• admissions

    waiting, not waitlisted

    March 16, 2022

    I was notified today that uoft can’t offer me admission in this round of applications. They will consider it in the next round, meaning in the nest four weeks I would get the decision.

    Does this mean I’m waitlisted? Should I be concerned?

    hey there,

    acceptances should be sent out throughout late january all the way to the end of may so there’s no need to panic yet! it looks like you haven’t been waitlisted at this point, but you’ll just have to wait a bit longer to receive a decision. if you’ve submitted all your required documents and everything you should be all set, so just hang tight and look out for more updates in the next round!

    fyi, uoft will actually be starting a waitlist system this year for applicants that were close to meeting the requirements but weren’t able to get an acceptance directly. you can check if you’ve been invited to the waitlist in the ‘Check Your Application Status’ section of the join uoft site. waitlisted applicants will get their final decisions by june 17 for ontario high school students, or may 25 for other applicants.

    however, if you didn’t get a ‘waitlisted’ status update, then rest assured, you’re haven’t been put on the waitlist, your application is just… undecided!

    Suspense Waiting GIFfrom Suspense GIFs


    i know, i know, no one likes a cliffhanger, i mean come on, uoft… anyway, i hope that helps to somewhat quell your concerns. although the wait can be stressful, i hope you get some time to just chill and enjoy these next few weeks/months 🙂 and hopefully, you’ll get the final decision soon!

    Dog Pool GIFfrom Dog GIFs

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • admissions,  OSAP

    early bird gets the osap (well not yet tho it’s literally february)

    February 6, 2022

    hi aska! this is less a question about uoft and more about applying in general (hope that’s alright). do you apply to osap right after applying to schools or do you apply once you’ve accepted an offer? thanks a bunch

    hi there,

    i’m pretty sure you can start applying once osap opens for the academic year you’re entering. if you’re applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, the application should be open around may/june, which is probably after you’ve submitted your applications and gotten most of your offers.

    you can actually submit osap as late as 60 days before the end of the school year (that is, if you’re in school full time for the fall and winter semesters). it’s probably best to apply as early as possible though to make sure you get that sweet sweet osap cash by the time classes start and tuition is due.

    Somebody Better Have Her Money GIFfrom Rihanna GIFs

    this extensive faq should be helpful if you have other questions!

    all the best,

    aska

     

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  • admissions,  prereqs

    be freeeee my child (from math)

    January 23, 2022

    Hi I am going into grade 12 and I was wondering if I needed to take grade 12 functions to get into UofT? I’m really weak in math and I just know that if I took advanced functions, it would make my average drop significantly. The program I want to get into only requires me to take English as a course so would it be necessary for me to take math?

    hey there,

    apologies for the late reply!! but it looks like you’re already on the right track by checking out the requirements for your program!

    i’m assuming you’re applying from a canadian high school, in which case, you just need to submit your top six grade 12 courses, including english (ENG4U or EAE4U). you can find more info here. so if the program you’re interested in doesn’t require advanced functions, you don’t need to take it!

    Youre Free Now Run Go GIFfrom Youre Free Now Run GIFs

    i think you probably know where to find the program requirements, but just in case, you can check out specific programs from the full list here, or get a really good breakdown of programs by categories here.

    the only other thing i’d recommend to look out for is if any of the courses you might want to take in the future have advanced functions as a prerequisite. the arts and science calendar is a real godsend for listing all the programs, and their courses, and the prereqs of those courses, so if you have a program in mind you can definitely check it out to be sure!

    so yeah, bascially, you should be all good! hope you’re living your best math-free life~

    aska

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  • admissions

    a (late) reply about early admissions

    November 25, 2021

    If I applied between mid-Nov and early/mid-Dec would that be considered early admission? Also what are the usual circumstances around someone getting a conditional offer? Thanks a lot 🙂

    wellll this is slightly embarrasing — sorry to be answering your question during late november, we’re really cutting it close here.

    hopefully you’ve been able to gather more info on this by now, but if not, all the important dates for early admissions should be here. although admittedly, that webpage gets pretty convoluted with all the different programs and applications and documents, so i’ll try to break it down a bit here.

    first of all, the deadlines are going to be a bit different depending on if you’re currently attending an ontario high school (OUAC 101) or not (international applicants, OUAC 105 i.e. canadians not at an ontario high school, or internal applicants). if you’re at an ontario high school, you’re in luck: applications this round are due january 13, 2022 for you, and the only faculty that has an early consideration deadline for applications is the faculty of applied science and engineering, on december 1, 2021. there are also early recommended dates for submitting supplementary applications and other supporting documentation, and the earliest dates for those are in mid-december, but they vary for different programs.

    it’s a bit more complicated for other applicants: a bunch of programs have a recommended application deadline of november 7, 2021 for early consideration. some also have early recommended dates for supporting documentation in mid-november, but it really depends on your program.

    hopefully you’ve already figured this out but if not, then go go go!! good luck 🙂

    EDIT: oooops i totally skipped over your question about the conditional offers… luckily, the answer for that is pretty simple. most offers for students applying from high school will be conditional because uoft won’t have all your final marks yet. so the offers are made on the condition that you maintain “acceptable academic standing“. just make sure your grades don’t drop too much, and you’re good.

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T

    alternate offers, alternate univers(ities — well, campuses actually)

    November 21, 2021

    If I applied to the same program at st George and the Scarborough campus will uoft be more inclined to accept me in to one school rather than the other depending on my grades? And if I applied to st George, is it possible that they’d offer me acceptance into Scarborough or Mississauga?

    hello hello,

    i would assume that the admissions process operates separately at each campus — i mean, nothing on the admissions websites seems to hint at the existence of some secret network connecting all three campus’ admissions officers to conspire on your fate… although there’s nothing on the admissions websites denying the existence of such an exchange, either.

    honestly, admissions are kind of a mystery sometimes, so if you really want to get to the bottom of this, i’d recommend asking the admissions office directly – you can find their contact info here. aaand it looks like each campus has its own phone number for admissions… but their online “ask a question” forms all link to the same page. yeah, it’s weird. who knows, maybe you’ll find out that all three campus admissions officers are all just run by the same dude.

    what i do know is that it’s certainly possible to get accepted to multiple uoft campuses, although each campus usually has different admissions criteria in terms of grades and whatnot.

    and yup, according to the uoft st. george admissions website, if you apply to a program at st. george and don’t get in, you might receive an alternate offer for a different program at the st. george campus, or a program at the scarborough or missisauga campus if you qualify for those.

    anyways, hope that somewhat helps you navigate uoft’s weird multiverse of campuses that are kinda connected but also kinda not. wishing you the best wherever you end up!

    aska

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  • admissions

    i’m getting so old

    June 4, 2021

    Hey there! Will I have to state which program(s) I’m interested in when applying to the social science admission category, or any others for that matter? Thanks a lot 🙂

    ———————————————

    hi!

    i’m working from my memory here, but when i applied to u of t, i did have to include one program of interest in my application.

    there’s one big thing to note about that, though: you won’t be held to whatever program you choose, so try not to overthink it.

    first of all, the program you choose won’t be realistic anyway. unless you plan to pursue a specialist, you’ll need to complete more than one program to earn your degree. when i applied, you could only select one program and i selected a minor. i could never have graduated with that selection.

    also, even after you’re admitted to u of t, you’ll still need to go through the subject POSt selection process after second year to actually become a student in your desired program(s). you can read more about that process here.

    why does the application process bother asking if all this is the case? i’m not sure. i selected a program affiliated with the college i applied for, in hopes that it would make me a better candidate for that college. i don’t know if that’s how things actually work, but if you want to try that strategy, you’re welcome to.

    i hope this clarifies things! again, i’m working from a memory that’s a few years old now, so if you know anyone who has applied to u of t more recently it may be worth checking the details over with them as well.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • admissions

    the ol switcheroo

    May 16, 2021

    Hi! So I’m not entirely sure if I want to apply to social sciences or life sciences next year. I’m leaning more towards social sciences though. Question is, if I get accepted into social sci and end up deciding I want to go into life sci can I make that switch? And if I decide to stick it out until the end of first year in social sci and decide that it’s not for me will I be able to easily change programs? Or will other students get priority? Thank you!

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    it’s very normal to be uncertain about what you want to apply to!

    if you get accepted into social sciences and end up deciding you want to go into life sciences, you can certainly make that switch. the nice thing about u of t is that you don’t need to put another application in to switch faculties, the way you might need to at another school where there are separate faculties for arts and science.

    really what you’re applying to when you apply to ‘social sciences’ is an admissions category. i believe it may give you priority enrollment for social sciences courses, but it’s not a program per se — programs are your majors, minors, and specialists, which you’ll apply to after first year.

    so it should be quite straightforward to switch between admissions categories, at least within the faculty of arts and sciences. if you decide to switch relatively early on, for example before you register in your first year courses, then you could just avoid selecting prerequisite courses intended for social science students (like SOC100, for example). instead, you could select prerequisite courses for the life science programs you’re interested in. to find those prerequisites, consult the artsci calendar. 

    if you want to keep your options open, you can try registering in prerequisites for both social science and life science programs in first year. then, you’d be able to apply to any of those programs during the program selection period that begins near the end of the academic year. for more information on applying to programs, you can check out this webpage. 

    if you commit to social sciences in first year and then decide closer to the end of the year that you want to switch, that’s a bit more complicated. you’ll need to pick placeholder programs in order to be eligible for second year registration, and in your second year, you’ll need to take those life science prerequisites. then, at the end of your second year, you can apply to life sciences programs. you might be wondering if entering your programs so late might be considered abnormal, but it’s actually quite common — lots of people decide to switch!

    i hope this helped, and feel free to send me another question if any of this isn’t clear. i realize the system can be quite confusing!

    @ U of T,

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • admissions

    back door entry

    April 19, 2021

    Hello! I’m in my second semester of 11th grade and I recently bumped UofT to my top choice school. Problem is I did really poorly in functions this year (low 60s), I plan on applying to life sciences (biodiversity and conservation biology). The requirements are English, Bio and Calculus. I’m getting a tutor this summer and shooting for low-mid 80s in Calc next year. Is it likely that I could be accepted? Or should I just apply to Humanities and try switching into life sci if I get accepted?

    ——————————————
    hi there,
    it’s great to hear that you’re hoping to come to u of t!
    i struggle to answer questions like this because i’ve never been inside the admissions process, and what i do know about admissions from research is quite vague.
    if you’ve taken functions 11 and are seeking to do better in calculus 12, you may want to note that u of t does consider grade 11 marks for life sciences admissions if grade 12 ones aren’t available. however, i’m not 100% sure how much of an equivalent functions is for calculus. and i can never really assess the likelihood of someone’s acceptance based on a partial account of their academic record — i get a lot of questions like yours, and unfortunately can’t give people the answers they want.
    for a better answer, i’d recommend that you speak with someone from admissions. i’ve linked their contact info here. i’d ask them whether a midterm mark in calculus 12 would be considered with enough weight that they wouldn’t look at your functions 11 mark. i’d also ask what they think about applying to humanities and switching to life sciences later. i guess that’s kind of like using a back door into the admissions process — to me, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but i wouldn’t be surprised if there are some complications. so just check that over with someone who’d know better.
    good luck with your tutor lessons this summer! i hope that goes well.
    be Boundless,
    aska
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  • admissions,  grad school

    wrote you an essay

    February 12, 2021

    hi, i’m looking into speech pathology for my masters at UofT and it’s such a dream to go there but i’ve heard a lot of bad things about it,,? specifically the over the top strain regarding work load; university is hard, duh, but people have been telling me it’s worse than other unis regarding this but i don’t know how true that is. in addition, i’m not sure how much you know about the speech pathology program there (i’ve done a considerable amount of research on it myself) but i was just wondering if there was any insight you might be able to offer? thanks <3

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    thank you for waiting for this answer!

    i feel like i’ve gotten questions about speech pathology in the past, but unfortunately, u of t is such a huge school that it would be impossible for me to be familiar with every program.

    i can write a little in response to what you’ve heard about u of t, though, in hopes it will help you in your deliberations.

    in many ways, getting to attend u of t really is a dream. before attending here, i experienced a dilemma similar to what you’re weighing now — i wanted to become a u of t student so bad, but i’d heard such terrible things about the school. one of the smartest people i knew said they wouldn’t be able to pay him any amount of money to choose u of t. my friends at other canadian universities are convinced that no matter how bad they have it, u of t students have it worse.

    in some respects, it is really important to acknowledge the strain that studying at u of t can create. the workload is demanding, the expectations are high, and your peers are brilliant. in certain programs more so than others (think super-exclusive ones likely to attract ambition), there’s an atmosphere of competition. many students, especially those who are racialized, LGBTQ, and women, experience pretty intense impostor syndrome here. u of t is also many years deep in a student mental health crisis. i don’t want to paint this school as rainbows and butterflies, because it’s not. it is absolutely true that some people have a deeply difficult time at this school.

    with that said, that’s only one potential side to the u of t experience. while my experience does contain some of the difficult things i’ve mentioned above, i am incredibly happy with my choice to attend u of t and am glad that the horror stories didn’t scare me away. for starters, u of t is an innovative university — my course material regularly blows my mind, which makes learning here so much fun. i’ve gotten a boost to my career here that i don’t think i would have elsewhere — being a u of t student comes with so many opportunities and valuable connections. i have had to study hard, but alongside that i’ve met some of my favourite people ever, felt supported by most of my professors and TAs, and got to be involved in some really cool extracurriculars. u of t has so many offerings, and if you’re willing and able to invest in your learning and your community, you will get a lot out of studying here. i should also note that there are a lot of student supports available to help you succeed, like writing centres and learning strategists. 

    actually, i took a semester of courses at a different canadian university, and actually got lower grades there. go figure. i think to a certain extent, university is just university and you have to grind no matter where you are.

    if you’re worried about what you’re hearing about u of t, i’d take a step back and consider yourself as a student. what kind of support system do you have? what do you value from a university education? what are the pros and cons of all your options? if you have the passion to engage in rigorous study and the support system to see you through challenges in your personal life and degree, and if this is truly a good option for you, then i wouldn’t shy away just because you’ve heard bad things. my experience here has been good. yours can be, too.

    be Boundless,

    aska

     

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  • admissions

    don’t we all wish i was the admissions average fairy

    February 4, 2021

    hey i was wondering what average is needed to get into utm forensic science program 🙂

    ——————————————

    hi there,

    unfortunately, the admissions average changes year to year depending on the batch of applicants. so as much as i’d love to give you a concrete answer, it would be impossible for me to say!

    as far as i’m aware, no admissions average is published anywhere.

    if you’d like, you can always try getting in contact with the department, but i wouldn’t be surprised if they also can’t tell you.

    sorry i can’t be more helpful! best of luck with your (potential???) application, though.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • admissions,  law

    nOt LikE thE OthEr LaW sTudEntS

    January 22, 2021

    Okay feeling really silly: I asked the following question answered under “she doesn’t even go here!” without stating what I was applying to haha. I applied to UFT LAW, but am unsure how I would be perceived as (1) a commerce student interested in criminal justice/prison reform (not a conventional path), and (2) a condensed degree – that I am still completing. Any thoughts appreciated! Thanks !!!

    ——————————————
    hi!
    thanks so much for waiting for this answer, i’ve been quite overwhelmed. i don’t know how anyone is still functioning normally with *gestures at whole world* all this going on.
    it’s hard for me to say exactly how you’ll be perceived, but personally, i think what you’re doing is really cool.
    i’m glad you ended up applying to u of t law! i’m sure there’s a diversity of interests within the faculty of law, and my best guess is that you won’t be too out of place.
    i wouldn’t worry too much about being unconventional — i hope you’re not pursuing your studies to make other people happy! it sounds to me like you have a good sense of what you want from your degree, and just need a lil push of confidence to keep moving forward.
    if it’s admissions you’re worried about, though, i’m afraid i can’t provide much valuable insight into that. i’m not really that familiar with law school admissions in general, and can’t get into admissions officers’ heads no matter how hard i try.
    regardless, i’m sure the quality of your application will matter much more than whether or not your path and interests are conventional! in your last question, you were wondering whether it was even worth applying if you didn’t have strong experiences to show for your interest in criminal reform. remember that school is a good place to get that kind of experience, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
    wishing you all the best with your application! glad you’re going after your passions.
    be Boundless,
    aska
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  • admissions

    you guys never tell me what you’re applying to :(

    December 21, 2020

    I was looking at program admissions and unfortunately it requires Grade 12 Calculus, I was only able to take the 3 Pre-Calc classes as regular calculus interfered with my science courses. In university, I only made it through half a year before a car accident and could not complete my calculus class. I am currently enrolled in a college engineering program, but I am unsure if my math courses are fine. I fear I will be rejected right off the bat as TLG is competitive. Is there a way around this?

    ——————————————

    hello there,

    thank you for waiting for this answer, i’ve been drowning in messages from distressed students! hopefully this will get to you in time.

    i’m not really sure what you’re applying to, as you didn’t specify. my best guess is that you’re applying to UTSG’s life sciences program, since TLG is the OUAC admissions code for that. my apologies if i’m wrong! but i’m going to write this post accordingly.

    Eddie Murphy Whatever GIF by Coming to America

    i’m not sure if there’s a way around the calculus requirement for admissions into UTSG lifesci. from what i’m aware, since calculus is a prerequisite for admission, they’ll be using that course to calculate your admissions average. i don’t think you’ll be able to get in without it, although you could certainly try.

    it’s possible, though, that there’s some kind of exemption for extenuating circumstances, such as your car accident. the only way to know for sure would be to contact the admissions office and ask them directly. you’d need to do that pretty much right away, as the university closes tomorrow (the 21st) and opens again on the 4th.

    again, sorry it took me so long to get to this! that’s 100% my bad.

    oh yeah nod GIF by PBS Digital Studios

    wishing you all the best with your application!

    rgt getbeget GIF by Romania's Got Talent

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • admissions,  colleges,  rotman

    picking a college is like choosing a cult to join

    December 19, 2020

    Hello, I’m an American student who would like to attend UofT. If I’m interested in business, which college would you recommend I rank first? Thank you

    ——————————————

    hello,

    an american!

    if you’re interested in studying at rotman commerce, it doesn’t matter too much which college you rank first! i wouldn’t say any of the colleges have a particularly strong rotman community—i think rotman kids are pretty well dispersed.

    if you’re worried about proximity to your classes (assuming you’re hoping to live in res and this godforsaken pandemic is a thing of the past by your first year), then victoria, innis, and woodsworth might all be good colleges to consider. i’ve heard that many of the first-year rotman courses are at victoria college. the rotman building itself is right next to innis, just down the street from woodsworth.

    however, i wouldn’t make the location of your college the determining factor in your choice. if i were you, i’d look into the unique character of each college, the scholarships that different colleges offer, and what the residence conditions are (assuming, again, that you’re hoping to live in res). for example, innis and woodsworth offer apartment-style residences. most of the others do a more traditional dorm experience, but if you do a little digging you can find the differences between those experiences: you’re more likely to get a single room at trin than vic, for example.

    each college is known for something different. trinity and innis tend to be tighter-knit communities, since they’re both quite small and only admit students who rank them first—but they both have very different vibes. victoria is another one that needs to be ranked first, and is known for being a little more literary/artsy, plus since vic charges higher student fees they tend to have more fun stuff (muji pen giveaways during finals, free pancake days etc). UC has some fantastic clubs, and is home to many of the most creative students i know. i’ll stop short of giving you a full rundown, since i don’t really want to inject too much of my own bias into things. i think if you do a little research, you’ll find that one or two college communities stand out to you more so than the others, based on your values and what you’d like to be surrounded by.

    good luck with your application!

    be Boundless,

    aska

     

     

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