• applying for U of T

    wait til you get here

    January 12, 2017

    hello hello first off!! you’re an angel for doing all of this like ?? i am saved from so much anxiety and pls save me from another attack plsplspls
    SO, since i was just so busy and occupied from september to mid november, i just finished up the ouac 105d application this week and i’m expecting the university of toronto to come back with my jointid thing in one or two weeks. but i keep obsessing over how it says, on the page where they apply, that spaces fill quickly and that you should apply “well in advance”. i’m thinking i’ll get my full application in by december 15, about a month before applications are due. is that too late?

    i understand that you have no idea just how many students are applying this year, of course, and since the university participates in university fair at the beginning of november, i’m hoping that indicates that they aren’t totally abhorred by the idea of december applications… but i still do feel very concerned. is it a lost cause?

    ———————————————

    why hello again,

    gurl, pls. breathe. inhale. exhale.

    first, i want to acknowledge that i am fully aware that the application deadline is indeed tomorrow and that i didn’t get to this question in time. i’m sorry about that, but you’ll find that my answer wouldn’t have helped you out too much.

    while askastudent may claim to be all-knowing, unfortunately, there are certain limitations to our knowledge.

    the enrolment services people are hella mysterious. no one really knows what goes on in those offices, not even my omniscient self! what is written on the site is basically all the info they were comfortable with releasing and we kind of have to roll with it.

    it is true that some programs will fill up, but some programs are definitely more competitive than others.

    to me, applying a month in advance sounds like it would be fine, but in the end, it really comes down to how strong your application is. taking the time to send in a good application is definitely better than applying super early with a mediocre application.

    stay calm, youngling. everything is going to be okay.

    i totally understand your pre U of T anxiety, but just try to enjoy the last couple of months of high school before you’re thrown into the pre-real world. what’s done is done!

    that being said, i hope you get in.

    peace, love, and chill pills,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  english,  polisci,  St. George

    ENG 4UofT

    January 10, 2017

    hi! regarding the political science question, is there a specific grade needed in ENG 4U that is needed? i read that for st george, you needed low 80s in ENG 4U. I meet the general admissions marks but my English grade is quite a bit lower than my other 5 subjects.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    like i said in the previous post you’re referring to, at st. george, polisci falls under the social science category, so according to the requirements for ontario high school students, you’ll need an overall average (taken from ENG 4U and your next 5 best U/M courses) that’s in the low to mid 80’s. however, it does also state that you should have at least mid to low 70’s as your ENG 4U grade.

    in terms of a specific grade needed, the best we can do is provide you with this “mid to low 70’s range”. my understanding is that it would be hard for the university to provide specific grades since not all students are admitted solely based on their academic performance.

    hope this answers your question!

    peace and love,

    aska

     

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  • applying for U of T,  dentistry,  grad school,  rejection,  science

    i hate you people (dentists)

    December 16, 2016

    Hi there!

    I’m from Latin America and I applied to the MSc in Oral Pathology
    (dentistry). My application was rejected. I thought I had a strong letter
    of recommendation and a solid background (although maybe not enough
    research experience), which leads me to believe my undergraduate GPA wasn’t
    high enough (3.2, minimun for my country to apply was 3.0) and was the
    primary reason of my rejection.

    I would like to ask if any of you is currently accepted in the program,
    with what GPA did you get in, and if you recommend for me to reapply.

    Thank you!!

    ———————————————

    hello,

    first of all, i’m really sorry to hear that you didn’t get into the program. i’m sure you worked very hard, but don’t lose hope. there are definitely plenty of career paths you can pursue with your grades and educational background!

    i’m actually not a dentistry student, but in posting this, i hope you’ll get feedback from other applicants in the comments!

    i’m going to try to answer this question while ignoring the fact that dentists are the bane of my existence…

    unfortunately, i can’t tell you exactly why you didn’t get in. that’s a question you’ll have to ask admissions.

    however, in regards to your GPA, while it is true that a 3.0 GPA is the minimum, it seems that most applicants who were invited for interviews had higher GPAs. to quote the one of the answers given on the dentistry website:

    “A minimum current grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) is required to apply to the Doctor of Dental Surgery Program (DDS). However, a grade point average of 3.0 (i.e. B) at the time of application does not guarantee selection. It should be noted that the 170 domestic applicants invited for an interview had a GPA of at least 3.85 and the 10 international students invited for an interview had a GPA of at least 3.75.”

    this may explain why your application got rejected, but again, we will never know for sure. if you have any further questions about admissions, you could always talk to dentistry student services, but it is highly unlikely that they will be able to speak to you about your application specifically.

    it’s completely up to you if you feel like reapplying! you should really think about whether or not you want to continue pursuing dentistry. if you do feel like reapplying, maybe consider taking some non-degree courses in order to boost up your GPA for an even stronger application. i believe in you!

    good luck with your future endeavours!

    peace, love, and don’t forget to floss,

    aska

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  • applying for U of T,  arts & sciences,  math,  other schools (boo!),  prereqs,  PUMP,  transfer credits

    transferring + that calculus requirement

    December 9, 2016

    Hey Aska, I had a question regarding the calculus requirement for Life
    Science programs. I haven’t took high school calculus, and am moving soon
    and want to transfer to U of T. I am currently taking a first year math
    course here at York.  The U of T website says “A suitable community college
    or university course in calculus” counts,  but I’m not sure if the course
    I’m taking, “Mathematics for the Life and Social Sciences” will count since
    it’s not strictly calculus  (though it covers Biocalculus for at least 85%
    of the course.) please let me know if I can fulfill the requirement with
    the course I’m taking (and if so, what mark is satisfactory, since I don’t
    think I can pull off an A atm). If I can’t fulfill the requirement I’ll
    just take PUMP or night school.

    Thank you Aska, I appreciate your help!!

    ———————————————

    hello,

    so U of T has a great resource called ‘transfer explorer’ where you can plunk in a course taken at another institution (in your case, york) to see what its U of T equivalent would be. when you put in  ‘MATH1505: mathematics for the life and social sciences’ in transfer explorer, it states that the equivalent (last assessed in 2014) is U of T’s JMB170.

    the course description of JMB170, doesn’t give me the impression that it is a calculus course. i’m not sure what life science program you’re trying to get into, but from my point of view, MATH1505 doesn’t seem like it would carry over and be considered as a valid calculus course.

    just out of curiosity, i took a quick look at the department of psychology’s calc requirement and couldn’t find anything that would include JMB170. if i’m not mistaken, calculus courses at U of T generally have MAT course codes. my recommendation for you would be to contact your chosen life science program directly.

    contacting the faculty of arts and science may also be able to help you with this issue, since they are the ones who decide ultimately which courses transfer over.

    if worse comes to worse, PUMP is definitely a good option. you’ve done your research!

    good luck with everything and i hope you have a smooth transfer process!

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  arts & sciences,  colleges,  english,  film

    not another college question

    November 20, 2016

    Hi!
    I’m a student who’s applying internationally for the faculty of arts and
    sciences. And I really don’t understand the college system.
    I mean I do, but like, are there subjects that are not available in all
    colleges? Are there any colleges that are  academically lower than others?
    I’m planning to either major in film or english, is that going to matter?
    Also, how do I do my research about the colleges? I’m really lost about
    this whole situation.

    Thank you so much, your blog really helped clear up a lot of thing.

    ———————————————

    hello,

    i was going to preface this post by saying ‘ugh, not another college question’, but you’ve asked some questions that i think are important to address, so i have no sass for you today.

    let me try addressing your questions one by one.

    1. are there any subjects that are not available in all colleges?

    do you mean to ask if there are any subjects that are exclusive to certain colleges? the answer to that is no. you have access to all courses in the faculty of arts and science regardless of your college affiliation.

    2. are there colleges that are academically lower than other colleges?

    no, not that i know of. there are students who perform well and students who perform poorly at every college. even if there were, we most likely would not be able to disclose that information on aska because that would be hella shady.

    3. i’m planning on majoring in film and english, does that matter?

    not really. innis college IS known for their cinema studies program and there isn’t really ONE college affiliated with english. innis also has a writing and rhetoric program, while vic has literature and critical theory. the only thing that might matter is, for example: you might hear more about cinema studies events if you’re an innis college student. regardless, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem as long as you are subscribed to the right listservs (email subscriptrions). to see a list of every college’s specialty, click here!

    4. how do i conduct research on the colleges?

    you can go on this website and find the tag ‘colleges‘. we’ve answered tons of questions similar to yours and you’re bound to find out a lot about each of them. even browsing reddit or college websites can tell you a lot about them. maybe you’ll find that one particular college gives off a good vibe. like i’ve said in the past, what college you’re part of doesn’t REALLY matter unless you’re thinking of living in residence. there’s also college culture to consider, but you’ll have to find out about those yourself by talking to people from the respective colleges.  if you want more info on the residences offered, check out our ‘residence‘ tag!

    keep in mind that when you’re ranking colleges, some colleges (innis, vic, trin) require you to rank them first.

    choose wisely, my friend.

     

    giphy-2

     

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  polisci,  social sciences,  St. George,  subject POST,  UTM,  UTSC

    a polisci question on election day

    November 8, 2016

    Hi, what are the approximate averages needed for ontario students to get into BA political science at St George, Mississauga and Scarborough? Thanks

    ———————————————

    hello there,

    first, let’s break this down. at U of T, political science falls under the category of social sciences. if you want to pursue political science, you might consider applying to the social sciences stream after high school.

    once you are accepted, you’ll first have to complete a total of 4.0 FCE’s (full course equivalents, or credits) until you can be accepted into a political science program, be it a major or a minor. 4.o FCE’s just means that you’ll only be able to apply after first year. keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need to get into your program after first year, you can enter in second year and on!

    in terms of admission into the social sciences stream at each campus, you’ll see here that they recommend the following averages: low to mid 80’s for U of T St. George, mid 70’s for UTSC, and mid to high 70’s for UTM.

    before you choose your first year courses, definitely refer to the calendar and look at what courses you’ll have to take and what grades you’ll need to get to be accepted into the polisci program. since i am the nicest stranger you’ll never meet, i’ve linked you to the political science calendar of each campus: UTSG, UTM, and UTSC so you can see what you’ll need. you’re very welcome.

    giphy-5

    i hope you get into polisci and do some good in the world. don’t forget to thank aska when you receive a nobel prize. happy (or unhappy) election day!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • applying for U of T,  gap year,  intake,  keeners,  UTSC

    we got ourselves a catherine keener

    November 8, 2016

    Hi, i graduated high school in June 2016 and I decided to take a gap year before I attend university. Hence,I will be applying to utsc for entry into September 2017. If I do get admitted into my program will I be able to at least take my electives during summer 2017? I’d really like to get a head start since i did take time off from school due to unforeseen circumstances.
    Thank you for your times and hope to hear from you soon!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    first of all, i totally understand your desire to get a head start. the sooner you’re done with school, the better. (at least that’s how i’ve always felt)

    unfortunately, first year intake at U of T is always in september. to my understanding, starting first year during the summer has only been granted in very unique circumstances, but is highly discouraged and “rarely entertained”.

    one of the main reasons for this is that transitioning from high school to first year is a big jump and getting settled into university is such an important aspect of the whole university experience. the university will have orientation events (not just frosh week) in september to help you adjust along with your peers. you’ll definitely understand what i mean once you start in september.

    furthermore, i imagine the whole process of petitioning for early intake would be extremely arduous and just not worth it. summer courses also generally move at a faster pace and it would be an even bigger jump to go from high school straight into university summer courses. since i’m saying all of this, it might seem like summer intake is actually an option, but it really isn’t.

    trust me on this one, september intake is the way to go. you’ll find a lot more support from both campus resources as well as friends you meet during frosh.

    just make sure you apply by january 13th and if all goes well, you’ll be set to start in september!

    ^this is an amazing song, by the way.

    i hope this cleared up some of your questions! best of luck with your application!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • applying for U of T,  engineering,  english

    shakespeare ex machina

    November 4, 2016

    Greetings, I’m in a predicament and I need some enlightenment. I applied to the Eng program for 2016 but didn’t get accepted so I decided to try applying again. Do you think its worth applying for a second time? Signed Confused Me

    ———————————————

    hello,

    first of all, a little more info would’ve been helpful! i appreciate your efforts in trying to be concise, but do you mean eng as in english or engineering? help me out here!

    giphy-2

    if you didn’t get accepted it may be because your high school marks weren’t high enough, but again, i have no idea, mostly because i don’t know what program you applied for, nor do i know you personally.

    if you want more information on this matter, it may be worth it to contact your department (whichever it may be) to see how you can boost your application. not sure if this a thing they do, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask!

    i obviously can’t speak on behalf of enrolment services, but chances are, if your marks are still the same as they were the when you first applied, it’s likely you’ll get the same answer. it also depends on the applicant pool that you were in- maybe the averages were particularly high that year and you didn’t meet the cut-off. these are just examples, of course, and i hope you know that i am in no way assuming that your grades were too low. there are plenty of reasons why someone might not get in and low grades is just one of them!

    i know this probably wasn’t the most encouraging response, but hopefully you now have some more things to think about. i wish there was more i could do!

    but hey, be careful what you wish for. school may not be for you! my sage advice would be to make sure it’s 100% what you want.

    best of luck!

    signed,

    an even more confused aska

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

    vague and subjective question

    October 29, 2016

    Hello Aska!! I know you hate vague and subjective questions, so I’ll apologize in advice for what I’m about to ask. Sorry! I’m the definition of indecisive, so I have come to you. I’m a senior in high school and there are only two goals I have: 1. Go to UofT 2. Get a high paying job. Now this may be a fool’s dream, but what can I say? Anyway, I have only taken data as my one uni math course, but my English marks are always spectacular. What should I do in UofT?-

    ———————————————

    hello there,

    just to clarify, i only despise questions that demand answers to things that i couldn’t possibly know, like “am i going to get in if i have this grade in this class?” or “i submitted this thing a while ago, why haven’t i heard back? this is my student number. pls help.”

    if you just want a second opinion (or the opinion of a relatively jaded undergrad student) i’m your person!

    see, you say you’re indecisive, but you clearly know what you want. you know that you want to go to U of T and that you want dem dolla dolla billz. ’tis not a fool’s dream. ’tis everyone’s dream.

    i’m not going to outright tell you what you should study. (astrophysics. that is what you should do. it’s super easy.) i know nothing about you, but i can tell by your question that you think you’ll get paid more if you study a program that requires math. it’s great that your english marks are spectacular, but what do you really want to do? you may be good at english, but do you enjoy it? do you have a passion for literature?

    on the other hand, are you going to be happy in a program that requires math? do you even like math? (ew who likes math)

    once you get your undergrad degree, are you thinking of pursuing grad school?

    you might feel like i’m not helping since i’m throwing more questions at you, but these are questions that you should really consider.

    you’re a young’un. at this point in your life, as a senior in high school, the possibilities are truly endless. there are so many different paths you could take. don’t be afraid to choose a path different than the one you imagined yourself taking. heck, for the longest time, i hadn’t even considered coming to U of T for university.

    *aska storytime*

    when i started 12th grade, i actually had my heart set on a university in my hometown. i went on a campus tour, located the nearest mcdonalds, and found pretty much every starbucks on campus. i was so ready.

    everything changed when all my friends were applying to schools in the east. i felt some hardcore fomo and decided to apply to U of T, just for the heck of it. i didn’t think i would get in, but i did!

    the moral of this story is, i didn’t end up walking down the path that i thought i would, and things still worked out amazingly well in the end.

    *end of aska storytime*

    dolla dolla billz are definitely important to take into account, but you need to remember that lots of employment opportunities come from knowing the right people. the most valuable piece of advice i could give you right now is to get as much work/ volunteer experience as you can. maintain professionalism and consistency in everything you do. as a result, you’ll have great references and people will be more likely to recommend you for other jobs.

    in conclusion: don’t think about your program of study with your potential future income in mind! there are so many things that can happen along the way which can shape what your future turns out to be. your eventual failure or success won’t have had anything to do with this one choice you made in university. but if you don’t like what you’re studying, you’ll dread every class you sit through, and you won’t want to go to class. trust me, i know what it’s like.

    anyways, i’ll end my rant here, but i just want you to know:

    i hope you choose something you love. best of luck to you!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  askastudent love/hate,  getting into U of T,  OUAC,  undergrad

    asap yo

    September 27, 2016

    hi! first, thank you for all the work that you do! it has deterred many mental breakdowns and instinctive stress eating for me. second, i’d like to ask you a question about when i should start applying for uoft’s faculty of arts and science at st. george. see, i’m a little paranoid about applying too early (like, october to early november) because i heard that means they’ll look into your grade eleven marks and those really aren’t my best (i think i had, like, ib precalculus and ib art at a 79%?). but i’m also afraid of applying a little too late. when do you think would be a good time to start the application process??
    thanks!

    ———————————————

    hello!

    thank YOU for thanking us! sometimes, it can get a little overwhelming when trying to answer everyone’s questions, especially since there is only one aska at the moment. people can even get mad at us if we don’t respond in time, when really, all urgent matters should be taken elsewhere. we would not be here if it weren’t for people like you having mental breakdowns*. thank you for your kind words and patience. it means a lot.

    applying to schools is a lengthy and arduous process and i would recommend you get started as soon as the application comes out. the U of T website states that applications will be available in october, so i recommend that you log into the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) as soon as it’s available and start making your application as appealing as possible. think long and hard about your personal statements and make them genuine.

    starting early will give you tons of time to ask your guidance counsellor/ askastudent/ upper-years questions and it’ll give you one less thing to worry about when you’re making the most of your last year of high school!

    the application deadline is february 1st, so make sure you have your application in by then.

    you’ll also need to rank your colleges at some point and for that, i would recommend you check out our other posts about colleges!

    if you want more guidance in this process, this link will give you a good idea of what the application process is like.

    best of luck to you and I hope we’ll see you around!

    cheers,

    aska

     

    *don’t even get me started on the stress eating. i wolfed down an ice cream sandwich, a twinkie, and half a box of chocolate covered triscuits while writing this post.*

     

     

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