jeetlebuice

Did you by chance apply to GSPIA and/or NPSIA a couple years back? I think I recognize your username from when I was lurking through some of the older threads.

Travel bug

Nature trail

Hey everyone, The deadlines for my applications just passed so it seems I have a long time to wait before I hear anything! My programs don't send out acceptances until mid-March and early April. I still check my status fifty times a day, though. I wish you all the best of luck! Definitely post here if you hear anything.

I wouldn't worry about it too much! I have plenty of friends who had little to no work experience before attending grad school in Canada. Every admission committee is different but I would be very surprised if you were rejected solely based on your lack of work experience. I talked to the admissions committee from my undergraduate institution before applying and they basically said that there is no one deciding factor in most cases. Canadian schools take a holistic approach to examining applications so I doubt your work experience (or lack thereof) would ruin your chances of admittance.

Hey! I applied to uOttawa too! I definitely think your GPA is high enough to be admitted into the program. The decision will be dependent on other factors as well (research interests, letter of intent, resume, etc.), but you definitely do not have to worry about the GPA component! Good luck.

Hey dbrynen, Thanks for offering your help! I recognize your username from last years forum. I hope you are enjoying GSPIA! I have a quick question. Did you mention the name of a professor who you would like to work with in your SOP? If so, did you contact them beforehand? Thank you.

Acceptances are usually sent out before the winter semester is finished, so they usually don't look at winter semester marks when making admission decisions. They look at your winter marks for scholarships and funding. I don't know much about McGill or UBC but don't let the admission statistics intimidate you! You should definitely apply. There might be something unique about your application that they really enjoy. Again, I don't know much about U of T, but I am assuming their funding is less than generous. Someone in last year's forum said they only received $7,000 for Munk when the tuition is over $22,000. This is just an assumption, though. They might actually give generous funding packages!

Yes, I know they offer great funding packages. I know people who go to uOttawa who were offered around $30,000. Carleton is definitely harder to get into. I am most worried about my grades, a they aren't amazing. I have a lot of ECs (Executive for Model UN, Executive for AIESEC, charity clubs, academic mentoring, etc.). I am also writing my thesis and I was an undergraduate research assistant this past summer (although it was in an unrelated field to what I want to study). I am interested in studying conflict. NPSIA has a cluster for conflict analysis, so it is currently my number one. If anyone knows any reputable conflict programs in Canada or elsewhere, please let me know! I am having trouble finding more programs to apply to.

Hey twinsora, Thanks for creating this forum! I'm currently a fourth year undergraduate at the University of Guelph. My current cGPA is 3.3 (79) but I am hoping to get it to a 3.7 for funding. My third year was 3.8 and I am hoping to get around the same this year (although I have economics, so fingers crossed). I also have a thesis this year. I am also applying to international relations programs. My number one is Carleton (NPSIA), followed by Ottawa (GPSIA). I haven't decided where else I want to apply yet. I would apply to Toronto (Munk) if I wasn't so turned off by the ridiculously high tuition fees and the lack of funding. Good luck!

I am in a very similar situation as you. I also plan on applying to GPSIA, NPSIA, and Munk. I have a 3.6 cGPA (79.4%) with 3.7+ in my final two years (hopefully, I am currently in fourth year). Like you, my second year was my worst academically. I still think you have a decent chance of being admitted. A B+ is required to be admitted into the programs and you have it, so I don't think your GPA will end up hurting you. My best advice would be to spend this year volunteering or working in a relevant field. It would also be a good idea to establish a concrete idea of what you're interested in and what you would like to pursue for your letter of intent. Also, I think your experience with campaigning is relevant! Did you write a thesis? Have you considering going on a work exchange? I'm planning on going this summer (2015) to Egypt (my country of interest). I am going with AIESEC, they are the biggest student-run exchange organization in the world. They have a lot of programs that enable you to work for NGOs and local businesses in the political field. It would definitely spruce up your resume! Almost all universities in Ontario have local chapters. Since you graduated less than two years ago, you can go see them and organize an exchange. I know it's a bit of an extreme suggestion, but I'm sure you would have a great time. I think that investing your time in learning French is a fantastic idea. Knowing more than one language is an asset if you plan on working in the international community. I'm sure you could learn French in a few months. You're the only other person I have met who is applying for IR in Ontario this year. Do you have Twitter? I think it would be great to have someone who is going through the exact same thing. We can discuss our applications and help each other out! I don't have Facebook but I have Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn (and an email, of course). Let me know if you're interested in talking!! I can DM you my handle/information.

Unfortunately, I do not know how many people apply to McMaster. The information I provided was from their website. They didn't give details about how many applications they receive. McGill will probably be the hardest to get into. It is very popular among Canadian and American students, so there will be more competition. UBC is also a difficult school to get into. However, UBC has put forth a variety of initiatives to broaden their acceptance process. They don't just look at your GPA. They look at your contributions to society, your personal life (to see if they can put your GPA into context), and work experience. Also, UBC is known for its diverse international population. They are very open to accepting international students. I think that coming from Kuwait will give you a good chance of admittance. UBC has a lot of Chinese, American, and European international students. They are always looking to expand the diversity of their students, so your background will be very appealing. Note that you will not be admitted based on background alone (that would be silly). You need to have a strong application, as well. I have never looked into uAlberta. I am assuming that it is similar to McMaster in terms of admission. I'm sure it has a great program, just like McMaster, but it is not as highly regarded to as UBC and McGill.

Hey YoungR3b3l, The McMaster Political Science MA is very selective (I believe a maximum of fifteen people are offered admission a year). However, there are also several degree specializations. I don't know if they accept fifteen people all together or for each specialization. Moreover, McMaster isn't very popular for social sciences. It is known for its medical sciences and engineering. So, although it is selective, I would still refer to it is a 'normal' program. Canadian universities are very open to accepting international students. I wouldn't let the selectiveness of a program discourage you. You have international experience that a lot of Canadian students won't have. In Political Science, that is considered an asset. I have done a lot of work for the admissions department at my university and I can tell you first hand that they are not as selective as they want you to think. There are a lot of factors that they take into consideration. You should apply. Out of curiosity, what are the three other Canadian schools you are able to apply to? Have you considered them?

Yay, I've been waiting for this! I'm planning on applying to IR programs as well. Anyone else looking into Canadian schools for IR? NPSIA, GPSIA, Munk?

Have you considered Canadian universities? We have a few schools with very reputable IR programs. You also don't need to write the GRE to get accepted. Even better, many Canadian universities offer generous funding packages and the tuition will be half the price of what you would pay in the US. You can look into programs offered by GPSIA at the University of Ottawa, NPSIA at Carleton University, and Munk at the University of Toronto (these schools would provide you with an MA in IR/IA). You can also look into UBC and McGill, albeit you would receive an MA in Political Science with a concentration in IR.

Hey! I'm not too familiar with literature studies, but I was doing research for my friend (who is planning on pursuing an MA in English [or Religion] and Women's Studies), and I found a program that might suite you! It is at the University of Ottawa. It is actually a collaborative program between the English department and the whatever department Medieval studies belongs to (perhaps History?). You would be studying English/Literature and Medieval/Renaissance. In other words, you would get your MA in Literature with a specialization in Medieval studies. You can also do a collaborative program between Literature and Women's Studies, if that interests you. Here is the link: http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1727&monControl=Cours&ProgId=978 Canadian schools usually have good funding packages. The UK is terrible for funding. Even worse, the international fees are outrageous (unless you're a domestic student). Also, Ottawa is the capital of Canada and it is a very nice place to live. I would also look at University of Toronto and Queen's University. Maybe even the University of British Columbia. I'm sure you could come to Canada and pay cheaper international fees than pay domestic fees for some schools in the US. I hope this helped, good luck.