MSW-hopeful-2016

It means you have been accepted! That is wonderful Congrats!!! I spoke to Todd (the program liason) and he said that they were still going through applications and people would not hear back until approx. mid March, so this is great news for you.

If anyone else on here (like myself) has also applied to OISE for the MEd in counselling & psychotherapy, I just spoke to the department and they had let me know that all decisions will be mailed out by mid-march.

I know one person has been (according to the forums) but that's all I have heard. Usually rejections are sent out after acceptances

That's nauseating, having to wait another month

Its very very very hard, but what has REALLY helped me is practicing mindfulness. Two books I will recommend to everyone on this forum for not just the waiting period, but also for life in general: 1) Mindfulness in Plain English 2) The Happiness Equation

keep your head up! the most important thing about this field is passion. The passion never dies and there is no timeline for it. Keep trying and your time will come

Thank you for starting up this thread again! I applied to the 2 year MSW program at UofT (waitlisted last year), as well as the MEd in Counselling & Psychotherapy at OISE. Interests include: LGBTQ+ mental health, gender therapy, addiction counselling, relapse prevention, acceptance & commitment therapy, mindfulness Good luck to everyone. Hoping to see this thread super active in the coming weeks.

jaylynn do you mind sharing your experience? (or you can inbox me ) also - I am 23, and this is my 2nd time applying for the 2 year. I was waitlisted last year at UofT

Guys lets practice mindfulness and live in the present. Remember, tomorrow does not exist

I have applied to 1 counselling program and that is OISE's MEd in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Mine changed about a week ago. I guess now we can take a deep breath, try to live in the present for a little while and not think about March rolling around.

It's awesome to see such diversity in answers to that question. I was hoping to get a glimpse into what others had wrote. I talked about the alarming rates of suicide in the trans community and how the bottleneck to access care and lengthy wait times add to the crisis, and what social workers can to do aid in the process (they can - as of March 16' - act as a second referral source for surgery which is huge).

Thank you - this needed to be said.

I believe the diversity questionnaire is just used for internal stats for the program, it has no influence on your application. I'm saying this because it was listed as optional.

To answer the original question; I applied to UofT because I'm interested in an integrative learning experience, blending clinical work and research. I want a program that will allow me to specialize, while also having the option to collaborate (in addiction studies). I was not given the option to apply to Ryerson as I am a non-BSW major. I did not want to waste my time applying to York because a) I did my undergrad there and did not enjoy the experience, and b ) I am not interested in learning about social work from an anti-oppressive framework, as opposed to a clinical focus.

Sounds like you have incredible experience, especially with First Nations communities! That's great. I believe I shared mine earlier in the forum but I can do so again. I was wait-listed at UofT last year, while still completing my last year of undergrad. I had no thesis mark in and no research experience. I have a 3.9 GPA in my last year of senior level courses, with approximately 4500 hours working in gerontology (spent 5 years working in a retirement home all through university), along with 1000 volunteer hours in the mental health and addiction realm of things. My main focus is mental illness and co-morbid addiction problems, especially in marginalized populations (LGBTQ+, etc). I spent 6-7 years battling a nicotine addiction which sparked my initial interest for working in substance use, and have never looked back since. I've spent the last year and a half volunteering as an intake coordinator and addiction counselor at Bellwood Health Services, a rehab facility for a variety of addiction issues, as well as disordered eating, gambling addiction and SA. I have volunteered with the Canadian Mental Health Association as a lead coach for one of their programs targeted to youth who have been in trouble with the law for substance use and disordered behavior, as well as participated in various community outreach events with the CMHA. My undergraduate honors thesis was focused on adult ADHD severity and the correlation to an increased nicotine dependence severity. I made sure to tie in what I was researching to my interests and goals for the future. Finally - I am currently working as a research assistant at a chronic pain clinic (since April 2016). I am involved in various tasks including data analysis, patient screening and IRB proposal drafts. Although the research I'm doing isn't related to my area of interest in social work, it still helps me grasp the importance behind things like evidence-based practice. I'd love to hear other peoples experiences' as well, now that majority of us have submitted our apps.

Just submitted my final document for UofT. Let the wait begin

I applied for my MEd in Counselling Psych at the University of Toronto (OISE). Anybody else?

also - the acceptance rate for advanced standing is close to 1/3 (33%). For the 2 year program it is closer to 11%. much more competitive for the 2 year. hence why they do weigh research experience more heavily.

With UofT it is literally a combination of everything, and a bit of rolling a dice (in my opinion).

I was wait-listed last year as well, re-applying again, and I know UofT out of all MSW schools weighs pretty heavily on research experience. They are extremely big on evidence based practice and on-going research in the field of social work. I had 0 research experience when applying last year (was mid-way through my thesis). Now I have completed my thesis and have been working full time as an RA so hopefully have more luck this time around. A friend of mine is in the 2nd year of the program now and she had about 300 hours of RA experience and an A+ on her thesis. So it seems like that was enough to get her in (plus a good amount of volunteer experience and a 3.8 gpa).

I have applied for OISE's MEd in counselling & psychotherapy as well. I'm also applying to UofT for the 2 year MSW program. This is a stressful time indeed. Glad we have the forum

For those who got into OISE for the MEd in Counselling and Psychotherapy, are you able to comment below so I can inbox you. I just have a few questions regarding the content and what is suitable to add, in terms of life experience. It would be much appreciated

I figure I can add to this forum as I'm applying to OISE for my MEd in Counselling & Psychotherapy for the first time this year. I applied for the 2 year-MSW at UofT last year but was waitlisted. I am going to re-apply for my MSW, as well as apply to OISE, as I would like to practice clinical psychotherapy, and that can be achieved with either program. I would love to share some stories / experiences with those who have applied and got in (or are applying this season).

anyone else who's applying for their MSW also applying to OISE for any counselling/psychology programs? We'd be in the same boat.