Originally Posted by MrVJPMAn

Also to be honest, I've looked up the McMaster and U of T past year tests/exams for the sciences/maths, there are NO sigificant differences. I'd say that U of T does teach you more overall but it makes the exams harder, however the extra stuff is wasted as you don't usually remember the little extra details. First year is major info dump and you die by the pressure they dump on you. Despite U of T is defiantely stronger in terms of academics compared to McMaster early on, most people will crack under the "stronger academics" which in turn just makes its first year student undergo a weeding process with a money bag incentive.

You just contradicted yourself with regards to the exams. How you described UofT is how Mac is like. A lot of people get weeded out at Mac too. In terms of academics, the two schools are very similar. People think less of mac because it's smaller, and overshadowed by UofT, but having been to both schools, I can say that I received the same quality of education at the same level of rigour from both (for biology at least). The major differences b/w mac and U of T are size, community, and course selection, which is quite small at mac. Plus coming to mac meant NO COMMUTING which meant more time to socialize.

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your input. No, you are NOT too late. I am still at UofT, currently studying hard for my exams. And yet, I have the lingering thought in my head asking if I would be better off at McMaster next year. Applications for transfers are due begininng of May, so I am very glad you replied.

I don't know anyone in TOX at all, but it seems like a hard program to get into. Considering you got in, you probably had stellar marks in first year to begin with. Perhaps this is why your marks didn't go up at Mac? ... Also factoring that all the testing formats and past test availability changed.

Darn, after understanding more about McMaster's testing style, I'm leaning even more towards McMaster. I've always disliked MC, especially when professors throw curveballs at you and ask you the most random details or when they phrase the question/ answer so terribly. The worst ones are the 'how many of the following statements are correct: 1/2/3/4/none.' (I'm venting because the BI0250 (now BIO240+BIO241) exam had a bunch of those.) I also tend to do well on assignments because I am the type of person that will take the time to complete them. Lab reports, not so much, since you never know what the TAs really expect from you.

Well, there's alot more I need to think about now. Thank you for showing me around the inside of Mac's life science program! You really opened my eyes up to a few things that I did not know before. If I do decide to transfer, it will also be after my 2nd year at UTSG. I have taken a bunch of random science courses alongside the general HMB, BIO, and BCH. The registrars told me I would most likely be directly transferred into 3rd year if anything.

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN MICHAEL!!!

You'll get in no problem

Originally Posted by Koru

Darn, after understanding more about McMaster's testing style, I'm leaning even more towards McMaster. I've always disliked MC, especially when professors throw curveballs at you and ask you the most random details or when they phrase the question/ answer so terribly. The worst ones are the 'how many of the following statements are correct: 1/2/3/4/none.' (I'm venting because the BI0250 (now BIO240+BIO241) exam had a bunch of those.) I also tend to do well on assignments because I am the type of person that will take the time to complete them. Lab reports, not so much, since you never know what the TAs really expect from you.

I'm not sure you'll find testing to your liking at Mac either. In a program like math it may be, but I think that would be the case at UoT as well. From what biology I've taken (and first-year chemistry as well), we tend to get the abstruse details and "1/2/3/4/none" format as well.

In any case, best of luck in the decision process.

Hi, and thank you to the above two posters for your comments.
Oh no, McMaster likes to use that M/C testing format too... actually, in my 2 years at UofT, this BIO exam is the first time I've seen this format...

Thanks again!