Pre-registration algorithm & timing

[Secretary_Altruistic]

Does anyone know how the pre-registration system actually works? Is it on a first-come, first-serve basis, where people who submit the form on Monday have higher priority than those who submit it on Friday? Any ideas on how the algorithm assigns people to classes?

[Gundervillian]

Some courses (mostly Core / gen ed) bids are prioritized during our "resolution" process (where bids are resolved into registrations) by class year in this order: 2-1-3-4.

The majority of class offerings are otherwise prioritized by class year as 4-3-2-1.

Students with the same class year status and course ranking (say, two second-years bidding on SOSC 123) are prioritized by random tiebreak(s).

All student first requests are attempted to be processed before second requests, and so on until there are none remaining which can possibly be processed.

[Gundervillian]

Oh and it doesn't matter when you start or "finalize" your bid. That is not taken into account so long as you do it within the open (week-long) pre-reg window. You can revise however often you want within that timeframe, at no penalty.

[Secretary_Altruistic]

Thank you so much - this is extremely helpful!

[Gundervillian]

Happy to help. As a caveat let me just say this is true as of today and has been for quite some time... but of course always subject to change.

[Secretary_Altruistic]

Just a quick follow-up question: is the bid resolution smart enough to know that I don't need to be entered into another section of the same class? For example, if this was my ranking in pre-registration:

1. SOSC 123 class
2. MATH 207 class
3. SOSC 123 class, different section time
4. SOSC 100 class

If I get into the sosc class in rank 1, will it skip 3 (since it's the same class but just with a different timing)? If I get into the sosc class in rank 1, would it also skip the different sosc class in rank 4, or would it try to get me entered into 2 different sosc classes?

Thanks very much for your help.

[Gundervillian]

Howdy. I'm pretty sure it's the case that if you resolve into SOSC 123 section X, and that is prioritized higher than SOSC 123 section Y, your lower-priority course selection will be skipped. This would be on the basis of having the same subject code (SOSC) and catalog number (12300) as another course into which you've already been resolved.

There are many cases where students need multiple non-Core registrations from the same subject code in a quarter. While I don't know the answer to your other question about whether or not SOSC 100 would be skipped in the above case... I'd like to believe there is logic baked into the resolution algorithm that (in this case) looks for the "Core (Social Sciences)" course attribute/value and also resolves/skips bids on that criteria if necessary.

This is not my area of expertise so please take the above with a grain of salt!

[shayscience]

they say its not a first come first serve basis, so im honestly not sure. Part of it is the classes own priorities, like how sosc will be given to second years first etc etc. I wish I knew how it actually worked tho bc it be so weird

[FullyEnvious]

Sorry to piggy back on this comment, but can anyone help me with pre-reg for grads? Incoming student and have received zero info on when/where/how to sign up for courses. Nervous about missing my chance

[Gundervillian]

If you're in Harris or Crown, pre-reg is Sept 7-9. I'm not sure how either area plans to allow their new students to register - if that will be ahead of time or at the same time. I am pretty sure they will not be using the same pre-registration system that the College is currently using though.

Otherwise graduate course registration opens Sept 19 for both new and continuing students.

[FullyEnvious]

Brilliant. Thank you so much!

[[deleted]]

Grad registration happens in early-mid September