nonchalant

Hey everyone, First time posting here, this is my 2nd time around applying for the 2 yr program at UofT.. first time was waitlisted. I have a question about references if anyone can help me.. I completed my univ degree in 2013, and tbh I don't think I'll be able to get an academic ref because it's been so long. However, I did complete a SSW diploma at George Brown recently. So my question is, if I were to get an academic ref from a prof at George Brown and then wrote a cover letter explaining why I couldn't get one from my univ, do you think it would pass? Or am I wasting my time? Will my chances be depleted? Thx for any replies