• Chestnut,  residence

    help me find housing

    March 21, 2013

    Hi hi,

    I’ve just been accepted to UofT and I have to rank my colleges. Woodsworth is first and by mistake I clicked on an x by Chestnut Residence and it put ‘NOT INTERESTED’ over it. I really don’t want to end up in Chestnut so I saved my rankings with WW first and Chestnut saying Not Interested. Does this mean that their only option is to put me in WW as I have excluded Chestnut from my options?

    Thanks for answering!

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Okay soooo the way the First-Year Guarantee works is that first-year full-time students will always be given a place to live. So if you don’t get into your first choice — in your situation, Woodsworth Residence — then you will quite likely be passed off to Chestnut. And then if there’s no room at Chestnut, the university will rent a hotel or something equally grand. All in all, if you’re incoming, you’ll get a place to stay — but if you reject whatever they offer you, then that’s that.

    Now there’s no way to make Woodsworth your “only option” and force them to take you — if that were the case, students would be doing that all the time right? You can say you’re “not interested” in Woodsworth on your MyRes app, but you can still be given a place there if Woodsworth doesn’t take you. But again, if you decline that offer… well, then have fun finding housing in Toronto. 🙁

    But if you do get sent to Chestnut, don’t sweat it! 😀

    It’s actually become a very popular residence. People can actively make it their first choice now! Likewise, given that the place used to be a hotel, the rooms are pretty big, the beds are pretty big, there’s cleaning services, and on Sunday mornings they make some mean omelettes. Chestnut is a great res. Yes, it’s a little far off, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little exercise right?

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • colleges,  residence

    housing “options” at uoft

    February 26, 2013

    hello there, greetings. Glad to know there is a website like this. this answer (sorry to quote)”Basically U of T is a bureaucracy (which you have probably already learned), that decides to organize students in little clumps called ‘colleges.’ The college you are accepted to dictates what residence you will in and who will handle your administrative affairs.”

    my daughter is ‘exploring’ U of T, Rotman College by way of transfer from US. From the Map of U of T, the nearest Residence is Woodsworth, Innis, Trinity, University, Victoria somewhat in that order by distance. She chooses Victoria as No. 1, she likes Victorian…things. Will that be considered? One thing, cant find room and meal fees for woodsworth for a regular Fall-Spring semester references.

    thank you.

    confused dad

    ———————————————

    Hey Confused Dad,

    Alas, we come to but the bajillionth college question.

    If you’ve done any reading on the matter before this (which I assume you have), you’ll know that certain college, particularly the small ones, will only accept students that rank them first. So for your situation, if you want to get into Woodsworth/Innis/Trinity/Vic, you’ll have to pick now and rank the one you want most. UC, fortunately enough, will be more accommodating since it’s a lot bigger.

    And to be clear, Victoria college isn’t really Victorian… Like, they don’t all dress in black like to fit in with the Queen V, nor do they have ridiculously long realist novels scattering the halls. However, the Victoria College building itself is a good way of feeling like you’re walking around in something that’s a century old. Seriously. The elevators can attest to that.

    But yes, if she ranks Vic as number one among the colleges, she’ll be considered — but I do warn you that Vic is quite, er, prestigious? Or picky. Hm. Difficult to get into.

    As for the Woodsworth info you cannot seem to find, just head over to Housing Services. Sometimes UofT’s individual websites can be the biggest pains, but most of what you’re looking for should be available on the res’ site.

    Good luck!

    aska

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  • residence

    res, roomies, and i really really don’t like smoke and parties

    November 19, 2012

    Hello,

    I’m hoping to get in to U of T for next year, and right now I’m trying to choose my college.? After touring the residences, I liked Innis the best. ?However, some students I know already at U of T told me that Innis has a reputation of partying and smoking.? Is this true?? I want to fit in with my roommates, not be the one oddball in a building.

    Sincerely,
    Worried

    ?????????

    Hey Worried!

    So I take it you?re the kind of student going to live on res to be near campus, not for the partypartyparty mindset most people move in with? As in you want easy access to the library and lecture halls? Or maybe you just hate commuting? Good for you!

    Anyhow, before roommates are assigned, you always fill out some sort of survey no matter what residence you get put in. That means you will most likely be sorted into a group of people that have the same mindset as you do, or at least the same taste for non-smoking and quiet evenings. You get asked questions about hobbies, allergies, how clean you are, whether or not you smoke, and so on and so forth. So don?t worry! I highly doubt you?ll be put into an apartment with three or four other girls that are complete chain-smoking party animals! You’ll find at least one comrade here!

    And if it?s any consolation, Innis Residence does provide you with your own room, so at least you?ll have that, right?

    crankily commuting,

    aska

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  • Chestnut,  innis,  residence

    nobody seems to want chestnut…

    November 16, 2012

    Hi,

    I am looking to apply to res at Innis but I fear getting sent to Chestnut as I simply could not afford it. I should have an average >92% in my final year of high school and am applying to the physics program, which is only a low 80’s to get in. Would this average be enough to get a spot at Innis and not be sent down to Chestnut? How many student do end up being sent down to Chestnut and what averages have previous years had to get their choice of residence at Innis?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Okay so as I’m sure you already know, the grades needed to get into the residence are technically the same as the ones needed to get into your given program. For you, yes, that would be low 80s. However, given the smaller size of Innis residence, getting in will be super competitive.

    I can’t tell you anything for sure, but I’d say a 92% average would more than likely be enough to get a spot in the residence. As for the number of students that get sent over to Chestnut, well that varies by year and by number of applicants.

    Good luck getting in!

    aska

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  • residence

    really, really, really need that res

    November 5, 2012

    Hi there,

    I’m about to apply to UofT but am confused about how to apply for a residence.? For example, Vic will be my first choice, but I can only afford the cheapest rooms.? If I get accepted, would I get a choice of rooms or would I be obliged to take whatever is offered?? The same goes for my second choice, UC.

    Thanks for your help!

    -confused in Ottawa

    ?????????

    Hey hey!

    First tip: rank the college with the res that you want as number one. So if you want to be in Vic, make sure Vic is numero uno when you rank your colleges. A lot of colleges only take the people that rank them first.

    To be clear, I?m going to be poor help since I?ve never lived in residence and am a proud crabby commuter. However, given that Vic has quite a number of residences, I?m sure you?ll get a chance to rank them. According to the Housing website, step three of applying for on-campus housing as an arts and science student requires that you ?rank your residence choices on MyRes.?

    Now if you?re utterly unlucky and don?t get the cheapest of the Vic residences? unfortunately, from my understanding, you?re sort of stuck. I know a girl who wanted to live at Innis (which, by the way, is the cheapest res at U of T), but got booted over to Chestnut and had no say about it.

    But for any further questions, you might be better off directing them to the specific college you want to live in or housing services.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • colleges,  residence,  university-college

    and what do you see in uc?

    October 10, 2012

    Hii,

    So I’m looking at university college to apply for residency. Can you or anyone else give me the overall vibe at UC or the pros and cons please?

    Thanks so much!

    ———————————————

    Hey hey,

    Unfortunately, personally I can’t really tell you anything about UC other than that I’ve taken a few classes in the building and don’t appreciate being on the dark and quiet third floor until 9PM. Likewise, I don’t really know anyone who lived there so I’ll do my best to give you a good answer.

    Try checking out the Life at UC section of their website to get a feel for the housing or the food plans or chances for getting involved. There’s a student mentorship program that you can partake in, along with a bunch of other student groups like The Gargoyle (UC’s newspaper), the dragonboat team, and even a theatre group. I can’t give you anything definitive in terms of UC’s “vibe,” but I can tell you from doing a little research that they’re definitely student community-oriented and care about fostering a friendly and welcoming environment.

    Best,

    aska

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  • awkwardness,  first year,  friends,  frosh,  innis,  residence

    frosh = friends?

    September 17, 2012

    Hi,

    I will be unable to attend Frosh Week because I’ll be arriving campus 3 days after it starts, but I am kind a worried because almost all the sources that I have read indicates that this is an important “mile-stone” that first-years need to take, and that it was a good way to meet friends, socialize, get used to the campus etc… I’m also dorming, so I have this little irrelevant fear that I won’t get along with my roomates (in Innis) because they’ll know each other better before I arrive, and I’ll sort of be the “outcast”.

    I was just wondering, am I really missing much? I’m sure there will be other opportunities to find friends, socialize, and attend orientation that may help me as a first year? I just don’t want to be left out, or feeling like I’m missing something that so many people are hyping over.

    Cheers,
    Catherine

    ———————————————

    Hey Catherine!

    Don’t worry! Frosh week is pretty fun, sure, but it is by no means the dealbreaker when it comes to social life at U of T.

    To make you feel better, here’s what I didn’t like about frosh week: they pretend to feed you, but actually all you get is two burgers a day, you really don’t sleep ever at all, you can’t officially drink, but everyone seems to be acting funny, and you’re totally wiped out when classes start. Still feel like you missed out? Well, maybe so, but there’s still no reason to worry.

    Living in res also gives you a leg up on meeting people, especially people involved in Innis student life– which you’ve probably realized by now! Several of my roommates at Innis didn’t do Frosh, so I made sure to bring them along to meet others, and, for better or for worse, we ended up being one of the busiest suites on the block! I’m sure your roomies will be just as down to hang. House events and residence programming simulate the same sort of get-to-know-yous that frosh does, anyhow, so you’ve got a second chance there.

    Honestly, Catherine, I made my best first-year friends in my classes- for one thing, you already know you have similar interests as those people, as opposed to a fairly arbitrary commonality such as your year and your college. And second of all, it’s simply more natural to chat after class about your cute prof than it is to get a stranger to guess the celebrity name taped to their forehead at 9am on a Saturday (true story, it was Rachel McAdams for me, and I didn’t even know who that was!). Getting involved in campus activities, getting a part-time job, and just being friendly and outgoing go pretty darn far.

    One last bit, and this is mostly for future froshies- if you missed Innis frosh, I hope you opted-out of the $100 fee in time! A few years ago, the Innis College Student Society, who run Frosh, included a somewhat greedy referendum in the yearly elections, which changed Frosh fees from opt-in (you pay when you sign up) to opt-out (you’re automatically charged on ROSI, and have to contact them a month before frosh to get your money back if you aren’t going). If you ask me, the kind of student who doesn’t go to Frosh is often the kind who wouldn’t know to vote in student elections, so thats why the motion passed overwhelmingly– and now a lot of first-years are paying for something they don?t even get! Bummer spice!

    Welcome to U of T!

    aska

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  • residence

    country mouse and city mouse

    August 27, 2012

    Hey,

    So I’m a Vic student who put Marg Ad as their top choice for residence. For whatever reason, I ended up in Rowell Jackman Hall, which I hear is the quietest of all residences at Vic. I’m panicking, because I contacted my roommate after getting my room assignment, and realized that the rowdy city rat I am, is about to be paired with a treehugging country girl who sleeps at 10 PM and wakes at 8 AM everyday. Help.

    Is it possible to switch residences? It’s about two weeks before move-in day, and I’ve already paid all my fees, but couldn’t they switch me around? I’m seriously worrying about this, because I filled out my application for residence honestly, and got paired with my complete opposite. I want to have a good first year experience, and quite frankly, all work and no play isn’t what I paid for.

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

    Partaaay people,

    I would contact the residence folks (at?416-585-4521) and explain your situation. The odds are there is another mis-matched pair that might be able to switch up with you.

    Unfortunately they might make you try it out for awhile and then you might be able to get switched around if the two of you aren’t getting along. Although it seems like you two couldn’t be more polar opposites, you might turn out getting along. My roommate from first year and I have joked about how we assumed we weren’t going to get along based off of our names and they turned out to be my partner in crime for the next 3 years.

    Good luck and happy first-year-ing.

    with cake shots,

    aska

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  • residence,  trinity college

    been answering questions about Trinity for parents since 2012

    July 19, 2012

    Hi

    My daughter just received confirmation of her room in Trinity Residence.

    Welcome to Trinity College. We are pleased to offer you a space in residence and look forward to having you as part of the community. You have been assigned to room 492 in Seager – located in the Trinity Residence at 6 Hoskin Ave. This is a Single room.

    Is there any way to get a layout of the building to find the exact location of the room and which floor it is on ?

    Thanks

    Keith

    ———————————————

    Why hello there father Trinity,

    I’m sure you could bribe a security guard with a little something something, but I think if you give Trinity College a call (416) 978-2522 and explain why you need the information they would be more then happy to help you!

    If I had to guess though … because I always like to test my luck … I would say your daughter’s room is on the 4th floor.

    ice cream with sprinkles,

    aska

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  • innis,  residence

    i want to party, party

    May 3, 2012
    Hi,
    Im in grade 12 and I didn’t know too much about the residences when I filled out the applications and Im unsure about going to Innis residence… Since its apartment styled, if i went to the res in first year, would I still be able to meet new people and network???
    Thanks so much for your time,
    Vera

    ———————————————

    You bet your boothay Vera,

    Innis is a cool way to meet peeps. The residence style allows you to meet new people while still having your own private getaway when you need to study … or.. do …uhhh …other?… uhhh private things … cough.

    The Innis “pods” are set up of 5 or 6 rooms with a common kitchen and chill out area. Sharing a common area allows for you to quickly meet people. Innis also puts a lot of effort into puttng on events through the residence. So if you want to make buddies with the rest of your college, there will be events galore for you to attend; think movie nights, pub crawls and club nights.

    Go forth and be social.

    forever and always babe,

    aska

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  • residence

    may the odds be ever in your residence favour

    April 10, 2012

    Hey aska, I’m a second year going back to res next year. I was at Whitney this year and loved it but don’t think I’ll get back in. Do you have any next best suggestions? My main concern is that it’s still social, like I’d like to continue drinking the usual 4 times a week. Also do you think I’ll still be able to meet people in residence as a second year, I know a lot of second years in my building don’t seem to come out much. Thanks

    ??????????????????????-

    I read the Hunger Games … phew … I just needed to?confess that.

    And like my phase of watching only Zombieland and Walking Dead, my daily functions are all being related to how I can survive.?

    My first thought was … drinking 4 days a week won’t help you in the Hunger Games, but the odds of that happening are very slim and even if they did then you are probably older than the tribute age bracket.

    ?Here are all of your options as an upper-year student looking for residence … I’m assuming they just expect you to reapply to the same residence you are in now, so you can just follow the below instructions.

    How to Apply for Residence as an Upper-year or Transfer Student

    Please note:? these instructions are for students not currently living in residence – if you are currently living in residence and wish to re-apply, contact your residence office.?

    1. Explore your residence options.

    The following residences consider applications from upper-year and transfer students:

    Don’t forget to review the features of the different residences and explore the residence comparison chart!

    2. Apply to each residence you are interested in.

    In order to be considered, you must register yourself on the U of T Residence Waiting List. You might also want to consider applying directly to the residences that most interest you (with the exceptions of New, & Woodsworth colleges as they consider applications exclusively from the U of T Residence Waiting List). As residence space is often very limited, it is highly recommended that you also consider applying to some of the independent residences located near campus and/or investigating off-campus housing.

    3. Follow up with each residence.

    Residence spaces are generally reserved for first-year students and upper-year students who are currently living in residence ? you will only be considered for residence if space permits after these groups have been accommodated.?The earliest residence offers will be made to new upper-year and transfer students is late June.?Be sure to follow up with each residence to inquire about your status, offers will continue to be made throughout the summer as space permits.

    Word on the street is that you are currently in the party residence. Chestnut is known to have some party years/floors, but I’ve also heard some snore stories from there.
    If you’re willing to drink 4 days a week, I can almost gaurentee there will be someone around to make friends with at any residence

    Go forth and maintain your drinking stamina!

    ?always prepared for battle,

    aska

     

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  • residence

    ra-ra-residence

    March 30, 2012

    Hey!

    I’ll be applying next year to UofT and I’m already freaking out!!! I live in Toronto but I’m afraid that living at home would mean missing a lot of fun after-class stuff and opportunities to make new friends. Even though I live close enough to campus to make a 40min bus commute, would staying in residence, even if just for first year, be better?!?!?!?!

    Thanks!

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

    Hey hey,

    I’m scared for your health if you’re freaking out this early in the game! Maybe you do need to stray from the nest.?

    Residence is an awesome way to meet people. Sure, your college will have events to help integrate the commuters, but?its a lot easier to?just be living in the res. Even if its just for one year, living away from home ?is an opportunity that?I think all young folks should take.

    Side Bar Ted -?5?things learnt living away from home

    1) How to make an?indoor clothing line out of hemp because you?don’t have the $2 it takes?to dry your clothes.

    2)?When vegetables start to go limp you can?put?them in a bowl of water to revive them enough to eat.

    3)?Studenst shouldn’t have white walls in their houses.

    4)?When parents tell you?not to jump on the couch as a kid, it’s?because they really?can break. Couches/futons are not invincible to jumping/dancing

    5) Stealing … kidding … well not really … kidding again … or am?I …

    So yah, go for it! Why not? If it really sucks, move home 🙂

    forever unstresed,
    aska

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  • innis,  residence

    i … just … need … to … know

    March 27, 2012
    Hey Aska,
    I was accepted just last week for mechanical engineering at U of T!
    I chose Innis as my first choice of residency, but haven’t gotten any feedback so far.
    I was hoping you could tell me when to expect an offer from any residency, my top 6 marks averaged out to be around 96%.
    But from things I’ve heard, even that may not be enough to get into Innis 🙁
    I’d really appreciate the feedback and your personal opinion!
    Thanks!
    -Dan

    ———————————————

    Hey Dan!!

    Absolutely nothing will happen until you have accepted your admissions offer.

    A 96% is a pretty awesome average. Even for engineering that is pretty good. They generally say a few percentages higher than what your admissions requirements were. It’s not based on the highest in general, but in relation to what program you are admitted to.
    My guess would be within the next month you should get your residence offer. Rounds of admissions are still going out, but as time goes on, the rounds are late offers and those people most likely don’t have the grades for residence.

    Innis puts a large chunk of spots aside for engineering students.

    I wouldn’t panicked just yet.

    forever yours – truly and forever,

    aska

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