Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am writing to request special permission to add RELS 131 and HIST 125 after the May 8 deadline. I believe my situation warrants consideration for two reasons — an administrative delay outside my control, and a period of significant academic and personal pressure that affected my ability to act sooner.

First, regarding the timeline: I emailed the Registrar's Office on May 11, within the petition window, to ask how to proceed with adding courses late. I did not receive a response until around May 19, at which point I was directed to my faculty. My faculty then directed me to this office. By the time I had any clear direction on where to go and what to do, nearly the entire petition window had elapsed. This delay was not due to inaction on my part — I reached out promptly and followed every step I was directed to take.

Second, the period surrounding the May 8 deadline has been one of the more demanding stretches of my academic journey so far. As a third-year student actively preparing for graduate school applications, I have been simultaneously writing letters of intent, preparing for program interviews, and managing my regular coursework. This pressure made it difficult to review my transcript and academic standing as carefully as I needed to, and it was only after doing so that I realized how important these two additional courses would be for my application competitiveness.
I am applying to graduate programs including the Master of Biotechnology at the University of Toronto, where the last 60 credits carry significant weight in admissions decisions. Adding RELS 131 and HIST 125 this summer would meaningfully strengthen that portion of my record. Both courses are currently open, I am already enrolled in three summer courses, and I am in good academic standing.