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Hi guys! I received offers from both U of T and U of A but I am torn. For those who chose either U of T or U of A, could you share the reasons why you chose this school? And any differences between these schools? I know U of A is a 26-month program while U of T is 24 months. What should I take into account while making choices? 

 

 

Thank you

 

 

 

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Hi guys! I received offers from both U of T and U of A but I am torn. For those who chose either U of T or U of A, could you share the reasons why you chose this school? And any differences between these schools? I know U of A is a 26-month program while U of T is 24 months. What should I take into account while making choices? 

 

 

Thank you

 

Current UofT OT1 student here.

 

In a nutshell...

PRO: UofT offers a wicked catchment area (no moving required, all accessible via transit), good research opportunities, a highly respected staff (some of the books you'll use are legitimately written by the staff here - e.g. "Enabling Occupation II"), facility isn't half bad either, and Toronto's a pretty cool area.

CON: Housing can be expensive (though you can find reasonable places to live that won't blow your budget out of the water too) and UofT is big on research and theory, so if that's not your thing, you may feel yourself getting a little bored sometimes.

 

Curriculum is 24 months straight with the exception of holidays and you get August off during first year.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't apply to UofA and know very little about it so I can't help you there. When I was trying to decide, I got my, sister who's actually an OT (went to Queens), to print off the curriculum and schedule of the universities I was considering and then redact any university identifying information so that I could try to evaluate each program in as unbiased a way a possible. We went through each, labeled pros and cons of each and then started looking at university specific things like the catchment areas, housing, and the general vibe of the city.

Maybe this technique could help you with your decision?

 

On the thread "Accepted 2017: Occupational Therapy @ University Of Toronto" (http://forums.premed101.com/index.php?/topic/95416-accepted-2017-occupational-therapy-university-of-toronto/) we've answered a few more questions so, perhaps, that could help you learn a bit more about UofT as well.

 

Best of Luck and Congrats!

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Thank you for all the information! They are really helpful!

 

One more question about the fieldwork placement. I come from Vancouver and how likely will I be approved to do one of the fieldwork in Vancouver? The website said we have to maintain a B average in order to work outside of the Toronto catchment area and I wonder what is the general class average like? Is it hard to maintain a B average? Have any of your classmates did fieldwork in Vancouver? 

 

Thank you!

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Current UofT OT1 student here.

 

In a nutshell...

PRO: UofT offers a wicked catchment area (no moving required, all accessible via transit), good research opportunities, a highly respected staff (some of the books you'll use are legitimately written by the staff here - e.g. "Enabling Occupation II"), facility isn't half bad either, and Toronto's a pretty cool area.

CON: Housing can be expensive (though you can find reasonable places to live that won't blow your budget out of the water too) and UofT is big on research and theory, so if that's not your thing, you may feel yourself getting a little bored sometimes.

 

Curriculum is 24 months straight with the exception of holidays and you get August off during first year.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't apply to UofA and know very little about it so I can't help you there. When I was trying to decide, I got my, sister who's actually an OT (went to Queens), to print off the curriculum and schedule of the universities I was considering and then redact any university identifying information so that I could try to evaluate each program in as unbiased a way a possible. We went through each, labeled pros and cons of each and then started looking at university specific things like the catchment areas, housing, and the general vibe of the city.

Maybe this technique could help you with your decision?

 

On the thread "Accepted 2017: Occupational Therapy @ University Of Toronto" (http://forums.premed101.com/index.php?/topic/95416-accepted-2017-occupational-therapy-university-of-toronto/) we've answered a few more questions so, perhaps, that could help you learn a bit more about UofT as well.

 

Best of Luck and Congrats!

Thank you for all the information! They are really helpful!

 

One more question about the fieldwork placement. I come from Vancouver and how likely will I be approved to do one of the fieldwork in Vancouver? The website said we have to maintain a B average in order to work outside of the Toronto catchment area and I wonder what is the general class average like? Is it hard to maintain a B average? Have any of your classmates did fieldwork in Vancouver? 

 

Thank you!

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Thank you for all the information! They are really helpful!

 

One more question about the fieldwork placement. I come from Vancouver and how likely will I be approved to do one of the fieldwork in Vancouver? The website said we have to maintain a B average in order to work outside of the Toronto catchment area and I wonder what is the general class average like? Is it hard to maintain a B average? Have any of your classmates did fieldwork in Vancouver? 

 

Thank you!

 

 

Unfortunately, I can't speak to the likelihood of you getting that placement but what I can do is explain the process for out of catchment placements as I understand it. So, for your first placement, you're going to be placed within UofT's catchment area. After that; however, I believe you have the option of applying to be placed elsewhere. For instance, there are several fieldwork placements up in Northern Ontario that are facilitated through UofT. Also, you are eligible to be placed internationally, should you choose a country and work with the department to find a fieldwork opportunity. When in comes to out of catchment areas within Canada, there is an application process that you'll have to follow. I'm in the process of going through that right now actually. See, I'm originally from Ottawa and have applied to do my 2nd fieldwork placement there. Here's where things are a little less certain. So, you apply, pay an application fee ($250), choose another university's catchment area to be placed within (I suspect yours would be UBC), and then a representative from UofT works with the university who's catchment area you want to be placed in to try and find you a fieldwork opportunity. The application fee is not refundable and you are not guaranteed a placement in the part of the city you want or in the alternative catchment area at all. Now, this all sounds a little gloomy but I'm pretty sure this is how most other universities operate as well. The university who's catchment area you're applying within gives their students first pick and then you can have any unclaimed opportunities. From my understanding, UofT does have some sort of option for placements within Vancouver (I'm considering applying there as well actually as I have family there too). So, basically, there's no guarantee but UofT will work on your behalf to find you a placement opportunity that fits your interests in location and field.

 

Again, this was my interpretation from memory but I would encourage you to call the OS & OT department at UofT to direct further inquiries.

 

As for the grades, you need to get above 70% in every class to pass and I think a 73% overall for the program. If you got in, I suspect you've had some pretty decent grades so don't freak out at this somewhat high cut-off standard. I have yet to get my final marks back for this semester but so far I have also yet to get below 70% on anything and I am no genius. Also, even if you were to score below that grade on one assignment, it's all good, just try and get your overall above 70% by the end of term and you'll be golden  ;)

 

I think that pretty much covers everything (again, at least as far as I know).

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Unfortunately, I can't speak to the likelihood of you getting that placement but what I can do is explain the process for out of catchment placements as I understand it. So, for your first placement, you're going to be placed within UofT's catchment area. After that; however, I believe you have the option of applying to be placed elsewhere. For instance, there are several fieldwork placements up in Northern Ontario that are facilitated through UofT. Also, you are eligible to be placed internationally, should you choose a country and work with the department to find a fieldwork opportunity. When in comes to out of catchment areas within Canada, there is an application process that you'll have to follow. I'm in the process of going through that right now actually. See, I'm originally from Ottawa and have applied to do my 2nd fieldwork placement there. Here's where things are a little less certain. So, you apply, pay an application fee ($250), choose another university's catchment area to be placed within (I suspect yours would be UBC), and then a representative from UofT works with the university who's catchment area you want to be placed in to try and find you a fieldwork opportunity. The application fee is not refundable and you are not guaranteed a placement in the part of the city you want or in the alternative catchment area at all. Now, this all sounds a little gloomy but I'm pretty sure this is how most other universities operate as well. The university who's catchment area you're applying within gives their students first pick and then you can have any unclaimed opportunities. From my understanding, UofT does have some sort of option for placements within Vancouver (I'm considering applying there as well actually as I have family there too). So, basically, there's no guarantee but UofT will work on your behalf to find you a placement opportunity that fits your interests in location and field.

 

Again, this was my interpretation from memory but I would encourage you to call the OS & OT department at UofT to direct further inquiries.

 

As for the grades, you need to get above 70% in every class to pass and I think a 73% overall for the program. If you got in, I suspect you've had some pretty decent grades so don't freak out at this somewhat high cut-off standard. I have yet to get my final marks back for this semester but so far I have also yet to get below 70% on anything and I am no genius. Also, even if you were to score below that grade on one assignment, it's all good, just try and get your overall above 70% by the end of term and you'll be golden  ;)

 

I think that pretty much covers everything (again, at least as far as I know).

 

Thank you so much for all your information! It helps clear up a lot of confusion! Good luck on finding placement in Ottawa :) 

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Hi all! I'm applying to these schools in the fall for their OT programs and I am looking for a bit of advice. It is pretty unrelated and I feel slightly dumb for asking, but I am confused how GPA calculations work. I currently attend Western University and my grades are in %. Online I see that schools list their admission requirements in GPA form i.e., U of A =  Applicants should present at least a 3.4 GPA (78%, B+) average on the most recent 60 credits. Does this mean a 3.4 GPA is the same as a 78% GPA? Every calculator I have found online results in a much different GPA standing. 

Please help! 

 

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On 2017-5-30 at 6:16 PM, Jkh-96 said:

Hi all! I'm applying to these schools in the fall for their OT programs and I am looking for a bit of advice. It is pretty unrelated and I feel slightly dumb for asking, but I am confused how GPA calculations work. I currently attend Western University and my grades are in %. Online I see that schools list their admission requirements in GPA form i.e., U of A =  Applicants should present at least a 3.4 GPA (78%, B+) average on the most recent 60 credits. Does this mean a 3.4 GPA is the same as a 78% GPA? Every calculator I have found online results in a much different GPA standing. 

Please help! 

 

78%-81% is considered a B at U of A or 3.3 GPA. So I am guessing that if your grades fall within that range then it would be a 3.3 and you have to use Alberta's GPA conversion for each course you have taken. Although, I am not 100% sure if that's how it works. Can someone confirm this please?

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