Enabling your JOINid

You must enable your JOINid and create a password if you wish to access ACORN. This can be done online – you do not have to be here in person. Your JOINid will not work until you enable and create a password for it.

If you have trouble locating the email sent to you with your JOINid, please contact the School of  Graduate Studies at admissions.sgs@utoronto.ca.

If you lose your JOINid password, you can use the enabling site to change your password. Please note that updates to passwords can take 48 hours to roll over in the system. If you are unable to reset your password using the enabling site, please call 416-978-HELP, or email help.desk@utoronto.ca to reset your password. Please specify that you have already enabled your JOINid.

The next step is to convert your JOINid to a UTORid:

Activating your JOINid

Convert your JOINid to a UTORid as soon as possible to get access to more online services like email (UTmail+), course content on Quercus, webinars, library resources, Microsoft365 applications, WiFi on campus, and more.

Your TCard is your physical student identification for on-campus purposes. It provides access to certain facilities, such as the library or the gym, and to services, such as printing or meal plans. Your TCard includes your photo, UTORid, student number and a barcode. Visit tcard.utoronto.ca for more information about how to get your TCard and the other services that it provides.

UTmail+ is the only email used by the University to communicate officially with students. Click here for information on how to set up your UTmail+.

You must get your TCard before you can set up your UTmail+. If you are unable to get your TCard in person and activate your UTORid before September, you can enable your JOINid online before you arrive. Click here for more information about enabling your JOINid.

Your letter of offer will indicate what your conditions are. Deadline is August 31, 2024. 

Official transcript(s) are required from ALL post-secondary institutions attended – for all studies started, completed or attempted, even if no degree was awarded. This includes transfer credits, exchanges or courses taken on letter of permission, even if not used toward your degree.

• For applicants currently in the process of completing their final year of study over the summer, and will not be able to provide us with a final transcript by the August 31^st deadline, and won’t be graduating until the Fall: We will  also require a letter from your department / Registrar that says you are on track to graduate upon successful completion of your final courses, along with an official interim trasncript once your final grades are released.*

* In order for a transcript to be considered official, it must be sent to the Faculty of Information directly from your institution:

• Transcripts are considered official when they have been prepared, sealed in an envelope and signed over the back flap by an official at the issuing institution. They are to be sent directly to the Faculty of Information:
  • University of Toronto, 140 St. George Street – 4th floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G6
• E-transcripts are also accepted and can be sent directly from your institution(s) to admissions.ischool@utoronto.ca
• For current and past University of Toronto students (UTSC, UTM, UTSG) applying to Faculty of Information Programs, we can access your official University of Toronto transcript on your behalf.
  • Note: we are unable to access transcripts from UofT School of Continuing Studies – these will have to be ordered.
• If you submit your electronic transcript through MyCreds / Parchment or any other third-party platform, please make sure you specifically indicate that it be sent to admissions.ischool@utoronto.ca. If you select the recipient as “the University of Toronto” from the drop-down list instead of to our email address directly, it would have been sent to central UofT undergraduate office, and it would never be shared with us. You will need to submit another request.

Please note, you will still be able to enrol in courses on July 29 if you have not yet cleared your conditions.

International students: You should apply for your study permit / Visa as soon as possible if you have not yet done so to avoid processing delays. The original offer letter you received should be all you need to apply for your study permit / Visa.

Log into your ACORN account to verify your mailing and contact information and to specify who the university should contact on your behalf, in the event of an emergency.

If you are seeking academic accommodations for the Fall 2024 term, you must complete a Student Intake Package and submit supporting documentation. For any questions and assistance, you can contact accessibility.services@utoronto.ca.

The deadline to register is July 12, 2024

Thinking about renting in Toronto, but aren’t in the city yet? Get a head start on figuring out where you’d like to live next year by connecting with Housing Services.

The Housing team is available by email at housing.services@utoronto.ca or book an appointment with them on CLNx. They are available to talk about residence applications, rental issues and housing conflicts!

The Faculty of Information considers you registered after you have 1) enrolled in courses, and 2) either paid or deferred tuition fees. Once you’ve taken both these steps, ACORN will show your status as REGistered (as opposed to INVited). Remember, course enrolment happens BEFORE registration!

August 23 is the deadline to pay/defer your tuition for the Fall term!

For more information about tuition & fees, see Money Matters. For information about how to make a payment, and relevant payment deadlines, see UofT Student Accounts.

Missed past issues of the New Student Newsletter? Catch up by clicking on the links below.

• March 2024 Issue
• April 2024 Issue
• April 2024 Issue (2)
• June 2024 Issue
• July 2024 Issue

Have questions about course enrolment, financial aid, preparing for the start of classes, and more? We’re here to help. Join any of the following live drop-in advising sessions, and have your questions answered by one of your advisors.

Tuesday July 16 – 12-1pm

Wednesday July 17 – 9-10am

Thursday July 18 – 2-3pm

Wednesday July 24 – 9-10am

Thursday July 25 – 9-10am and 2-3pm 

Friday July 26 – 9-10am and 2-3pm (in person at the Learning Hub, 4^th Floor Bissell Building)

Monday July 29 – Drop in advising 3-4pm

Tuesday July 30 – 10-11am

Wednesday July 31 – 2-3pm

Thursday Aug 1 – 12-1pm

This guide is intended to be a quick resource for new students. It provides the basic information you will need from now until Orientation Day. It is your guide to course enrolment, tuition and fees, policies, services and more!

Tuesday July 23, 12-1:30pm via Zoom

This event will set you up for success in your first year as an incoming student to the Faculty of Information. We’ll go through important information about course selection, course enrolment, paying fees, and more. We’ll take an in-depth look at degree requirements for mandatory and elective courses, submitting your selections on ACORN and becoming familiar with UofT student platforms.

Difference between “Registration” and “Enrolment”

The main registration status indicators are:

1. INVITED (INVIT) 
   You are invited to enrol in courses – this is the initial status after being admitted.
2. REGISTERED (REG)
   You have been registered in ACORN – the status changes automatically from INVITED to REGISTERED after fee payment (or fee deferral) has been received and process

Registration means:

• paying/deferring tuition fees AND clearing your admission conditions (as stated in your offer letter) = see your registration status change from INVIT (invited) to REG (registered)​
• September 1st recommended date to pay or defer your tuition fees so that the University can receive and process the minimum tuition payment by September 15 th
• has nothing to do with enrolling in courses – you DO NOT need REG status to enrol in your courses

Enrolment means:

• ​enrolling into (adding) courses on ACORN​
• July 29, 6 a.m. ET for incoming students
• Enrolment happens BEFORE registration

Tuition & Fees:

For more information about tuition & fees, see Money Matters. The Student Accounts office will release 2024/25 tuition rates in mid-July, and it will be reflected in your Acorn account.

For information about how to make a payment, and relevant payment deadlines, see UofT Student Accounts.​

IMPORTANT: You must clear your conditions before paying / deferring your tuition fees

If you paid the minimum tuition fee, and your status has not yet changed over to REGistered, you likley have not yet cleared your admission conditions. Please contact the admissions team.

NOTE:if you are receiving a message in Acorn saying “there is a severe Admission Condition blocking my account from being changed from invited to registered”, even after you have paid or deferred your tuition fees, this means you have not yet cleared your admission conditions, as indicated in your offer letter.

This will have no impact on your course enrolment in July. You will still be able to enrol in courses!

Course Enrolement

Enrolment date for incoming students is Monday July 29th @ 6 am!

Things to consider:​

• Early bird gets the worm!  ​
• Plot out both Fall and Winter sessions to ensure that you identify preferred elective courses offered during the academic year, and catch any scheduling conflicts​
• If there are multiple sections, enrol in preferred section first ​
• Have an alternate list in case your preferred courses are full​

Other considerations:

• Students following a concentration must ensure that they choose appropriate required and elective courses to fulfill the requirements of their concentration.
• A maximum of two concentrations is allowed; however, it is strongly advised that students choose only one concentration.
• Students choosing to do two concentrations may encounter scheduling difficulties.
• Meet with your academic advisor before adding a second concentration.
• You are responsible for ensuring that you complete the concentration requirements.
• Students can enrol in courses from all concentrations as an elective, no matter which concentration they choose.

If you have any questions about clearing your conditions, please contact us at admissions.ischool@utoronto.ca

The full orientation schedule can be found here!

Virtual orientation sessions will be in late August

In-person orientation sessions will be in the first and second week of September

The Office of Student Services serves as the home base for any questions that you might have, whether academic, administrative, financial, personal or anything else. Feel free to contact us by email (inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca), by phone (416-978-3234), or come by our office and meet us in person (Claude T. Bissell Building, 140 St. George Street, 4th Floor)!

Your Academic Advisors within the Faculty will provide you with guidance and academic support. You can speak with an Academic Advisor for any topic or question that you might have. Reach out to us at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca

Every year, the School of Graduate Studies, together with partnering offices, host a series of webinars covering various topics to help incoming students prepare for the start of school. To register, see links below:

*webinars will also be recorded for those who cannot attend.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 2:00-3:30 PM ET – Awards and Financial Aid

Staff from the Graduate Awards Office will offer advice to students who are considering applying for awards, whether internal or external to the University. We will also be providing information on financial aid options if unexpected costs arise.

Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 2:00–3:30 PM ET – Housing

Staff from the Student Life – Housing office enhance the student experience and support students’ housing needs through education, resources and developing effective systems and processes in collaboration with partners.

Thursday, June 27, 2024, 2:00–3:30 PM ET – Mentorship, Accessibility, Health & Wellness

The Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision (CGMS) is a tri-campus service that works with graduate students and faculty to support successful graduate mentorship and supervisory relationships, by facilitating interpersonal skill-building and informal conflict resolution.

The Accessibility Services team assists students in navigating on-going or temporary disability-related barriers to academic success.

Health & Wellness provides a range of health services for students’ physical and mental health, wellness programs and information to support students in achieving their personal and academic goals.

Accessibility and Health & Wellness counsellors work on-site at the School of Graduate Studies (63 Saint George Street).

Tuesday July 9, 2:00 – 3:30 PM – Family Care Office

Family Care Office will provide an overview of services and resources for students with family responsibilities, whether as parents, partners, or caregivers for older relatives.  Registration now open.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 2:30-4:00 PM – Graduate Centre for Academic Communication

Graduate students need to be able to communicate sophisticated information to sophisticated audiences. As you prepare to attend your first conference, to write your first proposal, or to publish your first paper, you will need stronger communication skills than those needed in undergraduate work. Learn how the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication helps graduate students develop the ability to diagnose and address the weaknesses in their oral and written work. Registration now open.

Thursday, July 18, 2024, 2:00-3:00 PM – Registration and Fees

This webinar is to help students get their student accounts in order before the start of the Fall session. Join staff from SGS Student Academic Services to learn about paying fees, our student portal, your TCard, and getting a U of T e-mail address. Registration now open.

Being a student means plenty of reading, writing, and research. But that doesn’t mean you have to chain yourself to your desk! The Faculty of Information is not only the home of four student councils; our students are also engaged in multiple student clubs, chapters, associations and much more.

Click here for more information about student councils and student life at the University of Toronto.

You can also check out our student-run publication, MUSINGS, for the latest opinions, critiques and discussions of contemporary museum practices by emerging museum professionals.

Peer Mentoring @iSchool – Are you wondering what to expect at the iSchool? Do you have questions about life as a student or living in Toronto? Wondering where you can get an informed perspective on the whole iSchool experience? Join the Peer Mentoring @iSchool program and network with like-minded fellow students! Ask about classes, student life, food trucks and much more! Send us an email at mentoring.ischool@gmail.com for more details.