Q: Does the University of Toronto require a GRE for a MS in computer science?

Short answer, yes. It won’t hurt your case unless the score is too bad but the Computer science department website of University of Toronto states that there is no requirement of GRE test score for the admission process. Submitting IELTS or TOEFL scores will suffice the process of admission for international students. The online application form does provide a field where you can submit your GRE scores, but it is made optional. However it is recommended to upload a GRE score as it will create an edge over other applicants. Target for a safe score of 320+ in GRE so that you leave no stone unturned to create a good impression. Tabulation below gives a brief overview on expected test scores of University of Toronto: When you are applying for such competitive programs, it's always wise to present yourself in the best way possible by keeping your best foot ahead. Submitting a GRE score along with a good GPA and resume will definitely enhance the chances of your selection.

Question 1

If I have Philosophy as an elective during bachelors, can i do a MA in Philosophy in the future?

Accepted Answer

MA Philosophy or Master of Arts in Philosophy is a 2-year postgraduate course that offers knowledge related to Schools of Classical as well as Modern philosophy. 

The minimum eligibility required to pursue this course is a bachelor&rsquo;s degree from a recognized institute with philosophy  or any related subject as the major subject.  

Yes, you can pursue an MA in Philosophy even if your Bachelor is unrelated to the field. However, you might have to portray the fact that you have the critical thinking skills to benefit from an MA in Philosophy. It&rsquo;s even better if your Bachelor is in the humanities and social sciences rather than the hard sciences. So it would be a bit challenging if you had no background in philosophy, but having a BA in philosophy isn&rsquo;t necessary.

Usually, an MA in Philosophy requires a writing sample that is at par with the ones submitted by candidates who have done a BA in Philosophy.

Question 2

I have done Btech in ECE and I have 5 years of work experience as a senior data engineer in an MNC. Can I get admission in University of Toronto without GRE.

Accepted Answer

No, GRE is not compulsory for admission to the University of Toronto. It is optional for the University of Toronto, but it's highly recommended that you submit with a good score, as it adds credibility to your application. More than the university, the requirement for GRE depends on the specific program that you are applying to at the University of Toronto. It&rsquo;s better to check your program's website.


	The website of the University of Toronto for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering stated that a GRE score is not required. 
	The Civil Engineering Department also doesn't require the GRE. 
	The website of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering also does not require it. 
	The Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry did not state anything about the GRE requirements. 


Thus it can be safely concluded that there is no GRE requirement as such for MS in the University of Toronto. However, it is always recommended to have a standardized exam score like GRE for Graduate studies as this will improve your chances of admission.

Question 3

In what ways can McGill University surpass the reputation of the University of Toronto??

Accepted Answer

Both McGill University and the University of Toronto are widely reputed. If you have to choose between these, make a choice based on the subject and the department you are interested in. 

Don&rsquo;t put too much emphasis on the university rankings. It changes each year. Here is a brief comparison of the two. Currently, McGill University world ranking is  #44 (THE World University Ranking). While University of Toronto is ranked #18 by THE World University Ranking. 

Here is a brief comparison of these two.


	
		
			Parameters
			McGill University 
			University of Toronto
		
		
			Tuition fees (undergraduate)
			29,200 CAD (International students)
			45,690 CAD (International students)
		
		
			Acceptance rate 
			48.9%
			43%
		
		
			Popular courses
			Medical and Health Science, Computer Science, Social Science & Humanities
			Psychology, Medical Technology, Automation and Control, Human and Biological Sciences
		
		
			Average salary 
			CAD 62k
			CAD 68k
		
	


You can&rsquo;t go wrong with either of these schools.

Question 4

Which university is better for an undergraduate degree in fine arts with a biology minor, U of T, McGill, or Concordia University??

Accepted Answer

You should prefer University of Toronto or McGill. If you get accepted at both the university, choose one of these according to your preference. 

UofT has one of the best fine arts programs in the world. Their Biology minor program offers an introduction to Cell & Molecular Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Physiology. McGill&rsquo;s Biology program is more research-oriented. You will get a chance to work and collaborate with some of the best and brightest researchers. 

UofT and McGill also rank higher than Concordia. UofT was ranked 18th in World University Rankings 2022 by Times Higher Education.  McGill was ranked 44th by THE. 

Here is a brief comparison of UofT and McGill University.


	
		
			Parameters
			UofT
			McGill University
		
		
			Undergraduate tuition fees(International) 
			45,690 CAD
			29,200 CAD
		
		
			Acceptance rate 
			43%
			48.9%
		
		
			Average base salary for graduates
			CAD 68k
			CAD 62K
		
	


The science programs of Concordia University aren&rsquo;t as refined compared to UofT and McGill.

Question 5

Does the University of Toronto require a GRE for a MS in computer science?

Accepted Answer

Short answer, yes. It won&rsquo;t hurt your case unless the score is too bad but the Computer science department website of University of Toronto states that there is no requirement of GRE test score for the admission process. Submitting IELTS or TOEFL scores will suffice the process of admission for international students. The online application form does provide a field where you can submit your GRE scores, but it is made optional.

However it is recommended to upload a GRE score as it will create an edge over other applicants. Target for a safe score of 320+ in GRE so that you leave no stone unturned to create a good impression.

Tabulation below gives a brief overview on expected test scores of University of Toronto:



When you are applying for such competitive programs, it's always wise to present yourself in the best way possible by keeping your best foot ahead.



Submitting a GRE score along with a good GPA and resume will definitely enhance the chances of your selection.

Question 6

Is University of Toronto considered the best at artificial intelligence in the world?

Accepted Answer

University of Toronto has always been in the list of top 10 institutes for artificial intelligence in the world. Forbes has ranked it 6th best University for AI and data science for 2021.

Major areas of study:

AI department at UofT gives priority to five major sub-areas:


	Computational linguistics and natural language processing
	Knowledge representation
	Cognitive Robotics
	Machine learning
	Computational vision


If your aim is to pursue majors in any of the above areas then you can never go wrong with University of Toronto.

Research aids:


	Being a research oriented Institute, University of Toronto has some popular research centers including CARTE, Vector institute, COHESA, SOSCIP, SAVI, CMTE. 
	These centres help students in doing collaborative projects with lead AI companies globally.
	Master students can also work under research scholars which will give them enormous exposure.


Professors and alumni:


	Geoffrey Hinton, popularly known as 'God father of AI' is a professor at University of Toronto who is even the chief scientist at Vector Institute. 
	Alex Krizhevsky(Post doc student)- Google scholar
	Hugo Larochelle (post-doc; Lead of Google brain in Montreal)
	Ilya Sutskever (PhD student, working at Google brain)
	Ryan Adams (Post-Doc, working at Harvard)


Artificial intelligence at University of Toronto definitely seems promising. When you can work/study under Geoffrey Hinton and his crew who are Titans in the AI field, it is an absolute win- win situation. But you are seeking the top University then Stanford, MIT and Carnegie Mellon University are definitely ahead of University of Toronto.

Question 7

Will I get accepted into University of Toronto?

Accepted Answer

Securing admission at University of Toronto is really difficult. You will find it very competitive which is fair- it&rsquo;s currently ranked at #29 among world universities by QS. The overall acceptance rate of the University is 43% but things are harder if you are an international student. There will be a lot of extra formalities like English proficiency, LORs, funding abilities that the university will consider. This is around 23.1%

Factors to be considered:

GPA requirements:

For admission in undergraduate programs, an average score of 90 in class 12th can be considered competitive. Expected scores for some courses are mentioned below:





In case of graduate program admission, the minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 while 3.4 out of 4.0 is considered as a competitive score.

English language proficiency:

TOEFL or IELTS scores are accepted and It is mandatory for international students to submit one of these test scores.


	TOEFL score: 93(iBT)
	IELTS score : 7.0 with no band below 6.0


GRE score:

Few courses demand GRE test scores for the admission process whereas Courses like CS , material science have made it optional, however submitting a GRE with a score around 320+ will definitely create an edge to your profile which may enhance your chances of selection.

GMAT:

Minimum GMAT score of 570 is demanded for admission in MBA courses at University of Toronto while the average score of the University is 665.

Other requirements:

Minimum 3 letters of recommendations along with good resume and Participation in Co-Curricular activities are expected.

If you fulfill all the above mentioned criteria including good grades, standard test scores and LORs you will be good to go. Ultimately it depends on the competition in the course which you are inclined towards.

Question 8

What is your review of University of Toronto?

Accepted Answer

If you are planning to join a research based course, there is no better University than UofT. It&rsquo;s a top ranked Canadaian institute and ranked 21st worldwide by QS World Ranking 2020, thus it is highly competitive with a 43% admit rate. 

Quick stats:



Still, harder than getting into is staying there and maintaining your grades. If you ask for reasons enough to attend UofT; they will be: 


	Value of their diploma
	Wide network of students, professors and alumni which they offer
	Social prestige, Credibility amongst employers 
	Exposure to research 


One thing which makes UofT stand out amongst other universities in Canada is hands down their faculty. There are few opinions like " you being just a number", "UofT is a study hell" etc but as long as you are determined and have a good attitude towards your studies, success and exposure comes along your way. Remember that socializing is the key for you to fall in love with the University.



Research exposure:


	Being one of the top research institutes, you will certainly get a high research exposure by working with research faculties and scholars.
	World class research laboratories with high end equipment are worth mentioning.




Campus:


	St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough are the three campuses of University of Toronto with a vibrant urban setting with a perfect environment to study.
	Campus housing facilities accommodate more than 8,800 students.
	There are 44 libraries across branches. It is third largest in North America.





	There are 1000+ diverse organizations and student clubs in the University.
	University has many Nobel laureates among its faculties and alumni
	Average salary of UofT graduate in MBA is 133,000 USD whereas science graduate is 93,000 USD


University of Toronto is one of the top notch study oriented colleges. However many students struggle due to its high grading standard and endup transferring out or fail to get into their desired majors due to poor grades in 1st year.

Question 9

What is the acceptance rate at the University of Toronto?

Accepted Answer

The acceptance rate of UofT is not the most welcoming which is obvious by the fact of it being a top ranked Institute. Once you get into UToronto, the actual struggle is to survive there. It has been ranked 29th by QS World University Ranking, 2020 University of Toronto is quite competitive to get into. Acceptance rate varies from program to program. Average acceptance rate of the University is 43% which comes down to 23.1% for International students. 



If you manage to score an average of 87-90 in your 6 major subjects and have a good resume, you will have a pretty high chance of getting here. Better the grade, higher is your chance of getting accepted. Ultimately it depends on the branch to which you seek your admission at, less the competition higher is the acceptance rate.

However it must be mentioned that getting into the University is not a huge deal when compared to surviving after the first year and getting your desired majors.



Statistics of accepted students:


	Engineering is the most desired field at University of Toronto among international students.
	Out of 50,041 UG applications 20,296 students were offered admission among which 4,019 were international students. 
	The acceptance rate of graduate courses is around 39%
	Out of 1056 PhD applicants, 305 were given opportunity for enrollment with an overall acceptance rate of 30%


It must be kept in mind that getting into University of Toronto is much easier than surviving there for a second year. The freshman retention rate of the University lies around 85-90%

Question 10

How can I get scholarships or financial aid for the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto?

Accepted Answer

It depends from where you are, as well as your previous background. If you are not a Canadian, you will only be eligible for some scholarships and not financial aid. Even then the competition will be too much and you&rsquo;ll have to be too good with a unique background so that you become a prospective student with a lot of potential at UBC.

There are different scholarships for different programs. All have varying criteria which you need to go through carefully. Female students in hard sciences have an added benefit in many scholarships specifically aimed to help them.


	
		
			Parameters
			Funding at University of British Columbia
			Funding at University of Toronto
		
		
			Total Funding Budget
			30 Million CAD
			247 Million CAD
		
		
			Average Scholarship Amount
			Merit-based: 25-30%
			Need-based: 65-70%
			7,500 CAD to 20,000 CAD
		
		
			Official Website
			UBC scholarships
			UToronto&rsquo;s website
		
	


UBC


	Offers funds based on your academic and extracurriculars. You&rsquo;d be automatically considered for any merit-based awards once admitted to UBC for up to 25-30% of total offered funding.
	UBC Need-based awards comprise 65-70% of total funding and depends on the student's financial need.
	UBC Hybrid scholarships are awarded based on a combination of merit (academics, leadership skills, etc.) and student&rsquo;s financial requirements. These make up 10% of the UBC funding.


University of Toronto


	University of Toronto&rsquo;s budget for funding in 2019-2020 was 247M CAD
	If you're a great student with active extracurricular participation, you can be considered for scholarships ranging from 7,500 CAD to 20,000 CAD
	You can check out UToronto&rsquo;s website for specifics.


Credible academic references, exceptional marks and great personal achievements and records are a must for availing most of these merit-based scholarships. These merit-based scholarships/awards don't require any application as you&rsquo;d be automatically considered. Finally, make sure you work hard and apply on time to be considered for these.

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Mindblowing Academic Culture - University of Toronto

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