• admissions,  applying for U of T,  extracurricular

    everyone is always doing too much. like, do less pls?

    Hiii! Out of curiosity, does UofT value extracurricular during their undergraduate admission? Here’s the thing, my consular told us that extracurricular is super important so I believed him and really focused on that. After doing some research UofT become dream school of my life but I heard UofT don’t ask for extracurricular. This makes me super stressful since I devoted so much time into those things & Im a BC student, not a Ontario. With an avg of mid 80 is there anything I can do to+the odd


    hey there,

    so, it kind of depends on what admission category you’re applying for. for general arts and sciences, uoft does not look at your extracurriculars during undergrad admissions. you pretty much just send in your transcript through OUAC when you apply, so that’s all they look at when considering your admission. but if you’re applying to rotman, they require a supplemental application that goes beyond your grades. (rotman is always doing so much).

    extra too much GIF

    on that topic, sometimes i feel like everyone is always doing too much. like, please. no. what do you mean you’re involved in clubs and councils and intramurals and have a 20hr job and are taking 5 courses and are still sleeping at night? did you steal hermione’s time-turner? where are you hiding the room full of people getting your work done for you?

    anyways, ignore my exam-week-induced rant. if you’re from BC, i think your consular was telling you that extracurriculars are very important because they are, at least for most schools in BC. ubc admissions rest very heavily on extracurriculars, because of a personal profile that some say is more important than your grade average.

    every school prioritizes grades and extracurriculars differently, so your consular wasn’t lying. their advice just wasn’t universally applicable. because while extracurriculars are make-or-break for ubc admissions, they aren’t like that at uoft. here, extracurriculars are mostly just important when filling our your awards profile, which is how you would apply for scholarships going into your first year.

    something to note is that uoft will mostly just look at your top 6 academic grade 12 grades to compute your admission average. and with an average of mid 80s, i honestly think your odds are pretty fine. most art and sciences programs require top 6 averages of mid to high 80s.

    good luck with admissions, shoot another question if you’re still confused!

    over and out,

    aska

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  psychology

    don’t psych yourself out, you’re okay

    Hi! I’m currently a grade 12 student who is about to apply to university. I was looking at the St. George campus for psychology requirements and it says that Grade 12 Biology is one of them. The thing is…my current biology mark is in the 60s. So I was wondering whether the requirement means that it’ll be included in my top 6? Or whether they are just looking or it? Or how does it really work…


    hey there,

    ah, a senior doing college admissions. i hope you’re taking care of yourself, that can be a stressful time. but i come delivering good news! your biology mark does not necessarily have to be included in the top 6 grades that are used to calculate your admission average.

    SpongeBob gif. SpongeBob and Patrick simultaneously raising their arms and smiling with extreme glee.

    here is why:

    when applying to uoft, you’re really just applying to admission streams rather than a specific program. basically all the programs are categorized into these six admission streams, and that will be what you select on OUAC when you fill out your application. these streams are: computer science, humanities, life sciences, mathematical & physical sciences, rotman commerce, and social sciences.

    here is a chart that breaks down the required high school courses by stream. you’ll see that psychology falls into the life science stream, which only requires english and calculus. i know that it’s a bit confusing because this site says psychology requires english, calculus, and bio. but in this case, bio is not required for entry to the stream. therefore, it does not need to be one of the six marks used in your grade calculation.

    so if you have a seventh course that has a better mark, then that would be used to calculate your admission average instead of your biology mark. i hope this helps and that everything goes well for you!

    over and out,

    See Ya Goodbye GIF

    aska

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  you don't even go here

    how hard is it to get into uoft?

    hi!!

    let’s just pretend like i’m not a high school student (i have no idea if you take questions from us lol) BUT uoft is one of my dream schools and i would DIE if i got in! soooo, as a senior who has the everpresent threat of college applications looming over her head… how hard is it *actually* to get into uoft?? i know it is dependent on a whoooole bunch of factors, but i was hoping to get an opinion from actual students rather than some random website!! i’d be so grateful if you could help a girl out! <3

    Thanks and Regards


    hey there,

    “how hard is it actually to get into uoft”, you ask? let’s start this with two truths and a lie. have you ever played? it’s fun, i promise. i’ll give you three statements, and you decide for yourself which one is a lie.

    1. getting into uoft was easy for me, because 2. i’m extremely talented. but luckily, 3. i know everything about uoft, so i can tell you how hard it actually is.

    90 Day Fiance Agree GIF by TLC

    ok, jokes aside, let’s answer your question. i’ll keep in mind the fact that you want my actual opinion and not info from a random website.

    if you want to get into a specific program:

    uoft’s current acceptance rate is apparently 43%, but i would say it differs across programs and faculties. for example, admissions would look very different for a person applying to the faculty of music than it would for a person applying to the faculty of architecture and so on. overall though, getting into general arts and sciences isn’t hard.

    Just Wait Season 1 GIF by The Roku Channel

    something to note is that uoft has this thing called “POSt”, which is a program of study that you apply to after your first year. so right now, in grade 12, you’re not really applying to a program  — you’re just applying to the admission category of it. later on, most programs of study require an application to really get into, so i would suggest you look into that while you consider uoft in general. (this system is really great, it lets you be flexible and makes program switches happen more smoothly than other uni’s systems do!)

    if you’re a domestic student (from canada):

    it also differs among domestic and international students. apparently 25% of the student population is international? personally, i was a domestic applicant, so i can’t tell you much about the international experience, but i found getting in to be doable. about 15 people from my high school were accepted that i know of, but i also knew a few that weren’t accepted. from my experience, uoft only looks at your grades and academic average. if you’re a good student and have good grades, you should be fine. i’d certainly say that getting into uoft is loads easier than getting into american schools of the same ranking. but if you’re from the US, you can look here for information on US applications.

    what uoft says they look at:

    there are three areas that uoft say they consider when looking at your application. the first is the ‘general requirements‘ area, which consist of english proficiency and stuff. the second are your ‘program-specific requirements’ — for example, you need calculus 12 for math programs. then third is the area that students worry about the most: your grades for the last two years. specifically, they would look at the grade 11 and 12 courses that are relevant to the admission category you’re applying to, and tend to ignore elective classes. they mostly look at your top 6 grade 12 courses, and if you’re in the high 80s, you should be good.

    overall, getting into uoft is very possible! it takes hard work to get the good grades, but people have done it, and you can too! just make sure to meet all the application deadlines. i’d honestly say it’s more stressful than it is hard, if that makes sense! meeting the deadlines and keeping track of everything is important. i really hope you get in, and that this was somewhat helpful! as always, feel free to ask again if anything’s unclear or you need help with something else.

    over and out,

    Family Guy gif. Peter Griffin frowns as he tries to type with long press-on nails.

    aska

  • admissions,  applying for U of T

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

    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

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  art,  getting into U of T,  keeners,  Uncategorized

    let me in already

    Hi oki so im in grade 12 and i applied for the art and art history course around a month ago, but all of my friends who applied to different colleges and universities are now getting acceptances, so like I guess my question is is how long does it take for the applications to be reviewed and to get a response? Cause all I have so far is a letter saying “thanks for applying” and a “pending review” so I’m kind of worried.

    ——————————————

    hey hey!

    i’m assuming you applied to UTM, yeah? or at least i can only find one art & art history program, which is a joint one with sheridan. two schools for the same buck. and they’re both sane campuses that close when the godforsaken floodgates of heaven decide to open and turn toronto into the depths of siberia.

    chelsea peretti wtf GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine

    mmmm, utsg can’t relate. i want a snow day that doesn’t begin in the late afternoon. but i digress.

    when you’ll hear back from u of t depends on where you’re attending school right now! if you’re from ontario, the UTM website indicates that there are three rounds of offers in february, march, and may.

    however, if you attend school elsewhere– whether that’s in canada or otherwise– admission looks a little different. officially the rounds are the same, but some decisions are released as early as january, which is before the february document deadline.  so for some reason if you wait til the deadline to send your documents in, they probably won’t consider you til the last round in may.

    if it’s not the UTM program you went for and you mean the st. george art history program, that falls under the faculty of arts and science so the timeline should be about the same.

    nothing to worry about, is the bottom line. it’s only halfway through february, so really the first round of admissions have only just begun. obviously i have no idea how long it’ll take the school to review your specific application. they’re sorting through piles of stuff right now, and i bet they wish they could get through it faster, too.

    man, i remember how long it could feel, waiting to hear back when it seemed everyone else was already getting news from their schools. hang in there. your time will come.

    over n out,

    aska

  • applying for U of T,  math,  Transferring

    u ought ta transfer!

    Hi,
    I’m currently a first year student in a mathematics program at the University of Ottawa. I am very passionate about maths and am hoping to pursue a career in the field, possibly in research. I am finishing the first semester with a GPA of around 9.4 or 9.6/10.0 (as uOttawa is on a 10.0 scale), which is about a 3.7-3.8 on the 4.0 scale. I decided to stay in my hometown due to the costs associated with studying in a different city and I was offered a good scholarship at uOttawa, but after one semester, my drive as been rekindled and I was hoping to transfer to UofT for the Mathematics Specialist in September, even though I would have to stay for an additional semester to graduate. Do you know if it is likely that these transfers are accepted (the site only lists a B average as required)?. Is UofT very selective about their transfer applicants? Do they simply look at grades at university to determine transfer acceptance?

    Thanks

    ——————————————

    hi!

    as i’ve said time and time again, i have no effin’ clue how u of t reviews and selects their applicants!!!!! this website says that you need a solid “B” average to be competitive and that they factor in both university and your entire academic history, so i’d trust that information.

    just breathe GIF by chescaleigh

    anyways…

    essentially, you would be applying to u of t generally at first. if you’re admitted, that’s when you’d apply to programs within the university specifically based on your transfer credits. take a look at the math calendar for the specific program that you’re interested in to see what their requirements are. then, you’d use this handy dandy transfer explorer to see what transfer credits you’re eligible for. those transfer credits are then confirmed after you’re accepted and you get a transfer credit assessment from the faculty. depending on what your transfer credit situation is like, you MIIIIGHT (emphasis on MIGHT!) be able to transfer directly into math without having to be a “first year” student (which means you aren’t in a program). this is totally just my (very educated) guess though, so it might not actually work out like that.

    i’m not totally sure what the process is like for transfer students and getting into programs (i’ve never been a transfer student) but i think that should be all you need to know. i’d also recommend contacting someone from the math department for any other questions you might have about their programs and transferring into them. their contact info can be found here.

    calling karen gillan GIF by HULU

    best of luck!

    xoxo,

    aska

    (PS- the title took me forever to come up with y’all better be grateful!!!!!)

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  life science

    pros and cons list

    Hello,

    I’m a grade 12 student who’s been interested in U of T for a long time. I’m really focused on getting the best quality education and research opportunities and I know UofT is amazing for that, but I’m concerned about my GPA. I (currently) aim to pursue graduate studies after undergrad and I’ve heard a lot about U of T being a terrible school for prospective grad students since they don’t focus on undergrad and kill your GPA. If it’s relevant I’m somewhere from 10-20% above class average in all my courses and I work extremely hard in school. In your opinion do I have a chance at a high enough GPA in U of T life sci for grad school? Or should I just go to an easier and less prestigious school for undergrad that I may enjoy less but have a better chance at grad school?

    ——————————————

    hi!

    so, like, this question is a little bit impossible for me to answer. which is definitely not what you wanted to hear, but we out here.

    snoop dogg peace GIF

    yes, u of t has a reputation for being really hard on your GPA which can negatively affect your grad school applications. at the same time, u of t has amazing research opportunities as well as extracurricular and academic opportunities for undergrads that look great on a grad school application. i also know people in life sci who have excelled at u of t, more so than they did in high school. ultimately, it’s up to you. you need to make your own pros and cons list and weigh all your options.

    that being said, if you need any information regarding the actual application process, you can take a look at this FAQ from the faculty of arts and science.

    i hope this helps!

    xoxo,

    aska

     

  • admissions,  americans,  applying for U of T,  engineering

    would it be canadian american or american canadian?

    hi!

    im an american senior high school student that’s suuuper into attending u of t for electrical engineering. i think my case is a little different because im a canadian born citizen, but all of my education from grade 1 was completed in the usa. basically, my gpa is a 3.3/4.0 and my sat a 1300/1600 with a 21/24 on the essay, and ecs are good (fencing team captain, intern job, volunteering, etc.). my question is… 1.) are admissions harder for american students and what are my chances OR because im a canadian would i be considered domestic? (i know this is true for fees) and 2.) well… anything you can share that would be relevant to this case in general. i finished my online student portal and im gonna submit it by the end of this week. im really passionate about potentially being able to attend u of t, and id be ecstatic if i would somehow be able to be accepted.

    im sorry if this is a little hard to answer!

    – canadian born american

    ———————————————

    hi!

    first of all, sorry for being MIA and the super delayed response. it is askastudent after all and i had exams and finals too.

    anyways…

    hey arnold nicksplat GIF

    so, according to this link from the engineering website, you will be “evaluated on the basis of the education system [you] followed, regardless of [your] country of citizenship.” meaning that yes, you will be evaluated as an international student.

    that being said, i’m not sure about the specific numbers/ averages/ SAT marks you need. all they say is “high grade point average and high scores.” this link has some information about admission requirements specifically for US students as well as how you can submit your transcript.

    i suggest that you get in contact with the engineering admissions office to get more information or if you have any further questions. they’ll have the most specific and up-to-date information.

    i hope this all helps!

    xoxo,

    aska

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  keeners,  music

    kids these days

    Hello I’m a grade 11 student stressing about post secondary. I am interested in the music program at uoft but am scared that my grades are not good enough because 2 of them are were mid-high 80s. Should I be concerned?

    ——————————————

    hi!

    jeez, are you saying that your two LOWEST marks are mid-high 80s? wow. kids these days.

    so, i scoured the internet for information re: admission requirements for the faculty of music. according to this link, they don’t list any academic grade averages. they do, however, say that you need to have completed RCM level 8 theory with at least a 60%.

    there are also other requirements that you need for the music faculty, but i can’t really tell you what the specific requirements are because you haven’t told me what program specifically you’re interested in! kids these days.

    the rock eye roll GIF by WWE

    anyways, you can check out the faculty of music’s application info page to see what the specific requirements are for the program you’re interested in.

    hope this helps! good luck, catherine keener!

    judd apatow comedy GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  engineering

    please don’t fire a canon

    Hi,

    I want to apply to uoft and fall under a student that would apply using the 105D.

    My college counsellor is telling me that I need to start looking at which essays I need to write and I don’t know if I need to write any essays. I’m thinking of applying to engsci. Do I need to write an essay?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hi!

    after checking the engineering website, i can officially say that it is VERY HARD TO NAVIGATE. engineer a better website, engineers.

    face smash GIF

    ok, it’s actually not that bad. sorry, engineers. i’m still kinda mad about that time you fired your stupid canon in front of my res room in first year.

    anyways, after clicking through too many links, i finally found this link with detailed information about the student profile that you’d need to set up.

    while there isn’t really an “essay” you have to write, there is a section where you need to “detail” your academic history and your extracurricular involvement. i don’t know whether or not that’s in essay format or if you just fill in the blanks. maybe it might be like a short sentence answer deal?

    there is also a section in the application called the “online student profile” where they ask you three random questions and you have a limited amount of time to answer them. you will need to answer 2 of them in a video (it looks like you need a webcam and microphone to do the student profile) and one of them in writing. this might be what your college counsellor means when they say “essay,” but there isn’t really anyway to prepare since the questions are random.

    question mark idk GIF by US National Archives

    you should get in contact with the faculty of applied sciences and engineering and ask for more information regarding the application. check out their contact info here.

    i hope this makes sense. good luck with your application!

    xoxo,

    aska

     

  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  degree requirements,  international relations,  one programs,  trinity college

    you could be pitbull

    Hi Aska!

    I was wondering if you know how many students are accepted into the international relations program each year. I’m worried that if I don’t make it into a One program during first year I won’t have a good shot of being accepted into IR for second year.

    Thanks very much!!!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    bad news, kid.

    so, unfortunately, departments don’t allow us access to information on how many students get accepted into the program each year. it’s just not something undergraduate departments tend to release to the public. you can always try contacting the department directly if the question is really bugging you!

    because international relations is a type 3 program, we can assume that the program enrolment is quite limited and “finite”. in addition to submitting a separate application, remember that you’ll need to take the courses listed here and meet the minimum grade requirements in order to even be considered.

    if you don’t get into a One program, it’s not a huge deal. they indicate that you have the option of taking HIS103Y1Y or HIS102Y1Y instead of VicOne or TrinOne. don’t worry about getting screwed over by limited enrolment/ application deadlines!

    this could be you in a year!:

    don’t sweat it too much. just work hard and make sure your grades meet or exceed the minimum requirement. if you don’t get into the IR program in second year, you can always try again in third year!

    good luck, my friend!

    international peace and love,

    aska

  • applying for U of T,  hard,  St. George,  UTM

    (another) battle of the campuses

    Hi, is it true that University of Toronto – St. George is a more academically difficult university than University of Toronto – Mississauga? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    this is a question we get a lot and it stumps me every time. i’m really not allowed to say one campus is easier than the other because i’d get some angry emails from admin, but i also genuinely do not know the answer. it’s also not fair to the people at UTM who work their butts off if i say: “lol yeah they have it easier.” all i can say is, having been at UTSG for four years, UTSG is indeed difficult.

    to the people who say that UTM is easier than UTSG: is it fair to say that one campus is easier than the other if you haven’t conducted an in-depth study in which a selected group of students take the same courses at both campuses? this question has left me scratching my head a little because there are so many factors that can contribute to the difficulty of a course. am i overthinking this question like i overthink everything in my life???? probably, but U of T taught me how to think critically, so i blame them.

    the only logical reason why people would say that UTM is more difficult than UTSG is because our admission standards are a tad higher than UTM, but from what i’ve heard, students from both campuses struggle with school. there really isn’t one campus that’s “so much easier” than the other. even if someone told you that they failed a course at UTSG and then got an A at UTM, can you really conclude that UTM is easier, or did they just need a change of environment?

    so, what i’m trying to say is that there really isn’t a bonafide way of measuring “academic difficulty” between the campuses other than by word of mouth. you can choose to listen to the people who tell you one is easier than the other but i encourage you to investigate further and consider what they are basing their argument off of. i mean, once you’re there, you kind of have to roll with the punches on whatever campus you’re at, right?

    i hope that my ever-so-graceful dance around this question accompanied by a number of gifs has been satisfactory for your needs.

    peace and love,

    aska

  • anthropology,  applying for U of T,  arts & sciences,  international relations,  programs

    programs ‘n such

    Hi Aska, I am a grade 12 student who just applied for INternational
    Relations at UTSG, however I was wondering if it is possible to undertake a
    double degree in IR and Anthropology at U of T? If so, what would the
    course load be like, similar to majoring in both subjects or harder? As
    well as, how long would it take for me to complete both degrees, would it
    be the standard timeframe of 4 years or longer?

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hello,

    at U of T in the faculty of arts and sciences, we have programs, which are basically your major and minors:

    1. a specialist (one discipline) e.g.  specialist in international relations
    2. a double major (two disciplines) e.g. majoring in international relations and anthropology
    3. one major and two minors (three disciplines) e.g. majoring in international relations, minoring in anthropology and … english?

    if you specialize (option 1), you’ll be going more in depth with one subject, but if you pick option 2 or 3), you’ll be able to dabble in more disciplines, but at a more shallow level. does that make sense? it depends on how deep you wanna go into the subjects you are studying.

    what you’re referring to is a double major in international relations and anthropology, which is definitely possible.

    each option is equal in terms of difficulty and course load, meaning that you can complete any of the three options in the “standard” 4 years. some people finish their degrees under 4 years by taking courses during the summer, and others take longer to complete their degree because they take a smaller, more manageable course load throughout 5+ years. both options are pretty common!

    i hope this answered your questions!

    peace and love,

    aska