• engineering,  Transferring

    love that engineering fear

    May 8, 2015

    hey,
    okay well i guess i don’t have one particular question but more of a range of annoyingly (i’m sorry) broad questions asked as statements and the need for a bit of guidance about what i should do based on some facts: i finished my first year at uoft in 2013-2014 and then i left because i got really anxious. i was in the art and science stream for IR at trin and when i started i thought i knew what was happening at 17 and then i got really sad about how much i disliked my program because i’ve always been a sciency person with parents who want a lawyer. my college councilor recommended i apply for eng. and see what happens. my original high school pre-req average is in the low 90’s but i got a bad bout of anxiety and didnt apply for sept. 2015 and my average for my uni courses of first year is 3.52 so i was afraid of getting rejected because they are all artsci courses which i’ve been snooted at for. i’ve heard some bad stories about eng acceptances and was thinking about applying for sept 2016. i’m afraid that my first year marks and my original high school marks are not good
    enough (not too many extra-currics.) because everyone i’ve spoken to about uoft eng said their requirement for acceptance information page is full of f**kery (sorry) and the cut-off is actually unimaginably high. i am worried about wasted application money or to fail in first year which means wasting 10 000 of my own dollars. i’m currently retaking the major math and science pre-reqs to brush up and prevent failure because its said uoft does not take second attempts seriously. i don’t know how honest the requirement page of the eng department is and i heard people have gotten rejected with 88’s and 89’s and i’m pretty much at that. i was wondering if i could take some eng courses in 2015 as i do have the the pre-reqs with recommended grades despite not being in the faculty and the eng. site didn’t really help. i’m also wondering what taking another year off until i apply to eng will mean for my record and whether i can. the possibility of failure is frighteningly high but i don’t want to scoot around my butt crying forever and i need a little wisdom before plunging in or a warning not to.
    thanks aska.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so i took a look at the transfer students admissions page for the faculty of applied science & engineering to see for myself this f**kery you speak of. as i suspected, it was just as typically vague as it has to be.

    the thing about these admissions info pages is that they can’t be too specific about their info because they actually don’t know how high the admissions average will be, since it all depends on the applicant pool.

    that said, there are trends, and after a bit of digging, i found that the admissions average of high school students entering uoft for engineering was a 91.7% in 2013, with only 30% of applicants admitted (see page 13 of the faculty’s annual report).

    unfortunately the report doesn’t mention transfer applicants, but given that they will look at your high school transcript when considering you for admission, those stats might come in handy.

    in terms of your university grades, if you’re at a 3.52 now, you’re above the minimum for consideration (a mid-B average). the higher you can get above that, the more likely your chances.

    and if you’ll be spending next year getting your science prerequisites, you’ll likely do a lot better than you did while in IR. if you got a 3.52 in a program you don’t like, imagine what you can do in a program that you do.

    all in all, it’s not hopeless. just because you’re transferring from the faculty of arts & science, doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance. despite the fact that engineering students often treat FAS students as slightly better than a pile of dirt, you’re not worthless if you’re transferring from artsci. so do your best to ignore all the snooting.

    as for taking eng. classes while you’re taking your prereqs, i doubt they’ll allow that. certain departments will allow you to audit a course, but it’s quite a process; you have to pay and apply and yada yada yada. these professional faculties tend to be pretty guarded, to be honest. you can always call and ask, though.

    finally, i doubt taking a year off will impact your admission. you can definitely talk to your college registrar’s office about it if you’re unsure, but i think that as long as your high school marks are still within 5 years ago by the time you apply, you should be good.

    take the year if you need it. rest. cry a little bit, if you need to – it’s good for you. work. goodness knows, the engineering faculty’s tuition could use some saving for.

    all in all: admission is definitely competitive, and probably even more so for transfer applicants. however, if it’s something you really want to do, i say go for it. you can always switch into a science POSt in the faculty of arts & science if you don’t get in, and you’ll regret it later if you don’t at least apply.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • computer science,  Transferring

    komp psi

    February 5, 2015

    Hello,

    What do you think the GPA required will be to transfer from UTSC to St. George after first year for computer science. I know they say you usually need a minimum of a 2.5GPA, but computer science is a competitive program. So would it be something like a 3.0 or 3.5 or 4.0GPA?

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    another day, another ‘what GPA do i need for x thing’ question. another chance to disappoint people with vague and unsatisfying answers.

    i don’t know what the GPA will be, because computer science doesn’t know what the GPA will be. it all kinda depends on how other people who applied to transfer did, how the kids currently in the program at utsg are doing, etc.

    to transfer in general, you need a ‘B’ average. however, if you want to get into computer science after first year, you’ll need to meet the downtown campus’ requirements for the program, which you can find here. so make sure you do as well as possible in CSC148H3 and any other comp. sci courses you take.

    if you want more specific information and/or you want to make sure you’re taking all the courses necessary to transfer, feel free to have a chat with the computer science department at utsg, and/or enrolment services (this is also pretty useful).

    best of luck with your transfer journey!

    aska

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  • admissions,  architecture,  Transferring

    SMARTchitecture

    January 27, 2015

    Hi Aska

    I am in first year Architectural Technology at George Brown College. I decided to apply to U of T’s Architectural Studies to pursue a degree and hopefully continue on for my masters. My question involves how far back into my education U of T will look to make a decision. I am 21 now and have a 3.9 GPA at George Brown BUT two years ago I had a really bad first year at UOttawa and my marks were terrible. I took the next year off and then applied to George Brown. Out of high school I had a low 80’s average. I feel that my One Idea application will be pretty strong and demonstrate my creative ability but I am worried that the school will not look past my Ottawa marks. I understand if you don’t know but I wondered if maybe they just took my most recent GPA or all my past GPA’s into account?

    Thank you for listening.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you would be required to submit transcripts from all of those places. in addition, the daniels faculty does say that “[s]tudents will be considered based upon their overall CGPA, [and] their most recent AGPA.”* so it’s likely that all these things will be considered in some capacity.

    however, the specifics are for enrolment services to know, and you to find out, so to speak. your most recent AGPA is important enough to be listed as a factor on the daniels’ undergraduate admissions page, but whether your uOttawa marks will be a significant factor, or how the different transcripts will be weighted, i’m not sure.

    so: your past GPAs will play a factor. so will your current GPA. so will your One Idea app.

    unfortunately i don’t know anything more specific than that, but know that they will look carefully at everything before making a decision, and consider your situation and context. i know you may be feeling a bit like this while waiting for a response, but we’ve got a pretty fair admissions team here.

    cheers,

    aska

    * AGPA is uoft talk for ‘annual GPA.’ CGPA is ‘cumulative GPA.’

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    only do as many credits as they’ll count, ygm?

    December 2, 2014

    Hi,

    I’m in my second year at UTM in the comparative physiology specialist and I want to transfer to St. George. The admissions website says that you can’t transfer it you have more than 10 credits completed, when does it count this from? In my first year I finished 5.5 credits so would I only be able to do 4.5 this year or does it just count from when you apply to transfer, in which case I’d be finished 7.5 credits after first semester is over.

    Any help would be great!?

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

    hey there,

    well, this page about transfer credit says that “[s]tudents who have completed up to two years of study at a recognized university may be granted a maximum of ten transfer credits.”

    since your assessment for transfer credit will include every single credit you’ve completed up until the point you actually come to UTSG and start taking credits here, i’m gonna say that it counts from the very end of your time at UTM.

    so if you’re finishing your second year this april, then yes, only 10.0 FCEs will be transferred over. that’s not to say that you can’t complete?more than 10.0 credits – like, if you finish 10.5 FCEs by april, you’ll still only have completed ‘two years of study.’

    but they’re only gonna?transfer?a maximum of 10.0 FCEs, so why make it hard on yourself?

    cheers,

    aska

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    all about transfer credit

    December 1, 2014

    Hey! I’m a first-year student at UTSC and I am pretty sure I want to major in philosophy (but I want to double-minor in Celtic Studies and European Union Studies, which isn’t offered in Scarborough!). By the end of second semester, I will have completed 3 philosophy courses that count towards my major here at UTSC.
    HOWEVER, I was looking into attending UTSG instead. (What can I say, I like downtown). I was just wondering what steps would be involved in transferring over. Is there a specific person I should speak to about transfer credits? Also, if I have fulfilled my breath requirements here at UTSC, does this mean I have also fulfilled them for St. George as well?
    thanks so much.

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

    hey there,

    if you want to transfer, you’ll just have to make sure you meet all the prerequisites and then fill out an internal application by the deadline for your faculty (arts & science for you).

    transfer credits are assessed after you apply to transfer, so unless you have any?BURNING QUESTIONS about a specific course or courses, you don’t have to talk to anyone about it.

    you can read a bit more about how transfer credit works here, or you can contact the transfer credit office yourself with specific questions.

    the breadth requirement thing kinda depends on how your transfer credits pan out. if you took a course that counted for the fifth breadth requirement category ?at UTSC and you get a transfer credit for it that also counts towards the fifth breadth requirement category at UTSG, then that’s great.

    but that may not happen for all your courses.?depending on how your transfer credits are assessed, some may or may not count as breadth requirements here.

    once you get your transfer assessment after applying, you’ll be told exactly which credits count towards which breadth requirements. generally speaking, really basic, first year courses that are common to all three campuses are usually no problem (i’m talking first year calc, first year chem, that kind of thing). for some of the more particular ones, it’s not as certain.*

    but like i said, it’s all just a matter of waiting to see what transfer credit says.

    xoxo,

    aska

    * well, it’s not as certain to ME. i’m sure it’s crystal clear to the transfer credit office people, it’s just that…i don’t work there…

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  • late withdrawal,  Transferring

    how much LWD is too much LWD

    November 10, 2014

    Hey Aska!
    I was wondering if you know how LWDs affect chances of transferring, for example, from UTSG to UTM, UTSC to UTSG or etc.
    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    LWDs aren’t particularly harmful all on their own. if you have had a reasonably good time at whatever uoft campus you’re at, and there’s an LWD somewhere on that transcript, that’s not a big deal. the important thing is that you have a competitive CGPA and AGPA, and you meet any program prerequisites.

    however, if you have a whole bunch of LWDs and your marks aren’t that great, then what that indicates is that you just generally haven’t been having a great time of it academically. if that’s the case, then yeah, your application might be affected.

    however, if that is the case, you can always write a letter explaining any extenuating circumstances relating to your academics to the university. as long as the extenuating circumstances aren’t, like, you preferred to play video games instead of do your assignments. the university doesn’t like that so much.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • polisci,  Transferring

    i don’t link stuff just for the heck of it y’know

    November 3, 2014

    Hey there! I’m a 2nd year student currently registered at UTSC studying Political Science. I’m seeking some help regarding internal transfer to UTSG. I’ve been looking all over the U of T website, but couldn’t find the minimum CGPA/ annual GPA requirements for Political Science. I’ve seen your previous posts and you mentioned a solid B average should suffice to apply for a transfer; but I don’t see that written anywhere on any of the websites. Looking forward to your reply! Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    that may have something to do with the fact that you didn’t click on the link. the stuff i link to isn’t just funny gifs of people falling down (though they’re important, too).

    if i cite something like a mark cutoff for a faculty, campus or program, i WILL link to the page that provides that information. so when stuff is linked, please, CLICK ON IT. and if i forgot to link it somewhere, then TELL ME, and i will fix it. because not citing stuff is just not cool, man.

    anyway. the solid B refers to what is needed to transfer to UTSG generally (see that? now click on that link). political science has its own set of requirements (click on that link, too) (don’t click on this one).

    so if you want to transfer into poli sci. at the downtown campus, you have to pass two hurdles: one, you need to actually get into the university. that’s going to require a “solid ‘B’ average.” then, you’ll need to get into poli sci. the poli sci specialist, major and minor are all type 2’s, which mean that they require that you’ve completed certain courses and achieved certain marks in those courses to get in.

    if you were a UTSG student applying to a UTSG poli sci subject POSt, and you had all the required marks in all the required courses, they would not be able to turn you down, because it’s a type 2 POSt.

    however, since you’re transferring, you do have to have at least a B average overall to be competitive, like it says on the transfer page. and then you have to have those poli sci requirements on top of that.

    note that because you’re applying after second year, you’ll need to meet the requirement listed for ‘applying after second year’ on the course calendar for poli sci: that is, any 2.0 POL FCE’s with at least a 70% in each.

    best, and i hope to see you on campus sometime soon!

    aska

    P.S. sorry for leaving this response so late. i usually have answers up within two weeks of when they’re sent, but aska was BROUGHT LOW by an EVIL and INFECTIOUS DISEASE which left me snotty and gross for a good three days. i hope you can forgive me.

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  • St. George,  Transferring,  UTM

    will you MISS me when i’m gone, MISSissauga?

    October 6, 2014

    Hello!

    I’m a first year English student at UofT Mississauga. I wanted to transfer to UofT St.George next year. What do I need to do in order to do so? What is the cgpa I need to get in and when do I need to apply? and how hard is it to get in, because I heard it’s difficult to transfer.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    logistically, it’s actually easier for you to transfer between uoft campuses than people at other universities. so you’ve go that going for you.

    now, don’t get too excited: i’m not saying you WILL get in. i’m just saying it’s not IMPOSSIBLE, if you meet the requirements.

    so, as for requirements, it’s pretty straightforward. all you need is to meet any program requirements, and have a decent CGPA.

    that means at least a ‘B’ average and, assuming you want to transfer into English at UTSG, there are no specific program requirements UNLESS you’re interested in the specialist, in which case you’ll need at least a 73% in your school’s equivalent to ENG110Y1, ENG140Y1, or ENG150Y1.

    all the application deadlines you could ever possibly need are here.

    best of luck in your quest down town,

    aska

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  • jobs,  subject POST,  Transferring

    transferring, multiple POSts, working – it’s a busy life

    July 31, 2014

    Hey there!.. so I kinda need help. 🙂

    I want to know if I can do a specialist and a major. I read one of your replies to someone else about a double specialization taking like 7 years or something? I’m trying to do Biochemistry, only it doesn’t have a ‘major’ option, and I really want to do computer science as a major and I want to know if I am capable of doing both of these without having to retake my entire university experience again.

    Secondlyyyyyy I’m unfortunately a transfer student, and so I will most likely have to take courses over again because they’re not up to par with UTM. So I guess my question is whether I’m allowed to take longer than 4 years to complete my bachelors. And if I am, will it affect anything else? gpa? osap? anything? :/..

    Aaand third things third :D…. because I’m a transfer student I was made to choose courses (that didn’t really have anything to do with biochemistry) in case my transfer credit assessment didnt come back to me in time. I’ve gotten the assessment now but I still need the green light from a few professors and department heads which I haven’t gotten yet (and probably won’t get for at least another week) Which means that I’ll be a bit late in choosing my courses after the limitations have been lifted from certain program courses. Although it has nothing to do with the paragraph I just wrote^, am I allowed to apply for on campus jobs (like bookstore and such) and give them my present schedule but let them know theres been a change? I feel like I’ll be losing an opportunity if the stability of my courses is the reason I am unable to apply.

    In my head this was all supposed to be in like a single paragraph. I guess I have word diarrhea. Hey, at least you get good eye exercise.

    And thank you by the way. I find askastudent extremely helpful. It’s kind of my go-to-place. (who wants to go to the office of registrar every time)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1) man, did i really say a specialist and a major would take 7 years??? that is NOT true. if i did say that, i’m sorry, but i doubt i did. you CAN do a specialist and a major. it’s certainly allowed by the faculty (page 9). you may be stretching yourself a little, but depending on how much overlap you can manage between the POSts, it is possible in some cases to complete a major and specialist in four years. if it did take longer, you’d probably only go one or two terms over the four year standard. definitely not three years.

    plan out all the courses you want to/have to take for both the specialist and the major, as well as the courses you need to take to meet breadth requirements, and see how long that hypothetical schedule would take you. that’s the best way to see if something is doable.

    2) nope.

    3) there are a LOT of different employers at uoft, so some of them will have more flexible hours than hours. usually they say if hours are flexible on the job posting.

    generally speaking however, work-study positions tend to be catered entirely to a student’s schedule. if you’re not opposed to working a max. of 12 hrs/week for minimum wage, that might be a good option for you.

    and hey, i get you. who wants to be in an office full of people hired to help you out? NO THANKS. (no but really, thank you for continuing to support aska, it means the world and i would never get to do this awesome job without all your charmingly fatalistic freak-outs).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • subject POST,  Transferring,  UTM

    subject POSts, lamp posts, fence posts…all your posting needs

    June 16, 2014

    Hi, I am a transfer student and was admitted to UTM BA recently. The program I chose on OUAC is economics, I was wondering do I need to do the subject post thing? Or after the credit of assessment is done, they will put me? Speaking of it, do I have to send another transcript from my previous university again, since I’ve already sent it for the application.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, congratulations to you! i hope you enjoy the incredibly fun to pronounce city that is Mississauga.*

    one of two things will happen with your subject POSt: either UTM will put you in one (they’ll let you know which one, but it’ll likely be an economics POSt), or you will have to pick one for yourself (that’ll be online).they say you’ll be “contacted by email regarding registration workshops which will be held in May and June prior to course enrollment,” so if you do have to pick a POSt yourself, they’ll walk you through it.

    i don’t think so? if you’ve already applied through OUAC and completed a transfer credit assessment, you should be good to go!

    cheers,

    aska

    *Missy saw gah, miSEE!(sauga), missisaug-UH, etc. etc. etc.

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  • Transferring

    loading…loading…loading…

    June 4, 2014

    Hi im a transfer applicant, transferring to arts and science. It has been June already, and my application is still pending. Does that mean my application is not up to average and just waiting for people to decline theirs and then offer me? My friend already gotten his offer in the same program and we did everything together, time wise.
    Thanks

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

    hey there,

    nah, i wouldn’t jump to any conclusions like that.

    according to the school, decisions are made “on an ongoing basis,”?- well, the basis is still going on, and the deadlines are a bit different for 101 and 105 OUAC applications (which might be why your friend has already heard back), so just?keep checking your join UofT?account.

    if you want?to know WHY THEY’RE DOING THIS TO YOU, it could be that some of your documents weren’t available to the school?until late in the game. whatever the reason, you should hear back from them very soon. yep, it’s almost over -?the days of holding your breath every time you log onto OUAC and stress-destroying your stomach lining are nearly behind you.

    that said, i know?waiting around can be pretty?nerve-wracking, so why not go out and try to distract yourself a little?in the meantime?

    best of luck with your application!

    aska

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  • Transferring

    still in the running towards becoming a uoft student

    May 16, 2014

    hey so i’ve applied as a transfer student to u of t for the fall and was wondering if you knew how many transfer they accept for second year? I have a 3.2 GPA and pretty strong grades from this year. I’m just waiting to hear back as my final transcript was send off today.

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

    hey there,

    the most recent data i could find about this is from 2008, so the numbers have definitely changed since then, but this can probably give you a general idea of the acceptance rate.

    so out of 4429 applicants to transfer in 2008, 768 registered at uoft. that’s a 17.3% registration rate. that said, a higher GPA will increase the likelihood of your acceptance. since competitive applicants usually have a B average,?you qualify as competitive with a CGPA of 3.2. a higher AGPA will help, obviously, but i don’t know your exact chances. there’s just no way of telling whether or not you’ll get in, but – as tyra banks would say – you’re still in the running.

    while you wait for a decision, may i suggest some ways to pass the time?

    1. play?scrabble with a group of friends. pro tip: play using made-up words, where the word counts if you can make up a convincing definition for it. the game will almost certainly devolve into anarchy; it’ll be a blast.

    2. go into a field and talk to some daisies, alice in wonderland style.

    3. pretend to be a dog. write a diary entry about your greatest grievances.

    4. go to the opera with a friend and, in the lobby before the show starts, exclaim loudly every five minutes, “what does this fancy place have that a good, old-fashioned hoe-down don’t!?” see how long it takes to be escorted off the premises.*

    i hope to see you on campus in the fall!

    aska

    *please note that?askastudent is not responsible for any students or wayward rogues who cause a ruckus at the canadian opera company, or any other opera house, in any country. aska has the utmost respect for the opera and has been many times, though her low vision and lack of a fancy gown to wear meant she got more out of people-watching?at intermission than the blurry specks singing on stage 200 feet below her during the show.

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  • colleges,  student groups,  Transferring

    at least you know aska will always be more antisocial than you.

    May 9, 2014

    I’ve just finished my second year of university at St. George and I haven’t really gotten into university social life. I went to UTSC, hated it,
    transferred to UTSG and I’m just getting the hang of things around here. I’ve had a really rough past two years, but to avoid the sappy story, I just need some guidance on how to be social and make new friends when everyone seems to have a set social circle already. I know many people build their university relationships during frosh week and first year but since I wasn’t in the best emotional state during that period, I didn’t go to frosh. To solve this, I tried to become a frosh leader at SMC but I did not get the position. I tried really hard and put in my best effort but again, everyone knew each other already so it was hard to make an impression when you’re kind of the new kid. I guess my question is – are there any ways to get involved in UTSG social life during the summer? Any tips or resources on how to be social during the school year? I’ve joined The Varsity and UFashion but those are not running during the summer, I believe.

    Also. another question.

    I am thinking of transferring colleges. I’m currently in St. Mike’s but I spend a lot of time at UC and everyone that I’m close with is a UC member. I know it’s always good to go your own way but I feel comfortable at UC and the commuter resources are helpful. Overall, I just like UC a whole lot better for a lot of reasons. I know to do this I’d have to contact the college registrar and such but have you heard of any instances where someone was successful in doing this or am I just wasting my time?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there are plenty of different activities that run in the summer. hart house has a whole range of different clubs and activities you can get involved with (archery??? heck yeah!). there are an overwhelming number of student organizations at this school, many of which run throughout the summer as well as into the school year. you can also browse work and volunteer opportunities on the student life website, which updates throughout the year.

    as to transferring, i don’t know anyone personally who’s switched colleges (most of my friends are really lazy/contented though, so don’t take that to mean anything), BUT you’re definitely not wasting your time in trying. it never hurts to go and talk to your registrar’s office about it.

    also, just a side note – if you’ve got friends at UC awesome enough to transfer for, then it seems like you’re already pretty involved in the social life here. maybe you’re just comfortable with a smaller amount of friends, and there’s no need to push yourself to do more. you should only ever be as social as you’re comfortable with – if you’re not enjoying yourself, it’s just not worth it. obviously this is just a suggestion, and getting involved is always a great idea, but maybe you’re not as much of an outcast/new kid as you thought!

    best,

    aska

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