• CR/NCR,  rotman

    this question won’t be relevant for much longer so READ IT NOW

    Hello aska!
    I have several questions regarding the CR/NCR option since this is the very time I plan to use it…
    1. For Rotman Commerce Students, how many FCES are we allowed to use for CR/NCR option? And do we need to pass 50% or 60% in order to get a credit?2. I am doing finance specialist and we have up to 5 ECO electives, can I make any one of them to be CR/NCR option? I know that if I pass it, I will get a credit with no marks. But without a mark on ECO elective, is it going to affect my graduation?
    I really appreciate your help!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    I’M JUST GONNA ANSWER THESE REALLY FAST BECAUSE TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, MY FRIEND. NO TIME FOR JOKING AROUND.

    1) you can use CR/NCR for 1.0 FCEs, and the passing mark would be 60%.

    2) “the specific ECO requirements listed in the non-RSM portion of the PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS cannot be CR/NCR – only ECO courses or non-ECO courses being used to bring the total credits up to 10.0 can be CR/NCR.” so i’m gonna say…yes? again, if they’re just electives and not listed as program requirements, then that’s okay. it might be a good idea to call rotman and double-check.

    cheers (and remember the deadline to designate F-section courses credit/no-credit is TODAY AHHH),

    aska

  • commerce,  rotman,  UTM

    rotman’s a riot

    Hi aska! I have a series of questions and I hope you can help me with them! As background info, I’m a UTM first-year going into second year, and I am unsure if I want to stay at UTM or if I want to transfer to UTSG. I’m planning on specializing in accounting and majoring in economics. Here it goes:

    1) Is there a significant difference between UTM Commerce and Rotman Commerce? I know we both get a BCom degree from U of T, but from reading internet posts, it seems like they’re two different worlds.

    2) I’m unsure whether UTM was the right choice for me, and seem to be inclined to want to transfer to UTSG. Don’t get me wrong, I love UTM, but there’s something that’s telling me that UTSG is where I belong. Is it easy to transfer internally??

    3) I really want to get into Commerce, but if I transfer into UTSG, I know that Rotman Commerce is very difficult to get into after first year. Since they don’t publish an official cutoff for ArtSci transfers, do you know what the unofficial cutoff could be? Like the average of the people that were able to transfer? (BTW, I completed most of the required 1st-year courses, except for MGT120 which I’m just about to complete.)

    4) I went to the Internal Transfers application website, and noticed that there are no transfers available for UTSG. Is there a specific timeframe as to when we’re allowed to complete a transfer application?

    5) If I apply for a transfer to ArtSci, and they accept me, do I instantly get kicked out of UTM? What if I change my mind and want to stay at UTM?

    6) Is there a GPA cutoff for transferring to ArtSci? If I do plan on transferring, I want to apply to University College. Does it have a minimum GPA or requirements?

    I’m sorry for making this long, and trust me, I also want to go over this with my Registrar. However, I think it would be awkward talking to them about transferring out. Thank you in advance! Take care aska!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    wow. lot of ground to cover here. why don’t we just get right to it?

    1. they’re different in some ways, but probably not as much as people at either school say. you can take a look at the program requirements for rotman’s programs and UTM’s and make a judgement call yourself. you can also read more about rotman’s programs here.

    obviously, rotman’s behemoth reputation is the elephant in the room that i can’t address, because i just don’t know how much of that is accurate, and how much is just good marketing. i do know that the programs are different enough that students in rotman can’t take the equivalent UTM or UTSC courses for their degree.

    people are always gonna try to create an us-versus-them binary, so to some extent, you just have to ignore that stuff. however, you do need to decide which one is right for you, and the best way to do that is actually visit rotman yourself. they can even connect you with a current student who can give you the inside scoop about their experience!

    2. just to be clear, rotman commerce does not accept internal transfers. you would have to transfer to the Faculty of Arts & Science into some other program and then apply to rotman after second year. here are the stats for registered transfer applicants versus transfer applicants at uoft – but keep in mind this data is from 2008 and has probably changed. the world’s changed a lot since then; crazy frog isn’t even popular anymore.

    3. yes, it is very diffcult (from rotman: “Entry into Rotman Commerce through this route is very competitive. Students who apply are advised to simultaneously ensure that they have appropriate prerequisites for other Arts and Science programs of interest.“) as always, i have no idea about cutoffs to programs. rotman doesn’t tell me these things. (rude, tbh. but what’re you gonna do?)

    4. the deadline to transfer internally to the faculty of arts & science was january 31st.

    5. as far as i know, you would just have to accept the offer of admission from UTSG. but double-check with your registrar.

    6. at least a B average.

    i’m all for talking to your registrar about your options (as always), but at this point, you’re looking at: transferring to UTSG, possibly having to spend an extra year in the Faculty of Arts & Science (to take RSM100Y, at least), applying to rotman and then hoping to get in despite the extremely competitive admissions process. it seems to me like it would be a lot easier to stay in UTM commerce, but as always, it is your decision. whatever feels right, is right.

    cheers,

    aska

  • rotman

    a very big rotman question

    Hi, I recently got accepted into the Rotman program at Utsg and I’ve heard a lot of good and bad things about it. I’m mainly concerned about the dropout rate being incredibly high and I was wondering what the reason behind that it (ie. is it calculus or econ, ect.) and secondly I was wondering what the atmosphere for that program is like (how do the students act around each other). Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    one of the things i’ve learned from 1) hearing about a university and then 2) attending that university and comparing my own experience to what people told me, is that people tend to talk more than they tend to know. a lot of the things that you’ve heard about rotman are likely just the natural inflation of fact that happens when rumour passes through a lot of people. opinions can be valuable for comparison purposes, but if someone’s just repeating what they heard from the brother of a friend who went to rotman (or if you’re just reading the opinion of randos online), then what you’re hearing is probably at least a little distorted. for that reason, i wouldn’t worry too much about what people say.

    k, now that all that’s said and done, let’s get down to my opinions.

    rotman is one of the best – if not the best – business schools in the country. that doesn’t happen just because of great cafeteria food. if a program is that good, it is usually also difficult. that may be one reasons you hear bad or off-putting things about it. it’s true, the school may not be right for you – in which case, you can switch into what you think is right for you, and there’ll be no harm done. however, it’s definitely not impossible to do well at rotman, and if the school is right for you, you’ll be able to get through it. and more than that, you’ll enjoy it.

    i think people just have a habit of complaining, and they don’t bother to mention the nice things – but that doesn’t mean that the nice things aren’t there. small classes, state of the art facilities, and convenient access to a world of extra-curricular, co-curricular, and professional opportunities are just a few of the things that makes this school really worth it.

    as well, the university is not just going to throw you into hot water when it comes to your classes. they want to help you as much as possible, because they know the transition can be a little tricky. if you’re worried about econ, there are tutors and a study centre available to help you out. there are also multiple math aid centres (tutors included) on the downtown campus available to you, all for free.

    the dropout rate is something i couldn’t find information on. that means the stuff you’ve heard may or may not be accurate, so don’t put too much stock in it. besides, who’s to say you have to play by the numbers? if this is something you want to do, you do it. let the other people stay or drop out; it’s got nothing to do with you.

    as to the atmosphere, that’s something i don’t know about. i know that rotman has a vibrant student life scene and provides lots of opportunity for students to connect, but the feeling you get from a school is something only you can determine. if you’d like to see for yourself what kind of vibe you get from rotman, i’d suggest you take advantage of the marvellously extensive events and information sessions the school provides. attending a few of these will give you a good feeling for where and if you fit into the rotman environment.

    at the end of the day, you have to put a certain amount of faith in the fact that the admissions committee knew what they were doing when they accepted you, and also in yourself. if something is right for you, you’ll know it.

    best of luck this fall!

    aska

  • admissions,  rotman

    some conjecture about rotman. b/c that’s the best i can do

    Hey, i have a question regarding Rotman Commerce Acceptances. My top six marks right now (with the pre req Eng4u and Calc) are:

    English: 86
    Law:90
    Physics: 92
    Accounting: 93
    Philosophy: 93
    Calculus: 70

    i know that Rotman commerce says calc has to be at least an 80, but my midterms haven’t gone through yet for this semester, and I am taking calc this semester. If I raise my Calc mark by the end of the semester to around 85, can I still get acceptance from Rotman commerce, even though my calc mark on my midterm on OUAC will be around 70?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    aww man, you’re probably not gonna like this – not ’cause i’m about to give you bad news, just ’cause you seem like a real go-getter, someone who likes to hang their hopes on solid facts. and i don’t really have any solid facts for you, because (despite my frequent letters to their office) i have not yet become rotman commerce. i can’t imagine why; i would be great at making admissions decisions.

    here’s the thing: the only solid factual thing rotman has said about the timing of admissions offers and stuff is this:

    “Most offers of admission are made in late-May. By this time, Rotman Commerce and the University of Toronto will have received comprehensive information regarding your academic record, extra-curricular involvement and supplemental application. This timeline ensures that we have sufficient information on which to base our admissions decision and that applicants are evaluated concurrently.”

    you can find the source of that quote here. now, i don’t know what the most updated information is that they will have by late-May. if you go here, they say that “[a]dmissions decisions are based on mid-terms marks and then final marks are used to satisfy offer conditions,” but i don’t know which semester they’re talking about when they say “mid-term marks.” i also don’t know how many offers are made later than late-May – like, what does “most” mean – 60%? 90%? i’m not sure.

    as you can see, it’s all kind of imprecise.

    so there’s some information that points to the fact that they might base “most” of their admissions decisions on second semester marks; i’d understand if that’s not precise enough for you. if you want some more exact information, i’d suggest you call rotman directly.

    sorry for the mediocre assistance.

    best of luck!

    aska

  • courses,  rotman,  summer

    doing RSM100Y1 again oh man oh man

    If I retake management 100 in the summer time, can I still apply for a commerce major in September? Or do I have to wait until the Winter session to apply or next year?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so, the summer course schedule hasn’t come out yet, but if you’re talking about RSM100, it seems to be available in the summer (this is a preliminary timetable and so they could change it around a bit, but RSM100 is a fairly essential course AND it was offered in 2013 and 2012 over the summer, so i’d say it’s probably gonna stick around). You can enrol for that starting April 7th.

    as for applying for a commerce major, it depends on whether you’re already a commerce student. if you are, you can still complete the RSM100 requirement in the summer. if you’re not already in commerce (i.e. you didn’t apply for and get accepted to rotman in grade 12), it may not work out. applications for second-year applicants are due in april/may, so you need to have met the requirements by that time, which you couldn’t do if you took it in the summer. you could contact rotman about it in case they’re willing to make a special exception, but it’ll probably be an uphill battle if i’m being real.

    i hope that helps! have a bomb-diggity* day,

    aska

    *the hyperlink for this is the first image that shows up on google images when you search ‘bomb-diggity gif.’ so. there’s your social commentary for the day.

  • commerce,  FLC,  rotman

    Dropping an FLC

    Dear All:) Hey,
    I am a first-year student in Rotman Commerce and right now involved in FLC group for RSM (RSM099Y1). For some reason I have to drop this non-academic course. I went to ROSI at first and it said that I could not change anything on ROSI. So may I ask how to drop that course then? Am I still allowed to drop in this half-way period?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    I really like how you said “dear all,” like there’s a whole office behind askastudent, all of us just working together to answer as many questions as possible…yeah, no, it’s just me. Sittin’ here. All alone. Feel free to drop me a line any time. I don’t really get a lot of chances to talk to people.

    Anyway, I’m sad to hear you’re thinking about dropping your FLC group! FLCs are really cool because they’re like extra-curriculars in that they’re non-credit courses, but they’re official enough that they appear on your transcript as an extra activity – and they provide a social and networking atmosphere that can be really helpful for your future career, especially in commerce.

    However if you do have a scheduling conflict or REALLY don’t like your FLC, all you have to do is e-mail flc@utoronto.ca and let them know you want to drop it, then they should take it from there. Because it’s a non-credit course, dropping it halfway through the semester won’t jeopardize your GPA, so you can rest easy about that.

    stay swaggie,

    aska

  • CR/NCR,  rotman,  writing

    cr for effort!

    Hi,

    I took RLG204 last year and applied for Credit/No Credit. I ended up passing the course and receiving a ‘CR.’ I was wondering if this counted towards the 2.0 writing credit that commerce students need to fulfill graduation requirements, or if it just counted as a humanities credit?

    Much thanks!

    [SARAH]

    ———————————————

    Hey Sarah,

    For the life of me, I could NOT find anything online about a Rotman writing requirement, so I delved into the long forgotten calendars of yesteryears and found something about a writing requirement from back in 2006-07! I wonder if that was the last year of it…

    If you enrolled in the program back then, it DOES say that RLG courses count sooo I guess RLG204 suffices.

    BUT from my understanding, the writing requirement is a program requirement…

    Which is where things get tricky because as much as I’d hate to be the bearer of bad news, I’ve got to tell you that the golden rule for CR/NCR is that whatever course you make CR/NCR cannot be a program requirement.

    Now since this is a weird situation where Rotman just wants to give you an A for effort as opposed to look for a 99 from you, I recommend talking to whoever it is that’ll eventually be assessing your program requirements and asking if they’d be willing to take the CR/NCR course.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • economics,  rotman

    eager for the eco

    Hi there, i am a first year commerce student, but i am waitlisted for the ECO100 lecture, i do not know if they are going to open anymore seats? what is going to happen since i am guaranteed a spot since it is a mandatory course for first years?

    THanks

    Faraz

    ———————————————

    Faraz,

    You are certainly guaranteed a spot, but that doesn’t mean it has to be in the lecture section you want.

    Have you tried the two lecture sections that are actually restricted solely to first-year commerce students? Because I have and I see space in one of them. 😉

    But if this is reaaaally stressing you out, I recommend having a chat with the people at Rotman. If there are enough students crying for help, it’s possible that they’ll either raise the cap on one or both of the Rotman sections, or they’ll even open a third section.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • rotman,  subject POST

    i want to be a special minor

    Hey!

    I am currently a rotman student and im getting into my third year (I chose eco specialist). Since there are so many rsm electives for 3rd yr & 4th yr… I am considering to get a minor in accounting. Am I allow to do this? If so, what courses should I take to meet accounting minor requirements? Also, how could I let ut know that I will graduate with eco specialist AS WELL AS accounting minor?

    Thanks for your help
    Enjoy the rest of the summer!

    -B

    ———————————————

    Hey B~

    Sadly, there is no Accounting minor at UofT.

    Rotman only really offers specialist programs. There’s one hidden major in there, but it’s not exactly advertised, nor is it encouraged since it’s just something of a “drop down” program that students go for just to graduate and they don’t even end up with a B.Comm. if they take that route.

    Anyway, since you can’t minor in accounting, you can go for something somewhat close to your Rotman studies like Economics or Math I suppose.

    Take a gander at the calender though and see if anything interests you enough to make a minor out of it.

    xoxo,
    aska

  • admissions,  courses,  FLC,  rotman

    askastudent — recruitment and admissions officer extraordinaire

    Hello

    I am completley lost and dumbfounded by the information presented on the Uof T website in choosing the courses for the first year. I do not understand at all how the process of choosing courses works and hoped that you would take some time out and simplfy the process for me.

    So, my dilemma is such. At the end of the first year, i am hoping to move into Rotman Commerece and hence i need to complete the three required program entry courses (i.e., RSM100Y, ECO100Y, MAT133Y or equivalent) From what i understand this will only give me 3.0 credits but i need to apply to Rotamn Commerce with 4.0 Credits and i have to complete the year with 5.0 credits. What can i do?

    What are Prerequisties because the programs listed above have prerequistes and i have had to meet them to take the course. Since i have done IB program the codes listed for the prequstes are something new altogether which i do not understand and i believe they are written as canadian format of subjects.

    Furthermore, i wish to tale FLCs , how many creidts would these count towards and will i have to sit an exam for these FLCs? I have no idea how to use the calendar to choose the courses. Please help.

    My last question is that what on earth are subject Posts and are we supposed to take the subject posts in the first year or the second yhear. Also how do i select a major and minor.

    Through these question, i can surely see that you will lnow that i am confused. But please help me since i am panicking and Julu 30 is coming
    closer to choose the courses.

    Thanks

    +

    Hi

    I just wanted to know how many people who apply to Rotman Commerce at the end of their first year get in? I’m planning to apply to RC and hope to get good marks and apply. What percentage of chance do I have to get into RC at the end of the first year assuming I get really good grades. Furthermore, how many people do apply for RC at the end of the first year since on their website it says there is less than 20 spots available. Please answer these question with as much accurate detail as you can.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    Okay for starters:

    Your course selection is July 30. That’s still in like five weeks. Do you know how much you can do in five weeks? How many schedules you can formulate for the lawlz?

    Reeelaaaax. Breathe in. Breathe out. Got it? Okay. You’re okay.

    PART I: COURSES ARE CONFUSING

    Now the process of choosing courses is quite simple. It’s like going to an all you can eat buffet and deciding you’d like to get chicken wings AND chicken balls. Like you’re literally going to pick the courses you like, look at when they take place in the timetable, and just make sure nothing overlaps. To follow my buffet metaphor, if my food ever touches on my plate, I get very unnecessarily frustrated because I am a five-year-old on the inside.

    But anyway — choosing courses:  Easy as pie. 🙂

    As for your dilemma… you don’t HAVE to finish the year with 5.0 credits. You can finish with no credits for all the university cares. To take 4.0 though is just as simple as taking 1.0 more than those 3.0. So you can take economics, math, and intro to whatever the heck RSM100Y is, and then top that off with English or history for example.

    PART II: ROTMAN BUSINESS.

    Prerequisites = courses you need to have before taking a course.

    So among the three that you’re set on taking, RSM100Y and ECO100Y actually don’t have any prereqs (granted ECO does give some recommended prep). But for MAT133Y or its equivalent, you’re going to require grade 12 advanced functions and grade 12 calculus.

    HOWEVER, I think you’re in a different situation since you were in IB.

    I know that a lot of IB students tend to get some courses they took beforehand transferred over for some general math or whatever credits. If you take a look at this chart (just scroll down on the PDF), you’ll see that if you took the proper IB math courses, you may have already gotten the 100-level math equivalent!

    Granted, whether or not it can function as a corequisite to RSM100Y might be something you want to clarify with Rotman for yourself.

    PART III: FLICKS. I MEAN FLCS.

    FLCs are on your transcript, but they don’t count as credits. I mean they’ll appear there, but they’ll be listed as “extra” mostly so your transcript can look pretty and you can feel pretentious.

    But if you’ve done any research into what exactly a FLC is — which, considering your questions on em, you have not — you’ll know that they’re not so much academic courses so much as they are… support groups? Meh. I mean look at the name. First-year learning communities. Essentially, FLCs are groups of maybe 30 or so students enrolled in the same core courses that have each other’s backs.

    Yeah.

    Okay well that’s one way of putting it.

    To get into one is simple though. Like even simpler than choosing courses! If you go onto the FLC webpage, you’ll eventually get to a button saying “Join FLC” and then bam, an application.

    For you, I would recommend the Economics FLC. While the students in the Rotman FLC will be taking the same courses as you (assuming you get into the three that you’d like), it’s limited to students actually in Rotman. That being said, the Economics FLC is basically the next best thing for your situation.

    PART IV: THE PERSISTING POST PROBLEM.

    POSts. POSts. POSts.

    POSts are programs of study. They’re the program you choose to major/minor/specialize/whatever in. You pick when you’ve completed at least 4.0 FCE, so typically at the end of first year. You do this on ROSI.

    PART V: ROTMAN AGAIN.

    I don’t know how many people apply to Rotman internally. Sadly, I am not actually that all-knowing, omnipotent being you seem to think I am.

    What I DO know, however, is that pretty much basically nooooo one gets in if they’re applying to Rotman from Arts and Science after one year. For the most part I’d say they take maybe… ten people? It’s not based on a number so much as it’s based on your grades, so if you’re not scoring high-90s… well then boo for you.

    PART VI: ASKA GIVES UP.

    Holy incredibly long post, aska.

    And to be completely honest, I think you might benefit from an appointment with a first-year advisor. If you can’t meet with them in person, see if they offer phone or Skype appointments. Likewise, you might have to do some double checking with Rotman over how your IB transfer credits (assuming you bother to transfer them) hold up.

    Whoo. It’s finally over!

    xoxo,
    aska

  • rotman

    “bcom” just sounds prettier than “ba”

    HI ASKASTUDENT

    Thanks for answering most people’s posts. This is an urgent inquiry. I have selected social sciences in the faculty of arts and science in the st.georges campus at UofT. However, i want to pursue a bcomm. degree rather than a BA degree. By looking around, i found out? that you only get a Bcomm.degree if you apply to rotman commerce. However, i did not. Please?help me and tell me if i can still get a bcomm. degree if i specialize in economics which is availble in the faculty of arts and science, as it says on the UofT website that “*in order to recieve a BComm. Degree, candidates must specalize in either: Finance, Accounting or economics”*

    Best Regards

    ———————————————

    To be fair, this isn’t THAT urgent.

    Urgent means time sensitive. This is something that can’t really be dealt with until around November or later.

    But yeah, to get a BCom from UofT requires enrolment in the Rotman Commerce program. Specializing in Economics is just going to get you an Honours Bachelor of Science. Now you have two options at this point:

    Numero uno: applying as a first year student from the Faculty of Arts and Science. Basically, you’ll spend first year as an artsci student but you’ll have to take RSM100Y, ECO100Y, and some 100-level math(s) and get certain grades in certain courses and then achieve a certain advertised average which is certainly a LIIIIIIE. Or well, it’s not a lie, it’s just a bit… The average they say you’ll need to get is 73%, but really, you better be in the freaking 90s if you want to get in.

    Numero dos: don’t go to UofT this year and then just reapply, this time thinking ahead and actually making sure that the program you’re applying to ends in a BCom. I mean like how the heck didn’t you notice you’d get a B.A. You applied to social sciences dude!

    Rotman Commerce is a super competitive program though so make sure you have all the requirements and a realistic outlook before applying to it.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • rotman

    there’s no repeating for rotman!

    Hi I’m taking advanced functions right now and I’ll probably just end with about an 83 and I plan to take it again. I’m applying to rotman next year and I wanted to know what mark I would need to get in calculus to get accepted?? Also what average should I have overall with my top six courses? Oh and can you do a double major with business and political science or is that not allowed?

    -LA

    ?????????

    LA,

    There’s never an exact answer to these “what mark and/or average do I need?!” questions, so I’m going to tell you what I tell everyone who wants to get into commerce: mid- to high-80s for both.

    Rotman actually states as much on their program page, but who actually looks things up for their self these days right? 😉

    Just be aware that Rotman does not take repeated courses. So whatever grade you get the first time around in ENG4U or MCV4U the first time around, Rotman will be looking at those. But with Advanced Functions, I think you should be fine with your retake since it’s not necessarily a core course for them.

    Likewise, Rotman only offers specialists in either Accounting, Finance and Economics, or Management. But you’re definitely more than welcome to pursue a major in poli sci if that’s what you’re interested in. Just note that you’ll have to do a specialist+major > double major.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • rotman

    would you like my firstborn child with that transcript?

    Hello!

    So I enrolled in utm (LOL FUN FUN FUN) anyway, I want to transfer to St.George into Rotman Commerce! Can you please tell me what you know about that? I’ve heard it’s EXTREMELY difficult to get it second year, but I have to leave i just can’t. Please tell me all you know! I’m taking all the commerce prerequisites required at utm. Ps. You’re funny!

    Thanks
    Boredatutm

    ———————————————

    Disclaimer to anyone from UTM or who works there: the student is the one that boo-ed UTM, not me!

    Hey Bored,

    Don’t mind that little note. Ahem.

    Anyhow, yeah, getting into Rotman after a year of university is basically going to require you giving up your soul, your time (all of it), and your firstborn child. Just kidding. Well no. Okay, basically, what I mean is that the number of students they admit from your bracket of people is very… miniscule?

    Basically, I’m going to direct you to the transfer student requirements for Rotman, and then see the grades they list there? Basically add like an additional 5% or more to whatever they say. So when they say ECO100Y (or its equivalent) must be completed with at least 73-76%, read that as maybe 83%. Or something.

    What I’m trying to say is that put bluntly, your grades are going to need to be fantastic to get in.

    Good luck!

    aska