Waiting4AdmissionDecisions

Hey! That would likely be Angela.

I'm at UofT right now. Honestly, I think a good bit of it is that it is (afaik) the biggest school, so it makes sense that more spots -> more applications -> more people talking about their applications on forums. Similarly, Toronto is a big city, so it might make sense that a lot of students who are from the area/did their undergrad their might want to stay rather than deal with moving costs. The only other 2y program in the city (York) has much fewer spots. It wasn't the case for me, but it seems like a lot of people also choose it for its clinical/micro reputation. Most of the other ON schools that offer a 2y program have a reputation for being more structural or having more of a macro focus/reputation (thinking like York, Laurier & Carleton). I'm not sure to what extent the reputations are "true" because I have nothing to compare my school/program with, but I think it might in part determine what schools people apply for. There are definitely lots of people in my classes with psych backgrounds and/or those who specifically come into the program wanting to be therapists.

Oh yes, definitely. I'm not sure what exactly tuition is for international students, but it's much more than this.

Last year was around 900 applications for 140 spots (according to last year's forum/rejection letters), which was unusually high! So true that so many qualified people don't make it - lots of folks in my cohort applied multiple times, or came in off the waitlist. It's hard to say what it's going to be like this year, but they typically get around 700-something, if that makes you feel better about hearing back this year.

Hey! I'm in my first year at UofT. My tuition (including all fees) was $11,189.99. Incidental fees were slightly higher this year than last - the actual program fee was the exact same as the one you found for 2020/21 (9,420). If you're applying to the two year program you have the option to take courses in the summer following your first year at no additional cost if you want. I'm not exactly sure if what you mean by first two semesters is fall/winter? Fees for next year wouldn't be out yet.

This thread is from last year, you'll have better luck looking on the 2022 thread

For UofT last year, from what I can remember, international applicants found out in mid Feb, and domestic in early-mid April. You can check last year's forum to be sure though.

Maybe people are just exhausted from being so perpetually online over the last couple of years? I think it will also ramp up in Feb-April before decisions start coming out. I also wouldn't be surprised if there're more re-applicants this year - I know UofT at least had way more applicants last year than usual, so maybe those folks don't feel they need as much support/have as many questions, since they've gone through the process before.

Hey! It sounds like your experience is strong, and I think some schools do let you submit a letter of explanation if your grades are a bit lower. I will just note that you may want to check out the minimum grade requirements before you apply, and contact admissions people to see if they are firm? Often they're set by the school of graduate studies at a given university, and not the faculty/school of social work itself, and so the program might not have a choice on waiving that requirement. Applications are expensive, so I would just check before you apply! If you're planning to continue taking courses to boost your grades if you don't get in next year, it might make sense to check out second degree entry BSWs (in ON, Lakehead, Carleton, McMaster, Windsor, Waterloo? and York all have programs). I think they tend to more often let you submit a letter of explanation with your application (Carleton does for sure). There are some advantages to doing a BSW first and then an MSW - more practicum hours overall, and the potential to work more directly in the social work field after you finish if you choose to, or if you don't get into an MSW straight away after. You also have more options for schools if you end up doing an advanced standing MSW. Not saying it's the right path for everyone, but an option!

Hey! Can't really speak as much to other schools but I'm a current UofT 2-year MSW student. For calculating your hours of experience, UofT (and I believe also Laurier) would absolutely include something like teaching, and then you can speak more to how that fits with social work in your essays. I think in terms of experience you'd actually be a step ahead of many other applicants!

Hey folks, just letting y'all know that FIFSW (UofT) just announced that classes will be online in the fall semester

Hey! Congrats! I didn't go to either, but I do have some insight that you're obviously welcome to take or leave. McMaster was my first choice for BSW if I didn't get into an MSW. It really appealed to me because class & cohort sizes were small, and I had heard really good things about the faculty and the student support they provide. There were also profs there doing research I was interested in, and who I thought could have made for good connections/references later on (or maybe future research opportunities). I was also living in Toronto before, and really wanted the (albeit nearby) change of scenery and access to nature that Hamilton/McMaster campus has. If you thought the syllabi at Mac looked more interesting to you, then that might be the better option? Even if the courses are a little more challenging (which I have no idea if they actually are), I tend find it easier to do well when I'm more interested. The second degree entry at Mac is very competitive - they wouldn't have let you in if you weren't an excellent candidate for their courses! Another consideration might be placement opportunities - I liked that Hamilton was big enough that there was a wide variety of placement partners, and some that were very specific to my interests. But, a BSW is supposed to be more generalist, so getting a super specific placement may not be as important. To be honest, I really didn't look into Trent much, so definitely take what I say with a grain of salt. There are always a tonne of other considerations, so at the end of the day you're going to be the only one who can decide which is the best fit for you! Congrats and good luck with your decision!

We should be finding out about course delivery mode in early-mid July. It's tough to tell right now - even though things are looking good vaccine-wise, both OISE and DLSPH announced that they'd be online. The full course schedule is on the website though.

Beyond OGS, UofT doesn't typically offer funding up front. It seems like York treats the program more like a research-based program in terms of funding offered. That being said, there're smaller internal scholarships at UofT that you apply for in September, ranging from $1000ish-$4000ish - not enough for every student, but I was surprised there were that many.

Can confirm that it was 3 weeks from the date of the letter. Deadline for the deposit was June 1st.