HOPEFULFOROISE Posted October 31, 2018 Posted October 31, 2018 This is my first time starting a forum so please be kind to me In the past, it looks as if cohort groups start the forum a little later. However, I'm stressing out and I wanted to start a forum that is along the same lines as the ones before it, and use it as a type of support group. I've put all of the programs for P/J divisions together, and thought that this forum coud be used to discuss acceptances, applications, and anything else related. Ill start by talking about my application: I'm in my final year studying public health. The year previous I made Dean's list (fall 2017) and presidents list (winter 2018). My over all average is 78% but my average last year was between 82-85%. I've worked with an after school program going on 5 years where I run gym activities and do some teaching and tutoring (ages 4-13), the past 3 summers I've worked as a kindergarten readiness teacher (ages 3-6), I work as a supply ECA (ages 2-12), and I worked one summer as a camp arts/crafts specialist (ages 2.5-13). My references were from a work supervisor for the kindergarten readiness program, and a professor who I don't know well, but I got good grades in their class. I applied to, in order, MACSE, MT P/J, and MT J/I. I'm really hoping I get into this program. I'm applying to other schools for teaching, but of course this is my first choice.
pablohoney Posted November 10, 2018 Posted November 10, 2018 Hey, I submitted my application yesterday! I wasn't going to apply anywhere this year, but decided to try and see if I could get into MACSE. I'm in my fourth year, studying psychology and English at U of T. I applied to the RIT program as my first choice, with PBI as my second. My GPA is total trash, due to mental health issues through my first few years of university, but I'm in a good place now, and my grades have improved substantially. Anyway - my experiences with children are through tutoring at the Toronto Public Library (ages 4-10) and the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (ages 5-18), and managing a children's indoor playground and party house (ages 0-12). My research experiences include testing children at SickKids, a lab at U of T, and I've also been volunteering at a lab at OISE. Fingers crossed!!
CFord10 Posted December 20, 2018 Posted December 20, 2018 Hey thanks for creating this forum--and it seems both of your backgrounds are pretty amazing!! I graduated from UofT a few years ago and have been working FT in marketing field for 3 years now with continuous volunteering in child education. It took me some time to decide whether I should pursue further education for teaching esp. when job market is not looking too bright.. But after considering what I am passionate about and reflecting on my experiences, I thought I should at least give it a try so I ended up applying to MA CSE PIB as my first choice and MT for second. My experiences with children include: private tutoring (ages 10-12) for 2 years for students in special ed. program, summer English camp (gr. 5-6) abroad, volunteering in Arts and Crafts program run for Indigenous students during summer (K-gr. 6) for 4 years, and volunteering as a community church's Sunday School teacher (JK-SK) for 3 years. I got my two references from one of my professors at U of T and another from a current supervisor from where I volunteer. My academic record is pretty avg. (final year B to B+). Best of luck to all the applicants and hopefully we will all hear good news in coming months!
12slj1 Posted January 3, 2019 Posted January 3, 2019 Hi everyone, Thank you for creating this forum! It's great to connect with other applicants. I applied for the P/J MACSE program in November. I graduated from Queen's University in 2017 with a BAH in Psychology. I have been working full-time as a teaching assistant at a Montessori school since I graduated. The summer before I started working at the school, I worked a city job as a designated inclusion support counselor for children with exceptionalities. Working at a school has affirmed my interest in education and although I considered pursuing Montessori teacher's college, I ultimately feel more drawn to the traditional system. I love that this program combines both teacher education and graduate level courses. I'm very interested in mental health in early childhood and how schools can incorporate these topics into the curriculum effectively and best support students. If accepted I'm keen to explore this topic more in depth. Some of my other experiences with children include: teaching dance to elementary students in University, running a lunch hour craft program, working as a neighbourhood parks program leader with the city, and camp counselling. A bit unrelated to children but something I included in my application was volunteering at a crisis phone line service for two years while in University. I felt that the training I underwent and the skills I acquired from the position helped support my intent to explore mental health practices in school, even though I primarily serviced adults while on the line. I did not apply for the research intensive stream, although I did include on my application my volunteer experience at a lab on campus. My final year I graduated with Dean's Honour List- roughly a 3.7 gpa (A- at Queen's). My overall average over four years is quite a bit lower (B to mid B range). I wish I had worked as hard all three years but I'm happy with my final year grades. My academic reference is a psychology professor who taught one of my fourth year seminars, and my professional reference is the director of the school that I currently work at. I also applied to York, Western, and UOIT for their teacher education programs, but this is of course my first choice. Best of luck to everyone- hopefully with the holidays wrapping up we should all hear back soon. Let's keep each other posted. Happy New Year!
meganembers Posted January 17, 2019 Posted January 17, 2019 Such strong applications!! I'm getting super anxious about this too and keep lurking these threads, so felt like I should join in the actual discussion. I applied for the MT P/J stream and the MA-CSE PBI stream as my second choice. I'm from Montreal and have a 4.0GPA in my final year at Concordia (3.95 overall), where I did honours english lit with a minor in film studies. I've been working in an elementary school since September 2016, as an after-school educator, lunch monitor, extra-curricular activity teacher, and occasionally as a sub for english & french language arts. I've also been working in the RE program at a church since 2014, spent 3 summers as a counsellor at a sleep-away arts camp, volunteered in Ecuador at an ESL day camp, ran a discussion-based reading group for adults on James Joyce's "Ulysses", and have done lots of babysitting as well as some other tutoring & part time volunteer work with kids. I feel like my application is strong, but I'm still super nervous! I didn't apply to any other schools because I love the social justice focus of OISE, and because I'm moving to Toronto with my partner regardless of whether or not I get in — if I don't, I'll just try to work full-time in whatever field I can while I look at other schools/programs to apply to for 2020. One thing that's making me worried is that I went to U of T for one year of my undergrad, but transferred so that I could return to Montreal due to some family/mental health issues. I'm worried that the fact that I only went to U of T for one year could damage my chances of getting in somehow (maybe it'll seem like I'm not committed or can't handle the pressure?), even though I had a good GPA when I left... probably I'm just being silly but I dunno! This seems like such a tough program to get into, so I worry that any tiny thing could hurt my chances. Anyway, good luck to everyone, and keep us updated when anyone starts getting interviews or hearing back :)
CFord10 Posted January 18, 2019 Posted January 18, 2019 Wow yours sounds like one of the strongest applications! And I don't think your previous undergrad experience at UofT and switching to another school will have an impact on them making acceptance decision at all. I'm checking my sgs account every morning and afternoon to see if there is any status update, and then check back on this thread to see if anyone else has received any update lol.. It seems like previous years' applicants started to receive interview offers as early as few weeks after Christmas break. I'm wondering if they will follow similar timeline or if we will have to wait until.. who knows when! But it's only mid January, so my nervousness hasn't reached its highest peak yet. Hopefully we will start hearing back in the coming week or so though!
12slj1 Posted January 23, 2019 Posted January 23, 2019 Has anyone heard back at all this week? Still anxiously waiting.
Susan15 Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 I still haven't heard back anything either, hopefully they'll send it soon. 42 minutes ago, 12slj1 said: Has anyone heard back at all this week? Still anxiously waiting.
pablohoney Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 15 hours ago, 12slj1 said: Has anyone heard back at all this week? Still anxiously waiting. I haven't heard anything yet. It seems like last year, they held interviews on the 27th, and 28th on the year before. It really could be any day now.
bk97 Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 Hey guys! I just came across this forum and wish I did earlier... I was looking for one since application period started last September! I applied to both MACSE and MT P/J. I received an email today regarding an invitation to a MACSE interview for February 2nd. Does anyone know what types of questions will be asked or know anyone who has done the interview? MT is my first choice (for now). Hopefully we all get in to the programs we want!!!
bk97 Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 Also, I just saw that the MT application deadline has been extended to end of January, which will likely push when they send out acceptances as well. It looks like the same thing happened last year, as I was reading reddit posts that said they extended the deadline for 2018
12slj1 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 5 hours ago, bk97 said: Hey guys! I just came across this forum and wish I did earlier... I was looking for one since application period started last September! I applied to both MACSE and MT P/J. I received an email today regarding an invitation to a MACSE interview for February 2nd. Does anyone know what types of questions will be asked or know anyone who has done the interview? MT is my first choice (for now). Hopefully we all get in to the programs we want!!! Congratulations! I haven't received an e-mail yet. I'm curious if interview invitations will be sent out periodically, or if they are sent out in one go. It's hard to gauge from previous years if e-mails were sent out on different dates. Hopefully there's still a chance.
CFord10 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 15 hours ago, bk97 said: Hey guys! I just came across this forum and wish I did earlier... I was looking for one since application period started last September! I applied to both MACSE and MT P/J. I received an email today regarding an invitation to a MACSE interview for February 2nd. Does anyone know what types of questions will be asked or know anyone who has done the interview? MT is my first choice (for now). Hopefully we all get in to the programs we want!!! Congratulations! I haven't received email invites yet.. Do you mind sharing what your application was like? I also saw from previous years' post that interview questions included things like: previous experience of lesson planning, experience with children, experience in teaching, etc. They seemed pretty basic and relevant questions to the program. Good luck on your interview and please update us on how it went!
meganembers Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 Hi again all, I got an email inviting me for the MA interview a few days ago, and the interview itself is tomorrow! So that must mean that they’re not sending out all the invitations at the same time - I’m sure a lot of you will hear back in the next week or so. On my application I put my first choice as the MT program, but after doing more research I’m starting to feel like I might prefer the MA (it sounds more hands-on and community-oriented). Am I right in thinking that, slash does anyone else have any reasons for putting one program ahead of the other? Is one of them better for procuring employment after graduation? Good luck to everyone, I hope those of you who haven’t heard back yet do soon!!
CFord10 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 13 minutes ago, meganembers said: Hi again all, I got an email inviting me for the MA interview a few days ago, and the interview itself is tomorrow! So that must mean that they’re not sending out all the invitations at the same time - I’m sure a lot of you will hear back in the next week or so. On my application I put my first choice as the MT program, but after doing more research I’m starting to feel like I might prefer the MA (it sounds more hands-on and community-oriented). Am I right in thinking that, slash does anyone else have any reasons for putting one program ahead of the other? Is one of them better for procuring employment after graduation? Good luck to everyone, I hope those of you who haven’t heard back yet do soon!! Congrats to you as well, and good luck on the interview tomorrow! I have a few colleagues who are currently in MT program, and was told that some of the students in the program are current teachers or those who've received Bachelor of Ed degree already who are looking to get the MT to advance their career. Feedback I received from my colleagues was that while MA degree might only grant you the certificate to become an eligible teacher in ON, MT may assist you in pursuing other professions than teachers in the educational field. However this is a feedback I got from current MT students so it could be biased and not reflect the full side from MA. One of my friends who have graduated from MT program a few years ago is receiving a higher pay than other teachers (with B.Ed degree) when she started her job. But this could also be true for MA graduates. I, myself, prefer MA over MT though personally as I do value practice-based curriculum that the program offers and I am specifically looking into P/J group.
bk97 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 13 hours ago, 12slj1 said: Congratulations! I haven't received an e-mail yet. I'm curious if interview invitations will be sent out periodically, or if they are sent out in one go. It's hard to gauge from previous years if e-mails were sent out on different dates. Hopefully there's still a chance. I read from multiple sources that emails go out every business day up until almost the end of February! so there is still loads of time for sure
bk97 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 3 hours ago, meganembers said: Hi again all, I got an email inviting me for the MA interview a few days ago, and the interview itself is tomorrow! So that must mean that they’re not sending out all the invitations at the same time - I’m sure a lot of you will hear back in the next week or so. On my application I put my first choice as the MT program, but after doing more research I’m starting to feel like I might prefer the MA (it sounds more hands-on and community-oriented). Am I right in thinking that, slash does anyone else have any reasons for putting one program ahead of the other? Is one of them better for procuring employment after graduation? Good luck to everyone, I hope those of you who haven’t heard back yet do soon!! Tomorrow!! Goodluck! Really hope it goes well and if you could share some interview insights once its done! Again best of luck
bk97 Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 4 hours ago, CFord10 said: Congratulations! I haven't received email invites yet.. Do you mind sharing what your application was like? I also saw from previous years' post that interview questions included things like: previous experience of lesson planning, experience with children, experience in teaching, etc. They seemed pretty basic and relevant questions to the program. Good luck on your interview and please update us on how it went! Thanks so much! I'm currently in my 4th year of undergrad and am graduating with a BCOMM. My last ten courses averaged out to be an 88%, and I have experience working with youth in volunteer initiatives such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and other non profit organizations. My references came from a professor I have taken several courses with, and a supervisor from the non profit. Hope this helps!
HOPEFULFOROISE Posted January 26, 2019 Author Posted January 26, 2019 I just had my interview today. I think it went pretty good but I'm going to be INTENSLY worried until I get a response. I'm worried I focused too much on developmental psychology and may have left the impression that I care more about health/developmental psychology instead of how these topics relate to education. I'm hoping I get in because I love the focus on developmental psychology. For the interview, some MACSE students greet you at the door and you enter a room with a few current students and other applicants. The environment is very welcoming and comfortable. Questions wise, I remember being asked about what I liked about the MACSE program, an example of when I had to change something because something else wasn't working, and example of a tough experience and what I did to solve it. They ask about what unique insights you could bring to the program, and what questions your teaching experiences have left you with. There's 5 questions and you get interviewed by a faculty member and a teacher at the research school. The interview lasts about 30 minutes. There were maybe 6 or so other applicants there so I would say there is maybe 5 students per an hour. Idk when they start or end the interviews but if it's around 9-4, I would guess that they interview around 50 applicants per an interview day. Past forums have given me the impression that they only do two interview days/sessions but I could be very wrong about that. I had alot of trouble figuring out what to wear since it's different from a job interview. Some tips; a nice sweater or blouse, a cardigan or a blazer, simple dress pants or dark/khaki jeans/pants. I would say it's safe to dress business casual. Definitely no need for a full suit. Past forums make me think that informal acceptances come mid-February at the earliest (so only a few weeks to wait minimally) I hope this information helps and finger crossed we'll all be sitting in classes together come September!
Jesss Posted January 26, 2019 Posted January 26, 2019 (edited) Hi everyone, just came across this forum today! I applied for both the MASCE and MT programs (P/J for both) and received an email this morning inviting me for an interview for the MASCE program. So yes the emails are definitely being sent out continuously. The interview is scheduled for Feb 2nd, meaning that I got a weeks notice! Any tips/advice for the interview would be greatly appreciated. Best of luck to all of us! Edited January 26, 2019 by Jesss
Jesss Posted January 26, 2019 Posted January 26, 2019 39 minutes ago, HOPEFULFOROISE said: I just had my interview today. I think it went pretty good but I'm going to be INTENSLY worried until I get a response. I'm worried I focused too much on developmental psychology and may have left the impression that I care more about health/developmental psychology instead of how these topics relate to education. I'm hoping I get in because I love the focus on developmental psychology. For the interview, some MACSE students greet you at the door and you enter a room with a few current students and other applicants. The environment is very welcoming and comfortable. Questions wise, I remember being asked about what I liked about the MACSE program, an example of when I had to change something because something else wasn't working, and example of a tough experience and what I did to solve it. They ask about what unique insights you could bring to the program, and what questions your teaching experiences have left you with. There's 5 questions and you get interviewed by a faculty member and a teacher at the research school. The interview lasts about 30 minutes. There were maybe 6 or so other applicants there so I would say there is maybe 5 students per an hour. Idk when they start or end the interviews but if it's around 9-4, I would guess that they interview around 50 applicants per an interview day. Past forums have given me the impression that they only do two interview days/sessions but I could be very wrong about that. I had alot of trouble figuring out what to wear since it's different from a job interview. Some tips; a nice sweater or blouse, a cardigan or a blazer, simple dress pants or dark/khaki jeans/pants. I would say it's safe to dress business casual. Definitely no need for a full suit. Past forums make me think that informal acceptances come mid-February at the earliest (so only a few weeks to wait minimally) I hope this information helps and finger crossed we'll all be sitting in classes together come September! Congratulations on completing your interview successfully! Thanks for offering your advice, I’m already feeling anxious about next week and your post really helps Do you by chance have an idea of the ratio of applicants : number accepted ?
meganembers Posted January 27, 2019 Posted January 27, 2019 I had my interview over Skype yesterday, and was very nervous beforehand, but I think (hope!) it went pretty well. The people who interviewed me were really kind and easy to talk to, and the questions were pretty simple (ones I remember were: why you want to go to OISE, a challenging situation you’ve dealt with, some experience you’ve had with lesson planning). Anyway, good luck to everyone here!
HOPEFULFOROISE Posted January 27, 2019 Author Posted January 27, 2019 https://www.gradschools.com/get-informed/applying-graduate-school/graduate-school-interview/graduate-school-interview-questions That link is very helpful as well. I want to guess that maybe they do double the amount of interviews for the number of spots. I think MACSE only takes about 70 ish students total. 60-ish for the PIB stream and a few for the RIT stream. It could be closer to 60 though. Past forums seem to say that emails about unofficial acceptances come out around mid February so hopefully I'll get an email then. I have anxiety so I'm going to be feeling incredibly sick EVERYDAY till I get a yes or no response. I really hope the previous posts help though. I found preparing for this interview a little difficult (due to a lack of good webpages) so hopefully they help you and me and meganembers get a little bit of good karma for helping out as well, lol Let us know how your interview goes and good luck!
Susan15 Posted January 28, 2019 Posted January 28, 2019 Anyone think there’s any chances to hear back for interviews still? Also congratulations to everyone who has so far! :)
CFord10 Posted January 28, 2019 Posted January 28, 2019 On 1/26/2019 at 5:50 PM, HOPEFULFOROISE said: I just had my interview today. I think it went pretty good but I'm going to be INTENSLY worried until I get a response. I'm worried I focused too much on developmental psychology and may have left the impression that I care more about health/developmental psychology instead of how these topics relate to education. I'm hoping I get in because I love the focus on developmental psychology. For the interview, some MACSE students greet you at the door and you enter a room with a few current students and other applicants. The environment is very welcoming and comfortable. Questions wise, I remember being asked about what I liked about the MACSE program, an example of when I had to change something because something else wasn't working, and example of a tough experience and what I did to solve it. They ask about what unique insights you could bring to the program, and what questions your teaching experiences have left you with. There's 5 questions and you get interviewed by a faculty member and a teacher at the research school. The interview lasts about 30 minutes. There were maybe 6 or so other applicants there so I would say there is maybe 5 students per an hour. Idk when they start or end the interviews but if it's around 9-4, I would guess that they interview around 50 applicants per an interview day. Past forums have given me the impression that they only do two interview days/sessions but I could be very wrong about that. I had alot of trouble figuring out what to wear since it's different from a job interview. Some tips; a nice sweater or blouse, a cardigan or a blazer, simple dress pants or dark/khaki jeans/pants. I would say it's safe to dress business casual. Definitely no need for a full suit. Past forums make me think that informal acceptances come mid-February at the earliest (so only a few weeks to wait minimally) I hope this information helps and finger crossed we'll all be sitting in classes together come September! Congrats on completing your interview and really thanks for sharing your insight and experiences. And it does seem like they do start sending out early unofficial offers to those who've completed their interviews as early as February, so good luck and wish you the best results! BTW, does the status on your SGS account still appear as "Under Review"?
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