• admissions,  scholarships/bursaries

    mysterious money box (aka scholarships)

    June 9, 2022

    Hello, I was wondering how UofT calculates their averages for qualification of their admission scholarships. I got admitted to the faculty of Life Science and did not receive a scholarship. My average when I calculated it all my courses was 97%, and my friends said their averages were similar or less.

    hello hello,

    as far as i’m aware, utm and utsc have specific ranges for admission averages (e.g. grade 12 top six marks required for the program you applied to) for their automatic entrance scholarships, in addition to some extra requirements on the eligible courses. for example, neither campus will take the second mark for a repeated course, utsc won’t count grades updated after admissions or courses taken the summer right before university, yadda yadda yadda. i’m assuming you’re interested in the automatic, grades-based scholarships, by the way — don’t even get me started on the applications-based scholarships, because there are just wayyy to many factors to account for there.

    it looks like admission averages around the high 80% or 90% range would guarantee you scholarships at these campuses, so if you applied to utm or utsc, you can certainly send a strongly worded email to their admissions departments asking about your scholarships.

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    i have a feeling that you’re asking about utsg though, which, uh…

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    let’s just say they like to keep things mysterious. the uoft scholars entrance scholarship at utsg doesn’t seem to have any specific range in terms of grades. they do state that scholarships are specific to your campus/faculty/college, though, which does make everything more complicated. (great.) anyhow, to answer your question, i can’t really say for utsg, but it might depend on your college and what their cutoffs are for lifesci, too. if you find that your friends going to the same college/program with similar averages got an automatic scholarship, it might be worth asking the admissions department or college registrar about it, in case you were also eligible.

    either way, congrats on getting through high school with those marks! entrance scholarships can be fickle and competitive, but it looks like you’re doing great regardless and will hopefully keep it up in uni! if tuition costs are an issue at all, you should definitely also prepare to apply for osap (if you’re an ontario kid), utaps, or other financial aid from uoft.

    good luck!

    aska

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  • current student,  residence,  woodsworth

    woodsworth why you gotta be so picky

    June 9, 2022

    Hi! I would like to ask something about residency. I got placed into Woodsworth College but I’m not allowed to have a place of residency there as I place it as my second choice, and most likely they’re going to place me into Chestnut. I would really love to live within my college, their ensuite kitchen is what made me choose them. I emailed Woodsworth’s residency department but they’re not giving me a clear response. Is there anthing I could do? Were there any similar cases?

    hey there,

    it’s funny that you ask, because there was a similar case to this about 8 years ago… ah, the elusive woodsworth, swerving on student residence applications since 2014 (well, probably earlier than that too). i’m not sure if that poor kid ever did get into woodsworth res, but i’ll say the chances are probably veeeery slim.

    i would recommend to email woodsworth and plead your case, but it looks like you’ve already done that. so if the application portal and woodsworth residency department are both saying that you’ll probably be put in chestnut, well… that’s probably what’s gonna happen.

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    if the lack of a kitchen is a real deal-breaker, you could also try looking into other housing options like campusone (although most rooms with kitchens look like they’re waiting list only right now), or renting a room off campus. on the other hand, you’ll have the rest of your adult life to cook your own meals — it might not be so bad to just spend your first year chilling at chestnut and mindlessly eating off the meal plan.

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    best of luck,

    aska

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  • academic success,  current student,  mental health

    sending u positive energy (and all the resources i got)

    June 2, 2022

    Hi! I am a first year student and this year has been just bad. I moved to a whole new country and ig that had a bad effect on my mental health. I have failed 4 of my first year courses . I am not sure what to do.

    hi there,

    i’m so sorry to hear that your first year has been so difficult. i hope you’re doing better now, and maybe this can give you some comfort/advice.

    honestly, the transition to university is tough to navigate for almost everyone, not to mention moving to a completely different country, or figuring out student mental health resources. it’s just a lot, so know that you’re not alone. first year is probably one of the most universally despised years from what i’ve heard, but it does get better. most people i’ve talked to get better at their study skills, meet more friends, and simply adjust more to uoft life over time.

    the first thing that i would recommend for you is definitely to book an appointment with your registrar. they provide support for all sorts of student concerns and can help give advice on things like mental health resources, study strategies, finances, and more. they’re so so helpful and can definitely guide you in the right direction.

    i’m sure you’ll be in good hands with your registrar in terms of resources, but i’ll also just include some that i know of which may help. your health definitely comes first, and uoft does have a whole list of mental health services which you may have heard of, as well as 24/7  phone counselling for all kinds of student concerns through my SSP, if you ever need to talk about anything. you may also want to see a medical professional or look into accessibility services accomodations to get the proper supports for any health concerns you might have. it can be tricky to find the mental health supports that work best for you, so i’d recommend starting early and trying out resources this summer to help maintain your health and wellbeing.

    the academic success centre also has a lot of great programs to help build your study skills, like workshops, peer mentors, and learning strategist appointments. i’m not sure if you’re taking any courses right now, but you could also just book an appointment to reflect on your past school year and get some professional advice on how you could improve.

    you’re probably also aware of the CIE at utsg, or international student centres at utsc and utm, which offer support especially for international students. i just have to highlight these programs from the CIE which look super wholesome, and could be a great way to connect with other students and build your support system here in toronto.

    from what i know, these resources are open year round, so if you have any concerns or simply want to get on track to prepare for second year, definitely reach out to them! although the road ahead can be challenging, i think that with the right supports and strategies, you can definitely make it through!

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    good luck,

    aska

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  • current student,  psychology,  subject POST

    all roads lead to the utsg psych major

    May 26, 2022

    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!

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    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!

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    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  full-time,  part-time

    if a course gets ncr’d did you ever really take it

    May 21, 2022

    Hello, I’m an international student taking only 3 credits. I’m not doing great in a course and considering declaring it non-credit. If I am to fail it, will it impact my full-time status?

    hi friend,

    apologies for the late reply! hopefully you’ve gotten some advice on this already, but if not, maybe this can still help.

    if you’re taking exactly 3.0 FCEs this school year, then failing or dropping the course could drop you down to part-time status. so the answer is probably yes, but it depends (gotta love that, i know).

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    for example, osap funding requires you to enroll in and pass at least 3.0 FCEs for a school year (search “osap academic progress”) — otherwise, you might be put on probation.

    but depending on who you ask, the criteria mayyyy differ. i mean, what even is ‘full-time’ anyway? it’s possible that funding/programs/employers/whoever else you’re tryna impress could consider an ncr differently, so you might want to ask directly to be sure.

    i would also recommend speaking to your registrar for more info, and for support in your future courses!

    good luck~

    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  UTM

    an imposter among us (sorry, i had to)

    May 12, 2022

    Hello! I’m a st george student and just realized a course I’ve been taking online is from the mississauga campus. Does it matter? will the mark count toward my grade do I have to tell anyone about this?

    hey there!

    generally the course would count towards your gpa and degree requirements, as long as it’s not an exclusion for a course that you’ve already taken. exclusions would be marked as extra courses and won’t count towards your gpa or degree.

    you should also double check with your registrar’s office to see if the course would count towards your degree requirements. if you’re hoping to take the course for your program requirements (major, minor, specialist, etc.) then you’d also need to ask your department.

    there’s some more info on taking courses at other colleges on this page, under “Courses in Other Divisions”, but that pretty much covers the main points!

    so rest assured, as long as you have a chat with your registrar to clear things up, it’ll likely be fine… just act natural and channel your inner utm student.

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    all the best,

    aska

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  • colleges,  current student,  switching

    the good ol’ college switcheroo

    May 6, 2022

    Hi! I’m in woodsworth college and I’m hoping to try and switch colleges to trinity, Victoria or UC. I’m wondering if you have any advice for how to do this successfully! What kind of reasons are they looking for to switch? What can I do in an application that will make my chances better? Thanks!

    hey there!

    i think a few things would help make a strong application. firstly, try to reach out and apply as soon as you can! it’ll be easier to convince the college that you’ll be a great addition to their community if you join early on in your undergrad career, with plenty of time ahead to experience the college that you want to transfer to. vic actually states that they will not accept transfers from students that have completed more than 10.0 credits, so applying earlier is definitely an advantage.

    a good gpa would help, too. for example, vic requires a cgpa of around B (3.0) or higher. the requirements for other colleges aren’t really publicly available, but i’d assume that a higher gpa would be beneficial.

    anyhow, moving on to the part that you’re really here for… how to actually write your transfer application. college transfer applications are somewhat of a black box. vic is nice enough to lay out some application questions right on their website, but you’ll have to reach out directly to the other colleges to find out their exact requirements.

    do i know anything about how colleges judge their transfer applications? not really. have i even personally transferred colleges before? also no. am i gonna throw some ideas out here anyway? well yes. based on my general experiences applying to stuff, here are a few things that might help.

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    • find out more about the college, and talk about what you like about it. try to be as genuine as possible. get a sense of the vision and values of trin, vic and uc,  and describe specific aspects which resonated with you.
    • write about what you’re hoping to get out of the transfer. this shows that you’ve done your research and have a clear idea of why you want to transfer! are there certain college-specific resources that you are hoping to access? is there any aspect of student life in the college which drew you in? if you’re interested in uc’s beloved writing centre, vic’s sweet sweet scholarships (read: “generous financial support”), trin’s small and close-knit community, or anything else for that matter, then write about it!
    • describe what you can bring to the table. how have you contributed to your student community thus far? what kind of a role do you see yourself playing in the college and its community? are there any student groups or activities at the college that you’d like to get involved with? you might want to reference specific initiatives at trin, vic, and uc.

    the college transfer process can be tricky, but hopefully this gives you some ideas for your application! remember that other factors such as the number of spots available at a college could also affect your chances of landing a transfer. as one of the smallest colleges at uoft, i feel like trinity will probably be particularly hard to transfer into, while it may be easier to transfer to a large college like uc. in any case, good luck and give it your best shot!

    all the best,

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  GPA

    sounds familiar… hello cr/ncr my old friend

    April 26, 2022

    I’m ready to graduate this June, but took a couple of extra classes this sem to boost my gpa and get more writing experience. I kinda want to graduate with high distinction, but I think one class might weigh me down from that. Should I cr/ncr it or just accept missing the high distinction cut off? It’s a class within my program but doesn’t count toward any reqs as those are done. Also I’m considering grad school so idk if cr/ncr would affect that. Would high gpa look better or visible grades?

    hello there,

    so sorry for the late response — i’m just getting to these long-overdue cr/ncr courses, but hopefully you were able to work something out. here are my two cents, anyhow, in case it helps.

    i think it depends on how much this course lowers your gpa, and whether it’s related to your undergrad or potential grad programs. i haven’t heard much about how high distinction and other titles are considered by grad schools, but gpa would definitely be a factor that is considered. i would recommend calculating your gpa with potential marks for this course to see if it is still competitive for grad programs and other opportunities you may be interested in, e.g. jobs, scholarships. if this course doesn’t lower your gpa too much, you might be better off just keeping the grade. but also, beware of grad programs that focus on only your upper years or final year, which might cause this course to hold more weight.

    a CR might give the impression of a very low mark and could be a red flag, especially if it’s in a course related to your desired grad program. at the same time, just one CR/NCR in your final year (the main focus of many grad school admissions, e.g. uoft) may not be so much of an issue, especially if it saves your gpa! however, it’s best to contact your potential grad programs to ask how they consider CR/NCR in their admissions process.

    in any case, i hope the rest of your semester has gone smoothly, and wish you all the best for graduation!

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  late withdrawal

    save that gpa

    April 26, 2022

    Hey, I think one of my classes is gonna affect my gpa a bit, and I’m thinking about doing grad school in something later (probably an ma or mba if that affects anything), do you think a cr/ncr looks better on a record or a lwd? Really sad I missed the drop date :(( but I think I want to save my gpa above all

    hi there,

    so sorry i couldn’t get to this until now — i hope you figured something out, but i’ll just put this out there anyway in case anyone else gets in a similar situation.

    if you will likely pass the course, CR may look better than a LWD (i mean, a pass is a pass!), and you can still get credit for the course. if you think you might fail the course, it may be better to go with a LWD.

    it also depends on the specific programs you’re hoping to apply to for grad school. some might only look at your upper year gpa or final year gpa. actually, rotman mba and uoft master’s admissions both only require a minimum 3.0 or mid-B average in your final year, or last 5.0 FCEs.

    there isn’t much info on how they look at LWD versus CR/NCR, at least for uoft, but you can also reach out to the admissions office for the programs you’re interested in to ask!

    i hope that you were able to choose an option that works for you. realistically, i just wanna say that a few CRs or LWDs will likely be fine for grad school, so don’t sweat it! it sounds like you’ll be applying in later years, so there is still plenty of time to improve your academic record, especially for your final years, which will be the most important. i’d also recommend speaking to your registrar for support in your future courses.

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    wishing you all the best!

    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  programs

    gotta get with the program

    April 25, 2022

    Are only my first 20 credits counted for program requirements? Ahhh its so confusing

    hello there,

    ahhhh indeed.

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    according to the artsci calendar, you need at least 20.0 credits to graduate, courses beyond that can still count towards your program requirements.

    you just gotta make sure that your 20.0 (or more) credits satisfy these conditions:

    • at least 13.0 FCEs at the 200+ level
    • at least 6.0 FCEs at the 300+ level
    • at least 10.0 FCEs from the faculty of arts and sciences

    the one thing you might have to be careful about is that if you have over 15.0 FCEs with the same three letter designation in the course code (e.g. ENG, or MAT), only the first 15 will count towards your degree requirements… but technically, maybe they can still count for your program requirements? i guess if you do find yourself in the unique dilemma of having 15+ FCEs with the same three letter code, it’d be best to check with your registrar, just in case!

    hope that helps!

    aska

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  • auditing,  courses,  current student

    don’t let your dream (courses) be dreams

    March 16, 2022

    Hey! I found out about a course I’ve been dreaming of way too late. I’m on the wait list, but it’s a small class and i’m like 33rd ? so no chance of me getting in. Is there anything i can do at all to still be able to take it? It’s online and I dont know if emailing a prof or the department would do any good for me.

    hey there,

    ironically, i think i may be answering your question way too late… sorry 🙁 but hope this can still help in some way.

    i think 33rd on the waitlist might be too far down to get the prof to accept you directly over the other students who were also interested, but if the waitlist moves along enough, you could have a good shot. anyhow, it doesn’t hurt to ask. some smaller courses (think <20 students) have actually had surprisingly high drop rates in my experience, so there may still be hope!

    another thing is, you may want to ask the prof about auditing the course. auditing would allow you to attend and participate in lectures and classes, but you wouldn’t get a credit for the course or submit any assignments/evaluations.

    you can audit courses for free as a uoft student, or if you really want to get a nice shiny official Certificate of Attendance™, there would be an auditing fee of usually 40% or more of the course tuition. in any case, this could be a good way to get into the class if you mostly want to attend out of interest, and won’t be able to take the course in later years. heck, you can even audit courses after graduating (if you haven’t had enough school yet…) with permission of the department/instructor, and the auditing fee.

    not all departments/instructors will allow auditing, but the best way to find out if you could audit is just to reach out to the prof directly and ask.

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    best of luck,

    aska

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  • admissions

    waiting, not waitlisted

    March 16, 2022

    I was notified today that uoft can’t offer me admission in this round of applications. They will consider it in the next round, meaning in the nest four weeks I would get the decision.

    Does this mean I’m waitlisted? Should I be concerned?

    hey there,

    acceptances should be sent out throughout late january all the way to the end of may so there’s no need to panic yet! it looks like you haven’t been waitlisted at this point, but you’ll just have to wait a bit longer to receive a decision. if you’ve submitted all your required documents and everything you should be all set, so just hang tight and look out for more updates in the next round!

    fyi, uoft will actually be starting a waitlist system this year for applicants that were close to meeting the requirements but weren’t able to get an acceptance directly. you can check if you’ve been invited to the waitlist in the ‘Check Your Application Status’ section of the join uoft site. waitlisted applicants will get their final decisions by june 17 for ontario high school students, or may 25 for other applicants.

    however, if you didn’t get a ‘waitlisted’ status update, then rest assured, you’re haven’t been put on the waitlist, your application is just… undecided!

    Suspense Waiting GIFfrom Suspense GIFs


    i know, i know, no one likes a cliffhanger, i mean come on, uoft… anyway, i hope that helps to somewhat quell your concerns. although the wait can be stressful, i hope you get some time to just chill and enjoy these next few weeks/months 🙂 and hopefully, you’ll get the final decision soon!

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    best of luck,

    aska

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