<p>I’m not an admissions officer, just another U of T hopeful. I just wanted to tell you (in case you didn’t know, though you probably do), that Toronto requires three SAT subject tests. I didn’t see any in your post, so you might want to make sure you take some.</p>
<p>Other than that, that looks like a fantastic transcript. Good luck!</p>
<p>As a current student at U of T (and former American high school applicant), here’s my take: your GPA and SAT scores are probably borderline (I believe they have some specific cutoffs listed somewhere), so I’d say 50-50. I would try to hit the 2000 mark for the SAT and provided that U of T doesn’t re-evaluate based on weighted GPA formulas, to do a little better senior year. My own stats were 2300 on the SAT and 3.8 UWGPA. That having been said, U of T is generally lax on admissions. Entering classes are very large, which are then divided by residential colleges and/or faculties ie. Commerce, Engineering, and Comp Sci are separate from general arts and science students. The hard part is making it out of U of T without taking a serious hit to your grad school chances. Let it be known that there is no such thing as grade “inflation” at U of T - the usual breakdown is 20% As, 30% Bs, 30% Cs, and the rest Ds or Fs. For courses outside the humanities and social sciences, the class average is usually a C. If you are in a regular arts course, the class average is usually a B-. If you are in an easy one, you’ll get the rare B+ class average (though it’ll look bad if you hit a mark below, as I sometimes did with experimental courses). Also, while there are a plethora of clubs and student associations and activities, you have to find them yourself. Outside of your residential college, there is very little school spirit or student unity (which makes sense, given that the school is so large). This is not to say U of T students don’t have fun. The city, with its numerous museums, galleries, restaurants, distinct ethnic neighborhoods, cafes, bars, and clubs (two of the best in the world - Circa and Guvernment - are found here), provide more than enough entertainment. As for networking and research - many opportunities exist, but you have to find them yourself. The resources at this school are limitless, given that it’s Canada’s premier research university and has library holdings that are just behind Harvard and Yale. </p>
<p>Boy, do I sound like a Princeton Review summary. Sorry for the tangent. In short: try to raise that SAT score a little bit, look into the cutoffs, do better in senior year, and you should be fine. It’s more important to come to U of T with a strong will, discipline, and lots of ambition.</p>
<p>^ From what I’ve heard, U Toronto is about as rigorous as any college can be. Maybe that’s just because I’ve been reading about the engineering science program though…</p>
<p>I am saying U of T is probably harder than most American schools, especially the selective ones. ie. Harvard has over 70% of the class graduating with honors (I think - don’t quote me on that). </p>
<p>U of T has little grade inflation and in many classes does what it can to achieve a certain average hint: it’s not a high one. </p>
<p>Think of it this way: U of T is much easier to get in (though its academic standards are high: A-s and As, a decent SAT score) because it’s a public institution with a much larger class size, but tough as hell to get out of in one piece. The reverse is true of a school like Harvard - cure cancer to get in, but you are treated like royalty (at least academically) for 4 years.</p>
<p>SHANbangs88 I agreed with plenty of what you said but Guvernment and Circa the best bars in the world or among the best???..Oh dear…where to start. They are both 905er establishments as in the Toronto equivalent of the Bridge and Tunnel crowd that come into NYC from the boroughs on the weekends…no real 416er would be caught dead at any of those establishments…but you are an American and don’t know better…it’s like going to Paris and heading to Buddha bar… I guess. Too funny. I suggest you find some true 416ers and not those from Scarborough…and find some real dance clubs. The two you mentioned are for tourists…yes, 416ers consider 905ers to be tourists…but if you enjoy those two whom I am to judge, I guess.</p>
<p>I’d stay away from Guvernment if I were you. Any of you! Too many opportunities for trouble there. Toronto has a lot to offer, including great entertainment venues but Guvernment is not one of them. I do have to admit that one of my Ds is there with a large group of U of T student friends tonight to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. One of her friends knows a member of the band, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have gone.</p>
I do have to admit that one of my Ds is there with a large group of U of T student friends tonight to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. One of her friends knows a member of the band, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have gone.</p>