• admissions,  life science

    life science and taking care of your ticker

    February 24, 2015

    Hello there!
    I am currently a grade 12 high school student who applied to the Life Sciences at uoft. Howeverrrrr, my average is (accumulation of 5 courses so far) 83.2% AND I did not take the recommended grade 11 or grade 12 physics. I’m planning on taking grade 11 physics in summer school since you recommended to another individual that grade 11 physics would at least give me some foundation. Do you think I have the possibility of getting accepted into this program or should I worry?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ***DISCLAIMER*** aska is only a lowly student and has no knowledge of the INNER WORKINGS of admissions at uoft. anything i say is just my opinion, and doesn’t actually mean anything. so you’re not allowed to sue me if you don’t get in and i said i thought you might.

    alright, now that THAT’S out of the way – an 83.2% is not a terrible GPA. you’ve got a solid chance with that. the anticipated admissions average of life science students for fall 2015 is in the low to mid 80s – and you fall right in that range. assuming you took all the required courses, i’d say there’s a fair chance you can get in.

    if physics was only recommended, then i wouldn’t worry too much about not having taken it. i mean, definitely still make sure to take it in summer school, because that can only help you, but there were lots of people in my first-year physics class who had never taken physics before in their life.

    finally: now that your application has been sent off, it’s out of your hands. try not to worry about it now. the only thing worrying is going to accomplish is to raise your blood pressure, and you need to make sure you’re TAKING CARE OF YOUR TICKER. take it from an old fogey like myself.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  life science

    why won’t life sci. be my wife, sigh?

    February 23, 2015

    Hey!

    Lemme cut to the chase, cause I know you’re busy. I got a 63 in Advanced Functions, and I want to get into UTM’s Life Sciences program. My question is, if I bust my chops and do really well on my 5 other courses and manage an 85 average, do you think I’ll be able to make it into the program? They don’t look at individual marks, do they?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i mean, i don’t REALLY know what they do at admissions. maybe they just toss all your names in a cup, and then whatever names the cup spits up are the ones they accept.

    however. given that utm’s life science program requires certain specific courses, i would say that it’s not entirely based on admission averages. that works for you and against you.

    it works against you in that they will notice that your math mark is somewhat weaker than your other ones, because they will be looking at individual courses. however, if you can manage to pull off very strong marks in all the rest of your classes (and especially in calculus) they might be inclined to treat advanced functions as an anomaly.

    tl;dr: the 63% is in the past, and having an 85% average wouldn’t hurt. so do keep trying. you can do it.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • first year,  life science,  med school

    medical school? what a HUMERUS proposition

    November 25, 2014

    Hi there,
    Does first year of life science at utm count towards med school. What count towards the science gpa, and does it matter if i fail a course in my first year of life sci, will it ruin my chances of getting into med school, a Canadian med school.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can totally do life sci at UTM if you want to get into medical school. medical school in canada isn’t very restrictive in terms of what kind of program you need to take.

    for example, uoft medical school only requires that you take 2.0 life science courses and 1.0 social science courses. heck, i even qualify for that, and i’m in a humanities program.

    however, it all starts to go south for me when you take into consideration the other requirements, like a competitive MCAT score, letters of reference, an interview and a competitive GPA.

    with a few finicky exceptions, pretty much every course you take will count towards the GPA used to determine your admission average for medical school.

    failing a course in first year definitely won’t ruin your chances, but it will be a very low mark on your transcript which will lower your GPA, so, you know…try not to fail.

    however, at uoft medical school at least, if you apply directly after your undergrad and you’ve taken a full course load every semester, uoft med school will drop your lowest 4 marks from the admission GPA, so that’s kinda nice, isn’t it? admissions committees aren’t all bad.

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • life science,  St. George,  UTM

    utm vs. utsg – let’s get ready to rumbleeee

    February 13, 2014

    Hey! 🙂
    Ariiite… I am in a huge dilemma right now… I’m in grade 12, and I want to get into Life Sciences at University of Toronto.
    People say that U of T (St. George Campus) is reeeeaalllyyyy competitive and hard and you’re dying every minute over there (as said by my friend who is a first year there). Other people say that Life Sciences at UTM is easier. It’s confusing… Which campus has a better Life Science program?? I want to make sure that I’m in a place where I’d be able to successfully complete my degree without having to worry about too much competition and all the crazy stuff first year students talk about. LOL

    Oh and also, I heard that if you take Life Sciences at UTM, your classes are going to be in both St. George and Mississauga campuses. Is that true?

    ~Thank you~

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    alright, i’m gonna try to put this nicely: figuring out which program is easier is not what you should be doing.

    first year is hard, no matter the school. people who say “i work twice as hard as everyone else because i’m at uoft” are likely not doing very well and are trying to soothe a shattered ego. unfortunately, these people exist at all schools. they?go out every night and then moan to you every morning about how somehow, somehow, they’re failing chem. you can’t get away from their ego-stroking, asinine nattering. what you should do, whatever school you end up at, is ignore them.

    as for competition, it’s a bit like the flying spaghetti monster: it only exists if you believe in it.

    but you already know all that! you want to “successfully complete your degree.” i want that for you too; i also want you to get into a program you’ll really enjoy, because that’s the only way you’ll ever get through it. so let’s find out what it is.

    as a starting point, i’d recommend taking a look at all the life science programs for both campuses: here’s utsg’s, and here’s utm’s. if you know what area you’re interested in and only one school offers it, then your choice is already made! but let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you’re interested in a program offered at both universities – biology, for example. next, take a look at the kinds of courses you’ll take at both schools for that program (here’s utsg’s biology courses and utm’s biology courses, just to follow through on the example).

    are there some courses you’re not keen on taking? does one program offer more flexibility than the other, and you’re thinking you might want to double major or pick up a minor? do you really only want to do one program (as a specialist, for example), and you’d prefer the program that has more required courses? these are all things to think about.

    when you’ve properly thought about and researched all these things, you’ll be so well-prepared to make the decision that you’re likely to have a far better first year than your friend who is “dying every minute.” asking me for a second opinion was a great decision, and wanting to avoid the “craziness” tells me you really want to do well and not get caught up in pointless platitudes. now continue those great decisions by doing some real research and not trusting what a bunch of random people are telling you (not including me, of course. i am not a random).

    also, don’t worry if you don’t know the answer to any of these questions yet. it’s a lot to think about. lucky for you, you’ve got lots of time to think about it. and if you run into any more trouble in the process of your researching, don’t hesitate to come to me for clarification!

    sorry for the novel. hope that was helpful, friend.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. some utm courses are downtown, but it depends on the program! there’s no way for me to tell you exactly which classes are held downtown, but it may happen to you. there’s a bus that carries these people back and forth though, so i wouldn’t worry about it.

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • life science

    a stream-of-consciousness question

    February 5, 2014

    Hi there! 🙂
    So I’m currently a first year Life Sciences student at St. George Campus and I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life at this point. I did research and explore careers and I feel that nothing really catches my interest. I don’t know what I want to major or minor or specialize in Life Sciences. The reason I went into Life Sciences is because I felt there were more careers offered in this program but I’m still indecisive and sometimes, I feel I don’t know if its worth it to stay in the program. I did try thinking more of a career that reflects my personality and values, I really do like to communicate with people (especially children) and I wish to work in a field that I can provide care for people so I did gain more of an interest in nursing (hopefully in Sickkids) and I prefer working in a hospital than working in a lab or research. The thing is, I don’t want to study that long and I’m not that bright lol so a Ph D is out of the picture, 2 years of masters is fine though. The thing about nursing is that I think I have to transfer out of UofT and attend Ryersons nursing or York because my friend in 4th year life sci, (pursuing nursing at UofT next year) said they require you to finish a degree and then apply for the 2 year problem and they only accept B+ – A+ averages (I don’t think I can maintain a high GPA) whereas for Ryerson, I can directly apply and it’ll be a shorter time and they also offer placements. The problem is, I don’t want to transfer out of UofT, I really love the campus, I just checked out Ryersons campus and I realized how beautiful UofT campus is and how opened it is. I love the libraries here and I made a few good close friends here and the profs are great. I don’t know whether I should stay at UofT or transfer. It’ll be such an adjustment if I do transfer. The good part about Ryerson is the classes will be smaller, easier to interact with others and make?friends and easier to have a social life too. If I stay here at UofT, I don’t know what career I wish to pursue, I do love psychology though! What’s holding me back from majoring in Psychology is that people are always saying that it is so hard to get a job in psychology unless you have a Ph D. Sigh. Should I stay here at UofT? Or, is there any other careers you suggest?
    Sorry for the long message btw and thanks for the help! 🙂
    Oh yeah, do you reply back on the site or by mail?

    ———————————————

    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,

    wow…i feel like i just read a transcript of the entirety of one person’s thoughts for a whole month. first of all, sorry this wasn’t answered earlier (please refer to my explanation and a more elaborate apology here), but i hope you don’t mind my (attempting) to answer your (very long) questions (seriously i’m in awe of how long this is) for any first-years who might be feeling the same as you were about a year ago (like i don’t think i’ve ever written one thing this long without being forced to by a prof).

    now, there are a lot of questions implicit in that novella you’ve written, but i think i’ve boiled it down to just a few: 1) is it worth it to transfer? 2) should you do nursing or psychology? and 3) are there any more careers in health/medicine i can suggest?

    first, you can’t make transfer decisions based on how pretty campus is. if that happened, then paris or kingston, jamaica would be the most academically dense cities in the world. if ryerson’s campus isn’t as fancy and old-looking as uoft’s, then just come back and visit trin on wekeends or something. if you like the idea of a nursing degree that’s shorter and lets you do work placements, then that’s the degree you should get: end of story. a social life and pretty buildings are secondary.

    as for just getting a B.Sc. in psych without any kind of graduate or professional degree afterwards, you’re right, it’s probably not the most lucrative idea. but if you really want to do it, then that shouldn’t stop you, is what i say. still, you seem pretty lukewarm about it, and it looks like you’re thinking more seriously about nursing, so i’m just gonna discourage you from the whole psychology path.

    are there any careers i can suggest? no, not really. especially if you’re interested in working with children, becoming a nurse might be one of the best ideas. if you really want to go down that route, i’d suggest taking a look at this to learn a bit more about what you can expect (also i always advise students to do their own research because you never know what kind of helpful career info/advice you can dig up).

    i hope that helps, my friend.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • life science,  subject POST

    Switching from major to specialist (Question #1 from THE PAST WHOA)

    November 8, 2013

    hey there!

    aska here. whaddup.

    basically, i have achieved the impossible and CAUGHT UP with all the questions in my inbox, so i’ve decided to delve into the unanswered questions from the past that have accumulated in the dusty, forgotten corners of this website. you can think of it as FALL CLEAN-UP. i’ve picked the most interesting questions and decided to answer them retroactively even though the person’s problem was resolved a long time ago whoops. oh well. anyway, i’m hoping the answers will be useful to someone.

    here we go, on our first look into THE PAST OOOOH…

    ———————————————

    Hi,
    I just finished my first year life science at UTSG. I applied to some specialist programs but didn’t get accepted. Let’s say if I enrol in the major programs instead, can I upgrade to specialist after finishing required second-year courses with a good GPA? Some programs I’m interested in are Immunology, Pathobiology, Pharmacology.

    Thank you so much,
    HD

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, this is awkward.

    basically, if a subject post ever considers students for admission beyond first year, it’ll indicate it on the course calendar. I’ve taken a look at the course calendar for immunology, pathobiology and pharmacology and it looks like only the pharmacology specialist will take in upper year students? All three programs are really competitive and so it makes sense that they’d be strict, but hey! 1 out of 3 is better than nothing!

    so, if you want to transfer from the major to the specialist, you have to do three things:

    1. complete PCL201H1

    2. complete the prerequisites for any required upper-year courses

    3. NOT take PCL472Y1 (which is ‘project in pharmacology’, so that shouldn’t be hard – just don’t be a super keener who goes for a ‘research experience’ course sheesh)

    keep in mind it is really competitive (only 40 students in the program jeez louise), so the odds are stacked against you, but i say go for it. carpe diem and all that jazz.

    Best of luck!

    aska

    P.S. The course calendar/websites are only so helpful about these things, so I’d always advise actually going to the department and asking them specifically what your chances are with getting into the specialist. this might also be helpful because they might give you a bit of info about the real differences between major and specialist, and whether switching is really the best idea!

    Read More
  • hard,  life science

    i’ve got 99 problems and university is all of them

    July 15, 2013

    Hello again,

    I was talking to a girl on the weekend who just graduated from UofT, but she kind of scared me, basically saying that all the rumors I’ve heard are true, and Life Sciences at UofT is brutal. She told me that Life Sciences is not a good path for me to take at a school that is so big and then she just wished me luck.

    She that the readings they assign are really long and the work is really difficult and she had a hard time keeping up.

    She said that it was so competitive that people would purposely mess up labs just so that you wouldn’t do well. Or they wouldn’t help you out if you needed notes or needed help understanding something.

    Is UofT so competitive and huge that I will not be able to do well? I did pretty good in high school, but everyone going to UofT did – that’s why they’re there.

    Also, I know being in university will not be a walk in the park, but is it really as difficult as they say?

    And on another kind of related topic, if I schedule lectures back to back, I’ll be able to get from one to the other, right? Even if one is Central and the other is West? I’m just worried that there will be so many people in my first year classes that I won’t be able to get through the crowds to get to my next class in 10 minutes.

    Thanks in advance for your answer, your website is perfect for a person like me who’s always worrying.

    Madeline

    ———————————————

    Madeline,

    For your sanity’s sake, I’m going to be very blunt with you.

    Stop talking to upper years.

    We enjoy making newbies squirm.

    Just sit back, have a margarita and some nachos, and enjoy the rest of your summer. Stop thinking so much about university because I swear you’re on the verge of an ulcer right now and you’re not even enrolled in courses yet!

    Yes, university is competitive — but that shouldn’t be something you just allow to affect how “well” you do.

    And, naturally, its “difficulty” is all up to you.

    If you decide that hanging out with your friends the night before a midterm is a good idea, well of course it’s going to be pretty difficult. But even if you don’t spend your entire life in the library, as long as you at least do the readings and pace through things, you should be able to get by.

    But for now, you need to stop dwelling on a level of difficulty you won’t even be able to test for another three months because you’re probably just going to make yourself sick.

    As for crossing from west to central…

    Eh, well, as much as possible, try not to make things back to back. It’s kind of a huge pain the ass, even if you have two courses that are considered “west,” the whole north and south parts of it aren’t considered.

    Again, Madeline, calm down and enjoy your summer.

    Cheers!

    aska

    Read More
  • life science,  UTM

    no leniency for life science

    July 3, 2013

    Hello,

    I got admitted into UTM in about April or May, I have taken Pre-Calc and Calc 12; Chem 12; Bio 12, and English 12.

    I have recently logged into my ROSI account, and I looked at my time table there, there are already some courses on there (are those mandatory courses?). Also, do I have to take English? Is English a Mandatory first year course for life science?

    Thank you very much,
    Jean

    ———————————————

    Jean,

    UTM makes your timetables for you?

    I did not know that. I am enlightened. Thank you.

    Granted, their website DOES say that all first-year students take first-year bio, chem, and math with wording that makes it seem like you don’t have a choice, so I guess those are mandatory.

    And no, you don’t have to take English. Don’t worry, you’re not in high school anymore. 😉

    What you do have to take/should take is all based on the program you’re aiming to get into, so take a look at the calendar to decide.

    Cheers!

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  life science

    let me in, life sci

    December 19, 2012

    Hey Aska,

    I am a grade 12 student about to apply to three programs in UofT, 1 in St. George for Life Sciences, and 2 in Scarborough. I really want to get accepted to St. George, but I am afraid that my grades and the number of other applications will be the ruin of my wishes! My mid-term average currently is a 85%, but who knows how many other students are applying with the same or better marks and extracurricular activities! Be brutally honest, and let me know if I have a chance of making it into Life Science at St.George, I can take it…

    Thanks a bunch!

    ?????????

    Hey hey,

    Okay so word on the street is that to get into the Life Sci program here at St. George you need an average around low to mid 80s. Now if you can maintain that 85, then good for you! But just be careful because it is a very competitive program, meaning that making the desired average might not be enough.

    But honestly, I have faith in you getting in. Best of luck!

    Cheers!

    aska

    Read More
  • life science

    switching science for science

    October 24, 2012

    Hi Askastudent,

    I’ve realized that I need to switched to the Life Sciences program? at the end of this year so that during second year of university I will be taking Life Sciences instead of Chemical and Physical Sciences. The? reason I am doing this is because I need to take at least 2 years of Life Sciences to apply to dental school.The courses I have from Life Sciences are, Calculus ( not calculus for life sciences), and chemistry. This means that I am in fact missing Biology. The problem is that Biology is now full and it would be unlikely to get into Biology this year. In addition, UTM is not offering biology at summer school. What can I do at this point? I don’t want to be behind a year because of one course, so what are your suggestions? Furthermore, would i still be able to transfer to life sciences next year? I would love to here what you suggest

    ?????????

    Hey there!

    So essentially you need to take BIO152 as soon as possible, right?

    Unfortunately, if you can?t get in, then you can?t get in. All you can really do is wait until the course is offered again, which can potentially mean waiting a full year.

    But if that doesn?t sound particularly enjoyable to you, you can try talking to the undergraduate advisor of Biology (or whatever Life Science program you were aiming for). If they allow for it, perhaps you can take a 100-level BIO course at UTSC or the St. George campus instead as your entry credit to the Life Sci program you want to be in.

    Best of luck!

    aska

    Read More