12/29/09: The epic reviews on the colleges at U of T have been completed! Whoo! Quick links for you. In order of date posted: Victoria College; University College; Innis College; Trinity College; New College; St. Michael's College; Woodsworth College. You can also find an overview of all the posts related to this saga under the "college guide" tag. Don't forget to check out the FAQ at the bottom! I just found the answers to how you can transfer colleges.
Does choosing which college to attend at the University of Toronto seem daunting, confusing or mystifying? Or if you're already a student here, have you ever wanted to learn more about your college?
If so, worry/wait no longer! In the upcoming weeks, I'll be commencing "THE COLLEGES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO—ST. GEORGE: AN EPIC, HEPTADIC* SAGA." Just from the title alone, you can tell it's going to be epic. It is so fierce that I have smized** usurped Lucy's regular Thursday post for the first installment of TCOTUOTSG-AEHS.
* To be honest, trilogies are so much more epic. Alas, there are seven colleges, and they don't divide well into threes.
** Couldn't help it. I'm sorry. I'll be less silly now.
Methodology (a.k.a. "What is said saga?")
This is probably the longest comparative assignment I've had (or will have) the pleasure to write, and is the first of its kind in all of U of T's history. You're creating history with me, dear readers. Isn't this exciting? The premise is thus: I want to compare all seven colleges as objectively as possible so that you can find out which college is the best for you — or, if you're already here, what sort of college you got yourself into.
How am I going to make this objective? I mean, unless you've experienced all seven colleges for yourself, you can't really make a proper comparison, right? Plus — and I can already hear your objection — as a student, I'm tied to a college, so I must be biased in its favour. Well, first off, I'm not affiliated with any of the colleges as a blogger, and so I'm not going to favour any college over another. Actually, let's make a list:
1. I'm not college-biased as a blogger. In fact, I'm a Student Life blogger; if I'm going to be biased, I'm going to be biased for the collective student body!
2. I'm asking all seven colleges the same basic set of questions. The answers will be provided by a representative of the college itself, and I'll be transcribing the interview for you. You'll also get the same set of pictures from me for each college — the exterior, what the registrar looks like…
3. I will describe my experience and personal impressions after you see the answers, so you're not going to be primed by my views.
That being said, I wanted to get some background info out of the way, as well as a guide of sorts.
*UPDATE! My first TCOTUOTSG-AEHS post was longer than one of my essays, and that cannot be. So, I'm going to be cutting out information that you can find through Wikipedia or Google, and answering three questions that I cut because everybody gave me the same answer. Check out FAQ #2, 3, and 4.
Background Info (a.k.a. "What is a college?")
A college, as the official U of T page points out, is a place to call home. If you choose your courses from the Arts and Science (St. George) calendar, then you're going to be affiliated with a college. It's both a historical legacy, and also U of T's answer to having an insanely large student population. It's not unlike Harry Potter: your college is your house, but without the pumpkin juice. It's a place to hang out before, between and after class; it's a place to get involved, to gain experience, to practise leadership; it's a place to meet people; and it's a place to call your own.
There are seven colleges at U of T St. George: Innis College ("Innis"); New College ("New"); St. Michael's College (St. Mike's); Trinity College ("Trin"); University College ("UC"); Victoria College ("Vic"); and Woodsworth College ("Woodsworth"). When you apply to the Faculty of Arts and Science at St. George (as opposed to UTM or UTSC, which are significantly smaller in population and don't need the college system), you have to rank the colleges in your preferred order.
Speaking of choice, here are five dos and don'ts in choosing your college:
5 reasons NOT to choose a college:
1. "Cuz *insert college* is where all the hot guys/gals at!" Because it's different every year, obviously. UC (as a hypothetical example) may have had the luck of the draw last year, but that doesn't mean they won't get the short straw this year. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so your subjective view of which college has the hottest people may not equal my view. Also, you meet people in class, where you spend at least some of your time, and classes are very rarely college-specific.
2. "Innis, because Innis is alphabetically first." You'd be surprised at how many people I met who chose Innis because it was first on the list. Innis is great, it's true, but please at least do some cursory research to make sure the other six aren't for you. Similarly, Eeny Meeny Miny Moe does not constitute a legitimate way to generate your college choice.
3. "Trinity, because they are respectable!" All right, full disclosure: I'm a Trin kid. I chose Trinity after my research and found that it was the best fit for me. Look, Trin gets its share of good and bad rap, and I'll be exploring those issues further when I interview the college, but just because Trin seems "impressive" or "dignified" or whatever people tell you isn't a good reason to choose Trin. Having a separate application makes it seem prestigious, a place where only the elite few make it in, but like all colleges, Trin has its share of good and bad people. Ultimately, having an environment where you are comfortable to be yourself while you explore and learn is more important than whether or not your great-aunt May can tell her neighbours that "my niece goes to the University of Toronto, downtown campus, at Trinity College!"
4. "Because I heard that this college is like (*insert stereotype here*)" I'll be busting the stereotypes of all seven colleges in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for that. For now though, understand this: there are going to be people who epitomize whatever stereotype you may have heard about a college, but those people are going to be at every other college, too. It's the nature of having so many people at U of T. You are going to find somebody who exemplifies every college (and university) stereotype at all seven college.
5. "It doesn't matter, because I'm commuting anyways. I won't be socializing with people. I'm going to be all alone…" Cheer up, emo kid! Being a commuter makes it even more important to choose wisely. Each college has its own resources for commuting students and you're going to want to find out what those are, and which you're going to benefit most from. Don't worry — in my upcoming series, I specifically ask the people I interview what resources their colleges have for you, so hang in there!
5 reasons to choose a college:
1. "I've visited the colleges and --- feels the best for me." YES! There is no such thing as a wrong college, but there is the right college for you. There's nothing like understanding the environment and feel of the college by simply visiting. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the actual experience of going into a college is going to be worth so much more. I know, visiting seven colleges seems like hard work, but make a morning/afternoon of it. The campus is big, but not that big. It'll be great exercise. And ask the students you see (who don't look like they haven't slept trying to finish an essay/problem set/assignment) at the college for their opinion of it. They generally don't bite.
2. "Because I like the --- residence." YES! If you're going to be living in rez, one of the most important things* to do is to scope out your home for the next year. Residences are even more important to visit in person if you can. Each residence is different, and you'll be surprised at how little things like the ceiling height, the materials used in the building, and the way it's structured make a huge difference. There are residences that I visited which on paper I thought I would love, but after visiting, I found that I preferred another that was less attractive to me on paper. If you can't make it in person, check out the respective colleges' websites. A lot of them have virtual tours and photos available. Don't forget that there's also the hotel/residence, 89 Chestnut.
*UPDATE! Dear readers, check out Lucy's perspective on the residence question. Residences are transient, and that should be taken into account!
3. "All my programs are there!" If you're taking a college-specific program, or are in a program whose courses take place at or near a college, choosing your college based on location and proximity is great. I'm always jealous of the people who can wake up five minutes before a 9:10 a.m. class and just tumble in. Though, a quick word of caution: don't let this be your be-all-and-end-all factor in choosing a college. What if you change programs? It happens more often than you think.
4. "Because the --- at this college are attractive to me." Whether you're looking for commuter programs, scholarships and bursaries, or mentorship programs, each college has its own unique offerings and resources. Once you figure out what those are (and I can help you with that in the upcoming weeks), you'll be able to make a more informed choice. (For askastudent, the huge red couches in UC's Junior Common Room were a deciding factor.)
5. "Because of all of the above, and more!" If you have more than one reason for choosing your college, all the more power to you! My point — and this really applies to anything you do — is that it's important to know why you're choosing something. University is a place to learn how to think, so we might as well start with colleges, eh?
In conclusion:
There is no right or wrong answer in choosing your college, as there are people who love and hate the college they're at. Being in one college does not disqualify you from the resources and services that U of T provides, so you're going to have access to all things U of T — the facilities, the gym membership, all the libraries, and so on. It may seem like an arduous process, but choosing the right college for you will ultimately make your experience at the university that much better.
Until Thursday,
- Cynthia
PS: I'm starting a FAQ section! Shoot me questions* in the comments, and I'll add it in.
*please at least try 1) the U of T website; 2) the college-in-question's website; 3) Google for the answer first?
Frequently Asked Questions regarding the College system at U of T!
1) How I do I switch colleges?
The quick answer is that each transfer is considered on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the college, you can be in any year, and can submit a request for transfer any time of the year*. Colleges monitor students who transfer in, not out, so you only need to contact the Associate Registrar of the college you are interested in transferring to. Email or submit a letter requesting a transfer (remember to include your name and student number) detailing why you want to switch colleges. Obviously, your reasons have to be compelling, and not just "cause I want to" or "my friends are there". As I said, each transfer is considered individually. Make sure to follow up after submitting your letter if you don't hear from the college, and if you have any questions, the Registrar's Office (of the college you want to switch to) will be able to provide you with more information.
*However, it is important to note that each college has a slightly different procedure for accepting transfers. I called them, and here are some additional requests. As always, contact the Registrar's Office for the most up-to-date requirements just in case.
Trinity College: Submit your letter during May and June. You can be in any year, academics will be taken into account and you will need a recommendation letter along with your statement.
University College: Submit your letter around April-June. There is also a form to fill out and you should be between 8.5-11 credits.
Innis College: Wanting to stay at Innis Residence is not sufficient reason to transfer to Innis College, and you should typically have at least a B average.
2) What is the atmosphere like at ______ college?
- All seven colleges are diverse, inclusive and welcoming environments where students can safely explore and learn about themselves.
3) What's ______ college's relationship with the other colleges?
- The consensus is that there are spirited rivalries during orientation, but most students are able to mix their love of their college with support for other colleges fairly well.
“TCOTUOTSG-AEHS.”
When I first saw this, my first thought was “Oh God, midterms finally got to Cynthia”.
I actually disagree that residence is a strong reason for choosing a college. I chose mine for its residence–and everyone else I know have always been jealous of the fact that I got in and it’s got the nicest of pretty much everything. But there are a couple of problems with this:
1. Residence is not permanent: it’s mostly for 1st year and after that it’s probably a very good idea to move out despite the added inconvenience factor (I’m STILL living in rez and I’m beginning to think I’m overly pampered). On the other hand, whether you enjoy the atmosphere and feel of your overall COLLEGE or not–this is not going to go away and you are stuck with it for 4 years, if not more.
2. You cannot account to have the best of everything, and sometimes, when you think that you’ve got it all planned and figured out, life doesn’t end up that way in the end. For example, entry to my rez was primarily based on high school average–cutoff for Life Sci was like 93% or something for my year. Because of that, I had originally thought that since I’ll be surrounded by a whole bunch of super-smart, super-studious ppl, I’d focus really well living there. But it wasn’t the case at all…I got even more distracted because in first year, amidst of all the adapting I had to do and stress, living amongst the country’s smartest (like 2 of the top 10 students for that year’s National Biology contest were on my floor) did not help with the lack of confidence I had in my academic abilities. Also, because of the style of residence it is (apartment styled, which I also thought would fit me), I missed out on a lot of the typical undergrad residence experiences that a lot of my friends did receive by living in a more traditional dorm-styled environment. All I’m saying is that everything has its pros and cons, and sometimes, no matter how hard we try to plan to have “everything good”, there are still these unexpected things that come in our way. Have reasonable expectations, and plan accordingly.
3. Even if you are in the supposedly “best” residence, you might not get the “best” room, which essentially makes all the difference (even more so than the rez itself). The location of your rez, too, can be a determining factor of your experience–i.e. despite that it might be really close to a main street and thus very convenient, the noise level might be something that you had not actually expected.
So yeah, don’t bank on rez. There are many, many other reasons for why you should go for a college or not. For me, I’ve realized that it’s all about “feel”. Walk around the college buildings, get a feel of what it’s actually like to hang out there day
in, day out. If I were to choose all over again, I think I might have gone with Vic or UC, because it just *feels right*.
I agree with Lucy. I’m a first year student living in an apartment style residence right now and not a lot going on in terms of the “usual” first year dorm style residence experience… I didn’t plan on coming to U of T when I applied for university so I chose a random college… I’m looking forward to your heptadic saga : )
It’s also worth considering that some colleges offer better/ more available scholarships than others. I heard somewhere that at Vic, provided you get a minimum of a 3.5 CGPA, you get a minimum of 1000$ each year? I’m not the most reliable source here (heresay), but it’s worth looking into, at least.
“Trin gets its share of good and bad rap”
I’m willing to bet that’s true. Are you going to share with us the quality of the Rap coming out of the college windows? What about R&B? Country? Breakbeat Hardcore?
Are you going to write about switching colleges, by any chance? For those of us… who’ve found the college with the right “feel” way too late?
Trilogies are very epic, but Star Wars is technically a Heptadic now. You’re on the right track!
@ Lucy:
Hahahahaha. Oh my goodness. My cover was blown right off the bat! I’ve commuted all my life, so I’m actually a residence noob. I’m glad you brought your perspective in. While I was doing my research, most of the people I talked to put residence as one of the strongest reason to choose a college. Your rez has the best of everything? I’m camping out at your place, stat. Anyhow. I’ve edited the post to reflect this new development (aka, your comment <3)
@Monica: Thank you for your comment! I visited a couple apartment styled residences and really like the atmosphere of a suite. I’m glad you made it to the U of T!
@Mary: :D! Vic does have a scholarship for students with an A average! Vic has many things, actually, stay tuned for tomorrow’s Vic post!
@Chris: I could, really, but honestly, any college with Breakbeat Hardcore out its windows will have an unfair advantage. So I’ll stick to analyzing just the rap. 😉
@Liesl: Ooh, yes! Let me do that. I’m going to make a FAQ section then. Thank you for an excellent question!
This would have been SO helpful to me last year. Colleges were so confusing to me I just picked them in random order – and am not too impressed with where I am. I felt that there were two or three other colleges besides mine that would have been a lot better fit for me than this one, due to the programs they offer and what I am planning to study. Don’t get me wrong, I do like my college a bit, however I don’t think it fits me personally.
I can’t wait to continue reading, and I would love to hear about switching colleges.
First off, thank you so much for putting this up. I’m applying to university for the 2010-2011 year (I’m doing a gap year right now), and this whole college-thing has given me no small amount of grief. Even though my dad works at U of T and one of my cousins goes there, neither of them have been able to explain to me what makes each individual college unique/exciting in terms of the “university experience”. What I’m mainly looking to find out is how courses/programs work, and if I can be excluded from some of them based on my college. If not, I’ll probably pick the one closest to whatever department runs whatever program I decide I want to start with.
Anyway, I’ll keep reading this epic saga as I make my applications for next year!
Hey! I’m new here and am applying for admissions to UT ’10. This information was really helpful when I was considering which college I want to go to. I was thinking of ranking them randomly too but after reading this, I realize I should put some more thought to it now.
@Sarah: All the colleges have their style, and while all of them are good, it’s even better when you find one that matches your personality! I’m sorry your current one isn’t working as well as you hoped. I’m researching about the process, and will be able to let you know soon! Thanks for commenting!
@Sean: Thanks for your comment! As far as I know, you don’t have to be in any of the colleges to enroll in any of the programs. For example, I go to Trin, but I’m taking a minor that is offered by Innis and another that is offered by New College. I haven’t been kicked out of Trin yet 😀
I just looked through the Calendar for you – for the college specific programs, they mostly say you have to have a certain GPA and have taken certain courses to enroll, never that you have to be a member of their college. Even the ones that sound like you have to be – Vic One and Trin One, for example, don’t, so I think you’re good.
@Meimei: Hey! Thanks for commenting! First of all, best of luck! I remember how stressful university applications can get. I’d love to hear which college you pick at the end, and I’m glad you’re not doing so randomly!
Just to be clear, your choice of college has absolutely no bearing on your academic options at U of T. All students in the Faculty of Arts and Science have access to all courses and programs within the faculty, regardless of their college affiliation. Most academic programs are housed within departments; only a few are hosted within colleges, and these tend to be more interdisciplinary programs. Any student can take the college-based programs.
As for classes, they are held in buildings all over campus — e.g., linguistics classes might be held in the chemistry building; English classes might be held in University College; history lectures might be held in the Earth Sciences building. It can seem quite random, and often depends on the size of the class and type of room needed. So choosing your college based on where you think your courses might be is probably not the best strategy. As Cynthia has pointed out, you might well decide to change your program, too!
That’s not to say that a particular college-based program shouldn’t be a factor in choosing your college, but it probably shouldn’t be the main one. Many (perhaps most) students at U of T will never take a course taught within their college.
The undergrads who don’t participate in the college system at U of T are students outside the Faculty of Arts and Science — for instance, Engineering, Music, or Phys. Ed. students. Students in those faculties take most of their courses within their faculty, and don’t formally belong to a college (though they may live in a residence).
There aren’t enough or sufficient information about the floor plans, sizes, furnitures on the colleges website. Consider UofT students apply for residence will to spend a quite siginificant amount on annual residence fees on rooms and meal plan. Is there any more specific information to help student to compare and choose to
1) commute daily
2) live on campus
3) live off campus
Hi queens,
I really do wish there are more information to help students compare and choose!
My guess is that because the available combination of how you’re going to get to class is so large, it’s really impossible to put together a comprehensive guide regarding expenses.
But, here’s what I would suggest to get you started.
Meal plan info: http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CA/TorontoStGeorge/MealPlans/
I would book an appointment with your Registrar to go through living options and projected expenses. They’ve dealt with enough students that they should be able to provide a rough estimate.
Also, check out the housing site: http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/
To be honest, if you really want an accurate picture of your expenses from your three different options, the best bet is to do your own comparison.
Find out the cost of transportation (TTC, GO, Viva, etc.) that you will need per month, plus expenses living at the place of your choice plus other expenses for a month and see which is the better option for you. As I said, everybody’s situation is unique (I stay at two different places each week, and a friend commutes on specific days while crashing in a friend’s rez the other days) so it’s easiest, most efficient, and most accurate, to compile and research the information yourself.
What are you doing now? Are you commuting?
– Cynthia
Do you know any specifics about transferring to Victoria College?
Cynthia! Thanks for posting up this wonderful information, it helped me a lot. I have a question about the dorms of the colleges, i know that most residences are co-ed, but are the rooms specifically co-ed as well? Or does a girl (if she were to have a roommate) have to room with a girl, and a guy with a guy?
thanks 🙂
@Nicole P: No specifics – just contact the Associate Registrar of the college you are interested in transferring to. Email or submit a letter requesting a transfer (remember to include your name and student number) detailing why you want to switch colleges. Make sure to follow up after submitting your letter if you don’t hear from the college, and if you have any questions, the Registrar’s Office (of the college you want to switch to) will be able to provide you with more information. 🙂
@Mary: You’re welcome! I’m glad it helped. From what I understand, I am pretty sure rooms itself aren’t co-ed. But, if you live in an apartment style like Innis, you can have guys and girls living in the same suite, but each have different rooms.
Contact Housing Services (http://housing.utoronto.ca/) if you need specific information! 🙂
Hey, where’s the college interview thing for University College and Victoria? I’m interested in them and I’d like to know more….help?
Hey, I’m planning on going into sciences and I want to go to college that is good for students interested in science but I also don’t want to end up surrounded with lame people. I plan on commuting so the way the rooms look doesn’t matter to me. Which college should I apply to?
@Lizzie: I’m not sure, to be honest. Your best bet is to contact both colleges directly. I’ve linked to their website in the post, and you can give them a call to get the most up-to-date location. Good luck! 🙂
@Diane: Haha, well, congrats on wanting to do science! As you read in my post, there are all different kinds of people in all the colleges, so your mileage varies depending on your year and luck. That said, I know that Innis shares residences with a lot of the Engineering students, so that might be an environment where you’d enjoy. Do take a look and visit the colleges though, and see which one you like! Nothing beats a personal visit. Good luck!
Hey Cynthia, I’m about to apply to U of T for Life Sciences, but I’m not sure what order to rank the colleges. I’m not planning to live in a residence, but I want to be surrounded by people who share the same interest in Life Sciences (and hopefully planning to specialize in pharmaceutical chemistry). Do you have any suggestions on which colleges I should look at?
@Jenny: To be completely honest, I don’t have a clue. I know that Lucy (another UpbeaT blogger/alumna) lived at Innis where she was with many students in the Life Sciences. That may be an option for you to look at. I have a feeling that every year may be different, and the best way to find out is to call or email the college registrars’.
Also, Askastudent (http://askastudent.utoronto.ca/) is based out of Innis, so you may have some luck asking them. I don’t know how quickly they’ll respond though. I’m really sorry I can’t be of more help!
Thank you so much! This whole saga was extremely helpful to a confused grade 12 student applying to UofT!
@Karen: You’re welcome, and thank you for taking the time to let me know! All the best with you application 🙂
It’s probably a little late by now as I’ve already accepted my offer to U of T, but I went on a tour of the college I was accepted to (New College) and it was quite disappointing. I guess it’s a lot like what I could have stayed in at home (2 hours away from Toronto) and so I regret choosing this college. Do you know any way that I could get a transfer to another college? Is it really as simple as emailing the registrars office even this late in the year?
Thanks!
@Rebecca: I’m sorry to hear that you regret choosing New College! NC is a great place, but if you want to transfer, I’d call the Registrar of the college you want to switch to as soon as possible. They may ask you to write a formal letter, but be prepared to explain your situation and more importantly, give reasons as to why you want to go to this college instead, and why you’d be a great fit.
Good luck!
Hey I know this was posted a while back but it was the most helpful thing I’ve seen regarding colleges. I’ve just been accepted into a college, however I was quite confused because it was my fifth choice. This hasn’t seemed to be a problem for anyone else. Does anyone know on what basis this decision was made and why?
This may be a silly question but how religious is St. Mikes? It was not my first choice but I was put into it and was okay with it. However, as I’ve done more research it seems to become more and more religious and that is not an environment I wanted. Can you attest to how much religion actually plays a part in the college?
Hello Grace, thank you for your question. There are many opportunities to participate in a range of activities both at St. Mikes and at U of T. There is a religious component to St. Mikes, but you are not required to participate in any religious activities or events. In fact, most students do not participate in religious activities at St. Mikes. If you have any other questions or concerns, you can email St. Mikes at: ask.smc@utoronto.ca. If you are interested in learning about clubs and associations on campus, take a look at ulife.utoronto.ca.
Hope this helps!
-Aziza
Hey Cynthia! I’m applying to Trinity college this year and I have a quick question. Is it possible for the students to join another college’s club? I’m a keen badminton player and I saw that on the ICSS website it says that they have a club for it. Please let me know!
Thank you 🙂
Hi Sher,
Thanks for your question, and hopefully this response will help you and others who might have a similar question. Each College has its own student society, association or government that collects fees from their respective students. These fees cover the cost of the extra-curricular events, clubs, socials, workshops, excursions and athletic teams hosted by the student society for that particular College.
According to the various student societies’ constitutions (from any of the Colleges across campus), it states that as long as the club remains a predominately (Innis) student-attended club, then people from outside of (Innis) College may attend its meetings. An (Innis) sponsored club must be comprised of least 75% of its membership from (Innis) College. In this respect, a student from Trinity or New College or UC could potentially join the Innis choir, write for the Innis newspaper, or participate in the Innis Friday night board-gamers Club.
As for a student playing on an Innis team, there are some non-Innis students on their sports teams, but these students do not replace anyone and usually would fill an empty spot on a given roster. In this situation, it would apply to a recreational sport club, like badminton, volleyball, or even their inner-tube water-polo team.
However, the situation changes when the team becomes a member of the larger UofT Intramural sports. According to UofT Athletics (which governs the U of T intramural teams), if a member of a College plays on a team that is not a part of their College, said team would get disqualified and that player would get suspended.
One additional note: the Innis College Student Society (ICSS) has funded a badminton club in years past (as you saw on their website), but this year no one submitted a request to start it up, so it’s not active for this year. However, the ICSS (like most student societies at any of the Colleges) do have a pool of funds set aside for students who wish to start up a club.
The message here is, if the College you choose doesn’t have a club or team, you can either join another College’s group (provided it’s not a UofT Intramural team), or simply ask your student government for funding so you can start one yourself!
which college has good business program?
Hi there! I just wanted to say this is the most helpful blog/ website I’ve come across in my search for information about the different colleges. As an international applicant, I was having a really difficult time deciding which college to choose, but this site helped so much. Just wanted to say thank you so much for all your time and effort!
Hi Nazra! We’re happy to help & glad you found it so useful 🙂
Hi! I was wondering how’s St. Mike’s? Like how’s the atmosphere there? Are kids there sociable? Do they like hanging out with fellow St. Mike’s or they prefer hanging out with other people? Are there a lot of Computer Science kids there (since I do hope that the college I’ll go to is where most Computer Science kids are)? Oh and are people from St. Mike’s like to party (cause yeah, I’m a party guy and I do hope that I’ll be with people who are into them)? Plus I’ve heard that it is religious. So how religious is it? Does that mean that St. Mike’s is conservative? Sorry if I have a lot of questions – since I put it as my top choice and I don’t know if I made the right decision, especially for my program. Thanks a bunch!
HI there!
Thanks for your question! There’s no specific atmosphere that is associated with a college that I can reference for you. But if you want a better idea of the kinds of events and services they offer, you can check out their website for undergraduate students: http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/students/
Since students in any area of study in the Faculty of Arts and Science can be in any college, you’ll have a mixture of students from different programs with you. The programs that are offered under St Michaels are Book & Media Studies, Celtic Studies, Christianity & Culture and Mediaeval Studies but people in these programs may be in different colleges or vice versa.
St Michaels started out with religious affiliations, however, they are not a “religious” college, and it won’t affect you.
I’m not in St Michaels college, so for the most accurate information I would suggest contacting their admissions department! Hope that helped 🙂
I am applying for U of T for 2016 in engineering, and have heard that most of the engineers go to New College.
What is the atmosphere there like? Are there lots of parties? Are there people friendly? it looks like a very ugly building, and doesn’t have the same charm that some of the others do. (The 60s and 70s were bad years for architecture :).
Also, what percentage of students actually take part in the “specialty” study of the college (I think its social equity for new)? I’m not interested in those type of classes, will I be forced into doing them?
I have an acceptance for Engineering Science. I have only just started looking into residence and colleges. The college systems sounds like a great idea but am I right in thinking that Engineers are not usually part of it?
I live in Alberta and won’t be able to visit so I have to base my research on what I can find out online.
Are there colleges which are more favoured by Engineers/applied science students? I like the sound of Trinity but I understand that places are limited. Will all of their spaces be allocated already?
Hey! Glad to hear you got accepted! 🙂
The college system is for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, however, a lot of the college residences are open to engineers for residence applications. The criteria for acceptance into residence is different from place to place, but eligibility wise, you can apply to quite a few of them. You can find some more information here: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hs/st-george-residences#node-1376
I can’t guarantee that you’ll get spaces in any given space of your choosing, however, keep in mind that residence is guaranteed for full-time students entering their first year of university in an undergraduate program for the first time (http://discover.engineering.utoronto.ca/student-life/housing/residence/).
So definitely explore the different options and take into account things like meal plans, distance, dorm or apartment style, etc.