Thanks for the insight! I have applied to Wilfrid Laurier, U of T, and York University MSW programs. I am a little nervous due to my lack of experience in the field. I also hadn't decided to pursue an MSW until I was almost done with my BSW. Looking back, I decided to take a year off, which probably was a good thing, and I now work as a Caseworker for Big Brothers Big Sisters, where I did my final BSW placement. I also have a college diploma as a Social Service Worker.
I have eight months of experience in a paid Big Brothers Big Sisters Caseworker position. I have a 4-month paid summer student position in a government housing program in social services helping individuals with housing needs, and another 4/5 months working with people with disabilities. So, it was only about one year and a half when I applied. I am a mature student in my 40s, so I have a lot of past work experience outside of social work, with a total of 31,000 hours or more. I hope that will set me apart in the decision process. I also have three placements, two of which were working with individuals with disabilities and another one mentoring youth in the school through my new job at Big Brothers/Sisters, totaling about 1,100 hours. My last two years of my BSW program were about 84%, which I understand is around a 3.7 GPA. I have two strong references through a past professor and current supervisor who both know me well, and a third reference through a professor that I wouldn't say knows me well but enough to write a decent reference letter.
I worked very hard on my statements. I feel they are strong, but you never know. I did find it slightly difficult to be concise with the small word counts, especially regarding social issues. I noticed after the fact that I made some minor errors, such as not putting my name on every page of the statement for U of T, etc. These were minor errors, probably because I was overwhelmed writing multiple statements. I heard U of T likes some personal experiences, so without oversharing, I did mention some hardships growing up. I am also a mature student with three children going back to pursue post-secondary much later in life. I was hoping the maturity of lived experience might account for something.
Hopefully, I have a chance to get in somewhere, considering all of the above. I am not too hopeful for Laurier as I read they won't even consider anyone with limited experience. I wish I would have known that prior. York and the University of Toronto might be my best chance.
Any further insight on what I shared or how I could improve to be a better candidate next year is appreciated! Good luck to everyone as well!