• 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

  • mental health,  you don't even go here

    treat yourself with value <3

    Hello! I love this account and while I don’t go to UofT, I was wondering if you have any tips for maintaining one’s mental health, especially during online school. I feel like I’m dragging myself around the house, and every time I turn on my laptop, I immediately feel anxious and overwhelmed.

    ——————————————

    cw: mental health, anxiety

    hey there,

    thanks so much for the kind words about this blog, and for waiting for this answer! i hope it’s still helpful to you.

    i totally relate to what you say you’re feeling, and have noticed that a lot of my friends are struggling right now. online school is hard, this pandemic sucks, things are so chaotic and we miss the people we love… it’s perfectly understandable that we’re all feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

    i don’t feel super qualified to share mental health tips, but as someone who grapples with their mental health, i can tell you about a few things i’m doing that are helping me. i hope that will at least give you some ideas of things that might help!

    going outside 

    i don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but leaving my room once a day for natural light and fresh air (what little penetrates through my mask lol) has helped me feel more like a person. there are so many things to notice outside, even in areas i’m super familiar with. plus, it helps with my sense of overwhelm, because anything that jolts me out of my regular headspace reminds me that the world is bigger than me and whatever failures i might be afraid of experiencing, lol.

    if you need motivation to go outside, here’s a link to a podcast episode a friend sent me. listening to it while i walked made me feel like i was traveling, which is a feeling i miss very dearly. if you choose to go for a walk and listen to it, i hope it makes you as happy as it made me.

    regulating my sleep schedule 

    this can be a tough one for me because revenge bedtime procrastination is a real thing, but when i feel well rested, i feel less… like crap. and i need less caffeine to function, which is great because caffeine can trigger my anxiety. get 7-9 hours a night if you’re able — i seriously think it makes a difference.

    eating well

    my therapist once told me that irregular eating patterns can contribute to really bad mood swings that make you feel more depressed and anxious — i think it has something to do with how blood sugar levels drop. so lately i’ve been trying to eat like i value myself, which means eating healthier for better energy but also getting takeout from my favourite places because it makes me happy.

    making sure i socialize! 

    i know a lot of people are struggling with isolation right now, which is particularly difficult because loneliness can contribute to poor mental health. regular interaction with other people can help with that.

    lately, i’ve been reaching out to friends, sometimes even ones i barely speak to anymore, to schedule zoom study sessions. if you’ve been feeling easily overwhelmed by your studies, getting things done with a friend to keep you accountable may help. if you can join an active discord server with people that have similar interests to yours (ie. a student union discord server for your program), you can also get some social interaction that way.

    in general, it’s really important to find a balance between completing your responsibilities and doing things that make you feel refreshed and happy.

    accessing support 

    while i think lifestyle can help with mental health, i don’t think it’s a silver bullet, and have definitely needed the support of a therapist at several points during this pandemic.

    if you are a student at another university, i’d encourage you to look into the supports and resources that your school provides. maybe you can access an on-campus therapist (virtually, of course), or maybe you have some kind of insurance coverage for off-campus support. if you’re struggling with your mental health, i do think you deserve to get professional help.

    all in all, i feel like my tips can be summed up by: treat yourself with value. you deserve it.

    i hope this helped! sending you all the love — i hope you find something that works for you.

    be Boundless,

    aska