HopefulandCurious

Congratulations! That's me too, after the third application!

I heard back this afternoon, so they're movin'!

I will chime in with my 0.2c here to say that this program is wildly competitive. I don't know what it looks like now, but I know that in past years they took between 9-12 applicants a year, out of hundreds of applications. Not to scare you or anything, but to set reasonable expectations! The application also has (or had, at one point) multiple rounds of interviews. If I remember correctly, they don't "fill" their applicant spots, but only accept the best fit for the program, hence the small numbers and very competitive nature. Still always worth a shot, though.

Have people started hearing back already? The admissions people did say a few weeks ago that it would be mid-September, but I haven't heard anything either... Last I applied I heard on the 6th of the "target" month. (ie, Sept 1, Jan 1, May 1 are the targets for offers).

It sounds like you have a lot of very valuable experience. Anyone would be lucky to have you in their MSW program! Best of luck

I spoke to the admissions folks last week and they let me know that they roll out decisions mid-September. Judging from previous years it will likely be around the week of the 14th that we start hearing back!

Like many people lurking around here I had applied to Laurier for May 2020 (part time, online) and was waitlisted; didn't make it in. I have also applied to Laurier again for the Jan 2021 intake; I figured there wasn't really much to lose and I'm a sitting duck until the Fall anyway because all other Fall 2020 applications had already closed by the time I heard back from the waitlist. Laurier is one of the only schools with 3 intakes, so I just applied again because it was open. January folks are supposed to hear back September-ish, and pending that outcome I was debating applying to Waterloo and Dal for Fall 2021. Previously I had applied to just Laurier (once right out of my BA, pre-BSW, and then more recently). The application process is so mentally draining though that I really don't know if I want to apply to more schools or not.... But perhaps chances are higher elsewhere than just putting all my eggs in the Laurier basket!

Not a UWin student, but usually for most universities if you have to make some kind of account where your user is student # and the PIN is the password, the first pin is your birthday - dd/mm/yy or mm/dd/yy - 6 digits, and then usually you are prompted to change it. I don't know if that's the case for your university, but that could be it.

Hi! :). We will be waiting together! I have not applied anywhere else, but if this doesn't pan out I think I will apply to Waterloo and Dal, just to see what happens. My best piece of advice is to tailor your application to the school you're applying to (look at the learning outcomes and mission statements) because your fit for what that school teaches is an important factor in the decision-making. You can be extremely qualified but if you apply to a macro, social justice based program and say you want clinical micro practice, they're not going to want you. I think it is also a good idea to keep your statement clear and concise. What I mean by that is have a good understanding of what you actually want to do in the field. "I want to help people" is not as good as "I want to do x job because of y and z". Concise also means don't try to convince them you have experience by cramming all kinds of details in there, but try to highlight experience and skills that best accentuate your application to that school. The other point is having a good mix of personal and professional experience (not too many personal details, but also not strictly a repeat of what they see in your resume). I hope that makes sense! Best of luck to you!

I applied for May 2020 and was waitlisted, applied again for Jan 2021. I feel like admissions are so arbitrary that it's hard to say, really, what ultimately determines who gets in. It is very competitive. As mentioned above, they took 25 out of about 250. One of my references (who is a fabulous professor) did mention that it's not always the experience or the number of hours, but a lot of it has to do with your essay and ability to speak to why you are a good fit for graduate studies. I have seen people in this thread with 10 years exp. get rejected, unfortunately, and others with 1-2 years post BSW accepted. It's nerve wracking for sure because it's not the most predictable!

Oh no, that is so frustrating! You were waitlisted the first time, and rejected the second time? This is what I am afraid of... Waitlisted the first time I applied, now waiting on Jan 2021 decisions...

The fall decisions go out in May - don't draw too many conclusions yet! Laurier is notoriously slow at sending out acceptances. It wouldn't surprise me if Fall folks heard in late May/early June. Keep waiting and keep breathing!

Waterloo also has a 10 month BSW program!

I planned on working full time if pursuing part time studies. It is not recommended to try to work full time while studying full time (if your schedule allows, ie working from home/working evenings) - that's a really good way to burn yourself out! Of course to each their own, but you'd really have to amp up the self-care. I know that when I was looking at some full time programs and trying to see if I could keep working, all the recommendations for course loads said that full time studies are the equivalent of approximately 40 hours/week (course work, readings, assignments, etc).

Yayyyy! That the one you'd been hoping for! Congratulations.

Honestly, I believe that the process is so arbitrary and it depends on so many factors! Somewhere in the main thread someone said when they asked, the average number of (edit: successful) applicants had between 8-10 years of experience. I have about 5 (with some other volunteer and research experience and things) and I was waitlisted with 8 other people. Two years ago (when the online program was rolling out) someone from my BSW cohort got in (with the same experiece as myself, 3 years at the time). I think there is no way to know. My philosophy is to go into it with an open mind and no expectations! (That way you're either okay, or pleasantly surprised). Best of luck!

Welcome! What statistics are you looking for, exactly? And there isn't a problem with you doing your masters at the same school. Many people do this. It used to be more "taboo" to get the entirety of your education at one institution as it meant that you did not have a wide range of educational perspectives (for example different schools with different focuses, values, learning objectives), but many MSWs have different lenses, so it really depends on what you're looking to get out of your education. Even if you did your BSW there. I know many folks who have 2-3 degrees all from the same school.

The part time online program is wildly competitive. I applied to May 2020 Intake and was waitlisted (didn't get off). The email stated that they accepted 25 applicants out of approximately 250. Did you apply for September start? Wishing you good luck!

In Ontario, yes. Outside of Ontario, there is also Dalhousie and a couple others (UVic, Memorial). The MSWs at UVic and Memorial University are also online, however have an in-class component that needs to be completed as well (for which you must be on campus for x amount of weeks). I would argue that Yorkville is actually decently known, at least in my working experience. I have a few colleagues who have completed this program and it is becoming increasingly popular.

I think it will be valuable, the way the field is going. At the very least, a BSW for eligibility to be registered with the OCSWSSW. A lot of people at my organization (also an addiction counsellor here) lost their jobs since the Ontario legislation requiring all practitioners to be registered with a governing body/the college as of January 1, 2020. It is becoming a highly regulated and competitive field. As far as the actual MSW itself, unless it is a very niche employer, I do not think it matters. The only thing that matters is that it must be an accredited university, otherwise you cannot register with the college of social workers (or whatever regulating body - OCSWSSW, CRPO, etc. as applicable to your home province). Online MSWs are not viewed any differently. The only thing is that each University has a different approach (policy-focused, healthcare-focused, clinical treatment-focused, social justice focused, etc...) however I have found that often people don't look into that. They just care about the letters/experience.

I have many of the same thoughts as MSWapplicant2020 above. You don't necessarily need an MSW to practice in the field, however it is more challenging to get jobs without an MSW, and more challenging to move up/find leadership positions/etc as well. You can practice in many areas with a BSW, it is less limited than with an SSW. They are all valuable in different ways, but the way that I have seen this field shifting in the last few years is that SSW jobs are becoming BSW jobs, and BSW jobs are increasingly becoming MSW jobs. I believe that without this qualification it will be increasingly difficult to get employment (or at least, in my opinion, employment that is worth the wage). I also know this may not apply to every person and every workplace, but personally I have seen that those with a BSW + MSW have a wider scope/understanding of social work practice than those who have completed a 2 year MSW. Perhaps it depends on where the degree was completed, but I found that the "foundational" knowledge is different (at least in my experience at my organization). The end result is largely the same, but I would recommend completing a 1 year BSW and then a 1 year MSW if that is a possibility (especially since you can be a practitioner with a BSW alone, and can't just drop out halfway through a 2-yr program). The bottom line is that professional and educational development will always be valuable, but you will certainly have more options available to you with an MSW. If a BSW and an MSW were applying for the same job, the MSW would win out.

Deferring means keeping your spot for the following year - you would not have to reapply. However, keep in mind that some schools do not allow you to defer your acceptance; if you cannot attend for the year you have gotten admission, you'd have to reapply. For example, Waterloo's MSW does not allow students to defer. You would have to check about your specific school.

Degree in a similar field and a number of prerequisite courses*. You don`t just get in without them, unless you`ve previously completed an SDS degree at Waterloo and have already taken those courses as part of that degree! (Important for anyone wanting to go that route to know). I also completed that BSW and recommend it over completing a 2 year MSW. Because even if you do not complete a MSW right after, you can practice in a variety of settings in the field as an RSW.

Yes, that's true! They are quite different. I like both for different reasons. Did you have a deadline to get back to Laurier about your watlist acceptance?

Thanks, friend! We shall see what happens : ). May I ask why you've chosen to go with Waterloo vs. Laurier?