Applying to University of Toronto – Easier Than You Think

As a high school student, you probably have never had to worry about applications. Who says this needs to change as you move from high school to university? Lucky for you, University of Toronto Scarborough can help you with this process – we’ve prepared some easy steps for you to follow for a (relatively) stress-free last year of high school.

Application Process
Don’t worry – applying to University of Toronto (U of T) is simple. All students apply via the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) website. This website is an easy-to-use centralized processing system which forwards all applications to University of Toronto – so you don’t have to be buried in paperwork.
Please note that you will have only one application choice to U of T Scarborough so proper research before applying is essential. All applicants to the following programs will automatically be considered for admission to alternate programs should their original choice not be approved: Co-op, Concurrent Teacher Education, Joint, Management, and Computer Science programs. All alternate offers of admissions are to non co-op programs only, and are typically related to the original field of study.  Furthermore, Major/Minor options are possible and usually selected after your first year of study.

Deadlines
For detailed information on all deadlines, please visit the U of T Scarborough website.

After you apply
U of T will communicate with you in various ways after you’ve completed your application. You will receive the following:
-    an e-mail confirming receipt of your OUAC application
-    a postcard acknowledgement by mail (This postcard will direct you to our Next Steps website which outlines our application procedures in greater detail)
-    a letter from our Admissions & Awards office acknowledging receipt of your application, and includes your U of T applicant number
-    an acknowledgement package from U of T Scarborough highlighting the program you’ve applied to and whether additional steps need to be taken for consideration
It is important to read and review every document that you receive.

Submitting Additional Documents
If you are currently in an Ontario high school, your school’s guidance department will forward your transcript to us on your behalf. All other applicants should send their transcripts and other academic documents to the U of T Admissions & Awards office.
You may be required to present proof of English facility if your first language is not English. Review these requirements on our website.
Applicants to the Concurrent Teacher Education Program are required to fill out a CTEP Applicant Profile. This document costs $35 to complete and is due on February 15, 2010. All other programs at U of T Scarborough require completion of the Supplementary Application Form (SAF) for admission. The SAF is normally due within three weeks of the date on your acknowledgement letter and is free to complete. Failure to submit these forms may jeopardize your application.

How Admissions Works
General Requirements:
Admissions requirements for all Ontario high school students include:
-    High school diploma including 6 subjects at the 4U/M level including English
-    Any prerequisites relevant to your chosen program
Detailed information about admissions requirements for all other Canadian students (for example, out of province, not currently in high school) is available on the U of T Scarborough Admissions & Recruitment website.

Prerequisites:
Prerequisites vary depending on the program you are applying to. Here are some general guidelines on prerequisites. For most Arts programs, there are no additional prerequisites aside from grade 12 English. For programs in the Sciences, prerequisites may include all or some of: Calculus & Vectors, Advanced Functions, Chemistry, Biology and Physics (all at the grade 12U level). For Management programs, prerequisites are Calculus & Vectors and Advanced Functions. For precise information on prerequisites, please refer to the 2010/11 U of T Scarborough Viewbook or the admissions website. Remember to research your provinces’ course equivalents (which can be found in our view book) for these requirements before applying.

Academic Requirements
Decisions on acceptances are made according to the number of spaces available, academic record, distribution of subjects taken, and performance in courses relevant to subject area. Admission averages are calculated based on your 6 best 12U high school courses (including English). The minimum ranges for admissions vary from year to year, depending on the applicant pool. However, U of T Scarborough has posted a chart containing 2009 minimum entry grade ranges online. Use this as a guide only.

Non-academic Requirements
The Supplementary Application Form (SAF) and/or CTEP Applicant Profiles are essential non-academic criterion for admissions. That’s why, it is important to complete these successfully. There are different types of questions you may be asked: life experiences, extra curricular activities, external assessments (reference letters), self assessment and self expression. In a lot of cases, you may be required to write a short essay. The principle goal, when completing these forms/profiles, should be to make yourself stand out from other applicants.

Keep Informed
At any time during this process, you can check the status of your application or check whether all your academic documents have been received via the online Application Status Check service.