DustSNK

Transcripts lost in mail for WEEKS, professors in Europe on vacation... that was my first cycle. I went full cautious this cycle, hand delivered most of my apps to departments and overnight UPS to others.

I think I only see two Canadian universities on ya list, lots of American ones. Have you been posting on the other forums? If not some people who are applying too might give you some helpful info I wish I had a link but I only go on the sociology one.

Ahhhh this is really nice to hear!!!!!! Every time I talk to a department they just say around 12-15k$ funding, that is a mix of scholarships and TAships. Do you recall what they called their move to balance out the actual tuition costs for you???? Was it another scholarship, is there a special thing they do that has a certain name in the academic world? I'm just curious if any of the programs will do this for me possibly. I would think they would say that when they talk to me about funding amounts, but maybe it is something they only talk about AFTER you are accepted?

Ditto! What killed me was going from community college to university (and CC gpa doesn't transfer just credits do), should not have waited to do all the math and science at university with only 2 years for a gpa :/ Do you think they calculate your major GPA if they don't explicitly say they do? I hope they do. I have around the same major GPA, but last cycle they said it doesn't mater how well your major GPA is, you could have a 4.0 major GPA, they see that cumulative and freak out. I was stupid and thought "Ahh if they see I did great in my major, they wont care about the rest, I'm gonna apply for sociology MA after all not math or history"... stupid habit to have on my part.

Thanks ABC! I went from a B- GPA, and nothing monumental at all during my first cycle rejections, to taking some grad courses and doing a lot more this time around. Good to know what others do and get a feel for what people are looking for in Canada. Congrats on that grant!!!!! That is going to get ya places esp getting it as an UG!

Hey ABC! Congrats. I'm also an international applicant, which is as you know ultra ultra competitive. Mind sharing any of your stats? Ya know GPA, papers so on so forth.

Surefire has been gold, it's nice to get advice and helpfulness with all the chaos and competition on the other boards.

Yea it is a small small department, and part of a few others really like the Caribbean studies, and soon hopefully a full Canadian studies MA. One friend I had got his funding outside the department too. But there are really amazing professors in all the "studies" departments, esp the American one.

I think I have seen some McGill and UBC acceptances on her already the past week. DON'T worry exactly yet. I'd say you are rejected when you get the notice. Until then lots of things can happen, like people not accepting then you get looked at again maybe. Although those are some top notch schools, ESP McGill. But you don't know whats going on until it is over, cross your fingers!

Congrats!! I went to Buffalo for a bit as a non-degree grad student. TAKE CANADIAN STUDIES 500 with Munroe Eagles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a god send. You will have to I think anyway for the degree. But it is a really nice department, good professors all around. But please take CND 500, remember it. Really really amazing course and teacher. I could go on about how great it is, and if you are doing American studies you would put your knowledge at risk by not doing it can't express that enough. The amount of things American you learn by understanding Canada is mindblowing. PM me if you have any questions.

Ah the external application! Everyone I know did it ONCE they were married in CAN. I'll PM you.

BTW thanx for the wedding site, I was actually talking about trying to find something like this a few days ago. To not spend thousands on useless stuff when you can be creative

You is God!!!!!!!! Thanks thanks thanks!! I really hope you are still at U of T when I apply in a few years haha. You're right it is what only works for us and us alone. As long as she is happy I don't care how a wedding goes down, but I'll hold out for a lil longer to appease the traditional aspect of her family. Worst part is, your app for permanent residency usually takes almost 2 years to go though.... no work no school The trials of international love!!!! We met working abroad and I moved from around NYC to the border, so I'm itching to start a future in Canada. Thanks for the well-wishes about getting in, I busted my ass doing a lot of non-degree graduate work to show I mean business so I hope it pays off.

Haha you are right! I have noticed a lot more chaos than last year on the forum @_@ I'll post if my strategy worked out soon hopefully! It was a good choice (to take non-degree grad courses) in my opinion so far. Got to do my first lit review, a research essay, facilitate an undergrad lecture, and am presenting at a conference (non-soc) next month, also learned A LOT I didn't know from great professors that I should have learned as an undergrad; all because I went this route. It also took the sting from rejection the first cycle away and renewed my drive to get into a program. I see ya got in to some places already, congrats!!!!!!!!

Ahh this is great advice, you're always very helpful ^____^ I'm just worried about being an international student! At least from what I have seen, there isn't too much for me to apply for. Sucks. It has gotten to the point where my fiance and I (I'm American she is Canadian) have thought about doing a court house wedding and not waiting for a ceremony with family and so on JUST because I would save a hell of a lot of money if I was a permanent resident before going to school. But unfortunately it kinda takes the romance out of doing a shotgun wedding, but if I don't get in this cycle we will have to. It makes it sound sketchy, but for perspective (the figures I've worked out) I would save about 20k+$ if I were a permanent resident. I talked to most departments, have been seeing as 12-15k$ range for funding. No tuition waver though. I think once I get the MA, I am going to do as you say and go ape shit on the $ apps, and apply to everything I find for PhD.

Oh wow I'm about 5 months late answering this lol. Well I am staying on the same program tack, sociology. What I did was go back to uni, take some undergrad and grad courses as a non-degree, really work hard with my professors, and do more research. I wrote a much better SOP than I did last time for sure. Still, I can't help but look and still find things wrong with the SOP. Also I have a shitty undergrad GPA, but my major GPA is 3.6 or so I think. We will see :/ I'm from the USA and applying to international schools, which is very very difficult, so I am bracing myself for a 3rd cycle if I need be. Oh, also I applied to 2 schools 1st cycle, this time I'm doing 6 programs.

*drools* God damn that's nice for an MA.

This is some good advice! I'm on my 2nd cycle right now. Did basically the same thing you did! Although I am applying to Canadian schools and moved about 15 mins from the border. While here I took non-degree grad credits at a local state uni, and really tried to connect and learn from my professors (which were amazing people who really cared). That was something I didn't do as an undergrad, talk to professors more about sociology and the field past a BA. I visited a conference also which really sharpened my view on things. Also I did a research essay that I'm going to present at a conference (not sociology) next month. Unfortunately I didn't get accepted to it until after I applied to schools >_< It is a shit time to apply, the process is being flooded more and more each year. Buttttttttt don't give up, just keep doing it till you get in and learn as much as you can along the way.

Congrats!! When did you get your acceptance letter?

So I'm going to guess schools send out rejections before waitlists?

2nd that. Hate to judge so quickly but a professional who tells you you were not their first choice must be a horror to work with :/

haha of course I agree with you they are connected, that is why we BOTH have entered a debate about it Yea good chat man, it is fun to have an academic convo that is not connected to the stress of apps >_< Check Bruce out, he does a lot of work on South Korea which is personally my focus. The Uni lets him (and most of their academics) do some interesting interdisciplinary work. I'll check out that activist you mentioned.

I hear ya and I'm all about understanding the cultural appropriation of anything. I can't say too much, I would really bet on the term coming into form BY immigrants abroad moving to the USA. When most of the world uses the term, you gotta ask why? I get that, but I really doubt there is a power dynamic going on in this example. It is easy to say there is an intrinsic power dynamic in anything connected to the USA, I get ya and could talk about colony and imperialism of culture for hours (because the USA has done so much of it :/ ), but I gotta go with my gut and say this certain example probably has nothing to do with that. But who knows, unless there is a researcher that has traveled the world and has done an historical analysis on the coining of the term, I think all we can go by is the modern usage. And while I respect people in Argentina for this example who don't like its use, I would have to go with the majority who don't use it in any way connected to power, just out of sheer practicality until a study has been done.

I really didn't address what you said, sorry. No I of course agree with you 1000%. The USA has that history of colony and take over. Also, yes technically there is no country "America" of course! But it has entered the lexicon in a global way, and I disagree with you that the term sprang up from less than good reasons like the USA's history of being imperial. I think it did spring up from honest reasons and it has nothing to do with power, at all. But I have to bow out because in the end we both are not even arguing about the same thing. My argument is contingent upon you saying it is wrong because of semantics, you are coming at it from another angle (a good one that I would get into on many other situations).

No no I would assume that if you are on this forum you came from South America but have been totally educated in the USA. read my edited post I added a PS in there. Yeaa I'm applying to MA programs in Canada. How do ya like Chicago? Do you happen to know Bruce Cummings? His worsk in both the History and Soc departments.