shahriar Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 Hi Purplegrey, This is Nahid. I accepted both in MSW, university of Windsor and Wilfrid Laurier university. See you in Fall,2015 at Laurier.
rei003 Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 From what I understand the two programs differ greatly in terms of the curriculum (York = Anti Oppressive Perspective/Socially Progressive, U of T= Clinical (Evidence Based Practices) and Research Oriented). Hope that helps! Yeah, I feel like UofT might just be better suited for me because I'm hoping to work in hospitals in the future. It's unfortunate that they don't offer a funding package like York.
nugget Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Yeah, I feel like UofT might just be better suited for me because I'm hoping to work in hospitals in the future. It's unfortunate that they don't offer a funding package like York. U of T is a great choice if you want hospital experience. It's a pity that York doesn't offer the experience you are looking for. I guess it comes down to great fit and work experience and reputation vs. funding. In your shoes, I would probably go with U of T but it would be extremely difficult for me to turn down the funding. Not an easy decision for sure.
wxyyyz Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Yeah, I feel like UofT might just be better suited for me because I'm hoping to work in hospitals in the future. It's unfortunate that they don't offer a funding package like York. FWIW, you CAN complete a placement at York in a hospital if that's what floats your boat. There are many hospital opportunities available. I'm not sure how it shakes out in terms of opportunities v. number of students, but the potential is definitely there. You just won't be able to access UHN hospitals, I think. (I'm a York student next term and I have seen the list of former placements they've done. Also they specifically mentioned hospitals at our orientation.)
MSW-Waiting4It Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) All of those waitlisted for UofT, did anyone hear anything from Angela about where they are with the process? Edited June 3, 2015 by ShayRonee93
beareisland Posted June 3, 2015 Posted June 3, 2015 All of those waitlisted for UofT, did anyone hear anything from Angela about where they are with the process? Nope. Also, of the many wait-listed people who follow this thread, it looks like only one person has gotten off the list. Looks like a long shot for any of us at this point!
PoeticJustice Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 Got off the wait-list for Laurier today!! wxyyyz, Leah_N and MSW13 3
mish2 Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 I officially got off the waitlist for Laurier today also! So for those still waiting, there is movement! Leah_N 1
mish2 Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 Got off the wait-list for Laurier today!! Congrats!! Are you accepting? I got offered admissions today too. Leah_N 1
PoeticJustice Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 Congrats!! Are you accepting? I got offered admissions today too. Congratulations to you too!! Definitely accepting
msw22 Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 Congrats!! Are you accepting? I got offered admissions today too. Congratulations to you too!! Definitely accepting Congratulations Come join the group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1397129410607604/
PoeticJustice Posted June 4, 2015 Posted June 4, 2015 Congratulations Come join the group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1397129410607604/ I dont have facebook... maybe it's a good time to make it.
AMetallo Posted June 5, 2015 Posted June 5, 2015 If anyone is selling or knows anyone who is selling books for the summer portion of the HBSW at Lakehead please let me know! Thank you!
ohgosh Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Hey guys, If anyone was put on the waitlist for Ryerson, I just declined there, so I hope that they will give up my spot. Hopefully, they'll give away my funding as well.
forbuss Posted June 22, 2015 Posted June 22, 2015 Any tips for someone just entering their 2 year BSW (no prior degree) and who wants to apply for their MSW right out of undergrad? Develop close relationships? Etc?
aimsss Posted June 22, 2015 Posted June 22, 2015 Hey everyone! I am selling social work textbooks from the 1 year BSW through Lakehead University (Orillia campus). If anyone is attending this program and needs the textbooks, as well have any questions about the program, shoot me a message!
nugget Posted June 22, 2015 Posted June 22, 2015 (edited) Any tips for someone just entering their 2 year BSW (no prior degree) and who wants to apply for their MSW right out of undergrad? Develop close relationships? Etc? I agree that getting to know your professors will be helpful as you will need to ask for academic references. So doing things like participating in class, talking to profs during office hours about course material, getting an RA position, volunteering for committees, etc would be some great ways to make yourself known in the department. If time allows for it, try to do volunteer work at a place that staffs social workers. You can learn more about your interests in SW (which will help you write a more focused statement of interest) and will have people to get advice from, such as what to put in your statement of interest for grad school apps, and you may meet someone who will end up serving as a reference in the future. I would also recommend researching schools and writing your apps early, especially if you are willing to move to do your MSW and plan to apply to many schools. So for instance, if you are in school from Sept - April, you might choose to use the spring and summer to read books on how to put together a good application for grad school, decide which schools you want to apply to based on your interests and the focus of each school's SW department, and take time to write a thoughtful and well written application for each school. I'd encourage you to take advantage of your school's academic advisers while you are still a student and attend a workshop on applying to grad school if your school has one and ask an academic adviser who has been designated by your school to proofread grad school apps to give you give you feedback on your applications. You may only have access to such services while you are enrolled as a student or up until the end of the summer of your last year of studies, so if would be a good idea to find out how long you are eligible to use such services in advance and plan your timeline accordingly. You will find that if you apply to a lot of schools, some of the questions will be similar and you will be able to reuse some of the material for different applications which will save you time. But there will always be differences so you will need to customize your app for each school you apply to. If you take the time to carefully research each school you will be able to pick out schools that are a good fit for you and emphasize the points of your application that would make it clear to the admissions committee that you are a good fit for their program. ex: U of Victoria has a strong focus on Aboriginal issues and children. You might even decide to research schools in the summer after year one as things shouldn't really change all that much by the following year, and focus on putting together your apps the following summer and fall. Here is a great website to search for schools all across Canada: http://www.universitystudy.ca/search-programs/ Edited June 22, 2015 by jenste
Tupark Posted June 28, 2015 Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) Hey all, new here! I have a question that I hope can save me a lot of trouble. Should or should I not apply to U of T for MSW? I did a BA in Psych at Ryerson - I was on the dean's list but after converting and only choosing upper level courses I think my gpa for U of T would be around a 3.6, if its only the last 10/20 then its higher. I've volunteered in a hospital for the last 6 months but it was Physiotherapy, and if you guys say I can get in I will volunteer for the next 6 months again in social work. It says you need a minimum of a mid B I believe, but what was the true gpa cut off recently? M Edited June 28, 2015 by Tupark
nugget Posted June 28, 2015 Posted June 28, 2015 Hey all, new here! I have a question that I hope can save me a lot of trouble. Should or should I not apply to U of T for MSW? I did a BA in Psych at Ryerson - I was on the dean's list but after converting and only choosing upper level courses I think my gpa for U of T would be around a 3.6, if its only the last 10/20 then its higher. I've volunteered in a hospital for the last 6 months but it was Physiotherapy, and if you guys say I can get in I will volunteer for the next 6 months again in social work. It says you need a minimum of a mid B I believe, but what was the true gpa cut off recently? M I think it's worth applying to U of T. Your GPA is good enough and your 1 year of experience should meet the minimum standard (although you did not mention your hours. If you only volunteer 2 hrs per week for one year, for instance, your total hours will be much different who does 15 hours/wk). Although, keep in mind that U if T doesn't formally have a minimum number of hours that they are looking for. You get admitted based on your overall application and strength as a candidate If you have excellent references and a strong statement of interest then you might get in. While I don't think you have nearly enough work experience for other schools, U of T is the most likely school I've come across to admit people with little work/volunteer experience. So I would give it a try and see what happens.
happy888 Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Hello. I have been accepted into U of T's advanced standing stream and was wondering whether anyone else on this forum has received an entrance scholarship. I read in the acceptance letter that 25 students will get $4,000 as an entrance scholarship and that some students have received this already. Does anyone know what the criteria are or how students would be informed?
phd2msw Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice for a career transition into social work. I know this thread is mostly for those of you who have recently applied/been accepted to different MSW programs but I wasn't sure where to post to get input from fellow Canadians. This post might be a little long so I appreciate in advance if you're taking the time to read and comment. I am currently enrolled in a PhD program in the Humanities and for the past two years, have wondered about this career choice. I definitely do not see myself in academia, so if I complete my PhD, I would probably end up working in a government setting doing research and policy analysis or something like that. That could provide an opportunity to research and do some sort of social justice work on behalf of marginalized groups (in my case my area of expertise is Indigenous communities), but I don't see this as a fulfilling path. Essentially, I would like to work with people and help people, instead of simply studying people academically and theoretically (if that makes sense). This is a really scary move for me but also an exciting one because I believe it is really what I should be doing with my life. I think I already meet the course requirements for most programs (I have a research methodologies course from my MA, I have undergrad credits in women's studies, history, sociology, psychology, and a biology). Grades aren't an issue I think - I have straight As for all my PhD courses and an overall A- average for my MA and BA. I think it would look good on my application that I've already completed an MA and that I've done well academically at the PhD. I am worried about how my application might look to admissions committees who might be thrown off by me quitting one PhD to pursue another graduate degree. I'm worried about how to justify my desire to move into social work. I don't think I have enough volunteering and work experience in human services organizations and would like some some input on that. My lack of experience makes sense, given my previous career path which focused on research, but poses a problem now that I want to change careers. I am currently seeking out volunteering positions to work on that as soon as possible, but I definitely won't have a year's worth of experience by the time applications are due in Dec. I do have some experience interviewing individuals about their life stories, health histories, and occupational health conditions as part of nationally funded research project. So, I could argue that experience conducting oral history interviews often requires me to listen to personal health histories of second and third generation immigrant families in a working class community. Would this be relevant? The other experience I have is running a website with a group of people where I am an editor. The website links the work of academics to policymakers, the media, and the broader public. We publish pieces on current issues (such as missing and murdered Indigenous women for ex.). I also think my experiences working for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission shaped my desire to become a social worker. I was basically searching through archives for evidence of abuse, trauma, neglect, and missing children at the hands of Canada's Indian Residential School system. This deeply affected me, and I felt utterly helpless in those archives. I would like to do something today about the mental health issues and intergenerational trauma that a lot of Indigenous communities are facing today due to a long history of settler colonialism. My questions are: do you think I should focus on building more volunteering experience? Would it be worth it to apply for Fall 2016 admission? Any advice on what I should be doing in the meantime in order to strengthen my application? Do you think it's a crazy career decision? Thanks for reading.
nugget Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) Welcome phd2msw, It's a quiet time of year. You might not get many replies until the fall when a new batch of applicants returns online. But I'll give you my 2 cents. Your work in social justice for aboriginal populations is social work. Your interviewing experience is good too. Some social workers are into clinical stuff and others do stuff like research, policy work, program planning, community education, etc. All of it is social work. So you should definitely write about the experience you mentioned above in your application. You are correct that lots of schools look for more experience, often the equivalent of 2 years fulltime or more, but U of T is more lenient in terms of the number of work hours. I think you stand a very good chance at U of T with your research, academic background, GPA and demonstrated interest in social justice issues. If you acquire extra volunteer experience that would make your application stronger. As you are already 2 years into your PhD, I wonder if this is the only reason you want to drop out now. How close are you to finishing? Are you stuck at a tough point in your research and you decided you'd rather quit instead? The earliest you'd be able to begin an MSW is in 14 months. Depending on your level of motivation, it may be worthwhile to complete it and do an MSW afterwards, esp. if you're one year away from completion. If you're 2 years from completion, delaying your MSW by an extra year would give you more time to accumulate part time experience on the side and enable you to be more competitive for other MSW programs as well. Having a PhD would also allow you to teach at a university in the future if you decide to go that route (in social work, not necessarily in the humanities). That's my take on it. But only you can decide what to do. Good luck. Edited July 10, 2015 by jenste
purplegrey Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 For those who were accepted to Carleton, here is the FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/388404831356838/
rockerelmo Posted July 30, 2015 Posted July 30, 2015 Hi guys , congratulations to those who got offers, and best of luck to those who are still in the waiting game. My name is Emily, and I am needing some word of advice in terms of applying to U of T and York MSW programs for the next year. Does anyone know what the main differences between those two universities are with this program? Also, to those who got in the program, would you mind sharing what your GPA and credentials/experiences are? That'd really help for me to try and measure up! Thanks a bunch guys. Emily
rockerelmo Posted July 30, 2015 Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but any advice would help! Edited July 30, 2015 by rockerelmo
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