• admissions,  psychology

    one more time (we’re gonna celebrate)

    March 27, 2014

    Hello,

    I am currently a second year student studying psychology. But the the thing is I’m not officially studying psychology because I am not in the subject post. I took PSY100 during the summer and got a mark of 81. I applied to the second round of enrollment and got rejected for both specialist and major. I really want to do a specialist in psychology. I took 1 credit of 200-level psychology and got an average of 77 for both. All I need to do now is take PSY201 and PSY202. Assuming I get a 75 average for both, what are my chances of getting in? I know you can’t give me a proper percentage or odds but do you happen to have some anecdotal references like a friend per se that got in to the specialist with similar marks or maybe even a different type 2 subject post? I also took a 300-level psych course and I’m planning to end the course with around a low 80, do you think this would be taken into consideration? My whole situation is really killing me right now because I’m planning to go to summer school to take both statistics but if my chances of getting into the specialist isn’t great then I probably wouldn’t go on with summer school because I would rather just transfer schools. But I really don’t want to transfer schools because I am really beginning to like U of T. I don’t mean to be pushy but realistically am I in a good position?

    Thank you

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this is a super respectful question, which i really appreciate. unfortunately, i don’t have much anecdotal info to help you out. since i’m part of the HUMANITIES SCUM, all my informal/non-registrarial knowledge is related to humanities, and specifically language and classics, programs. however, i’ll try to just reason it out and give my own opinion, though, like i say, i’m not admissions, and this is really just my opinion based on what you’ve told me.

    just to get everything in order for myself, this is how your marks stand:

    PSY100: 81%

    PSY2**Y: 77%

    PSY201/202: 75% (projected)

    alright, so given admission requirements after second year, i’d say that, even if your chances aren’t great, i think they’re better than when you applied in first year. firstly, i’m sure waaaay fewer people are applying after second year. by this point, most people have either realized they’re not actually interested in psych, or they’ve just given up. the fact that first year applicants have to have finished PSY100 with an 80%, and second-year applicants just have to have passed it, makes that crystal clear for me.

    secondly, there are probably fewer people in second year who have completed the requirements and still qualify to apply. the number of people who take PSY100 and have a shot at getting into the POSt is staggering; by second year, that number is much smaller.

    as to the 300-level course, i really don’t know. i mean, they say they don’t consider that. would it give you an advantage? maybe, but it’s hard to say for sure without any hints from the department.

    so, realistically, I’d say your acceptance is not certain – psych’s still a really popular subject POSt – but i think you’ve got a good shot. besides, transferring to another school after second year is rough. take it from a transfer veteran: even if you don’t get in, you’ve got a better chance carving a new path for yourself here in third year than trying to adjust to a completely new environment and system of classes.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • admissions,  humanities,  psychology

    apparently hard work pays off in this life

    March 25, 2014

    I just got accepted into University of Toronto for Humanities and I’m super duper excited! :DIt’s amazing to know that my hard work pays off in the end. However, I do have a question that I didn’t think of before I applied…I got accepted into the Humanities program and I don’t really know what that means for me.I am going to major in English/History/Linguistics.. but I may want to major in Psychology.Am I able to do that even though I was only accepted in Humanities? Am I able to take the Intro to Psychology course? Thanks so much for helping me out and making my experience at UofT a lot easier 🙂 you deserve a gold star- Excited Accepted Student

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    yeah…hard work totally, uh, pays off in the end…*coughs* *laughs nonchalantly* *trips over a mountain of lies*

    but good job on getting in. no, really, that…yeah. that’s great. i’m glad you’re excited. try and maintain that as long as possible.

    as for PSY100, you can take it regardless of your stream, but if you want to actually major in psych, you need to have taken, along with intro to psych, grade 12 calculus. that’s pretty much non-negotiable, but they will accept people who have taken uoft’s PUMP program instead, which is basically a grade 12 catch-up calculus course in university. so look into how hot you are about doing that (slash night school slash summer school slash whatever other acceptable alternative you can dream up) before you set your heart on a major in psych.

    also, i hope that when you say that you want to major in english/history/linguistics, you mean like, you want to major in one of them in addition to psych but you haven’t picked one yet, because four majors is just CRAZY TALK! tbh, any combination of those three POSts might make a great double-major combo; english/history is a particular favourite of a lot of my english major friends. i personally am an english specialist because i’m HARDCORE, but that’s just me.

    however, if you really are set on psych, like i said, you’ve got options.

    and by the by, i ALWAYS have a gold star. always.

    best, my blissfully excited froshie bestie,

    aska

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  • admissions,  subject POST

    helpin’ a wee one through the labyrinth of subject POSts

    March 7, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    I’m having a bit of issue here and I was hoping u could help?

    I recently got accepted to life scienece program in UT, as well as commerce?in UTM. (Since I can’t decide between psych. and marketing so I thought I?apply for both)

    Anyway, I was told that you have to do bio, chem and all that as a life?science student, but I didn’t do any of those in yr 11/12, and I’m much more?interested in social science. I applied for? L.S just for psychology and?now I’m worried that it might leads to a dead end.? Since there’s no way I?can handel bio/chem at university level.

    So my question is, as a life science student,? will I be able to choose any?art&science course I want in UT, and after 1st yr? apply for any major?
    (What about rotman?)?Or am I stuck with life science if I choose st george campus? (In which?case I will have to choose UTM)

    I hope you get what I’m saying. lol. and many thanks.

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    alrighty, there seem to be a lot of questions here, so fair warning: this question might run a bit long. i’m SORRY. i can’t help how USEFUL and KNOWLEDGEABLE i am.

    first thing: let’s examine how much chem and bio you actually have to do for uoft psych, ’cause there’s a reason it’s called “Life Sciences & Psychology,” and that is that the program is a little different from the rest of life science. so, i’m going to be looking at the courses you have to take for the psychology specialist – all that ‘specialist’ means is that you don’t have to take on another program. if you were to do the psychology major, for example, you’d have to take on another major or two minors on top of that according to uoft’s rules?(go to (b) under ‘General Degree Requirements’).

    so, for the specialist, all the requirements are ‘PSY’ courses. i don’t see any bio or chem courses. one thing you should take note of though is that the psychology programs at uoft do involve a fair bit of math. in order to get into the program, you have to have completed grade 12 calculus. once you’re in the program, you’ll also have to do a little bit of math in the form of PSY201H1 and PSY201H2, or Statistics I and Statistics II.

    now, just because you’re not compelled to take any courses that start with ‘BIO’ or ‘CHM,’ doesn’t mean that there won’t be some biology involved in your study of psychology. some courses will touch on anatomical and biological aspects of the brain, like this one, for example. but by and large, this program seems to focus on a social science approach to psychology.

    my advice would be to take a look at the PSY courses offered in 2nd, 3rd and 4th years and see how interested you are in them. also, you’ll have to take PSY100H1 in first year in order to apply to the psychology specialist, major or minor, so use that course to gauge how interested you are in the subject. if, by the end of first year, it turns out you don’t like psych as much as you thought, you can always apply for a different subject POSt (that is, program of study, i.e. a combination of specialist/majors/minors).

    the fact that you’re a life science student in first year doesn’t really mean anything – you can apply for any subject POSt in the faculty of arts & science, provided you’ve completed the prerequisites, at the end of first year, in april. that’s why i’d advise you take a look at some other programs you might be interested in now, ?so that in first year, you can complete prerequisites (if there are any) for some other programs you might be interested in applying for. first year is a time for exploration, especially at uoft, so take advantage of it!

    as for rotman, you can apply after first year, but it’s very competitive – most people in rotman apply from high school and enter the program in first year. if you want to try to apply to rotman after first year, you’ll need to have completed RSM100Y1, ECO100Y1 and MAT133Y1 in first year.

    if you’re considering commerce at utm, i’d advise you also take a look at some of the courses you’ll be taking?throughout your four years of the program, so you can be more informed when you make your decision.

    alright, so i think i’ve covered all your questions – i told you it’d be long – but if you’re unsure about anything else, just e-mail me right on back. cool? have a swagtacular day.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  international students

    watch aska struggle with an exotic education system and laugh at her

    February 28, 2014

    Hello, I am a Canadian student who lives in Lebanon. I attend a french school called College Notre Dame de Jamhour.I am in grade 11 and I am thinking of applying to University of Toronto for 2 years of Biology, Chemistry, Math and Physics in order to get into the PharmD program.I’ve been searching a lot for the average grade accepted students have, unfortunately I haven’t found much.I know exactly what courses I have to take to get into PharmD and I know exactly how the PharmD program works, my only concern is my getting into UofT in the first place.I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what are my chances of getting accepted:SAT 1: Reading: 630 Math: 800 Writing: 620 SAT 2: Math level 2 800 French 800 Plus I am planning on doing the SAT chemistry subject test and the TOEFL during the summer.My average grade is 16/20 in the french scaling system.I won the national competition in Robotics,I have a piano and guitar diploma,I have been practicing martial arts for a very long time now and I’ve won tournaments ( boxing, wrestling, judo, kick boxing, jujitsu…).
    I was hoping if you could tell me what are my chances of getting into UofT in order to start studying chemistry, biology, physics and math there, of course in order to apply to PharmD after 2 years.
    Thank you very much for your time

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i gotta say, it intimidates me a bit when people send me super formal questions, ’cause it makes me feel like they expect a super formal answer. i hope you know that i’m not like, an authority or anything. have you read this blog, my friend? ’cause otherwise, you’re about to be severely disappointed.

    however, i’m not completely useless. i can tell you what the university expects, which is that you fulfil the prerequisites and get your diploma. but i’m sure you know that already (i’m not even sure i linked to the right education patterned system, to be honest. i think i did. also, when you say you wanna study math, chemistry and physics, i’m assuming that means you want to get into the Life Science stream).

    now, about what you’re really asking, which is the time-honoured question: “WhAt arE my CHAN ceS Of getTI Ng iN???!?!?!!11!?” that’s a bit hard for me to tell, because i have no idea what those marks mean, but according to this handy wiki article, a 16/20 is tres bien, which in my books translates to a 90%+. with that kind of average, i’d say you can basically assume you’re going to be accepted (assuming of course that you’ve met the prerequisites; for you, i’m guessing that would be math, physics & chem and biology-ecology in the sujets terminale, but your school administration or uoft admissions know that better than me, so i’d recommend asking them, if you don’t already know what the prerequisites equal to in your system).

    when it comes to extra-curriculars, i have to once more break a young student’s heart and let you know that it actually doesn’t matter at all what extra-curriculars you have. being good at martial arts and robotics is awesome, and will help you with scholarship applications and probably with being a good student at university, but it’s not considered as part of uoft’s admissions decisions. sorry, friend.

    i hope that helps! and remember: you’re in grade 11, and you’ve got lots of time to figure all this stuff out, so don’t worry yourself too much. life has a way of sorting things out one way or another. try to sit back and enjoy the ride. you’re doing great.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions,  life science,  UTM

    lemme just talk to my buddies in admissions…oh wait.

    February 10, 2014

    Hey Aska,

    Sorry if I am going crazy, but my final first semester was an 84%. How slim are my chances of getting into my desired program (life sci utm) for march.

    Thanks (btw ur really helpful :))
    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ahh, the admissions question. now my friend, i know you probably haven’t been reading this website as long or as intensely as i have – and why should you, you don’t get paid to read it – but there is a storied history on here of grade 12’s asking askas whether they’re going to get in with x average and yz extra-curriculars, and of those askas absolutely flipping out  on them.

    lucky for you, i haven’t gotten enough of them yet this year that i find them annoying. still, i gotta tell you that asking me this question is kind of pointless. i’m only slightly more informed than than you are (though i am, of course, infinitely better-looking and much funnier).

    like, i don’t know if you’ve figured this out from the hokey web design and disturbingly comic sans-esque font, but aska is NOT, in fact, an official branch of UofT admissions. i don’t work for admissions. i’m just a chick at a computer. (an amazingly beautiful, goddess-like chick, but a chick nonetheless).

    so what i can tell you is pretty limited, but i do know this: firstly, the minimum admission average, or cut-off, if you will, for life sciences, is 70%. 70%! that means your current average is 14% above that. seems like a lot, right? that’s ’cause it is. now, every year admissions seems to get more and more competitive, and i can’t guarantee you’ll get in, but i’d say there’s really no need to panic. your chances as they stand are pretty good (and not at all “slim” as you put it).

    so yeah! no need to panic. spend your time not worrying, and do something more interesting instead, like learning the pan-flute, trying out family constellation therapy, or getting ready for the new season of Game of Thrones?(WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!)

    cheers, my friend, and i hope to see you around campus soon,

    aska

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  • admissions,  life science,  UTM

    life sigh

    February 4, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    I just wanted to ask how many round of acceptances are there for utm life sci since our school distributed our second semester midterm in late april. Also i know the cutoffs for this program are about mid 80’s, but what if my average is exactly an 85%, will i still get in? Is utm only concerned with the overall average when accepting people into the program or they also look at individual grades for the top 6 courses?

    If you can help me out, that would be great

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i don’t know specifically how many “rounds” there are since, though it pains me to say it, i am not the ENTIRE ADMISSIONS committee at this or any uoft campus. i guess uoft just hasn’t realized yet that i’d do a fantastic job of deciding the next generation’s world leaders. it’s ok.

    anyway, i know that GENERALLY SPEAKING, there’s like three or so times that the university sends out offers – there’s early acceptance in december-ish, then late february/early march, and late may/early june. most people hear back in late february/early march, but it’s a really general timeline. you can get an idea of that here.

    they will use the average of your top 6 courses, including prerequisites, to consider you. and if that average is an 85%, then (disclaimer of me not being affiliated with admissions because i am just a hobo at a computer blah blah blah) yeah, you’ll get in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  life science

    panic! at the high schools

    January 31, 2014

    Hey, i don’t know if you remember me, but i had asked u a question earlier and your answer had made my day, when i was having a bad day. i just wanted to say: thanks so much! I am back with more questions as a result haha, please don’t be afraid to bash me and be as honest as possible. thank you in advance!

    Alright so I REALLY want to get early acceptance (into u of t life science). Can you please tell me the requirements for getting early acceptance to this program, and how uoft will decide whether to offer you an early acceptance or not? OH, and please also tell me the acceptance criteria overall, early or not, for getting into uoft life sci. How do the officials decide whether you’re in or not; what is the whole procedure? oh btw, i’ve just completed the first semester of gr 11, going onto gr 11 sem 2.

    Last question, sorry to bother you 🙁 uhm so my grade 11 first sem marks… yeah they dropped a LOT. so right now, i’m looking at the following final marks: 81 in u level math, 84 in u level bio, 95 in leadership and 93 in world religions. these are my first semester finals. next semester i definitely plan on getting 90+, especially in english, chem and physics, all of which i have next semester. do i still have a chance at early acceptance? please be honest 🙁

    thank you for doing this, you’re really a great help to us!

    EDIT: i just sent u a question and i forgot to add the following information: i want to get accepted into the st.george campus atu of t! sorry for the inconvenience! i’m the grade 11 student asking about acceptance procedure and early acceptance.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m glad i could brighten your day! i mean, it’s kinda my job, but i also just love doin’ it, so that’s handy. also don’t worry, i’ve been given complete license by the POWERS THAT BE to bash y’all just as much as i want.

    man, i’m kinda loathe to talk about early acceptance. if you absolutely need something to cling to, i can tell you that if you apply early and have a like 95%+ average in grade 11/first semester grade 12, then you’ll probably be accepted early.

    BUTTT honestly (and i wanna stress this), it doesn’t really MATTER when you get accepted. like, i don’t know what your specific situation is, but it shouldn’t make a difference if you get accepted in february or december or march; you have until june to make a decision in canadian unis anyway. d’you need to brag about it at Christmas to your grandparents? ’cause you know you can just lie to them. i doubt they’ll ask for proof.

    as for the WHOLE PROCEDURE of acceptance, it goes like this:

    1. first, the admissions people all gather around a round, oaken table, hewn by the god Spadina himself in the early days of Toronto, and preform a traditional Gregorian chant extolling the virtues of Margaret Atwood the All-Mother, and the subway system.

    2. they pray that those who don’t get accepted be sufficiently punished through holy fire in purgatory, and, if they continue to sin after that, eternal fire in HELL.

    3. they accept everyone with over an 85% average and all the necessary prerequisites. like seriously, your marks are great as they are you have nothing to worry about. just let go of allll your stress. you’ll hear from them by the end of march for sure.

    best of luck and try not to worry too much my friend,

    aska

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  • admissions,  colleges

    i’ve scared the populace

    January 30, 2014

    Hi there,
    Thank you so much for answering all those questions. It’s super helpful ! I’d like to ask if the choice of college determines whether you’ll be accepted or not accepted in Uof’T ? I chose Victoria University as my first choice and University College as my second, so if I dont get admitted in Victoria, will the other colleges look at my applications?

    Thanks a ton.
    Regards.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    aww man, it’s been a while since the last college question! have i scared you all out of asking them? i’m sorry. well, not really. that was kinda my intention. but i still like you guys. you guys are my specials.

    anyway, this is a very REASONABLE COLLEGE QUESTION, so congrats! and it has a very simple answer: first, uoft accepts you, then the colleges look at your application. so your admission to colleges is conditional upon your admission to the university, not the other way around. if you don’t get admitted to vic, you’ll be put into another college.

    but if you DO get into vic, you’ll be in the same college as aska! and that’s something to celebrate, doncha know.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. I’m glad you find me helpful, friend. I love being useful. It helps me deal with the fact that I never felt useful to my mother. #psych101

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  • admissions,  engineering

    an ingeniousely engineered engineering science safety net

    January 30, 2014

    Hey there!
    I’m a high school student in an Mississauga high school, and I’m hoping to get into the Engineering Science program…which as we all?know means 4 years of weight loss and no sleep. Its a really tough program, and I am going to try my hardest but what I want to know is,?supposing I don’t get good grades in that program, can I tranfer to one of the core 8 eng programs after 1semester/year or will I just get?booted out?
    On a side note, just wanted to know, does the student profile form really make a difference on the application?
    Thanks a lot!
    Avi

    ???????????????

    hello. this is an old question. if you?d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go?here! thanks!

    aska

    ???????????????
    Avi,

    You just might be the first person to make this stone cold soul laugh … ever, with your weight loss comment. I have noticed the skin and bone appearance on those engineers. that said, it seems like the faculty itself has noticed the same thing, because they actually have instructions on how to transfer?out of engineering science in the first year.

    basically, if you get at least a 60% in the fall term or 55% in the winter term, then you can transfer after either of those terms into any engineering program you want. which is good news.

    as for the student profile: yes, it does matter. it wouldn’t be there if it didn’t make a difference. so don’t slack on it, ya hear?!

    best,

    aska

     

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  • admissions,  architecture

    daniels website: the enigma of our time

    January 29, 2014

    Heya! I’m applying for the Visual Studies program in the Daniel’s school.?I’m fairly worried about this application man, I have an 85 average as of?this term and my one idea supplementary was about designing a backpack (it?was a pretty cool backpack in my humble opinion). Damn, the program looks?horribly mysterious with its minimum online presence, so I was wondering if?you might have an idea of how my marks look for Visual Studies.

    Thanks in advance!

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    “minimum online presence”, talk about understatement of the century. every time i get a question related to architecture, i have to mentally prepare myself for that website. you’d think design people would know a bit about designing a functional website, huh?

    but seriously, you shouldn’t be worrying about your application. your average is about as good as it gets. an 85% at uoft is a 4.0, you know that, right? that’s like, the highest possible?GPA, so…

    also, that backpack sounds cool. you should make one and sell it to me discounted because i’m helping you out. did i mention you look lovely today? (i need a new backpack. i need a new lots of stuff, if we’re being real.)

    tl;dr: i don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.

    yours and always open to anonymous backpack donations,

    aska

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  • admissions,  first year,  psychology

    can someone e-mail me another psychology pun or something plz

    January 28, 2014

    I am a first-year student and I am planning to major in psychology. But I only scored exactly 75% which is the minimum requirement. Is it possible to get the major or I really should seriously consider other things to major in? But psychology is really my first choice..

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well now, look what we have here. another PSYCHOLOGY QUESTION. amigo, i have answered quite a few questions related to psychology, and let me tell you: you have a better chance than you think.

    there’ve been people hoping to get in who don’t have the calculus prerequisite, or didn’t do psy100h1 at all…yeah…so believe me when i say that you’re not in a bad position.

    assuming you are doing at least 4.0 FCEs in your first year and you did Grade 12 Calculus, you have actually met the minimum requirements for the POSt. the number of people who apply every year differs, so i can’t say for sure, like, “you have a 33% chance of getting in,” but i’d say if you’re eligible, it’s worth a shot. you’ve got nothing to lose.

    should you prepare a backup? sure. apply to the minor too (it’s just 4.0 FCE required courses versus 7.0 in the major), or apply to neuroscience or basket-weaving or whatever else tickles your fancy. explore your options.

    be sensible and always have a Plan B, but don’t give up hope completely. save that for when you graduate (whoops i let my pessimism show there, sorry. *covers it up hastily with my skirt*).

    best,

    aska

    P.S. Also, if you don’t get in after first year, you can always apply after 2nd and 3rd year!

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  • admissions,  architecture

    building your future (by aska, architect of puns)

    January 27, 2014
    So, Im a UTSC student but I want to transfer into the architecture program at UTSG. I’ve only been here one semester and my gpa wasnt great – a 1.7. What are the odds that I would be accepted. Is there anything I can do to get accepted? I really want to do architecture but it’s not offered on this campus.

    ???????????????

    hello. this is an old question. if you?d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go?here! thanks!

    aska

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    welllll, architecture doesn’t supply a specific mark that they require, but a 1.7 is like the lowest mark you can get without being put on probation. i can’t lie to you man, that’s pretty low. however, it’s not the end of the world. you’ve only done one semester, right? you can still turn it around, if you really want to (notice i said if you WANT to – meaning i want you to think a little bit about if that’s what you really want). if you can pull it together and do REALLY WELL this year AND next year, you might be in a position where you can transfer in by the end of second year.

    after you’ve completed 10.0 credits, you’re no longer eligible to transfer to architecture at utsg. so, let’s say you get a 4.0 in your next three semesters – that would put you at a 3.4 CGPA (which is alright) and a 4.0 AGPA, which might just be good enough to tip the scales in your favour. that said, it’ll be tough to make such a drastic change from one semester to the next, but hey, crazier things have happened.

    in summary: you have one and a half years to FIX YOURSELF UP. if you can pull your grades up right away, i think you might be at uoft architecture in two years’ time. but make no mistake, it’s not gonna be easy. good luck.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • admissions,  psychology,  UTM

    getting on that brain train

    January 24, 2014

    Hello! I was just wondering what the UTM requirements are to apply to do a psychology major after not initially meeting the initial requirements. On the UTM calendar it says to go to the psychology homepage but I can’t seem to find anything lol.

    Thank you for your help!

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the requirements are kind of the same as the initial requirements, to be honest. you still need to have completed grade 12 biology and advanced functions – no changes there – and you also need to have gotten at least a 63% in PSY201H5, as well as completed at least 1.0 FCEs out of the second or upper-year requirements for the psychology major.

    basically, they want you to be doing the major in practice, so that if/when you register in it formally, you’re not behind. i guess that makes some sense, but it also means that there’s NO SLACKING. you have to keep taking psych courses consistently and make sure you’ve got all those requirements done by the time you want to reapply. YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT, SOLDIER? DO YOU REALLY?

    i sometimes get carried away when motivating students. sorry. some call it a curse, some a blessing. i guess it’s up to you to decide which camp to believe. point is, it’ll be just as hard, if not harder, to get into psych after first year – so don’t stop trying now.

    aska

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