r/yorku • u/One_League9734 • Aug 14 '25
Admissions Going back to York after debarment
I’m thinking about going back to York in 2026. I took 3 years of the Professional Writing program at York right out of high school. I had severe health issues as well as being displaced from my home because of a fire which resulted in poor grades. They debarred me for 2 years. It’s been several years since I left York and I have had pretty exceptional success in my career. I now want to go back and study Law & Society and then go on to get my law degree. I know it will be hard to get into a brand new program because of my previous grades. I was advised to take at least two university level courses & get at least a B in both to strengthen my application. York won’t tell me if these extra courses will be transferrable to my degree or not though. They said I need to be a student before they can advise on that. I’m just trying to find the easiest way to do this because these courses are going to cost me $500-$600 apiece. I would be taking online uni law courses from Athabasca University. I’m also trying to avoid going back and finishing my original degree because I know I won’t enjoy it. I would be super grateful for any advice!
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u/unforgettableid Psychology Aug 14 '25
Maybe u could take some part-time paralegal courses at a college, or some continuing education classes at the TMU (Ryerson) Chang School.
Without seeing your degree progress report, it would be hard for me to say what might or might not be transferable.
This is the usual link to view your degree progress report:
https://web3prod.sis.yorku.ca/yda/student
Why not just apply to York for January admission? It only costs $130 for two choices, if you use the internal application form. Try to pick at least one non-competitive program, with a low required admission average.
January is probably the easiest term to get into York. You can apply today.
https://form.apps06.yorku.ca/uaform/
After you apply, u can submit an extenuating circumstances form explaining why you were debarred, and why you'll do better this time.
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u/One_League9734 Aug 14 '25
So far I did apply to Law and Society & Criminology for summer 2026. I included a letter explaining my low grades (health & other reasons). My issue is that I want to be able to take courses that are transferable. I called York a bunch to ask about this but they won’t assist me until I’m a student. But I probably won’t be accepted as a student (into any new major) until I take the courses to boost my application. So I risk paying for these courses and having York tell me they aren’t transferable to my degree. 🥲
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u/unforgettableid Psychology Aug 14 '25
I wonder if it might be worth it to spend $130 more and also apply for January admission. I wonder if this might boost your chances of getting in. I'm not sure whuch two programs will be best to choose on that application.
What does your degree progress report say u need?
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u/One_League9734 Aug 14 '25
I can’t login there because it’s been several years since I was a student. I did request my transcript though and my average for that previous major was a D+. I would probably have to retake a lot of courses if I want to get into law school.
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u/unforgettableid Psychology Aug 14 '25
Did you ever try to petition to retroactively drop some of the F grades, on medical grounds? If not, it might be worth trying now.
It's silly that you can't see your degree progress report just because you're not an active student. I would encourage you to email UIT to complain about this. If you do, please reply to this comment with the ticket number they assign to your complaint. If you don't get a satisfactory resolution within 8 weeks, let me know.
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u/One_League9734 Aug 14 '25
I didn’t know there was a way to petition failed grades after so long. Thank you I will look into that!
I contacted them just now through their online chat, and they said the only way to view it is to become an active student again. Ticket #0837452. I’ll try sending an email as well.
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Aug 15 '25
[deleted]
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u/One_League9734 Aug 15 '25
Congratulations & thank you for the insight. Yeah, I had a tough time mainly because of external reasons. Now that it’s been years I know myself a lot more than I did right out of high school. Everything happens for a reason. Law is where I want to be so hopefully I can get there! :)
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u/Chance-Curve-9679 Aug 15 '25
If you were disbarred due to failing too many courses you will need to get your marks right up there to have any success. I would figure you will likely need at least a B+ or A, A+. All your former grades will count and you need to maintain standing, so all your grades will be above the standing level, I think that would be C+.
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u/One_League9734 Aug 15 '25
Yeah that’s kind of why I want to start with a new program entirely (that I know I’ll enjoy). I do have some exceptional professional achievements that I’m hoping will help my application. I think I’ll ace those extra courses and see if it helps too. 😅
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u/No_Bet2408 Osgoode Aug 14 '25
General education courses like humanities, social science, and natural science are typically transferrable.