thelionking

There's a chance that another school may still admit you. But at this point, if it happens it's likely because someone is taking a long time to make a decision on whether or not to accept or because someone has changed their mind about attending and they need to find an alternate candidate. I think you have made a wise decision to attend your safety school. Congrats on the offer!

I can give you one extra point in favour of attending Lakehead. If your GA position is a Research Assistant position (not sure if you mean RA or TA when you say GA), then this will help you develop stronger research skills, thus making you more marketable in the workforce. Most people who get an MSW do not do a thesis, so you would be at an advantage later on for having that extra skill set. I was not aware of Laurentian's unconventional time table. That definitely is an asset for people who live driving distance away. So I guess that would mean everyone else would need to stay at a hotel during those days. I guess if you're able to keep your job, the high travel and accommodation costs accrued would be compensated by the fact that you could keep your job while attending school. This is a nice perk because if you had to quit your job for school, it might take you a few months to find a new one after you graduate. Do you know if your employer will be able to give you the time off that you need to complete your practicum? Do you see yourself remaining at your current place of employment for a long time? A tough decision indeed....

That may be true in certain fields that are less lucrative, but I don't believe one needs to be a martyr for science when most scientific disciplines are quite lucrative and there should be money available to give back to those who conduct research. It is quite rare to hear of a PhD student in the sciences who does not receive funding. IMO, martyrdom is best left for those donating their bodies to science.

hornet15: I also wanted to add that if you want to take some courses in the daytime due to your shift work, you are likely to be able to do so by asking school administration and getting a course override so that you are able to register. Of course, the course you are looking for needs to be offered in the right semester for your schedule (and the full time students in the daytime follow a different timeline). But if things line up properly, you will likely be able to register. If this is an important consideration for you, I'd call the school to double check this and find out if you would only be able to register if anything is left over after the full time students have registered or if you'd have equal opportunity to take those classes.

I have some information about these questions. The classes begin at 4:15pm I'm pretty sure (I might be off by 15 minutes). You alternative between taking 2 and 3 courses per semester if you follow the recommended 3 year schedule. So you need to be on campus 2-3 evenings per week. You are welcome to take fewer courses and graduate later, but you will pay the same tuition fees per semester no matter how many courses you take - 1, 2 or 3 courses maximum - or even if you decide to take a semester off. You can complete your practicum in another city. For part time students, it is the equivalent of 2 full work days per week (you can also do 4 half days or other combinations if you wish). A good number of people choose to do their first practicum at their place of employment (but keep in mind you are not allowed to receive a salary for practicum work). You are also free to pick your top 10 choices from Laurier's practicum list and the school will assign one to you. This route is popular too. I want to caution you that if your intention is to keep the same job throughout your studies, it's important to have an employer that is flexible with your work schedule. I have heard that a good number of students ask their employers about this kind of work arrangement before they begin the program and they agree to offer a flexible work schedule. Some of these students also tell their employer that they would like to complete their first practicum at their place of employment and that this work would be be done for free (because you are not allowed to be paid for practicum work). Of course, their employers are happy with this arrangement. Some students are happy with it because they are able to maintain a full time (or near full time) work load at their job by having some of their work hours count towards the practicum. Then, towards the end of the MSW program, when it comes time to request time off or a reduced work load so that they can complete their second practicum elsewhere (because you cannot do it at the same place twice), many students discover that their employer no longer agrees to give the staff member the time off that they need. At that point, these students are close to completing their degrees and they are forced to decide between keeping their job and completing their degree. From what I've been told, generally everyone in this situation decides to quit their job so that they can complete their degree. Then they either need to find a new job or take out a student loan, which they did not originally intend to do. So if working full time for the entire degree is a necessity for you, my advice it to try to get your work arrangement in writing (perhaps by email or in a clause in your contract) so that this doesn't happen to you. All of this information was shared with me by a friend who completed the program a couple of years ago.

I also can't provide more insight into those 2 schools. What is it that you are looking for in a program exactly and what are your goals post graduation? If you were accepted into both programs, that means they believe you are a good fit otherwise you wouldn't have been offered admission. I believe that both schools will be a good fit for you. Consider calling or emailing both schools to inquire about how they will help you fulfill your career goals. Here are some things you could inquire about: practicum options (and the odds of getting the one you want - this can be a big challenge at some schools), find out if some practicums in Ottawa require fluency in French (particularly the kinds you are most interested in), options for course electives, background of potential thesis advisors (if you plan to do a thesis), opportunities to be a TA or RA (if academia, research or teaching interest you), program layout and course load, whether or not you have to write exams (at Laurier, for instance, there are no tests or exams, only papers and group presentations), etc. After that, also consider if you prefer to live in a larger city vs a smaller city (half the size of Ottawa and 1/10th the size of Toronto), housing costs (rent in London is much cheaper than Ottawa), geographic proximity to family/friends/significant other if you want to travel frequently on weekends and holidays, etc.... I don't know your particular set of circumstances, but if one school doesn't stand out as being a significantly better fit that the other, I'd personally follow the money and go to Ottawa. Not only does a generous scholarship look impressive on a resume, but the financial savings will be significant. I'm sure you know that social work isn't as well paying as many other professions out there and having to pay extra for tuition fees will not go unnoticed when you have to pay it back after graduation (if you get OSAP).

Big decision to make. Let us what you end up deciding. Good luck.

While Hartford is hardly a large city (125,000), it might have enough variety and amenities to keep you satisfied until you complete your degree. Keep in mind that you will be so busy that you probably won't have much time to spend on leisure and recreation. But if Hartford can offer you some of those "must haves" you need to be comfortable (ex: movie theatres, live music, good variety of restaurants, clubs, etc) then if might be doable for the duration of your program. You also have the option of driving out to Boston on the weekend as it's 1.5 hrs away, which is very feasible for day and weekend trips. After you've completed your coursework, you might have the option of working on your thesis from home and could potentially move to Boston in the last year or so of your studies. (I know people who've done this while completing PhDs in psychology. They stayed in town for the first 3 years until all of their course work was completed and lived a few hours away during the last 2 years, while making occasional trips back and forth as needed). I think it's definitely worth inquiring about this and visiting the school and surrounding areas, especially considering that this program is well ranked, offers a strong funding package, and it's a great fit for you.

In the past, this is how it worked. It's possible that things have changed though. Offers are sent out to a certain number of people based on the number of spots available. As people decline their offers, more offers are sent out. People have 2 weeks to make a decision. Considering that it's an MSW program, there is a lot of movement on the wait list. My guess is that because Windsor is far from all the majors centres in Ontario such as Toronto and Hamilton, and it's also far away from other mid-sized cities like London, it ends up being low on people's list of preferred schools. It's not uncommon for people to get off the wait list as late as June, so there's still hope for you. Good luck!

I don't want to be the "Negative Nellie" here, but I think you still need to verify some scholarship information. While it may be true that all the students in this program who come from your country have received a scholarship, you do not know if any others have been accepted in the past and were declined a scholarship from your country. If the tuition is so expensive, it is possible other applicants could not enroll because they could not afford to cover the difference and they had to take other offers or try again the following year. Therefore, I think it could be useful to find out what has happened in past years in terms of the number of applicants for such scholarships and the number of people who end up receiving one. As the others have mentioned above, I think it will come down to what is more important to you: attending grad school next year (in which case choosing the 2nd school would make the most sense because it is a sure thing) or attending a better program (while it is not guaranteed and there is a chance you'd have to reapply again, if you won't be happy at the 2nd school because you know you can get into a better institution, then it will be worth the risk).

I think it means by the end of the day on the 15th, but why take my word for it? Call the school first thing in the morning on the 15th and ask. They wouldn't have had any time to contact the next person on the wait list since 11:59pm on the 14th so you'll be ok.

It's likely that they are still waiting on final decisions from one or more applicants. This might be a sign you are high on the waiting list. If you don't hear anything by the 15th then I'd given them a call first thing next week and follow up on the situation. Good luck! The wait is almost over now so you can find out the answer and plan your next steps..

I think your post needs to be clearer. Are you comparing Columbia's clinical psychology MA to Hunter's?

I know you don't want to base your decision on cost, but I actually think that's an important consideration to make. Social workers typically do not earn a lot of money. Unless you got a scholarship to NYU to make the tuition costs similar or better, or you are currently in a very strong financial position, then I would absolutely make my decision based on cost. Social work is not a prestige based field and you should be able to find work afterwards no matter which school you attend.

I also agree with the others' comments. Your concerns are very legitimate. Unless you plan to enter a field that will give you an excellent salary upwards of $100,000 annually, then it will take a really long time to pay off your loans. In 5-10 years time, you might have other life goals such as buying a new car, getting a mortgage or starting a family and all of these plans could be involuntarily delayed due to your heavy debt load. In my opinion, studying part time (or possibly doing an online program, if it exists) sounds like a great idea, if you could attend class outside of your working hours. It might take longer but at least you could either graduate debt-free or graduate with a light debt load that you could comfortably pay off afterwards. You could also explore paying off your first loan before taking on another one. But you didn't mention how long this could take, and by that time you might not want to wait that long to recontact your references.

I should have been clearer in my last post... When I first read this from the OP it sounded off, like it was a mistake, because I'd never heard of a school holding a spot for so long. So this is why I responded as I did in my last post and was writing under the assumption that they would likely not offer it back to you. Instead, I should have told you to double check that this fact is correct. Perhaps they will still be able to offer you a spot but will no longer have the funding. I think it would be wise to check again and to get the answer in writing (such as by email) to keep for your records just in case you need it later on.

Well if it's almost a sure thing, maybe you should reconsider it. Are you able to defer your second choice by one year? If you can, I'd do that and accept the first offer. If something happens and you don't get the scholarship, then at least you know you'll be able to attend the second choice school in one year's time. If you can't defer, then I guess it depends on how much of a gambler you are.... If you are sure that your source is giving you accurate information, then maybe it's worth taking a small risk for the chance to gain a whole lot more. Can you contact the scholarship office and find what percentage of scholarship applicants end up getting funding from your country? If you do decide to go this route, I'd keep in contact with the second school and maintain good ties with them in case you need to reapply again the following year. It also helps if you provide them with a good reason as to why you cannot attend. Perhaps you could keep it vague and mention you have some temporary financial difficulties that are preventing you from accepting their offer this year.

I believe that the Lakehead wait list will move sometime during the first or second week of May. Lots of people apply to the HBSW as a backup in case they don't get into an MSW program, so you can expect a lot of movement on the wait list. Good luck!

Full time program enrollment does not impact how many part time students are accepted because full time students have their classes in the daytime and part time students take their classes after 4pm.

I think we've said all we can say at this point. You're going to need to decide for yourself if you are willing to have a long distance relationship during a portion of your studies (until he finds a job in Boston) or for the entire duration (if he doesn't). Are you and your partner willing to do that? You will need to talk to him about this. If you are considering it, he needs to determine what the job market is like in Boston and how likely it will be for him to get a job there in his field based on the job market and his credentials. If decisions like this are difficult for the both of you to resolve, you should keep in mind that you are likely to be in a similar position after you get your PhD and want to apply for high level positions as such jobs are not plentiful and often require moving. So there is no time like the present to develop a practice of making big decisions like this together so you both know where you stand on such issues. Good luck!

GWU really stood out to me (in a great way) when you mentioned the connections you'd be making. Assuming this program will give you the connections you want to have to get into your career of choice (you didn't mention your career goals and which school has the best track records of grads getting the kinds of jobs you want to have) then GWU sounds like a really tempting offer. Connections are extremely helpful in getting your foot in the door at your first job.

What advantages does the school in Boston offer that the local school doesn't have? You did not mention your future career goals and to what extent both schools can help you reach them. I think that taking into account your partner's job prospects is important, unless you are willing to have a long distance relationship until your partner is able to find a new one in Boston and quit his current job to move out there. If the answer is yes, then I'd find out which school produces the most grads that end up doing the work you want to do and go to that school.

Maybe you could get an RA position at Waterloo to gain more research experience. Also keep networking opportunities in mind. Do you plan to work in the US or Canada after you graduate? Can you find out where past grads have ended up working who graduated from both of these programs? If they are doing the work you want to do then that is a good sing it is a good school for you to attend.

Mastering out sounds like a great idea. Do you think you'll have any difficulty getting good references from this school? (Not due to your performance as a student but due to all of the reasons that you have described). Apart from this reason, it doesn't sound like there is much holding you back from leaving this less than ideal situation to get a chance at something much better.

My condolences for your loss. It sounds like the past year and a half have been quite challenging for you on so many levels and anyone under those circumstances would have been having a hard time to keep afloat. If you don't mind me asking, was your father terminally ill or was his passing sudden and completely unexpected? The reason I ask is because you mention having difficulty in the year prior to his passing. From what I understand, the clinical psych program is extremely difficult. I don't think anyone feels on top of things until the only thing outstanding is to prepare for the PhD defense. If you believe you were within a certain range that was reasonably acceptable compared to other students in your program (not compared to the best student, of course) or that your performance issues were starting to improve until your father's passing, then I think you should really try to do what you can to be able to do a PhD. If you haven't done so already, make an appointment to see an Accessible Learning Advisor at your school and explain the situation. I'd make an appointment with a psychologist right away (as they could write you a medical note if needed to confirm what is going on based on any assessments they make). Try to register as a student with a disability at your school (which will require medical documentation) and, as fuzzylogician suggested, try to get a medical leave for 2 reasons - to give yourself some time off to grieve and to recover so you will perform optimally upon your return to school and also to make your claims more legitimate to your supervisor that you have a genuine mental health issue that was impacting your performance. You might also be able to file an appeal with the graduate studies department if you think the supervisor is not being fair with you after finding out about your health issues. I've heard that this is possible if you disagree with a grade that you received, but I'm not sure about your specific set of circumstances. If this is an option, there will be a neutral committee (comprised of grad students and staff/faculty) who will examine statements and documents provided from both parties involved and vote on the issue to determine the final outcome. If it comes down to it, talk to someone there with advice on how to proceed. If it is too late to take a medical leave (which probably isn't the case if you finish at the end of the summer), then I'd still get a medical note to show your supervisor so at least they will keep this in mind when providing you with a reference for employment. If you leave the school on good terms, with evidence that you have mental health issues getting in your way, then you could take some personal time off and try to work in the field for a few years (perhaps as a psychometrist, researcher or psychotherapist), establish a strong work history and strong references, and apply to PhD programs again. Time can do wonders to cover up a weak academic record (as long as you can provide a legitimate reason as to why it happened and why it won't happen again!) If you got in once, you can certainly do it again! Best of luck to you!