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Contact your school's office/center for international students and they'll be able to direct you to the right resources. (Be advised, though, that no one in my experience has been willing to "give tax advice" here. Perhaps it is a liability thing?) You will be directed to accountants or information pages written by accountants.

Funding is king!

Totally good enough. You'll be living tight, but we get by.

The second master's degree is increasingly common, particularily when moving across fields. It seems like it could be a great opportunity to learn more about the direction you'd ultimately like to go in (which is a little unclear in your message). You might also consider what benefits you anticipate getting from the PhD that you wouldn't find in this Master's program. Do you really want to do academic research? Or, if it's just a job that you're looking for, perhaps the Master's will be enough?

Difficult to say without knowing where you're looking. Some cities (like NYC, Boston) will have websites run by or heavily populated by brokers (StreetEasy comes to mind). This might be a little more secure for you, but it comes at a high price and may not necessarily deliver in terms of quality. You might also look at community listings via your school or a community bulletin board (for me here in NYC the Park Slope Food Coop and the Listing Project were two I checked out). You could also ask to post something on your departmental mailing list to see if a future colleague happens to have an opening. Honestly, however, the best move is probably to arrive in advance, find temporary accommodations, and search through craiglists, making a lot of discerning visits to potential apartments.

My impression is that fully funded MCC MAs are a scare thing to find, at least in terms of support the department will offer you. If you have (or think you have a change at) external funding, that might be a different story.

Seconding that, I think it's a good idea to email the graduate program director/coordinator directly, and early.

Hey there! I was in the same boat as you last year. Here's my findings: - It's definitely doable for fully funded programs (where they pay your tuition and give you a paycheque that covers your basic living expenses). It can still be tight, however, because: - You'll pocket the same stipend as US students, but get taxed more (fun fact: stipends are taxable here). There's not really much of a minimum income you can make as an international student before taxes switch on for you, which is another big difference from the Canadian system. Take that into account when budgeting for your prospective city. - Insurance is a big expense here (about $2,000-$3,000 per year). Your program might cover that; it might not. If you need to buy your own insurance, cheaper options might not be available to you due to the conditions of your visa (you'll be required to meet minimum standards that aren't that minimal). I miss the sweet embrace of public healthcare. - Look into the SSHRC and Fulbright for additional funding (you can apply to SSHRC next year if you've missed the deadline). The extra paycheques really help!

You might check out the CAA guide or UAC publications for a more qualitative appraisal, but I don't think there's a top 10 sort of list out there. (Well, there's MacLeans, but it doesn't get into the specifics of humanities grad programs). You may get closer to answering your question if you pose it another way: What are the top universities in Canada? and What are the top scholars in the field I'm interested, who currently work in Canada? UBC would definitely be on the list for the first question (probably also McGill, UofT, Queens). I've also heard that it is competitive, but very enriching if you get in. This may not be the case to the same degree with other 'top' programs. McGill, for example, is experiencing some significant funding difficulties, along with all the other Quebec universities. I loved my time there, but I worry about the ongoing financial pressures. As for the second (and arguably more important) question, that's up to you!

By "cutting your losses," do you just mean psychologically? I get how the potential of news, good or ill, can make your life seem terribly suspenseful. But there is always the potential that your name is on a B list and could get bumped up to an offer for admission (often in the frantic week of April 15th). So it's a question of short term (sweet relief and clarity!) vs long term (last minute offer) gains, and while the latter isn't guaranteed, it's still a relatively short period of agony compared to a decision that has the potential to steer the years to come. My advice is to put the decision, and all its complex possibilities, out of your mind as much as is possible until you've heard back from everyone. Sure, the department that's already admitted you may badger you will calls and guilty demands for a decision, but you don't owe them that, not until the last hand of poker is played.

I'd say that things are looking pretty good for you. The only caveat I can imagine would be a situation in which the program can't keep you unless they get you some manner of extra-departmental funding (as might be the case for international students in cash-strapped universities). Still, I'd say that you've got cause to be cautiously optimistic.

Thanks a million TakeruK! Very, VERY helpful and clearly outlined information! I feel way more prepared than before. The one thing I'm left wondering about is whether or not spouses (a j1 and j2) can file together? Does that double the personal exemption amount available to be claimed? We're more or less both living on my stipend/scholarship cheques...

I don't think that your gap year will affect your chances at all, and it looks like you have some nice chances at that! Why are you worried?

I am in this position too (w/SSHRC), and I'm sure that there are thousands of others out there living on a dual stipend. This is my first year, so I haven't figured out what's going to happen entirely yet. I know that I'll have to file in both countries this year anyways (I had income and paid tuition in Canada before coming down to the states, plus the US is pretty unforgiving in its protocols for J1s). The year after that, who knows? I will do whatever the tax software tells me. Anyone have any experience on the matter?

Academia suuuuuucks sometimes when it comes to accommodations. If you haven't already, one avenue to pursue might be to touch bases with the office for disabilities (your uni probably has one!). They'll be able to walk you though the accommodations they themselves can offer you, and council you on the protocols your department is obliged to follow in your case (sounds like it's bound to be more than they're currently providing). It's pretty crap that this is the case, but you need to keep advocating for yourself. Keep maintaining a dossier of all your communications and medical documents- they can have legal weight to help hold people to their promises.