taiwanadian

U of T sent out acceptances at the beginning of March and had the open house end of March. I'm not sure about York though.. Try checking the Results page Oh, and it's also a bit late probably because application deadlines weren't until the beginning of Feb. The timeline is a bit different from the US schools

Hey JLM, I'll have to agree with everybody. And just a few words of advice.. I was dead set on psychology when I started my undergrad, and when I was a senior, I took a sociology course and it blew my mind. I fell off track after years of research experience, volunteer experience, and work experience in psychology.. my mind decides to change itself and become interested in sociology. With absolutely no experience to show for my newfound interest in sociology, i applied to a bunch of PhD programs for fall 2010 and got rejected across the board. My GPA was good, my LORs strong, my GRE decent, and i've gotten quite a bit of positive feedback about my SOP.. so what i'm trying to say is.. it's great to have a goal, and by all means, pursue it, but don't limit yourself. Give yourself a little room for potential change (and failure, in some instances). You really can't have a strict plan for the future, especially this early in the game. After my rejection, I moved back to Canada and now i'm starting the masters program in the fall (and applying for PhD either next fall or the year after) and I'm more clear than ever about how much i enjoy sociology and about the topics i want to pursue. It's something you really need to be flexible with, and I feel that's what the undergrad experience is supposed to provide you with.. an introduction to a number of fields so you can make an informed decision of what you really want to pursue. Regardless, if you do end up pursuing sociology.. like one of the posters above said.. there really is no such thing as a safety school. Grad schools are highly selective by fit. Make sure your interests fit with the professors and don't go by school rankings. Also.. remember, don't aim low. PhD is a huge commitment. My sister says it's like a marriage, you don't want to settle. You're going to spend at least 5 years of your life there, you don't want to end up going somewhere you're only okay with. Find somewhere you'll really enjoy with professors who can mentor you in your field of interest. Either way, sorry for the ramble. Good luck

Hi everyone, I'm applying to the masters program at University of Toronto, and this is their statement of interest requirement: A one-page typed statement of interest indicating research interests and reasons for applying to study Sociology at the University of Toronto is required. I'm wondering if i should focus solely on why i'm applying there.. or if i can give some background information. They don't request a CV submission, so i would really like to put what've i've done on there, and kind of talk about why i'm interested in the field.. but i don't want to seem like i blabber too much before i get to the "point" (ie why i want to go there). Any ideas? Thanks very much everyone!

Hey all! Another round of applications, "eh?" I was wondering if any of you were familiar with the acceptance rates of the masters program at University of Toronto. I checked the results page and there weren't many, and most were rejections. I'm a bit worried because this might be the only school I'm applying to this year for a few reasons: Across the board rejections last year meant I moved back to Toronto and had invested a lot of time and money in the place I'm living, I feel like without a masters degree I would appear unprepared to reapply for PhD programs and U of T offers a 1 year masters program and there are a number of professors here i would LOVE to work with. I really don't want to waste another year to reapply and i feel like with each reapplication my chances are getting smaller and smaller.. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks a bunch!

I've been rejected by all 10 schools I applied to. But I'm not too bummed. I'm ready to improve my chances and try again

I haven't heard anything either. I am assuming it's a no? Let me know what they say!

Hmm.. have you had an opportunity to visit the schools and speak to the professors you're interested in working with? That might make deciding a lot easier!

I didn't apply to the University of Toronto, but I've spoken to their sociology graduate administrator. It took her about a week to respond to my general question, but she is very friendly on the phone, so I would recommend giving her a call. I'm also curious to see if anyone will be attending University of Toronto? Since I got across-the-board rejections this year, I will be moving back to Toronto, and attending UT as a non-degree student. I plan on applying to their masters program next year. It would be neat if anybody else will be going there this fall!

Hmm, since you're talking about same program & degree, but different schools.. I feel like there really is no limit. Depending how on well you prepare/improve your applications prior to each try. Say for example, you could be rejected one year because a school that really wanted to accept you didn't have enough funding, so trying again may be a good option. But i'd say after 2 or 3 tries with the same material and no luck, I would try to gain more experience to improve my chances. Personally I might give it 3 to 4 tries overall

I agree with you on how graduate school was exclusive to certain members and this by itself creates a significant problem(And i remember a similar psych study where they used pens!) It reminds me of reading about schools in impoverished areas.. where the schools have no money, extracurricular activities are virtually nonexistent, and no resources (books, computers..etc).. It's interesting that in the US, kids are assigned to go to certain schools because of where they live.. causing a disadvantage and vicious cycle of poverty.. Often, teachers at those schools either don't have the means to encourage students to pursue higher education (beyond high school), or often it is assumed that the kids will not. They're sent to job-training classes and workshops that prepare them for jumping right into the workforce after high school graduation. With a high school diploma, their job options are slim, and with no classes that foster any dream/thinking beyond high school (going to college, not to mention graduate school).. Many people simply follow the track that the schools set them for. Graduate from high school, and start working at jobs that probably do not pay well, do not offer health insurance, and continue to live in poverty.

I think mentioning privilege is such a touchy subject because it often negates people's hard work.. It is hard to clarify that while one can be extremely privileged, many or most still work incredibly hard. That being said, I do believe that those who grew up less privileged face challenges that are different from those who perhaps grew up in a wealthier/economically stable family/community. Throughout this entire application process, I was struck by how expensive it was. Each school's application fee ranged from $70 to $105. I applied to 10. Then, I had to send one or two transcripts, $10 each, to each school. Then order the $20/score report GRE scores to be sent. The whole application process cost about $1,000. I was fortunate that my parents were able to support my application fees while my rent, car, and other bills ate away at my monthly checks. If my parents hadn't helped me, there would have been absolutely no way I could have applied to this many schools (granted, I am getting rejected everywhere ). True, there are application fee waivers, but not everyone qualifies for them. Internships, volunteer work, credit-based research experiences... activities such as these tend to be reserved for students who are economically well-off. Think about being a full-time student, working about 30-40 hours a week just to support themselves.. would it be possible to squeeze in any unpaid work when buying food and paying tuition has already become a serious problem? It is not to say that those who come from more privileged backgrounds didn't work as hard. In fact, many of us (I consider myself to be relatively privileged because my parents were able to support my out-of-state tuition while I was in college), have to work twice as hard to be recognized by our colleagues that we DO work hard for our grades.. But at the same time, we must recognize that there are those who struggle everyday just to get to a level playing field. It is unfair to negate the hard work and challenges of the privileged, but at the same time, it is unfair to negate the difficulties that others face, and that the privilged were immune to. I can't remember where I read this, and I know I totally don't have it worded correctly but.. Is it fair to unbound and take someone who was in chains for years, bring them to a track, and tell them they can now race equally with everyone else?

This is a great topic! Could anyone expand on how you emphasized on your good fit with the university in question in your SOP? Did you do it solely by talking about your interests? Did you specifically point out professors you'd like to work with? Thanks

First off, a congrats to you for getting into your top choice! I agree with you on the control aspects and also the darwinist aspect you were discussing.. but I do believe that showing dedication is important. Although many people are rejected solely on "luck" (eg.. number of spaces available, competition, funding available..etc), but if there is something glaringly lacking in your application.. say, in my case, it was complete inexperience in my field of interest.. I think it would be better (i wouldn't say as much as getting bonus points) to show that you have made an effort to address your weakness, which shows that you are committed to your field of interest. In addition, I agree with your point that anyone who reapplies beyond their first round shows this dedication (who has guts to go through with it).. For those who were rejected because of "luck," reapplication probably wouldn't require much change to their applications.. but for those of us (me) who were clearly lacking, reapplication would probably lead to the same result unless we've done something about it. But in the end, you are right to say that we don't get to choose what happens to us, but just how to respond.. all we can do is try to improve our chances for the next round and then keep our fingers crossed!

Hey Socioanthro, don't despair! I've had 5 official rejections and 5 more to come. As you've said, we've all worked so hard, and sometimes our luck just works against us. One of my recommenders was sure that I would get into at least 1 or 2 of my top schools and at least 3 or 4 good offers overall.. and right now all I've got are rejections. I studied for the GRE intensively for 8 months and still ended up with a mediocre verbal score, and I've worked on my personal statement for months prior to submission.. But I don't want to say that it had all gone to waste. Remember that grad schools are looking for people who are committed, who are willing to take their feedback to improve their chances and reapply: it shows maturity and dedication. In addition, think of how much you have learned about yourself through the process, and just this alone can help your chances next year. I feel like getting a PhD is an urgent matter for me.. but then i remind myself.. what's the hurry? Learning is a lifelong process. If i know that this is exactly what I want to do, what's another year or two of trying? What I'm trying to say is don't give up, don't feel defeated. Just remember that they have such limited information about each applicant that they're reviewing, and it has no reflections on your potential to do well, or how well you've done. Find a plan b that you'll enjoy doing and will help your chances in reapplication.. and for now, relax for a few months (or year) before another round!

Thanks :)I'm not a resident or citizen though.. plus I haven't gotten any acceptances.. soooo.. maybe in the future!