• admissions,  life science,  UTM

    life sigh

    February 4, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    I just wanted to ask how many round of acceptances are there for utm life sci since our school distributed our second semester midterm in late april. Also i know the cutoffs for this program are about mid 80’s, but what if my average is exactly an 85%, will i still get in? Is utm only concerned with the overall average when accepting people into the program or they also look at individual grades for the top 6 courses?

    If you can help me out, that would be great

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i don’t know specifically how many “rounds” there are since, though it pains me to say it, i am not the ENTIRE ADMISSIONS committee at this or any uoft campus. i guess uoft just hasn’t realized yet that i’d do a fantastic job of deciding the next generation’s world leaders. it’s ok.

    anyway, i know that GENERALLY SPEAKING, there’s like three or so times that the university sends out offers – there’s early acceptance in december-ish, then late february/early march, and late may/early june. most people hear back in late february/early march, but it’s a really general timeline. you can get an idea of that here.

    they will use the average of your top 6 courses, including prerequisites, to consider you. and if that average is an 85%, then (disclaimer of me not being affiliated with admissions because i am just a hobo at a computer blah blah blah) yeah, you’ll get in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • St. George,  Transferring,  UTM

    everybody, everybody wants to be downtown (yeah)

    January 27, 2014

    Hello,

    I am a first-year student currently attending UTM. It was my plan all along to live at home and attend UTM for my first-year, and then switch over to UTSG (where my program of interest is) for the remainder of my undergraduate degree. I’m just about ready to submit my transfer app.

    The site says that for transfer students in their first year (They also said this when I contacted them) They look at your first year marks, as well as your grade 12 makrs from highschool. They do not look at transfer credits as first-year students aren’t eligible to use them.

    To the best of your knowledge, is it very easy to transfer, since it is just between campuses?

    Please get back to me!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    “please get back to me,” as if i ever DON’T get back to people. c’mon guys, doncha know by now that you can TRUST me? i’m like the friendly neighbour down the hall who always talks with you in the laundry room even when you’re pretending really hard to read a book: dependable. chatty. always there. regular in my laundry habits.

    now, about your question. one, what ‘transfer credit’ are you referring to? do you mean ib/ap credits from high school? or transfer credits from first year? because i transferred to the downtown campus after first year and i got transfer credit for both those things. you gotta be specific in your questions, peeps.

    anyway, is it easy? i mean, yeah, bureaucratically speaking. you just use the internal application that i’m sure you’ve already got in order, follow the instructions and voila! i don’t think it’s any more or less easy than transferring from another canadian university.

    obviously, if you didn’t do very well in your first year, you’re going to run into some problems (i’d say that a first-year average of 5% lower than the cut-off your program uses to admit students from grade 12 will give you a good shot at getting in), and it’s harder to get into some programs than others (i’m lookin’ at you, commerce) but i think that goes without saying. you should hear back from them in late march/early april. it’s all pretty straightforward after that: you just, y’know, get on the train to a different school.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  psychology,  UTM

    getting on that brain train

    January 24, 2014

    Hello! I was just wondering what the UTM requirements are to apply to do a psychology major after not initially meeting the initial requirements. On the UTM calendar it says to go to the psychology homepage but I can’t seem to find anything lol.

    Thank you for your help!

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the requirements are kind of the same as the initial requirements, to be honest. you still need to have completed grade 12 biology and advanced functions – no changes there – and you also need to have gotten at least a 63% in PSY201H5, as well as completed at least 1.0 FCEs out of the second or upper-year requirements for the psychology major.

    basically, they want you to be doing the major in practice, so that if/when you register in it formally, you’re not behind. i guess that makes some sense, but it also means that there’s NO SLACKING. you have to keep taking psych courses consistently and make sure you’ve got all those requirements done by the time you want to reapply. YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT, SOLDIER? DO YOU REALLY?

    i sometimes get carried away when motivating students. sorry. some call it a curse, some a blessing. i guess it’s up to you to decide which camp to believe. point is, it’ll be just as hard, if not harder, to get into psych after first year – so don’t stop trying now.

    aska

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  • admissions,  drama,  subject POST,  UTM

    majors and CTEP and UTM, oh my!

    January 22, 2014

    Hi!

    I’m a student going into grade 12 and have two very different fields which I want to pursue, so I have some questions. Is it possible to take a major in drama and a major in math? And if so, which one would I apply with or do I apply with both, in reference to the form, essay and auditions, etc.? Does this work for the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus? And is it possible to make my math major part of a teaching degree? I also don’t really understand how choosing courses works and if you can have electives, and how many. Also, would I be limited in teaching possibilities or employment possibilities if I took math as a minor?

    Thank you,

    Ioana

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, ioana, you’ve got a lot of questions, so i’m just gonna take them step by step, starting with the first one: is it possible to do a major in math and a major in drama?

    yes! in fact, uoft doesn’t allow you to take just one major; that would be too easy. you kinda have to supplement it with other stuff, and double-majoring is one way to do that. the mathematics major requires that you complete 7.5 FCEs and the drama major requires that you complete 8.0 FCEs. that means 15.5 out of the 20 credits you will receive for your degree will be program requirements.

    as for how you apply, there’s only one application necessary. for drama, you won’t have to go through auditions and essays and all that until 2nd year. your first year drama course, DRM100Y1, doesn’t require any kind of audition or application. same goes for math; you can enrol in most 1st year math courses from any program you want. so it’s up to you whether you want to apply through life science or humanities, though i’d say humanities is probably your best bet, because the university might decide to impose restrictions on who gets into drama, but they’re far less likely to do the same with math. so just go to OUAC or however it is you’re applying, select the humanities stream, and sit tight. auditions and picking of majors will happen at the end of first year.

    more or less the same holds true (math major program) (drama major program) for utm, except they have fewer required courses altogether for both major programs.

    teaching at uoft requires a separate application and you can enter into it starting 2nd year. you’ll get your B.Ed. essentially by taking education as a minor, and then your B.A./B.Sc. will be your other “teachable” degree that you get after four years. math can totally be part of that degree (either B.A. or B.Sc.) if you major in it, though it will be tough to do two majors and a minor (i.e. math, drama and education) – almost every single one of your 20.0 credits will have to go towards some program requirement. utm is currently in the process of renovating their CTEP program, but when it comes back in 2015, it should be similar to the uoft program.

    if you just did a minor in math, you wouldn’t be able to do UTM’s CTEP, because their only allowed areas of study are french, chem, math or physics. you’d have other options at various other institutions that are all listed on uoft’s CTEP site, but if you’re looking at UTM, i’d advise majoring in math.

    as far as i know, math teachers are GENERALLY in higher supply than humanities teachers, but honestly, that’s nothing to base a decision on. like i’ve said time and again on this site, employment possibilities change and stats for employment go up and down by the month, and it’s smarter for you to do what you actually want to and MAKE a path for yourself than to follow the numbers. however, if you really want to teach math, then go for it, dude.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  commerce,  repeating course,  UTM

    who ever knows what university documents are talking about

    January 10, 2014

    Hello, I am a grade 12 student currently in high school and I plan on applying to UTM commerce, but this year my mother was terminally ill and diagnosed with breast cancer which has a impact on my school most importantly Grade 12 Advanced Function and I was wondering if UTM will accept me repeating the course again in night school to get a better mark. Please let me know! I plan on applying during the winter holidays starting December 19th!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    my condolences about your mother. as far as night school goes, UTM will be able to see both of your marks. they definitely won’t refuse to accept the repeated mark, but they “reserve the right to give preference to students whose grades represent their first attempt.” which i know sounds just like…what talk straight, dammit – will you accept me or not?

    that’s where i come in (w00). i have some experience in decoding red-tape talk, and if you translate that sentence from bureaucratic university jargon, it basically means that it might affect the admission decision a little bit, but it definitely won’t decide it. additionally, a repeated course is much better than just leaving a really poor mark on your transcript. so i’d go right ahead and repeat it!

    ALSO, IMPORTANTLY, since you have a legitimate reason for this having occurred, you have the opportunity (which i 100% recommend you go for) to write the university a letter explaining why your mark(s) is/are that way. it’ll make them a lot more disposed to give you special consideration. you can do that by getting in touch with enrolment services: they’ll tell you where and how to send this kind of letter.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions,  architecture,  english,  extracurricular,  UTM

    wherein i solve all of youth’s problems.

    December 2, 2013

    Hello there,
    I’m currently in Grade 12, and am thinking of applying to U of T’s Architecture Studies program, and also to the English program (for teachers’ college) in U of T Mississauga. I understand that they’re discontinuing (or working out the kinks at least) the Concurrent Teacher’s Education Program for the 2014-2015 school year. OK. Hereee goess…1. Realistically, what is the likelihood of me getting into the Architecture program with [information redacted] and probably a low to mid 80 average overall? 2. I do a lot of leadership stuff in my extracurricular activities in and outside of school. I am currently in 5-8 clubs and is a leader in at least half of them. Is there any way I can show them the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve put into managing all this in my student life? Does it even matter? 3. What would I need (grade wise) in order to get into the English program at UTM? 4. From my understanding, you can apply to the CTEP in your second year. Is that true? If so, is there a glimmer of hope that I may be able to be in the CTEP in my second year? 5. Realistically, if I get accepted into both programs, would I be able to attend to both UTM and U of T? I have transportation to both.
    Thanks so much

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you people who number your questions are my favourite people. i bet you’re also the people who colour-code your notes and have daily to-do lists, aren’t you? it’s ok, don’t worry. this is an accepting environment. you can be honest with me.

    anyway, i’m just gonna go ahead and follow your numbering system along, since you’ve gone to the trouble of making it:

    1. yo, guys. i’m not an admissions committee. i don’t KNOW if your precise averages will be enough to get you in. and neither does the school – it all depends on the competition of everyone else applying with you. what you can do to ease your mind is take a look at last year’s incoming averages for a rough idea. that table says that incoming students had an average mark in the mid-80s for architecture, so make of that what you will.

    2. now, this is the one that stings. they tell you for four years that extra-curriculars are really helpful for getting into university – they drill it into you. well, guess what? they LIED. the university only looks at marks, and that’s just the unfortunate truth of the matter. HOWEVER some colleges (*cough* vic *cough*) do require a supplemental form in which you can brag about all your extracurricular achievements, and obviously scholarships and grants (which I would highly recommend applying to) are heavily based on extracurricular achievement, so hopefully it didn’t ALL go to waste.

    3. if we once more look at this glorious page and scroll down to utm – humanities, we’ll see that previous incoming averages came out to the mid-70s.

    4. you absolutely can apply to CTEP in second year! not only can you do it, but it seems like that’s when the majority of people apply, so i think that if you meet their admission requirements, you should be fine. they’re very reasonable requirements too – gpa of at least 2.5, full course-load, enrolled at utm, and complete certain first-year courses. if you stay focused and complete those, i’d say you have a good chance of getting in.

    5. utm and uoft are separate universities. it is possible to take some classes downtown if you’re from utm, but you can’t be enrolled in both institutions, even if you can drive back and forth between them five times in a day. soz.

    hoping you have a smashin’ first year,

    aska

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  • commerce,  transfer credits,  UTM

    bop to the top at UTM commerce

    October 4, 2013

    Hello,
    I am a second year in the accounting and financial management program at the university of Waterloo. Due to a loss in my immediate family, my academic performance was poor during my first year. For the same reason for my second term in first year my marks were graded on a credit/ non-credit basis. This means all my marks for this term were marked as pass with no numerical grades. I am struggling in my second year in AFM as well and wanted to know my chances of getting into UTM commerce.
    My university transcript is very poor (GPA 76.5% not including credit/non-credit grades) but in high school I got accepted into UTM commerce with a 89.5% average.
    Thank you for your time.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    UTM commerce doesn’t publish the cut-off range for GPA every year, but your 76.5% is around what would be acceptable. Also, from the looks of UofT’s course equivalencies, it seems like you would have completed most of the 4.0 prerequisite courses for commerce already while in AFM.

    This is the stick, though. Even if you meet all the pre-requisites, in order to be in UTM commerce, you have to have completed 4.0 credits at UTM (either in addition to your transfer credit, or completing what you don’t get as transfer credit). Either way, you need to spend a year here before you can start commerce. They just want to see that you’re UTM material, you get me? You gotta bleed that blue and white. If you decide to do that, you could take some economics courses that are part of the commerce program so that you won’t have to take them once you get to commerce, but there’s no way to get around that extra year.

    Here’s how I look at it: if you transfer, you’ll have to do one general year at UTM, then three years of commerce, plus your one or two years in AFM. That’s six years just to get a bachelor’s degree that’s pretty similar to the one you’re in now anyway. The way I see it, staying in your program or transferring into something else at Waterloo might be easier.

    If you’re cool with spending a few extra years in undergrad, then go for it. Apply to UTM, and then you can move on to commerce if you want to. But remember to do whatever feels right to you.

    Hope it all works out, freund.

    aska

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  • course overload,  UTM

    overcoming an overload

    September 12, 2013

    Hi, I am going into second year at UTM. I have selected 10 courses in total. But due to most of them being offered only in second semester, I am left with 3 courses in first semester and 7 courses in second semester. Is this too unbalanced? Will second semester be too heavy for me to handle? (However I am on the wait list for a course that is being offered in both semesters, If I make it into the course, I’ll have 4 courses in first semester and 6 in second semester) What should I do?

    Your advice is much appreciated, thanks a lot.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Not only is that plan unbalanced, but it’s also not exactly allowed!

    The maximum number of courses you can be in during a semester is six. Taking any more than that will require approval from the registrar’s office in the form of a course overload.

    But disregard the idea “balance” since in the end, everything is up to your abilities. CAN you handle seven courses in one term (assuming your overload is granted)? If the answer is yes, then proceed.

    However, if you can somehow manage to go with 4:6 instead of the 3:7… I totally recommend that. Or if anything, a 3:6. There’s no need to cram everything into one term! Especially if you still have some coming years.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • grades,  graduation,  UTM

    crash course on convocation

    August 30, 2013

    Hi,

    My first question is about my transcript. I failed a course back in… 2007 with a 35 (terrible, I know). Retook it the year after and got an 85. Is there ANYWAY for me to permanently remove that 35 from my academic transcript at UTM? I don’t have any real super elaborate reason other than, the course was just too difficult for me… The first time. I know it was so long ago, but it really makes my cGPA look worse than it needs to be.

    Secondly, how does graduation at UTM work? I “requested” for it for Nov. 2013 on ROSI. Haven’t received any info on what to do or how I’ll receive my degree or any information on it at all, really. I don’t plan on actually attending the ceremony (long list of reasons), but I just want to know the process on completing this graduation. I have already taken my photo and everything. Do I just wait for them to send me my degree? Please help. I am so lost.

    Thanks in advanced for ANY and all advice/clarification.

    ———————————————

    Yo

    Basically if you saw a course through all the way to the end, no, there is no removing it. So as crappy as that mark may be, it’s staying there. Especially since it’s from so long ago.

    And how to graduate:

    1. Request graduation.
    2. Eventually receive some sort of email from your registrar saying “thanks we got your request.”
    3. Get your photo taken.
    4. Rent your gown and RSVP for your tickets!
    5. Attend graduation.
    6. Receive diploma.
    7. Brag about it.

    And there you have it.

    Now if you’re too lazy to trek over to Con Hall for your diploma, here are the other ways of obtaining it.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTM,  wait list

    psychology a shuttle bus away

    August 29, 2013

    Hi aska!

    I’m a UTM student and I decided to take a course at St. George this year to get that “downtown experience”. The problem is that the course (PSY336) has a wait list longer than the maximum class size – my position in the wait list is 70 when the class size is 65

    Do you know if the psych department will add more spaces to that lecture section or add more lecture sections to accommodate students in the wait list? Thanks in advance for your reply!

    Sincerely,
    Wait zoned

    ———————————————

    Lol “wait zoned.”

    I like that. You’re funny!

    Anyhow, I’m going to be honest with you. I highly doubt the psych department will add more spaces to that lecture and/or make an additional section. Your best bet for entry is to wait until the waitlists are removed (so for an F or Y course, midnight of Sunday, September 15), and then repeatedly checking ROSI to see if someone has dropped the course and left a spot for you.

    But you don’t need to take a class to get a “downtown experience.” You can just like… come downtown! 😉

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • courses,  first year,  UTM

    bad habits — to begin or to break…

    August 19, 2013

    Hi,

    I was wondering if it would be better to take full year electives or 2 half credit electives. Im currently a first year student in social sciences and planning to switch to either management or commerce second year. Are there any courses you recommend to boost my mark?

    The courses im taking are:

    ECO100Y5 Y – Introduction to Economics

    ERS103H5 F – Geol & Public Issues?(Although i dont know if i want to switch this to something else or not.. Some people told me its not as easy)

    LIN200H5 F – Intro to Language

    MAT135Y5 Y – Calculus

    PHL245H5 F – Mod Symbolic Logic

    SOC100H5 S – Introduction to Sociology

    And i also have a conflict in my timetable.. both of them are lectures.. so is that okay? or….. Iknow its bad to skip classes but i have no choice. The conflict is between one of the MAT135 lectures and LIN200 lecture.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Personally, I prefer taking two half courses instead of a year-long course mostly because when exam time comes around in April, I can barely recall what the heck I learned back in October. Granted, at the same time, I do enjoy that that Y course wouldn’t plague me too much in the December exam period…

    As for courses that might boost your mark, take a look at a few of our “bird course” posts.

    Though take those lists with a grain of salt because what makes something a “bird course” to one person can very well make it the hardest thing on earth to another person.

    And timetable conflicts?

    Don’t do them.

    Like don’t.

    You have lectures for a reason. Go learn! I mean you’re paying for them.

    While you can certainly go about your conflict if that’s what you want, note that your professor(s) won’t be very forgiving if you have any clashing midterms or whatnot. And who knows whether or not attendance is mandatory?

    Now judging by your courses, you’re a first year, right? If your conflict is between a 100-level course and a 200-level course, I say lean toward the former. That one’s probably a prereq for something you’ll need in the future.

    You always have a choice, so try to make the smarter one.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • psychology,  subject POST,  UTM

    psyched out over psych

    July 17, 2013

    Hey aska!!

    I asked a question not too long ago, titled “how to get through summer without going full douchebag”, and i agree, i was a douchebag 🙁 but i require your assistance once more!! I have the prerequisites to switch into the Psychology program of study, but i am on academic probation! Can i still switch into psych/ how would i do that if i could?? And if i could, when would it be done?? Bless your soul aska, i love you, thanks for answering!! 🙂

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Lol I’m sorry I indirectly called you a douchebag.

    To be clear, I was referring to your ACTIONS, but…Ahem.

    Anyhow, the second round of POSt requesting at UTM last June 17 to August 30, so get on that now!

    All you do is go on ROSI, request the psych major or specialist or whatever, and then await a response which probably won’t come until September 9. If you met the required grade or whatever and were invited, just accept the offer and become active. 🙂

    And yes, you can still go into psych even if you’re on probation.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTM

    freedom is a funny thing

    July 10, 2013

    Hey,

    I am currently enrolled in Chemical & Physical sciences at University of Toronto-Mississauga and I chose all the courses I need for a major in Chemistry. But I am having trouble in choosing the “Practical” or “elective” courses because I don’t know if I can take whatever I want or if there are requirements. I can’t seem to find any help on the UTM website or any other source. I need your help.

    Thanks a lot,
    Peter

    ———————————————

    Peter,

    The lovely thing about university is that no one holds your hand and no one really tells what you have to take. Or well, for the most part they don’t.

    What I recommend you do is pick your other major/two minors. To fulfil your degree requirements, you need more than just that Chem major to graduate, so let’s work on the idea that you want to complete a second major in Physics.

    If that were the case, you’d have to take Introductory Physics I and II (1.0 FCE) and Calculus (1.0 FCE) or their equivalents alongside Chemical Principles 1 and 2 (1.0 FCE) and, once again, Calculus.

    So what does this hypothetical situation mean?

    That you have the prereqs of your majors down and 2.0 FCE to fill up!

    So now what does THAT mean?

    That you’ve covered your bases and it’s time to move on to ~*~electives~*~! Now you can feel free to learn Spanish or take some random arts course or whatever else suits your fancy.

    Anyway, what you need to do is take a look at the calendar and pick the other programs you want to eventually enrol in come the end of your first year. After you make sure you’re taking their first year requirements, you can move on to your for-fun courses. Don’t worry. It’s not hard at all.

    Cheers!

    aska

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