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Waiting it Out on Canadian Universities - 2012


NoMoreABD

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I am desperately waiting to hear from U of T (OISE) which is my only Canadian school out of the six Master's programs I applied to-I finally gave up and emailed the contact person and was told responses wouldn't go out till end of March/early April. I am so over this and am at the point where I might need to turn off my email during spring break just so I can get some peace of mind.

I am worried first about getting in, then about funding, then about finding an apartment as an American.

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I visit this forum often enough that I feel I should make a contribution!

Two acceptances last week:

Ottawa U MA Criminology (status changed online last weekend and recieved formal letter in the mail over the week) and York MA Socio-Legal Studies (recieved a phone call from the Grad director on Monday- letter to follow this week). So happy about York- it was my top choice, and the funding sounds quite generous!

Still waiting on two more applications... but I'm fairly certain I've already made a decision.... :)

Good luck to everyone still waiting, and congrats to those who have received acceptances!

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I visit this forum often enough that I feel I should make a contribution!

Two acceptances last week:

Ottawa U MA Criminology (status changed online last weekend and recieved formal letter in the mail over the week) and York MA Socio-Legal Studies (recieved a phone call from the Grad director on Monday- letter to follow this week). So happy about York- it was my top choice, and the funding sounds quite generous!

Still waiting on two more applications... but I'm fairly certain I've already made a decision.... :)

Good luck to everyone still waiting, and congrats to those who have received acceptances!

Welcome Rogue029 and congrats on your applications so far! Very exciting!

We seem to have very similar discipline interests, judging by our app signatures (I'd be interested to know what department you applied to at U of T...)

I was accepted to York's PhD program in Socio-Legal Studies last week (York always phones, I love that!) I've got a few other offers and A LOT of thinking to do!

I did my MA in the SLST program at York in 2010. If you wanna PM me, I'd be happy to answer any questions that I can regarding the program (in particular, I'd like to hear what your research interests are and whom you have in mind as a propective supervisor, if you feel like sharing). Things have likely changed since I convocated, but I've stayed in touch with current faculty/students and can answer according to my experience, and that might help give you some context (to start, your feelings regarding the funding are likely accurate, I found it to be quite comfortable). I very much enjoyed my time in the program!

Congrats again and feel free to touch base!

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UBC are sending responses out next week and the week after I think! That's what I was told anyway. Still waiting on hearing back from all my schools.. getting anxious about Western since people are getting responses. I guess it depends on the program too.

Edited by laviola
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surefire,

I did not get a chance to congratulate you on your acceptances! I have read that you have invested a lot of work and it paid off. How rewarding.

I know that you have been accepted both to Toronto and York.

Which one did you pick?

Hi again AlyaLeka!

Thank you very much for the congrats! I am feeling like a very lucky little scholar for being in a position to choose between a handful of awesome programs! I know that your program has been a bit slow in moving towards decisions, but I hope that your app season has been treating you well nonetheless!

I do indeed have an ongoing York v. Toronto type situation. The U of T offer is time sensitive (March 30th) but I'm waiting on one more offer, funding info for both York programs and two recruitment days (most of these will be resolved this week) so that I can formulate an informed decision. I am absolutely open to ANY insight on this choice, so if you or others feel compelled to push me one way or the other, please feel free to PM me and nudge accordingly!

Thanks so much for the props; your encouragement is emblematic of the uniquely supportive and stimulating online community that is gradcafe! Everyone here is awesome and I do hope that we all please please please get what we want!

Edited by surefire
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For those waiting on Ryerson results, I just called the department. Decisions have been made and applicants will be notified shortly. I found out I'm on the waitlist, so while that's not BAD, I hope those who are accepted and choose to go elsewhere will notify Ryerson quickly!

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surefire,

my insight will be very simple

one of my professors in grad school said that it is always better to get degrees from different schools. You get better exposure to different viewpoints, network more, and it looks better on your resume

but, of course, there are so many other things that need to be factored in

the app season has been nerve wrecking for me.

I have only applied to one school, to York that is. And, as you said, my program is extremely slow. I don't blame them, but wish I was handling the wait better emotionally, had an ability to detach myself from it until the situations resolves. I know that you left for a few days because you were checking your e-mail too much. What else did you do? What was your strategy?

Thanks!

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surefire,

my insight will be very simple

one of my professors in grad school said that it is always better to get degrees from different schools. You get better exposure to different viewpoints, network more, and it looks better on your resume

but, of course, there are so many other things that need to be factored in

the app season has been nerve wrecking for me.

I have only applied to one school, to York that is. And, as you said, my program is extremely slow. I don't blame them, but wish I was handling the wait better emotionally, had an ability to detach myself from it until the situations resolves. I know that you left for a few days because you were checking your e-mail too much. What else did you do? What was your strategy?

Thanks!

AlyaLeka,

That insight is actually very helpful! It has been iterated to me on a couple of occasions, but it's useful to keep it in the foreground. A few profs have said that a U of T PhD would really complement my academic narrative (small liberal undergrad where I knew all the profs really well to specialized master's in a large institution but small competitive cohort to PhD in mid-sized, renowned university). I really enjoyed my tine undergrad, and was afraid that this trajectory towards the prestigious and the established meant that I was getting away from the socially-aware and the activist (as university profiles go). The opportunity to cultivate different viewpoints and networks, as you say, helps to enhance my exposure and capacity. I suppose, then,it is a larger question of wanting a space where I can retain and test and build upon my academic skills and principles - compromising between clinging to them (which inhibits growth) and dispensing with/replacing them entirely (which would produce a different type of scholar than the one I'd like to be). Thanks for bouncing some of this back with me AlyaLeka!

As for my strategies, I found that the best thing that I could do was commit to activies, for an hour or so at a time, that demand methodical or repetitive engagement, are productive, and will not allow you to hold a device that will let you check your e-mail. I did a lot of cooking and going to the gym. These were excellent for me because I couldn't check my e-mail on the treadmill or with salmonella-y hands and the activities were rewarding (in the sense that I felt good or had something to show for the effort - this last part is important, pick an activity that gives you positive gratification and a sense of accomplishment/closure, because this is what you are seeking, but not yet finding, in the app process!) I've had friends who had similar success with practicing the guitar, knitting and (no jokes!) trimming a bonsai tree.

Once I had some of my anxieties exorcised (exercised?), I found that I could be out with friends without being a total drag (I could keep my mind/the conversation OFF of app-related stuff, I also disabled my phone's data plan). The most helpful outings were ones where my friends were showcasing (that is, their band was playing, or they were hosting a gallery opening or performing at a poetry slam). Nothing helps you wriggle out of your own apprehensions like celebrating the sucesses of friends!

TL;DR: Prioritize self-care, but don't self-medicate!

Best of luck and I hope that you get the outcome that you want from York!

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Carleton Communication MA let me know today, rejected (first rejection, but doesn't feel that bad mainly because I got into the program I wanted already). Good luck to all the rest out there.

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This could be hearsay, but the professor at U of T I've been in contact with basically said for Canadian students that if they find a professor that is willing to take them on and meet the minimum requirements (which seem actually kind of high as far as minimum requirements go), they get in. But for International students, the competition is tougher because they have a limited number of international spots.

Hey Milam1186

Yeah, I think what you said is basically true, it just depends on funding. Have you actually gotten an acceptance from UofT EEB? The professor I've been in contact with said he would take me if I got NSERC and if he got another grant, so it depends on funding...

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I think I'm dying waiting for my notification! I only applied to one program, SFU's MPP program. I can't make heads or tails of what their notification process is like - other than a few people have been accepted already - and I haven't seen anyone else who has applied posting on the forums. I think I'm about to break down and email the department to find out when I should expect to hear back.

Congrats to everyone who has been accepted so far! I hope it's me next.

Also, heads up to international students applying here, though this may not apply to you: I'm a US citizen, Canadian permanent resident, with an undergrad degree from the states. I met with a financial aid advisor before applying to SFU and she told me that I can apply for FAFSA AND Canadian financial aid, in addition to alternate funding.

Also, per the conversation which happened weeks ago - if you apply for PR externally and stay in country on a visitors visa (and extend it - the border guards are actually pretty legit when you're honest and say you're processing through PR and waiting in-country), it only takes about 6 months right now. It took exactly 6 months between application and landing, applied in March 2011. I didn't use an immigration lawyer, though I did access an immigration support group for queer couples and learned a lot about the process.

Edited by mirandaw
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The opportunity to cultivate different viewpoints and networks, as you say, helps to enhance my exposure and capacity. I suppose, then,it is a larger question of wanting a space where I can retain and test and build upon my academic skills and principles - compromising between clinging to them (which inhibits growth) and dispensing with/replacing them entirely (which would produce a different type of scholar than the one I'd like to be).

This is how I feel. York Soc seems amazing in a lot of ways (and they've been the most welcoming so far!) but not sure if I can really turn down U of T and McGill to go there.

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Just got word from my POI that I was accepted by U of T into the ecology and evolutionary biology PhD program. Super excited/nervous because it is my first choice and my wife hasn't found out if she got in or not (she applied to the same program as well as the Cell and Systems Biology PhD Program).

Other EEBers... I found this out ahead of any official acceptance letters, so there is still time.

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If anyone happens to be waiting for SFU MPP, I called the department and they've just finished reviewing applicants. They said the application committee is meeting soon and people should know within the next couple weeks.

Weeks.

I was seriously hoping she'd say days.

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Hey Milam1186

Yeah, I think what you said is basically true, it just depends on funding. Have you actually gotten an acceptance from UofT EEB? The professor I've been in contact with said he would take me if I got NSERC and if he got another grant, so it depends on funding...

Yeah, I just got notification today. I didn't read this until just now.

It seems like this whole process just depends on funding. Which is an unfortunate reality. Good luck! Maybe we'll be in the same cohort come fall.

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Carleton Communication MA let me know today, rejected (first rejection, but doesn't feel that bad mainly because I got into the program I wanted already). Good luck to all the rest out there.

Can't believe you got rejected from Carleton after getting into SFU and Ottawa! SFU is like the BEST school for comn.

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