MSW Canadian Applications Fall 2024

[Madison Stewart]

Submitted my applications to University of Toronto (Advanced Standing) and University of British Columbia Vancouver today!  

[glebgleb]

Anyone submit their application to UofT Foundation? How did you find the process?

[msw1910]

Hi everyone! So happy to have this place to discuss this year’s round of applications. I will probably check this forum more often in February/March/April because it is so easy to compare ourselves to one another when I am sure we are all highly qualified for the schools we are applying to! I will leave some of my stats/info here to gauge the interest to certain schools 😀

• Current BSW student, will graduate in spring 2024. GPA 3.7/4.0 and A+ in my research courses. I have a BA and independent research experience in mental health

• Throughout my BA, I was engaged in mental health advocacy, group facilitation, and peer support. The summer after I graduated, I worked at a shelter full time and continue to do so

• My interests in social work and grad school have shifted from just mental health to housing, social policy, and community development. I have summer experience in the same working for my local government

• 300 practicum hours so far in a healthcare setting

• Hours of experience (human services related and otherwise): ~6,900

Schools I am applying/have applied to:

1. U of T advanced standing, social justice and diversity, full time

2. UWaterloo advanced standing, part time

3. UVic advanced standing

4. McGill non-thesis, international and community development, full time

Looking forward to chatting with you all! Good luck on your applications.

Edited November 29, 2023 by msw1910

[glebgleb]

Sorry for the double post, but does anyone have any experience with how MSW grad schools (Toronto) evaluate students who are currently taking their research methods course? I'm taking an online stats course right now to make up for that minimum requirement. TIA!

[tooturntmacaroon]

Hi everyone!

I'm applying for an MSW;  I applied to U Waterloo, and I'm going to apply to St. Thomas University where I attend now. I'm not sure what else to add with my post, but wanted to join the discussion.  

[tooturntmacaroon]

On 11/29/2023 at 6:29 AM, msw1910 said:

Hi everyone! So happy to have this place to discuss this year’s round of applications. I will probably check this forum more often in February/March/April because it is so easy to compare ourselves to one another when I am sure we are all highly qualified for the schools we are applying to! I will leave some of my stats/info here to gauge the interest to certain schools 😀

• Current BSW student, will graduate in spring 2024. GPA 3.7/4.0 and A+ in my research courses. I have a BA and independent research experience in mental health

• Throughout my BA, I was engaged in mental health advocacy, group facilitation, and peer support. The summer after I graduated, I worked at a shelter full time and continue to do so

• My interests in social work and grad school have shifted from just mental health to housing, social policy, and community development. I have summer experience in the same working for my local government

• 300 practicum hours so far in a healthcare setting

• Hours of experience (human services related and otherwise): ~6,900

Schools I am applying/have applied to:

1. U of T advanced standing, social justice and diversity, full time

2. UWaterloo advanced standing, part time

3. UVic advanced standing

4. McGill non-thesis, international and community development, full time

Looking forward to chatting with you all! Good luck on your applications.

As a current BSW student, I applied to U Waterloo, too! Best of luck.

[canadiandmbfan]

On 11/29/2023 at 5:29 AM, msw1910 said:

Hi everyone! So happy to have this place to discuss this year’s round of applications. I will probably check this forum more often in February/March/April because it is so easy to compare ourselves to one another when I am sure we are all highly qualified for the schools we are applying to! I will leave some of my stats/info here to gauge the interest to certain schools 😀

• Current BSW student, will graduate in spring 2024. GPA 3.7/4.0 and A+ in my research courses. I have a BA and independent research experience in mental health

• Throughout my BA, I was engaged in mental health advocacy, group facilitation, and peer support. The summer after I graduated, I worked at a shelter full time and continue to do so

• My interests in social work and grad school have shifted from just mental health to housing, social policy, and community development. I have summer experience in the same working for my local government

• 300 practicum hours so far in a healthcare setting

• Hours of experience (human services related and otherwise): ~6,900

Schools I am applying/have applied to:

1. U of T advanced standing, social justice and diversity, full time

2. UWaterloo advanced standing, part time

3. UVic advanced standing

4. McGill non-thesis, international and community development, full time

Looking forward to chatting with you all! Good luck on your applications.

I am also currently completing my BSW. I have a 4.08/4.5 and 20 000 hours of experience working in child protection and mental health. I applied to Waterloo full time, WLU online p/t and U of Windsor for working professionals. 

[EaglesFan123]

On 9/21/2023 at 11:30 AM, tturtle said:

Hi everyone! 😊

I remember using this forum when I was applying for my MSW for Fall 2022. I found it super helpful while doing my applications and thought I would post if anyone had any questions regarding apps, schools, reference letters etc!

Just for a little background, I applied to York, Carleton U, UofT - Children and Families, Western U, Wilfred Laurier, and Toronto Metropolitan U. I was accepted to all schools except Western where I was waitlisted - I ended up going to U of T (just finished 🥳)!

 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reply to this or DM me! I would be more than happy to help with your MSW application journey! ❤️ 

Wow that is awesome you got into every school minus Western. Could you provide some information regarding your GPA/% and work/volunteer experience? 

[tturtle]

Good luck with your applications everyone! It's a stressful but exciting time!! 🥳

Edited December 7, 2023 by tturtle

[tturtle]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:17 PM, EaglesFan123 said:

Wow that is awesome you got into every school minus Western. Could you provide some information regarding your GPA/% and work/volunteer experience? 

Hi! 

Of course! My memory is a little foggy but I will do my best haha.

If I remember correctly, my BSW GPA was around 88-90% in my last two years. I also had two minors (psych + family supports community practice) and was enrolled in a con't education certificate for community engagement.

In terms of my work/volunteer experience at the time of application, I didn't realize until maybe halfway into my second year of my BSW that I wanted to apply for my MSW. I had only had one job prior that was relevant to social work and I volunteered briefly at a counselling office and then went abroad for 1 month. From Mar 2020 to Sept-ish 2021, I sort of kicked everything into overdrive. I immediately looked to secure a PT job that was relevant to SW (I ended up getting two). For volunteering, I enrolled/signed up for anything that would give me even just one additional hour per week, and I was able to add seven more experiences to my resume through this. When I applied to UofT they wanted all of my prior work experience on my resume regardless of relevance, even Tim Horton's and random retail experience (my friends and I confirmed with the rep but this could have changed since). In total, I think I had about 11,000~ hours.

I was initially set on Western and noticed they asked for professional affiliations/development on their application, so I did a lot of different workshops, webinars, and certifications to add to my resume. I also immediately registered for the OASW as a student ($109), and if you can, I would try to apply for their Student Advisory Group - great opportunity but also great for your application in general. The OASW enrolment will automatically make you a member of the CASW because of the reunification of the OASW into the national federation as of April 2021. Added both of these to my application of course. In total, I had 40+ professional development workshops, certificates, and/or pieces of training on my application. 

PS. If you're ever wondering about what to add to your application/resume, don't hesitate to confirm with the schools! My friends and I always sent emails because we wanted to be absolutely sure we didn't miss anything. 

Another big one is reference letters! Make sure they're coming from people who can really speak to who you are as a volunteer, employee, student etc. Having a resume with a lot of hours is great, but having strong reference letters (especially academically) is equally as important. 

 

If you have any other questions or would like some additional clarity, just let me know!

Edited December 7, 2023 by tturtle

[EaglesFan123]

1 hour ago, tturtle said:

Hi! 

Of course! My memory is a little foggy but I will do my best haha.

If I remember correctly, my BSW GPA was around 88-90% in my last two years. I also had two minors (psych + family supports community practice) and was enrolled in a con't education certificate for community engagement.

In terms of my work/volunteer experience at the time of application, I didn't realize until maybe halfway into my second year of my BSW that I wanted to apply for my MSW. I had only had one job prior that was relevant to social work and I volunteered briefly at a counselling office and then went abroad for 1 month. From Mar 2020 to Sept-ish 2021, I sort of kicked everything into overdrive. I immediately looked to secure a PT job that was relevant to SW (I ended up getting two). For volunteering, I enrolled/signed up for anything that would give me even just one additional hour per week, and I was able to add seven more experiences to my resume through this. When I applied to UofT they wanted all of my prior work experience on my resume regardless of relevance, even Tim Horton's and random retail experience (my friends and I confirmed with the rep but this could have changed since). In total, I think I had about 11,000~ hours.

I was initially set on Western and noticed they asked for professional affiliations/development on their application, so I did a lot of different workshops, webinars, and certifications to add to my resume. I also immediately registered for the OASW as a student ($109), and if you can, I would try to apply for their Student Advisory Group - great opportunity but also great for your application in general. The OASW enrolment will automatically make you a member of the CASW because of the reunification of the OASW into the national federation as of April 2021. Added both of these to my application of course. 

PS. If you're ever wondering about what to add to your application/resume, don't hesitate to confirm with the schools! My friends and I always sent emails because we wanted to be absolutely sure we didn't miss anything. 

Another big one is reference letters! Make sure they're coming from people who can really speak to who you are as a volunteer, employee, student etc. Having a resume with a lot of hours is great, but having strong reference letters (especially academically) is equally as important. 

 

If you have any other questions or would like some additional clarity, just let me know!

Thanks for the insight! I have applied to Wilfrid Laurier, U of T, and York University MSW programs. I am a little nervous due to my lack of experience in the field. I also hadn't decided to pursue an MSW until I was almost done with my BSW. Looking back, I decided to take a year off, which probably was a good thing, and I now work as a Caseworker for Big Brothers Big Sisters, where I did my final BSW placement. I also have a college diploma as a Social Service Worker. 

I have eight months of experience in a paid Big Brothers Big Sisters Caseworker position. I have a 4-month paid summer student position in a government housing program in social services helping individuals with housing needs, and another 4/5 months working with people with disabilities. So, it was only about one year and a half when I applied. I am a mature student in my 40s, so I have a lot of past work experience outside of social work, with a total of 31,000 hours or more. I hope that will set me apart in the decision process. I also have three placements, two of which were working with individuals with disabilities and another one mentoring youth in the school through my new job at Big Brothers/Sisters, totaling about 1,100 hours. My last two years of my BSW program were about 84%, which I understand is around a 3.7 GPA. I have two strong references through a past professor and current supervisor who both know me well, and a third reference through a professor that I wouldn't say knows me well but enough to write a decent reference letter. 

I worked very hard on my statements. I feel they are strong, but you never know. I did find it slightly difficult to be concise with the small word counts, especially regarding social issues. I noticed after the fact that I made some minor errors, such as not putting my name on every page of the statement for U of T, etc. These were minor errors, probably because I was overwhelmed writing multiple statements. I heard U of T likes some personal experiences, so without oversharing, I did mention some hardships growing up. I am also a mature student with three children going back to pursue post-secondary much later in life. I was hoping the maturity of lived experience might account for something.

Hopefully, I have a chance to get in somewhere, considering all of the above. I am not too hopeful for Laurier as I read they won't even consider anyone with limited experience. I wish I would have known that prior. York and the University of Toronto might be my best chance.

Any further insight on what I shared or how I could improve to be a better candidate next year is appreciated! Good luck to everyone as well!

 

 

 

 

[jollyjellyfish]

Does anyone know why the page is so inactive this year?

[msw.helper]

30 minutes ago, jollyjellyfish said:

Does anyone know why the page is so inactive this year?

It is a little more quiet than usual for sure! I find that it tends to pick up in the new year as admission decisions start coming out.

[MB2244]

Good luck to all. I have some information to share about Waterloo’s online MSW program.

-they received 150 applications and have already started reviewing them

-responses to the questions account for 40% of the overall assessment….this is good news for those who may not have good or high grades. They also place a lot of focus on experience (employment and volunteer). Grades do not hold significant weight.

-references account for 15%

-they will be sending out acceptances in February

Edited December 17, 2023 by sf291991

[SoberJulie]

On 12/16/2023 at 6:44 PM, sf291991 said:

Good luck to all. I have some information to share about Waterloo’s online MSW program.

-they received 150 applications and have already started reviewing them

-responses to the questions account for 40% of the overall assessment….this is good news for those who may not have good or high grades. They also place a lot of focus on experience (employment and volunteer). Grades do not hold significant weight.

-references account for 15%

-they will be sending out acceptances in February

This is amazing feedback, where did it originate? Thank you for sharing it

[MB2244]

24 minutes ago, SoberJulie said:

This is amazing feedback, where did it originate? Thank you for sharing it

I spoke to the school and just asked some simple questions for which they were happy to answer.

[clinicalneuro]

I just got my first ever acceptance!!! I got into UBCO's Foundational MSW.

This is my 3rd cycle - first time applying to Social Work.

I am over the moon - I balled my eyes out at work this morning when I got the news.

I am waiting on a couple more schools before I officially decide but I have accepted my offer. 

 

[Pizzapunx]

Amazing! congratulations! Also great to see some movement on this thread and acceptance letters are already going out to some!

[MB2244]

On 12/22/2023 at 4:04 PM, Pizzapunx said:

Amazing! congratulations! Also great to see some movement on this thread and acceptance letters are already going out to some!

Be mindful not to mix up the acceptances going out for American schools vs. Canada school. Most Canadian programs will be notifying applicants as early as February.

[jmcinn97]

On 12/24/2023 at 2:53 AM, sf291991 said:

Be mindful not to mix up the acceptances going out for American schools vs. Canada school. Most Canadian programs will be notifying applicants as early as February.

UBCO is a Canadian school - University of BC Okanagan. While most programs will notify applicants in the new year, not all schools follow the same schedule  

[jmcinn97]

On 12/21/2023 at 1:23 PM, clinicalneuro said:

I just got my first ever acceptance!!! I got into UBCO's Foundational MSW.

This is my 3rd cycle - first time applying to Social Work.

I am over the moon - I balled my eyes out at work this morning when I got the news.

I am waiting on a couple more schools before I officially decide but I have accepted my offer. 

 

Congratulations on getting accepted! I just finished my application a few days ago (🥴) so hopefully I hear back soon

[ridgerr]

Has anyone applied for Windsor MSWwp previously? I applied for Laurier the last two years and did not get in, so I am trying to get into this program this year. I'm curious as to how long I might have to wait before I hear back.  TIA.

[tooturntmacaroon]

On 12/21/2023 at 2:23 PM, clinicalneuro said:

I just got my first ever acceptance!!! I got into UBCO's Foundational MSW.

This is my 3rd cycle - first time applying to Social Work.

I am over the moon - I balled my eyes out at work this morning when I got the news.

I am waiting on a couple more schools before I officially decide but I have accepted my offer. 

 

What other schools did you apply to if you don't mind me asking?

[Pizzapunx]

Has anyone seen any changes in their application status? Mine all still say 'submitted' or 'awaiting preliminary review'

Edited January 5 by Pizzapunx

[jmcinn97]

On 1/5/2024 at 5:00 PM, Pizzapunx said:

Has anyone seen any changes in their application status? Mine all still say 'submitted' or 'awaiting preliminary review'

Which school are you referring to?