French_MSW

Did you hear back from McMaster yet? What stream did you apply to at Mac?

Hey! Curious what stream of MSW you got into at Mac, the CA or CL? I was rejected from CA, but waiting to hear back to see if I got into CL. I'd love to chat about your credentials. From my experience, McMaster mostly accepts students into their MSW who have completed their BSW at Mac.

Congrats on being accepted!! Only 6-7 students get selected for the MSW Critical Analysis program each year. I've been trying to get into this program for over three years. I sent you a private message if you are able to share some insights. For the official letter, I would email Darlene, she is wonderful and gets back to you very quickly.

Hi everyone, does anyone know if schools prefer for applicants to cite research in their statement of interest? Specifically research focused schools. I am applying to McMaster and it will be my 5th year. I've heard that you should cite in your statement, however, the statement can only be 4 pages. Would using numerical citations work in this case where space is limited?

Hi everyone! I can't be the only one in my current situation, so I am seeking some support. This fall, will be my 5th consecutive year applying to MSW programs. In the past I've applied to UofT, Mac, and York. I've been a registered social worker for 3 years now and have been at my current job with the Govt. of Ontario for 2 years. My situation is unique due to my university experiences. I completed my BA in Psychology entirely online through Queen's University. Being online, it was difficult to build relationships with professors. In addition, I worked full-time throughout my degree, so I had little time to focus on school, however still maintained high grades. I then completed the One-Year HBSW program through Lakehead University. The program structure is 6 months of coursework followed by 6 months of placement. It's an accelerated program where each class is around 2.5 weeks long for the summer, and then you take a few classes in the fall semester from Sept-Dec. It is very challenging to build relationships with professors due to the little amount of time spent with each one. After getting rejected from Mac, I reached out and was informed that I had a very strong application with excellent grades, however, my references "could be stronger". When choosing my academic references, I chose the professors that I was able to build somewhat of a relationship with, so I thought they'd be my strongest option. My average is an 87.5%, and I have over 10+ years working in the social services industry, as well as a lengthy list of volunteering experiences on provincial and national committees and with community organizations. I'm really struggling with applying to school and not sure what next step I should take. If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it greatly. Thank you!

I’m still waiting too. I applied to Advanced Standing PT (but truly wish I applied to FT). Ugh, waiting is terrible, I hope you hear back soon!

I'm waiting to hear back from Mac still as well. I applied to the advanced standing critical analysis program part-time.

Congrats!! I'm curious it for part-time or full-time? I applied for advanced standing part-time and still waiting to hear back. I definitely regret applying for PT since I've lowered my chances of getting in, but I'll still remain hopeful! I would absolutely love to chat with you about your York application if you're interested. This is my third time applying to York specifically, and as someone interested in macro social work and policy, it's my top choice. I've attended the York info sessions every year, but they aren't very helpful. If you are able to share any tips or advice that would be amazing.

I have not. I'm still waiting to hear back from York and Mac - advanced standing.

Wow thank you so much for this TedTalk!! I never thought about requesting my letters of reference. The past few years, I used the same person as my professional reference, and was feeling uneasy about his response when I asked him for a reference, so this year, I choose a different person to be my professional reference. Fingers crossed that it makes a difference. But I'm definitely interested in viewing the letters my references wrote for me. Do you think I should try and request them from the uni directly before filing a FOI request?

I have had several people review my application, both written statement and resume, including individuals who have already completed the MSW programs I applied to, and one who was currently in the program. I've had multiple people who've been accepted send me their written statements as well, to compare and get an idea of what the university is looking for. One co-worker who completed her MSW at McMaster, had several major spelling and grammar mistakes in her written statement, and yet she was still accepted for the thesis program. I'm learning that the only way to get into grad school is if you have connections. For all my references, I have just provided the university with the emails for my references, and then they send out a link to them to submit. I have never read or reviewed any of my references letters, since they directly send them to the university via the online system. However, I am finding out that MSW applicants are helping their references write the letters, or even writing it themselves and then having their reference person submit it. It's completely unfair and such a disadvantage.

Where? Are there other grad school forums? mine still says under review.

advanced standing?

I definitely feel you on this. I'm a correctional social worker and have been in the social services field for 10 years. I have a 4.0 GPA, and thousands of hours of volunteer work. I hold a BA in Psych, an HBSW, and a Certificate in Criminal Justice and Criminology. I've applied to MSW programs for the past 5 years, and still have not been accepted. I struggle financially and live in low-income, so I can only apply to 3 schools each year since application fees and transcript fees are so high. I'm really unsure if any other fields are like this, where 500+ people apply each year and only 30-40 get accepted. It almost makes it impossible to get in. I'm passionate about macro social work and policy and I will continue to apply to school to further my education until I get in, even if I have to keep applying for the next 15 years. I'm trying hard not to give up.

I applied to Mcmaster (critical analysis) and York as well. Hopefully we hear back soon!