nugget

I'm looking forward to going back to school and starting a new career. So glad it worked out in the end. See you in September!

Thanks and congrats on getting into your program of choice. My first choice was always to do a 2 yr MSW so I'll be attending Laurier in the fall. I was accepted into the Orillia campus at Lakehead so they'll be an extra spot for someone else on the wait list. Have a great year at Lakehead. It's only 2 1/2 months away.

Well who knows what the reason was for getting rejected. My school does not have this option that you are describing. You can either keep the course or drop it by a deadline that's 2/3 into the semester with a code indicating that it was dropped. I dropped 7 courses while I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to major in. Then after settling into my major I dropped 3 additional courses for various reasons. So maybe they had doubts about me completing the program on time and on schedule. Who knows.

5 years as a nursing assistant (2 years were at a psychiatric facility), 1 1/2 yrs volunteering at a crisis centre (once a week), a fulltime internship for a semester (at a psychiatric recreational centre), and about 5 mini volunteer experiences I had to do for school (25 hrs each) offering adapted recreational programs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities.

MSW13, You are right about that. A prof at my school and author of a book on applying to grad school did an informal study by asking 20 of his grad students why they think they got in - and almost all of them gave the wrong reasons. But I based my comment on this website from U of T: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/forms-services/crncr I'll just cut and paste the part I'm talking about here: Why should a student NOT consider the CR/NCR option? (CR/NCR means dropping a course) If you think you may need to provide your grades in any or all of your courses for professional/graduate school applications or other reasons in the future, you should NOT choose the CR/NCR option. In addition, it could have also been due to one of my references. She submitted my U of Vic reference 2 months late, after the committee had already looked at my application so it was considered incomplete. She also forgot that she had to write my reference for U of T and did it the day it was due. (I only noticed because U of T is electronic and I could see it wasn't submitted). While she said she'd give a glowing reference, she's never written one before and I suspect she isn't aware of how to write a strong one for grad school. Needless to say, for all the other applications, I used other references.

I was just rejected from U of T. I have an A- average, over 5 years of fulltime experience and wrote strong essays. So I am quite certain it's because I dropped some courses in the past. I know U of T doesn't like to see any dropped courses on a transcript. Anyhow, now I know and I can start to make concrete plans for WLU! I can't wait for the fall.

Flusty, Each school is looking for something a little bit different. You met the Laurier profile and got in and that's wonderful. There are many others who didn't get into U of T, they just haven't posted here. I hope you won't let the result of one application diminish your accomplishments.

It's just an average number of applicants from previous years. I couldn't tell you the exact numbers for this year. My friend who applied last year and was put on the waitlist told me, but I'm not sure where she got that info.

Congrats to you on the offers! It sounds like you know what you want and you have made a good decision. Since we both live in the same city, I am hoping my U of T letter will arrive by tomorrow. I would also like to live in a smaller place like Kitchener. But at the same time, but I don't like the idea that the placements might not be close to Kitchener and I might need to move during my studies. So I am hoping for U of T, but will also be happy if I end up at WLU because each path leads to becoming a social worker.

OK, that's good to know. Considering they had 1000 applicants I guess they are still updating their files. While I really hope I'll get in, it won't be the end of the world if I don't since I got in to Laurier already.

For those people on the waitlist at U of T, does your account still say "under review" ? For those accepted and rejected at U of T, does your account say "decision made"? Just wondering if my theory makes sense...

I just checked my account and it still says "under review." I wonder why yours says "decision made" ? Perhaps that means I am on the waitlist (meaning that a final decision has not been made b/c they don't know how many spots will open up). Or perhaps they haven't updated all of the files yet. Who really knows. Only 1 or 2 more days of waiting. I can't wait.

Congrats on getting waitlisted and good luck on getting in. If you do need to reapply, here is the list of schools that you were asking about: -Victoria U -UBC (requirements for Vancouver and Okanagan campuses are different so check both) -U of Calgary -Carleton U -Wilfrid Laurier U -U of Windsor -McGill (but risky and not worth it - you apply to be able to take 2 semesters of SW courses and need to apply again for the 1 yr MSW) -Dalhousie (only if you have a Master's in a related field) I believe that's it, but someone might want to add more if I missed something. You mention US schools are expensive. There are a few that aren't that costly, but you really have to look for them. They aren't easy to find. For instance, at Bridgewater in Massechussetts tuition is $9,000 per yr - not much more than tuition in Ontario. But you'd need to know if US programs are recognized by the order of social workers in your province if you plan to return home to work. Lakehead also has a 3 semester BSW. This would allow you to apply to a 1 yr MSW later on (and there are more 1 yr MSW programs in Canada than 2 yr, so more options later on). By going this route, the entire process would only take 1 semester longer than going straight into a 2 yr MSW.

Well we can't know that for sure. If someone was rejected, I'd imagine they'd be feeling really down right now and might not be in a hurry to post the news on here. It's not over yet, so don't get your hopes dashed.

Congrats to all of those who got in to U of T and make sure to celebrate it. It is quite the accomplishment.

Well I suspect mine will be arriving tomorrow since I live one province over. But it could arrive today. The question is... Do I sit at home and wait for the mail or get a nice workout at the gym as I usually do before heading off to work?? The anticipation is starting to get the best of me. I can't wait to finally find out once and for all.

Mine still say under review. Sigh. I don't know why they don't update it electronically. Up until now, the application process has been great at U of T. It was so convenient to apply online - for both me and my references. I don't understand why they insist on paper responses. What if it gets lost? Since I work evenings and am often out in the afternoon, I won't be getting my letter until midnight. This is the last letter that I really care about, since Laurier is my second choice. I can't wait. I just want to know where I'll be going so I can find a place to live.

Ha...that's funny considering you got a better offer from Laurier instead.

Great! Thanks.

Thanks for sharing that info, happy888. Do you mean the letters will be mailed out at the end of the week or we should receive them by the end of the week?

Here is my two cents... Make sure you have solid references. I thought I did (always participated in class and asked good questions), but 2 years after graduating I was surprised how hard it is to find academic references. Some teachers say they're too busy, don't know you well enough, too many students have been asking and they can't write any more, etc... If you're not in their class anymore and you are no longer entitled to office hours, it's surprising how difficult it can be to get a university professor's free time, esp if you are applying to a lot of schools. Also take advantage of any workshops your school has on applying to grad school and writing reference letters. Go one year early if you can because they might be offered too close to your application deadlines. Also, have a writing specialist at school experienced in proofreading grad school applications to edit your essays, a social worker or SW student and someone who is excellent at grammar.

Hi Flusty, I also have until the 18th, but some people got their acceptances one week earlier and have until the 12th to decide. I am thinking of paying my $100 this week though to hold my spot at WLU so I don't miss the deadline if I am rejected at U of T and need to quickly mail out the deposit. It's so hard to get in to U of T, I've already assumed that WLU is where I'll be going. But we'll see what happens.

For the people accepted to Laurier with an April 12 deadline... have you decided if you're going to accept? It's a shame the deadline is so close to U of T's. But on the other hand, it's only a $100 loss if end up taking U of T instead.

Dannika.Star, You sound like a very strong candidate. Grades are worth 40% so your GPA should really bolster your ranking. I would be very surprised if you did not get in. Best of luck!

I've heard great things about CAMH. Do you know if it's hard to get a placement there? I tried to set up an internship there once in another field and no one returned my calls. I figured it was because he gets calls all the time and it's in high demand. But who knows. I will try anyway. Have you heard anything about Homewood Health Centre in Guelph from your teachers or other students? Ideally, I'd like to work at a place that might offer me a job one day. (Wouldn't we all? lol) Internships are a good way to get your foot in the door. Perhaps I should focus on bigger facilities that hire more social workers.