiiiiii. i’m a year nine (soon to be year ten) high school student from australia. i’m a triple citizen (canada, australia + one other country) so ive been looking into universities in both ca and aus. obvs im pretty young and things change quickly, but id rather learn everything and then adjust later, know anyways, ive been trying to plan out my subjects for later years which lead me to figure out that math in senior high in australia is completely different than in ontario (and in canada in general). a lot of the programs ive been looking at require calculus and vectors and absolutely NO ONE seems to know if the equivalent subject in australia (queensland specifically) would be math methods or math specialist. specialist is a lot harder and has to be taken alongside methods (taking up two subject slots, so i really dont wanna take it) so, my question. how would i figure this out? im also assuming that different unis even within the same province might accept different subjects so would i have to ask every uni individually? and, if the equivalent ended up being specialist and i didnt take it or if neither subject is a suitable equivalent, how else could i meet the math requirement (specifically for uoft)? srry this question ended up being really long, and thank you! 

    heyyo, 

    greetings, my australian friend! i’ve been getting lots of asks from out of province students lately and it makes me very happy to see that aska’s influence has reached all corners of the world. i say that in a very kind and definitely not evil way. 

    oh and also, good on you for asking about this stuff now, no such as thing as learning stuff about uni too early!  

    i took a little sneak peek at how high schools in queensland look, and at a glance, it actually seems like your year 12 math system is very similar to ontario’s. in ontario, you need to take another grade 12 math course called “advanced functions” before you can take calculus and vectors. so I took guess here that advanced functions = math methods, and calculus/vectors = math specialist. obviously i knew that this wasn’t the news you wanted to hear, so i did a little bit more digging. 

    uoft doesn’t post international high school equivalent courses for australia, unfortunately, and basically just says you have to graduate. very helpful. iowever, i did find this page from wilfrid laurier university, which is another uni in ontario. aaaaand it confirmed my suspicions, sadly: specialist math is indeed equivalent to calculus 🙁

    based on that page, i would wager that the same equivalency applies to other ontario unis, including uoft. buuuuut there’s a chance i might be wrong (hush), so if you want to make 100% sure, you should probably contact the schools you’re interested in. you can get in touch with a slightly more qualified person at uoft here. you just submit a form and voila, they get back to you with the answer you need. 

    as for whether you can get around that requirement… it is may be possible, but i probably wouldn’t bet on it. if you’re interested in programs at utsc, uoft’s campus in the east end of toronto, you can take a math preparedness course that can replace the need for high school calculus for certain programs. you can also take calculus and vectors through an online high school. it’s fully accredited and will be recognized by unis, buuut it does cost money. as a last resort, it’s also sometimes possible to skirt around this requirement by emailing the department running the program(s) you’re interested in. i really wouldn’t count on this, though. that sorta thing is usually for people who are already in uni and have some regrets. you, meanwhile, you young grasshopper, still have time to not make those same “mistakes.” if you’re pretty sure you’ll want to pursue a program that requires that math specialist course, you might just have to hold your nose and dive in. 

    if you are super duper against taking that course, you can also look at some of the programs at uoft that don’t require calc. check out the giant chart at the end of this file to see every single program that doesn’t care if you’re some sort of “math specialist.”

    i wish the best to you for the rest of your high school career, and i hope to see you on uoft’s campus in a couple years!! 

    cheers,

    aska 

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  • admissions,  business,  commerce,  getting into U of T,  management,  rotman,  UTM,  UTSC

    greetings from the past

    October 7, 2026

    Hi! I’m a student based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and I’m in grade 11. I’m super interested in the business/ marketing/ international business (heh what can i say i’m indecisive) program at uoft. I was wondering if you know anyone who has taken those courses and what can you tell me about them? Also, I heard that for the application for commerce you need extracurriculars, I’m still thinking about what i should do for that but do you think 2 or 3 would be enough? 

    Thank you so much for your help and time!! ? 

    heyyo, 

    wowie not too often i get askers from halifax. how’s the future out there? what is the world like an hour from now? 

    now, i know a little bit about business at uoft, though i myself have never touched it with a ten foot pole. but luckily i do know some people on the inside. 

    there are business programs at all three of uoft’s campuses (yes, there are three if you didn’t already know)! i only really know about the vibes at the rotman commerce program at uoft’s downtown campus, so that’s what i’ll talk about here. from what i have heard about the business programs at the other campuses, vibes are similar, though there are fewer students so everything will be toned down a little. 

    if you’ve done research already, you’ve probably read that rotman is a hard program. and yes, it can be hard. i’m not gonna tell you that it’s eezy peezy like the internet says business programs apparently are. unfortunately, no one i know at rotman has had to submit a colouring sheet as their final exam. disappointing, i know. 

    howeeeeeever, i’ve also heard that other top business schools in ontario are very hard, too. so go figure. the thing that makes rotman so worth it is that there are so many great resources and networking opportunities available to you. just look at the current students page to get a glimpse into everything that’s out there. there are people who can and want to help you do well in classes, land an internship, and find a job after graduation. i’ve also heard the sentiment online that rotman is very cutthroat, and while it can be competitive, i’ve also heard so many people making great friends through their program. so it’s not like everyone wants to bite your head off. 

    as for the programs themselves: “international business” as a program is only offered at utsc, uoft’s campus in the suburban area of scarborough. however, there are definitely international business courses you can take on the other two campuses! utsc also has a co-op (internship/work term, essentially, not sure what you call it in nova scotia) option for management and international business.  

    marketing, on the other hand, is offered on all three campuses. at uoft’s downtown campus (utsg), it’s offered through the rotman commerce school. if you choose to specialize in management, you can do a focus in marketing. there’s also marketing at the mississauga campus (utm), and management and marketing at utsc. so many markets, so little time. 

    ok, maybe not that kind of market. 

    the utm program only requires grades, so no extracurriculars needed; feel free to slack off (not serious NOT SERIOUS). at utsc and rotman, you have to submit some supplementary materials, both of which do mention ecs. again, i don’t know how rotman admissions works myself, but usually when ecs come up in admissions, quality is better than quantity. having 2 really good ecs that show your involvement in your school or community, or something you care about, looks a lot better than having 10 ecs that you didn’t invest much time into. for any program, you’ll probably have the chance to explain yourself, so my advice is to really sell your impact, or your “why.” and for the love of aska, don’t make the “why” “because my parents told me to.” 

    you do still have a year left until you have to apply, though, so don’t worry too much if you feel like you haven’t done enough yet. it’s ok to start smaller this year and work your way up for grade 12. 

    wishing you luck from an hour in the past! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T

    the more you know

    August 16, 2026

    hallo!!, I am from Alberta and would like to confirm whether Advanced Acting 35 (course code: LDC3975), a 5-credit Grade 12 locally developed Fine Arts course, is considered an acceptable Grade 12 subject for admission and can be included in the five Grade 12 courses used to calculate my admission average for the Faculty of Arts. Thanks :)) 

    heyyo, 

    i love getting niche questions because it means i get to go down a rabbit hole of niche topics! and in this case, i got to learn more about what alberta high school course codes mean. the more you know. 

    uoft’s admission info for alberta students is a bit lacklustre if i may say so myself. however, what it does tell us is that you need 5 grade 12 academic courses at the 30/31 level. it also says that “challenge subjects, career courses, career courses, work experience courses, and/or co-op courses” will not be considered for admission. 

    based on what i could find, i don’t think that your course would count as any of those “challenge subjects, etc.”. unfortunately, however, i’m also pretty sure that it wouldn’t be considered a 30/31 level course. from what i could gather about how alberta course codes are structured, i think that the numbered part of the course code has to start with exactly 30 or 31 to be considered for your uoft admission. since yours starts with a 39, it probably wouldn’t count. 

    BUT you can also take this with a little grain of salt, because again, i knew nothing about alberta high schools until yesterday. 

    i really recommend that you fill out this form so that you can get in touch with someone who can answer your question with 100% certainty. because while i do know everything (obviously)… i can also sometimes know nothing. 

    i do wanna say, though, that even if that course won’t be considered for admission, it absolutely won’t HURT your chances. as long as you have 5 other 30/31 courses, there’s nothing wrong with taking a class you’re genuinely interested in. especially one as cool as advanced acting. don’t let the pressure of getting into uoft make you give up something you love!

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T,  neuroscience,  UTSC

    my friend… take a breath

    July 7, 2026

    Hi! I’m going into grade 12 this fall, and I really want to apply to neuroscience at the Scarborough campus. My grade 11 semester 1 grades were good (95.5% average), but not my semester 2 grades (low 90s average), which dropped my overall grade 11 average down to a 93%. I also only got a 92 in chemistry, and only got a 90 in English – both of which are prerequisites for the program. How much would low grades in those two courses affect my chances of getting into the program? 

    Thank you so much!

    heyyo, 

    my friend… take a breath. 

    you are so fine right now. a 93 average is nowhere near being “not good.” in fact, an average like that could get you into most programs in ontario (only excluding the absolute most competitive ones). i know it might not seem like it, if you’re comparing yourself to people on reddit who are worried about their 97% averages, but you are doing really really well. 

    utsc neuroscience has a recommended admission average of high 70s, or low 80s if you wanna do co-op. even if those numbers are actually a little higher, or even if your grades drop a bit next year, you would still be in a very good position to get into the program.  

    i don’t have any super detailed advice for you, other than to just keep doing what you’re doing! of course you should stay focused on school, but don’t stress yourself out over it too too much. as long as you stay on top of your studies next year, you will be perfectly fine. take some time to enjoy your hobbies and hang out with friends before you get to uoft and that’s all over… 

    ok i’m just kidding, of course you’ll still have time to do fun stuff in uni. but it is true that you will probably have a bit less free time than you used to. so enjoy your senior year, keep up the good work, and try not to get too wrapped up in admissions (as hard as that is)! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  getting into U of T,  rotman

    what in the psychic connection?!

    June 9, 2026

    Hi, I’m a grade 11 student in ontario and I’m taking advanced functions and I’ll get roughly an 89 or 90 if I do really good on the final. The thing is, my school doesnt offer calculus so I’ll have to apply with my AF grade unless i take it in nightschool the first semester of next year.  So how are my chances of getting into rotman (finance and economics) and if theyre not good, should i take calculus in night school to get a better grade and apply with that? if not, what can I do to improve my chances 

    Hi, I want to apply to rotman finance and economics but i have an 88 in advanced functions and a 95 in english, my school doesnt offer calculus first semester so I’ll have to apply with my AF grade unless i take it in nightschool so how good are my chances, and if theyre bad should i take calculus in night school or work on a strong supplemental application? 

    heyyo, 

    sooooo to address the elephant in the room… 

    these two asks are so so SO similar that it’s scaring me a little. the logical side of me assumes you two are bffs who go to the same school and both realized you should consult the very wise askastudent you found on google. but part of me kinda hopes that you go to school in two entirely different cities and had the same idea at basically the same time because you have a crazy psychic connection….

    ok with that out of the way, to answer your question(s). it’s definitely not weird for schools to only have calc in second sem, i’m pretty sure my medium-sized high school did the same thing. i’d be pretty surprised if your school truly didn’t offer it at all, though. from what i know, every school in ontario has to provide any course that’s required for post-secondary programs. but if not, then yeah, night school/online school is a valid option.  

    however. with that said. i would highly, highly encourage you both to take calc in day school during your second semester of grade 12. that’s right, aska is getting a little serious with this one. 

    now this is of course not to say that you’re completely doomed if you don’t follow my advice, but there’s quite a few reasons why i think you should just stick to day school for calc. for one, the rotman admissions website says that they encourage students to take courses in their day school if possible. while this isn’t an automatic disqualifier and you could probably explain this away IF your school doesn’t offer calc at all for some reason, you might as well avoid doing anything that could potentially hurt your chances. 

    another reason is that… your marks in advanced functions aren’t bad at all. the rotman website says that mid-high 80s averages are the general range they’re looking for. i know that it can get competitive and you’d prob wanna be a bit higher than that to feel safe, but even THEN, having an 88-90 in one course will not make much of a difference to that average.  

    and also, hate to break it to ya, but calc is probably gonna be harder than advanced functions. imo, pushing it forward into first sem will only make things a little trickier for you in what will probably already be a stressful time! both of your advanced function marks seem pretty solid to me, so it’s not like you’d need calc to “save” your average anyways.  

    so what i think you can do to improve your chances is, as you said, to start prepping for an awe-inspiring supplemental application. 

    (this will be the admissions officers when they see it, fr fr) 

    the supplemental app will include some timed written and video responses, usually about your skills/interests and community involvement/extracurriculars. the questions change every year so there’s no way to know for sure what will be asked, but you can work on strengthening your involvement in ecs, volunteering, or a personal project, as well as jotting some points down about why you’re interested in business (and rotman in particular). 

    that’s all i have for you, you psychically connected duo. i hope my advice landed, and godspeed in calc and your applications! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  business,  getting into U of T,  rotman,  social sciences

    what is the high school teacher lore??

    June 1, 2026

    Hi aska! Hope you’re doing awesome!  

    I’m a grade 11 student, and I plan on applying into the finances and businesses for Uni, I can’t say exactly what I’m applying for since I unfortunately haven’t decided yet (I couldn’t even decide if I want to go int social sciences or business ?). Tho unfortunately I’m failing a class, it’s a communication technology course (I have a 40% in that class), which has dragged my average down by a lot. My other classes are in high 70s and low 80s, and I have two courses (one of them is night school) in the higher 90s. Despite that, my average is around a 78% currently, which is freaking me out since I’ve been told grade 11 matters for university. I wish I could blame my teacher for it (since it’s technically his fault I can’t lie….hello you’ve been suspended for 67 years why are you still failing me….) 

    I wanted to know if my fail would matter and if I still have the possibility to get into the more competitive business courses (like accounting for example) or just into UofT in general. It’s been a very rough year so a lot of my grades are impacted by my mental health and current living situation, but I don’t know if that would make any difference when it comes to admission and looking over at my grades (A.k.a be kind to me world I’m just a baby….)  

    Ok thank you aska! You’re awesome and I hope I’m not cooked….? 

    heyyo, 

    i am definitely doing awesome, wow, thank you for being interested in your dear old aska’s life. 

     

    ok so you aren’t cooked. and you definitely aren’t alone. i actually had someone else in a really similar position to you (as in, they failed a non-required class), write in last month, so i think you may wanna check out that post too. 

    the short answer is that failing a non-required course doesn’t mean you’re, like, automatically disqualified from uoft. yes, grade 11 marks do matter, and yes, uoft will see if you failed a course. HOWEVER grade 12 marks will matter more, especially if you show improvement. and since comm tech is not a prerequisite for anything, it will matter even less.  

    taking a look at the programs you’re into, you are a little below the admission range now, but like I said, grade 12 matters more. business is actually offered at all three uoft campuses and the requirements differ a lil. rotman commerce at utsg i know is quite competitive, website says they’re looking for mid-high 80s but that may be on the lower end? the misssissauga (utm) and scarborough (utsc) campuses are around mid-80s. some of these programs also require supplemental applications (i know rotman commerce does for sure). soc sci will be a bit less competitive, especially at utm and utsc, and no pesky supplemental applications. i guess the world can be kind to you in these small ways. 

    so my advice to you is absolutely DON’T GIVE UP!!! it is still very possible to get into university 🙂 

    oh, and one last thing, because there was no way you were getting away with saying it and then not elaborating: i am seriously concerned about your teacher in that class?! what is the lore behind this guy being suspended for 67 (haha very funny) years? what on earth did he do??? 

    Music Video Wtf GIF

    please reassure aska that this high school classroom is not ground zero for some horrific crimes. please.

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  computer science,  UTSC

    be patient, young grasshopper

    May 22, 2026

    Hi! I am an international applicant and got admitted to CS Co-op @ UTSC. I have accepted the offer and applied for a study visa. However, I am most probably getting an aggregate final score of high 80s even though I predicted high 90s. The drop will majorly be due to Physics and Chemistry, though Math and English will still remain strong enough. Do I risk my offer getting rescinded by any chance? Thank You! 

    heyyo, 

    ooo i feel ya, this is a rough situation to be in. however, as your true and bestest friend ever, i am here to provide some encouragement. 

    the first thing i want you to know is that it is NOT joever until it’s joever. and luckily, we’re not joever just yet. 

    since you didn’t mention that your conditional offer said you have to maintain a specific average, i’m gonna assume that it just had the standard “maintain your academic standing” mysterious and cryptic message that most people get. 

    and in that case, from what I’ve heard, offers are very rarely rescinded. you mentioned that you predicted your grades would be high 90s, but i’m wondering if that was your average when you were admitted? even if so, a drop of 10% from high 90s to 80s doesn’t seem like a death sentence to me.  

    also, the fact that your drop in grades is mostly because of chem and physics (pesky sciences smh), and not the program prereqs of math and english, will likely be another point in your favour.  

    another consideration which may work in your favour (yippee!) is how you’re calculating your average. i’m not sure if it’s different for international students, but for ontario applicants, your average is calculated by taking your grades in each of the program prereqs (in this case, two math courses and english), along with your remaining highest grades, up until they have 6 total courses. so for you that would be two math courses + english + your three best grades in any other upper-level grade 12 course. so if you calculate things that way… new horizons may be open to you. 

    there is still a possibility that your offer is rescinded, though. if that does happen, you can contact the admissions office to explain any extenuating circumstances. my advice is to only do that if you get your offer formally revoked, though. i don’t personally see a point in contacting them prior, before anything is decided, as they might not even have an answer for you yet. you’ll just have to be patient, young grasshopper. 

    oh, and last thing: in the scenario where your offer gets rescinded AND the appeal doesn’t work, there’s a possibility you might get an alternate offer. this could be for non-coop comp sci (which has an approximate grade requirement in the low 90s rather than high 90s), or to a similar admissions category, like mathematics. 

    i really hope i was able to ease your worries a little bit! keep working hard and I’ll be cheering you on! 

    cheers (literally), 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  UTSC

    info from a not-so-secret resource

    May 10, 2026

    What is the competitive avg to get into life sci (health sci stream) at utsc? Do they care if I take courses in summer school and night school? Will I acc get in?? ??? 

    Hi aska!  

    I was wondering if uoft can reject you based on grade 11 grades? Or if you don’t get in through early admissions can you reapply w/ grade 12 grades? And do they only care about grade 12 grades? 

    heyyo, 

    soooo I’ve decided to do a dual post with this one because 1) i think it’d be useful for each of you to see the other answer, and 2) GUYS SO MANY ADMISSIONS QUESTIONS! Which isn’t a bad thing, btw. you give me purpose (because, as you all know, aska only activates when a question comes in. you admissions folks are keeping me from hibernating). 

    to my hopeful future scarborough dweller: nope, uoft doesn’t care about summer school. and utsc health sci stream is looking for a mid-70s average, or high 70s for co-op. i found this information from a very secret source. oh wait, it was actually just ontario universities’ info, which you can check yourself anytime to search for the admissions average/requirements of literally every program at, you guessed it, every ontario university. actually insane. 

    as for whether you’ll actually get in, well, i’m just your (not) humble aska, not an admissions officer. so while i can tell you that taking all the required prereq courses (english, chem, bio, any uni math course) and having your top six average in the admissions range would give you a great shot, i can’t tell you for sure. forgive me. 

    now for my early admissions-concerned future applicant: i think there’s a few things i gotta clear up. 

    i have a feeling that reddit may have you in a tizzy over “early admissions.” because the truth is there really aren’t any early admissions at uoft. the way things work is that EVERYONE applies in the fall of the year before you wanna start uni (in grade 12, for ontario). while yes, there is an “early application date” on the website, that date only exists if you want to be admitted in the first round of admissions, in february. 

    however there isn’t any reapplication that happens. you submit one application, in the fall. i’m no expert in how things work internationally, but i know that in ontario, your grades are automatically uploaded as they come out. so when the decisions are made, uoft will have access to all of your grade 11 grades and every midterm/final grade you’ve gotten so far in grade 12. so thankfully, you only gotta worry about applying once. and then you can relax! well, when you’re not dealing with the calamity of twelfth grade. 

    you’re also far from the first one to ask about grade 11 grades mattering. the short answer: yes, but maybe not as much as you think. unis will have access to grade 11 marks and will consider them, but since grade 12 is more recent and shows your overall trajectory, the latter will be more important. 

    anyways that was my long-winded answer to you guys. i do have a final piece of good news for you though: you two (along with the MANY recent future/current applicants who’ve reached out in the last several months) have inspired me to make an applicant/new student guide. so stay tuned for that soon! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T,  life science,  UTM,  UTSC

    the gutter called, your grades aren’t there

    April 28, 2026

    Hello, currently a grade 12 student in my final semester and I’ve already been accepted to the other 2 campuses, life sciences for scarborough and Forensic. Currently panicking my mind with admission to the St George Campus for Life Sciences as with my first semester finals (83.3%) and 2nd semester mid-terms combined (86.7%), my average looks to be in the gutter with an 85% average currently. Since there will be 2 final rounds of admission in may, I felt like my chances are on the bleak side. 

    heyyo, 

    well I’ve heard about a lot of things being “in the gutter” but for some reason, i haven’t heard someone say that about having an 85% average in grade 12. weird, huh? 

    maaaaybe that’s ’cause an 85 is absolutely not in the gutter! that’s already solid enough for many many programs and is even within the range for utsg life sci, which is mid-high 80s. i also wanna point out that your marks have even improved in second semester, which may help you out too. 

    another thing i gotta wonder is if the averages you gave me are only for your top six classes, or if they’re you’re overall averages? for utsg life sci, and assuming you’re in ontario, admission average is determined by looking at your marks for eng4u, mcv4u, and your top four 4u/m courses that aren’t english or calculus. if you gave me your overall average, you may be in an even better position than you think.  

    and even if you don’t get in to utsg life sci… there’s so many other awesome paths forward. for one, it’s great that you got into utm and utsc! forensics sounds pretty cool to me, and if that’s something you want to pursue specifically, utm might be the better choice anyways because utsg doesn’t have a forensics program. if you end up at utm or utsc but think that being downtown is more your thing, you could always take courses at utsg as well. you’d just have to take a shuttle (utm) or a bus and subway (utsc), which kinda sucks, but it’s worth it if you want your big-city moment. 

    there’s also the possibility of getting an alternate offer, which means you might get an admission to another utsg category (like humanities) instead of life sci. while you may think that being subjected to studying philosophy or international relations for 4+ years sounds like actual hell (i’m allowed to say this because one of my programs is in the humanities), fear not: you can take programs outside your admission category as long as you meet the prereqs.  

    i’m not sure when the april admissions round happened so you might’ve been accepted in the time between when you submitted this question and the time i’m writing this, in which case, congrats! but also, man, i guess you didn’t need me after all… 

    but if that didn’t happen, just know that plenty of people get admitted in may. you still definitely have a shot at utsg and even if that doesn’t work out, you have some great options in utm or utsc. stay strong and believe. 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T

    we’ve got a clever one on our hands

    April 27, 2026

    Hey, so I have some questions as a grade 11 student in Ontario. So I want to apply to life sciences (Chemistry) and Mathematics and physical sciences. I had a 80% in functions last sem, should I take advance functions in the Summer so Uoft looks at it as my course to refer to my math grade and is Uoft okay with taking summer classes? And how to perform well in advance functions in the summer and will I have a big gap going into Calc after. Thanks.

    heyyo, 

    my my you are clever. doing a summer course so that it can take priority over your grade 11 mark? tricky.

    now i hate to break it to you, but while you are right in some parts, your plan may not be quite as effective as you hope. it’s true that universities tend to focus most on your most recent grade in a subject since, well, it’s the most accurate show of your skills/growth at the time. so in that sense, if you do better in your summer advanced functions than in grade 11 functions, the summer course will be more relevant. and yes, summer courses are totally ok.  

    however, i have two disclaimers for you.  

    one: as you might know, unis will still look at your grade 11 marks, even if you have more recent grade 12 results for those subjects. yes, the newer one will take precedence, but it’s not like your grade 11 mark will disappear.  

    two: i don’t know how things work for you, but from my experience in high school (and what i assume is the default), you can’t exactly decide which semester you take your courses. so this means that it’s possible you could take calculus in first sem. as well, if your application is considered in the april/may admission rounds, your second semester midterm marks will be in play too. so either way you could have calc become your most recent math grade anyways. 

    overall you don’t have a bad plan but i think if you wanna go ahead with it, it should be because you want to work at your own pace/give the course more attention, not just so it can be your most recent grade.  

    as for how to prep for calc if you do it in second semester? weeeeelll i have to be totally honest with you… aska is not a math expert. i maaaaay have never taken advanced functions or calculus. maybe. 

    so i can’t give you super specific tips here. however, i have done online courses in the summer, so the best advice i can give you is to set aside specific time in your day to work. it may be hard at first, but trust, it’ll make things so much more efficient and keep you focused. 

    you may have a bit of a gap for calc if you take it in second sem, but most classes will be understanding of this and provide some review at the start of the semester. i also heard some good things about this youtube channel and this website from friends who took the course. and if you feel like you need a bit more of a refresher, you could always get extra help from your teacher or guidance counselor. or the obvious… review your notes over the winter break. even though that might really suck. 

    good luck with your math adventures and your applications this fall! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  getting into U of T

    crazy times we live in, huh?

    April 26, 2026

    Hi aska!!  

    This is my first time stumbling onto askastudent, and I’ve been able to gather a lot more info on uni, which thanks sm!! 😛  

    And for my question(s), I was wondering if it matters that I fail a course? I’m in grade 11, and I actually have 5 credits right now (that is if I don’t fail one of those courses ?). The subject itself isn’t important to me since it’s a yearbook course, and I’m planning on going into the social sciences or politics, preferably in St. George (or other campuses I’m still debating ?). But I also know UofT (and I’m gonna guess other unis as well) looks at grade 11 courses, which is kinda freaking me out 🙁 I do have a 86% average right now (without the course I’m failing since there hasn’t been a grade out for it yet…. ?), I’m doing decent-ish in my courses, esp w my current mental health and constant missing school for counselling or other issues ?.  

    I also wanted to know if universities would care that there’s a sudden boost in my grades for gr12 (hypothetically, if I could even manage that ?). I’m only doing pretty poorly now because of my current family situation and from missing a bunch of school, I obviously plan on doing much better in gr12 and I was planning on taking Virtual school for the maths because I work better at my own pace, but I’m worried UofT would think I’m cheating and not that I’m actually able to lock in or something like that because my 85% in math is suddenly 90% or more (My mom keeps telling me this so I’m kinda scared ?) and a lot of people keep telling me a lot of different things like grade 11 doesn’t matter only gr12 does, or that gr11 really matters. And then I get told if I fail a course, or get my average under 85% I can’t get into any “good” programs, so I really just don’t know what to believe, and I can’t exactly trust everything Reddit says all the time ? What should I do aska I’m really scared ? 

    heyyo, 

    yowza, this is a lotta words. hey, no shame in that, yappers are great because they give me lots of info to work with! 

    oh, and i’m super glad to hear that aska’s been helpful for you! i was in the same boat as you once so it’s always nice to hear i’m helping others who were in my shoes.

    nooooow first things first: failing a course, especially in grade 11, does not spell doom for your admission chances. for social sciences, uoft will be looking closest at your top six grade 12 u/m courses (assuming ontario?), including english. yes, they will look at your grade 11 marks, but failing a non-required course when you have an otherwise good record won’t be the end of the world.  

    also, side note…. yearbook course? maybe i’m just dumb, but i’ve never heard of yearbook-making as an actual, for-credit class. crazy times we live in, huh… 

    as for virtual school, that’s totally fine as long as it’s accredited (i’m assuming you’re referring to ovs here) or through your school board. and a jump from 85ish to 90ish is absolutely not a problem, in fact the admissions people often really like to see improvement! a jump of that much wouldn’t be suspicious. breathe easy, you will not end up on uoft’s most wanted list just for showing improvement. uoft doesn’t even HAVE a most wanted list… well, as far as i know. 

    you seem to be doing quite well regardless, but if you have any concerns about how missing school or a tough mental health stretch will affect you, you could also always fill out a request for special consideration after you apply.  

    finally, i hate to admit it but i am kind of a redditor too. yeah yeah, throw the tomatoes. 

    so, being an unfortunately chronic reddit user, i too was on r/ontariograde12s at your age and saw all the people absolutely losing it when they got, like, an 83% in a course. don’t let them convince you that an 86% average is somehow bad. that’s still within consideration for most utsg programs, is safe for a lot of utm/utsc programs, and is absolutely enough to get into “good” programs all over ontario. you just gotta remember that most of the people you see on those forums are equally clueless to how unis actually work, OR, if they’re in uni, they may only be aware of their specific circumstances. plus, i hate to say it, but there’s a lot of keeners on there. don’t feel bad comparing yourself to the worrywarts with 98% averages. 

    anyways, i don’t wanna yap for any longer than i have, but i hope i hit all your questions! best of luck with everything! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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  • admissions,  life science,  programs

    admission categories: the scandalous truth??

    April 15, 2026

    Hii, I’m currently in grade 12 and I got accepted for an alternate offer at UTM, social sciences, when I originally applied for Life Sciences. I also applied for life sci at UTSG (but now have no hope of getting in🙁 ). So I’m wondering how hard is it to switch from social sci to life sci. Would I be able to get the pre reqs in my first year so I can apply for life sci for my second year. I’m really confused on weather I should to take the risk of accepting my social sciences admission and try to switch but also risk being in a program I don’t wanna to graduate with or not. Plsss help!! 

    heyyo, 

    my friend my friend my friend, you are far from the first person to be in this conundrum. luckily, there is a very simple answer for you and all those who have tread in your path. there’s a little secret: your admission category really doesn’t matter. 

    i know what you’re thinking: aska what do you MEAN the thing that defines whether or not I get into this school doesn’t even matter? has this all been a LIE??? 

    and i guess i should clarify that your category does matter for admission purposes (ie. checking for prereqs, controlling numbers). but once you’re in, the only reason it still exists is to get you slight priority enrollment in the courses relevant to your category. aaaaand that’s about it.  

    you typically enroll in your program(s) at the end of first year. as long as you have the necessary prerequisites for it (either first-year courses or high school courses), there’ll be no difference between you and another applicant who has a more “relevant” admission category. so the only thing you have to do is make sure you have those prereqs for the program you want (you can check here!). while you won’t have priority enrollment for these courses, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. personally, i was able to get into all the courses i wanted in first year, including a few outside of my admission category!

    alternatively, if the program you want is an “open” program, literally all you have to worry about is getting 4.0 credits in your first year. and boom, you’re in. 

    my advice would be to wait to see if you get a utsg offer (for life sci or another alternate) and if you weigh your options and want to come to uoft (duh), take one of the offers! but when you make your decision just know that you aren’t restricted to taking programs from within your admission category.  

    so don’t worry about graduating with a degree you never actually wanted. trust me, there are many opportunities to change your program. if you wake up on graduation day and realize “oopsies, i forgot to change my program”… well, don’t blame that one on aska. 

    here’s to you gallivanting around the medsci building this time next year! 

    cheers, 

    aska 

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