Getting Accepted to Graduate School at the University of Toronto
PUBLISHED TUE, FEB 11 2020
A guide to getting into Canada’s top university
The University of Toronto (UofT) is Canada’s top university for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and continually ranks as one of the top 25 universities globally. UofT is recognized for its excellence across the board, including its research in medicine, engineering, sciences and social studies, which draws candidates to apply to UofT from various backgrounds, all over the globe.
I competed my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University in Canada. In my final year of my undergraduate degree I developed a passion for research and further education, and I decided I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree to differentiate myself from my peers. I was determined to get into UofT, known globally for its prominence and contribution to research, and study alongside some of the most distinguished and well-funded Professors worldwide.
The first thing I did on my journey to get into UofT was to seek admissions counseling from the university admissions team. I had great grades in undergrad, and I had previously worked as a research assistant and for an online 24/7 tutoring platform, but unfortunately, I had no impressive work experience to reference in my application. I wanted to be sure I got in to UofT so I figured I needed all the help I could get. What I learned from my admissions expert was very important, the requirements to get into postgraduate studies at UofT differs depending on the program you are applying to. All graduate units require an appropriate bachelors (undergraduate) degree from a recognized university and adequate proficiency in English, however additional requirements may include writing and providing your score to the GRE Test, or reference letters from academic professionals at the university where you completed your undergraduate degree. When I was applying to UofT for graduate school I found the process was very complicated and I highly recommend seeking out an educational consultant or a professional tutoring service like I did, to help you navigate the application process.
I worked with the school admissions counseling service throughout my entire application process. I began my application in December in order to gain admittance for September of the next year. As I was interested in enrolling in a thesis-based MASc program, the first thing that had to be done was to begin my online application and find a supervisor I was interested in working with. I searched online for Professors within the Chemical Engineering department, and once I found a few I was interested in, I contacted them via email to express my interest in their research and my enthusiasm for pursuing a Master’s degree at UofT. Now here’s the catch. If you are able to develop a good relationship with a potential professor for a thesis-based graduate program, this Professor will typically contact their department and act as an advocate for your admittance to the graduate program, provided you complete the application requirements prior to their deadline. Developing a good relationship with a potential supervisor is key to getting your foot in the door at UofT, however it by no means guarantees your acceptance. I should also note this is only the process for thesis-based graduate programs. If you are applying for an undergraduate or a course-based Master’s it is even more important to have competitive grades, a strong written application document.
Once I had identified a Professor I wanted to work with, I had to complete all other aspects of the online application. This included providing two recommendation letters, writing a statement of interest, which was approximately 1000 words, and providing copies of my transcript and CV to the Asmissions Committee. For my recommendation letters, I selected two professors from my undergraduate university to act as my references. My university counseling service helped me throughout the entire application process, and definitely helped improve my application. It was a number of months before I heard back from the university, but finally in the summer my new supervisor contacted me via phone to personally congratulate me on my acceptance to UofT! It was an extremely long process to prove I was qualified enough to get in, but I could not have been happier to finally be accepted to the top university in Canada to complete my Master’s degree
