Kaitri

Has anyone been invited for an interview for U of T Health Promotion? Does anyone know when they are expected to get back to us? I "unofficially" accepted another offer from U of T (medical anthro), but I want to hear back from this program before I sign the forms and submit them to the department... EDIT: I just called the department. Those of us who applied for the Health Promotion stream won't hear back until "late April" at the earliest.

I'm not going to chime in on the relative virtues of either the Air or Pro, but I will say that having an ethernet port can make life so much easier when transferring or uploading/downloading large files. However, I do this on my current ultrabook with a dock that I keep at home (I also have one at the office). I don't know if they're available for Macs, but if so, then get one + the Air. Otherwise, without that port, you may find yourself crying the next time need to upload/download a 100 MB file... EDIT: With the dock, you get the best of both worlds: the ability to plug in more devices, connect to a hard-wired internet system, and use a second monitor with an ultra-light and very portable computer. I travel for work regularly and I would hate to lug a standard weight laptop around with me all the time. When I return to school in the fall, I will definitely buy some sort of ultrabook + dock.

I've lived in Toronto for the last five years and for most of it I've lived close to U of T (despite working in the private sector for the entire time). I would suggest looking for apartments to the west of campus along College Street, Bloor Street or Dundas Street. Great neighbourhoods include Kensington Market, Little Italy, Koreatown, Bloordale and Little Portugal. You could also find cheaper apartments in Parkdale, but there are some less-than-savoury characters there. Still, it's an amazing neighbourhood with lots of things to do. Regarding meeting new people: it can be incredibly challenging in a large city like Toronto. I know people who have said that Torontonians are the furthest thing from welcoming, with most people who grew up here choosing to stick with their friends from childhood. I would recommend looking for a group of people like yourself - there are lots of recent "immigrants" (from cities and countries outside the GTA) in Toronto looking for friends. I'd recommend starting with events organized by students at U of T, and would suggest that you reach out to current students doing work in your field at U of T. Send an email to the program administrator or the president of the student association and ask about student events. I recently attended an anthropology student pub night and even though I didn't know anyone there, I managed to have a fantastic time and made connections that I will definitely be able to maintain when I start classes officially in the fall. And lastly, feel free to PM me when you move here! As I mentioned, I live close to campus and love meeting new people.

This is an easy question to ask of the grad coordinator/administrator - just send him/her a quick email and ask about cohort and typical class sizes. Class sizes will likely vary greatly depending on department size and course popularity, so the best way to find out about your chosen program is to ask someone there directly.

I don't know where you're moving, but I believe that (in Canada at least) while some housing units may say they don't allow pets, it's technically illegal to evict someone or discriminate against them (i.e. not rent to them) based on whether they have pets or not. Do a quick search into renter's rights and see if it's legal in your country to reject an application for tenancy on the basis of pet ownership. If it's not legal, then rent that rent-controlled apartment with a clear conscience (while refraining from disclosing that you have cats, of course).

Haven't we reached the point where it's acceptable for us to contact schools who haven't contacted us? When I called U of T to ask about my status, I said "I have another offer that expires soon, and I don't want to accept that offer without knowing the status of my application at U of T." The administrator immediately checked my status and let me know that I was admitted over the phone. From what I can tell, if a school has decided that they want you, the last thing they want is to lose out on a high-quality applicant because they didn't let that applicant know in time. It's April. If you're in doubt, just call the department. The worst thing they can say is that you have been rejected, which means that you can start making other plans. And if you have been waitlisted, then at least you'll be able to relax a bit, since you likely won't hear back until sometime around the 15th.

Congrats, CulturalAnth! And I love how you chose Memorial, Canis. I have a good friend who did his Master's there - he absolutely loved it. Atlantic Canada is unique; the Rock (Newfoundland) is quite the place. The people there are incredibly welcoming, but it is isolated. I hope you and your SO enjoy yourselves! In other news, I decided on U of T for a number of complicated reasons. I won't be moving anywhere in the fall, but I will be making a huge personal change since I've been working in the private sector for the last five years.

You're going to Memorial, right Canis?

Thank you so much, Circus! I PMed you with some follow-up questions...

Quick question: why do UK schools require a UK MA? Do they consider international master's degrees to be inferior? Is this specific to anthropology, or consistent for most disciplines? I haven't chosen a list of schools for my PhD yet. I planned on doing considerable research on prospective schools over the summer, since I know I'll need to start working on PhD applications early in the fall. My focus is on medical anthropology, and I'll be looking for PoIs who are focused on nutrition and food security. Thanks to all of you who gave advice,by the way. I spoke to one advisor today, and I have a call with the other on Monday. I need to make my final decision by EoD on Monday, so one way or another, I'll have chosen my new home for a year by early next week. It's going to be a stressful weekend, but I'm incredibly excited about the prospect of starting a new phase of my life in the fall. Can September come more quickly, please?? Also: has anyone who has multiple offers noticed how programs are now trying to woo you? This whole process has been bizarre. Programs and professors start off as aloof, but once they've decided they want you, they start treating you like a potential asset. I'm sure as soon as I say "yes" to a program, I'll go back to being yet another student who still needs to prove herself.

After eliminating the interdisciplinary program from my list of possibilities and assuming that I was going to accept McMaster's offer, I received an amazing offer from the University of Toronto a few days ago. The two offers are very different in terms of funding - one includes a TA position, and one doesn't, which means that I can't compare them directly. Here are the factors affecting my decision: McMaster: Small, 4-stream department with a small cohort of students entering the program each year. Assigned supervisor has been very, very helpful throughout the application process. She has a reputation of being supportive and great to work with. My focus is on medical anthropology, and the program has an "anthropology of health" stream that I could pursue. McMaster isn't known for social sciences, but it is very well-known (in Canada and internationally) for its medical programs and medical school. I would probably need to move to go here, or I would need to commute an hour each way to attend classes and events. U of T Large, 5-stream department with an anticipated 25-person cohort for 2014. According to their literature (so I'm taking this with a very large grain of salt), their anthro program is in the top 20 in the world. Assigned supervisor is well-known and well-connected, and has demonstrated an acute understanding of the finer points of academic success. He hasn't been very communicative throughout the process though, but we did have one amazing meeting a few months ago. Again, my focus is on medical anthropology, and the department offers a number of classes specifically on this topic. I could live in the exact same apartment if I went to U of T - I currently live in Toronto. Things I'm considering: I graduated a number of years ago, and my undergraduate degree is in another (related) discipline. I will be playing catch-up with some students on the finer points of anthropological theory and research. I have extensive (professional) experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research for the private sector, though. I want to pursue a PhD at an international school, so my primary concern is getting through the MA with the credentials and LoRs necessary to get in to a high-ranked international school with funding. Because of these factors, I'm wondering whether it would make the most sense to work with the supportive advisor who understands where my experience is limited (at the less-prestigious university), or work with the well-connected supervisor at the high-ranked, highly-competitive school. I'm worried that I'll get lost in the mix at U of T, and I'm worried that I'll be giving up a huge opportunity to attend a top-ranked school and work with a well-connected supervisor if I go to Mac. I would absolutely love any advice the rest of you could give! I'm offering virtual hugs and good vibes to anyone who helps me make this tough decision.

How do you know?

What amazing news! Congratulations! Would you mind sending me the letter you got from your POI? I'm currently trying to figure out which POI to work with, and I'd love to get some perspective about what other supervisors are saying.

Congrats to everyone who got an acceptance recently! FYI - to those who applied to U of T for their MSc or MA programs: I received my admssion package in the mail today, so the wait should be up for everyone soon! I live in Toronto, so I assume that it'll take a few more days for the mail to arrive elsewhere in Canada and the US.

Thanks for the double congrats!! I am positively ecstatic! I applied to the MA. My POI explicitly noted that he didn't take students for the MSc program because the school only guarantees funding for the first year (students are left to find their own for the second year), and he thinks that no graduate student should attend a program without guaranteed funding. I will likely apply to the PhD program this fall - my undergraduate background isn't in anthro, so I applied to the MA program because I was sure that I would be rejected outright from the PhD program. I would suggest just calling the graduate admin assistant. I called her yesterday and she was happy to give my results over the phone. I noted that I have another expiring offer that I need to accept or turn down this week, and she even scanned and emailed me a copy of my admission package.

FYI to everyone waiting on U of T's anthro department: they mailed the letters this week. I saw that my status changed on the SGS website, so I called the graduate admin assistant and she told me my admission status over the phone. So, if you're desperate to know (or need to know because of other expiring offers like me), then give them a call!

Finally finally FINALLY heard back from U of Toronto. I was offered a position in their MA program. Funding is $15k plus tuition, which is standard. Now I need to decide between U of T and McMaster (both MA programs) - does anyone have any advice for the decision-making process? Let's say that funding is irrelevant. The difference between both schools is pretty insignificant (a few thousand dollars), so it comes down to fit and the programs themselves. Does anyone have insight into either program??

Yes, you can find studio basement apartments for less than $1k, but many of them are less than ideal residences. And even if you find an apartment/room for $700-$900/month, you'll be spending $8k-$11k on rent. You can't live in Toronto on $4k-$7k/year.

Thanks for letting us know, rush2014. I wish the other streams would get back to us. I have to accept/decline my other offers by this week.

Quick question: which MPH stream did you apply to? Was it Community Nutrition, Epi, Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion), etc? Were you the person who submitted the "Rejected" result? To everyone else: has your status changed to "Decision Made" on the website? Mine still says "Under Review".

It depends. If you find an inexpensive room in a house, you may be able to live on $15k, but I sincerely doubt it. Rent for most one-bedroom apartments is around $1200, so $15k will only just cover rent and won't leave you anything to live on.

Housing in the GTHA is getting pretty expensive. Without knowing what your price range is, it would be hard to recommend any particular area. I would always advocate moving to a city with a bit of a "community feel", which means that personally I would rule out any of the suburbs outside of the city. I'd suggest looking west of Toronto if you buy anywhere. Those communities are more established than anywhere east or north of Toronto. Also, no one has mentioned this, but as someone who currently drives on the highways around Toronto every day, I can tell you with certainty that you may not be prepared for the terrible commute if you choose to drive to campus. It's one of the worst in North America. Also, lots of analysts talk about an impending housing market correction once interest rates increase and as boomers move out of their homes (and try to sell to millennials who will never make enough to afford the prices the boomers are asking). I don't want to get into a discussion of the economics of home ownership, but renting isn't a terrible decision in the GTHA right now, especially if your resources are limited (i.e. you're on a fixed student income).

Will anyone claim the U of T admit? If so, would you please PM me with your stats and chosen stream? Did your SGS status change before you heard from your supervisor?

As another Torontonian, I think sukipower's advice is spot on. The thing both of you will need to understand is that you will absolutely have to spend some time commuting to and from both campuses each day. I live downtown and would personally suggest erring on the side of living closer to the Ryerson campus instead of the York campus. The York campus is in a much less vibrant part of the city. It's harder to get around up there, and if you make friends who live downtown, you will definitely feel a little more isolated because you will live so far from the action. Toronto is a large city with an underdeveloped transit system, so living close to 24-hour transit lines (such as streetcars and subways) is important if you want to enjoy the amenities of the city. I would personally advocate that you avoid the Annex if you're graduate students. It's more of an undergrad "hub", and the housing is needlessly expensive. St. Clair West is an odd neighbourhood. It's very close to transit (bonus!!), but it's definitely a little more isolated than other neighbourhoods. It's technically part of "uptown", not downtown, and you notice it while living there. It's relatively affordable, but there are some terrible apartments in the area. So just be thorough when looking for housing if you want to live there. Also, it's an odd mix of old Toronto "money" (read: wealthy retired people) and newer immigrants. I personally like that mix, but some people may not. The Junction: this is an amazing neighbourhood but OH MAN is it out of the way. It's not on the subway line. It will take the person getting to Ryerson a good 45 minutes to get to school each day by transit. It's a great place to live, though. There's lots of fun restaurants, shops and even a delightful brew pub (the Indie Ale House) for those of us who love good beer. Your other option would be to suck it up a bit more and live downtown, and make sure you're close to the UNIVERSITY-SPADINA subway line. It goes almost all the way to York University, so the person going there will be able to ride the subway almost all the way to school. If you do live downtown, I can't recommend the Little Italy/Trinity-Bellwoods/Dundas West area highly enough. I've lived in this area for four years and it's just so much fun. It's accessible by transit, there's great shopping, cool restaurants and bars and lots of green space to enjoy in our very short summer. Anyway, good luck with your move! And welcome to Toronto!!

I doubt a school would rescind an offer just because you are asking for more time. As long as you're polite, they shouldn't be upset. People who are involved in this process know that Canadian schools decide at very different times, so they're probably used to students emailing/calling to ask for additional time. The worst thing they can say is "no".