Funding Question

[Thales]

Hey everyone,

I will be applying to 2 MA programs this cycle (York and UofT).

Is it absolutely necessary that I applying for external scholarships? Will my applications be jeopardized if I fail to do so? Will they give me an advantage?

I didn't think external funding was as integral for MA applicants (when compared to PhD applicants).

Thanks in advance!

Edited December 28, 2009 by Thales

[NEPA]

Hey everyone,

I will be applying to 2 MA programs this cycle (York and UofT).

Is it absolutely necessary that I applying for external scholarships? Will my applications be jeopardized if I fail to do so? Will they give me an advantage?

I didn't think external funding was as integral for MA applicants (when compared to PhD applicants).

Thanks in advance!

Honestly, I can't really answer whether your MA apps will be jeopardized by outside funding attempts, but I would think that you yourself would determine how important it would be to apply for external scholarships. To the best of my knowledge, funding is much less abundant for MA programs than for PhD programs. (Although I have no idea if the situation is different at Canadian universities.) So, if you feel like taking the chance that you'll have to pay for the whole MA yourself, I would think you don't need to apply to outside sources, but you'd have to decide that from your own financial viewpoint.

[Ziz]

Honestly, I can't really answer whether your MA apps will be jeopardized by outside funding attempts, but I would think that you yourself would determine how important it would be to apply for external scholarships. To the best of my knowledge, funding is much less abundant for MA programs than for PhD programs. (Although I have no idea if the situation is different at Canadian universities.) So, if you feel like taking the chance that you'll have to pay for the whole MA yourself, I would think you don't need to apply to outside sources, but you'd have to decide that from your own financial viewpoint.

When I applied to U of T's MA a few years back, the rumour going around was that they held off accepting anyone until they found out the results of SSHRC. The rumour was that if you got a SSHRC, you were almost guaranteed admittance to U of T. That being said, I didn't apply to SSHRC and was accepted anyway. It's also way too late to worry about SSHRC and OGS at this poitn since they have insanely early deadlines. So early taht I never have managed to meet one.

[GopherGrad]

I don't understand. Why would applications for outside money hurt your app.? If you feel you qualify for free money, wouldn't you be silly not to try?

[Thales]

I don't understand. Why would applications for outside money hurt your app.? If you feel you qualify for free money, wouldn't you be silly not to try?

I was asking if my applications would be hurt if I failed to apply for external funding, not if my applications will be hurt as a result of applying for funding.

Anyway, thanks to all for the input. I do believe that the above poster is correct RE: Toronto's Pol Theory MA and SSHRC/OGS funding.

I'm simply feeding my anxiety ex post facto - and well beyond the application deadlines of any funding. So it won't matter anyway!

[Ziz]

If it helps your anxiety at all, like I said I didn't apply for SSHRC and didn't win an OGS but got in anyway.

[GopherGrad]

Ha! My reading comprehension in full evidence.

If you don't get funding, is the school somehow pressured to pony up? Otherwise, the gist of my question remains the same ... why would they care? But then, schools care about a lot of stuff that seems odd to me.

[Ziz]

No applying for outside funding never hurts and it doesn't make you look bad not to win it. But it can help a lot to get it. I'm not 100% clear on the funding guarantee for MA students at U of T but at a lot of Canadian schools, full or at least partial funding is guaranteed. If you get a SSHRC the school knows they won't have to give you any funding, and it also gives the school a little prestige.