MiddleAges

Thank you so much! That is very helpful! Based on your experience, is it reasonable to work part-time for 15-20 hours per week? Or do most students just focus 100% on school with no part-time work? I would plan to take only 1.5 credits in the first semester, and then another 1.5 in the second semester. (Bearing in mind that I'm used to working full-time and managing a household, so I'm no stranger to heavy workloads.)

Thank you so much for your reply! I'm honestly baffled about how the program and courses actually work. Why only 5 courses per year? Undergraduate programs often have 10 courses per year. Are these courses twice as heavy? 5 courses isn't even between the two semesters. I've been searching for orientation sessions or program overviews, but I can't find anything. Can you recommend who to contact to get some basic information? I need to understand how this works so I can plan my other responsibilities (employment, spouse, kids, elderly parents, etc...)

How do you find the program workload? I'm debating whether I will be able to manage part-time remote work for my current employer, or if I should just quit my job and focus 100% on school.

I just got mine, too!!! I'm not even sure how I feel about this. Stunned? There's so much to do now!

Woohoo! My application status has changed from "recommended for assessment" to "review in progress by department." I'm still not hopeful, but it's nice to log in and see a change!

Yes, on the front page it says preliminary review required. If I click on the link, though, and look at the second page of information, it says recommended for assessment or something like that. It's been that way for ages, though, so I don't think anyone is actively doing anything with my file.

I have a question. Does the program actually send out rejections once the program is full? Or is there a chance that I will never get a response from them? I'm trying to decide what my personal cut-off date would be for accepting a decision. If I don't hear from them by the end of May or end of June, is it safe to assume that I will not be accepted? If I get in, we'll have to find a place to live, figure out if my spouse is coming with me, what to do about my kids' university studies and where they will live if I move, rent or sell my house, etc... It's a lot and I don't know if I can handle it without a reasonable amount of time to plan.

Thank you, you're very kind! I'm hoping I won't be the annoying kind of mature student. I work with a lot of younger people, and frankly, the kids seem very, very smart these days. I'm always delighted to learn from them, too.

I just discovered this forum, and I'm happy to have a place to check in (and whine about the waiting...). I have no idea what my chances are of getting in. I finished my undergrad degree (political science) in 1996, and if I get in, I will be 50 when the program starts! I have some decent professional experience, but I had no academic references (only professional references). I'm not even sure how to calculate my GPA because my school used a 9-point scale back then. On one hand, I'm trying to be philosophical about it, and on the other hand, I would really like to know so I can plan the rest of my year. My friends and family are very supportive, but honestly, what do they know? Anyway, I'm just here to commiserate.