LAKEHEAD HBSW 2022

[RBMSW]

Hello everyone,

I thought I would start a new thread for those apply to Lakehead one year program.  Please let me know if another group has been created for this year ?

[SocialWorkFromHome]

Hey!

Just wanted to jump on this forum as a previous student in the HBSW program @ Orillia to give some more info and offer myself as a resource for questions -- I know I wished there was more info online when I was planning on applying!

Some questions I had:

Am I qualified? 

• Tons of people in the program have no social service experience and they got in! If you don't have experience, I would recommend really ensuring your references are going to give you a glowing review, your marks are good, and get ready to complete a strong Personal Statement Exam
• This program is a backup for many people applying to MSWs, so if you get waitlisted initially, keep your head up, it'll probably work out!!
• This program does not assume that you have experience, they start from the ground up so do not be nervous applying

How do I do well on the Personal Statement Exam??

• It's composed of different questions every year, so I wouldn't be able to suggest exactly what to prepare, but I would recommend writing out notes on what strengths you have, what makes you enjoy social work, reflect on your helping style, diversity, and consider some general social work principles that you might want to bring into your answers (again, the questions change every year so those are just general things that might end up being helpful) -- if you have applied to MSWs in the past, have those documents handy so you can refer to those answers since this is essentially an exam style version of those.
• It's 3.5 hours long and whew you will need it!

When will I hear if I got in?

• I think generally it's March/April with a required written commitment a few weeks following acceptance and financial commitment around June

How is the program structured?

• The summer is four classes (or fewer if you have transfer credits from your previous degree(s)) and they are each about 1-2 weeks long, completed consecutively instead of simultaneously. They're fairly intense because you blow through an entire class + associated textbook in a week or two, but it's definitely manageable. My tip: get ahead!! Reach out to the profs a reasonable amount of time before the courses start to see if they can let you know what the course textbook will be, then get reading!
• The fall is basically just like a regular undergrad where you will have multiple courses at once for 3-6 hrs per week per class.
• In the winter term, you complete a placement + 1-3 classes (depending on how you set up your fall semester). Some of the placement hours can be challenged depending on your previous experience -- this is a pretty long winded process.

Will I need to quit my job? 

• Not necessarily, but you will do much better in this program if you are not working set hours each week (i.e. probably better if you have a casual job). That being said, there are people who worked almost part time hours and made it work outside of class time

How much is the program?

• Quite a bit, honestly. I think it works out to around 11 grand for the year....
  
  
  Let me know if I didn't answer anything you guys want to know!

[ktr]

On 9/21/2021 at 3:39 PM, SocialWorkFromHome said:

Hey!

Just wanted to jump on this forum as a previous student in the HBSW program @ Orillia to give some more info and offer myself as a resource for questions -- I know I wished there was more info online when I was planning on applying!

Some questions I had:

Am I qualified? 

• Tons of people in the program have no social service experience and they got in! If you don't have experience, I would recommend really ensuring your references are going to give you a glowing review, your marks are good, and get ready to complete a strong Personal Statement Exam
• This program is a backup for many people applying to MSWs, so if you get waitlisted initially, keep your head up, it'll probably work out!!
• This program does not assume that you have experience, they start from the ground up so do not be nervous applying

How do I do well on the Personal Statement Exam??

• It's composed of different questions every year, so I wouldn't be able to suggest exactly what to prepare, but I would recommend writing out notes on what strengths you have, what makes you enjoy social work, reflect on your helping style, diversity, and consider some general social work principles that you might want to bring into your answers (again, the questions change every year so those are just general things that might end up being helpful) -- if you have applied to MSWs in the past, have those documents handy so you can refer to those answers since this is essentially an exam style version of those.
• It's 3.5 hours long and whew you will need it!

When will I hear if I got in?

• I think generally it's March/April with a required written commitment a few weeks following acceptance and financial commitment around June

How is the program structured?

• The summer is four classes (or fewer if you have transfer credits from your previous degree(s)) and they are each about 1-2 weeks long, completed consecutively instead of simultaneously. They're fairly intense because you blow through an entire class + associated textbook in a week or two, but it's definitely manageable. My tip: get ahead!! Reach out to the profs a reasonable amount of time before the courses start to see if they can let you know what the course textbook will be, then get reading!
• The fall is basically just like a regular undergrad where you will have multiple courses at once for 3-6 hrs per week per class.
• In the winter term, you complete a placement + 1-3 classes (depending on how you set up your fall semester). Some of the placement hours can be challenged depending on your previous experience -- this is a pretty long winded process.

Will I need to quit my job? 

• Not necessarily, but you will do much better in this program if you are not working set hours each week (i.e. probably better if you have a casual job). That being said, there are people who worked almost part time hours and made it work outside of class time

How much is the program?

• Quite a bit, honestly. I think it works out to around 11 grand for the year....
  
  
  Let me know if I didn't answer anything you guys want to know!

Thanks for this info! Curious if you know if there are any options for people that get into this program, start in the summer, but then later find out they got into an MSW program? Thinking of applying but would rather go straight into a 2-year MSW. Thanks!! 

 

[SocialWorkFromHome]

On 11/11/2021 at 11:08 AM, ktr said:

Thanks for this info! Curious if you know if there are any options for people that get into this program, start in the summer, but then later find out they got into an MSW program? Thinking of applying but would rather go straight into a 2-year MSW. Thanks!! 

 

Hey! I think your only options would be to drop out of the HBSW to start your MSW, which would mean losing about $3,500 :( (from your payment for the summer term). It's definitely a total coin toss and Lakehead knows that 2 year programs are their competitors so you end up sinking a lot of money into this HBSW before you even start via the entrance exam fee (this gets applied towards your tuition if you end up getting in), the application fee + school of social work fee, and transcripts. It's a fantastic backup to have and I would still recommend it as a safety net, but there is quite a bit of financial risk tied to this program if a 2 year MSW is your goal 

[LillianM14]

On 9/21/2021 at 3:39 PM, SocialWorkFromHome said:

Hey!

Just wanted to jump on this forum as a previous student in the HBSW program @ Orillia to give some more info and offer myself as a resource for questions -- I know I wished there was more info online when I was planning on applying!

Some questions I had:

Am I qualified? 

• Tons of people in the program have no social service experience and they got in! If you don't have experience, I would recommend really ensuring your references are going to give you a glowing review, your marks are good, and get ready to complete a strong Personal Statement Exam
• This program is a backup for many people applying to MSWs, so if you get waitlisted initially, keep your head up, it'll probably work out!!
• This program does not assume that you have experience, they start from the ground up so do not be nervous applying

How do I do well on the Personal Statement Exam??

• It's composed of different questions every year, so I wouldn't be able to suggest exactly what to prepare, but I would recommend writing out notes on what strengths you have, what makes you enjoy social work, reflect on your helping style, diversity, and consider some general social work principles that you might want to bring into your answers (again, the questions change every year so those are just general things that might end up being helpful) -- if you have applied to MSWs in the past, have those documents handy so you can refer to those answers since this is essentially an exam style version of those.
• It's 3.5 hours long and whew you will need it!

When will I hear if I got in?

• I think generally it's March/April with a required written commitment a few weeks following acceptance and financial commitment around June

How is the program structured?

• The summer is four classes (or fewer if you have transfer credits from your previous degree(s)) and they are each about 1-2 weeks long, completed consecutively instead of simultaneously. They're fairly intense because you blow through an entire class + associated textbook in a week or two, but it's definitely manageable. My tip: get ahead!! Reach out to the profs a reasonable amount of time before the courses start to see if they can let you know what the course textbook will be, then get reading!
• The fall is basically just like a regular undergrad where you will have multiple courses at once for 3-6 hrs per week per class.
• In the winter term, you complete a placement + 1-3 classes (depending on how you set up your fall semester). Some of the placement hours can be challenged depending on your previous experience -- this is a pretty long winded process.

Will I need to quit my job? 

• Not necessarily, but you will do much better in this program if you are not working set hours each week (i.e. probably better if you have a casual job). That being said, there are people who worked almost part time hours and made it work outside of class time

How much is the program?

• Quite a bit, honestly. I think it works out to around 11 grand for the year....
  
  
  Let me know if I didn't answer anything you guys want to know!

Hi!! 

Thank you so much for posting this information. I've been searching online for anything to help, and this is amazing! 

I was wondering if you knew anyone who completed their placement outside of Ontario/Canada? I saw on the program website that for the Orillia campus students, there may be potential for completing the placement nationally or internationally and thought it would be interesting to hear from someone who had that perspective! 

 

Thank you again for all this information! It definitely eases some of my anxieties while getting ready to send my application in.

[SocialWorkFromHome]

On 11/27/2021 at 3:10 PM, LillianM14 said:

Hi!! 

Thank you so much for posting this information. I've been searching online for anything to help, and this is amazing! 

I was wondering if you knew anyone who completed their placement outside of Ontario/Canada? I saw on the program website that for the Orillia campus students, there may be potential for completing the placement nationally or internationally and thought it would be interesting to hear from someone who had that perspective! 

 

Thank you again for all this information! It definitely eases some of my anxieties while getting ready to send my application in.

Hey, so happy to hear that this has been helpful!! So it is absolutely an option to do a placement anywhere in the world, however the process differs slightly. For Ontario placements, the placement advisor basically takes the wheel and they will reach out on your behalf to the organizations that you are interested in (in fact, you are not allowed to reach out unless specifically advised out of respect to the organizations who hear from students all the time). You will also have the chance to pursue opportunities at locations with previously-established relationships with Lakehead if you do not have anywhere in mind that you would like to pursue.

 

For non-Ontario and/or non-Canadian placements, however, the onus is on you to find potential placement opportunities. There are also a couple of other logistic things to consider such as insurance, which I believe is required and will (may?) not be covered if you do a placement internationally. There are always placements all across Canada, however I think international ones are a bit less common. I would imagine this is largely because the placements are unpaid, the program is expensive, and you will, of course, need to pay for travel and somewhere to live on top of all of that. Absolutely an option and you start planning placements in July/August so there's lots of time to get something sorted out if that is of interest to you. It might be a good idea to try to do most of your courses in the fall term if you do an international placement, though, since that will help with not having to worry about time differences with classes and whatnot.

 

Please let me know if I can provide any more info!!

[RBMSW]

Hey everyone :)

has anyone prepared the answers for the exam?

[LillianM14]

On 12/14/2021 at 12:33 PM, RBMSW said:

Hey everyone :)

has anyone prepared the answers for the exam?

Hi!! 

I just started preparing some of my answers for the exam. For now I've been going off what was provided to us on the info package and whatever I can find in previous discussions on this website! 

[RBMSW]

Thank you so much!!

[RBMSW]

Is anyone possibly having to relocate if accepted? 

[LillianM14]

I will, it'll be closer for me to go to Orillia than Thunderbay, so Orillia is my top choice. But if I get in at Thunderbay, I'll relocate there!

[RBMSW]

On 1/13/2022 at 1:04 PM, LillianM14 said:

I will, it'll be closer for me to go to Orillia than Thunderbay, so Orillia is my top choice. But if I get in at Thunderbay, I'll relocate there!

Okay wonderful, yeah I am in a similar situation!

[RBMSW]

Wishing everyone luck for the personal statement exam

[Juli3270]

Hey all, out of curiosity (and this is the definition of overthinking) but when we were asked to write “2 pages” for each answer, did you take this as 2 pages double spaced (500 words) or 2 pages single spaced (1000 words). 
 

Best wishes to everyone still writing their exam! Certainly a weight off now that it’s over. The waiting game begins. 

[LillianM14]

On 1/24/2022 at 12:28 PM, Juli3270 said:

Hey all, out of curiosity (and this is the definition of overthinking) but when we were asked to write “2 pages” for each answer, did you take this as 2 pages double spaced (500 words) or 2 pages single spaced (1000 words). 
 

Best wishes to everyone still writing their exam! Certainly a weight off now that it’s over. The waiting game begins. 

Hey! 

So I actually emailed right at the beginning when I opened the exam (I had hoped maybe when I opened it, they would have clarified that, but obviously they didn't), and Lynda (I think that was their name) specified that it should be 2 pages single spaced. 

I wasn't thrilled that they didn't specify it, I thought that was definitely an oversight on their part. 

 

Ugh yes, the waiting now is the worst since everything is out of our hands now! 

[EMWC]

On 1/30/2022 at 12:50 AM, LillianM14 said:

Hey! 

So I actually emailed right at the beginning when I opened the exam (I had hoped maybe when I opened it, they would have clarified that, but obviously they didn't), and Lynda (I think that was their name) specified that it should be 2 pages single spaced. 

I wasn't thrilled that they didn't specify it, I thought that was definitely an oversight on their part. 

 

Ugh yes, the waiting now is the worst since everything is out of our hands now! 

I was accepted into the program last year (wasn't able to attend in the end) and you can rest assured I did not write 2 pages for each exam question! I think the quality of your answers matter more than length

[LillianM14]

1 hour ago, EMWC said:

I was accepted into the program last year (wasn't able to attend in the end) and you can rest assured I did not write 2 pages for each exam question! I think the quality of your answers matter more than length

omg thank you for sharing, that definitely makes me feel better! it was hard to hit 2 pages for sure, and sometimes it didn't feel necessary, so this is reassuring 

[LillianM14]

Just checked application standing and saw that a week ago my application shifted from being submitted to "assessment pending". its so exciting to know that we're getting closer to when acceptances will be released, but it made me nervous just the same :') 

[RBMSW]

On 2/16/2022 at 3:02 PM, EMWC said:

I was accepted into the program last year (wasn't able to attend in the end) and you can rest assured I did not write 2 pages for each exam question! I think the quality of your answers matter more than length

Thank you for this  makes me feel better!

[kelsey-b]

On 2/18/2022 at 12:40 PM, LillianM14 said:

Just checked application standing and saw that a week ago my application shifted from being submitted to "assessment pending". its so exciting to know that we're getting closer to when acceptances will be released, but it made me nervous just the same :') 

Getting so anxious to hear back! Where do you see your application standing? And does anyone know approximately when we will find out? Wishing everyone the best of luck!

[Meg23]

17 minutes ago, kelsey-b said:

Getting so anxious to hear back! Where do you see your application standing? And does anyone know approximately when we will find out? Wishing everyone the best of luck!

If you go on myinfo under applicant you can check your application standing, mine hasn’t changed from “applied” yet! I also applied for the program last year and my application status didn’t change to under review until March 8th and I found out that I was waitlisted on April 6th! 

[kelsey-b]

2 minutes ago, Meg23 said:

If you go on myinfo under applicant you can check your application standing, mine hasn’t changed from “applied” yet! I also applied for the program last year and my application status didn’t change to under review until March 8th and I found out that I was waitlisted on April 6th! 

Thank you so much for this!!

[LillianM14]

4 hours ago, kelsey-b said:

Getting so anxious to hear back! Where do you see your application standing? And does anyone know approximately when we will find out? Wishing everyone the best of luck!

I know me too? from what I've read on different threads on this site is that people usually heard back early to mid April, which seems both so painfully far away but also approaching so quickly! 

I also attached a screenshot of what my application shows since it changed to assessment pending! 

[Juli3270]

I'm getting pretty anxious to hear back as well! My status has not changed yet (still "applied"). On past threads I've seen that the last week of March was the earliest people started hearing back 5 or 6 weeks has never felt so far away lol. 

If accepted into this HBSW, is anyone planning to apply straight for a 1 year MSW in December? I work in clinical paediatric research right now and would love to continue in a clinical setting so I think an MSW will be most helpful with that goal. 

I applied to a MSW at U of T and Laurier for a 2020 start date but was rejected from both (U of T had almost 700 applicants and only 130 spots, i.e 18% acceptance rate, I didn't realize until then how competitive a MSW can be). I've done some volunteering since then and I'm finishing up a community engagement leadership and development certificate at Ryerson (which I have really enjoyed and recommend for anyone wishing to expand their skills/courses). 

 

My fingers are crossed for this year! I got accepted into another program for teaching but this is my first choice. Wishing everyone the best during the waiting game!! :). 

 

 

[LillianM14]

Lets hope we get lucky and hear back early! That will make planning much easier for us all. 
I'm still on the fence about what I'm going to do honestly, I figure I may end up applying to both MSW and MPH programs, but I might also end up taking a year off (I was originally going to take this year off, but then I learned about this program and decided to apply and give it a go). 

Curious, have you guys applied for the Thunder Bay program, Orillia, or both? 

Fingers crossed for us all while we deal with the waiting process :')