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Thumper86

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Everything posted by Thumper86

  1. Hi everyone, I'm a recent graduate of the two-year MSW program at Laurier and I often check the MSW admission threads to provide support to applicants/current students. If any of you have any questions about the program I'd be happy to answer them Good luck everyone!
  2. I thought I'd contribute to the discussion on experience. When I applied, I had some volunteer experience in mental health (an hour a week at a hospital for 2 years) but the majority of my experience (paid and volunteer) was actually in human research. After I had been accepted to Laurier I found out that their program was trying to become more research oriented which led me to conclude that I had been accepted because of my research experience. Of course there is no way for me to prove that this was the reason but my guess is that it helped me stand out from other applicants. So if you have research experience like being a research assistant or lab manager in a psychology lab for example than I think these experiences can be valued by the admissions committee
  3. For those who applied to Laurier (two-year), there were a little over 500 applications and they will be accepting 90. Two-year applications are currently being sorted and reviewed. No idea about the advanced standing apps. Sorry
  4. Ya the online BSW was my backup so I'm glad I was accepted to Laurier lol. It just shows how subjective the admissions process is.
  5. I actually applied to Dalhousie's online BSW last year (for a fall 2012 start) and I was rejected. I received the rejection letter in the mail.
  6. It's not that hard to get a placement at CAMH. I'm actually placed there for my second internship I haven't heard anything about Homewood Health Centre.
  7. You can recommend various hospitals (CAMH, UHN, St. Joseph's Health Centre etc.) so I'd suggest going through the websites of the various hospitals in the GTA or elsewhere to find the departments you're most interested in. CAMH is wonderful for mental health placements.
  8. The school does it on your behalf. There's a form that you fill out online and you submit it electronically to the practicum office. It's their responsibility to call/email each facility you're interested in and ask whether or not they're able to take a student.
  9. No problem! Yes, the school is open to considering outside placements (you can propose as many placements as you want! - I limited my proposed placements to 5 just to be courteous to the practicum team )
  10. Some courses have a lot of textbooks and others use journal articles. Textbooks can get very expensive so I've bought some new, rented some from the library, and bought some used off of Amazon. Yes, you're in the same placement during the winter and spring semesters (semester 2 and 3 respectively). There's only 2 placements in the 2 year program. I don't think there's any disadvantage to choosing the integrated stream EXCEPT that you cannot pursue a thesis if you're in an integrated stream. I don't think employers would view you as less specialized. In my opinion you'd be getting a well-rounded education. I don't even think employers would ask what stream you were in but I could be wrong.
  11. In terms of the readings there are usually a few mandatory ones per week and the others are supplemental so you can pick and choose what to read based on interest/time. It can be difficult to stay on top of all the readings, especially when taking 5 courses so you have to use your best judgment. Assignments (especially final ones) can be quite lengthy and all will be due during the same week so to avoid mental breakdowns its best to start early. I had 5 20+ page papers due in the same week and I started over a month before they were due and I didn't feel panicked. Yes, you can have a life outside of school! You just need to be able to work efficiently and have good time management skills Yes, placements and internships are the same thing.
  12. Personally, I find it easier than undergrad. My graduate program is strictly essays and presentations which I find easier than test writing. Since I did my undergrad in the sciences the biggest difference is the shift in course material. I'm also used to large classes so seminar-style classes were a bit of an adjustment.
  13. There are quite a few students working part-time. I opted not to work while in grad school because I wanted to have my weekends free to do readings/assignments. It is possible if use your time efficiently
  14. If you propose a placement and the agency agrees to interview you then you know sooner than others who are matched through our portal system. For my first placement (assigned through the portal) I knew I received my placement by early November (placement started in January). I proposed my second placement and I received it in March (placement starts in September). Placements are full-time. First placement is 28 hours per week (4 days) from January to the end of April and 21 hours (3 days) from the end of April until the end of June. Second placement is also full-time. 28 hours (4 days) from September to mid December. There are only 2 internships.
  15. Yes, it is manageable but it's also exhausting. Classes start at 9 am and end at 4:20 pm in first semester. Since I took the bus I had to get up at 5 am (out the door by 6:15 to catch the 7:15 bus from bay and dundas) but if you're driving, you won't have to get up as early as I did.
  16. I commuted back and forth to Toronto every night via greyhound bus. Two weeks during the last month of classes (1st semester) I stayed in a hotel for the two nights so I'd have extra time to get my work done.
  17. Yes, you can switch streams when you're in the program. During the 1st practicum it can be difficult to get exactly what you want in your preferred geographical area. I wanted a gerontology placement for my first placement and ended up working with children. But my placement is within the GTA so the practicum office balanced my needs that way. You can also propose placements (so if there's a specific agency you want to work for you let the practicum office know and they try to arrange something). It's been my experience that you have to "suck it up" for your first one and take what you get. It's not the best process by any means but that seems to be the way the practicum process works. You definitely don't HAVE to have a car in order to go to Laurier. It broadens your options if you can drive/have a car. But I believe the practicum office will work with you to find something close to public transit if you don't have access to a vehicle. PM me if you have more questions
  18. To those who are planning to attend Laurier's two-year program next year, I dont advise relocating to Kitchener unless you absolutely have to. You're only in class 3 days a week for 3 months, then 1 day per week for the rest of the program. There is no guarantee you will get a Kitchener/Waterloo placement if you move there. There were quite a few people that moved to Kitchener for the program then were placed in a city far away for their first practicum and had to move again! I live in Toronto and commute to Kitchener for classes. My first placement is in Brampton and my next one is in Toronto.
  19. There's no gym at the Kitchener campus but there is a small library. It does have a high school vibe
  20. Male students are not excluded from the inside-out program as far as I know. There were males interviewed in the summer of 2012 for the fall class.
  21. Yes, you can still do a thesis even if you didn't write about it in your personal statement
  22. Last year they DID NOT send all acceptances at once. From what I heard last year, people who were offered scholarships received their acceptances first and then people who were not offered entrance scholarships received their acceptances about a week to two weeks later.
  23. The number of people who do a thesis has been quite small in past years (3-5 per cohort) but this year that number has increased quite a bit (I know of at least 8 in my cohort who are pursuing a thesis but I'm sure there are more than that). Yes, when I applied to Laurier I wrote in my personal statement that it was my intent to pursue a thesis. However, my thesis topic and potential supervisor changed drastically once I started the program. You fill out the paperwork that declares your intent to pursue a thesis before the end of first term. There isn't an actual thesis course that you take, you just have to register in a the thesis course so the school knows how many people are completing a thesis.
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