tnt92

I just finished the 2015 forum, lol. My anxiety is right there with you. I keep going from extreme highs of "I'm such a good candidate" to extreme lows of "how can I compete with these people." I will say though that the 2015 forum definitely had a lot of great info and discussions about the universities should anyone be interested

Yes, but not everyone's has changed at the same time. If you go back a couple of pages, mine only changed to under review two weeks ago whereas someone had theirs change 3 weeks ago!

That definitely impacts how one would comprehend time!!! Good luck in your final semester, it must be tough trying to focus on school but being anxious about graduate school admissions!

TECHNICALLY 6 weeks for UofT (trying to make it sound less worse than it is, lol)

Based on last year for UofT, advanced standing usually goes out early to mid February, and 2 year MSW start rolling out the second week of March (this year's equivalent would be March 6th because last year it was March 7th) and they go out in waves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TOPIC CHANGE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does anyone (Ontario) know if there are any changes to OSAP for graduate students, or are we still to go through the OGS process to get funding from the government? Curious because of the changes happening for undergraduate students starting in 2017.

Every time YWEANG posts about UofT's MSW program that he never attended I'm just like...

That's awesome! Yes, I'm sure it just changed because I've been checking it once a day since the deadline I am a two year applicant though, are you?

UofT just changed to "Under Review"!!!!! AHHHHHHhhhHHHHhhHHH! Anyone else?

Turning 8 pages into something shorter must have been really difficult! At first I was trying to trim down the 5 pages I had for UofT and use it for WLU, but then I realized that it wasn't the flow or structure that it should have. Had to re-write the whole thing! Your social issue sounds very interesting, was it for your applications this year? That is such a relevant topic, I am sure it will bode well with the admissions committee at UofT! The social issue I wrote about for my UofT application needed all 500 words to explain because it is very much tied to my experience working on a First Nations reserve. It was about the need for services to elevate their level of commitment to First Nations communities vs. visiting the community once a month. They need around the clock and accessible health services. The topic I chose for WLU is still a topic on indigeneity in Canada but still have to tweak it a bit.

You are so wonderful and eloquent, thank you. In response to YWEANG's last sentence as well: it is true that the foundation of (many) programs at UofT reek of colonialism, but this does not mean that there are not spaces within the institution that seek to challenge and contest it. As a former student, I found spaces, courses, people, professors, etc. that provided me with a critical education and, as such, I have faith that specializations such as Social Justice and Diversity within their MSW program will continue this education. I also have friends who have graduated in this specialization and have only good things to say, but of course there are always two sides to a story. In no sense do I expect it to be perfect, but that is part of the reason I do not shy away from it: I am comfortable and confident with challenging hegemonic knowledge and practices from within. At the end of the day, though, as sososocialwork has said, we are trying to do what we firmly believe is the best for our career and future and that, while we can appreciate the topic at hand, it has created a toxic and divisive atmosphere within this thread. I hope that, considering the applications for UofT have closed already, that we can move on from this and continue to support one another in our goals. As such, I would like to ask how people are doing with the WLU applications since the deadline is 4 days away! I've finally got my statement down to 1016 words (from 1500), so still a bit of tweaking necessary. I'm very interested to know about the social issue people have to talk about in their statement, as there is so limited space to fit in so much work that has been done in one area -- but I think we should wait until after the deadline to discuss this further. Best of luck to everyone applying, as well as to the many others who have deadlines approaching for their programs.

(1) I am glad you found the opinions shared informative and helpful. I, on the other hand, would have found them more helpful had they come before the application deadline. (2) I am sure that using the collective "we" is fine if I am saying that UofT applicants are not one dimensional. If you would like to claim that you are one dimensional, then I will gladly retract that statement. (3) A bit contradictory to say I am not suitable for social work because I cannot handle the ways in which others communicate when you clearly have an issue with my response to his question. Alas, I am not here to perpetuate this type of discussion and hope that you are satisfied with your response and mine so that we may continue to discuss issues pertaining to an MSW. I hope we can move forward from this disagreement.

I do not believe anyone has spoken about only going to UofT, but it has been a major topic because the deadline was December 15th. Obviously with WLU having a later deadline, those conversations will surely follow. If you are so curious as to what makes people apply to UofT, perhaps phrase your question less confrontationally because it is hard not to take offence. We, as in those who are applying to UofT, are not one dimensional and I am sure that placement opportunities are not the only reason for many applications--but is obviously a factor for some. Personally, it is more financially reasonable (will be able to stay with family), accessible (it is on a subway line), and comfortable (completed my undergrad there). As a note, if you had genuine concern for those applying to UofT, perhaps they should have been voiced before the deadline rather than making individuals feel attacked for a choice they've already made. Just my two cents.

Everything is now in for UofT!!!! Can we share stats now since most of us (for UofT) have submitted? I graduated with an HBA from UofT in Criminology & Sociolegal Studies and Equity & Social Justice Studies, with a 4.0 GPA in my senior level courses. Approximately 6500 hours in human service organizations since 2011. During undergrad I was a part of many student (marginalized) groups/organizations/unions and did many extra curricular activities. Accomplishments include organizing a 1000+ event to promote community engagement, leading to being awarded for my contributions to the university community; Being 1 of 10 university students selected to participate in an international experiential-learning trip in Belize to live/learn from two indigenous groups; Creating a video assignment and having it be requested for a conference this year by a UofT professor, and incorporated into a course in a university in Florida. After graduation, I was a summer associate at a non profit focused on teacher retention in First Nations communities in northern Ontario (3 months); a teaching assistant for special education and middle school students in a fly-in First Nations community (8-9 months); currently a social counsellor at the same First Nations community (10 months). I have been volunteering for various activities on the reserve (Jr. Girl's Hockey coach, Sr. Girls' Group organizer and facilitator, Jr. Boys' Baseball general manager, and more). My references include my current employer (the principal), and two program directors/professors at UofT. My downfall is my lack of research experience (kind of). I did some research work for the non-profit, but it wasn't a very long contract. My fallback plan is to attain a BSW from UWaterloo (10 month program) and try again for an MSW. What about you guys? I'm super curious as to the (friendly) competition!

Waiting for one more reference for UofT... submitted everything weeks ago (I live/work on a First Nations reserve with spotty internet -- had to be safe!)

Go into developer mode and (un)select "protect form". This might be why it was preventing you from checking them (I had a similar problem with a word doc from WLU)

Hi bengali, Unfortunately without work experience to deflect from the GPA, I do not think the chances of you getting into York, UofT, or Laurier is very good. There is no evidence for the admissions review committee to believe you will be successful in this program. I'm sure if you upgrade some of your courses and do a year + or so of related experience it would truly increase your chances. Also, it might be useful to do some soul searching. If you want to make a career change but have no experience in the social services, how can one be sure this is what they want to do? It's one thing to think it's a good idea, it's another to actually see if you're capable of doing it. For example, I currently work on the ground in a First Nations community and I thought I wanted to work somewhere in this field hands-on. After a year of being here, I realized that I will burn out of I keep going at the pace I am and need to be helping these communities from a higher level (policy). Just something to think about, friend. Best of luck.

I have approached this question by discussing two skills and one international experience. With each skill, I discussed an experience in which this skill was showcased and how it can contribute to and be relevant in social work. With the international experience, I described what I experienced and the how it impacted my own skills and how it encouraged me to operate should I be admitted to the MSW. Luckily for me, I have mostly worked with diverse and marginalized populations so that was not very difficult for me to incorporate. To differentiate this from my resume, I took a more anecdotal approach. Where my resume explained my roles and responsibilities of particular experiences, my written statement explained how it impacted me professionally and how it will contribute to my success in the field of social work.