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lindaMSW

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  1. Upvote
    lindaMSW got a reaction from Meemoo in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  2. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from MellieAnne in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  3. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from meerkitty in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  4. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to cat_not_kitty in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    Congratulations, lindaMSW!! I remember you from when I was reading last year's forum – so happy that you'll be joining us at U of T!
  5. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from laurap in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  6. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from Katims in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  7. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from nicoleMSW in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  8. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from hamlam in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  9. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from KJE88 in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  10. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from lastsupper in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  11. Like
    lindaMSW got a reaction from smntoronto in Canadian MSW Applicants 2018   
    I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!
  12. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to caitiko in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    I just got my acceptance in the mail today! The acceptance letter is dated Feb 21, which is around when ROSI changed. I'm sure yours will come soon!
  13. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to tnt92 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    @lindaMSW Please don't feel discouraged that you did not get on the wait list and were rejected in February. I am sure that there are many people who were rejected in February. The thing about this forum is that we're maybe ~50 out of a possible 800 or so who apply to the program. If they rejected you from the 2 year MSW in February, you must not have met some minimum criteria and you should inquire as to what that may have been to improve your chances for next time.
    I think it is really important to look at what UofT's program is looking for. Look at their mandate for the MSW program and see if you can get experience in line with that. Try to upgrade courses because they do heavily weigh research experience/grades, but do not forget they also equally care as much about your experience and how you articulate it (I have minimal research experience but had high grades in my research class, and had a ton of experience that were out of the box). 
    Put yourself in a position where UofT (or any grad school you are trying to get into) would be a FOOL to turn you down. Hit every mark they're looking for and excel in it. And make sure they are aware of how lucky they would be to have you and your experience. It's not what they can do for you or what you hope to gain from them -- because they know they are a top tier school -- it's about what you can bring to them. Whether that is your experience, grades, lived realities, USE IT in your SOP. Make your SOP as true to you as you can, and get it proof read. I had a friend in law school read over my SOP and ripped it to shreds, but it forced me to be intentional and think deeply about not only why this is important to me but why I am important for them. The finished product brought my professor to tears and she said it was the most heartfelt SOP she had read -- not for sympathy reasons, but for the risks I've taken and experiences I had that makes me an ideal candidate for them. For anyone struggling with the decision that UofT made, think of it as a second chance to take some risks and become a candidate they cannot turn down. 
     
     
  14. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to wishingonuoft in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    For those waitlisted at U of T, a lot of my close friends in the program got off the wait list my year.  I would say proceed with cautious optimism, it might not happen but it might, and if it does let it be a pleasant surprise. I'm so sorry for those of you that feel discouraged, as I mentioned in a post a while ago I firmly believe that if it's your dream--it'll happen, one way or the other--be proud of your accomplishments in the mean time. The program is *stupid* competitive, not getting in is not a reflection of your abilities or your potential in any way shape or form. I'm positive you will ALL be tremendous Social Workers one day, even if it takes a bit more time. Hang in there and don't forget to be compassionate towards yourself <3 and if you feel you need any extra emotional support, this forum is here for you.
  15. Upvote
    lindaMSW got a reaction from rising_star in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Well said and thank you! If anyone had personal clashes with MSW2MD, please deal it privately! This thread is meant to be used for MSW discussion, not a place where you hold a personal grudge against someone. I don't want to see this thread gets locked again!! 
  16. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to thelionking in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    When all is said and done, fit makes all the difference. Sometimes you have the right GPA, great experience and references, and there isn't a whole lot that you could have done differently to make your application better. When you're in this situation, sometimes it's a question of fit. Each school looks for a specific type of person for their program (perhaps it has something to do with your interests, why you want to get into the field, your future aspirations, or your maybe your outlook on the world). If you didn't get in somewhere, it doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't a strong candidate or that you won't get accepted anywhere else. It might mean that there is another school out there that's a better match for you.
    You can kind of compare it to online dating or going on a blind date. Sometimes the person looks great in writing, they have many of the things that you are looking for in a partner and you're both great people individually, but for some reason you just don't hit it off. That doesn't mean that you are lacking in any way and it doesn't mean you aren't an awesome person. It just means that there's a better match out there for you.
  17. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to tnt92 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Thank you (and wishingonuoft) for providing some really helpful insight!!! I was debating the use of a car or not, so that answer was particularly helpful. I'm currently working in a school and absolutely adore it, so I hope that I get placements within one of the boards. You guys are so motivating!! I'm so appreciative. 
  18. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to UofT2015 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Hey @tnt92, I believe they gave about 6 weeks. My acceptance letter was dated April 1st and I received it in the mail on April 7 (it fell during the Easter long weekend i.e. no mail Friday and Monday). It may have been around the 3rd week of May.
    I've personally really enjoyed the 2 year program, similar to what others have said the first term was the hardest and had the most assignments that felt clumped together. As well as wishingonuoft I did my Bachelors in Psychology and minored in Gender Studies but I took a gap year between programs. I'm finding the concepts very similar between psychology and social work although social work tends to look at systemic pieces as well. I've found there to be a lot more reading as it is a graduate level program but many professors adopt a "harm reduction approach" i.e. there are 5 assigned readings, make sure to read at least one.
    After the first term courses became significantly easier. I would even recommend taking one or two courses over the summer to lighten the load for year 2 given that you're also in placement 3 days/week. I did this and I find that's it has really reduced my stress level. 
    As wishingonuoft has said the placement system is horrible. I was not as lucky as them and I did not get matched multiple times. Given the number of students vs. placements there is no guarantee for a hospital placement even as an advanced standing student. I believe there are about 250 of us total (combined 2nd year and advanced standing) competing for placements and hospitals in general tend to be the most popular. UofT does tend to like research and in my cohort everyone who was accepted had at least an A- in research. The website says that you should have at least a mid-B in all courses but depending on how competitive the cohort is the higher your marks are the better. I know some people have upgraded courses through Athabasca if they are trying to make themselves a more competitive applicant.
    I know this isn't in response to me but I would just add in that the advanced standing program is fairly intense as they are taking 4 courses plus 3 days practicum in the fall and 3 courses plus 3 days practicum in the winter. Many that I know chose to do summer courses to lighten their load. Many of my friends and I have found that placement itself is very exhausting emotionally and it's a long day and we don't really complete schoolwork at night, generally that's what weekends are for. And I say that having taken 2 classes and placement each term in my second year so I can't personally imagine taking 3 or 4 although many people have. It really depends on your own limits and how much you can take on.
    Many placements are located downtown, or within one token use on TTC (so anywhere between Etobicoke and Scarborough) for the most part, however some are in other cities (Oshawa, Markham, Peterborough for example). I don't remember there being any government placements and neither do the 2 people I'm currently sitting with but there are placements at TCDSB and TDSB however they prefer that you have use of a car as you're frequently going between multiple schools in a day.
  19. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to wishingonuoft in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Advanced standing is very intense as well, not the same courses exactly because you skip a bunch of the foundational but still quite rigorous. A lot of Advanced Standing-ers opt to do a summer semester to lighten the load (A bunch of 2-years do that as well).
     
    In short: very competitive. Hospital placements are definitely the most competitive of the placements, there are a LOT of them, but there are a lot of students who try to get them. Unfortunately, the practicum system leaves much to be desired and it is essentially a lottery system that runs algorithms. I have been blessed to death in my 2 years and got my top choice for both practicums including a hospital placement, but that's hardly the norm. 
    Basically the way it works is they release all of the practicums and then you submit your top choices, and then they run an algorithm and try to assign as many people to their top choices as possible. (For the 2 year program your first practicum is automatically assigned, for the 2nd year/Advanced standing you get 2 interviews, which you have and then rank and hopefully get one of them). I can't stress enough how crappy the system is, I have many friends who weren't assigned to any practicums/didn't get matched with placements and then had to choose between the left overs that no-one wanted. That's another thing--the practicum office says that all placements are equitable but they clearly aren't.
    In terms of Sick Kids specifically, this past year there were around I think ~7 placements there (going by memory), the pool of applicants ranking their picks is 2nd years and Advanced Standing-ers so it's ~230 people--AKA all of the hospital placements become popular very quickly (popular = 10+ people selected them as a rank).
    ANYWAY, I don't want to discourage you because it's NOT impossible to get a good placement, there are so many great ones and they all have to be assigned to someone! But be prepared that it is competitive and hospitals are prime real estate. 
    Let me know if you have any more questions, I know I just spewed a lot of knowledge and I'm not sure how sensical it is...running on an all nighter lol. 
  20. Downvote
    lindaMSW reacted to Hopeful18 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    1.  Please copy and paste where I have called YWEANG/MSW&MDMSW2MD names, insulted him or put him down. 
    2.  Please don't assume I am not already working in the field, don't have extensive knowledge of working with participants and do not know how to diffuse difficult situations.
    3.  This is a forum of our peers and its very nature is open discussion, therefore confronting harmful behaviour that hurts current and future members of this group is appropriate.
    4.  Transparency, honesty and integrity are values that, for me, are important which is why I have chosen to shine a light on what has happened in this forum and refuse to PM yourself or others when discussing issues that are pertinent to the cohesion of this group and safety of its members.
  21. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to UofT2015 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    I had about a year of experience but most people I know didn't unless they completed a thesis for their bachelors
  22. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to wishingonuoft in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Hahaha, the ban.do agendas are actually the girliest and most adorable things ever. There are compliments on like every other page and all the good feels
  23. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to emmaleigh in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    I am just finishing my first year of the two year MSW (class of 2018)
  24. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to rosee12 in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Hi there. I felt the exact same way, so I was very surprised that my acorn status says invited. It does seem like a lot of people that get into the program have very competitive grades/experiences. However, I believe that with determination, devotion and passion, anyone that meets the bare minimum admission requirements can get in.  
    I personally had quite mediocore grades myself. Last year gpa 76.5% and cgpa about a 3.2 (my half credit research methods course grade was 89%). I had about 1000 hours of direct social work experience through volunteering and about 1000 hours of extracurricular/leadership experiences from undergrad. I spent an immense amount of time and thought on my statement and assume that my references must have been strong.
    If you want to pm me, I'd be happy to talk   
     
  25. Upvote
    lindaMSW reacted to Eigen in NEW Canadian universities M.S.W thread (2017)   
    Just posting some clarification here, and sorry for the slow responses- most of the moderation team is currently traveling, and moderating via cell phone isn't the easiest. 
    We don't screen for veracity of claims. Nor do we penalize people for calling out bad information, or information as suspect. 
    That said, there's a fine line between calling out information as bad, and calling out a user as a troll. Stick to the information, don't target the user. Similarly, there are lines that have been crossed in the past wherein current bad posts cause past non-objectionable posts to be down voted in multitudes. 
    I will also mention that we take people posting from multiple accounts very seriously, and is usually results in banning of one account along with suspension of the other account. That said, it is especially difficult to tell when people are positing on multiple accounts- many people here post from universities, and have the same IP address. Basing suspensions and bans on IP address is a really bad thing, as there are several of you here who share an IP address with MSW2MD- banning that IP address would indirectly ban you. 
    We are honestly doing our best to keep up with this, and we really appreciate how hard all of you are working to ignore and report rather than responding. 
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