admissions - askastudent

admissions, applying for U of T, OUAC

whatever you do, do not dilly dally

March 16, 2025

Hi! I’m a student from Vancouver, BC. And I applied for U of T this year and I met a trouble with my information in my account. I got a wrong SIN number and how can I change it? Thank you so much!

hey there,

i’m gonna assume you haven’t gotten a letter of admission/denial yet and are still waiting to hear back.

if you put the wrong SIN number into your personal information page on OUAC (where you applied), you should be able to change it. back when i applied, i’m like 80% sure i was still able to go back and my change personal info after completing the application.

but tbh it’s been a while and i’m not an expert on the OUAC platform.

all i can say is that you should try to fix this asap because it might impact your admission decision. in the best case, you should be able to manually change it, or contact the admissions office to get it changed. in the worse case, a wrong SIN number in your application sounds like it might count as fraudulent information.

officially, the university says this: “you should be aware that when you submit your application you are required to certify that the personal information and documents submitted in the application, or to be submitted (all of which constitutes the application), are true, complete and correct in all respects. if evidence is found to the contrary your admission to the university may be rescinded, your registration may be revoked”

but no need to quake in your boots just yet. if you really can’t figure out how to manually change it in OUAC, you should really contact undergraduate admissions directly at this link or at this phone number: 416-978-2190. and do it as soon as you can.

i really hope this helped and that everything turns out ok!

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, extracurricular

a guide to what U of T actually looks at

February 24, 2025

what should i do to get a better chance of getting into u of t? is there anything particular they want to see in a student? and do i have to be good at leadership or its not that important?

hey there,

well, this is sorta hard to answer because it depends on which admission category, which campus, and which faculty you’re applying to.

soooo i guess i’ll just cover the main options and hope one of them is relevant to you?

humanities, life sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, and social science categories

within the faculty of arts and sciences, there are six admission categories, which are basically just general categories that help sort all the programs. if you’re applying to the humanities, life sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, and social science categories, you won’t have to hand in anything other than your grades. since these are the most common areas of study at U of T, this will be the case for most people.

if this is you, U of T will base your admission based on the average grades of your top six academic grade 12 courses, including pre-requisite courses. no leadership skills required, and no extracurriculars. which is a little cray-cray considering how much effort i put into that stuff in high school just to apply to a uni that didn’t look at any of it :DDDD.

anyways, admission for these fields of study is literally just based on grades and all you can do is try to keep your grades above the competitive average for your category.

so if you’ve got good marks, YAY. U of T made it super simple for you!

and if not. ugh, U of T sucks for that who gave them the right.

rotman commerce and computer science categories

meanwhile, if you were applying to rotman commerce or computer science, they will look at both your grades and your extracurriculars/experiences in a supplemental application. so yes, things like leadership and extracurricular activities are important.

for rotman commerce, it seems like this supplemental application will include written and video responses to assess your leadership skills and community involvement, as well as your passion for business. i’m sure for rotman, leadership skills are a big factor, since that’s kinda essential for business school.

and for comp sci, this application will look at similar things. it’ll be a 250 word response about your leadership skills and experiences. but questions won’t be centred around computer science.

faculty of engineering

for engineering applicants, they will be looking at your grades alongside an “online student profile” that you’ll fill out. this will focus on your extracurriculars and interests, and they are especially “interested in your activities and achievements that demonstrate leadership, dedication and overall excellence”.

if you wanted more details about what this looks like: it seems you’ll have to discuss your non-academic activities like clubs, sports, and arts. AND, you’ll have to complete timed video responses that will help them to “get to know you as a person”.

daniel’s faculty of architecture, landscape, and design

and finally, i want to include architecture, just in case this applies to you. telepathically, i am sensing you’re most likely in arts and sciences but we’re gonna roll with this.

if you wanted to apply to the daniel’s faculty, you’ll need to submit your grades alongside a supplementary application that will include a written response as well as a creative submission. so, leadership/extracurriculars don’t matter for this program, but personality and creativity do!

overall advice

so the tldr is: in artsci, the humanities, life sci, physical and mathematical sciences, and social science categories only look at grades. it’s only rotman, comp sci, and engineering that will look at leadership, extracurriculars, and interests. and architecture will look at your personal response and creative ability.

but regardless of which field of study you’re interested in, having good grades will really help you have a good chance of admission (duh!). make sure you’ve taken the pre-requisite courses for your admission category, thoroughly understand the admission requirements, and meet all the deadlines.

i’d also highly recommend that you submit during the early application period, for the best chances. start your application early so that you don’t rush it during the few days before and just decide “eh, i’ll just submit for the later deadline” because you’re too rushed (like a lot of people in my high school did). start early and submit early!

anyways, i hope some part of this was helpful. best of luck with your application!!

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska 2 Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, grades, rotman

live laugh spiral

February 18, 2025

Hi there! I am a Grade 12 student applying for Rotman Commerce at St. George campus. I just finished semester 1, and my top 6 average is currently a 95.3, which includes Grade 12 English and Calculus completed. However, I didn’t do well back in Grade 11 and have 3 very bad marks, including Chemistry, Physics, and G11 English, but I got 90s in all other G11 courses except for Function with an 87. As I know, Rotman would look at all G11 and G12 grades when reviewing my application, therefore, I am scared these 3 grades could significantly lower my chances, especially for the G11 English mark. I had high 50s in Chem, mid-70s in Phy, and 66 in Grade 11 English, which resulted in an 83 Grade 11 avg. Moreover, despite having a fabulous Grade 12 average, I took so many Grade 12 courses outside of day school. For example, I took English in summer school and got a 93; calculus in e-learning and got a 94, and at last, MHF4U in night school and got a 96. I am also scared it could lower my chances as well since, apparently, U of T cares about night school, summer school, etc. It also shows grade inconsistency in English since it jumped from a 66 in Grade 11 to a 93 in Grade 12. I got a 95 on both the only two Grade 12 courses that I took in day school fyi. Last but not least, I completed my supp app last week, and I believe I did decently well. I would give myself an 8/10. Nonetheless, I apologize for how long it is since I just wanted to provide some context. But here are a few questions I would like to get an answer to: 1. Will my low Grade 11 avg and Grade 11 English mark significantly lower my chances? 2. Does U of T care about whether I took any courses outside of day school? 3. Overall, what are my chances of getting into Rotman? I am really sorry for bothering you! I hope you have a good rest of the day!

hey there,

first off, congrats on finishing your application, and on getting such good marks in your first semester of grade 12! those numbers are really impressive.

but i get the anxiety despite it all (you’re just like me fr).

jk. these are super valid questions, and also really common questions! so maybe i can help clarify things. just a disclaimer though, i won’t be able to give a perfectly clear answer because publicly released U of T admission rules are pretty confusing. they really gotta stop tryna act so dark and mysterious, man.

grade 11 marks

ok i can see why you’re worried if you got a 66 in grade 11 english and english is one of the pre-requisite courses for admisson into rotman.

but you may be fine. because in general, grade 11 marks are looked at mainly for early consideration and conditional admissions.

it’s true that U of T does look at your grade 11 marks, but these will matter more when your marks from grade 12 aren’t out yet. keep in mind that everyone’s term system works differently, and some schools won’t release interim grade 12 marks yet at this point in the year. so for students who get their first term grade 12 marks back late, grade 11 marks will count more. but your interim grade 12 marks are already out, so your grade 11 marks will likely not hold as much weight. does that make sense?

i’ve heard U of T admissions likes to see improvement, too! so the fact that you showed massive growth from grade 11 to grade 12 should help you out. plus, an 83 average for grade 11 is not bad at all.

courses outside of day school

i’ve been told that U of T doesn’t care whether you take courses during the summer semester. i’ve also heard that they don’t care if you take courses online. however, i have not heard anything about night school.

while i did find a statement made about day school on this rotman page, it doesn’t really provide us with anything of substance. officially, they say this:

“while there may be valid reasons for taking courses outside of your day school, we encourage students to take courses in their day school where possible. all aspects of the application may be considered in the admissions process”.

very vague, i know. but the general vibe i’m getting is that taking courses outside of day school will not be a make-or-break factor in your application, considering you already have a very high average. i think it’s usually only cause for concern for applicants who are close to the minimum admission average. but that’s not you, because you’ve got really high marks!

your chances

so yeah, as i said above, if you have a top 6 average of 95.3, you’re way above the minimum average of mid-high 80’s, shown on this rotman page. the fact that you’ve got high marks and did well on your supplemental means that your chances are pretty good.

overall, my personal take (as an arts and science student and not an admissions person or a rotman student) is that you will be fine. several other people have asked similar questions to these, and you have higher grade 12 marks than the rest of the crowd. grade 12 marks and the supplemental will matter the most, and you’ve absolutely got those in the bag.

finally, no one can give you a guaranteed answer except the admission letter itself. but if you wanted to hear directly from a rotman student, here’s a link to register for a one-on-one meeting with a current rotman student. you can ask them about things non-admissions related too, like student life and general rotman advice they might have. finance, finance, case comp, add me on linked in, insert business lingo here.

anyways, that’s all from me. i know it can be pretty stressful while waiting to hear back about your application, so just know that you’ve done all you can — and you’ve done it well!

i encourage you to make the most of the rest of your senior year, and try to enjoy it while you’re still there. i’m rooting for you, and think good things are coming your way!

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, bad times, engineering, hard

rejection is just redirection

January 31, 2025

I don’t know if I’ll make it into uoft engineering, because my average is mid-80s for end of first sem, but I’ve asked this page a lot of questions last year, and I’m very grateful, so I wanna know how I should prepare for the rejection. I don’t know if this sounds depressing, but I’ll be fine later on but I saw my exam grades today and I wanna cry and I just don’t want to feel sad about being rejected because I really wanted to go to uoft.

hey there,

man, i’m sorry that’s happening! that sounds really upsetting.

first off, thanks for your question, it means a lot that you came to me with this.

i know that it can feel like the world is ending when you don’t get the grades you wanted, especially when you put so much effort in and there’s so much at stake. i also remember your questions from last year, so i know that you’ve really been committed to getting good grades over the past year! you were asking all the right questions and were focused on all the right things.

i mean, it’s totally normal to feel distressed over this! anyone who’s worked as hard as you and has this much dedication to their goals would be.

when i’m feeling this way, i think it helps to know that you genuinely did the best you could. you did all you could with the resources and knowledge you had at the time, so there’s nothing to beat yourself up over. sure, it didn’t turn out the way you wanted, but a rejection is not a reflection of your work ethic, intelligence, or competence. sometimes the circumstances are just built in a difficult way.

and like, are we kidding? trying to get into U of T engineering is one heck of a difficult circumstance. the grades they require are insanely high, and it’s a notoriously difficult program at the notoriously most difficult school in the whole country.

just because this program isn’t right for you doesn’t mean you can’t reach academic excellence (whatever that is) or be on the path to a highly successful career — tbh, all the most successful and outstanding U of T students i know who are making big moves and getting recognized for their work aren’t in engineering. and i’m not sure if you applied to other schools, but getting any engineering degree is impressive and will make you employable. there are plenty of other top-notch engineering programs in canada and other top-notch programs at U of T.

but even then, nothing’s set in stone yet! you just got your interim grades back, not the rejection. your marks are in the mid-eighties, which is like what, two percentages away from the high-eighties? remember that the engineering admissions considers your extracurricular work along with your academic work, so that could pull your application up. at this point in time, you could still get in, or even get waitlisted. let’s not snowball towards the worst-case scenario, you still don’t know what will happen.

if you wanted advice on how to prepare for rejection, here’s what helps me. when i’m really set on an opportunity (which i am right now), i try to not get attached to the end outcome, and only focus on what’s controllable. you can only control your effort, consistency, and drive — after that, you’ve done your job and there’s nothing else you have to do.

also, you might think something is the perfect golden opportunity, but remember that it hasn’t actually happened yet. we’re only human, so we can’t look into the future, and you don’t actually know if it would be disastrous! like, have you heard of burnt toast theory?

maybe this opportunity just isn’t right for you — or, it isn’t right for you at this point in time.

what i’m trying to say is, when something doesn’t work out, there’s often something better waiting for you that you just don’t know about yet! i am a firm believer that rejection is just redirection, and what’s meant for you will find you.

maybe i sound a little delulu LOL but that’s what helps me.

anyway. if you’re really set on engineering and didn’t apply to other schools, maybe you can try again next year — you are still able to apply to universities a year after you graduate. don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something! if you really have a dream, don’t let one “no” end it all. i know someone who’s applied to med school four years in a row, getting rejected each time. but she keeps trying again and again, because she’s committed to her goal.

ultimately, all you can do at this point is keep working hard in school. maybe if you keep your grades up, you might get waitlisted, and then accepted!

i’ll leave you with this: if you have effort and you have consistency, there is nothing you cannot do. it is truly only a matter of time.

you are so capable. take a deep breath, you’ve got this.

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, human biology

to retake or not to retake

January 28, 2025

Hi ,Thanks again for your help with my previous question! I have a quick follow-up about my course selection. Since my Advanced Functions (MHF4U) mark isn’t very competitive, I’m wondering if I should retake it, or if taking Data Management (MDM4U) instead would be a better option. Do you think taking both would strengthen my application, or is one more important than the other? (Also advanced functions is not a prerequisite course for most of the programs I am looking at) and to specify I would like to apply to both campuses

I really appreciate your advice on this!

Thanks so much

hey there,

y’all, two returning askers in one WEEK! i feel so loved.

ok so should you retake advanced functions to raise your mark or just take data management instead?

well, if advanced functions isn’t a pre-req for most of the programs you’re looking at, you probably don’t have to retake it. here’s why.

as you can see here, the great thing about applying to U of T is that they will only use your top 6 marks in academic courses to calculate your admission average. among these 6 marks must be the pre-requisites for the admission category you’re applying to. so if advanced functions isn’t a pre-req, it won’t actually have to be included in the calculation of your admission average, assuming you have other academic courses that you got better marks in.

remember that if you’re hoping to apply to human biology, what you’ll actually be inputting into your OUAC application is the life sciences admission category. the pre-requisites for this category are english and calculus. so for example, your admission average could be calculated based on your marks in english, calculus, chem, bio, history, and data management. (classes like drama, art, band, or physical education wouldn’t count).

honestly, taking data management instead could strengthen your application just because you won’t have a repeated course on your transcript. and it’ll have the same function as advanced functions — you’ll be able to use data management as the alternate pre-requisite for UTSC human biology, as mentioned in my previous answer.

i honestly don’t think either data management or advanced functions would be more important than the other transcript-wise, but i will say that data management skills will be very applicable for any STEM program you want to go into. sure, advanced functions skills are important, but data management skills will be directly needed in a large number of your upper year courses in life sciences. i think it’ll be useful to get comfortable with these skills early on (i wish i did!).

basically, both the UTSG and UTSC campuses say that repeated courses aren’t super great on your application. so it could be a good idea for you to just take data management to meet the pre-req requirement for UTSC human bio instead of retaking advanced functions.

but it’s really hard to say what decision is better to make, because all this stuff is intentionally made to be a little murky. it’s totally up to you, you could retake advanced functions and try to get a higher mark and have that work out for you! you could take data management and have that work out for you! anything could happen.

my personal take is that taking data management might be the best idea, BUT remember that this is just my opinion as a student who is not involved in the admissions process at all. please think it through a lot, since there’s no easy answer here.

i hope this helped! sending lots of encouragement.

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, rotman

preparing to absolutely slay

January 25, 2025

hi there again! i hope you’re doing good! i apologize for the bother, but i wanted to ask what you might recommend or what advice you might have for the rotman commerce supplementary application or any incoming applicants, since i’m super keen on completing the supplementary soon and have been trying to prep with old questions/practice but it still seems super intimidating!

i just wanted to ask what strategies you might recommend or studying tips when preparing for the supplementary as i really want to do my best!

also thank you for taking the time to read this! and i hope you have a good one!

hey there again,

OMG a returning customer!

great question. so just to preface things: i am not a rotman student myself, but i do know a couple rotman students and here’s what i’ve gotten from them.

i’m sure you already know this, but definitely make use of rotman online resources to prep. they post the supplemental application questions in the portal, and you’ll be able to practice lots beforehand. you can also check out this recent webinar recording giving more details on how it’ll work.

the best thing you can do is prepare with the practice questions, which you’re already doing, so yay! besides that, my friend says to make sure that you can answer the questions in a clear manner, and that your thoughts are organized. like, don’t ramble, but stay direct and specific to the point you’re making. and also, practice standard interview questions. rotman students have to come across those quite often during their undergrad.

besides that, from my experience as a U of T undergrad, i would say it’s always good to be prepared to talk about your past relevant extracurricular/academic activities and what you learned from those, or what you achieved in those areas. a question i am sooo tired of seeing is to “describe a time you encountered a conflict/hardship and had to overcome it”. and from my experience doing interviews, please make sure you start your the supplementary during a time when you’re in a good, calm, and well-rested head space. i once did an interview right after something stressful happened and let’s just say i was shaking while answering questions.

yeehaw. anways, i also think it would be good to have a prepare response of why you want to go into business, or why you’re interested in this field, since they’re probably gonna ask that, right? according to their website, they want “outstanding students that have demonstrated academic excellence, have an understanding of leadership and community, and a passion for the world of business”. so definitely keep that in mind and try to highlight those characteristics!

ie. make sure you seem genuinely interested, and have evidence of community/leadership involvement.

and it’ll be really helpful to practice interview questions with someone else/different people! that’s something that will be super beneficial for the quality of your responses, since other people can give you feedback from another perspective. i definitely recommend it.

again, remember, i’ve never done this application, that’s just some general advice from being an undergrad at U of T.

overall, don’t stress too much. there won’t be anything crazy/surprising in the questions that’s meant to trick you or catch you off your guard. i know it can feel really scary and intimidating to do all this pre-U of T stuff, but according to people who have done it, the supplemental application is not as scary as it seems, and you’re gonna be so okay.

best of luck with your application! you can do it!!! wishing you lots of gentleness, sweet treats, and warm hugs this month. and omg would it be crazy if i asked you to update me if you get in maybe?

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, human biology, prereqs

i am once again asking… which campus?

January 20, 2025

I am a grade 11 student who is currently taking advanced functions but my mark is not very competitive, I was thinking about retaking the course in summer school. Will Uoft not consider me if I retake and if it’s in summer school. I want to apply to the human biology program and the prerequisites include advanced functions.

hey there,

thanks for your question! just to set things straight, i’m going to assume that you’re talking about the human biology program at the st. george campus?

if you want to apply to the human biology program at the st. george campus, you’ll be applying to U of T under the life sciences admission category. basically, all programs here are grouped into six admission categories when you’re first applying, and all you have to worry about is the requirements to get into that broad category.

to get into the life sciences admission category, you definitely need to take english and calculus. but interestingly enough, on this page, the pre-requisites list doesn’t include advanced functions (MHF4U), just calculus and vectors (MCV4U).

so, if you’re applying to the st. george campus, i can tell you that you don’t actually need advanced functions and can stop reading here!

however, if you’re applying to the scarborough campus, you can ignore everything i just said and keep reading.

sorry for the emotional whiplash.

but ok, now i’m gonna assume you’re applying to human biology at UTSC!

to answer your question, does U of T care if you retake a course or take it during the summer? well U of T says they do accept repeated courses, but “priority will be given to students who took the course in a single attempt”. you can find the full quote on this FAQ page under the admission decision drop-down button.

basically, what i think this means is that retaking a course doesn’t take you out of the game completely, but it might negatively impact your chances of getting in. according to my predecessor (previous aska), if it’s a close call between you and and another applicant (ie you’re right at the cutoff) and they have to choose between y’all, they’ll choose the student who didn’t retake the course. butttt, i have zero idea if this is true.

tbh, all you can do at this point is to do as well as you can in all your other courses, to make up for the repeated course. if you’re stellar at your other subjects, you can make it so that they won’t ever have to choose between you and another applicant, right?

but i also happened to notice that the human biology admission requirements give you the option between advanced functions OR calculus & vectors OR mathematics of data management for your math pre-requisite. if you were really worried about how retaking a course might impact your application, you could just take one of the other pre-req options.

meanwhile, they couldn’t care less if you complete a course during summer. that will have no impact on your admission decision whatsoever.

and yeah, i hope this helped, whether you were applying to UTSG or UTSC! best of luck to you, you’re gonna smash that course through the roof! everyone’s gonna be so sockless because you’re gonna knock their socks off. the classroom is gonna explOde from how much you’re gonna destroy that course.

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, ccit

new year, same old questions

January 6, 2025

Hey aska,

I am going to apply for CCIT next month for Technology, Coding and Society at University of Toronto Mississauga campus and my average is 78% Would I be fine with applying with that average or should I try to boost up my average?

And also aska,

Will be a Non Ontario student and applying late January affect my chance of admission?

hey there,

ok we’re starting the year off with a banger, another admissions question. let the slayage begin.

so you want to apply for CCIT and have a 78% average.

first off, i just want to make sure that you calculated this average the same way U of T calculates your average.

because according to the CCIT info page, your overall admissions average is not just the average of all your marks. instead, it’s calculated using your mark in english plus five of your top academic courses — so it’s only an average of six courses.

they say this average should be around the mid to high 70’s if you want to be a competitive applicant, and you’re definitely in that range, which is great. meanwhile, on the info page for general admissions, it says you’ll need a minimum mark of 70% in grade 12 level english and a minimum overall average of 75%.

however, they also say that the mid-70’s estimate is just a guideline based on the previous academic year, rather than a strict cut-off for admissions. so take from that what you will.

based on all of that, if the average of your english mark and top 5 marks is 78% and you have over a 70% in english, you’re theoretically fine. but if you want my person opinion, it wouldn’t hurt to do your best to boost your average as much as you can? because U of T is always saying stuff along the lines of “just because you have these guidelines marks is not a guarantee that you’ll get in”.

my take is that 78% is sort of toeing the line and the higher your average is, the more likely your chances are. so if you’re able to push and get that average a few percents higher, i think that would only help secure your spot. but there’s also no need to panic or stress a lot since you are already in the competitive range. so, up to you.

to answer your last bit, no, from what i’ve been told, being a non ontario student will not affect your chances of admission at all. you can see on the general admissions page i previously linked that the admissions requirements are as the same no matter where you went to high school.

and finally, will applying in late january affect your chances? i mean, as long as you apply before the application deadline on january 15 and get your documents in by february 1, it doesn’t really make a difference when you apply.

hope this helps and good luck!

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, english, UTSC

soooo special <3

December 18, 2024

Hiii! I’ve just applied to UTSC for the English Major, and I was wondering if my grade 11 marks are going to be considered as well? I’m a little worried because due to unexpected circumstances I was only able to complete one semester and I’m taking the other semester courses this year along with my grade 12 courses. I dont know if this will affect my acceptance since the grade 11 courses I took were in the range of 85%-60%. I hope someone can help me out with this! Have a good day!

hey there,

yeah, it makes sense that you’re worried about this, this is a really common question! not that you’re basic. you’re special in my heart.

so all applicants to U of T are considered based on their top six academic grade 12 courses. since you’re applying to the english program, english 12 will have to be included in your roster of top six grades — it’s a pre-requisite and it would be crazy if they didn’t look at your english marks when you’re applying to english.

anyways, these six grades are then used to calculate your admission average. according to this website, the admission requirements for english at UTSC say that you would need an average approximately in the mid-70s to high-70s to be competitive.

however, your grade 11 marks that you took last year will still matter, since your marks from this year won’t be fully out when you send in your application. and how much they matter kinda depends on a bunch of uncontrollable factors. like, when your high school releases interim marks, how intense the competition is in the applicant pool, etc.

basically, U of T will look at your grade 11 marks if you applied during the early application period. but, to my understanding, if those marks don’t quite make the cut, you will be considered again when your grade 12 marks start coming out.

overall, it honestly seems to me like you might be fine??? since your marks land right in the mid-70s range that’s required. but like, remember that i’m not a U of T admissions officer or recruiter!

so this is not official advice. if you wanted that, i would recommend attending one of these ask a recruiter sessions. U of T does a bunch of web casts and chat sessions where you can talk to recruiters and get answers in real time. i’ve never attended one, but i’ve heard they’re helpful.

and yeah, that’s it. hope this made sense, and good luck with the rest of your grade 12 year! and sorry i made you wait so long for this answer, final exams the past 2 weeks obliterated me.

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T

the gate is keeping

November 21, 2024

Hello, I am a 16 year old student and I had a quick question related to a reel I saw. In this reel, it says that colleges and universities release something called a common data set, which shows the acceptance percentage based on marks. I was wondering if uoft has a common data set or something similar to it that poses the same information.

hey there,

common data set? we don’t know her. unfortunately, U of T does not release this.

honestly, it might be because there are so many admission categories, all of which require different grades and courses. and that’s just in arts & sciences — there are also different faculties, like rotman, architecture, music, etc. plus, things change a lot every year.

the closest thing that i can point you towards is the U of T admission bulletin. this is like, the number one resource for finding out everything you need to know when applying to U of T. if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll see a huge chart of all the areas of study at U of T, their pre-requisites, and what programs types are offered. there are also approximate grade ranges listed for some programs.

on top of that, i spent some time looking through U of T’s data website and found a U of T data figure about how many students apply, how many are admitted, and how many register each year. you can also see in this one how many students are enrolled per each field of study at U of T.

i know these don’t provide exactly what you were looking for, but i hope these provided some sort of useful information for you.

anyway. if you’re 16, you’re doing a great job in thinking ahead. i’d say at this point of high school, the best thing you can do is just look at the admission category you’re considering (if you know that yet), and make sure you’re planning to take the grade 12 course pre-requisites you need.

you might also wanna peruse my past posts in the “applying for U of T” category. and “admissions” category. there are a lot of common questions you might useful there.

and yea, that’s it from me. happy to help if you’ve got more questions! <3

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, rotman

whatever, chemistry is for nerds anyway

November 15, 2024
Hi there! I hope you’re doing good. I’m a grade 12 student who’s really interested in applying to the Rotman Commerce program at St. George campus and I planned ahead for grade 12 by taking advanced functions and calculus in the summer, which I ended off in low 90s with (yay!). Unfortunately though, from grade 11 I have 3 bad marks (in chemistry, physics and functions) but got 90s in all 6 other classes. Even though I’m applying for business, I’m scared that those 3 bad grades are going to show. I had low-mid 60s in functions and physics and then I failed chemistry, but I’m not pursuing science and so now I’m scared it’ll ruin my chances if UofT looks at my grade 11 grades since I have one failed class. I took Advanced Functions in the summer to fully focus on getting a high grade and to make up for the bad functions grade. ^ I apologize for how long it is since I just wanted to provide some context but:
1. Does UofT mind that I took Advanced Functions and Calculus in the summer online?
2. Will the science classes I did bad in but won’t be taking again impact my chances? Will the failed chemistry class?
3. Since I finished Advanced Functions will they look at my grade 11 functions grade for reference?
I’m really sorry for the bother again!! Thank you so much and I hope you have a good one!!

hey there,

thanks for this question! i really appreciate the way you formatted it — i love having context, and i love organized, specific, and direct questions. biggest gold star for you. most of the time, i am staring at questions like this:

anyways bro, let me put you on this year’s rotman commerce viewbook. on page 12, it goes over the admissions process for ontario high school applicants. and based on the fact that you said you took advanced functions, i’m going to assume you’re from ontario.

here, under “ontario high school admission requirements”, it says that special attention will be given to calculus & vectors (MCV4U), since it’s a pre-requisite to get into rotman. to be a competitive applicant, you need to have marks in/above the high 80s in both english and calculus. (you can also cross reference this with the rotman commerce admission category page, which says that the two pre-requisite courses for rotman are english and calculus. so these are the courses that admission will care the most about.)

this page says that “all grade 11 and 12 courses may be considered“, and the average from all your grade 11 and 12 courses should be in the mid-high 80s and above. also, it doesn’t say it here, but U of T will look at your complete academic record when considering you for admission. it’s just that they look most closely at your pre-req courses.

so will the science classes you did badly in have an impact on your chances? will they look at your grade 11 functions mark? honestly, maybe, but probably not that much. these marks won’t be the main thing your admission is based on. most of the emphasis will be on your grade 12 marks. however, they will see those bad marks, as part of looking at your whole record. and those marks will impact your overall total average, so.

another reason why your grade 11 marks will matter is that your grade 12 marks won’t be fully out yet when you apply. this means that conditional admission offers are made through the year based on your grade 11 finals and grade 12 interim marks.

however, there is some good news! the thing with rotman is that admission is not purely based on grades, which makes it different from applying to general arts & science categories. there is something called a supplemental application that you will submit, which has a sort of interview-like function, to showcase your skills and experiences. so like, if you’re worried about your marks, you might wanna cook on the supplemental application.

overall, it’s just a matter of how all these moving parts balance out in the end. your marks in grade 11 science are not the make-or-break factor in your application, and there are a lot of things the university will look at. all you can do now is lock in and get the best marks you can in grade 12, and make yourself shine in that supplemental application. you’ve got experiences! you’ve got skills! you can do it.

finally, does U of T mind that you took functions in the summer online?

good news, they will not mind! they don’t really care when you complete your courses, and summer classes are not seen any differently than fall/winter classes.

and yeah, i hope this somewhat cleared things up?? best of luck to you, please send another ask if you’ve got more questions or are still confused. you’ve got thisss!!!!

over and out,

aska
Read More

aska No Comments
admissions, applying for U of T, UTM

chronically confused

August 14, 2024
Hi I want to apply to study Communication, Culture, Information & Technology at University of Toronto Missisigua And I am quite confused on their website I am seeing the deadline for early admission is June 27th but sometimes I see January 15th I am pretty confused when does early admission and regular admission open and what day do they end?

hey there,

ok yeah, i took a look at the CCIT and UTM websites and it is a bit confusing as to what the dates and deadlines are.

well, here is my summary of the admissions deadlines according to this UTM dates and deadlines page:
- november 7 is the “recommended application deadine for early consideration”
  - december 15 is the “recommended document deadline for early consideration”
- january 15 is the “application deadline for all applicants on OUAC”
  - february 1 is the “document deadline for all applicants”
as you can see, it might be confusing because there are different deadlines for your application and getting all your documents in. the gist of it is that november 7 is the early admission deadline and january 15 is the general admission deadline. apply for the early deadline if you want to be considered in the first round of offers, but apply before the general deadline if you want more time to get everything together. but keep in mind, some spots may already be filled by early applicants by then.

meanwhile, later on in the spring, you’ll have acceptance deadlines (for you to accept U of T’s offer):
- may 1 is the acceptance deadline for canadian and international applicants
- june 3 is the acceptance deadline for ontario applicants
however, the website says that with these acceptance deadlines, you might have a different, specific date as stated in your offer letter.

it seems to me like there is no deadline on june 27. i searched that date up on google with the “must include” function and nothing relevant came up for CCIT admissions. but, i do see a july 12th date on the same dates and deadlines page i’ve been talking about. it says that the “application deadline dates for september 2024 entry” was closed on july 12, 2024.

soooo yeah. that is super confusing. personally, i think the july 12 date seems way too late to be an application deadline. when i applied to U of T st. george campus, the deadlines for me were also november 7 and january 15. so my honest student-to-student advice is to just stick to that and ignore the july 12 date.

HOWEVER, i am not involved in the admissions process and before following what i say, you might want to confirm it. the easiest thing to do in this situation is to just send in a quick question through this page.

anyhoo, good luck with your application!

over and out,

aska
Read More

aska No Comments
academic standing, admissions

so. that’s kinda scary

August 8, 2024

Hi! I’m stressing out right now I was admitted to UofT for environmental science and the requirements for my offer were to get a 70% in english (which I achieved), and a overall average of 75%. I ended up finishing with a 73.33%. And I received an email saying since I didn’t achieve the average my offer may be revoked. Do you think it will be revoked or should I be okay? How likely is it that my offer will be revoked. Thanks!

hey there,

hmmmm, interesting. most admission offers i’ve heard of provide much more ominously vague conditions, like “maintain your academic standing”.

i’m sorry this is happening, it sounds like a really uncertain and upsetting situation! but honestly, i gotta say, as a fellow student, i am not really in the position to be telling you whether or not your offer will be revoked. i’m not involved in the admissions process at all, so that’s not my place of authority and i don’t wanna tell you something wrong in a consequential situation like this.

i feel like i’d need to see the exact wording of that email to really determine how likely it is that you’ll be revoked. it does say on the admissions decisions page of the artsci website that “students who don’t meet the required conditions by the posted deadlines can expected to have their offer rescinded”. and if you received an email saying you didn’t meet the conditions, well, it does seem pretty likely.

but, i’m not sure how often U of T rescinds offers (i don’t have any mutuals who this happened to). reddit, which keep in mind is not so reliable, says it doesn’t happen often and that it requires a huge grade drop of more than 10%. so who knows.

regardless, you might wanna prepare yourself for either situation. here are some options i’ve heard of:

apparently there might be a form linked in your conditional offer where you are able explain the extenuating circumstances behind a grade drop.

i’ve also heard you might be able to take summer school to improve your grade average. i’m not sure how this works though, you’d have to directly contact enrolment services to find out if it’s possible.

so yeah, i know it wasn’t much but i hope this was somewhat helpful. good luck!

over and out,

aska

Read More

aska No Comments