lemoncheesecake

Hello! I'm a first time applicant, and an international student. I'm so excited to see this thread, because I have questions about the "unwritten rules" of applying & was wondering if anyone here could share their experiences with what some expectations are when you're applying to research-based MA Counselling programs (with an intention to continue to a PhD)? I'm not fully done shortlisting yet but I know for sure I'll be applying to McGill, the OISE clinical+counselling program and Calgary. Most of them say that it isn't necessary to contact faculty before applying for an MA - is this true? Also, I haven't found much official information about interviews - are those usually part of an MA process?