SLP333 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Hi all, I need someone's advice (please)... I'll be completing my undergraduate degree (in Psychology) this semester (Winter 2014). I've been accepted to an unrelated SLP Canadian Master's program (starting in Fall 2014). The thing is, I have almost all the prerequisite courses needed to apply to the SLP program at University of Ottawa, except for one. Since my chances of getting accepted aren't that high, I'd still like to enroll in the Master's program I've already been accepted to as a "safety". But, I was wondering... Do you think it would be possible for me to apply to UofO this year (for Fall 2015 admission) while already being enrolled in this Master's program? At that point, I'll have barely completed my first semester. Then, if I would get accepted at UofO, I would leave that program and take the prerequisite course I'm missing in Winter 2015 as an independent student somewhere... I feel like this is not exactly "legal", if that makes any sense... Thanks for your help! I know a lot of programs (not necessarily SLP) will not accept you until you've completed the program you are enrolled in. It might be best to contact the school specifically to see what their policy is on that issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princesspeech Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Hi all, I need someone's advice (please)... I'll be completing my undergraduate degree (in Psychology) this semester (Winter 2014). I've been accepted to an unrelated SLP Canadian Master's program (starting in Fall 2014). The thing is, I have almost all the prerequisite courses needed to apply to the SLP program at University of Ottawa, except for one. Since my chances of getting accepted aren't that high, I'd still like to enroll in the Master's program I've already been accepted to as a "safety". But, I was wondering... Do you think it would be possible for me to apply to UofO this year (for Fall 2015 admission) while already being enrolled in this Master's program? At that point, I'll have barely completed my first semester. Then, if I would get accepted at UofO, I would leave that program and take the prerequisite course I'm missing in Winter 2015 as an independent student somewhere... I feel like this is not exactly "legal", if that makes any sense... Thanks for your help! This is an interesting take, can I ask how unrelated it is? I'd consider a lot of factors like what makes you think your application is not that strong. I feel like going into an unrelated Master's with no real intention to really finish it/if you really want to be an SLP would be a waste of time and money and I'd instead spend that time working on making my application stronger. You can always do this then apply to the same master's AND slp next January. Also, I'm not sure about UofO but the schools I applied to gave me a conditional offer that I finish my program with a certain average. Are you only limited to Ottawa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLPTT Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Hi all, I need someone's advice (please)... I'll be completing my undergraduate degree (in Psychology) this semester (Winter 2014). I've been accepted to an unrelated SLP Canadian Master's program (starting in Fall 2014). The thing is, I have almost all the prerequisite courses needed to apply to the SLP program at University of Ottawa, except for one. Since my chances of getting accepted aren't that high, I'd still like to enroll in the Master's program I've already been accepted to as a "safety". But, I was wondering... Do you think it would be possible for me to apply to UofO this year (for Fall 2015 admission) while already being enrolled in this Master's program? At that point, I'll have barely completed my first semester. Then, if I would get accepted at UofO, I would leave that program and take the prerequisite course I'm missing in Winter 2015 as an independent student somewhere... I feel like this is not exactly "legal", if that makes any sense... Thanks for your help! I would say that if your heart is set on SLP, take the prerequisites in the fall and see if you could postpone your other masters. That way you still have a back-up, but you don't run into any issues with SLP programs. I know most really prefer your prereqs are completed before you apply, so taking it next spring is probably not wise. This is my opinion, of course. I'm not an expert on the matter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP553 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 It is exciting to meet future/potentially future classmates! I chose U of A because Edmonton is such a fun city and both SLP's I volunteer under graduated from there and loved the program! Hey kaetd, I am also most likely accepting my offer at U of A. I've never been to Edmonton but have heard great things about U of A's program. It's nice to know that I won't be the only Ontarionian moving to Alberta Hey! I'm also new, and recently accepted my offer at U of A, despite never having been to Edmonton! From my lurking I haven't noticed a ton of people going west. Is anyone else heading out to Alberta? HEY! I just found out I got off the waitlist at U of A, so I'll be heading west instead of east! Congrats on getting accepted as well! I've never lived in Edmonton, but every time I've visited or gone shopping there I've enjoyed it! I just accepted my offer at UofA!! If you're looking for more people headed to Alberta there's a facebook group started for the UofA class of 2016! If you're not already in it you should look it up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdot Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 are there any other Dal students on the forum? We should get a facebook group started too! I'm excited to meet everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtlGal Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 (edited) Hi all, I need someone's advice (please)... I'll be completing my undergraduate degree (in Psychology) this semester (Winter 2014). I've been accepted to an unrelated SLP Canadian Master's program (starting in Fall 2014). The thing is, I have almost all the prerequisite courses needed to apply to the SLP program at University of Ottawa, except for one. Since my chances of getting accepted aren't that high, I'd still like to enroll in the Master's program I've already been accepted to as a "safety". But, I was wondering... Do you think it would be possible for me to apply to UofO this year (for Fall 2015 admission) while already being enrolled in this Master's program? At that point, I'll have barely completed my first semester. Then, if I would get accepted at UofO, I would leave that program and take the prerequisite course I'm missing in Winter 2015 as an independent student somewhere... I feel like this is not exactly "legal", if that makes any sense... Thanks for your help! Since you have most of your prereqs completed already, I wouldn't worry about finishing the last one in Winter 2015 if you're applying for Fall 2015. I got accepted to Ottawa and I'm completing the syntax and anatomy prereqs right now, so this is just speaking from experience. In any case, for the Canadian schools, most of them give you until August to complete any missing prereqs. Edited April 11, 2014 by MtlGal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP333 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Does anyone have any information about the waitlist at Dal from previous years? They will not provide me with any information and it's driving me crazy!! Any information would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trejsi Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Awww, I'm sorry to hear that 2014Appy. Good luck with the other programs you've applied to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
let'sgo Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Does anyone have any information about the waitlist at Dal from previous years? They will not provide me with any information and it's driving me crazy!! Any information would be great! I would love to know also! SLP333, have you heard a response after you sent in the confirmation for staying on the waitlist? I sent an email to Noriko, after faxing my confirmation. I just wanted to confirm that they received my fax, but I haven't received a response (my fax machine said it went through, but I just want to make sure). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luslp Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 To those admitted to Western: Have you received your confirmation number via email after having accepted the offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpdreamer Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 To those admitted to Western: Have you received your confirmation number via email after having accepted the offer? You need to accept the offer through SAM on ORPAS and they will send you 2 emails with confirmation numbers. I do not believe Western sends you a confirmation number although I noticed on the student center that it changed my status to accepted offer. Hope that helps. If you are attending Western join our facebook group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP333 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I would love to know also! SLP333, have you heard a response after you sent in the confirmation for staying on the waitlist? I sent an email to Noriko, after faxing my confirmation. I just wanted to confirm that they received my fax, but I haven't received a response (my fax machine said it went through, but I just want to make sure). I mailed my confirmation on Monday, so they probably received it by Wednesday or Thursday but I haven't received a response. I've emailed/called Mark so much recently that I feel bad emailing him again but I think I might on Monday just to make sure they have received it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP_AWS Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I mailed my confirmation on Monday, so they probably received it by Wednesday or Thursday but I haven't received a response. I've emailed/called Mark so much recently that I feel bad emailing him again but I think I might on Monday just to make sure they have received it!! Mark is used to getting many calls and emails from students, so don't feel bad! It is always better to make sure that everything checks out! Good luck getting off the wait-list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP2014WIS Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hi I'm just wondering if anyone can help me out with something. What is the difference between a firm acceptance and provisional acceptance on ORPAS? What happens if I choose firm acceptance for an offer of admission and then want to accept a different offer at a later date? I was looking on the ORPAS website to see if I could find the difference between the two 'types' of acceptance, but I was unable to locate this information. If anyone can help me out with this that would be fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inny Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hi I'm just wondering if anyone can help me out with something. What is the difference between a firm acceptance and provisional acceptance on ORPAS? What happens if I choose firm acceptance for an offer of admission and then want to accept a different offer at a later date? I was looking on the ORPAS website to see if I could find the difference between the two 'types' of acceptance, but I was unable to locate this information. If anyone can help me out with this that would be fantastic! I would definitely check this before selecting one of them. I was given the impression by one of my classmates that by choosing "firm acceptance", you are taking yourself off the waitlist for other ORPAS schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeechPath88 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 To those who have accepted Western, the Facebook group is UWO SLP- Class of 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP2014WIS Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I would definitely check this before selecting one of them. I was given the impression by one of my classmates that by choosing "firm acceptance", you are taking yourself off the waitlist for other ORPAS schools. Thanks Inny! I will definitely check this out before confirming anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princesspeech Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Did anyone here get into Western and not into U of T / vice versa? I'm quite curious as to what they look for in the admissions committee (in Ontario) and whether one school prefers clinical experience over reference, etc. I know one student who got into UWO but not U of T because she had everything great except for quality academic reference letters but that was a few years ago and was wondering if anything's changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLPTT Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Did anyone here get into Western and not into U of T / vice versa? I'm quite curious as to what they look for in the admissions committee (in Ontario) and whether one school prefers clinical experience over reference, etc. I know one student who got into UWO but not U of T because she had everything great except for quality academic reference letters but that was a few years ago and was wondering if anything's changed. I was accepted to Western and not U of T. I have asked why, but have not received a response yet. I am guessing it is exactly as you said: I had 500+ hours of clinical volunteer experience, but my academic references were outdated and not SLP-related (I was a music major). I have heard that Western looks more towards experience over academics, and would say that my situation is evidence of that. I'm only one person though, so I'm curious if others have had similar experiences. I'm really excited about Western, so I'm not going to complain about not getting into U of T! The program is a better match for me anyway, for similar reasons as to why they accepted me in the first place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpdreamer Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I was accepted at Western and not UofT as well. I believe I didn't get in to UofT because I had 1 low(er) prerequisite grade. I had over 1000 hours of volunteer experience including multiple leadership positions and direct clinical observation in almost every area (AAC, dysphagia, ASD, dementia, ABI/CVA, developmental language disorders, degenerative disorders, etc.). My GPA was definitely the weakest part of my application. Also, for UofT they required my full year anatomy and physiology mark (which was my lowest mark) whereas at Western they used my half year anatomy of speech class (only require half year) which may have made a significant difference. I have always dreamed of going to Western and I am not disappointed at all about UofT (although who really likes to get a rejection). My interest in Western probably came across clearly in my LOI and at UofT I may not have seemed as knowledgeable about their program. For anyone applying next year, make sure to really research the schools you are applying to and explain how their program really fits your unique perspective (which is what I did with Western). Hope that helps future applicants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpdreamer Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) I had heard that if you had any prereq grades below a B+ they do not even look at your application at UofT. Not sure how true this is, but would make sense since I had 1 prereq that was a B-. For this reason I was not surprised at all about not getting in to UofT. Having read these threads for a long time, I would encourage everyone applying not to be too hard on yourself. I see people with 3.9s worrying their grades are too low. It is important to realize that this is a ridiculously competitive field and you should be proud of getting the grades you have. Having a mid/high 80s average, it took me a long time to acknowledge that I am not a bad student, I had unattainable expectations for myself because of the high standards of these programs. You do not need a 95% average to get in, you need to demonstrate you are a complete package (at least at Western). It's good to set goals, just don't let your goals stop you from enjoying the journey - life is a journey not a destination. Edited April 13, 2014 by slpdreamer MtlGal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP2014WIS Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Did anyone here get into Western and not into U of T / vice versa? I'm quite curious as to what they look for in the admissions committee (in Ontario) and whether one school prefers clinical experience over reference, etc. I know one student who got into UWO but not U of T because she had everything great except for quality academic reference letters but that was a few years ago and was wondering if anything's changed. Don't know if I count because I got wait listed at U of T? I am still missing a half course prerequisite for U of T, so I don't know if that was taken into consideration. My reference letters were strong, so I don't think it has anything to do with that (for me at least). However, I do know of one girl (the only other person I know in real life who applied to SLP this round) who was accepted to U of T (and got OGS!) and was also accepted to McGill. She was wait listed at Western, but she also has lots of life experience and just SLP experience in general. She decided on McGill. I think it is really difficult to say in general why or why not someone is accepted at one school and not another. Different people are on each committee obviously, so only they really know why one applicant is selected over another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aykl Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) I agree with what everyone is saying - within each admissions committee, each member has their own ideals of what a candidate should have. One of my profs is on the adcom at Western and she told me point blank that what she looks for is a strong clinical reference, because she believes that is the strongest predictor in a good future clinician. She also pointed out that another member on the committee values high grades over everything else. For Western at least, each member is given a stack of applications and they rotate through, then meet together to discuss who is going to get admission, wait-list or rejection. I'm sure at Toronto, and other schools, the process is very similar! Edited April 13, 2014 by aykl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queensgrad Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I just accepted my offer at UofA!! If you're looking for more people headed to Alberta there's a facebook group started for the UofA class of 2016! If you're not already in it you should look it up ! I wasn't able to find the facebook group for some reason. Would you mind posting the link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP553 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I wasn't able to find the facebook group for some reason. Would you mind posting the link? Of course! I should have thought of that! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1484441905109599/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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