Prairiegirl2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Has anyone heard from Ryerson or York? I wonder if we will hear from york before the middle of next week, Edited February 22, 2015 by Prairiegirl2015
msw22 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi Everyone! I'm a long time reader but first time posting. I need to talk to someone else about this waiting game because I think I and driving my family and friends crazy! I've applied to the 2 year program at U of T, Windsor and Laurier. My first choice is Laurier, then U of T and then Windsor. Congrats to all of you who have heard back and good luck to everyone who is waiting it out!! Its so nerve racking that the 2 year applicants will hear back soon!! , Even though I know I won't be hearing back just yet I still check my email a couple times daily, and offer to get the mail daily... ugh the stress of this season. Welcome to the forum! I wish this forum helped ease my mind but some days I think it makes me more impatient, especially knowing that the advanced standing applicants are starting to get offers haha If you do not mind me asking what are your reasons for your preference between Laurier and U of T?
lee22 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Congrats to all the advanced standing people who got in!! YAYYY! and to those who still have not heard just stay calm and remember that whatever happens, happens and is most likely for the better even though you made not see it as that now. Waiting anxiously over here for the 2-year results. Going through a break-up right now has not really made things easier, but getting in would definitely raise my spirits and allow for an amazing beginning. 6 weeks better go by fast! haha Have a good day everyone! and BREATHE! Leah
smpalesh Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 Christina2 - Welcome! You won't be hearing back from Laurier anytime soon. They are running later than usual this year with the Advanced Standing MSW, we haven't even heard yet and we are supposed to hear by the end of the month. Laurier 2-yr decisions don't come out until April, UofT will probably be the same. So don't start going crazy just yet, you have a couple of months to go
smpalesh Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 Jennbe - That doesn't affect anything actually. Many people are in the middle of their last year of a program when they apply for the MSW. I was doing my BSW last year when I applied and I got accepted to UofT and waitlisted to Laurier. The UofT offer just said it was condition upon receiving my transcript when I finished. No problems at all.
Jennbe Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Oh ok! Thanks guys! Just thought maybe they would maybe consider other's before considering me if I hadn't finished yet...only have one last class to finish up so it's not much Will continue to cross my fingers and hope for a conditional acceptance!
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi everyone, Best of luck as the responses have begun rolling in! I am thrilled and happy to have been accepted to U of T's advanced standing program. Still anxiously awaiting to hear from Laurier. If I am lucky enough to have to choose between the 2 programs, my question is this: Would you choose Laurier or U of T MSW and why one over the other?? Muchly appreciate all opinions. Thanks!
Socialworkerr Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi everyone, Best of luck as the responses have begun rolling in! I am thrilled and happy to have been accepted to U of T's advanced standing program. Still anxiously awaiting to hear from Laurier. If I am lucky enough to have to choose between the 2 programs, my question is this: Would you choose Laurier or U of T MSW and why one over the other?? Muchly appreciate all opinions. Thanks! I feel like I didn't get accepted to U of T again this year... Everyone else has heard! In my fantasy land, I would go to U of T over Laurier. I just don't think the two academically compare. U of T is one of the best schools on the world. That being said, I like that Lauier is self contained community, which is an important aspect to a social work education. I wish we could all trade our acceptances and wait list positions amongst ourselves. If I get into Laurier, i am sure so many of you U of T -ers would happily switch with me!
msw22 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi everyone, Best of luck as the responses have begun rolling in! I am thrilled and happy to have been accepted to U of T's advanced standing program. Still anxiously awaiting to hear from Laurier. If I am lucky enough to have to choose between the 2 programs, my question is this: Would you choose Laurier or U of T MSW and why one over the other?? Muchly appreciate all opinions. Thanks! Hi Dawnzii! Congratulations on the acceptance from U of T, I hope you were able to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment so far I think your question can depend on numerous factors: 1. The program's curriculum - U of T offers several specializations in addition to collaborative degree options which is great if you have a specific focus in mind. Laurier to my knowledge (someone can correct me if I am wrong) but from a student currently graduating I have been told they are combining their IFG & CPPO curriculum. 2. Tuition Fee - this might not be 100% accurate as I looked at previous years and I am also a 2 Year applicant..http://www.fees.utoronto.ca/Assets/Student+Accounts+Digital+Assets/14+15+Schedules/1 U of T for 1 Year- $10,030.96. http://legacy.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=36&p=12504 Laurier per Term $3,655.03 3. Program Size 4. Commute/Living Costs 5. Research Interests and Future Plans - Are there any of the professors who have research interests that align with yours? or is there a university that has connections to practicums with certain organizations you'd be interested in working for in the future etc.. These are just some thoughts to consider!
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 I feel like I didn't get accepted to U of T again this year... Everyone else has heard! In my fantasy land, I would go to U of T over Laurier. I just don't think the two academically compare. U of T is one of the best schools on the world. That being said, I like that Lauier is self contained community, which is an important aspect to a social work education. I wish we could all trade our acceptances and wait list positions amongst ourselves. If I get into Laurier, i am sure so many of you U of T -ers would happily switch with me! Hey socialworkerr, Did you apply for the 2 year program or advance standing at U of T? My understanding is that the advance standing acceptance letters go out at least 1 to 2 months earlier...so that makes a difference. U of T has a stellar reputation, true, but many of my current coworkers (all graduates of U of T) have all said Laurier has a better program for counselling/clinical work. So I'm confused. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi Dawnzii! Congratulations on the acceptance from U of T, I hope you were able to take some time to celebrate your accomplishment so far I think your question can depend on numerous factors: 1. The program's curriculum - U of T offers several specializations in addition to collaborative degree options which is great if you have a specific focus in mind. Laurier to my knowledge (someone can correct me if I am wrong) but from a student currently graduating I have been told they are combining their IFG & CPPO curriculum. 2. Tuition Fee - this might not be 100% accurate as I looked at previous years and I am also a 2 Year applicant..http://www.fees.utoronto.ca/Assets/Student+Accounts+Digital+Assets/14+15+Schedules/1 U of T for 1 Year- $10,030.96. http://legacy.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=36&p=12504 Laurier per Term $3,655.03 3. Program Size 4. Commute/Living Costs 5. Research Interests and Future Plans - Are there any of the professors who have research interests that align with yours? or is there a university that has connections to practicums with certain organizations you'd be interested in working for in the future etc.. These are just some thoughts to consider! Thanks for the congrats & your thoughts. All those factors considered, I am drawn more to Laurier. However, I do not want to pass up U of T if that's what employers would prefer at the end of the day. Guess I'll wait to see what Laurier says first, then I will see....
Prairiegirl2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 @Dawnzii did your status change on rosi? When was your admissions letter dated ? Did you just receive it? I live in the prairies so I wonder if that has anything to do with my letter being late!
selis Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 I feel like I didn't get accepted to U of T again this year... Everyone else has heard! In my fantasy land, I would go to U of T over Laurier. I just don't think the two academically compare. U of T is one of the best schools on the world. That being said, I like that Lauier is self contained community, which is an important aspect to a social work education. I wish we could all trade our acceptances and wait list positions amongst ourselves. If I get into Laurier, i am sure so many of you U of T -ers would happily switch with me! i haven't heard back from them either. Your post is making me depressed! I haven't heard back from Windsor either. I guess if I dont get in, atleast I can save some money for next year!
reposae Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi all! New poster here but have been following the feed for some time. I've applied for the two year MSW to Carleton, Laurier, U of T, and York, and received an offer of admission to Carleton on the 20th. I've been accepted with the condition that I receive at least a B in Statistics (which is not a problem). Does anyone live in Ottawa and know anything about Carleton and their program? I feel that it is the best fit for me (structural) as someone who is interested in public policy but only know what is written on their website. They have offered me full funding with a TA-ship so I'm extremely inclined to accept this offer. It expires in 21 days. My family is hoping that I attend Laurier but I have to do what is best for me. Any advice? Thanks everyone and good luck!
ReallyDeepStuff Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hey everyone Been accepted to Dalhousie MSW program for Sept 2015, although still unsure if I'll accept as I'm not certain about the clinical focus of the school. Anyone else accepted/attending that has any insight? Cheers
nugget Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Hi Dawnzi, Here are some things to consider about both schools... -At Laurier you pick your top 10 choices for practicum and you may get assigned to places low on your list. I've heard of advanced standing students getting placements they aren't interested in. Sometimes people are quite disappointed in their practicum site, but this is not always the case. Some students end up being luckier than others. -At UofT, you pick your top 5 and students often get assigned to their first or second choice. -UofT also has many more hospital placements than Laurier, in case this point is of interest. At Laurier, hospital placements are competitive as there aren't enough to go around to most interested students. -Laurier is more of a generalist program and UofT allows you to focus in on a specific area of interest. -I'm pretty sure that UofT's program is shorter than Laurier's by a couple of months (may be worth double checking). So the workload is likely to be more hectic at UofT if this is the case. -UofT has an outstanding reputation in Canada and internationally. Laurier's got a great reputation for social work in Ontario but is less known elsewhere, particularly outside of Canada. -Laurier gives you the opportunity to do a practicum in another country but I don't think this is available at UofT (again, worth looking into if this is of interest to you). -Laurier's Kitchener campus is tiny (in an old high school) with no gym facilities, medical clinic or career resource centre. There's one working printer for 300 students. The library is one room that's about the size of an apartment with extremely limited hours. Quiet study space at this campus can be very difficult to come across. -Laurier tends to be a commuter school. So if you're moving into town from far away (too far away to make regular visits back home to see family and friends), be aware that some of the new friends you make will only be in town during class hours - at least a third of the program or more. However, this can be a good thing if you're hoping to car pool and save on gas money. Unfortunately I cannot speak to this point regarding UofT. But at the end of the day, everyone at both of these programs is in the field because they are awesome people who want to make a positive impact on society, so wherever you choose to go I'm sure you will meet lots of great students, colleagues and professors who will make your learning experience very rewarding and enriching. Edited February 22, 2015 by jenste
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 @Dawnzii did your status change on rosi? When was your admissions letter dated ? Did you just receive it? I live in the prairies so I wonder if that has anything to do with my letter being late! Hi Prairiegirl2015, I just checked to see if my online status changed...and the answer is no. It still says 'under review.' The letter was dated February 11th and I got it Feb. 13th. Best of luck - I hope you get good news in the mail soon!
Prairiegirl2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 @dawnzii! Thanks for checking! It's kinda safe to say I didn't get in which is okay! I got into a couple Of schools too and I am leaning towards one! It would be nice to get into it though apparently when you log into your student account on Rosi there is an "invited" message did you try that?! If you didn't that's fine! Have you heard from other universities? I am waiting on York and ryerson in just want to know lol
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi Dawnzi, Here are some things to consider about both schools... -At Laurier you pick your top 10 choices for practicum and you may get assigned to places low on your list. I've heard of advanced standing students getting placements they aren't interested in. Sometimes people are quite disappointed in their practicum site, but this is not always the case. Some students end up being luckier than others. -At UofT, you pick your top 5 and students often get assigned to their first or second choice. -UofT also has many more hospital placements than Laurier, in case this point is of interest. At Laurier, hospital placements are competitive as there aren't enough to go around to most interested students. -Laurier is more of a generalist program and UofT allows you to focus in on a specific area of interest. -I'm pretty sure that UofT's program is shorter than Laurier's by a couple of months (may be worth double checking). So the workload is likely to be more hectic at UofT if this is the case. -UofT has an outstanding reputation in Canada and internationally. Laurier's got a great reputation for social work in Ontario but not so much elsewhere, particularly outside of Canada. -Laurier gives you the opportunity to do a practicum in another country but I don't think this is available at UofT (again, worth looking into if this is of interest to you). -Laurier's campus is tiny (in an old high school) with no gym facilities, medical clinic or career resource centre. There's one working printer for 300 students. The library is one room that's about the size of an apartment with extremely limited hours. Quiet study space at this campus can be very difficult to come across. Hi Jenste, Thank you for offering these points to consider. I sincerely appreciate them. I live in the GTA so I am less familiar with Laurier's campus, processes & facilities than I am with U of T. On paper, I was more drawn to Laurier, but I am particularly concerned about the practicum pitfalls at Laurier...especially given that I do want a practicum close to home, which will be competing with U of T. Many many thanks! D
Dawnzii Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 @dawnzii! Thanks for checking! It's kinda safe to say I didn't get in which is okay! I got into a couple Of schools too and I am leaning towards one! It would be nice to get into it though apparently when you log into your student account on Rosi there is an "invited" message did you try that?! If you didn't that's fine! Have you heard from other universities? I am waiting on York and ryerson in just want to know lol Hi Prairiegirl, Congratulations on your acceptances!! I was checking the U of T site (https://apply.sgs.utoronto.ca/default.aspx)...not Rosi. I applied to Laurier also, but have not heard anything. Last year, 2 of my friends got acceptance letters from both York & Ryerson in March for advanced standing (I believe it was quite late March)...so hang in there!
nugget Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Hi Jenste, Thank you for offering these points to consider. I sincerely appreciate them. I live in the GTA so I am less familiar with Laurier's campus, processes & facilities than I am with U of T. On paper, I was more drawn to Laurier, but I am particularly concerned about the practicum pitfalls at Laurier...especially given that I do want a practicum close to home, which will be competing with U of T. Many many thanks! D Dawnzii, Laurier students can get practicums in Toronto. This generally isn't a problem. Something to be aware of is that UofT has exclusivity contracts with some of their practicum sites (not sure how many) which prohibit them from accepting MSW interns from other schools. So to a certain degree, practicum options for non-UofT students in Toronto are somewhat limited.
sdp732 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 I know quite a few people who attended Laurier and U of T's MSW programs. The people I know who attended U of T really enjoyed the program but found that the classes were quite large and the program wasn't very personal. I think this is especially the case for U of T's advanced standing program as it's only 8 months and you do not have the same amount of opportunities to get to know faculty members well. As far as I know the classes at Laurier are smaller. Laurier has some really good practicum options but you may have to end up commuting (some placement options I know of are Reach Out Centre for Kids, a well known counselling agency in the Peel region (I forget the name), and City of Hamilton Child&Adolescent Services. In my opinion, Laurier actually seems to have higher expectations for their students during practicums. A friend of mine is currently doing the advanced standing program at Laurier and there are a few U of T students at his placement agency as well. He said that he has to videotape himself/record some of his sessions and that he has to write six pages for his placement self evaluations. U of T on the other hand only requires you to complete a checklist for self evaluations. I'm not trying to downplay how good U of T is. It's definitely an amazing program and I have a family member who did amazingly well in their career after doing that program. This year I only chose to apply to Ryerson because I really like the AOP focus of the program. I am somewhat having second thoughts though and may wait until next year to apply to both Laurier and Ryerson.
smpalesh Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 Dawnzii - for me personally Laurier is my absolute number 1 choice. But the reasons aren't educational. I have some health problems and I don't want to have to commute (I live in the KW area). I also have 3 children, one of who is going to be home by himself homeschooling next year so ideally I would like to be close by in case of emergencies. That said, I do think Laurier is a great school. The practicum thing doesn't worry me at all because I already decided this year that I want to do something completely different than I have done before (worked exclusively in sexual assault/domestic violence cases) so I am very open to wherever I end up. All of that said, IF UofT was not a long commute to me I would choose it in a heartbeat. The ability to focus on a specialization is great (I am accepted to Social Justice and Diversity) and if you live in Toronto the variety of placement opportunities is outstanding. I went through the whole practicum thing last year before I had to defer and there are so many different options. I personally did, and will have to again if I don't get into Laurier, opt-out of the system to try and a placement in my home community which is stressful. Overall, between the two I think UofT offers more options and a wider variety of experiences but you need to go with your gut and think about where you want to be for the year. Hopefully we will at least hear from Laurier soon because I am going crazy with the waiting!
Socialworkerr Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 i haven't heard back from them either. Your post is making me depressed! I haven't heard back from Windsor either. I guess if I dont get in, atleast I can save some money for next year! We could still be on the waitlist! Don't be depressed!
goodnews Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 You're both so lucky! Mine hasn't changed yet and I'm also for the 2 year stream . I've officially come to terms that I'm probably not going to get into grad school... ugh. I hate this process. mine has not changed either, I wasn't expecting this cause i thought rejections would be going out last week but oh well...... not expecting good news now, at least starting tomorrow we can start obsessing over emails again! hahah
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