selecttext

it isn't a bad thing to do. I've done it and things couldn't have worked out better. You should write to your potential supervisor or to the graduate adviser for your department.

You should e-mail your POI or grad advisor at U of T immediately to inquire on your application status as you have already received another offer

LinkedIn profiles are providing you with a small, and probably bias sample. I think that you should inquire directly with the department to find out what graduates are up to. You may also want to contact some past graduates.

It probably means that you will get news tomorrow. I imagine that there is some kind of delay in the department that he will explain over the phone. I doubt he would call if you were rejected.

In 2010, I was notified by my department on April 5 and received the official notice in the mail a week later

i guess that means they want you to do a qualifying year

How is it that you have work, applied or not? I would keep an open mind

Of course SSD facilitates multitasking as opening multiple programs is much quicker and an essential task of the data-logged graduate student.

Get a Thinkpad, it's a no brainer - but splurge on a solid state hard drive, it is a necessity. SSD will significantly speed up your boot and load time. The difference is that of night and day. Especially if you use software like Matlab or other heavy duties packages and run a lot of processes at once. SSD has especially been a blessing while doing video processing as part of my MSc. I have an OEM SSD from Lenovo at it is great! Also get the 9 cell battery as at the time of purchase it is only a nominal surcharge and will give you 7-9 hours of battery life.

Tuition is rarely waived for graduate students in Canada. There are some exceptions at the PhD level. Canadian masters students usually take out loans. Departments often save scholarships and discretionary funds for international students to bring their tuition in line with Canadian tuition. Sorry to bear bad news but it's a sorry state for Canadian students.

your friend in montreal?

you can't get a second year of -M anymore. people sometimes turn down nserc if their fellowships or provincial funding are better

If you believe that the name of the university is that important, as it may very well be in publishing - i have heard a number of anecdotes confirming this as well as for other top literary jobs - then that should be your main concern. It sounds like your own academic interests are malleable enough that you could fit in fine at either place. Personally, I would never in a million years go to a school that is affiliated with a religion.

Your decision is difficult because you do not have any clear academic objectives, only a vague notion of working in the publishing industry afterwards. I think that if you were to refocus on specific objectives, rather than trying to do everything, your program choice will become self-evident. A lot of your pros and cons are superficial and of secondary concern. I am sorry it came across as harsh but I am trying to help you be a bit more pragmatic.

Just so we are clear, were you in fact forwarded to the national competition?

it seems odd to me that your options would be so diametrically opposed. usually people would use their educational objectives and career goals in determining which schools to apply to and not simply role the dice. Maybe you should re-read your SOPs to remind yourself of why you applied for graduate school. Obviously no one can make this decision for you and I can't even appreciate how one might be of service.

i don't know where this budget myth started but yes, real humans have received real results.

Look, if you were to ask which is the better, more intellectually stimulating environment, it would be easy to answer. As for the job prospects, not so much because you can have a degree from harvard and still rub people the wrong way. Your job prospects ultimately depend on your credentials and charisma - and place of schooling is a notch among many.

not necessarily, but if you are on the list, a kind dept chair will notify you as was our compatriot.

damn you b.c. you were notified already but seriously, congrats!!!

hired to do what exactly and where?

it depends on the university and program. if you have competing offers that you are considering, you should inform them of this.

nope, e-mail only.

Didn't I just say that? I received no letter, only an official offer by e-mail which included my stipend.

that is specific to a department, as was my experience.