Waiting it Out on Canadian Universities - 2012

[anonyouknow]

I don't think you can? If I'm correct, Guelph just linked you to the general Ontario app system. They don't have their own system like Waterloo,Mcmaster or U of T does where you get your UN and PW to check stuff. When I applied to Guelph, the grad secretary emailed me when they got all my app material.

I can confirm this for the psychology department at least. I got my decision early as I'd been in contact with my POI who was also heading the admissions committee, but it was only by personally asking through email. As far as I know, official rejections were not sent out at the time I received mine, though I obviously can't say anything since, as I haven't had much need to keep an eye on the results survey for that school after that

[Sociograd]

I posted elsewhere on this but I'll post again. US citizens looking at Canadian universities need to make sure they will be able to cross the border in time. Things like medical conditions, lack of funding, criminal records, passports/province certificates etc., may make you ineligible to cross the border when the time comes. Canada is pretty strict..make sure you have all your ducks in a row.

[obrera]

Does anyone know if decisions are sent out over reading week? I am assuming no, but I just want to confirm that I shouldn't be refreshing my email every 10 minutes if the SGS are generally closed.

[bentharbour]

Most universities are operate as usual during reading week. Obviously there are no classes, but often offices/administration/services are open. I would assume most SGS are open and operating, so I would imagine it is very possible to receive decisions over the break.

[obrera]

Dammit. I wanted to relax for a few days without fearing an inbox filled to the brim with rejection. But thanks for your reply! We might not hear until April, so maybe I should just relax anyway.

[Going_to_win]

Undergrad and grad at U of T. What about you? I wonder how many people applied to our program. Good luck to you as well! I hope to see you in the fall too! This waiting sucks!

In that case, good luck to you and hope to see you there in the fall! Where did you do your undergrad/graduate work?

[surefire]

*Posted to a few other threads, just want to make sure that anyone tracking this school/department can see the info*

Okay, so even though I did not expect to hear for some time yet, I just got an acceptance offer from U of T for the PhD program in Sociology! Just thought I'd let the gradcafers know! Wow, my head is spinning!

App was due Jan. 23rd. I got the e-mail on Friday evening, but was out of town and beyond wifi reach (I self-imposed a 48 break for the sake of my sanity - ha!) so I just saw the e-mail now! Official letter to follow, but the e-mail (from the Associate Chair of the Department) stated that they wanted to let me know right away!

Lemme see, 3.9 GPA, some conferences, a few years in the NGO sector conducting relevant research and a POI who guaranteed supervision and an RA-ship (my impression is that she fought hard for me).

Shout at me if there are any pertinent details that you want that I've neglected!

U of T... holy smokes!

Good luck all!

[mcdonaad]

Undergrad and grad at U of T. What about you? I wonder how many people applied to our program. Good luck to you as well! I hope to see you in the fall too! This waiting sucks!

I did mine at McMaster and then Waterloo. I agree that the waiting DOES suck, and I know I'm driving my family crazy with all my nuttiness!

[round2]

I'm waiting on the three schools I applied to: Ryerson, MUN and Trent. I'm really hoping to hear something soon but from what I've seen of last year's results on this site, I probably wont here anything until the end of March/ beginning of April. My grades aren't amazing but I've got solid work experience and excellent letters so I'm really hoping this is the year that I get accepted! Last year I only applied to two (U of T and York) and got waitlisted..... I would be thrilled with any of the three schools this year so I've got my fingers crossed!

[obrera]

I'm waiting on the three schools I applied to: Ryerson, MUN and Trent. I'm really hoping to hear something soon but from what I've seen of last year's results on this site, I probably wont here anything until the end of March/ beginning of April. My grades aren't amazing but I've got solid work experience and excellent letters so I'm really hoping this is the year that I get accepted! Last year I only applied to two (U of T and York) and got waitlisted..... I would be thrilled with any of the three schools this year so I've got my fingers crossed!

Oh good. Someone else that applied to MUN! I thought I was very alone. There aren't many results posted from there, so it seems like a crap shoot.

[JElliott]

Oh good. Someone else that applied to MUN! I thought I was very alone. There aren't many results posted from there, so it seems like a crap shoot.

I applied there, too, for Folklore. The previous results seem to indicate that they notify really late, which has me kinda nervous! Good luck to you both.

[obrera]

I applied there, too, for Folklore. The previous results seem to indicate that they notify really late, which has me kinda nervous! Good luck to you both.

I hope they send me an accept this week. It would make life seem a little less challenging. I applied for and MA in English.

[DustSNK]

*Posted to a few other threads, just want to make sure that anyone tracking this school/department can see the info*

Okay, so even though I did not expect to hear for some time yet, I just got an acceptance offer from U of T for the PhD program in Sociology! Just thought I'd let the gradcafers know! Wow, my head is spinning!

App was due Jan. 23rd. I got the e-mail on Friday evening, but was out of town and beyond wifi reach (I self-imposed a 48 break for the sake of my sanity - ha!) so I just saw the e-mail now! Official letter to follow, but the e-mail (from the Associate Chair of the Department) stated that they wanted to let me know right away!

Lemme see, 3.9 GPA, some conferences, a few years in the NGO sector conducting relevant research and a POI who guaranteed supervision and an RA-ship (my impression is that she fought hard for me).

Shout at me if there are any pertinent details that you want that I've neglected!

U of T... holy smokes!

Good luck all!

Congrats!!! I'm gunna assume you had your MA before getting into the PhD? If so, would you care to share some of your stats before you got into an MA program? Like undergrad GPA, did you publish anything do any conferences? I'm an international applicant and it is just too damn competitive in Ontario, just would like to hear what others were up to when they got accepted into an MA in case I need to do a bit more if I get rejected. As it stands I went back for a semester to make up for a shotty BA gpa (B-). Got a 4.0 GPA in 2 grad classes and 2 undergrad classes, hoping they see I'm serious. Did some research essays and lit reviews, and am going to present at a conference (but not in soc, Canadian studies) soon. Got any advice???

[surefire]

I'm waiting on the three schools I applied to: Ryerson, MUN and Trent. I'm really hoping to hear something soon but from what I've seen of last year's results on this site, I probably wont here anything until the end of March/ beginning of April. My grades aren't amazing but I've got solid work experience and excellent letters so I'm really hoping this is the year that I get accepted! Last year I only applied to two (U of T and York) and got waitlisted..... I would be thrilled with any of the three schools this year so I've got my fingers crossed!

I want to take a second and plug Trent!

plugplugplugplugplug!

I did my undergrad there and it was an amazing experience! I know that they do not have oodles of grad-level offerings, and I'm not entirely sure what your discipline is, but the faculty and student supports are amazing! As well, the community of Peterborough is way hip and has an exceptional artist/activist community, especially considering its size. Here's a peek:

http://fuckyeahpeterborough.tumblr.com/

Good luck with your apps and figuring out the best option for your interests!

Congrats!!! I'm gunna assume you had your MA before getting into the PhD? If so, would you care to share some of your stats before you got into an MA program? Like undergrad GPA, did you publish anything do any conferences? I'm an international applicant and it is just too damn competitive in Ontario, just would like to hear what others were up to when they got accepted into an MA in case I need to do a bit more if I get rejected. As it stands I went back for a semester to make up for a shotty BA gpa (B-). Got a 4.0 GPA in 2 grad classes and 2 undergrad classes, hoping they see I'm serious. Did some research essays and lit reviews, and am going to present at a conference (but not in soc, Canadian studies) soon. Got any advice???

Hi DustSNK!

I did in fact do an MA (at York) before applying for the PhD. Having an MA in hand is mostly par for the course with Canadian PhD endeavours. From what I can ascertain, this scenario is different in the US (I'm constantly surprised when people discuss the prospect of getting an MA with hesitation or even contempt, I guess it plays a different role over there... but I digress!)

My undergrad GPA was the same as my graduate one: 3.9

I was on a scholarship that was renewed annually, contingent upon the maintainence of an "A" average. Thus, my undergrad performance is almost freaky in its unwavering consistency. As well, I held a full-time job for 3 of the 4 years of my undergrad, in order to pay for it. I remember this being a huge selling point on my MA SoPs: "Lookit me! I had full-time studies and a scholarship and a full-time job and a bunch of extracurriculars; I am a well balanced human being who is accustomed to being accountable to my obligations and who thrives on having too much going on! BRING IT GRAD SCHOOL!"

That being said, I didn't do any formal publishing or conference attendance at the undergrad level. As I articulated above, I did my undergrad at Trent, which was tiny and lefty. The downside to this is that there wasn't a lot of formal, prestigious opportunities around. I was, however, hyper-involved in a lot of school groups, social justice projects and department-specific service and membership (including serving as the go-to Stats tutor). As well, because Trent was small, the profs who supported me and eventually wrote me LoRs knew me REALLY well and in LOTS of different capacities.

Someone else PMed me about "what it takes" to get into U of T and, I have to confess that, I was actually rejected by not one, but two MA programs at U of T in 2009. At the time, I didn't think that we were a good fit. Trent was tiny and U of T wasn't sure what to make of my experience/performance there and I had had such a great time at Trent that I was frustrated by their apparent refusal to acknowledge/validate it. The program that I did at York really stressed the holistic approach in its admissions and, honestly, they were a great fit! Since my last app cycle with U of T, I've gotten an MA from a "name" institution under well known advisors and have gone on to work for some prestigious NGOs conducting relevant research; this time round, I think that U of T responded well to this display of my "range" (that is, performance at a small independant level as well as a large, competitive level).

I still have one app pending with U of T, and two with York, so I've got some thinking to do!

My advice then, from my experience, is probably frustrating as it is repeated in this forum constantly: it's all about fit.

What people do not tell you about fit, however, is that it is equal parts achievement (shown via transcripts and LoRs), applicant research into programs, crafting a sensible/exciting/articulate research proposal and, well, timing/luck. You need to not only have the factors in place, but you need to have a prospective POI in place who is AVAILABLE as well as ENTHUSIATIC towards and RECEPTIVE to/SUPPORTIVE of your academic and research aims. As well, YOU need to be available, enthusiastic and receptive to the obligations of the program. To achieve this level of fit, on both sides, there needs to be a bit of planetary alignment.

The first time U of T and I encountered each other, we were not enthused by nor receptive to one another. I have since had experiences at the MA level that have prompted me to appreciate what U of T offers, and, for its part, the program had come to recognize the validity of my backround and the potential that this suggests. This relationship is enhanced by the fact that I have an AMAZING POI in this department with UNDENIABLE fit, and this is a product not only of our research alignment, but also of timing.

It's not all about numbers (I had GREAT numbers from Trent, but U of T wasn't into them initially: if you want to compare for your own back round, go to the portal here: http://portal.sgs.utoronto.ca/current/admission/intdegequiv.asp). It is, however, about recognizing what the program will positively respond to. For competitive programs, I think, having an established POI who has agreed to supervise you (even on a preliminary basis) makes a huge difference.

Good luck!

[DustSNK]

I want to take a second and plug Trent!

plugplugplugplugplug!

I did my undergrad there and it was an amazing experience! I know that they do not have oodles of grad-level offerings, and I'm not entirely sure what your discipline is, but the faculty and student supports are amazing! As well, the community of Peterborough is way hip and has an exceptional artist/activist community, especially considering its size. Here's a peek:

http://fuckyeahpeter...ugh.tumblr.com/

Good luck with your apps and figuring out the best option for your interests!

Hi DustSNK!

I did in fact do an MA (at York) before applying for the PhD. Having an MA in hand is mostly par for the course with Canadian PhD endeavours. From what I can ascertain, this scenario is different in the US (I'm constantly surprised when people discuss the prospect of getting an MA with hesitation or even contempt, I guess it plays a different role over there... but I digress!)

My undergrad GPA was the same as my graduate one: 3.9

I was on a scholarship that was renewed annually, contingent upon the maintainence of an "A" average. Thus, my undergrad performance is almost freaky in its unwavering consistency. As well, I held a full-time job for 3 of the 4 years of my undergrad, in order to pay for it. I remember this being a huge selling point on my MA SoPs: "Lookit me! I had full-time studies and a scholarship and a full-time job and a bunch of extracurriculars; I am a well balanced human being who is accustomed to being accountable to my obligations and who thrives on having too much going on! BRING IT GRAD SCHOOL!"

That being said, I didn't do any formal publishing or conference attendance at the undergrad level. As I articulated above, I did my undergrad at Trent, which was tiny and lefty. The downside to this is that there wasn't a lot of formal, prestigious opportunities around. I was, however, hyper-involved in a lot of school groups, social justice projects and department-specific service and membership (including serving as the go-to Stats tutor). As well, because Trent was small, the profs who supported me and eventually wrote me LoRs knew me REALLY well and in LOTS of different capacities.

Someone else PMed me about "what it takes" to get into U of T and, I have to confess that, I was actually rejected by not one, but two MA programs at U of T in 2009. At the time, I didn't think that we were a good fit. Trent was tiny and U of T wasn't sure what to make of my experience/performance there and I had had such a great time at Trent that I was frustrated by their apparent refusal to acknowledge/validate it. The program that I did at York really stressed the holistic approach in its admissions and, honestly, they were a great fit! Since my last app cycle with U of T, I've gotten an MA from a "name" institution under well known advisors and have gone on to work for some prestigious NGOs conducting relevant research; this time round, I think that U of T responded well to this display of my "range" (that is, performance at a small independant level as well as a large, competitive level).

I still have one app pending with U of T, and two with York, so I've got some thinking to do!

My advice then, from my experience, is probably frustrating as it is repeated in this forum constantly: it's all about fit.

What people do not tell you about fit, however, is that it is equal parts achievement (shown via transcripts and LoRs), applicant research into programs, crafting a sensible/exciting/articulate research proposal and, well, timing/luck. You need to not only have the factors in place, but you need to have a prospective POI in place who is AVAILABLE as well as ENTHUSIATIC towards and RECEPTIVE to/SUPPORTIVE of your academic and research aims. As well, YOU need to be available, enthusiastic and receptive to the obligations of the program. To achieve this level of fit, on both sides, there needs to be a bit of planetary alignment.

The first time U of T and I encountered each other, we were not enthused by nor receptive to one another. I have since had experiences at the MA level that have prompted me to appreciate what U of T offers, and, for its part, the program had come to recognize the validity of my backround and the potential that this suggests. This relationship is enhanced by the fact that I have an AMAZING POI in this department with UNDENIABLE fit, and this is a product not only of our research alignment, but also of timing.

It's not all about numbers (I had GREAT numbers from Trent, but U of T wasn't into them initially: if you want to compare for your own back round, go to the portal here: http://portal.sgs.ut...intdegequiv.asp). It is, however, about recognizing what the program will positively respond to. For competitive programs, I think, having an established POI who has agreed to supervise you (even on a preliminary basis) makes a huge difference.

Good luck!

Thanks for the very through response ^__^ I like reading as much as I can about others opinions who have been through it all so I appreciate you taking the time. Yeaaa everyone in the states just goes into PhD. Personally I don't get that, and looking at how most of academia is outside the USA others don't get it also. Like you said, getting the MA is standard in CAN... I don't think I have ever seen a program that accepts anyone without an MA into PhD. I'm glad you like York, I REALLLY want to go there. I hear they have some faculty that are into the reflexive social theory thing which I would love to learn from. It was too bad their deadline was really early because I didn't have my "make up" semester grades posted yet. I'm also glad you like Trent. If I get rejected from everywhere I might see if they have spots open for the Canadian Studies MA.

[round2]

Surefire- Thanks for the feedback on Trent! I've applied for the Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies MA program which seems like a good fit for my work experience/ undergrad. I love Peterborough and I'm glad to hear that its got a solid campus culture too. Fingers crossed!

[stephanie.ms.antunes]

If anyone is waiting on York University for History, my boyfriend just got into the Masters program, so you should be hearing back soon!

[DustSNK]

Anyone with a Jan17th-Feb1st application deadline for a McMaster program hear back from them?

[bentharbour]

I just heard back from UOIT Criminology, not my first choice, but nice to get my first OFFICIAL offer.

Offer came with funding information too.

[Hypatience]

Yup, Dust, I heard back from the McMaster Philosophy MA already.

[misgengen]

Just heard back from MPS, recommended for admission. but i have three weeks to accept/decline my offer and my first choice UofT doesn't come in until late April (according to last yr results).

[AH YES!]

Yup, Dust, I heard back from the McMaster Philosophy MA already.

Hi Aerobe,

How long did you have to respond to their offer? Was there a deadline by which you were required to respond?

[Maryleola]

If anyone is waiting on York University for History, my boyfriend just got into the Masters program, so you should be hearing back soon!

What type of history did he apply for? I'm not so patiently waiting

[surefire]

I just heard back from UOIT Criminology, not my first choice, but nice to get my first OFFICIAL offer.

Offer came with funding information too.

bentharbour,

I read this and thought that you meant U of T Crim and had just really failed at the acronym... I was momentarily gripped by neurosis and was like "WTH?! The deadline for those was like a week ago! How is it that they're making offers... and why isn't bentharbour more excited?!"

And then I realized that my anxiety was purporting as the acronym fail.

What I'm trying to say is: congrats! and I apparently need to get away from myself for a bit.

xxoo

Edited February 21, 2012 by surefire

[bentharbour]

LOL, to be honest, I do not even want to go to U of TORONTO either.

I have heard the funding is non-existent and I really cannot afford to pursue an MA without funding. Additionally, there are other school's which have professors I really want to work with (U of T, not so much)

But good luck! hopefully you get in! (I see you already got in for Sociology so congrats)