SLPguy

I'm pretty sure it's possible at all the schools, but I think there's a little extra work in getting it set up, you should probably contact the school and ask them.

You're right, I'm sure we'll get a fine education no matter where we go, and "which school is the right choice?" obviously comes down to personal preferences... Like if you plan to practice in Toronto, as it sounds like you are, the opportunities to network and get the ball rolling on something is probably one of the biggest draws to U of T. I would add that Western requires a minimum of two external placements, you can do more than that if you choose.

Thanks for clearing that up Centcan. I probably should have emphasized that some of my points were things that I heard, and were not necessarily the complete picture. Also, you touched on a good point, which is that Toronto is home to some of the best research hospitals in North America (ex. Sunnybrook), and may offer some unique clinical learning experiences. Also, the thing about U of T's "weighed lottery" system is that many students end up picking the same placements as their #1 choice. So, although the system is designed to give as many people their preferred placements as possible, most of the students end up with placements that are half-way down their list or further. I'd say you should go to McGill, not because I know anything about the program, but because Montreal is one of the best cities in the world! I love it there... Or you could always join Jordan and I at "Hellborn." (Haven't actually met Jordan yet, btw, and my name is Tim). Congrats on getting in, fellow XY.

It's scary how much power one person can have over decision that means so much to you, isn't it? Get a new reference. It made all the difference for me.

Ha! I know, it's such a white-washed town... Coming from Toronto, I also felt out of place when I first moved here last summer, but I'm white! ...People here are just different. Different culture or something. Haven't quite put my finger on it. Ever been to the small town's around London, like Aylmer? They're full of Amish people who speak old-german or something, and stare at people they don't recognize... Had a little bit of culture shock when I went there. UBC is much more diverse. I have no idea what the program is like, I'm sure it'll have its own advantages. Best of luck to you!

Thanks guys. I'm obviously a bit biased in favour of UWO, but in my opinion, it is the better program, overall. Another point to consider: The UWO SLP Dept. shares a cadaver lab with the med school... My girlfriend and all her friends have raved about this lab, saying it was their best learning experience in the program so far. U of T does not have a lab like this. Also, anyone who didn't get in, and would like to know what my application looked like, feel free to PM me and I'll share my stats, and what my letter of intent looked like. My grades are not top-notch, so it'll give you an idea of what might make up for that...

Good to know! I've just been informed that U of T is also planning to start a Clinical PhD program.

Hey everyone, Just wanted to share some words of encouragement with those who were wait-listed or rejected; and for those who got into both U of T and UWO, I wanted to let you know some important things to consider in your decision making process. To those who didn't get in this year: I know it sucks. You've worked towards this goal for years and it hurts to hear that your work wasn’t good enough. Last year I was rejected by U of T, and wait-listed by UWO (but like everyone else on the wait-list, I didn't get in). The main thing I want to say is to not give up. When I first found out I was rejected, I had a huge freak out, and was ready to give up. My mother had just died the month before, and I felt like the universe had suddenly turned against me. Eventually, I did a little investigating, and found out why my application was unsuccessful. It turned out that my clinical referee either secretly hated me, or had no clue how to write a good reference, because they only talked about themselves and their work for the whole letter. After finding out the specific reason for my rejection, I started to feel a bit better about it, and decided to give it another shot. I got into both U of T and UWO this year, and all I did was get a new clinical referee. So, if SLP is what you truly want to do with your life, don't give up. Give it another shot. I was stupid, and didn’t click the box saying I’d applied before, because I thought they might look at my bad reference from last year. Apparently, clicking that box is a good thing, and for those reviewing your application, it speaks to your level of commitment to the profession. I know someone who applied 6 times before she got in. Their grades were sub-par, but their persistence really made a difference, and they were recently accepted to both UWO and U of T. So don’t give up. If this is what you feel called to do, or if it’s the only job you think you’d be happy doing, then keep trying. To those who are deciding between UWO and U of T, here is a list of things to consider: At U of T, your clinical placement is assigned by lottery, and some placements are located outside of Toronto. I know someone who “lost” the lottery, and had to pay for two apartments when she did her placement in Orangeville (about 1.5 hrs from downtown Toronto). At UWO, there is a coordinator who works really hard to get everyone the placements they want. Also, they have in-house clinics for peds, neuro, voice, ALD, and stuttering, so you can do half your placements in house, and literally walk down the hall from your lectures to your placement. At UWO, placements coincide with courses, so it can get a little hairy during crunch times. UWO just switched from a 3 year to a 2 year program, and there is still a lot of bugs to work out. This spring semester was insanely disorganized, and my girlfriend and many of her classmates were on the brink of a breakdown (6 of them stopped menstruating due to stress… if that gives you any idea of how bad it was). They’ve held a feedback forum with the student, and said they will take steps to improve this for next year, so here’s hoping they do… Every single UWO Professor has been an actual clinician for a good portion of their career, and imparts their experience during their courses. U of T has only two professors who were previously clinicians. As a result, I’ve heard that U of T is too theoretical, and those I know who’ve graduated from there say they did not feel prepared to enter the workforce when they graduated (I used to work in the U of T department as an RA btw… in case you’re wondering how I know so many SLP students.) I know that UWO is starting a clinical PhD program soon, not sure if U of T is going to jump on the band wagon with that or not… Having lived in both London and Toronto, I can say that London is much cheaper, and less stressful than Toronto, but also less convenient for those without a vehicle. We rent a 2 bedroom 1300 sq foot apartment here in London for $930 a month. The bus ride to school is 15 minutes. We previously lived in an apartment that was 20 minutes from 500 University Ave (Rehab Sci Building). It was 670 sq feet one bedroom, and cost $1250 (which was a decent deal for the area). For both U of T and UWO, you can expect to spend at least $12,000 per year on tuition, books, and other expenses like clinic materials. So for those on a budget, the point above might be the decision maker. UWO has two unique clinical placements you can do. One is in a native reserve in Northern Ontario; the other is in a cleft-palate clinic in South America. Anyways, I’m sure I’m forgetting some points, but this post is going to take up a whole page of this thread as it is, so I’ll stop here. If you have any questions that I can answer (myself, or on behalf of my girlfriend who's in the UWO program), please feel free to ask.