• OSAP

    registering without payment: a last resort

    August 8, 2014

    Hi!
    So the OSAP deadline if you want your fees deferred was June 30th, and I?applied by then, but there was a mistake in one of the digits of my SIN
    card so I had to redo the application, which happened in July 5th.

    I’m worried that my fees won’t be deferred by August 18th, which is the?deadline for fee deferral. What do you think? Will my app be processed in?time? I’ve handed in everything else, they are still pending my income info?for verification from CRA & UofT has to send in my admission information.

    I’m going into first year, btw!

    Thanks so much, I could really use an answer on this.

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

    hey there,

    WOW, that is a really annoying reason for having to redo your application. my sympathies.

    as far as i know, you’re able to defer your payment as soon as soon as you receive an estimate from OSAP (“[i]f you have applied for OSAP and have been assessed by OSAP as receiving financial aid for the coming school year, you may defer your fees until your OSAP arrives”).

    once you receive that estimate, i would go online right away and try to defer your payment. that may happen before you get verification from CRA and uoft, so keep an eye on the estimate first and foremost.

    however, if it’s coming up to the august 19th (19th, not 18th!) deadline and you still haven’t gotten an estimate, you can go to enrolment services to fill out a form that confirms that you’ve applied for OSAP, and that will allow you to get a registered status while you wait for the estimate (the form will look something like this).

    good luck and go speedily (literally, you don’t wanna miss that deadline)!

    aska

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  • courses

    good for you for not going into every course blind like i do

    August 8, 2014

    Hey Aska! I was wondering, is there anywhere where we can see breakdowns of course workloads? e.g. “In Course A, students will write 2 analyses, make 1 presentation, and complete a final exam”. I’d just like to have an idea of how busy I will be next year (and if I could pull off taking 5.5 credits). Also your answers have been super helpful and I am learning lots, so thank you for running this blog! 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there is! what you’re looking for is a syllabus. you’ll be provided with a syllabus for each course you take during the first week of classes, either electronically or in person, and usually, the course instructor will go over it with the class and explain everything. you can see the kind of information the instructor will provide on their syllabus here.

    however, if you want to see all that stuff now, it may be tricky. some departments provide syllabi from previous terms (for example, here’s the Fall 2013 syllabus for ENV333H1). you can go snooping around google/the websites of the departments offering your courses to see if they have some up, but unfortunately it’s kind of a hit and miss, depending on the department.

    as for whether you can pull off 5.5 credits, it may be a good idea to make an appointment with your college registrar’s office to discuss it. they have a pretty good idea of the workload in each course, and how much students can handle before they crack.

    good luck!

    aska

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  • enrollment,  tutorials

    no time for tutorials

    August 8, 2014

    First off, amazing on what you’re doing for the students here. Your posts about pretty much everything is very enlightening and, dare i say, fun to read even if I personally do not need the answer to the question.

    Now something I have been wondering about. I have enrolled in a few tutorials and was wondering if it is in any way possible to change tutorial times between the spring and fall terms if it better suits my schedule…. Thats pretty much it. Hopefully this won’t take up too much of your time :).

    Thanks a bunch.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, don’t you know how to soften a girl (read: ethereal, infinite being of the internet) up before you start asking questions. i’m glad the site has been enlightening/entertaining for you. see mom? other people read askastudent.

    it is possible to switch between different tutorial sections for a course, but it is not possible to take the lecture and its associated tutorials/labs/practicals in different terms. so, for example, if you’re signed up for a lecture in the fall term, you’ll have to enrol in the associated tutorial in the fall term on ROSI. hopefully, there are enough tutorial options that you can find one to suit your schedule.

    good luck with it!

    aska

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  • admissions,  english,  scholarships/bursaries

    i just want money for my academic achievements is that too much to ask

    August 7, 2014

    Hi! I received 95 and above in grade 12 english this summer is there any scholarships available at u of t for english? Also I’ve been told they don’t count it when its done in the summer…

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take a look at all the awards offered by the department of english here, though i don’t think the fact that you got a 95% in english will be relevant for any of them (kudos, though). looks like they’re all based on achievements in english courses at uoft.

    if you’d like to apply for any scholarships based on your high school achievements, you may want to look into entrance scholarships offered by the university. or you can go searching out in the wild west of external scholarships. prepare yourself, though. they can get pretty wacky.

    finally, if you take high school courses in summer school, they will be counted towards admission.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grades

    uncharted territory

    August 7, 2014

    A little moral dilemma here. I got my quiz and test returned to me in class, and after doing the math I found that the TA/prof gave me extra marks. They never announced that they curved the quiz and test, and they said that people did well on all of them. Should I tell them about my marks, or should I keep silent and enjoy my free marks?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, you know, while aska tries to be at least somewhat morally upright on this site (i figure flipping out on a couple first year students per year isn’t morally reprehensible, it’s just good planning), the main focus here is to educate people about uoft’s rules and regulations. the aim is always to be able to link to a university page that’ll help educate you more.

    in this case though, we seem to be in uncharted territory – no link. for that reason, i’m not gonna advise you either way.

    what i will say is that there is no rule at the university that requires a student to speak with a prof/instructor/TA about incorrect marks, whether you get extra marks or not enough.

    good luck to you, my morally torn citizen,

    aska

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  • admissions,  stress

    the halcyon days of youth

    August 7, 2014

    I’m going into my senior year and I’m having such anxiety about getting my grades high enough for u of t! Do you have any tips on how to relax in this time of panic??

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i mean, different things work for different people. some people like bubble baths. some people prefer marathoning TV shows. i myself like ravaging countrysides and kidnapping princes, but hey, to each their own.

    there are lots of different feel-good things you can do, but ultimately there’s one thing at the root of your stress, and that’s a worried mind. somehow, you need to convince yourself the worry is not worth it.

    when i DELVE deep into the PSYCHE of the high school student, i see two possible ways of minimizing stress: channelling your anxious energy into the thing you’re stressed about, or away from it. like so:

    1. channelling your anxiety into the source of the anxiety.

    the next time you feel really nervous about grade 12, create a plan for how you’re going to do really well. and none of this ‘i’ll try really hard.’

    what you need are specific things you can do to improve your grades, like ‘i’ll limit myself to three extra-curriculars’ or ‘i’ll get a tutor for math’ or ‘i’ll offer lackeying services to my grade 12 physics teacher so she passes me.’ practical stuff. review the admissions requirements and see where, if anywhere, you’ll need to up your game to meet them. if you have a plan, you’ll feel a lot more prepared, and a lot less nervous.

    2. channelling your anxiety away from the source of the anxiety.

    focus on acquiring a skill outside of school. i know that grade 12 is beyond stressful with applications and school and often a part-time job, but if you can find even half an hour a day to try learning something new, it’ll take your mind off things.

    learn a new musical instrument, or try learning a new language. or, if (like me) you’re not talented in cool and interesting ways like music or languages, it could be something as small as mastering sudoku puzzles, or keeping a diary. building completely new neural pathways is a challenge that requires all of your focus, meaning you’ll spend less of that focus on uni stress.

    best of luck and try not to worry too much, chum. wrinkles don’t look good on young folks like us.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • wait list

    waitlist clarification

    August 7, 2014

    aska,
    You mentioned something about the 10% rule for the waitlist. Is it if your position is in the top 10% out of the spaces available or the people in the waitlist?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i looked back at the waitlist questions i’ve been answering and i see how you might’ve gotten confused. i wasn’t entirely clear and i’m sorry about that. i guess even folks as beautiful as aska can make mistakes sometimes.

    the rule (which is really more a rule of thumb than a hard-and-fast rule, just so you know) is that if you’re within the top 10% of the people in the course, you’ve got a pretty fair chance at getting in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • wait list

    waitlists are for waiting

    August 6, 2014

    Dear aska,

    I was wondering if I could get in the course that I’m waitlisted in for ECO100Y1, meaning if enough people drop the course. Last time I checked, I was around 20th out of the 400 seats (in LEC0401) because I applied late on ROSI. I really need to get into this course for my Economics degree and I was also wondering if I could talk to the professor or the department about my dilemma instead of waiting for a spot on ROSI.

    Much thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    no! you may not. actually, you could, but you really shouldn’t. i’ll tell ya right now that the prof/undergrad coordinator is gonna have a tough time getting back to you promptly at this time of year (even aska’s inbox is flooded at the moment, and i’m not even a real, serious uoft adult).

    more importantly, it’s not the departments’ job to help students in this situation.

    if you’re within the top 10% of the waitlist, you have a reasonably good shot of getting in (and ECO100 is a big course with, likely, a big waitlist). according to the school, “ROSI does not enrol students from the waiting lists into courses in real-time; instead, the enrolments are done in batches.” i’d say there’s a good chance you’ll be in the next batch, though it’s not a certain thing.

    so sit down and wait, why doncha, instead of angering the prof about it for no good reason. you’ll regret that when assignment #1 comes around.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. if you don’t get into the course after the waitlist ends and you ABSOLUTELY need it for your program, speak to your registrar’s office, and they may be able to help.

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  • admissions,  keeners

    grade 11 is just a void in everyone’s mind

    August 6, 2014

    Does u of t st george look at gr 11 marks for conditional acceptance ?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you’re about four months early for this. people were throwing this question at me left, right and centre in october of last year. but hey, i’m never one to criticize an early bird. i am one to complain about them, though. complaining’s my speciality, doncha know.

    but okay: you’re nervous, you want to know what you’re getting yourself into before you get into it. fair enough. the most succinct answer to this question is: sometimes (or, in uoft’s phraseology: “[s]econdary school applicants with strong midyear results may be admitted on condition that they complete their academic year successfully,” ‘may’ being the tricky/operative word here).

    they look at what they can get, and if you’re applying quite early on in the year (you haven’t even finished the first semester of grade 12, say) then they may consider your grade 11 marks for early admission. later on, they may also consider them in conjunction with your grade 12 marks.

    HOWEVER i can’t say how important grade 11 marks are in your overall application, how they will stack up compared to everyone else applying, how important they are versus your grade 12 marks, etc. etc. so DON’T ASK. please.

    point is this: if you’re not finished grade 11 yet, do your best, because it does matter. but if you’ve already finished and are heading into grade 12, don’t worry, because your grade 12 marks also matter and can help boost your chances. ultimately, the final admission decision is based on your top six 4U/M marks, so if your grade 11 marks were less than awesome, make sure you do everything you can to get those ones up to scratch.

    best of luck with your last stretch of high school,

    aska

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  • enrollment

    um

    August 6, 2014

    Why do I need backups? Am I not guaranteed a spot?

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

    hey there,

    i don’t know if you’re an incoming student or if you’ve just been graced with unbelievable luck every time you’ve done course enrolment before, but no, you are not guaranteed a spot in any course.

    the closest the university comes to ‘guaranteeing’ people spots is putting priorities or restrictions on certain courses, so that only people in certain programs can get into the class/have first pick at the class.

    so yeah, always have backups. it’s for your own good, you know.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions

    life (and school) after college

    August 5, 2014

    Hiiii,

    I’m going to Seneca for opticianry (with co-op), and it’s a 2 year program. I really REALLY wanted to get into UofT for Life Sciences, but my marks weren’t that good so I wasn’t able to. 🙁 Anyways, I was wondering if I have a possibility of being accepted into UofT for Life Sciences after finishing my college diploma? If yes, do they only look at the GPA or the specific courses I took at Seneca? Please helpp I really really really really want to get into UofT. :'( Any advice you can give me??

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

    hey there,

    you can definitely apply from college. your admission information is here, but i’ll summarize it for you because i’m a NICE INTERNET PERSON. they are going to be considering:

    1. your annual college GPA

    2. your overall college GPA

    3. whether you meet the prereqs of the program at the high school level (though “?[t]wo full college level semesters of an academic subject may be considered to satisfy a prerequisite.”)

    so the courses do matter and the marks matter, during both years. if there are any prerequisites that you know you didn’t fulfil at the high school level, you may want to try and meet it at the college level, though of course course equivalency is always a tricky issue. if you want to verify the likelihood of you getting an equivalent credit for any course, i’d recommend contacting the transfer credit office.

    i hope to see you around campus sometime soon, chum.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  UTM

    waiting in agony

    August 5, 2014

    Hiya. I applied to UTM as a non-degree student, and in a previous ask of mine you said the enrollement date for n-ds starts August 16, which is in like..25 days. I haven’t heard anything back yet though and my application still says pending, so are acceptance or rejection letters sent before enrollment dates? Or is there a final date to be notified by? or do I just wait in agony 🙁

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there isn’t a final notification date (because that would just be downright COMFORTING to students), BUT the general rule of thumb is that they should get back to you in six weeks on the outside.

    firstly, i’d check your status on your join uoft account, just to make sure that all the appropriate documents have been sent in. if you have sent in all your documents and it still says ‘pending,’ and it’s been four weeks or more since you sent in your application, contact enrolment services at st. george to see what’s going on (yes, contact them even though you’re a utm student).

    sorry i can’t be of more help, and i hope this gets sorted out quickly!

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • enrollment

    i just want to learn about science

    August 5, 2014

    I also was wondering when classes open up that are not in your specific program? (For example when a humanities student can enroll in life sciences.)

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

    hey there,

    coupla things.

    1) you’re not in a program if you’re an incoming first-year. you’re in a stream. that may seem like?a technicality now, but you’ll run into problems going into second year when everyone is telling you to enrol in a program and you’re like, “Wait, wha…?”

    2) priorities and restrictions and stuff don’t really work that way. some classes will have enrolment indicators, and some will not. you can see which indicators each class has on the timetable.

    if a class has a ‘P’ (priority) enrolment indicator, for example, then only certain students can enrol in the course up until august 8th at 6am, at which point all priorities lift and it’s free-for-all on ROSI. a course may have a priority, a restriction, or any manner of enrolment indicator, but it’ll always be indicated on the timetable listing for the class.

    cheers,

    aska

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