Admissions in U of T: A To-Do List for the International Students

The University of Toronto has managed to grow to become a giant for higher education for national and international students. U of T has three entire campuses, one each at St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough. All three campuses combined have recorded a total enrollment of more than 90,000.

U of T is making advancements in scientific research in leaps and bounds. Its success is evident in the fact that it has been receiving over CAD 1.2 billion in research funding every year. The university has been ranked high by top rankings agencies. QS World University ranking has ranked UofT in the 1st position among all Canadian universities for 2019. Similarly, U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 ranking for the Best Global Universities ranking has UofT among the top 10 universities in the world. Reuters’ 2018 list for the World’s Most Innovative Universities list had the University of Toronto in the 27th spot for 2019.

Due to the high popularity and the number of courses offered by the university, it has become the favourite study destination of the students all over the world. University of Toronto Admissions for international students is a lengthy process and takes up time. To make things easy and sum up all the required criteria to be eligible for the admission process, we have curated this article. Read on to get the in-depth knowledge of international admission at U of T and create your to-do list to not to miss anything.

Choose the University of Toronto Programs

The University of Toronto has over 700 UG programs and around 280 masters and doctorate level programs. There are also over 60 professional graduate programs and 76 combined programs. Their comprehensive program catalogue is offered in a large variety of specialisations. There are 9 basic schools at U of T. They are;

• Arts/Humanities/Social Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Chemical and Physical Science
• Business
• Computer Science, Mathematical Statistics
• Architecture, Landscape and Design
• Engineering
• Kinesiology and
• Music

Check if you Meet the Admission Requirements

To be successfully admitted into any program at the University of Toronto, one must meet the admission requirements set down by each program. Candidates must meet each admission requirement, submit proof and also submit scores of certain admission examinations to be considered. University of Toronto admission is highly competitive, and seats get filled up quickly each academic year. It is advised that students make sure they meet all requirements to ensure admissions goes without a hitch.

Students from Indian School Curriculum

Indian students are considered for University of Toronto admission based on the following requirements.

• Excellent higher secondary school including Class 10th, Class 11th, and Class 12th marks.
• Class 12th must have been completed from CBSE, CISCE, or other approved state board
• Candidates must complete their 10+2 level examinations with mathematics, chemistry, and physics for engineering admissions.
• Candidates must be proficient in the English language and must provide proof for it. Accepted English language test scores are IELTS or TOEFL.
• Other program-specific requirements

Submit Applications

Being an internationally recognized university, each year, international students beeline to the university for a chance to study. The international population at U of T makes up to 21% of the total student population, coming from over 168 countries. University of Toronto admission is meant for international students who can be defined under the following conditions:

• Currently residing outside of Canada
• Are not currently studying and have not studied previously in Canada and
• Are not applying to study in other Ontario universities

Applications for U of T admission are made online using the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre portal or OUAC105 for short. This portal is to be used only when the candidate has not previously applied using the portal. If an application is made twice, by the same candidate, using the OUAC105 portal then the University of Toronto admission will be canceled. An application fee of $180 CAD needs to be paid at the time of application, which is non-refundable.

Once applications are sent, an acknowledgment email is sent which will include the candidate’s JOIN id along with the applicant number and also information about the next steps in the University of Toronto admission process. The university advises using an active email-id so as to ensure communication is easy.

U of T Application Deadlines

The general initial deadline that all international candidates must follow, for all programs, was November 7, 2019. University continues accepting application post the given deadline, but the university recommends students submit their applications well before the application deadline so that there is ample time for the next steps in the application process. The final application deadline for all full-time undergraduate programs, for international students, are as follows:

Apply to the Scholarships for International Students

The University of Toronto has over 4,400 scholarships and types of financial aid available for undergraduate admissions. These scholarships are available at all the campuses of the university and across all schools. Meritorious students are considered for scholarships during admissions when they apply. The selection process and cut-offs will vary across the departments. Certain scholarships require students to apply to themselves.

For international students, there are some automatic scholarships, and some need separate applications. These scholarships are highly competitive due to the high volume of international students coming in every academic year. All financial aid available for international students is only meant to help ease the burden of tuition and fees and not cover the entire tuition.

The U of T Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship is the most reputable and cutthroat scholarship for international students. Any student who is selected for the scholarship receives a monetary award for books, cover tuition, incidental fees, and residential fees. Only 37 students are selected every year to receive the scholarship award.

To apply to the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, students must be nominated by their respective schools. Students must also have submitted an application to an undergraduate program at U of T. The school guidance counselor can be contacted for more information. Once the nomination is submitted, a separate link is sent via email. Students will be selected based on their profile and achievements.

Submit all Required Documents

Candidates have to submit their documents separately and before the given deadline. Documents to prove that the admission requirements are met, and proof of English proficiency exam scores must be submitted. There will also be program-specific documents that must be submitted. For a general idea of the documents to submit, refer to the list below,

• Transcripts for all secondary and post-secondary studies
• TOEFL or IELTS test scores
• GMAT or GRE test score
• Reference letters
• Written statement
• Current resume

All documents must be submitted before a deadline to be considered for admission. The general deadline for all programs is February 1, 2020, and May 15, 2020, for Bachelor of Information. There is also a supplementary application deadline that applies to students who have already applied to their programs. The full list of deadlines can be accessed on the university website.

Waiting for and Accepting the Offer Letter

Once all documents are submitted, it is only a matter of waiting for the offer letter from the university. The University of Toronto usually extends conditional offer letters between the months of late February and late May. If the applicant is still studying, it is required for them to maintain their grades, in order for the offer letter to stand. The final offer letter, for such students, will be sent when the final results are submitted.

The university has multiple residence halls across its three campuses. If one wishes to stay on-campus, then a separate application must be submitted at this point. The StarRez is to be used to submit such applications. For full-time undergraduate freshmen, the residence is guaranteed if an application for the same is submitted before March 31, 2020.

The university recommends students to take another look at their finances at this stage. Cost of living, textbooks, etc. all must be considered when deciding to fund. Scholarships and other financial aid need to be referred to.

To accept the offer letter, candidates must log in to the application portal using their credentials. Once accepted, the next steps are to plan for the trip, select all the courses and register for them, arrange housing, dining, and transport. The university also allows its students to defer their admissions. If one has decided to postpone their admissions, to take a gap year, it can be done. All the conditions in the offer letter have to be met before a request for deferral is submitted.