Applying to Munk 2017 - also NPSIA, GSPIA, BSIA etc

[justapersonwhochangednames]

6 minutes ago, Norma955 said:

I'm feeling the same way! I think I've spent way too much time working on my resume... I have to sit down and actually write my statement And I agree with Hopeful2017! It always helps to study in a different environment. 

So far I have spent $$ on overpriced cappuccinos and tweeted about Davos. #soproductiiiiive

It doesn't help that I am in a different country travelling and constantly being distracted.

[Hopeful2017]

11 minutes ago, justajournalist said:

So far I have spent $$ on overpriced cappuccinos and tweeted about Davos. #soproductiiiiive

It doesn't help that I am in a different country travelling and constantly being distracted.

 

Hmmm.. watch some motivational videos or something on YouTube that will inspire you to get shit done and be productive! I always watch those when I'm in a slump and it gives you a little kick. Hope that helps  Also, for the intelligence cluster at NPSIA, does anyone know the kinds of jobs you can do with that? 

[abibret]

56 minutes ago, justajournalist said:

Guys, I am still working on my statement and I feel reallllly demoralized after several tries.

Any tips on slogging through the mental block?

Bring or send a draft of your statement to one of your references. They might be willing to take a look and give you some helpful suggestions. 

[NPSIA grad]

On 1/15/2017 at 7:53 AM, Norma955 said:

Any tips on the appropriate word length for a statement of intent?

 

[msat]

On 2017-01-15 at 2:55 PM, Hopeful2017 said:

I always thought these processes were pretty holistic - meeting at least the minimum GPA requirements, a solid letter of intent, good references, and perhaps some relevant work/volunteer experiences! I have an 89% CGPA from uOttawa, federal government work experience, I currently work at Global Affairs, probably solid letters of reference and I think a good letter! I'm hoping these will hold up.

 

On 2017-01-15 at 3:14 PM, Norma955 said:

I am hoping they are holistic, but I'm not sure what to expect; do you know what the incoming average is for last years coherent? 

My CGPA is 87%, MGPA is 88%,  I have experience interning with the UN in the Middle East, and I am currently a research assistant for the political science department at my university. I am not sure if they prefer students right out of their undergrad or ones with a bit more experience. Are you also applying to NPSIA and what cluster/field of concentration are you going for? 

Both of you have much better CGPAs than myself. Mind you, my GPA for the last year was good and this year's should be good as well if things continue on the current track. I know that schools do look closely at the last two years of an applicants GPA.  Moreover, I would argue that interning at Global Affairs and the UN are game changers on an application. Thats a lot more than most applicants can say they've done on their resumes!

Currently, I have all of the paperwork done for the three schools I am applying to. Just waiting on some feedback for my letter of intent. Hopefully version 3.0 does the trick *fingers crossed*

[Hopeful2017]

What did people choose for their NPSIA clusters? 

[NPSIA grad]

I can certainly relate to the above comments regarding statements of intent. I spent the last year CV-building and GPA-boosting, anticipating the joy of submitting my applications and carrying on with my life, and now I just spent the entire day staring at a blank Microsoft Word doc wondering why I thought the statement of intent would be such a breeze. The aspect that I am having trouble with is outlining the research interests/questions/themes that I want to pursue. Specifically, I am finding it challenging to strike a balance and not be too general or too specific, as I imagine each would be problematic. Anybody else having trouble striking this balance? 

[DefeatistElitist]

Does anyone know if there is a delay between when your referee submits their reference and when it'll show up on Carleton Central/SGS? I know my prof submitted hers on Monday, but it still hasn't been marked "received" on the system.

[Hopeful2017]

 

1 hour ago, DefeatistElitist said:

Does anyone know if there is a delay between when your referee submits their reference and when it'll show up on Carleton Central/SGS? I know my prof submitted hers on Monday, but it still hasn't been marked "received" on the system.

 

Usually takes a day! 

[Norma955]

Hey guys! I have finalized my resume and sorta my first draft for the personal statement and I have a few questions that I am hoping someone can answer. My resume is about 6 pages with a section for academic experience, field placements, and extracurricular involvement. I am not sure if this is too long and if I am supposed to include a section on education. Does anyone know what the standard is? Also, it is usually standard not to repeat what's on the resume in your personal statement, do you guys think this matters? 

 

 

[DefeatistElitist]

11 hours ago, Norma955 said:

Hey guys! I have finalized my resume and sorta my first draft for the personal statement and I have a few questions that I am hoping someone can answer. My resume is about 6 pages with a section for academic experience, field placements, and extracurricular involvement. I am not sure if this is too long and if I am supposed to include a section on education. Does anyone know what the standard is? Also, it is usually standard not to repeat what's on the resume in your personal statement, do you guys think this matters? 

 

 

I would say 6 pages is far too long - though the standards for an academic resume might be different than a career resume. 

But you DEFINITELY want education info on there. I would look at trimming the number of field placements and extracurriculars to only include ones directly related to the program. For example, if you've volunteered for an NGO abroad that would be more relevant than having volunteered for a local political candidate. You want to prioritize both the relevance and recency of what you've done - so something somewhat more relevant that you did 7 years ago is probably less important than something somewhat less relevant you're doing right now.

Edited January 23, 2017 by DefeatistElitist
Spelling

[NPSIA grad]

Hey all, for GSPIA, can anybody confirm if the required documents that we mail in include hard copies of our reference letters, or do our referees submit those directly online, or both? 

[Hopeful2017]

2 hours ago, mchutchi said:

Hey all, for GSPIA, can anybody confirm if the required documents that we mail in include hard copies of our reference letters, or do our referees submit those directly online, or both? 

 

My references submitted their forms online and send it directly to them. Then it updated on my InfoWeb thing that they acknowledged receipt of their references! I didn't mail out any hardcopy letters or anything! And I literally just emailed my resume and letter of intent to the API email.

[NPSIA grad]

14 minutes ago, Hopeful2017 said:

My references submitted their forms online and send it directly to them. Then it updated on my InfoWeb thing that they acknowledged receipt of their references! I didn't mail out any hardcopy letters or anything! And I literally just emailed my resume and letter of intent to the API email.

Thanks for the response on that. So you didn't send in any docs by mail - I was under the impression that for GSPIA, hard copies of all required documents had to be sent in by mail?

[Hopeful2017]

3 minutes ago, mchutchi said:

Thanks for the response on that. So you didn't send in any docs by mail - I was under the impression that for GSPIA, hard copies of all required documents had to be sent in by mail?

 

I thought so too. But I had emailed my letter of intent and resume to their faculty email and it was "added to my file" so it seems that's fine. The only thing I had to mail was my transcript from another school. Everything else was sent through email and my references submitted their online forums. It has acknowledgement of receipt for my resume, letter of intent and references so! 

[Hopeful2017]

5 minutes ago, Hopeful2017 said:

I thought so too. But I had emailed my letter of intent and resume to their faculty email and it was "added to my file" so it seems that's fine. The only thing I had to mail was my transcript from another school. Everything else was sent through email and my references submitted their online forums. It has acknowledgement of receipt for my resume, letter of intent and references so! 

 

 

9 minutes ago, mchutchi said:

Thanks for the response on that. So you didn't send in any docs by mail - I was under the impression that for GSPIA, hard copies of all required documents had to be sent in by mail?

 

Also, I applied to uOttawa Public Admin and they just sent me an email saying thank you for your resume  - it has been added to your file. 

[msat]

3 hours ago, mchutchi said:

Thanks for the response on that. So you didn't send in any docs by mail - I was under the impression that for GSPIA, hard copies of all required documents had to be sent in by mail?

When I spoke to a representative last week, she told me that CV and letter of intent could be submitted via email. In the case of transcripts, if you have done your studies at an Ontario university, you can submit an automatic request via the application form(for an extra charge - $12.00) so that your previous/current school sends them electronically to OttawaU.

Btw, am I right in assuming that first round of admissions will happen towards mid to late February? 

[Hopeful2017]

18 minutes ago, msat said:

When I spoke to a representative last week, she told me that CV and letter of intent could be submitted via email. In the case of transcripts, if you have done your studies at an Ontario university, you can submit an automatic request via the application form(for an extra charge - $12.00) so that your previous/current school sends them electronically to OttawaU.

Btw, am I right in assuming that first round of admissions will happen towards mid to late February? 

 

I believe so! What is everyone's ranks? 

[Norma955]

12 hours ago, DefeatistElitist said:

I would say 6 pages is far too long - though the standards for an academic resume might be different than a career resume. 

But you DEFINITELY want education info on there. I would look at trimming the number of field placements and extracurriculars to only include ones directly related to the program. For example, if you've volunteered for an NGO abroad that would be more relevant than having volunteered for a local political candidate. You want to prioritize both the relevance and recency of what you've done - so something somewhat more relevant that you did 7 years ago is probably less important than something somewhat less relevant you're doing right now.

The thing is those six pages are just the last four years of experience, but you're right I need to take some stuff out. I have been involved with Model United Nations for three years now, and that alone takes up 1/3 of my resume. Do you know what the standard number of pages is? 

[Norma955]

3 hours ago, Hopeful2017 said:

I thought so too. But I had emailed my letter of intent and resume to their faculty email and it was "added to my file" so it seems that's fine. The only thing I had to mail was my transcript from another school. Everything else was sent through email and my references submitted their online forums. It has acknowledgement of receipt for my resume, letter of intent and references so! 

Are you positive we can email it instead of mail? 

[Norma955]

Also is anyone here applying to the School of Globalization and International Development at UOttawa? 

[msat]

20 minutes ago, Norma955 said:

Are you positive we can email it instead of mail? 

CV, Letter of intent = positive we can email!

Your referees will submit electronically via a link that is sent to them after you submit application

[NPSIA grad]

So is anybody else a nervous wreck yet or just me?

[Norma955]

1 hour ago, mchutchi said:

So is anybody else a nervous wreck yet or just me?

I second this! Can I please fast forward to March?  

[Norma955]

I promise the last post for the day: Is anyone here applying to MUNK?  I have a few questions regarding the admission statement and the first question which asks us to identify a global affairs question, topic, or problem that interests us, and reflects on how it is being addressed, and/or which provides an innovative approach to addressing it. Are we expected or allowed to cite academic sources here?