Canadian Universities MSW. The waiting game 2012 admissions

[Nala851]

Hi everyone, I just got my acceptance letter to Laurier. So for those who have not heard from particular social work programs, do not give up hope. You are still in the running. Also, for those who are waitlisted, it is difficult that the waiting period is extended but like a lot of people have said...it is still an amazing accomplishment given how competitive these programs are. It is a very frustrating process, however just remember you are not in a race with anyone. We often have to go the roundabout way to get to where we want to get to, but we still make it there. The individuals who apply to social work programs are often very resilient which is something that you need in the field. A social worker that I met last year while volunteering, told me that it took her 15 years to get her BSW and she is now working at a governmental office for children and youth!

Heneyka- I have read probably some of the same reviews about the social work profession on the internet. It was important to me to really research the profession before I committ to pursing this. Keep in mind, that some of those reviews are based in the States and the structure of the social work profession is different. For example, the common starting wage with a MSW in the states can be as low as $30,000. While in Canada, I believe it's more like $40,000-$45,000. When I was on Laurier's website reading the Employment survey for 2010, which is a self-reported survey for those who are working in the field, the starting wages varied widely however still mostly in the $40,000's. I did see someone report that they started about $55,000 after completing Laurier's MSW program, however I believe they were working for the government. It also depends on the subfield you want to work in (Mental Health, Children,Youth and their Families, Gerontology, etc) and whether you are interested in direct clinical practice (micro) or community organizing/advocacy/social research/policy (macro). The social workers that I have interacted with also have discussed the need for self-care and the feeling of being burnout. Keep in mind, that in particular subfields such as Child Welfare this is a significant problem as there is a high turnover rate due to the nature of this subfield.

However, as you pointed out this field is really diverse and there is room to move around because of the many options available, which makes the prospects really exciting. I knew pursuing this field that I would not be making $100,000 and I am content with that. Some individuals with a social work education do make perhaps around $80,000 but that is after many, many years in the field and usually they are directors of an organization or agency. In short, I feel that with most professions, it really is what you make of it and spending time really researching the prospects is key to having a career that matches your talents, skills, and expectations. At a former workplace, I came into contact with many professionals who were making a lot of money but had major, major regrets about the career they chose. Life is short and all too often we spend too much time with regrets.

[Thumper86]

I still haven't heard from Laurier. I broke down and wrote an email today and they told me that the Faculty of Social Work has recommended me for admission but that I now have to wait for the letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies regarding their decision.

Does anyone know the stats about how many recommendations the F.S.W provides the Faulty of Graduate Studies and how many the school accepts?

The wait is absolutely killing me

[Nala851]

I still haven't heard from Laurier. I broke down and wrote an email today and they told me that the Faculty of Social Work has recommended me for admission but that I now have to wait for the letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies regarding their decision.

Does anyone know the stats about how many recommendations the F.S.W provides the Faulty of Graduate Studies and how many the school accepts?

The wait is absolutely killing me

Congrats Thumper86!! I am happy to hear of your acceptance.I believe that once the actual Faculty of Social work has recommended you, you are pretty much admitted. It is just a matter of formality to receive the letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies confirming this. In the package from Laurier I received today, they pretty much have the letter of acceptance from the Faculty of Social Work, the acceptance letter from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and then three copies of the offer of admission from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. You have to mail back two copies of the offer of admission, signed and dated from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The date given to accept or decline is April 25th. There is also the $100 Tuition deposit to mail back if accepting. On their website, it says that there are 90 full-time spots and based on last year's stats around 500 people applied. I hope that this information has been helpful.

[Thumper86]

Congrats Thumper86!! I am happy to hear of your acceptance.I believe that once the actual Faculty of Social work has recommended you, you are pretty much admitted. It is just a matter of formality to receive the letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies confirming this. In the package from Laurier I received today, they pretty much have the letter of acceptance from the Faculty of Social Work, the acceptance letter from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and then three copies of the offer of admission from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. You have to mail back two copies of the offer of admission, signed and dated from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The date given to accept or decline is April 25th. There is also the $100 Tuition deposit to mail back if accepting. On their website, it says that there are 90 full-time spots and based on last year's stats around 500 people applied. I hope that this information has been helpful.

Thanks for your input. I'm hesitant to get too excited until I receive the letter in the mail lol

I feel a bit better knowing that the F.S.W didn't full out reject me lol

[MSW13]

I just wanted to add a brief comment. I've been doing Social Work for many years and have been working in social services for even longer. I've had the opportunity to work with different populations and can understand your concerns. If you go into Social Work for the wrong reasons, you wont like it no matter how much they pay you (which isn't bad actually, especially if you have your MSW). If you are just doing your MSW because you dont know what else to do with your undergrad degree, then I would be concerned. If you feel passionate about helping your fellow human being, you are probably on the right track. Just make sure you know how to separate your own values from that of your client. --think about how you deal with your friends--when they do something that you think is *stupid*, are you able to support them anyway or are you more likely to end the friendship because they wont listen to your good advice?

Once you get out there, you will find that you will get a lot of support from your team mates (rarely do you work in isolation). Although I'm sure there are exceptions, you will always have an opportunity to discuss challenging cases during weekly team meetings and at personal meetings with your manager. Caseloads are generally balanced--that is, you will have a good mix of challenging and 'easy' clients. You may go through times when the heavy caseloads are abundant but it usually doesn't last too long. I've never worked with a team that didn't understand when your caseload was starting to feel overwhelming. If your client dies tragically, your team will be the first to step up and help you deal with it.

Having said that, there are people who think they want to do social work but then find they dont have the stomach for it. I knew quite a few people when I did my BSW who dropped out because they found it was too much for them. That is okay too. Just remember that there is SO MUCH you can do with your MSW. It doesn't have to be front line. You can easily do 'desk' work too.

Also, if you get into an MSW program in this country, that means that there is an entire committee of Social Workers (with PhD's) who think you'd be a good fit for this profession. That means a lot too.

Hi everybody,

I thought I would change the pace a tiny bit and talk about the profession itself and some of the anxieties around making a choice to pursue a career in social work. If you are insanely stressed about acceptances and don't feel like getting into this kind of discussion, please skip! I don't want anybody to be put off by it!

I was just trolling some online stuff last night about the pros and cons of the social work profession. I’ve definitely heard about the stereotypical (but still legitimate, I assume) cons: Quick burnout, mediocre pay, and an overall high level of stress without enough ‘compensation,’ whether emotional, financial, etc. When I realized a year ago that social work was the profession I absolutely wanted to pursue, I softened a lot of these cons in my mind to focus on the positive aspects that I perceived to be a part of this profession : helping others and contributing to social change, challenging myself emotionally and intellectually, having an actual profession (I have been somewhat jealous of my nursing colleagues and am attracted to that kind of professional designation), and holding a job that will enrich my life rather than just take up 8 hours a day of it.

With that being said, I had a little moment last night after my trolling session. Many of the forums and ‘ask’-type places I stumbled upon were full of social workers practically BEGGING to get out of the profession, and offering up warnings to those who wanted to pursue that work. What if I go to school for 2 years and end up hating this career? Do I really want to give up my current job where I make a fantastic salary for the potential to make $17 an hour working in much more emotionally and possibly physically difficult situations? At the same time, I realize that an MSW opens up many doors, including jobs that allow for client contact but perhaps at a less ‘drudging’ level, and the potential to make a very reasonable salary (I’ve never felt a need to make 6-figures and I see 45-65k a year as truly great living wage). I also feel like I am a fairly resilient person and could manage a lot of the stress. But I still have some fears about burnout, feeling overwhelmed, compassion fatigue, not being appreciated/respected. I still like to feel like I am ACHIEVING.

Has anybody else had these fears or thoughts? How have you managed or dealt with them? I know that part of our training through the MSW is around preventing burnout and self-care, but I fear that no amount of self-care can heal someone if they feel disengaged or incredibly exhausted at their job.

Sorry all, just freaking out a tiny bit! I still intend to get my MSW and am waiting anxiously for more news, but I wanted to get these thoughts out and see if folks had thoughts to contribute. Thanks!

[Laurie S.]

New to this forum, but I thought I'd share this information. I called York today and was informed that they'll be finished by the END of April

guess the wait continues.

I've been told the same thing by York but I'm really confused by the selection process, as two people have posted in the results that they've been accepted into the York 2-year MSW program. How is it that some people are accepted when we've been told that they haven't finished reviewing applications? Could it be that they did their undergrad degree with York, and get priority admittance? Or maybe their applications just shone out from the rest? Makes me nervous to know some are already accepted, as now we have no idea how many spots are actually left for the rest of us.

[NeeNee]

^It can be advanced standing.

[Laurie S.]

^It can be advanced standing.

No, they definitely say they've been accepted to the 2-year program, not the 1-year advanced one. And I confirmed with one of them earlier on this thread.

[heneyka]

I just wanted to add a brief comment. I've been doing Social Work for many years and have been working in social services for even longer. I've had the opportunity to work with different populations and can understand your concerns. If you go into Social Work for the wrong reasons, you wont like it no matter how much they pay you (which isn't bad actually, especially if you have your MSW). If you are just doing your MSW because you dont know what else to do with your undergrad degree, then I would be concerned. If you feel passionate about helping your fellow human being, you are probably on the right track. Just make sure you know how to separate your own values from that of your client. --think about how you deal with your friends--when they do something that you think is *stupid*, are you able to support them anyway or are you more likely to end the friendship because they wont listen to your good advice?

Once you get out there, you will find that you will get a lot of support from your team mates (rarely do you work in isolation). Although I'm sure there are exceptions, you will always have an opportunity to discuss challenging cases during weekly team meetings and at personal meetings with your manager. Caseloads are generally balanced--that is, you will have a good mix of challenging and 'easy' clients. You may go through times when the heavy caseloads are abundant but it usually doesn't last too long. I've never worked with a team that didn't understand when your caseload was starting to feel overwhelming. If your client dies tragically, your team will be the first to step up and help you deal with it.

Having said that, there are people who think they want to do social work but then find they dont have the stomach for it. I knew quite a few people when I did my BSW who dropped out because they found it was too much for them. That is okay too. Just remember that there is SO MUCH you can do with your MSW. It doesn't have to be front line. You can easily do 'desk' work too.

Also, if you get into an MSW program in this country, that means that there is an entire committee of Social Workers (with PhD's) who think you'd be a good fit for this profession. That means a lot too.

MSWhopeful and Nala, thank you so much for your insight. Lots of what you both said is both comforting and reinvigorating for me. I am glad I had that moment of shakiness, because now, 24 hours later, I am already feeling more confident in this choice. MSWhopeful, thank you especially for talking a bit about the case management environment. Stress and difficult cases are certainly part of the job, but I'm glad to hear from a practitioner about how support systems exist to help mitigate the effects of that kind of stress, especially in extreme cases such as the death of a client (Which I'm sure is a relatively rare but still occuring part of the job).

Although my work at public health involves both client-oriented and policy/programming work, I have found that the most important part of that work for me - outside of the actual work itself! - is the 'we're all in this together' attitude of my colleagues, and it sounds like you have experienced a similar culture which is awesome. That's not to say that social work jobs will all offer that kind of support, but I am optimistic - especially given how impressed I've been with the posters in this forum. I am truly rooting for you all! and MSWhopeful, I can only say that I think that you will make a BEYOND excellent MSW student when you reapply - thank you again for all of your insights!

I'm so excited to embark on this career path - I wish everyone here the best of luck too in the next few days!

FYI nothing from York (2 year) from me either! Nor Calgary, but I'm expecting Monday

Edited April 14, 2012 by heneyka

[praying4MSW]

I've been told the same thing by York but I'm really confused by the selection process, as two people have posted in the results that they've been accepted into the York 2-year MSW program. How is it that some people are accepted when we've been told that they haven't finished reviewing applications? Could it be that they did their undergrad degree with York, and get priority admittance? Or maybe their applications just shone out from the rest? Makes me nervous to know some are already accepted, as now we have no idea how many spots are actually left for the rest of us.

There's been more than one? I've only seen one. I haven't seen many rejections go out either. This whole process is so overwhelming and stressful. I don't think I'd be able to go through this again. Those who have applied numerous times have a lot of strength and courage. *sigh*

[stephanie.ms.antunes]

Hey guys! I need some advice!

I have been rejected from 1 of my schools and wait listed at another, with 1 more school to go. This has caused me severe stress, and has made me feel like I need a back up plan. For my back up plan, I applied to college for a 10 month Post-Grad Fast Track Social Service Worker Program and I was just accepted today. Do you think that taking this program will help me if I need to apply again next year? I am hoping it will at least help me to gain experience if nothing else! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[MSW13]

disclaimer: please take what I say with a healthy grain of salt. Ultimately, you need to do what feels right for you.

Personally, I would probably take a different route. I would first find out why I got rejected and base my next move on that. That is, are they looking for more experience from you or stronger grades? There are some really fantastic BSW courses (you can take them through Continuing Ed-- not all of them require prerequisites in Social Work courses) that will really focus on the skills and knowledge you will need out there in the field. If it is due to experience, then I would look for challenging volunteer work. There is a great site where you can search for entry level jobs and also volunteer work in your area: www.charityvillage.com

The reason why I shy away from the SSW program is because they are preparing you for a different kind of work. Although there are similarities and you will get exposure, I'm concerned that you may not get that challenging placement (if it offers a placement) that you may expect or want.

Hey guys! I need some advice!

I have been rejected from 1 of my schools and wait listed at another, with 1 more school to go. This has caused me severe stress, and has made me feel like I need a back up plan. For my back up plan, I applied to college for a 10 month Post-Grad Fast Track Social Service Worker Program and I was just accepted today. Do you think that taking this program will help me if I need to apply again next year? I am hoping it will at least help me to gain experience if nothing else! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Taphlondapadon]

Hey guys! I need some advice!

I have been rejected from 1 of my schools and wait listed at another, with 1 more school to go. This has caused me severe stress, and has made me feel like I need a back up plan. For my back up plan, I applied to college for a 10 month Post-Grad Fast Track Social Service Worker Program and I was just accepted today. Do you think that taking this program will help me if I need to apply again next year? I am hoping it will at least help me to gain experience if nothing else! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My two cents:

I agree with MSW12. From what I've heard an SSW is quite different than a BSW experience wise and academically. In terms of experience, I think you'd have a better chance finding a stellar place to volunteer/work on your own instead of breaking the bank again. Where I volunteered there was an SSW student who had less responsibility than me and I was just the volunteer! (Granted I had been volunteering there for a while). That's only one case though. Check out www.211toronto.ca to compliment charity village, it lists a wide variety of organizations in the social services.

In terms of academics, I'm not sure if a SSW will count because I don't think the courses are equivalent to upper year uni. courses. I have no idea though. They may see your completion of the SSW as continued commitment to the field. If you want/need to pick up your GPA I'd suggest going back for a research methods course and some other courses that are similar to the specialization you're applying for. Also, there are some one and two day training courses and special seminars done by professors and people in the field. They are relatively cheap and give you a lot of knowledge, which you can put on your CV under professional development. This will display to the adcomm. your continued passion and overall commitment towards scholarship and the practical elements of the field.

Obviously I'm pushing for one side here, hopefully someone else can chime in with the other side of this slice.

[praying4MSW]

My two cents:

I agree with MSW12. From what I've heard an SSW is quite different than a BSW experience wise and academically. In terms of experience, I think you'd have a better chance finding a stellar place to volunteer/work on your own instead of breaking the bank again. Where I volunteered there was an SSW student who had less responsibility than me and I was just the volunteer! (Granted I had been volunteering there for a while). That's only one case though. Check out www.211toronto.ca to compliment charity village, it lists a wide variety of organizations in the social services.

In terms of academics, I'm not sure if a SSW will count because I don't think the courses are equivalent to upper year uni. courses. I have no idea though. They may see your completion of the SSW as continued commitment to the field. If you want/need to pick up your GPA I'd suggest going back for a research methods course and some other courses that are similar to the specialization you're applying for. Also, there are some one and two day training courses and special seminars done by professors and people in the field. They are relatively cheap and give you a lot of knowledge, which you can put on your CV under professional development. This will display to the adcomm. your continued passion and overall commitment towards scholarship and the practical elements of the field.

Obviously I'm pushing for one side here, hopefully someone else can chime in with the other side of this slice.

Where can one find these training courses/seminars? Are there any that you recommend based on personal experience? Sounds interesting. Thanks in advance!

[Taphlondapadon]

Where can one find these training courses/seminars? Are there any that you recommend based on personal experience? Sounds interesting. Thanks in advance!

Check out these:

http://www.thtcentre.com/

http://www.gersteincentre.org/workshops.html

http://www.cantraining.org/

In my opinion the first one is the best value, super cheap, lots of good info. they also offer accredited certificates. I took two courses with them and I thought they were well structured. Cantraining is a bit expensive for any courses over 2 days, they also offer certificates. I took one course with them and it was decent, class size was small. I haven't tried gerstein centre although i've heard they are decent.

In addition, check out any universities upcoming events pages for seminars and training. There are always national and international scholars and practitioners giving speeches and workshops at schools, and all the ones i've been too were free! They were all really informative and gave me a good idea of what's going on in the social work field in terms of cutting edge and progressive research. Whatever your specialization is I think knowing about other areas of the field alongside your own will help you to be well rounded and versatile in your research and job prospects.

[michelle3]

I've been told the same thing by York but I'm really confused by the selection process, as two people have posted in the results that they've been accepted into the York 2-year MSW program. How is it that some people are accepted when we've been told that they haven't finished reviewing applications? Could it be that they did their undergrad degree with York, and get priority admittance? Or maybe their applications just shone out from the rest? Makes me nervous to know some are already accepted, as now we have no idea how many spots are actually left for the rest of us.

Hello! Just FYI, I did my undergrad at York and haven't heard anything. So I imagine the first round of acceptances simply stood out.

[MSW13]

I am truly rooting for you all! and MSWhopeful, I can only say that I think that you will make a BEYOND excellent MSW student when you reapply - thank you again for all of your insights!

I'm so excited to embark on this career path - I wish everyone here the best of luck too in the next few days!

FYI nothing from York (2 year) from me either! Nor Calgary, but I'm expecting Monday

Thank you for such a kind compiment. Much appreciated

I hope you hear good news tomorrow!! Good luck!

[klc14]

Hey guys! I need some advice!

I have been rejected from 1 of my schools and wait listed at another, with 1 more school to go. This has caused me severe stress, and has made me feel like I need a back up plan. For my back up plan, I applied to college for a 10 month Post-Grad Fast Track Social Service Worker Program and I was just accepted today. Do you think that taking this program will help me if I need to apply again next year? I am hoping it will at least help me to gain experience if nothing else! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

This was my EXACT position last year, so I feel like I should share my experiences as I finish up the SSW fast-track program.

So, last year I applied to only 2 schools (Windsor and WLU) and didn't get into either. Not enough experience.

I remember wishing I had applied for the 2 year BSW, but the application dates had already passed (for Mac and York).

When I looked at jobs that I was interested in, a lot asked for a SSW diploma.

So I applied for SSW (fanshawe) because I needed to take a step into this field and couldn't bare the idea of working retail or some other job and volunteering with the chance of being rejected again.

The way I saw it was:

1 year SSW, work and get experience in the field, then apply for the 2-year MSW = 3 years of school.

OR wait a year

apply for 2 year BSW then apply for the 1 Year MSW = 3 more years of school.

So, at this point, I am glad I did this program. It's nice to know I'll be done in June, and can start working.

I have a great placement working with adults who are in trouble with the law. Some students have placements in group homes/"half-way"houses, the school board, community health centre's, employment counselling, women's shelters, Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc.

Looking back, I was not ready for the MSW program...and I'm still not...I know I need experience working on the front lines first. I'm still young and working for between $15-$25 for awhile is OK with me while I improve my skills and get more comfortable with this work.

I hope you get accepted, but if not, SSW is a good option if you are eager to get started working soon.

As of June, I can register with the college and I will have the credentials to apply for a lot of jobs.

I've learned a lot - but mostly I have more confidence in my skills and I have a better understanding of the different kinds of social work and how they are done.

I'm still planning on applying for my MSW...and this was really just a step in that direction for me.

[stephanie.ms.antunes]

Thank you all for your advice! It was really helpful! Fanshawe is actually the program I was accepted to as well!

[heneyka]

Hi all,

I'm sure many of you are feeling the anxiety by now, but I wanted to ask another quick advice question. As I mentioned before, I called U of C last week, Tuesday, and was told that they would be e-mailing EVERYONE on April 15th. That's a Sunday, so it was my assumption that they would actually get back to us by today, the 16th. As of now, which is 3pm Calgary time, I have gotten nothing. PLus, nothing's on the results survey which suggests nobody else has heard either.

This is after already delaying their reply date from "end of march." I even called them March 28th to confirm this and they did. It just seems so disorganized and I'm a little frustrated at this point. If they didn't know or knew it would be later, why can't they just be honest? In the meantime they are making my blood pressure rise every day that I've been TOLD to expect something and get nothing.

I should note that those two phonecalled plus one other in Feb are the only ones I've made, so I'm not a complete nutbar and! If I don't hear by tonight, should I call tomorrow? Should I cross Calgary off my list because their admin seems to be a disorganized mess? I know mistakes happen and the grad app process rarely goes as expected, but Carleton has been absolutely fantastic by comparison and I'm already frustrated with Calgary's admin and I'm not even sure if I'm in or not?!

Haha, sorry, I guess I needed to vent a bit, but just like most of you, the wait is killing! And it wouldn't kill if they'd just be honest with me about when to expect a decision....

(I'm secretly hoping I get an e-mail within the next hour and look like an idiot...it would be welcomed!)

[Thumper86]

Finally an acceptance!!!!

I'm really shocked that I've been accepted to Laurier's 2-year M.S.W program. This is my second application season and it feels really great to know that they see something in me.

My stats:

CGPA = 2.7 ....yes, that's right. No typos here. My CGPA is 2.7. I've spent the last 3 years listening to registrars at my undergrad institution tell me that I will NEVER get accepted to graduate school because my GPA is too low. I even had one guidance counsellor tell me that I should consider going into the trades (which is not an option for me because I'm useless at that sort of thing).

To show my committment to social work, I enrolled in the online forensic practice program at Humber College after completing my B.Sc. I truly believe that this helped my application. I've only completed 3 courses so far but I've learned a lot about the field and since I would like to focus on working with offenders, I have found this program to be extremely useful.

I know that it's painful to watch other people get accepted while you feel that you're stuck in one place, but NEVER give up. Never let someone tell you that it won't happen for you.

[MSW13]

Congratulations!!!! That is amazing!!! I have to ask you, does Laurier look at the CGPA or just the last two years? If it is the last two years, was your gpa also 2.7 or did you improve? Did they factor in your *new* gpa with your forensic practice program? These distinctions are helpful for those of us who will be applying again next year. It is my understanding that highly competitive programs like the one at Laurier wouldn't even look at an application with a 2.7, so this development is quite interesting!

Again, congrats...persistence truly does pay off!

Finally an acceptance!!!!

I'm really shocked that I've been accepted to Laurier's 2-year M.S.W program. This is my second application season and it feels really great to know that they see something in me.

My stats:

CGPA = 2.7 ....yes, that's right. No typos here. My CGPA is 2.7. I've spent the last 3 years listening to registrars at my undergrad institution tell me that I will NEVER get accepted to graduate school because my GPA is too low. I even had one guidance counsellor tell me that I should consider going into the trades (which is not an option for me because I'm useless at that sort of thing).

To show my committment to social work, I enrolled in the online forensic practice program at Humber College after completing my B.Sc. I truly believe that this helped my application. I've only completed 3 courses so far but I've learned a lot about the field and since I would like to focus on working with offenders, I have found this program to be extremely useful.

I know that it's painful to watch other people get accepted while you feel that you're stuck in one place, but NEVER give up. Never let someone tell you that it won't happen for you.

[TashaL13]

Hi all,

I'm sure many of you are feeling the anxiety by now, but I wanted to ask another quick advice question. As I mentioned before, I called U of C last week, Tuesday, and was told that they would be e-mailing EVERYONE on April 15th. That's a Sunday, so it was my assumption that they would actually get back to us by today, the 16th. As of now, which is 3pm Calgary time, I have gotten nothing. PLus, nothing's on the results survey which suggests nobody else has heard either.

This is after already delaying their reply date from "end of march." I even called them March 28th to confirm this and they did. It just seems so disorganized and I'm a little frustrated at this point. If they didn't know or knew it would be later, why can't they just be honest? In the meantime they are making my blood pressure rise every day that I've been TOLD to expect something and get nothing.

I should note that those two phonecalled plus one other in Feb are the only ones I've made, so I'm not a complete nutbar and! If I don't hear by tonight, should I call tomorrow? Should I cross Calgary off my list because their admin seems to be a disorganized mess? I know mistakes happen and the grad app process rarely goes as expected, but Carleton has been absolutely fantastic by comparison and I'm already frustrated with Calgary's admin and I'm not even sure if I'm in or not?!

Haha, sorry, I guess I needed to vent a bit, but just like most of you, the wait is killing! And it wouldn't kill if they'd just be honest with me about when to expect a decision....

(I'm secretly hoping I get an e-mail within the next hour and look like an idiot...it would be welcomed!)

Hey Decaf, I am also awaiting on UofC and beginning to get very anxious. Thank you for your posts I could let out a sigh of relief knowing that no one else had heard back! This process can make you feel very isolated. Hope to hear from them soon, fingers crossed!

[TashaL13]

Finally an acceptance!!!!

I'm really shocked that I've been accepted to Laurier's 2-year M.S.W program. This is my second application season and it feels really great to know that they see something in me.

My stats:

CGPA = 2.7 ....yes, that's right. No typos here. My CGPA is 2.7. I've spent the last 3 years listening to registrars at my undergrad institution tell me that I will NEVER get accepted to graduate school because my GPA is too low. I even had one guidance counsellor tell me that I should consider going into the trades (which is not an option for me because I'm useless at that sort of thing).

To show my committment to social work, I enrolled in the online forensic practice program at Humber College after completing my B.Sc. I truly believe that this helped my application. I've only completed 3 courses so far but I've learned a lot about the field and since I would like to focus on working with offenders, I have found this program to be extremely useful.

I know that it's painful to watch other people get accepted while you feel that you're stuck in one place, but NEVER give up. Never let someone tell you that it won't happen for you.

Congrats! That is so exciting what an accomplishment, hard work pays off. Do you mind if I ask which program you applied for at Mcgill?

[heneyka]

Finally an acceptance!!!!

I'm really shocked that I've been accepted to Laurier's 2-year M.S.W program. This is my second application season and it feels really great to know that they see something in me.

My stats:

CGPA = 2.7 ....yes, that's right. No typos here. My CGPA is 2.7. I've spent the last 3 years listening to registrars at my undergrad institution tell me that I will NEVER get accepted to graduate school because my GPA is too low. I even had one guidance counsellor tell me that I should consider going into the trades (which is not an option for me because I'm useless at that sort of thing).

To show my committment to social work, I enrolled in the online forensic practice program at Humber College after completing my B.Sc. I truly believe that this helped my application. I've only completed 3 courses so far but I've learned a lot about the field and since I would like to focus on working with offenders, I have found this program to be extremely useful.

I know that it's painful to watch other people get accepted while you feel that you're stuck in one place, but NEVER give up. Never let someone tell you that it won't happen for you.

Way to go Thumper! That's fantastic! Congratulations - Obviously you must have some extremely fantastic experience and a great SoP, which are just as important if not more important than grades! Well deserved