Hi there! I’m interested in applying to the University of Toronto, but I’ve heard that once you get in after year 1 you have to reapply? Is this true? I can’t find resources about it online. Tysm!
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hey there,
very sorry it’s taken me a minute to get back to you. thanks for (hopefully) not hating me. school,,, it’s so stressful!
anyway, what you’ve heard is technically untrue, but also sorta not. you won’t need to reapply to u of t in order to stay at the school after first year, but you will need to select a program of study (POSt) combination and apply to that in order to enter your second year of studies. since u of t is extra and only hands out honours degrees, that’ll mean that you pick either a specialist, two majors, or two majors and a minor.
how stressful it is to apply to your POSts depends on what type they are. if you have something in mind already, you can scroll through this list. you’ll see that different programs have different numerical types, for example type 1, type 2, etc. this webpage does a good, up-to-date job of explaining what those types mean, and how to apply to each one. in general, i like to think of the types as indicating an escalating intensity: for type 1 programs, you’re basically guaranteed to get in, and for type three programs, they’re rigorous as heck. we’re talking interviews, high GPA cutoffs… y’know.
i hope that helps you make sense of things! you won’t need to make your POSt decision til the end of your first year, although it can be useful to have a sense of direction already when you select your first-year courses, because many POSts have prerequisite first year courses. and the decision isn’t an end-of-the-world situation, because plenty of people switch their POSts after their second year, even.
also, in the process of deciding on your POSt, you’ll be able to talk to your friends/upper year students, reach out to student unions to talk to people who are actually in the program, and get advice from the academic advisors at your registrar. there will be plenty of support for you when the time comes. the important thing, i guess, is just to know that the POSt selection process is something to be aware of, so that you’re not blindsided by it in your first year. some people are. that always sucks.
if all this sounds okay to you and you choose to apply to u of t, best of luck with your application! aska is rooting for you.
be Boundless,
aska