• admissions,  UTM

    i’m not waiting on a lady, i’m just waiting on a friend (UTM)

    July 3, 2014

    I applied as a transfer student late in the year to Western and the University of Toronto Mississauga. UTM is my first choice. I got an acceptance back in a few weeks from Western, but still have had no response from UTM. I applied to UTM in mid-April. They say that you will hear a response about 8 weeks after your final document is received-they received my final transcript on May 8th, but all of the other documents were in before April 24th. My application is currently “recieved-to be reviewed” I emailed an admissions manager at UTM in late May to confirm that they had received all of my documents and she told me that the enrolment office is busy at this time and it will take a while for them to review the documents, but it has been a month since then.Since I have applied, they have extended their application deadline which makes me think that they still need students.

    Is this normal? When is the latest I will hear back? I am getting nervous because if I end up going to Western I have a lot I need to figure out. I am just waiting on UTM.

    Thanks so much!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    arghhh, that sounds like a very frustrating situation. however, if they’ve received all your documents and you double-checked with someone personally at utm about your application, there’s nothing more you can do. there’s nothing abnormal about the situation. you’ve just gotta sit tight and wait, as MADDENING as that is.

    might i add that the people at utm know about these things a lot more than aska, so calling them was definitely the right thing to do. go you.

    i guess the deadline you’re talking about is this one extended to july 4th. who knows why they extended it, but utm says that “[a]fter February 1, applications are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis.” so if they received your app, then it’s in line to be reviewed. how long it’ll take, though, i don’t know. there’s no maximum or minimum wait time at this point.

    i know that really doesn’t help, but i do feel your pain. do you feel my commiseration through the screen? i hope so.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • architecture

    i just wanna do it all

    July 3, 2014

    Hello,

    I’m an undergraduate architecture student trying to decide between majors.?I would like to work my way to becoming an architecture professor. Is there?any way I can earn a teaching degree while still working towards my?architecture degree?

    Thanks

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

    hey there,

    this won’t?apply to you since the deadline to apply for this was May 15th, but?if you?were?a first-year student in the faculty of arts and science, you were able to?apply for Year 2 of CTEP?at Victoria College. you can read more about the program here, but basically, it allowed you to?pursue your B.A. in tandem with the B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education). now that program is being cut in favour of a two-year B.Ed. program, which you can apply to next year (the program commences september 2015).

    sidestepping the sensitive political issue of teacher education entirely (aska doesn’t DO?sensitive political issues), if you want to be a professor in future, i don’t know that a B.Ed. would be useful to you anyway – you just need a Ph.D. for that.*

    cheers,

    aska

    * “just”

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  • criminology,  grad school,  other schools (boo!)

    UWO uwu

    July 3, 2014

    I go to King’s College at Western University (UWO). My previous grades were poor but my fourth year average is very high and I will be taking fifth year for undergrad in September to raise my GPA. I am interested in applying for graduate school in Criminology after I finish my fifth year. However, I have some questions:

    1) For 5th year, I want to retake a couple courses that I took in the previous years/summer school because my grades were low and I wanted to retake them to improve my grade. Will the new mark be still counted in my GPA and will I still have a chance of being admitted to Grad school if I repeated some courses as long as my grades are very high?

    2) For the criminology graduate school admission requirements, is there any specific undergrad courses that needs to be taken in order to be admitted? Or can it be any criminology/sociology undergrad courses, as long as the grades are very high? The UofT website did not mention anything about specific undergrad course requirements for admission to graduate programs.

    3) Also, I’m not in honors specialization of criminology. I’m in double majors of Childhood and Social Institutions and Criminology, Bachelor of Arts 4 years Degree. I have taken the required cours for the Criminology major and I will be taking criminology and sociology courses in my 5th year before graduation. Do I still have a chance of getting esin if I’m in major of criminology and my grades are very high?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    as much as i appreciate the enthusiasm, there’s no need to send me this through all my different inboxes, dude. it’s not gonna make my answer annny quicker. aska’s stubborn that way.

    1) i don’t know how UWO does it, but if the old marks appear on your transcript, they will likely be considered along with thenew marks. according to criminology, “admission decisions are based on a holistic reading of applicant files by a committee of graduate faculty. This includes grades, reference letters, statements of intent, and courses taken.”

    2) nah. “To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the minimum requirement in a four year University of Toronto Bachelor’s degree with a social science background or a law degree, from another recognized university…The courses in the program are designed with the expectation that students have a sound understanding of social science methodologies, are capable of writing research and analytical papers, and are conversant with criminological theories.”

    as long as your undergrad degree was somewhere within the ballpark of criminology, it should be fine. they do say they look at your courses as part of their admission consideration, but they haven’t specified any courses that they prefer. my guess is that they’re just looking to see whether you’ve taken any criminology courses, and how many, and also if you’ve taken courses that might be relevant to the field, like law courses, for example.

    3) see above. if your fifth year bumps up your CGPA over your last 2-3 years of school to the range they’re looking for (at least an 80%) and you’ve taken relevant courses, based on the “holistic approach” the department advertises, i’d say you have a solid chance (obviously i’m not on the admissions committee, so i can’t say for sure, etc. etc., but, you know. that’s my educated guess of an opinion).

    best of luck in applying! i hope you become a master criminologist. just…don’t visit my house…once you do…

    cheers,

    aska

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  • fees

    fees the bees’ knees

    June 27, 2014

    Hellooo?
    A lot of my friend said that Uoft is known for non-stop paying, thus I want to have a budget of all future payments (in the coming year) as a first year student in arts & sci. I know that ROSI allows us to check, but I can’t seem to find anything regarding future payment yet… Do you know when will they show it? And meanwhile, do you know where can I check all the payment? Like is there a webpage or something? THANKS!

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

    hey there,

    look at you, planning ahead! that’s pretty impressive, you know. you’re probably gonna be in the .12% of people* who graduate without student debt.

    actually, uoft has fewer total payments than most schools. some schools have you pay fees every semester, but for uoft, you basically make your entire payment (or defer your payment) at the beginning of the year, because we’re not (fully) on a semestered system.

    the tuition schedule for Fall/Winter 2014-2015 isn’t up yet, but you can take a look at the 2013-2014?total fees here (just scroll down to Table 4) or here if you’re an international student. the 2014-2015 schedule will probably not change too much from that. the 2014-2015 fee schedule should be up around mid-july, and your fees should be on ROSI once you enrol in courses.

    cheers,

    aska

    *statistics are entirely fictional and made up by aska.

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  • humanities,  social sciences

    why is there even a distinction who knows

    June 27, 2014

    Which program is easier to get into.. Humanities or social sciences at The st. George campus ?

    ———————————————

    hey there my uninaugurated chum,

    i can see you’re new ’round these parts. the humanities and social sciences are the same at uoft. same requirements, same stream, same level of difficulty getting in. it’s subject POSts you have to worry about.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • askastudent announcement

    2k 2k14

    June 27, 2014

    this blog has just passed 2000 posts, so i thought i’d go ahead and reflect a little bit on aska past, present and future.

    (i wanted to make this post the 2000th one, but i’m not nearly organized to pull that off, so this is post 2003 or something.)

    askastudent has been around since 1999. it’s been through many incarnations, not the least of which was moving to the internet from phones. that’s right; aska’s been answering your pesky questions since back when Google wasn’t even a thing. imagine how annoying that must’ve been. there have also been many askas throughout the years, some of whom are real adults who live adult lives now – though still with their caustic sense of humour and blisteringly powerful good looks intact.

    askastudent’s been a horrible, horrible static webpage, it’s been updated to a wordpress blog, and it might even be getting another facelift sometime soon (oooo!). aska has sassed and belittled first-years who are now university grads with accomplished careers! probably would’ve ended up as criminals if it weren’t for us, tbh.

    to put it another way, aska’s been here since sonic the hedgehog was released on sega dreamcast all the way until sonic became a meme.

    here’s to the next 2000 by which point, hopefully, Warner Bros will have released a live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. i live and breathe for the day, guys.

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  • grad school,  profs

    s IR PLeasE i jSUt am tr yiNG to wRIt e A NIce E – MAiL

    June 27, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    Let me just start of by saying I’m a little upset that I’ve been here at UofT for 3 years (going on 4), and I’ve only found your site now! SHAME.

    Anyways, I was emailing you today for some advice. I’m going to be applying to graduate school in the Fall, and of course, I will be needing some reference letters. I’m a person that HATES asking people for things, so I’m really not sure how to go about this. There’s one situation that I am particularly not sure about. Basically, there is this professor (probably one of my favourite). Last year I took two small lab courses with him, so I worked very closely with him and he definitely knows who I am. I even spoke to him about graduate school on multiple occasions. Problem is, he won’t be here in September. I REALLY want to ask him for a reference letter, but I’m not sure how to go about it, ESPECIALLY since it will have to be via email. (As a side note, he is the friendliest guy you will ever meet)

    HELP please!

    And thank you 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    see?? this is proof that shamelessly promoting yourself isn’t annoying, because people are SAD, nay, DEVASTATED, when they don’t discover you sooner. on a completely unrelated note, aska also has twitter, facebook, google+, tumblr, and pinterest accounts. flolow4follw o.

    it depends on the deadline for the reference letters, but i would e-mail the prof a few months in advance giving them a heads up and politely asking them for a reference. if you need their e-mail address, you can use uoft’s handy-dandy phonebook.

    as for how exactly to go about it? my usual way is 1) remind them who you are (just in case), 2) write a paragraph explaining how amazing they/their classes are and generally buttering them up 3) then a paragraph briefly explaining your plans and what you need, 4) then a request that they contact you for more specific information if they want to help.

    and make sure to say “dear mr. prof” and “kind regards, suzy” or whatever because if you want a favour from a fancy prof, you have to write a fancy e-mail.

    obviously there is no right or wrong way to go about it, but since trying to write a polite letter to a prof is like jabbing your eyeballs with rusty spoons, it’s nice to have a template.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • computer science,  courses,  enrollment,  UTSC

    restricting the people from computers

    June 26, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    Can you help me out?? My brother is starting his first year at Uni in September. He wants to transfer from Physics to Computer Science at UTSC,
    he wants to take all the required first year Computer Science courses during the first year but was worried that the rosi would give priority to?computer science students and he will not be able to get a spot in the required courses. I surfed the UTSC website and I wasn’t able to find out if first year computer science courses have priority. I know you mostly deal with UTSG questions but can you find out if the 4 courses all computer science required in the first year are priority? Thanks

    Helpful Sis

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    good on you for being a helpful sister. one time, i rolled my sister down the stairs when she was a toddler to see what would happen. it was like rolling a watermelon down the stairs.

    as far as i can tell, all comp. sci. POSt require 3.0 A-level FCEs (that’s A-level as in first year, so if any brits are reading, don’t be alarmed), so i’m not too sure which 4 courses you mean. buuut you can see all the enrolment controls for EVERY CSC course right on the timetable. convenient, eh?

    under the ‘restrictions and instructions’ column of the timetable, there are different letters. if a course has a C, that means the course has a restriction. just click on the C and it’ll lead you to this explanation of all the possible restrictions. there’s no mention there of a priority or other restriction for A-level CSC courses, so i think your lil bro will have no problems enrolling.

    best,

    aska

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  • transfer credits

    transfer POSt

    June 26, 2014

    Hi,

    I’ve submitted my transfer credit assessment, and now I’m waiting for the?results.?Do I need to select my subject post on rosi for the majors I want to enroll?in, or wait until the transfer credit assessment is done?
    Thanks

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

    hey there,

    believe me,?i understand how nerve-wracking this?is, but for now, you’ve just gotta sit tight and wait?for your assessment results.

    according to transfer credit, “[a]dmitted students who receive?4.0 transfer credits?or more and who clearly indicated a choice of program on their application for admission will be considered for admission to their chosen programs on their Transfer Credit Assessment letter.” so they will try to put you in a POSt if they can.

    if you’re not admitted into a program once your credits are assessed, you will need to select one yourself (“[s]tudents who are not eligible for admission to a Type 2 or Type 3 program at this time must select and enrol in a Type 1 program(s). Failure to do so will result in the refusal of further course enrolment“).

    bottom line is, you have to be in a POSt by the time school starts, so if they don’t put you in one, you’ll need to select one. a POSt is basically your ticket to second, third and fourth year, so it’s pretty important that you’re in one by September. (it’s also your ticket to MAJOR CAREER ANGST, but let’s just push that aside for now.)

    also, if you’re admitted into a POSt you don’t want, you can totally drop it and enrol in another/others, as long as you meet the?requirements and you make the changes at the appropriate time.

    best,

    aska

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  • profs

    With Warmest Regards, Sir, Professor, Professor Sir, I am Very Afraid of Writing this E-Mail

    June 25, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    So, really this isn’t so much as question that can be answered by your sleuthing, I’m looking more so for advice. I’m just starting my first couple classes of my 3rd year in Summer, full on in Fall. I also obsessive-compulsively plan my courses for the next two years using the degree planner on ROSI. For one of my majors, I need a 4th year seminar that I WAS planning to take in my 4th year (duh), however by checking the timetable, I noticed it’s being taught next year by a prof who I’ve taken twice before and really enjoy/has been really helpful. I’d like to email him and basically ask about the course difficulty in relation to the 3rd year class I took last semester with him, to make sure I wouldn’t be completely lost if I took this 4th year required seminar in my 3rd year.

    This is where you’re advice would be useful. I know from talking to him last semester that he is not teaching summer classes. Is it considered bad form to email a professor during the summer break? Would you do it? He’s always been great about returning emails/questions during the school year but I don’t want to bug him if this is considered uncouth.

    Thanks! 🙂

    ~ McRudepants?

    ———————————————

    hey there McRudepants,

    man, why is e-mailing profs so difficult? i break down every time i try to word an e-mail to a prof. and then they answer back with something like, “sure. – k.” sometimes i wonder why i bother.

    i don’t think it’s rude at all. a lot of profs teach summer classes and are doing other work for the university during the summer, and so they check their utoronto e-mail regularly.

    obviously, some profs might be away studying some rare form of snail in the amazon all summer, but i don’t think it’s inherently rude to shoot them an e-mail.

    also, if you need their (or any other prof’s) e-mail/phone number, you can use the UofT phonebook. it’s a super helpful stalking tool directory for students.

    i hope that helps!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • commerce,  rotman,  UTM

    rotman’s a riot

    June 25, 2014

    Hi aska! I have a series of questions and I hope you can help me with them! As background info, I’m a UTM first-year going into second year, and I am unsure if I want to stay at UTM or if I want to transfer to UTSG. I’m planning on specializing in accounting and majoring in economics. Here it goes:

    1) Is there a significant difference between UTM Commerce and Rotman Commerce? I know we both get a BCom degree from U of T, but from reading internet posts, it seems like they’re two different worlds.

    2) I’m unsure whether UTM was the right choice for me, and seem to be inclined to want to transfer to UTSG. Don’t get me wrong, I love UTM, but there’s something that’s telling me that UTSG is where I belong. Is it easy to transfer internally??

    3) I really want to get into Commerce, but if I transfer into UTSG, I know that Rotman Commerce is very difficult to get into after first year. Since they don’t publish an official cutoff for ArtSci transfers, do you know what the unofficial cutoff could be? Like the average of the people that were able to transfer? (BTW, I completed most of the required 1st-year courses, except for MGT120 which I’m just about to complete.)

    4) I went to the Internal Transfers application website, and noticed that there are no transfers available for UTSG. Is there a specific timeframe as to when we’re allowed to complete a transfer application?

    5) If I apply for a transfer to ArtSci, and they accept me, do I instantly get kicked out of UTM? What if I change my mind and want to stay at UTM?

    6) Is there a GPA cutoff for transferring to ArtSci? If I do plan on transferring, I want to apply to University College. Does it have a minimum GPA or requirements?

    I’m sorry for making this long, and trust me, I also want to go over this with my Registrar. However, I think it would be awkward talking to them about transferring out. Thank you in advance! Take care aska!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    wow. lot of ground to cover here. why don’t we just get right to it?

    1. they’re different in some ways, but probably not as much as people at either school say. you can take a look at the program requirements for rotman’s programs and UTM’s and make a judgement call yourself. you can also read more about rotman’s programs here.

    obviously, rotman’s behemoth reputation is the elephant in the room that i can’t address, because i just don’t know how much of that is accurate, and how much is just good marketing. i do know that the programs are different enough that students in rotman can’t take the equivalent UTM or UTSC courses for their degree.

    people are always gonna try to create an us-versus-them binary, so to some extent, you just have to ignore that stuff. however, you do need to decide which one is right for you, and the best way to do that is actually visit rotman yourself. they can even connect you with a current student who can give you the inside scoop about their experience!

    2. just to be clear, rotman commerce does not accept internal transfers. you would have to transfer to the Faculty of Arts & Science into some other program and then apply to rotman after second year. here are the stats for registered transfer applicants versus transfer applicants at uoft – but keep in mind this data is from 2008 and has probably changed. the world’s changed a lot since then; crazy frog isn’t even popular anymore.

    3. yes, it is very diffcult (from rotman: “Entry into Rotman Commerce through this route is very competitive. Students who apply are advised to simultaneously ensure that they have appropriate prerequisites for other Arts and Science programs of interest.“) as always, i have no idea about cutoffs to programs. rotman doesn’t tell me these things. (rude, tbh. but what’re you gonna do?)

    4. the deadline to transfer internally to the faculty of arts & science was january 31st.

    5. as far as i know, you would just have to accept the offer of admission from UTSG. but double-check with your registrar.

    6. at least a B average.

    i’m all for talking to your registrar about your options (as always), but at this point, you’re looking at: transferring to UTSG, possibly having to spend an extra year in the Faculty of Arts & Science (to take RSM100Y, at least), applying to rotman and then hoping to get in despite the extremely competitive admissions process. it seems to me like it would be a lot easier to stay in UTM commerce, but as always, it is your decision. whatever feels right, is right.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses,  enrollment

    ‘fourth year’ is a fluid term

    June 25, 2014

    Hi 🙂

    I know course enrollment is still a few weeks away, but I’ve got a question about enrolling. I want to enroll in a class that requires 4th years status. I’ll be going into my fourth-year at U of T, however, because I failed a few classes, even after taking classes this summer session, I’ll be 0.5 credit short by September. I was wondering if this would affect my class choices for second semester. Would ROSI reject my enrollment and still consider me third year when trying to enroll for second semester, even though by second semester I’ll have the right amount of credits?

    Should I just try to sign up for that class second semester?

    Sorry if this is confusing. Thanks for your help.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    from the calendar: ‘ “First Year?, ?Second Year?, etc.: Sequences of courses are given as guides, but need not be followed in the exact order listed, provided all pre- and co-requisites are observed.‘ my motto is: if the calendar says it, it’s gospel.

    basically, despite people who love lording it over younger students how “mature” and “experienced”* they are, your year doesn’t actually mean that much in terms of courses. the only thing that may get in your way is if the course needs you to have completed 14.0 FCEs already; i’ve seen that on a few 4th-year courses. if that’s a requirement, it willbe listed on the course calendar under the course you’re interested in.

    but if you meet all the prereqs,?you shouldn’t have any problem enrolling. well, i mean, as long as you’ve sharpened your spear and prepared your suit of armour so you’re ready to do battle with thousands of other students?on your start day/time. can’t be a lily-livered sop on the day of enrolment and expect to get a spot in your classes.

    cheers,

    aska

    *i have lived a fifth of a century now and i still laugh at that #susanalbumparty thing. maturity is an illusion.

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  • askastudent love/hate

    apparently now i’m funny

    June 25, 2014

    You’re hilarious!! May I ask what you are in at u of t?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    what am i in, you ask? that’s a complicated question, and it doesn’t have just one answer. most days, i’m in a sleep-deprived haze, tinged with an?aura of grumpiness and impatience. i’m told this gives off the most delicate smell of lavender. then, after i’ve downed my cup of Life & Vitality, i’m very briefly in a state of euphoria, before i sink back into the bare bones of functionality.

    most days at uoft, i’m in the library. which library? well, it depends on whichever one’s closest and not packed. sometimes, around exams, everywhere is full and i just have to spend the evening wandering around campus, in a state of existential despair. “why aren’t the libraries open to me?” i’ll ask myself aloud as i stroll down st. george and people cross the street to the other side. “is this a sign that all knowledge is closed to me?” i’m often in the deepest pools of crippling angst.

    also, i’m usually in my most comfortable clothes while at uoft. while most folks go for the smooth and sleek look – you know, hair brushed, matching shoes, shirts and pants not randomly paired together – i prefer to?opt for hobo-with-nothing-left-to-lose chic. it’s fun and functional!

    oh, i’m also in the english specialist program.

    cheers,

    aska

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