Hi,
I realize this is a year too late, but I forgot about this account! I thought it might be useful for me to post an update here.
I did decide to go to UVic, and it has been a great decision! I've completed almost all my courses and am just halfway through my practicum now - I will finish the program in August! UVic has some amazing professors, interesting courses, and a flexible format. The distance-based aspect is great, and I've written papers and taken exams from halfway around the world! You have to go to campus 3 times - once for orientation, once for a 1-week intensive course at the end of the first year, and then once at the end of the program to present your project. The on-campus experiences are great because you get to network and put faces to the names that you see in the online discussions every week.
If anyone has any questions about UVic please feel free to ask! I know when I was applying there wasn't much info on this program since it's quite new, so I want to be of use to some of you!
Oh, and I should mention that in my year, 250 people applied and they accepted 25-30 I believe!