MSW13

Wow, that is stressful. It is so hard to make decisions when others are weighing in on what you 'should' do. Ulitmately you will have to block out all of the chatter and do what is best for your future...not an easy task by any means. Just like other decisions you make in life, if you make them for the wrong reasons, you may just end up resenting the person(s) who encouraged you that way. Hopefully you will gain admission to U of T and the choice will be easy.

Oh wow! The competition is definitely fierce. I applied to the advanced standing, hopefully the number is a little less scary.

To be honest, I cant remember exactly where I heard that the applications are sorted by other criteria but I do recal that this info was given by a person in the know. Also, at the info session they told us that last year they had approx 700 applications for the 2yr and 285 for the 1yr. Was the 950 number you heard for total applications or just the 2yr? If it is total applications then it is pretty much the same as last year. Also, they told us that they accepted approx 140 applicants for the 2yr last year. Maybe they are accepting less students this year??

Although I'm not familiar with your program, I cannot imagine any creative program rejecting a student with such a strong background over one *tiny* aspect of the application. Hang in there, as they say "it ain't over till it's over" Also, regarding your age, you are hardly 'old'. I think that whether you are 23, 29, 35 or 46, you are going to feel like you dont have another year to spare. In reality, you have as many years to do this as you have motivation. To me it sounds like you are in a great position to be admitted somewhere but if the worst case scenario happens and you dont get in, it isn't the end of the world. I say this from experience. I was rejected last year from everywhere I applied because my gpa was below cut-off. I too am an older student and have a wealth of experience and an otherwise strong application. I spent the last year strengthening that part of my application and believe me, the time has gone by really fast. If I dont get in this year, I will just go back to work and reassess my plans, but nowhere do I feel like my age will hinder my academic future. It is hard not to catastrophize especially since you put so much time, effort and emotion into this. But really it is just another hurdle in life. Good luck to you! You have a great chance, remember that!

When I didn't get in anywhere last year, I waited a few days to let it sink in then I emailed my references (referees??) telling them that I didn't get in. However, I also mentioned that I would be reapplying and asked whether they would be willing to provide a reference again. All of them were incredibly kind and supportive and said they would be more than happy to provide another reference. Asking them right off the bat made it much easier this past fall when I contacted them again. I also made sure to tell them what I did to strengthen my application so that they could refer to it in their letters. I think most people can appreciate what you must be feeling to get rejected, afterall they probably experienced the same wave of emotions when they applied years ago too.

Does anyone know how many applications U of T received this year? So curious to know whether it is more or less competitive than last year.

It has been a month since I got my application in and from going to the school's info session, I know that the committee wont be sitting down and going over them until February. Right now they are just sorting applications and weeding out the ones that are clearly a 'no', for instance the incomplete applications, and those that dont meet the minimum gpa criteria. I'm not sure if this is true for other universities but the ones I applied to tend to send out rejection letters early on for those applications that will not be formally reviewed. In that sense, the longer it takes to hear back, the better For me it helps knowing what their process is and what sort of timelines they go by. It is still a very hard wait-- just try to stay busy!

I'm not sure about York but for U of T, as long as you got your documents in before the deadline (doesn't matter if it was at 11:59pm, they are not late so no need to worry) they will review your application. I dont believe that they look at applications in the order they were received, they sort them according to predetermined criteria (ie/ by gpa etc) and review them that way. My opinion only: For York, if they reject your application for late documents/incomplete application etc, you will likely get an rejection letter sooner than later.

That is excellent! It sounds like you should have no problem getting into most, if not all, of your chosen programs. 8 is equivalent to an A, is it not? That would be pretty hard for most schools to turn down. I think Laurier focuses heavily on experience as well. As long as you have that, you are definitely in a good place! If you only get accepted to Laurier, I am sure you will find a way to move there...there is *always* a way

The good news is that U of T states that you dont need to worry about the 'documents pending' if you have submitted everything. The reason it is still there is because they have to manually change it to 'under review'. I cant remember exactly where I read it (maybe on the FAQ's page??) but it says that it takes until the end of January to make all of the status updates. York is a nightmare. All you have to do is read back in some of these forum threads to see just how awful they are.

Good luck to you! It sounds like any offer of admission would be a good one for you. If you dont mind sharing, what is your gpa?

From what I understand, most people admitted have at least a B+ or A-. But that is for the MSW program, I'm not sure of the stats for the Counselling Psychology program at Oise. Is it highly competitive?

Thanks Karlie! I just checked and the status has changed to under review. Did you attend any of the info sessions?

Hey everyone, To those who applied to U of T, has your file been updated or is it still 'documents pending'? I'm waiting for mine to change to 'under review'. How is everyone feeling about their chances?? Midnight Rose: Enjoy your vacation! I'm sure once you hit that beach you'll find a way to occupy your mind with other thoughts Nea: Welcome! Yes, the obsessive discussion will pick up quite a bit in the coming weeks! Selecttext: Is UofT your first choice?

Has anyone else applied to U of T?

Kreamy, Thanks for that! You are absolutely right, we've done what we can and now it is up to the admissions committee to decide. But I still do hope the time goes by fast.

Hi coffeenut, Based on your comment, you seem to have a growing passion for helping but really dont have any practical experience. Although having a background that demonstrates overcoming challenges is good, it isn't enough to get you admitted. I would suggest that you actually volunteer in the social services sector and try to determine whether this field is right for you and if it is, to narrow down an area of interest. That is really the best way to get started. I would say that an MSW is something you should only consider if/when you know what population you want to work with (ie/ families, youth, adults, seniors, etc) and what type of work you want to do. It doesn't sound like you are there yet. Keep working at it! Good luck!

Now that I've submitted my application, I'm all nervous! This is the part that I hate, the rollercoaster ride of emotions until you find out the results. March/April cant come fast enough.

Hi Beth, It sounds like you have a solid gpa (the research methods mark is fantastic!). Your experience also sounds great. References: you really have no control over those and can only hope that whoever has agreed to provide one will do their best to make you shine. The one thing that can really make a difference is your personal statement. Have lots of smart people who are not afraid to offer constructive criticism proof-read it--and follow their advice (unless it feels 'wrong'). Really, in my opinion, you've got a great chance. Just make sure the goals you identify in your personal statement are in line with what the school offers. I'm not certain but I think strong candidates can be rejected just because the committee doesn't think they are a good match for the program. Good luck!

After reading what people had to say last year about York's frustrating communication process, it totally turned me off. I personally dont think York has the *best* program for me anyway so I didn't apply there. I think they were in the middle of a move during the spring last year and that may have added to the poor communication. However, it looks like the same bad communication happened in previous years so I wouldn't be expecting much better this year for those who applied.

I dont think you are at all alone with being afraid to submit your written statement. It is a huge deal and you want to make sure you hand in your best work. I think I'll be submitting mine closer to the deadline just so I dont have 'early submission regret'. But other than that, I'm pretty much done. I just got my last reference submitted, yay! I have to say, it is a bit hard to concentrate on the application when there are so many end of term assignments due. So much stress this time of year!

FH 2012, it sounds like you're doing everything right! Good luck!! I agree that U of T has the smoothest application process. They are excellent at communicating with applicants and that is why I only applied there this year. Just curious, has anyone out there has completed all of their applications? Anyone still waiting on references?

Hi Beth, You may want to research each school's website. All will have a pretty good description about their program focus within their vision statement. Look for the key words like, Anti-oppression, Research, Social Justice, etc. This will tell you what they *want* to be known for and will help you decide whether that school's focus matches your career focus. Hope that helps!

Hi Beth, I did not apply for a scholarship so I'm not quite sure about the process. (disclaimer: this is my opinion only, please take it with a grain of salt) Regarding your question about not applying and whether that would put you at a disadvantage--yes and no. Sure it would put you at a disadvantage if you want a scholarship but not at all for the actual MSW admission. If you dont apply but think you would qualify for the scholarship should you be admitted, I think it is important for you to look at deadlines. I dont think they offer scholarships first come/first serve but you need to look at that University's criteria. You may actually have to have separate scholarship application papers in well ahead of the MSW application deadline. To the best of my knowledge, ticking a box on the application is only alerting them that you're applying, it is not the actual 'application'. But as far as the MSW program, applying for a scholarship has no impact on whether you gain admission or not. They only consider gpa, statement of purpose, resume, reference letters. Scholarship has nothing to do with it. I hope that makes sense!

I know how you feel, this process can really make you second-guess your qualifications. I applied to 3 schools last year and struck out (which wasn't a surprise considering that I was lacking in my gpa). But if you have a decent gpa and good experience, you stand a good chance of getting admitted somewhere. I think pretty much every school only admits around 25-35% of applicants. Most local schools that have both the 1yr and 2yr streams get a total of around 700 applicants, give or take. Chances are you will be competing against pretty much the same group of people regardless of the school. Stay confident--just do your best with your statement and hopefully you will gain admission.