• colleges,  computer science

    where my homies at?

    Hey aska,
    I know that you can pick any college and still go into any course, but are the some colleges that are more popular with people in certain courses? I for one wanna go into computer science, so is there a college that most computer science students go?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    okay, this has been said time and again on this site, but it hasn’t been said for a while so i think it bears repeating. besides, it’s a college question that isn’t just you asking me to pick your college for you, so i feel a bit more charitable about answering it.

    so here’s the deal. i know what you’re thinking: that OFFICIALLY there are no subject-specific colleges but that unofficially, there’s some kind of UNSPOKEN RULE that someone neglected to tell you about how “this is the science college,” “this is the liberal arts college,” etc. etc

    totally valid assumption, but it has no basis in fact. the only times when colleges might be even a little bit inclined to have more people from a certain program is if the program is actually run by that college. however, computer science (and most programs in the Faculty of Arts & Science) is not housed at any college, meaning that computer science students have no reason to accumulate anywhere.

    you gotta trust me when i’m telling you this, guys: the colleges are not in any way related to subjects. it just doesn’t work like that. think about them like residence buildings. there are no residences that are more arts-y or more science-y. they’re just places where students are put. that’s what colleges are, without putting too fine a point on it: places where students are put. it’s just a question of whether you want to be put somewhere that’s big or small, looks old and grand or warm and quaint.

    and obviously, we all know the drill about how to figure out which one of those you’d prefer: tour, research, and poke around this blog (shameless self-promotion, shh. it is actually helpful though seriously).

    best of luck my friend,

    aska

  • admissions,  colleges,  computer science,  international students,  meal plans,  residence,  scholarships/bursaries,  woodsworth

    the longest question ever submitted to askastudent

    Hi there!
    I’m just currently trying to get my stuff together for applying to different universities and I just had some questions and things I need to confirm. I’m currently in Grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta and I want to get into Computer Science at Saint George.
    Firstly, I would like to eventually end up in the Software Engineering stream and I just wanted to make sure that this stream is under Computer Science and not engineering or its own department (different universities does this differently and I just need to make sure I’m applying for the right thing).
    Secondly, With the application process, if I were to apply right now, but my marks increase in the future could I update the marks?
    Thirdly, With Computer Science, do I need to submit my Math 30 mark or can I just submit my Calculus mark and skip over math?
    Fourthly, how do I go about getting my official transcripts to you? Is this an automatic process or would I have to talk to my school administrators?
    Fifthly, speaking of marks and transcripts, I know some Universities will look at your grade 11 mark if you are currently not finished a prerequisite, is this true at U of T? Also, is the application average calculated by taking the required courses then taking the highest courses on the transcript or is it based on submitted courses?
    Sixly, Okay I know you guys are probably sick of these questions about Colleges so I apologize beforehand. Anyways I just wanted to know how much being affiliated with a college really matter? Such as, would belonging to University College or Saint Mike’s over New College have an affect on future job prospects or grad school applications? (Basically how much does the prestige of a college matter).
    Sevenly (okay this numbering system is starting to sound ridiculous), what is the cutoff for Trinity College? I am afraid of putting Trinity as my first choice because I don’t want to jeopardize my chances of getting into Victoria, Innis or Woodsworth. Speaking of Woodsworth, as Woodsworth doesn’t come with a meal plan so what alternatives are there? Also I heard somewhere that Woodsworth won’t consider you if you don’t put them down as your first choice, is this true?
    8ly, Would getting a single room hinder on my social life, I’m worried that if I get a single room then I won’t be able to connect with as many people.
    9*10^0-ly, how much support is there for first years, I know this probably varies from college to college but just generally speaking are there a lot of support options? I have never been in Toronto so I would imagine I would be pretty lost without it.
    My highest marks as they currently stand: [information redacted for privacy purposes]
    Finally with this information what do you think my chances of getting into Computer Science and into Trinity are?
    And as a little side request, do you happen to know where I might find like a side by side comparison of the colleges? As well as where I might find scholarship information?
    Anyways thank you very much for taking the time to read this. This would definitely clear up somethings for me. I look forward to hearing from you!
    Best Regards.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    congratulations man, you win the award for longest question ever received on askastudent. i’m impressed that you wrote all this out, seriously. meanwhile, i’m sitting here trying not to dribble egg salad on myself. it’s a wonderful thing uoft does to you.

    i’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m gonna answer all of your questions briefly here, and i’m gonna refer you to our (NEW AND EXPANDED WOW) FAQ to answer some of the more general questions about colleges, living in residence, etc more extensively. sound good? good.

    let’s get to these questions.

    ———————————————

    Hi there!
    I’m just currently trying to get my stuff together for applying to different universities and I just had some questions and things I need to confirm. I’m currently in Grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta and I want to get into Computer Science at Saint George.

    Firstly, I would like to eventually end up in the Software Engineering stream and I just wanted to make sure that this stream is under Computer Science and not engineering or its own department (different universities does this differently and I just need to make sure I’m applying for the right thing).

    –> Software engineering does not exist as a separate stream at the downtown campus. UTSC’s computer science program offers a software engineering stream.

    Secondly, With the application process, if I were to apply right now, but my marks increase in the future could I update the marks?

    –> The final marks that the university looks at are your mid-May marks. Your school should be able to update these, and if not, you should be able to do so through OUAC. (If you have any trouble with this, contact OUAC directly.)

    Thirdly, With Computer Science, do I need to submit my Math 30 mark or can I just submit my Calculus mark and skip over math?

    –> Calculus and Vectors and Advanced Functions are both required

    Fourthly, how do I go about getting my official transcripts to you? Is this an automatic process or would I have to talk to my school administrators?

    –> Talk to your school about it! They should be able to help you out. Otherwise, see if you can apply through the OUAC 105 form, which is for out-of-Ontario students.

    Fifthly, speaking of marks and transcripts, I know some Universities will look at your grade 11 mark if you are currently not finished a prerequisite, is this true at U of T? Also, is the application average calculated by taking the required courses then taking the highest courses on the transcript or is it based on submitted courses?

    –> No. The application average is from your six highest courses including prerequisites. That stuff they tell you about universities sometimes looking at grade 11 marks is most likely a lie. obviously i’m not on any application committees, but if you’ve done well in grade 12, i’d say that’s more than enough.

    Sixthly, Okay I know you guys are probably sick of these questions about Colleges so I apologize beforehand. Anyways I just wanted to know how much being affiliated with a college really matter? Such as, would belonging to University College or Saint Mike’s over New College have an affect on future job prospects or grad school applications? (Basically how much does the prestige of a college matter).

    –> It really really doesn’t matter.

    Seventhly (okay this numbering system is starting to sound ridiculous), what is the cutoff for Trinity College? I am afraid of putting Trinity as my first choice because I don’t want to jeopardize my chances of getting into Victoria, Innis or Woodsworth.

    –> There is literally no cutoff. Admission also depends on the trinity college profile. Innis and Vic will not consider you if you don’t put them as #1. Woodsworth will.

    Speaking of Woodsworth, as Woodsworth doesn’t come with a meal plan so what alternatives are there?

    –> Here are some dining options available to all students.

    8ly, Would getting a single room hinder on my social life, I’m worried that if I get a single room then I won’t be able to connect with as many people.

    –> Not at all. You’ll be leaving with these people, using the same washrooms, eating with them on a regular basis…if you’re friendly and willing, you won’t have a problem meeting people.

    9*10^0-ly, how much support is there for first years, I know this probably varies from college to college but just generally speaking are there a lot of support options? I have never been in Toronto so I would imagine I would be pretty lost without it.

    –> I’m not quite sure what you mean by support. There’s plenty of academic support offered by each college and also by the university – all you have to do is look around!

    My highest marks as they currently stand: [Information redacted]. Finally with this information what do you think my chances of getting into Computer Science and into Trinity are?

    –> I ca’t be the one to tell you that. All I’ll say is, just apply, and don’t worry about it before you hear back from the university. Life is too short to stress out about a dumb little thing like this. Do the best you can, apply, and that’s really all you can do.

    And as a little side request, do you happen to know where I might find like a side by side comparison of the colleges? As well as where I might find scholarship information?

    –> That doesn’t exist. Scholarship information can be found here.

    best of luck,

    aska

    ———————————————

    and there we have it! like i said, some of these questions will be going into my new FAQ, so keep an eye out for that for an EXPANDED ANSWER to a lot of these questions, with more INFORMATION and GIGGLES than you could possibly imagine. thanks for the typing workout, and remember to stay cool *sunglasses emoji*.

  • colleges

    MOAR COLLEGENESS

    Heeeeeeeey there
    Okay, I’m sorry. I actually looked around for this one. Being a young Grade 12-er, I’m struggling with the college deal. I’ve done quite a bit of research, but was wondering if you could give me a list (or know of one) of ‘unofficial’ college websites? I know Trin has http://www.trinlife.org/ but other than that I can’t dig up any dirt. No idea where I wanna go, but my top 5 (no order) are Vic, Trin, St Mike’s, Innis, and UC. HELP PLEASE!
    Thanks so much Aska, you’re my saviour.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i appreciate that the college questions are now starting to come in with their tails between their legs and a distinct “i know i did a boo-boo” face about them. this is the attitude you should be approaching me with, kids: fear, pre-emptive apology, regret, nervous urination. maybe not that last one.

    seriously though, i understand the college hangup. choosing is tough, especially when everything that’s online is official uoft business and so not very helpful. but seriously (and i swear on me mum’s grave i’m not self-promoting) this blog is the most unofficial you’re going to get. you can probably dig up some forums about uoft’s colleges, but they tend to be out of date and inaccurate. a bit more accurate but still informal is this guide by the awesome student life blogs – just keep in mind it’s from 2009, so some things might’ve changed since then.

    finally, if you’re like, “ok, i know all this OFFICIAL INFORMATION, but i want to know the DIRT,” i have some more advice:

    1. if you can, take a tour of the colleges.

    2. take a tour of the colleges.

    3. tour the colleges.

    4. tour.

    5. the colleges.

    6. TOURTHECOLELEAKBJSWJK.

    the only way to get to know the colleges is by being in them. you don’t even have to set up an official tour; just download a map and take a Saturday off to walk around each building. see where each one is in relation to the clusters of buildings related to your program of study. take a look at the residences, if you’ll be in staying in residence. if not, see how easy it is to get to each college via the subway.

    finally, i didn’t just answer this question because i am a masochist who likes to talk about colleges ALL THE TIME. i actually took advantage of it to let you know that i am working on a first-year crash course addendum for the FAQ, in which i will talk about colleges to your heart’s content. this addendum will hopefully be up before january, but i am a very unreliable person generally so don’t take my word for it.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • colleges

    switching colleges like wut iz ur college nawt gud enuff jeez

    Is it possible to switch colleges at U of T. And if so, what is the process in doing so?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there’s not a lot of info about this out there, probably because the colleges aren’t so hot about the idea of you switching. however, vic has released this handy little guide about the colleges (you’re such a babe vic, i don’t say that enough), which says that it is indeed possible. if you received an offer of admission from a college and want to switch, then you should contact your college about that as soon as possible. if you are already at uoft, the process would involve contacting your college’s registrar’s office and going from there according to what they tell you.

    now, i don’t want to make any assumptions, but just in case you’re a grade 12 student who’s thinking about switching because “i didn’t get into trin and that’s the best one D:” or something similarly ludicrous, please don’t go to the trouble. give your college a chance. you’ll probably end up liking it.

    your best bud 5eva,

    aska

  • colleges,  victoria

    vic really wants that small-town feel

    Hi,

    I was wondering what would happen if I don’t meet Vic College’s small class requirement? According to the website, as a first year student I need to complete at least a half credit in a small class such as a 199 Seminar. I really don’t have any space this year without overloading since I’m pursuing a Specialist and Minor, and I already have some pretty tough courses to handle without adding more into the bunch.

    So would I get like kicked out of Vic or something? Or not graduate?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    thanks for the great question. turns out there’s not a lot online about this particular requirement, so i had a little chat with the registrar’s office to figure it out.

    unfortunately, it’s a pretty hard and fast rule, and it’s strictly enforced. according to the registrar, there is a 95% compliance rate with this small class requirement of vic’s, and for those 5% who don’t take a seminar class in first year, they get followed up on. So you won’t get kicked out, per se, but they will call you and like…make you take one? i don’t know. but there will be some kind of consequence. if you absolutely can’t meet the requirement, that has to be cleared by the registrar.

    why is this the case? you got me, man. seems like vic’s seminar classes are kinda desperate for some lovin’, but hey, who knows – you might actually end up really liking the class you take! small classes really are helpful for developing your critical thinking and having a professor look closely at your work. plus, lots of opportunity for prep school-esque gossip and drama.

    so, if there’s any way at all to squeeze a seminar class into your next semester, go for it. otherwise, maybe talk to the registrar about the possibility of excepting you from the rule before they start bugging you about it.

    good luck!

    aska

  • colleges

    college tales, college tales, let’s all go to college land!

    Hi,

    I’m applying to UofT as a second year transfer student from Brazil for the fall 2014 semester and as I was filling out the application I realized I had to pick a college, which kind of left my head spinning. You see, in Brazil, we don’t even have student residences, so the whole concept of having to pick a college was quite unexpected, and I have absolutely no idea which one to pick. Seeing as I live so far away, a tour of the university is totally out of the question, and the college’s websites, although informative, still leave me wondering where I’d fit in best. So as I was looking at the Innis website I found you guys and thought maybe It’d be worth giving this a shot. I plan to enter the humanities program and major in a philosophy and maybe minor in art history. I enjoy reading, cinema, art and music. I am not religious at all and, well, enjoy having a social life very much. Any tips you can give me are more than welcome.

    Thank you so much!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    I understand that the world of uoft is new to you, and that the college system is all very confusing. I empathize, I really do. They really make understanding it more complicated than it has to be. But it’s really all super simple, bro.

    Despite that, the college selection question is still THE. SINGLE. MOST. ASKED. QUESTION. on this website. There has been so much written about colleges here that it could literally be compiled into a book and sold to prospective uoft students (wait, that’s a great business idea. i call dibs).

    The fact that you can’t tour the colleges before making a choice is a shame, but I think that just reading through all of aska’s posts on them is more than enough, to be honest. It features posts about every aspect of every college written by multiple askas, and I think that’s plenty enough info to help you with your choice 🙂

    So have a browse through that and hopefully you can find a college that best suits your needs. Have fun plumbing the depths of this blog! It’s gonna be a fun ride. Promise.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • colleges,  IB,  scholarships/bursaries

    Rocking the IB credits (and college shtuff)

    Hi aska,

    I am a Canadian Citizen currently going to school at an international school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am a senior enrolled in the IB diploma and I have two questions for you.

    On some of the other universities websites I found that you could get admission scholarships based on your predicted IB scores not just your %, is that true for UofT? I am predicted a 38 without bonus points, would that get me any admission scholarships?

    I also have another question. For colleges I can’t quite seem to decide between Trinity and Victoria. I initially liked Trinity because of the prestige and academic environment, but is it too snobby? Do people there ave fun or is it all work no party? Is vic going to be more of a party/work place?

    ———————————————

    hello there,

    Uoft doesn’t seem to have any direct information about IB. Lucky for you, I am not just some Uoft peon. I am a MASTER DETECTIVE, and I have done a bit of sleuthing around.

    The requirements for the President’s Entrance Scholarship (the highest value of admission scholarship you can get, at $2000) requires a minimum Grade 12 average of 92%. I’ve looked it up, and there is a handy conversion chart available for just your dilemma. The conversion chart just gives ranges, but it looks like a 38 in IB would work out to a 92%, which would mean that you qualify for that $2000. *pops party popper*

    As to colleges, aska’s talked about them before. All I’ll say is that college reputations are really shadowy and honestly, I’m not totally convinced there’s not just like a handful of bored upper-year students every year who make stuff up about every college in order to confuse prospective students. To make an informed decision, I’d suggest looking at what the residences (Trin) (Vic), college buildings and college track one programs (Vic) (Trin) offer.

    As to parties and snobbishness, I haven’t been to any Vic-associated (whatever that means???) parties so far, but that’s because I’m a boring old snob, not ’cause my college is. If you want to have fun, you’ll be able to regardless of where you go. I know lots of nice people and have friends from both colleges. So do some reading, and don’t listen to the stuff people make up – whatever you choose, you’ll be just fine 🙂

    aska

  • admissions,  colleges,  subject POST

    starting to keen for 2014

     

    Hello,

    I’m currently doing my GCE A-levels and I have a few questions because I’m quite baffled at the moment ; I was hoping you could answer them all.

    1- My main choice for the colleges right now is Innis ; I’m intending to pursue a specialist in immunology which is sponsored by Trinity college. Can I still do the specialist even though I’m not a student at Trinity ?

    2- I’ve been looking up the residences and Innis again caught my eye ( its the cheapest lol ) ; so does being an Innis student increase my chances of getting into their residence or the whole process in unbiased giving no priority ?

    3- I’ve read on the UofT site that immunology specialist is a type 3 program with a limited student capacity . Since I intend to apply to medical school , if I do not get accepted into the immunology program , will a neuroscience specialist suffice the requirement for medical school ? And if so , do any of their requirements coincide ? The immunology program wants two bio , two chem and one calculus course ( I have their codes written down but I didn’t memorize them )

    4- Whats the difference between an 0.5 FCE course and a 1.0 FCE course ? Is it the length of a course or the content of it ? Simply put , summer school is not an option for me and my wallet so I need to get at least 5.0 FCE finished by first year .

    5- I’m applying for the 2014 fall term ; when exactly are the deadlines ? ( International student deadline if it makes a difference )

    Thank you so much for your time and sorry I asked a lot of questions !

    Cheers

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    I love that you numbered these.

    Q1 – My main choice for the colleges right now is Innis ; I’m intending to pursue a specialist in immunology which is sponsored by Trinity college. Can I still do the specialist even though I’m not a student at Trinity?

    A – You can take any program within the Faculty of Arts and Science regardless of what college you’re from. Just make sure you check out the requirements!

    Q2 – I’ve been looking up the residences and Innis again caught my eye ( its the cheapest lol ) ; so does being an Innis student increase my chances of getting into their residence or the whole process in unbiased giving no priority?

    A – Naturally, you have to be an Innis student to get into the Innis residence.

    There are a few spots tucked away for engineering and architecture students, but if you’re in Arts and Science, you have to be an Innis student. But entry into the res is a biiiiit competitive since it’s so small, and that’s based on your grades, so make sure you keep those up.

    Q3 – I’ve read on the UofT site that immunology specialist is a type 3 program with a limited student capacity . Since I intend to apply to medical school , if I do not get accepted into the immunology program , will a neuroscience specialist suffice the requirement for medical school ? And if so , do any of their requirements coincide ? The immunology program wants two bio , two chem and one calculus course ( I have their codes written down but I didn’t memorize them )

    A – I don’t know. You’d have to ask the med schools. 😉

    But yes, immunology and neuroscience would have a number of similar requirements. Most life science programs do! There’s the bio and the chem and the… other usual courses. Yeah. Pretty damn close.

    Q4 – Whats the difference between an 0.5 FCE course and a 1.0 FCE course ? Is it the length of a course or the content of it ? Simply put , summer school is not an option for me and my wallet so I need to get at least 5.0 FCE finished by first year .

    A – It’s the length, really.

    So 0.5 FCE is a half credit that you can finish in one semester. 1.0 FCE usually takes two semesters (a.k.a. inaccurately enough, a so-called “year”). But sometimes, if you’re unlikely, your Y-course (y = year!) worth 1.0 FCE can be shoved into just one semester.

    But 5.0 FCE is the usual load for students, so if you just stick to that, you can graduate in four years without having to fork over some extra money for summer school.

    Q5 – I’m applying for the 2014 fall term ; when exactly are the deadlines ? ( International student deadline if it makes a difference )

    A – Sadly, the 2014-2015 dates have yet to be released, but check out the super informative Admissions website in a few months and hopefully they’ll be out then.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • colleges

    is there some room for me over at uc?

    Hey guys,

    So as I applied for uoft st george campus I decided I was going to apply for Vic One.

    As the over confident student I think I am, for colleges I rank Victoria College first and don’t pay attention to what I put second and third ASSUMING that I would be accepted.

    I was wrong. And I ended up getting into New.

    Not that I have anything against New its just that I would have rather gone to University College because my dad went there and etc…

    I take full responsibility for my ranking deficiencies but I was wondering if, before I start my first year as a NON RESIDENCE student, if it would be possible to ask the UC registrar to transfer me?

    Thanks again

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    I like you! In situations like this, people tend to whine and blame everyone and everything for their unfortunate circumstance without putting any thought into how things ended up the way they did. Look at you, Logic McGee.

    I see a good future for you here at UofT. 😀

    Now refer to this post to see the process of switching colleges for an incoming student. There are three possible places you can be — under review, pending, or admitted — and them and their college transferring issues are all addressed there.

    But the process of switching colleges for someone who’s already accepted his or her offer is quite simple: you write a letter (or email).

    You have to form a well-crafted, well-worded, and all around well-argued letter explaining why UC should take you. While the argument that your dad went to UC may be compelling, you might have to add a little bit more to that? Do they have awesome programs you’re interested in? Is their registrar’s office structured in such a way that is perfect for your anal tendencies? Are their extracurriculars perfect for you?

    Seeing as your reason isn’t going to be along the lines of “I want to be in their res” as you’re a non-residence student, your letter may actually get some consideration, so good luck with that. 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

  • colleges

    is st. mike’s actually religious?

    how religious is st mikes? my S has an offer but he didn’t realize it was a catholic college at the time he was doing the ranking. we are not religious in any way. does this make a difference? is it even possible to get into another college at this stage? thx

    ———————————————

    Hey there!

    Well, considering university is usually where kids go to indulge in debauchery whenever they goddamn please, I’m gonna go with “not very religious at all.” Naturally, I can’t speak for everyone, and yeah, they do have a church in their little plot of land, but never have I ever considered St. Mike’s College to be a religious place. It might’ve been many many years ago in its founding, but now? Nah. So have no fear. No one’s going to be pushing their beliefs down your throat or anything equally irritating.

    And did he really not realize it’s Catholic? I mean, it’s called Saint Michael’s… Did he confuse the “St.” bit of the name with street, perhaps? Straight? Stanza?

    But if being in this saintly college is really a problem for him, here’s what he might have to do:

    1.) If he’s accepted his offer, he’ll have to write a lovely letter to his new college of choice explaining why, for example, UC is for the one for him and why he’s the one for UC.

    2.) If he has NOT been admitted yet and his status on Join UofT is “pending” or “not complete,” then he’ll have to contact Enrollment Services to make the request.

    3.) Or lastly, if his status is “under review”…. um, well nothing can be done at the moment, and he’ll have to wait until he’s received an offer to proceed into option 1.

    Hope this helps!

    aska

  • colleges

    fifth choice is the charm?

    So I ranked Victoria College as my first choice and was expecting, at the least, that I would be able to get into my second choice (UC) if not my first. But as my luck would have it, I got into Woodsworth… My question is… WHY? Why wasn’t I given my second, or third or even fourth choice. I was looking for ward to the more 1800’s feel of St.George, not … Woodsworth.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    So this usually happens when you have an unfortunate combo of colleges that require you ranking them number one along with colleges with cut off grades that are too high to meet. So since you ranked Vic first, assuming you ranked Innis or Trinity as three and four, you were automatically just not considered by those other colleges.

    I’m a little surprised that UC didn’t work out for you either though. I suppose they just raised their cut off grade unbelievably high for students who rank them as only number two.

    Anyhow, you’re more than welcome to head over to Vic anyway — which, to be clear, looks more like something from the 1970s than the 1800s sooooo. You’ll probably have a class or two there at some point in your four years here, you can definitely have lunch at Wymilwood Cafe, and you can certainly borrow books from E.J. Pratt, the most quiet library I’ve ever been to. The colleges all offer the same sorts of services, so don’t be too sad. And really, Woodsworth is awesome! I’d say they have the prettiest buildings.

    But congrats on getting in.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • colleges,  residence

    housing “options” at uoft

    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

  • colleges

    the commuter conundrum

    Hi aska,

    I’m a grade 12 student getting ready for apps and looking towards which colleges i want to apply to and i can’t figure out which would be the best fit for a commuter that doesn’t wanna miss out on the college experience a little background:high 80s-low 90’s averages in classes, 85 overall for past 3 yearsinterested in history, languages and politics/law – looking into european studies programparticipant in sports and clubs social life would be nice for a commuting student like myself

    I’m looking at Trin, Vic, UC and St. Mikes What do you think would fit a student like me best? Or does it matter if you’re a commuter…I’ve read things about Trin like they have a host program for non-res kids during frosh week and a meal plan and that the TrinOne program has the International Relations courses which made me think that some kids might have similar courses or interestsI’v also read the Vic commuters package about their meal plan However i am worried that if i pick Trin or Vic that i won’t get in or that i won’t enjoy the Trin atmosphere (i.e too small) or that Vic is too big to get to know anyone when your not living on resSorry if this sounds all over the place!

    thanks

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Okay so you’re a commuter who doesn’t want to miss out on the ‘college experience.’

    Now what exactly is this experience? I’m going to assume you mean partying and going to class in your PJs and then partying some more? Or there’s the cramming and the stressing out and the nervous breakdowns. Now the latter ones can take place anywhere, from your home in the suburbs to your seat on the subway.

    I wouldn’t say there’s any college in particular that suits you most. They all have intramurals, social events by their student societies, and take care of their commuters. And while those meal plans from Trinity and Vic sound nice in theory, really consider whether or not you actually need them. Likewise, they all try their hardest to accommodate commuters during Frosh Week.

    Now TrinOne is a first-year program open to all incoming UofT students, so it isn’t limited to just Trinity students. This means that the people in TrinOne sure, will probably share the same interests, not that all Trinity students will share the same interests. But if your concern is getting to know people, keep in mind that you’re not limited to your college – not in terms of who you can make friends with, and certainly not in terms of where you can hang around on campus. You can be from Vic but have courses at Innis in the morning and at UC at night. While your college is a nice place to start making friends, you have people in your classes, and then clubs or teams you might want to join.

    I gather that your main question is what college you should rank first. The best thing for you in particular to do is look at the extra services they offer that you would like to take advantage of.

    all over campus,

    aska