I had a rough semester and ended up with a 75 is PSY100. Hoping to get into the psych major at utsg but I’m right at the cutoff. Do you think there’s a chance for me to get in still? If not, should I retake the class next year?
hello there young grasshopper,
ah yes, the agony of waiting for POSt offers… unfortunately, it’s quite hard to tell in your case as you’re literally right at the cutoff. to be honest, it could really go either way, and also depends on the number of spots compared to the number of people applying for the program, as well as their marks.
if you haven’t heard back about your application yet, the best thing (well, also kind of the only thing) you can do is probably just to chill and wait it out! it’s good to prepare ahead but there’s also no need to stress out when the results aren’t even out yet!
i will say, psych and most artsci programs are quite good with giving multiple chances to enter the POSt and switch in/out of things even in upper years, so even if you aren’t accepted after first year, you can definitely still get in later on.
so, as for plan b… if you don’t get in, you should definitely consider taking some second year psych courses, such as PSY201. these are usually required if you are applying for the psych major again after second year or above, as you may have already completed 9.0+ FCEs.
doing really well in your second year psych courses would improve your chances of getting into POSt, as 1.5 FCEs of second year psych courses (specific ones listed in the POSt requirements) will be considered in addition to your PSY100 marks. you can try to pick courses that are also part of the psych major requirements so that if you get in, you’d be on track to completing your program requirements, while also being well equipped for upper year courses in psych.
you could repeat PSY100 as an extra course too, although it could potentially change how you schedule your courses later on, e.g. you may have to take summer courses, an extra semester, or an increased courseload to fit in that extra course. it’s up to you to decide if it’d be worth it to repeat PSY100 right away next year or do it later on if things don’t pan out after your second year psych courses.
although POSt might be a bit of a pain during course enrollment, chances are you’d still be able to get into at least some, if not all of the second year psych courses you need even as a non-major. another tip is to apply for the psych minor, if you haven’t already! the cutoff for that is at 73%, which may not be a guarantee, but does give you better chances of getting in — and psych minors will also have priority enrollment in psych courses, to make your life a little easier. 🙂
hopefully that gives some reassurance on the process! POSt offers are tricky and there’s really no way to fully predict your results until they come out, but just know that no matter the outcome, there’ll be plenty of ways to get to the program you want. in the meantime, good luck, and enjoy the summer!
aska