Canadian Universities MSW. The waiting game 2016 admissions

[NB_MSW2016]

30 minutes ago, patience_is_a_virtue said:

Everyone who has been accepted into UofT 2-year program, would you mind sharing when you completed your application? 

I completed it a day or two before the deadline ... either the 1st or the 16th, I can't remember! So many deadlines haha. But I remember it being fairly last minute because I was obsessing over my personal statement.

[Sam.E]

2 hours ago, phd2msw said:

Hey, just wanted to say I am also thinking of one-year BSW at this point. I only applied to UofT's 2 year program, and so far have heard nothing. I'm really discouraged. I'm wondering if it's worth doing the one year BSW and then applying for the MSW? Or should I keep trying for the MSW? Financially, I don't want to make a mistake, but I also don't want to wait year after year, and have a huge chance of not getting into the MSW program. I feel like the BSW increases your chances significantly.  Can anyone comment on this? So maybe I will go that route. I am looking into Waterloo's program as well as Lakehead (Orillia campus). It looks like I will only be able to apply for conditional admission to the Waterloo BSW. I'll have to take several pre-requisite courses. 

I applied to the Lakehead (Orillia) program after my friend enrolled in it this year. She's almost done and now has been accepted to the 1 yr MSW at McMaster for Fall 2016. She said its fairly easy, you can do your placement anywhere in Ontario (even abroad) and only have to live there for 4-5 months. Thats the only thing I'm skeptical about tho, having to take out a lease for a whole yr and only be living there for 4 months.... Other than that, thats my backup plan if I don't get into an MSW this yr. The benefit is that you will have a BSW that will allow you to work in a bunch of social service jobs, so if you reapply and don't get into an MSW, you can still work in the field until you do. And plus, having a BSW lets you take a 1 yr MSW which opens up a lot more universities that only have 1 yr programs (aka Ryerson, McMaster, McGill to name a few). So in the end, its like doing a 2 yr MSW if do a 1 yr BSW and then a 1 yr MSW afterwards. Also, I've heard U of T favours the Lakehead program students for the 1 yr program so...But let's just hope I get into the Lakehead program first before getting too excited... (but U of T is still my top choice by far!)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Sam.E

[Homes2341]

Hey All,

Congrats to those of you who have gotten in, and good luck to those of you waiting! I was in your position a year ago and am now almost done my first year of UofT's 2-year MSW program. Just as an FYI, i got my acceptance on April 1st of last year. Let me know if anyone has questiosn about the program itself or admission information

 

Good luck!!

[SamSat]

3 minutes ago, Sam.E said:

I applied to the Lakehead (Orillia) program after my friend enrolled in it this year. She's almost done and now has been accepted to the 1 yr MSW at McMaster for Fall 2016. She said its fairly easy, you can do your placement anywhere in Ontario (even abroad) and only have to live there for 4-5 months. Thats the only thing I'm skeptical about tho, having to take out a lease for a whole yr and only be living there for 4 months.... Other than that, thats my backup plan if I don't get into an MSW this yr. The benefit is that you will have a BSW that will allow you to work in a bunch of social service jobs, so if you reapply and don't get into an MSW, you can still work in the field until you do. And plus, having a BSW lets you take a 1 yr MSW which opens up a lot more universities that only have 1 yr programs (aka Ryerson, McMaster, McGill to name a few). So in the end, its like doing a 2 yr MSW if do a 1 yr BSW and then a 1 yr MSW afterwards. Also, I've heard U of T favours the Lakehead program students for the 1 yr program so...But let's just hope I get into the Lakehead program first before getting too excited... (but U of T is still my top choice by far!)

Thanks, this was super helpful!

[Homes2341]

Also, to those of you who are debating between accepting UofT and a different school, i would HIGHLY recommend you consider UofT. They are affiliated with a huge number of organizations and will set you up with placements that will set your resume apart from others. I have spoken to many social workers who have told me they only accept UofT students.

[Sam.E]

38 minutes ago, patience_is_a_virtue said:

Everyone who has been accepted into UofT 2-year program, would you mind sharing when you completed your application? 

I don't think they care when you applied. My friend submitted her application on December 15, 30 min before the deadline and I submitted like 10 min after her and she got an offer in the first round (I have yet to hear back though.)

[Homes2341]

Just now, Sam.E said:

I don't think they care when you applied. My friend submitted her application on December 15, 30 min before the deadline and I submitted like 10 min after her and she got an offer in the first round (I have yet to hear back though.)

I agree. It is all about your personal statement, even more so than your grades. Personal statement and experience are their main focuses.

[Sam.E]

5 minutes ago, SamSat said:

Thanks, this was super helpful!

np!

[Sam.E]

2 minutes ago, Homes2341 said:

I agree. It is all about your personal statement, even more so than your grades. Personal statement and experience are their main focuses.

100% agree. My personal statement was way too broad now that I look back. I didn't connect it well enough to the core values and skills a social worker should have. They want to know that you know what type of personality traits and skills would make a good social worker. Thats what my friend did and she got in. Although I don't think they care too much about relevant experience, you just need to know how to sell the experiences you have and connect them to social work. That is def something I will focus on for next yr if I don't get in this time around!

[Homes2341]

1 minute ago, Sam.E said:

100% agree. My personal statement was way too broad now that I look back. I didn't connect it well enough to the core values and skills a social worker should have. They want to know that you know what type of personality traits and skills would make a good social worker. Thats what my friend did and she got in. Although I don't think they care too much about relevant experience, you just need to know how to sell the experiences you have and connect them to social work. That is def something I will focus on for next yr if I don't get in this time around!

I remember that i took TONS of notes during the information session, and used those as the basis for my statement. I'm fairly confident that my statement is why i got in last year!

[patience_is_a_virtue]

12 minutes ago, Homes2341 said:

I agree. It is all about your personal statement, even more so than your grades. Personal statement and experience are their main focuses.

That's awesome, thank you everyone!! I'm just trying to find a little bit of hope during this stressful time 

[NB_MSW2016]

50 minutes ago, Homes2341 said:

Hey All,

Congrats to those of you who have gotten in, and good luck to those of you waiting! I was in your position a year ago and am now almost done my first year of UofT's 2-year MSW program. Just as an FYI, i got my acceptance on April 1st of last year. Let me know if anyone has questiosn about the program itself or admission information

 

Good luck!!

Hi! How is the program? Did you have any trouble finding a placement? And how does the specialization selection work in second year (eg. is it based off of grades? Do most people get their first choice of specialization?)? I have so many questions that I don't know where to start haha!

[AD-MSW]

I got into Windsor's 2-year program on March 14 but was anxious to hear back from U of T and Laurier.

After reading about it here I went to check ROSI for U of T and found out I was accepted!!!! Everyone go check ROSI! It updates before SGS!

[Homes2341]

1 hour ago, NB_MSW2016 said:

Hi! How is the program? Did you have any trouble finding a placement? And how does the specialization selection work in second year (eg. is it based off of grades? Do most people get their first choice of specialization?)? I have so many questions that I don't know where to start haha!

Hey! I love the program so much. I came from a psychology background and made the switch to SW when I realized there was no chance I was getting in to school in Canada for psych. I am SO happy I made the switch.

Finding placements is different for everyone. UofT is unique in that they find placements for you, you don't go out in to the field and find them on your own. They have an online system with all the options and you choose your top 7...then the system automatically assigns you one of the top seven (a small number of people don't get one of their top seven as it's based on an algorithm, and it can be a bit stressful for them, but it all works out as some placements sign up after students have been assigned. So some people who didn't originally get one end up getting an even better one!). 

You decide what specialization you want at the start of your second semester. You get whatever specialization you want. It is not based on grades. They only ask that u choose early so they know how many courses/spots to create for each class.

[NB_MSW2016]

1 hour ago, Homes2341 said:

Hey! I love the program so much. I came from a psychology background and made the switch to SW when I realized there was no chance I was getting in to school in Canada for psych. I am SO happy I made the switch.

Finding placements is different for everyone. UofT is unique in that they find placements for you, you don't go out in to the field and find them on your own. They have an online system with all the options and you choose your top 7...then the system automatically assigns you one of the top seven (a small number of people don't get one of their top seven as it's based on an algorithm, and it can be a bit stressful for them, but it all works out as some placements sign up after students have been assigned. So some people who didn't originally get one end up getting an even better one!). 

You decide what specialization you want at the start of your second semester. You get whatever specialization you want. It is not based on grades. They only ask that u choose early so they know how many courses/spots to create for each class.

That is extremely helpful, thank you so much! It sounds like we come from a similar background. Where did you complete your undergrad? I love that U of T matches students with placements ... I have friends in related programs who have really struggled to find appropriate placements, so it is reassuring to hear that U of T takes care of that. It sounds like a great program. What is the housing situation like around the school? I know that the cost of living is ridiculously high in Toronto ... that is really the only thing that is holding me back from accepting the offer right this minute. And on a related note, how is the workload and are there summer breaks? Is it possible to work part time while also completing the MSW?

THANK YOU!

[Homes2341]

29 minutes ago, NB_MSW2016 said:

That is extremely helpful, thank you so much! It sounds like we come from a similar background. Where did you complete your undergrad? I love that U of T matches students with placements ... I have friends in related programs who have really struggled to find appropriate placements, so it is reassuring to hear that U of T takes care of that. It sounds like a great program. What is the housing situation like around the school? I know that the cost of living is ridiculously high in Toronto ... that is really the only thing that is holding me back from accepting the offer right this minute. And on a related note, how is the workload and are there summer breaks? Is it possible to work part time while also completing the MSW?

THANK YOU!

I can't comment on housing as I live in the GTA with my parents so I commute from there. In terms of workload...it's definitely a lot and you will get stuck if you don't get head starts and pace yourself. I am working part time and do find it very difficult at times, but if you have good time management skills you should be okay.

[MSW-UofT]

13 hours ago, amcguirk said:

Congrats!!! I'm still waiting to hear back from them, I'm so nervous!

Thanks...wishing you all the best while you wait ??

[CB_MSW]

6 hours ago, AD-MSW said:

I got into Windsor's 2-year program on March 14 but was anxious to hear back from U of T and Laurier.

After reading about it here I went to check ROSI for U of T and found out I was accepted!!!! Everyone go check ROSI! It updates before SGS!

Congratulations!! You must be thrilled!!

[sam94]

On 3/21/2016 at 4:05 PM, kirsten107 said:

I called uwindsor and they said theyve sent out their initial acceptances and rejections

Guess it is a good thing that we haven't been rejected...yet #brightside

Edited March 24, 2016 by sam94

[CalendarGirl]

Just reminding everyone and myself, that we all have a path... this path will lead us where we need to go. Don't compare yourself to others. xx

[MSWHopeful22]

20 hours ago, AD-MSW said:

I got into Windsor's 2-year program on March 14 but was anxious to hear back from U of T and Laurier.

After reading about it here I went to check ROSI for U of T and found out I was accepted!!!! Everyone go check ROSI! It updates before SGS!

Congrats on your acceptances! That's amazing!

Quick question - how long does Windsor give you to reply to their acceptance? I am one of the ones in limbo who haven't been accepted/rejected, so I'm curious to find out when the next round of offers will go out based on the timeline the first round receives to reply.

Thanks for your help! And congrats again! That is such great news!!

[cmmmsw]

Has anyone who applied to U of T been rejected yet?

[SamSat]

2 hours ago, CalendarGirl said:

Just reminding everyone and myself, that we all have a path... this path will lead us where we need to go. Don't compare yourself to others. xx

So true... thanks for the reminder  I needed it!

[MSW-hopeful-2016]

5 minutes ago, cmmmsw said:

Has anyone who applied to U of T been rejected yet?

not as far as I know. I think the rejections/waitlist notifications will go out after the last round of acceptances so maybe in the next 3-4 weeks

[CalendarGirl]

2 minutes ago, SamSat said:

So true... thanks for the reminder  I needed it!

Hey Sam,

I needed this reminder as well haha! I met with the University of Waterloo yesterday and have basically been promised a spot in their 5 term part time BSW program. However, I am feeling really, unsure right now as it will take longer than the full time program by two terms,  but it is a sure thing. I am feeling pretty defeated about doing another bachelors degree but I know that this experience will enable me to go to graduate school. ( That is if all fails with the 2 year Laurier.) haha everything is so up in the air at this point.