nugget

Are you waiting on additional information about any of the 2 offers? ie: funding, etc. If not, I'd make a choice within the deadlines. The decision isn't going to get any easier if you wait and the facts aren't going to change. You will also give someone else more time to decide and prepare who is on the waitlist.

Not in your field, but I think it means what kind of viewpoints, scholarly perspectives and opinions did you have before and how have they been shaped (changed in some way or strengthened) by classroom and scholarly interactions? Basically, how has all that you've been learning in class influenced your thinking or changed you in any way in a professional sense (or if it even has at all)?

If option 3 does not require reference letters, you still want to get a graduate degree, and there are other departments that might be interested in taking you on, I'd give this a try. You have little to lose and potentially so much to gain. If the other departments aren't a good match and you're still interested in graduate studies, then try for option 2. If you can't get good reference letters and/or no longer wish to pursue academia, then by process of elimination you would be left with option 1. A 4th option you could consider is applying in a new field at a new school, if there is anything else that interests you, and using the references you used to get into your current program. Best of luck to you. I hope this next chapter will go much more smoothly for you.

You seem confident you will get off the waitlist. Have you been told that you are first on the list?

That's good info to know. It makes sense in a way because if money is given for one semester it should be used for its intended purpose for the intended period of time. It sucks though that health problems were not a valid reason in your case for them to make an exception to the rule. So anyone wanting to drop out of a program should definitely complete the entire semester and not drop out mid-way. Even so, it is my understanding that it would still be possible to attend a different program in the fall. Year ago, I was in photography and only completed the first year. I decided to switch schools the following year and studied in an entirely different field and I was still able to get OSAP. I think that dropping out mid-way in the semester might have been the reason why you had to pay the loan back so quickly. In any case, anyone considering this option would be wise to contact OSAP first before withdrawing and accepting a different offer somewhere else just to be on the safe side.

Just curious as to where you heard that OSAP won't fund 2 different programs during 2 different semesters? I checked their website and the processing time takes up to 8 weeks. If OSAP gives money for Lakehead from May-August, I don't see why receiving money for another school from September-April should be an issue. But I don't work for OSAP, so the best people to ask would be them! If the money doesn't arrive by the tuition deadline because you couldn't apply for OSAP 8 weeks in advance, let your school know your situation and they should make a note on your account for the finance department so they know what's going on. I have done this at my school a couple of times and it was no problem. (My school was even nice enough to waive the late payment fee for me because, in my particular circumstances, the late payment was not my fault). You are also not responsible for paying back your loan until 6 months after ending your studies. So if you end up in a different program fulltime, you will be responsible for paying back all student loans 6 months after ending your fulltime studies. They will not expect you to pay it back if you are in school fulltime studying something else, as long as they are aware of the situation and all required documentation is submitted. I know people who completed a masters degree in August then moved on to do a PhD at another school the following September and they did not owe money for the masters until 6 months after completing their PhD. (So they began to make payments 4.5-5.5 years after completing their masters). It's not an uncommon situation. As long as the proper documentation is submitted to OSAP to prove you are a fulltime student, then it's fine.

I just read that AMetallo made a decison, and also read another good point I initially didn't consider about taking up a spot no one else can replace. A very valid point. A lot to consider, indeed. So I didn't need ot write my post above afterall.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go to Lakehead. If accepted afterwards, tell OSAP you are changing institutions and apply again for the fall semester. What do you think makes more financial sense?: 1) Paying for 4 semesters at Lakehead (12 months but billed 4 semesters as it runs from July-June) plus 3 semesters for an MSW = 7 semesters OR... 2) Paying for 1 semester at Lakehead plus 5 semesters for an MSW = 6 semesters Furthermore, with option 2 you know you will end up with an MSW and with option 1 there are no guarantees. If you decide on option 1, you'd be wise to rent a home without a lease if you plan to move for your studies and only unpack your summer clothing and essentials until September. If you know you don't want to go with option 2 take your name off the waitlist in July because you don't plan to go there anyway and it's better to know you were waitlisted than the know you were accepted and declined the offer.

We are not all privileged to be able to afford school without financial assistance. Bursaries can be extremely beneficial for some people and can greatly ease the financial burden. As well, some programs like business and engineering pay their students to complete practicums and most masters programs with a thesis provide funding so many students can attend school debt-free. So I do not think it is unreasonable to hope that an MSW program would provide some financial assistance. In your MSW program, there will be lots of discussions and readings related to social location and privilege. After some deep reflection on your own social location and the social benefits and privileges it affords you, as well as reflection and analysis on others with different social locations from you (as MSW programs typically encourage students to do), your perspective on the importance of some people receiving funding in order to be able to attend school could change over time. Some food for thought.

In Canada, funding is limited for MSW programs. For 2 yr programs, York is quite good in terms of funding and Carlton seems to provide a fairly good amount of money for some applicants by providing a small scholarship and either a TA or RA position (not sure). At the other schools, as far as I know, you may get a little entrance scholarship for $4,000 or less and can apply for other small scholarships every year once you are in the program. You can also apply for TA and RA positions as opportunities come up, but they are typically not part of your admissions package. If you are doing a thesis, you can also apply for OGS.

I hear a lot of people here say that if a school doesn't offer you funding then they don't really want you. Now they are referring mostly to PhD programs. But I still think there is some merit to this comment regarding master's programs as well. They like you and the fact you will be paying international fees, but not enough to give you any money to entice you to come. I think the funding offered at the other schools will look impressive on a resume. Not to mention the debt acquired from Oxford is about the same as 3 brand new cars. I am personally not comfortable with that much debt because it takes a really long time to pay off. Borrowing money is a breeze and paying it back takes a really long time. But I am most likely older than you with different goals and timelines in mind after graduation, so that may impact my perspective to a degree. I'd personally go with UofT. Queens doesn't have any courses you want so why is it on your list? UBC is inflexible and you mention that you aren't even sure why it's still on your list so why not take it off? I think UofT and Oxford are the ones that speak to you the most and the choice really comes down to those 2 schools.

I thought you meant field rotations instead of lab rotations. So I retract my last comment, then. I don't know if this would have any advantages, apart from networking possibilities and having more flexibility to alter your research focus. I hope someone here in your field will be able to give you more insight. Good luck!

If you're getting mixed opinions from your profs you may just have to go with your gut on this one. Where do you see yourself being the happiest and which school will best prepare you for your particular career goals? How much debt are you comfortable carrying? It sounds like there is no real "best answer" to your options because all options are good ones. So you can't go wrong no matter what you pick. If more than one school (within your budget) will equally help you reach your career goals, then pick the school/location you will be happiest at. ie: location, proximity to family/friends, climate, city life/amenities, access to nature, etc (Personally, I would pick a high ranking program with funding over a high ranking program without funding. I think it will look better on your resume to have a nice scholarship rather than no scholarship at all, imo. But you need to do what is right for you. I'd also find out if the extra $12,00 for a TA position at UBC is a sure thing before making your decision).

I'm not in your field but was curious as to why you don't want to do rotations and why this is listed as a negative. It would seem to me that rotations would give you lots of varied experience to make you more well-rounded in the field and to develop a broader base of knowledge.

swrk, After reading your post, I got the sense that doing a SSW program could help people have a clearer focus on their professional goals which could help them write a stronger personal statement. In addition, it can give people more connections in the field, possibly leading them to get strong references from someone for grad school apps and help people get experience in the field they might not get otherwise with their bachelor's degree. I think it depends on the strengths and weaknesses of people's application. If having a low GPA is an issue, getting a SSW diploma won't help to improve it. If someone is a parent, a mature student, or has a lot of debt, getting a SSW degree might not be the best idea either. But if someone can spare the extra year and money and has a hard time acquiring relevant experience, a SSW diploma might be the answer, esp. if someone isn't able to get into an accelerated BSW program. Some food for thought.

It depends on your goals. The answer to that question would be yes and no. Doing a SSW program would allow you to qualify for jobs that are related to social work. So if you are greatly lacking work experience and don't mind dedicating a year of time and money towards this program, it could be a good option for you. If you complete a 1 year BSW program (at Lakehead, for instance) you can become an RSW and you would end up saving time and money compared to the first option because you could then apply to 1 year advanced standing MSW programs as opposed to 2 yr programs. However, if you do a 1 yr SSW program, you will not save any time in regards to university coursework as you would still need to apply to 2 yr MSW programs. You would also be unable to raise your u-GPA as they only consider university coursework into your GPA. I've also noticed that there are far more advanced standing MSW programs in Canada than 2 yr MSW programs and a greater percentage of applicants are typically accepted into advanced standing compared to 2 yr MSW programs (at least this is the trend I saw at UofT, Laurier and UofWindsor). So I think that this is why some people prefer to focus on MSW and BSW programs instead. If you do go the SSW route, I have been told by a Conestoga College SSW student that their program is number 1 in Ontario at their 2 year program is the equivalent of 2 years of university, so you could go straight into 3rd year of a BSW program afterwards, in case this option is of interest to you. (But if you already have a bachelor's degree then there are lots of 12mth-2yr fast track programs out there that might make more sense for you to do).

Think of it this way... Do the HBSW and pay 4 semesters of tuition (it's 12 mths long but starts and ends in the summer so you pay for 4 semesters), plus 3 semesters for an MSW. Or 1 semester of the HBSW, withdraw early and lose your money, plus 5 semesters of a 2 yr MSW program. Financially, you come out ahead with the 2 yr MSW. Although i do admit, it sucks to stop suddenly and have to relocate quickly.

Are you on a waitlist right now? If you are, I would suggest calling the student loan office and asking what the steps are if this actually happens to you so you know in advance. I'd also rent a place that doesn't have a one year lease so you can leave easily if needed (if you are willing to move under short notice, that is). If it's too complicated to work it out under such short notice, you could also ask to defer your offer by one year to give yourself more time to prepare for the move and to get your finances in order. I've also wondered what is better - to get on a waitlist or to get a rejection? A rejection is deflating because you know you didn't make the cut. A waitlist seems better because you almost got in (thus your application was good) and you still might get an offer, but then you are left in limbo for so long. Sometimes it seems better to know early so then you can make concrete plans for the upcoming year. Congrats on Lakehead and good luck with the rest of your applications!

If you do decide to go to Northwestern (which it sounds like you'd enjoy more and would likely lead to better networking opportunities based on what you've mentioned), you can always save your acceptance letter and show it to your children and grandchildren one day. You will always know that you were accepted there, so that's got to be a great feeling. At the end of the day, the program that will best help you meet your career goals, a place where you'll be happy and productive, and (preferably) not end up accumulating a lot of debt sounds like a great option to take. Congrats on the offers and best of luck on your decision!

Horizonmind, If you wish to become a registered social worker in Quebec, you will also need to pass 4 French tests with the Office de la langue francaise if you did not attend elementary and high school in Quebec, but this should not prevent you from being able to find internships/practicums in Montreal (although your options will be limited to a degree if you are not fluent in French). Hope this helps! Congrats and good luck.

Hi Horizonmind, In response to your question about the McGill program, I will tell you what I know. I know someone who was admitted to the qualifying year and attended from 2011-2012. At the time, the McGill website said that anyone with a B+ average or higher will be recommended for admission into the 1 yr MSW program. In her cohort, 50 people meet that requirement, plus an unknown number of applicants outside of her cohort. She was one of the lucky few that was admitted to the MSW in 2012, but many of her classmates were angry and disappointed because they did not get in. They thought the website was misleading as it suggested they would likely get in if their GPA was a B+ or higher. At that point, their only was to option were to apply again to the MSW (or, I'm pretty sure, to complete another year of coursework and get a BSW). I never applied to this school because after one year of BSW courses, you will not end up with a BSW and there is no guarantee of admission into the MSW program. I only applied to Lakehead's BSW program (2 years ago) because it is short and you will end up with a BSW, which will allow you to work in the field as an RSW and also apply to advanced standing MSW programs afterwards. Perhaps things have changed now, but I think this is worth looking into before deciding. Some people have personal reasons for wanting to live in Montreal so it makes sense to study there. Some who want to go to McGill are determined to do whatever it takes to stand out from the rest so that they will get accepted in the MSW program and it works out for some people. However, I am not much of a risk taker (especially when so much money and time in school are involved) so I never applied. On the other hand, tuition is extremely cheap, especially if you are Quebec resident. So this is another strong point about McGill, along with strong university rankings and recognition in the US.

Can you talk to current students at the top 5 institution and ask them how likely it that you will get extra funding after April 15?

Give it some more time. Try not to feel discouraged. The most positive aspect of your situation is that Lakehead's wait list moves quite a bit. Many people accepted into the HBSW also get offers to MSW programs and they will leave their spots vacant. By sometime in May, if I remember correctly, you should hear back from them about second round offers. I honestly wouldn't be thinking about this until June. If you don't get a spot by this time, then thinking about a plan B would be the next logical step. Best of luck!

Can you talk to a prof in your department that you respect and ask for their opinion? Sometimes having the opinion of someone in your field and geographic location (if you plan to work there later on) can help make the decision clearer. Also, if you're still looking for advice here it would be easier for people to comment on your options if you could share your new funding amount at UBC, IMO. Best of luck!

I think the extra info will come in handy for people who are put on a waitlist. UofT does not rank the waitlisted candidates until they know how many new spots have opened up and they're ready to send out more offers.