Hey All!
I just wanted to chime in the conversation. Long time lurker. I also got accepted earlier this week (I have the 'Invited' on my Acorn account). My last name starts with 'A'. I was previously a student at UofT. I did really badly due to health and mental health issues. My GPA was around 2.4. I did do really well in the research courses, which I know they take into consideration. I decided to do a certificate program at York and did extremely well (8/9 GPA). I applied to UofT Sept 2017, and was put on the waitlist. I was hesitant applying for 2018. I have a lot of volunteer experience in the social services field. I showed a lot of vulnerability in my essay, and showed how I overcame it.
I might sound like a broken record, but don't give up! Don't take rejection as a reflection of your self worth. Work on yourself first. Find inner happiness and strength. It took a while to learn that. I am in a much better place now because I learned the proper tools for self care.
My therapist mentioned to me that they are pretty big on mental health (She has MSW from UofT). Also advised me to get volunteer experience where they train you in counselling (eg. Distress Centre).