• subject POST,  UTSC

    your program is gone lol bye

    February 11, 2016

    Hey aska! I’m applying for UTSC linguistics but some people told me that they are considering cancelling the subject in that campus! The option is still on OUAC, but what if it’s real? Will I be considered for a similar programme in other campus? Nooooo
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    hey there,

    first thing’s first: you enter uoft as a program-less student, regardless of the program you listed on your OUAC application. so even after you get in, you have a full year to test drive some courses, and decide if the program(s) you were set on when entering university are really for you. if linguistics goes under after a year or you decide you want to do something else, that’s no problem.

    i should note though, that if linguistics is listed in the calendar, it’s real. if the program goes under while you’re in it, you’ll be grandfathered, meaning that no new people will be allowed in, but you’ll be allowed to finish your degree in that program. the university wouldn’t leave you high and dry like that.

    hope that helps!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • med school

    M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., 2.Chainz.,

    February 11, 2016

    Hey aska,
    I am in second year and I?ve been looking into graduate programs lately. I have a set mindset on what I would like to do in the future but I am super confused on how to get there. My goal is to become a pathologist, there is a graduate program under LMP (Laboratory medicine and pathology) at UofT. But I don?t understand the amount of education required to become a liscened pathologist. Do I need a master’s, or PhD, or both? What about a MD? What about writing the MCAT? I see some universities asking for MCAT, while UofT did not when it comes to the pathology program. If I can become a pathologist with a master?s what?s the point of a PhD? I just want to know the educational pathway in becoming a pathologist. Please help.

    Thanks

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

    hey there,

    first thing’s first: pathologists are doctors. before you do anything else, you need to get into medical school. uoft’s laboratory medicine and pathobiology M.Sc. program (which i believe is what you’re referring to in your question) is a degree that you get to specialize in this area AFTER your M.D.

    there’s no one set path that you need to take to become a pathologist. from what i understand, it’s not as formal a title as “Dr.,” for which there is only one degree that can license you. depending on what kind of pathologist you’d like to be, there are probably different programs that would make most sense for you – at uoft and?also elsewhere.

    to do an M.D., you definitely have to write your MCATs. i don’t know of a single university in the world that does?not?require MCAT scores as part of your application, so you can count on writing them at some point.

    obviously, a Ph.D. would be more beneficial to you were you to be more interested in research – however, there’s no cut and dry difference in terms of accreditation. you can read about the nitty-gritty differences?in terms of program requirements here. there’s also the M.D./Ph.D. program, which you might be interested in. however, your first step should most likely be learning a bit more about medical school. here are some good starting places.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions,  grad school,  grades

    automatically rejected?

    February 5, 2016

    Hey,

    So im a 3rd year physics specialist, and i took a course That was not required for my degree( Just for the fun of it) and i got the mark back and its 50. This Is the first time i have gotten a mark like This. I am usually a high 70-low 80 Student. I had prospects for physics graduate school at uoft and some other school in Ontario. M’y question Is: How Bad Is going to look on applications or am i automatically rejected? Also, Is it possible to ask my college to base This course on a cr/ncr basis? I only took the course for fun. It has nothing to do with my study. The test of my marks for This semester have been 3.7-4.0, So Can i make a case That This Is not a representation of my academic ability? I am worried because Most Schools look at last two years and This Is going to be a cold sore of sorts in my transcript. Thanks

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    hey there,

    you can always ask, but it’s unlikely that your college will make the course credit/non-credit after the course is over. like, very unlikely.

    however, the fact that your mark is so unusual, and that it has nothing to do with physics, can only help your application to graduate school. that means that when a graduate admissions committee looks at your transcript, they are more likely to see this particular mark as a fluke. yes, it might cause your GPA to dip a little, but it’s not going to ruin your chances.

    the M.Sc. requires at least a B+ average or better, so if you’ve been sitting at a 3.7+ GPA, this mark probably will not be the tipping point from accepted to not. in other words, your GPA leaves wiggle room for a mark like this.

    now i want to be clear that i’m not guaranteeing your admission to any program: competition varies widely from year to year and i can’t make very accurate predictions because i haven’t seen your transcript. all i’m saying is that all hope is not lost.

    something that might help your application, if you feel comfortable doing so, is sending an explanatory letter along with your application. most admissions committees will allow you to send along a letter explaining any unique circumstances or unusual results. you can use this opportunity to explain the outlying mark – just make sure to ask whether they’ll accept such a letter first.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • fees,  financial aid,  grad school,  international students

    (Ph)enomenal (D)ollars

    February 3, 2016

    Hello ! I’m an International student that wants to go to UofT for gradschool (phD). I’m academically okay for the program (I have an overall A and all that jazz) but…. Where can I start looking for scholarships to live and study at UofT during those years? I’m a bit lost since I don’t know a thing about scholarships for international students that wants to go to Canada – Thank you !!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the major scholarships that fund postgraduate study in Ontario are the NSERC and OGS scholarships. unfortunately, those are only available to domestic students. what i’d recommend is taking a look at your home country’s opportunities, if any, that are available for students travelling abroad. most countries have some form of financial aid for postgrads.

    we do have some scholarships available for international students, and i’d strongly encourage you to apply to as many as you’re eligible for, but they do not provide nearly as much funding as is probably ideal.

    the good news is, as a PhD student, the university is committed to funding you. all the information about how financial support works for a physics PhD is available on page 29 of this document provided by the department of physics. it shows that if you don’t have access to any scholarships, the university will still be able to support you through RA and TA-ships, and internal scholarships.

    here is a breakdown about how much physics PhDs were funded depending on their year, and where the money came from. the aid hovers around $40k per student, depending on the year of your PhD. which is totally liveable.

    if you have further questions about how this all works, i’d recommend contacting the financial counsellor at the School of Graduate Studies.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • psychology

    the bar just gets HIGHER and HIGHER

    February 2, 2016
    hey aska quick question about uoft’s psych program. I was wondering just how hard it was to be admitted to the type 2L major program. I noticed on their website it’s an 80-84% average and it is limited enrolment so i was just wondering if it’s common for people to be declined?
    ———————————————
    hey there,
    i’m not gonna lie to you – psych is a very popular program. this means that it is also a very competitive program. they didn’t used to list the average grade cut-off on the website, but i think so many people were confused as to why they’d not been accepted that they decided to make that information public. which, to be honest, has been a wise move. it’s made my job a little bit easier.
    so yeah, it’s difficult to get in. HOWEVER, if you are ABOVE that 80-84% range, your chances are not terrible. i think the major reason so many people get turned away is because people will apply who are just on the cut-off of a 75% in PSY100H1 (or an 80% for the specialist). the higher you are above the cut-off, the higher your chances.
    unfortunately, i don’t have a handy statistic about how many people get in versus how many people apply, but who knows – maybe more complaining from students will cause that to show up on the course calendar, too. think positive.
    cheers,
    aska
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  • tutorials

    anxious tutorials

    February 2, 2016

    Hi aska! I’m a first-year student and I dread how most of my tutorials take up a huge percentage of my marks. Now, I understand that participating in class discussions is the best way to learn about the lessons and to help us grow and interact with others but I just… can’t. I have social anxiety, and I’m scared to talk to my TA about this because she might think that I’m just making up excuses so I don’t have to talk. Is there anyone else I could consult with about this? 🙁

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    hey there,

    i’d suggest you talk with your professor, but i have a feeling that in a (likely massive) first-year class, your prof is going to be even more intimidating to you than your professor.

    i really think the best person to talk to about this is your TA. and by the way, anxiety is a totally legitimate reason not to speak up in class. it’s not an excuse, but it is a reason to start a conversation about possible accommodations. and it is highly unlikely that your TA will think you’re making excuses – more likely, she’ll be impressed that you took the initiative to start thinking about a creative solution to your dilemma.

    what i would recommend is talking to her (after class, in office hours, by e-mail; whatever makes you most comfortable) about your concerns, and then asking if there is any alternative way for you to gain participation marks. feel free to propose your own ideas. if you’re a bit stuck, here are some of my own suggestions (all of which i have seen put into practice in actual tutorials/seminars):

    • visit your TA every week in office hours to have a discussion with them, one-on-one, about the readings. this narrows the crowd of people you have to talk at from ~20 to 1
    • submit a weekly written reflection about the readings/lecture to your TA, perhaps at the start of tutorial, or via e-mail
    • this one may not work for you, depending on the extent to which public speaking makes you anxious, but: try sitting physically next to the TA. that way, when you speak, you’ll feel as if you’re speaking directly to them, as opposed to across a room full of people
    • is your class on Blackboard? ask whether you can submit your thoughts about the tutorial or readings or lecture on the discussion board; that way, people can write back if they so chose, and you can have discussions online rather than in person

    again, i understand that this is not an easy or comfortable thing for you to do, but TAs only want the best for you. they’re usually able to be a lot more invested in their students than profs, and i’ve never encountered a TA who’s not willing to make changes to suit a class’ needs.

    you’ve got this!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams

    exam black market

    February 2, 2016

    Hi i just wanted to find out, it is illegal (against uoft rules) to purchase past test from other students. I am feeling quite inclined to purchase past test from the first time from someone for one of my courses since there is Absolute no past exam/test on the uoft repository.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not as far as i can tell. at least, i can’t find any explicit rule prohibiting it. it seems that viewing of the exam is pretty carefully monitored, though, so i would be – if not suspicious, just careful – of what you’re buying, and from whom.

    also, i don’t presume to know your situation or how your program runs or anything, but here’s a friendly tip from aska: try to exhaust the study options presented to you by your professor before seeking alternative materials.

    if you got practice exams, textbook questions, passages/articles you need to focus on, lecture slides, etc. then become expert in those BEFORE seeking more help. because (and i’m just gonna put this bluntly here) sometimes these people are just out to make money. that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have something to sell you, but it also doesn’t mean you don’t have to be unwary.

    cheers,

    aska

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