University of Toronto Application Thread

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2 days until voting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


and 15 days until U of T finishes their interviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
i know this is looking ahead a bit, but does anyone know when phrosh week starts? Is it in late August or is it in September? I'm only asking because I want to book a trip in August, and don't want to risk it cutting into phrosh week (if i were fortunate enough to get into uoft).

I've tried looking around on the previous forum but couldn't find anything..
 
Just about 10 more days for those of you who have the may interviews 😀

so how's everyone's preparations going so far? What are you doing to prepare?
 
mochaswirl said:
i know this is looking ahead a bit, but does anyone know when phrosh week starts? Is it in late August or is it in September? I'm only asking because I want to book a trip in August, and don't want to risk it cutting into phrosh week (if i were fortunate enough to get into uoft).

I've tried looking around on the previous forum but couldn't find anything..
Click to expand...

It should be in the first week of september.
 
I have a question for anyone who may know or any pharmacy student: How much do you pay for tuition (with fees and everything) + how much for books (on average per year) ?
 
helloeveryone said:
Just about 10 more days for those of you who have the may interviews 😀

so how's everyone's preparations going so far? What are you doing to prepare?
Click to expand...

Mine is going awesome, still haven't prepared or even bought clothing for the interview! lol
 
staffpro said:
if you believe in a welfare state and giving money to people who haven't earned it (I don't care how you spin it, if your poor your either lazy or irresponsible). Then by all means vote NDP.

Liberals also lean more towards socialist policies.

That is why i remain and probably will always remain a conservative voter.

I know they haven't carried through on all of their policies and they have done some dumb stuff, but everyone makes mistakes and they are the Best of the "worst" (no party is perfect)
Click to expand...

For the sake of my acceptance I hope you bring (or brought) up your views during the U of T interview. Especially the part about the poor being lazy or irresponsible.
 
for those of you who have done the interview, do you enter the interview rooms alone or simultaneously with another interviewee?
For the debate and collaboration parts, you need another interviewee, right? But for the discussion and acting parts you can do it alone. So how does this work?
 
Hello,
I am planning to apply to uoft pharmacy next year...and I am just wondering if it is required at all to have any experience with the profession or ECs...I could not find any info regarding this on thier website.
Thanks!
 
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Fly to the Sky said:
for those of you who have done the interview, do you enter the interview rooms alone or simultaneously with another interviewee?
For the debate and collaboration parts, you need another interviewee, right? But for the discussion and acting parts you can do it alone. So how does this work?
Click to expand...

Well for each station you enter alone and if there is a station requiring two applicants for debates or such then you will both enter into the same room. For other stations it would be you and 1-2 interviewer (dicussion stations) and an actor (acting stations).
 
sndiv said:
Hello,
I am planning to apply to uoft pharmacy next year...and I am just wondering if it is required at all to have any experience with the profession or ECs...I could not find any info regarding this on thier website.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

The amazing thing with U of T Pharmacy is that, you don't need any experience or ECs or any of those c--p! Just study hard in school, do well on the PCAT, and sell your soft skills at the interview and you can almost be certain about your chance! Although the competition strengh for the interview remains the same every year the total number of applicants have decreased substantially now.
 
Fly to the Sky said:
The amazing thing with U of T Pharmacy is that, you don't need any experience or ECs or any of those c--p! Just study hard in school, do well on the PCAT, and sell your soft skills at the interview and you can almost be certain about your chance! Although the competition strengh for the interview remains the same every year the total number of applicants have decreased substantially now.
Click to expand...

Actually, I heard from a phram student that there were some rummers that UofT might add another component to their admissions dedicated to EC's...

BUT, considering the large drop in applicant numbers in the last few years, I doubt they would make any changes to next years admission... nonetheless, I did hear that rummer 🙄
 
PhArMaCiSt1 said:
Mine is going awesome, still haven't prepared or even bought clothing for the interview! lol
Click to expand...

lol, no worries... I think you're still in a better position than I was... for one thing, I was SEVERELY sick the week before my interview and I ended up going to the hospital just 48 hours before my interview... considering all those, I still survived and managed to do the interview....

moral of story: it's NEVER to late to start preparing 🙂


GOOD LUCK!
 
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Could anyone here provide me with any insight on how to improve on the analogies and other verbal abilitiy sections on the PCAT...I feel as though my vocabulary is not broad enough and I don't want to sit down and start memorizing the dictionary. Also what study guides did you find most useful I have the Kaplan one but I dont find it to be that great. Thanks for any help!
 
Hey guys I have a few questions about the MMI, maybe some of you know or are wondering the same things:

Do you guys find it helpful to summarize the question/prompt at the beginning before you start diving into the issue?

What do you typically do when you first walk in to a station? Do you mention your name at all or is that prohibited for confidentiality reasons? Also I'm assuming no handshakes.

Does anyone have a specific approach or method for the interview questions? For instance, on some of the ethical questions I like to identify the parties involved, and then discuss the concerns/viewpoints of each person or group involved and then I like to discuss my viewpoint on the issue or what I would do.

Thanks and good luck on your prep.
 
sndiv said:
Could anyone here provide me with any insight on how to improve on the analogies and other verbal abilitiy sections on the PCAT...I feel as though my vocabulary is not broad enough and I don't want to sit down and start memorizing the dictionary. Also what study guides did you find most useful I have the Kaplan one but I dont find it to be that great. Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

I highly recommend purchasing the practice tests directly from the PCAT website. They are very helpful. The format of the actual PCAT and the practice tests and almost exactly the same. So if you sit down and thoroughly go over the practice test and get the hang of it, you should be able to master the techniques of the PCAT.
I can give you this advice: the Verbal Ability section tests your vocabulary and the analogies between things. BUT, the analogy is far more important than the vocabularies themselves. Of the choices that you will be given, all of them will be related to the first word of the second pair somehow, and you need the first pair to deduce the exact choice. So definitely practice analogy!

I will even give you an example (I made it up myself but it is very relevant):

CAR:WHEEL::MAMMAL:

a)EYE
b)FOOD
c)LEG
d)CHORDATA

The correct answer would be c), because a car needs wheels to move, just as a mammal needs legs to walk. Whether or not you understand the meanings of the other three words don't matter in this case. Therefore, you see that mastering the analogy is way more important than knowing the meanings of the words themselves.
 
1ive2die said:
Hey guys I have a few questions about the MMI, maybe some of you know or are wondering the same things:
Do you guys find it helpful to summarize the question/prompt at the beginning before you start diving into the issue?
What do you typically do when you first walk in to a station? Do you mention your name at all or is that prohibited for confidentiality reasons? Also I'm assuming no handshakes.
Does anyone have a specific approach or method for the interview questions? For instance, on some of the ethical questions I like to identify the parties involved, and then discuss the concerns/viewpoints of each person or group involved and then I like to discuss my viewpoint on the issue or what I would do.
Thanks and good luck on your prep.
Click to expand...
Personally, I wouldn't summarize the questions themselves all over again. It would just be redundant and wasteful considering that I only have 8 minutes (or less time) to discuss.
I haven't had my interview yet but I've been preparing on it. I know that when you go into a station you dive right into discussion. We do not mention our names, nor do we shake hands. The interviewers only know us by our identification number. That way the whole process would be fair.
For the ethical questions, as far as I know, there is no "best solution". No matter what course of action you intend to take there will always be benefits and costs. So we need to do a thorough analysis of the consequences of each action (there are usually only 2), weigh the pros and cons, and decide on one of them.
Hope this helps. 🙂
 
helloeveryone said:
lol, no worries... I think you're still in a better position than I was... for one thing, I was SEVERELY sick the week before my interview and I ended up going to the hospital just 48 hours before my interview... considering all those, I still survived and managed to do the interview....

moral of story: it's NEVER to late to start preparing 🙂


GOOD LUCK!
Click to expand...

lol thanks and wow what a bad time to be sick at. I'm glad you managed to do well on your interview regardless of all that 🙂
 
1ive2die said:
Hey guys I have a few questions about the MMI, maybe some of you know or are wondering the same things:

Do you guys find it helpful to summarize the question/prompt at the beginning before you start diving into the issue?

What do you typically do when you first walk in to a station? Do you mention your name at all or is that prohibited for confidentiality reasons? Also I'm assuming no handshakes.

Does anyone have a specific approach or method for the interview questions? For instance, on some of the ethical questions I like to identify the parties involved, and then discuss the concerns/viewpoints of each person or group involved and then I like to discuss my viewpoint on the issue or what I would do.

Thanks and good luck on your prep.
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any need to summarize the question, obviously both you and the interviewer know what the question is...

What I did, first I gave an overall opinion (e.g I agree with... or I disagree with....) and then listed some reasons to support that opinion... then I went into detail for each of those reasons I just mentioned... at the end, it's always a good idea to mention all your supportive reasons again to tie everything together 😉
 
PhArMaCiSt1 said:
lol thanks and wow what a bad time to be sick at. I'm glad you managed to do well on your interview regardless of all that 🙂
Click to expand...

lol, I know, talk about bad timing 🙄

And I'm glad I managed to survive too 🙂
 
Couple more questions. Is it just 1 rater/interviewer per station? Also, I know we have 7 minutes but are we supposed to leave time for questions at every station? Are there prompting questions at every station?
 
Does anyone know if being flagged from a single low chemistry mark will affect my chances a lot? I got a 61 in orgo chem but I have 95 in PCAT chem.
 
masterfunk said:
Does anyone know if being flagged from a single low chemistry mark will affect my chances a lot? I got a 61 in orgo chem but I have 95 in PCAT chem.
Click to expand...


It probably wont put you in any disadvantage at all so long as overall you still have a gpa at 2.70 or higher.
 
Kristeva said:
It probably wont put you in any disadvantage at all so long as overall you still have a gpa at 2.70 or higher.
Click to expand...

I don't know about this. They are pretty clear on the website about flagging candidates that are weak in chemistry, they wouldn't make it a big deal to mention it unless it really hindered someones chances of admission.
 
Can we actually prepare for the multiple mini interview? Not really sure what I should be doing haha 😛

I'm thinking about the debate station, will it be hard to debate without any research on the topic? I mean, without any hard facts to back up your points. I'm nervous about this one...
 
1ive2die said:
I don't know about this. They are pretty clear on the website about flagging candidates that are weak in chemistry, they wouldn't make it a big deal to mention it unless it really hindered someones chances of admission.
Click to expand...

The website says if they're consistently weak in chemistry then they'd be flagged. But one poor mark won't do much harm. Plus, I personally emailed them and asked about it and was told that so long as you have at least a 2.70 gpa, you'd be fine for admission. As well, orgo is known to be a hard course in most universities and I think they realize this and make allowances when they see poor orgo grades. The same should apply to physical chem.
 
Kristeva said:
The website says if they're consistently weak in chemistry then they'd be flagged. But one poor mark won't do much harm. Plus, I personally emailed them and asked about it and was told that so long as you have at least a 2.70 gpa, you'd be fine for admission. As well, orgo is known to be a hard course in most universities and I think they realize this and make allowances when they see poor orgo grades. The same should apply to physical chem.
Click to expand...

Why would they mention GPA? Isn't it based on percent averages. So you need 70%+ average for admission.
 
nylo said:
Can we actually prepare for the multiple mini interview? Not really sure what I should be doing haha 😛

I'm thinking about the debate station, will it be hard to debate without any research on the topic? I mean, without any hard facts to back up your points. I'm nervous about this one...
Click to expand...

Thats kinda the idea. You should use what you know to come up with an argument. Also I think you can state your assumptions if you don't know something for sure.
 
1ive2die said:
Why would they mention GPA? Isn't it based on percent averages. So you need 70%+ average for admission.
Click to expand...

70% at U of T is the same as 2.70 cGPA lol. So you need 2.70 or greater cGPA (which is the same as 70% or above).
 
Kristeva said:
70% at U of T is the same as 2.70 cGPA lol. So you need 2.70 or greater cGPA (which is the same as 70% or above).
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, you could have a 2.70 GPA and not have a 70% average. Its the % average that counts.
 
How important do you guys think clothing is for the interview process, obviously not jeans or anything but dress pants with a clean casual-like shirt? I know most people end up wearing suits and all that but is it really essential? 🙄
 
If you have a 61, you are fine! You won't get flagged! Only when you get a mark below 60 (like 59, 58, etc.) do they flag you! So if you've got a 61 they just look at your overall grade.

Pharmacist1, I've asked the same question on this forum before and was told that nearly all candidates wear formal business suits with a tie (for guys).
 
PhArMaCiSt1 said:
How important do you guys think clothing is for the interview process, obviously not jeans or anything but dress pants with a clean casual-like shirt? I know most people end up wearing suits and all that but is it really essential? 🙄
Click to expand...

Well, both for the UofT and for Waterloo interviews, almost all guys wore formal suits with ties... it's your choice though, if you feel really uncomfortable being that dressed up, then go with the shirt and tie only 👍
 
Hi guys,

So it's almost time for the May U of T interviews and it is nerve-wracking to say that I have NOT done any preparations at all, whatsoever (aside from the preparation I did for the Waterloo interview which is a totally different type of interview). The practical side of me is thinking I can't prepare for it, but the diligent side of me wants to. I, too, am nervous for the debate section. I'm assuming the topics are such that no prior knowledge or experience will give a decimating advantage. I hope I'm not wrong.
 
To lulz and the rest,

Last year, I didn't really prepare for the U of T interview because I thought the same thing: how can you prepare for questions you don't know at the moment?

But trust me, this year I booked a mock MMI at my school (they were offering it) at the Academic Advising and Career Centre, and it was just like the real deal. There were other students doing it too, so we got to practice, waiting outside the door, coming in, discussing our topic, exiting, and doing it all over again. And yeah, the questions weren't the same as the ones in my real MMI, but it made me so much more comfortable in that MMI situation and I felt more prepared on the day of the interview.

I'd say that's the best way to prepare.

As for structuring your answer, I always found it easier to not go off-topic by quickly restating the situation in my own words (to let the interviewer know how I am perceiving the scenario), and then choose one side (if it's an ethical question), and explain why I chose it, and then also (this is very important!) to look at the other side and explain why overall you went with your first choice/decision. And then end it with a conclusion statement =)

Good luck!👍
 
Hi guys,

I was wondering where do you put your bags and stuff during the interview? I was thinking about changing after my interview and then going to Eatons Centre to do some shopping afterwards.
 
skylen said:
Hi guys,

I was wondering where do you put your bags and stuff during the interview? I was thinking about changing after my interview and then going to Eatons Centre to do some shopping afterwards.
Click to expand...

Once they take your "team" to the interview area, they take you to a room (it's an office like room) where you can leave all your belongings... and someone stays in that room to take care of your stuff 😉
 
So if there's 470 people being interviewed, how many you think will be out of the running through...

For some odd reason, don't show up to the interview?

Having a GPA below 70%?

If PCAT cutoffs are increased?

Getting accepted elsewhere and rejecting the offer?


Also does UofT check if applicants have met all the prereq requirements before granting an interview? Even if they're from another school?


And one more question, what are the girls planning on wearing to the interviews? I am thinking a suit.
 
Yeah I was wondering how many people from last year managed to get in from the waiting list to get an idea of how many people out of people being interviewed will see an offer come their way. Anyone remember this from the last year's thread?
 
butoias said:
To lulz and the rest,

Last year, I didn't really prepare for the U of T interview because I thought the same thing: how can you prepare for questions you don't know at the moment?

But trust me, this year I booked a mock MMI at my school (they were offering it) at the Academic Advising and Career Centre, and it was just like the real deal. There were other students doing it too, so we got to practice, waiting outside the door, coming in, discussing our topic, exiting, and doing it all over again. And yeah, the questions weren't the same as the ones in my real MMI, but it made me so much more comfortable in that MMI situation and I felt more prepared on the day of the interview.

I'd say that's the best way to prepare.

As for structuring your answer, I always found it easier to not go off-topic by quickly restating the situation in my own words (to let the interviewer know how I am perceiving the scenario), and then choose one side (if it's an ethical question), and explain why I chose it, and then also (this is very important!) to look at the other side and explain why overall you went with your first choice/decision. And then end it with a conclusion statement =)

Good luck!👍
Click to expand...

That's actually a perfect way of preparing for it. I wanted to do that as well but I couldn't find any mock mmi interviews in my city 🙁
 
anyone in the sunday may 15th interview want to meet up before / after for beers?
 
reason said:
anyone in the sunday may 15th interview want to meet up before / after for beers?
Click to expand...

I'm Sunday at 1:45pm.. beers before the interviews, that might loosen things up a little LOL, but to be on the safe, I will have to pass 😀

Good luck May interviewees, I have done no preparation yet.. I think I'll just read up on some ethical scenarios. Can't wait for this to be over.
 
masterfunk said:
Yeah I was wondering how many people from last year managed to get in from the waiting list to get an idea of how many people out of people being interviewed will see an offer come their way. Anyone remember this from the last year's thread?
Click to expand...

I remember reading that the waitlist is 1 - 100, upper waiting list is 1-49 and lower is 50-100. approx. 20-30 waitlisters get in (but they never really dip into the lower waitlist)

what i cant remember, is if i read this from last years thread or the year before's... but just remember, whatever people post on here, may not be accurate..and its hard to predict this years waiting list because the applicant pool is significantly smaller.
 
pharmacy0 said:
I'm Sunday at 1:45pm.. beers before the interviews, that might loosen things up a little LOL, but to be on the safe, I will have to pass 😀

Good luck May interviewees, I have done no preparation yet.. I think I'll just read up on some ethical scenarios. Can't wait for this to be over.
Click to expand...

Hey guys good luck on the interviews!!! Trust me you are all going to have fun doing it. Relax and be yourself!! This doesnt mean I did well, but I thought it was definetly fun.👍
 
PharMarley said:
Hey guys good luck on the interviews!!! Trust me you are all going to have fun doing it. Relax and be yourself!! This doesnt mean I did well, but I thought it was definetly fun.👍
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouraging words 🙂.


I'm totally up for beer but I'm in the Sat 9 am section. Drinking by myself makes me feel like an alcoholic 🙁
 
I just got saw my marks on ROSI. I think I may have a 3.0 GPA on the dot. My Pcat was 82 composite. Interview...I have no idea.

Think I'll have a decent chance? My main worry is my GPA.
 
how many people on here also applied to waterloo?

I didn't. I hope i don't regret that decision.
 
MayMay123 said:
I just got saw my marks on ROSI. I think I may have a 3.0 GPA on the dot. My Pcat was 82 composite. Interview...I have no idea.

Think I'll have a decent chance? My main worry is my GPA.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that you had your interview already?

If not, then make sure you do your very best on interview and I'm sure you'll be in 😉

From last year, we all know that interview is the one main thing, so if you do really well on it you'll get in even with lowish GPA.
 
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