Canadian MSW Applicants 2018

[ms_teacher]

On 3/8/2018 at 3:46 PM, kleigh17 said:

 

Just wanted to update everyone and let you know that Calgary is emailing 2 year acceptances! (I got mine an hour ago).

Very excited!

 

On 3/8/2018 at 4:46 PM, h8omb said:

Congratulations! I got an acceptance email for the 2-year program at Calgary this morning too. It would be great to set up a Facebook group or something so people can connect with each other in advance. 

Anyone else going to Calgary in the fall? I think these are the only 2 people I've seen on here. Can we connect? I have some questions about the process that I'd love to discuss with you guys. Private message me? Thanks!!

[Katims]

On 5/10/2018 at 4:04 PM, lindaMSW said:

I just got off  the  U of T waitlist today!!!  Feel super excited and I literally cried for a hour ! I had been rejected by the university THREE TIMES and I finally made it into this year!!

That's amazing, congratulations!! You must be absolutely thrilled!!!! 

Just out of curiosity, as someone who is also on the waitlist, how did they inform you? Was it a phone call, or? 

[magfish]

Hi all - long time no talk!!

I just got off the York waitlist for the 1 year MSW!!!!!

Got an email - I don’t have any more information yet but will keep you all updated. My myfile has changed to “admitted” as well!!!

❤️ Thanks for all of your support and good luck to everyone else waiting too!

[MSWpost]

 

This may seem like a silly question, I had to miss the orientation back in April. But does anyone know how many semesters the 1-Year Advanced Standing at UofT is? Is it 1 full year? or 8 months? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Edited May 14, 2018 by MSWpost

[nnova]

1 hour ago, magfish said:

Hi all - long time no talk!!

I just got off the York waitlist for the 1 year MSW!!!!!

Got an email - I don’t have any more information yet but will keep you all updated. My myfile has changed to “admitted” as well!!!

❤️ Thanks for all of your support and good luck to everyone else waiting too!

congrats! see you in september!

[Rach3600]

A few weeks ago I was admitted to the Laurier 2 year MSW ? I am so excited.

Are there any future WLU students looking to connect? Best of luck with the course selection this morning! 

[KJE88]

39 minutes ago, Rach3600 said:

A few weeks ago I was admitted to the Laurier 2 year MSW ? I am so excited.

Are there any future WLU students looking to connect? Best of luck with the course selection this morning! 

Congrats! I'm starting the 2 year program in Sept as well! I created a fb group a while back, you are welcome to join. Some of the members are in the 2 year program and some started the online program in May. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/165235444294203/?ref=bookmarks

 

 

[magfish]

Hi all,

A couple quick updates re: York and Carleton, for 1 year students looking for more insight!

So, I got accepted off the York waitlist yesterday and was immediately able to view my offer in the myfile "decision centre". It looks like it comes with about $16,000 funding which is incredible - I believe $10,000 of that everyone gets and then there's another $6,000 scholarship for good grades (I finished my BSW with an A average, I believe). The grad assistant explained that this does NOT come with the need to TA, in fact they recommend MSW students do not so they can focus on their studies. Pretty good deal if you ask me!

I emailed Carleton as well just in case they know of any movement on the 1 year program waitlist. It doesn't look good - the response I got from Stephanie (the graduate administrator) says:

"There is no movement on the waitlist as we have are above our target.  If we move to the waitlist at all, it would most likely be in August.
I am sorry I do not have better news for you."

So, that's not ideal news... If you're waiting on Carleton I would suggest making other plans. I'm not sure how much more movement York will see but hopefully this means they're moving on the waitlist now so maybe some more of you will hear!

Anyways - just thought I'd let everyone know in case other people were confused about the funding (it was written very weirdly) or still waiting on Carleton.

Good luck all!

[Meemoo]

On 5/8/2018 at 7:59 PM, WhenToPanic said:

I just got a call from U of C this evening offering me a spot in the Clinical 1 year. It sounds like there may be additional spots opening up. 

Congratulations! I look forward to meeting you! Let me know if you're interested in connecting and good luck with your practicum search. 

[ONE step CLOSER]

On 5/14/2018 at 5:23 PM, MSWpost said:

 

This may seem like a silly question, I had to miss the orientation back in April. But does anyone know how many semesters the 1-Year Advanced Standing at UofT is? Is it 1 full year? or 8 months? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

You can complete the program from sept.- April and graduate in June or sept to June and graduate in Nov. If you do the latter, you can spread out amount of courses you take per semester so course load isn't too heavy.

[TLF26]

I received an email from Calgary that I got off of the waitlist for the 1 year clinical. I will most likely be declining it as I already accepted an offer at UFV which is close to where I live.

[nicoleMSW]

On 5/15/2018 at 8:42 AM, Rach3600 said:

A few weeks ago I was admitted to the Laurier 2 year MSW ? I am so excited.

Are there any future WLU students looking to connect? Best of luck with the course selection this morning! 

Congratulations!!!! Can’t wat to meet you in September!

[dem13]

Hey everyone!  Just wondering for those who have been accepted into Laurier's online MSW, is it 2.5 years straight going?  Or are there any breaks in between?  Also, in regard to the electives that are required...are you able to do some of these in advance?  Or do you need to be admitted into the program to do them?  Thanks!

[cat_not_kitty]

I received an email from FIFSW Student Services this evening (after business hours) letting me know that I've been nominated by the selection committee for an OGS! My application on the SGS site has also changed from "Received" to "Recommended". So, first of all, WAY earlier than I was expecting, based both on previous years and on available (though conflicting) info on different areas of the application site...I was thinking by end-of-June for nomination.  And second of all, @kiki14 (or other past winners out there), I was hoping you could shed some light on the process for OGS at U of T: should I treat the faculty nomination as an offer that just needs to go through the formality of being confirmed by SGS, or is there a secondary selection process at that level? The email made it seem like the former, but I don't want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed.

(Thought I'd continue this conversation here rather than start it again in the closed group on FB, just so future applicants have the full story...I found there to be a distinct paucity of info available re the OGS for MSW applicants/students.)

On 3/18/2018 at 1:49 AM, kiki14 said:

I was just going through my emails and I'm surprised others heard back earlier. Based on this link, people will hear back mid-July this year as well (http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/currentstudents/Pages/Ontario-Graduate-Scholarship.aspx ). Nomination was confirmed mid-June, then eligibility had to be verified and offer was given mid-July. 

Overall, I'm really enjoying it. It depends on what you're looking for as Toronto is primarily clinical and less critical than other SW schools. My biggest tip would be to get involved. The first semester can be overwhelming with so many courses, but it's actually the best time to be involved with school activities. They're a great way to meet other students, faculty, and alumni. I'm completely type A and I've been trying to work on that as the grading can be inconsistent based on the instructor. Honestly, it's so cliche and yet totally accurate to focus on your learning instead of the marks.  

[ciders_only]

From one nominee to another, congrats @cat_not_kitty !!!!!!!! I made peace with the unlikelihood of getting OGS a while back and was just hoping for some form of an entrance scholarship, and I actually screamed at work when I got the e-mail from April. I too hope that the forwarding of nominations to SGS is a formality matter, and I'm trying to remain calm until I get a letter in my hand (much like waiting for my acceptance letter :P ). T'was wondering if either you, @kiki14 were aware of OGS students being ineligible for the Factor-Inwentash scholarship?

[cat_not_kitty]

Yaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! So excited to hear that you've been nominated too!! I'll pop over to FB and let @kiki14 know that we've got a discussion going on over here that we were hoping she could weigh in on ?. 

As for eligibility for the FIFSW entrance awards, the OGS is an external award (though 1/3 funded by U of T) and the entrance awards are internal, so I don't think they preclude one another. I've seen folks receive both an OGS and an entrance award in the past (including kiki14 last year, I believe).

Huge congrats again!!

3 hours ago, ciders_only said:

From one nominee to another, congrats @cat_not_kitty !!!!!!!! I made peace with the unlikelihood of getting OGS a while back and was just hoping for some form of an entrance scholarship, and I actually screamed at work when I got the e-mail from April. I too hope that the forwarding of nominations to SGS is a formality matter, and I'm trying to remain calm until I get a letter in my hand (much like waiting for my acceptance letter ). T'was wondering if either you, @kiki14 were aware of OGS students being ineligible for the Factor-Inwentash scholarship?

[kiki14]

2 hours ago, cat_not_kitty said:

Yaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! So excited to hear that you've been nominated too!! I'll pop over to FB and let @kiki14 know that we've got a discussion going on over here that we were hoping she could weigh in on ?. 

As for eligibility for the FIFSW entrance awards, the OGS is an external award (though 1/3 funded by U of T) and the entrance awards are internal, so I don't think they preclude one another. I've seen folks receive both an OGS and an entrance award in the past (including kiki14 last year, I believe).

Huge congrats again!!

Was the email from Sharon or OGS? I looked back in my emails and Sharon informed me of the nomination in late, late May then I got an email from OGS about  final confirmation of eligibility mid-June with a link for that elgibility form.

From what I recall, the form was fairly basic just confirming your basic information, the program, and the number of sessions.

After the eligibility check, results were sent mid-July. Something to keep in mind is if you want the full amount with UofT, Sharon recommends doing the Special Studies course over the summer.

Fingers crossed & congratulations to you both!!

 

[kiki14]

2 hours ago, cat_not_kitty said:

Yaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! So excited to hear that you've been nominated too!! I'll pop over to FB and let @kiki14 know that we've got a discussion going on over here that we were hoping she could weigh in on ?. 

As for eligibility for the FIFSW entrance awards, the OGS is an external award (though 1/3 funded by U of T) and the entrance awards are internal, so I don't think they preclude one another. I've seen folks receive both an OGS and an entrance award in the past (including kiki14 last year, I believe).

Huge congrats again!!

Oh I forgot to mention that yes it’s possible to receive both the OGS and an entrance scholarship.

At the advanced standing welcome session, Sharon said OGS would not affect internal awards.

Personally, I’m not sure how accurate that was since the internal awards are really needs based and designed to maximize the number of recipients so that as many students receive some sort of funding. I myself did not get anything from the internal awards and I think the other funding had an impact, which is understandable.

[kiki14]

On 5/14/2018 at 5:23 PM, MSWpost said:

 

This may seem like a silly question, I had to miss the orientation back in April. But does anyone know how many semesters the 1-Year Advanced Standing at UofT is? Is it 1 full year? or 8 months? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Not silly and it’s a common question. The advanced standing is very similar except that an additional research course is needed.http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/programs/msw-programs/year-two-and-advanced/

So Fall & Winter session (not sure of the exact # of months) but less than the full year.

 

[cat_not_kitty]

Thanks for all this info, kiki14! The email was from April in FIFSW Student Services. The subject line is "2018-2019 OGS Application Result" – she confirms the nomination by the FIFSW selection committee and says that we'll receive an official offer letter from the SGS in July, after final review and confirmation of eligibility. The language is quite definitive e.g., "the value of your scholarship will be...", "should you anticipate declining...", "I would like to extend my congratulations" etc., so was thinking that the SGS stuff was just a formality...sounds like that's a good bet. I'm going to allow myself to be supremely excited ?.

Oh, I was going to ask about 2 versus 3 session awards! So you have to take at least one summer course to be awarded the full amount...good to know. Good incentive to take one or two and lighten the workload slightly for other semesters anyway.

Yeah, I wouldn't think there'd be any chance of getting one of the internal awards other than the merit-based entrance awards, as it's important to distribute what little funding there is equitably.

 

49 minutes ago, kiki14 said:

Was the email from Sharon or OGS? I looked back in my emails and Sharon informed me of the nomination in late, late May then I got an email from OGS about  final confirmation of eligibility mid-June with a link for that elgibility form.

From what I recall, the form was fairly basic just confirming your basic information, the program, and the number of sessions.

After the eligibility check, results were sent mid-July. Something to keep in mind is if you want the full amount with UofT, Sharon recommends doing the Special Studies course over the summer.

Fingers crossed & congratulations to you both!!

 

 

45 minutes ago, kiki14 said:

Oh I forgot to mention that yes it’s possible to receive both the OGS and an entrance scholarship.

At the advanced standing welcome session, Sharon said OGS would not affect internal awards.

Personally, I’m not sure how accurate that was since the internal awards are really needs based and designed to maximize the number of recipients so that as many students receive some sort of funding. I myself did not get anything from the internal awards and I think the other funding had an impact, which is understandable.

 

[kiki14]

1 hour ago, cat_not_kitty said:

Thanks for all this info, kiki14! The email was from April in FIFSW Student Services. The subject line is "2018-2019 OGS Application Result" – she confirms the nomination by the FIFSW selection committee and says that we'll receive an official offer letter from the SGS in July, after final review and confirmation of eligibility. The language is quite definitive e.g., "the value of your scholarship will be...", "should you anticipate declining...", "I would like to extend my congratulations" etc., so was thinking that the SGS stuff was just a formality...sounds like that's a good bet. I'm going to allow myself to be supremely excited ?.

Oh, I was going to ask about 2 versus 3 session awards! So you have to take at least one summer course to be awarded the full amount...good to know. Good incentive to take one or two and lighten the workload slightly for other semesters anyway.

Yeah, I wouldn't think there'd be any chance of getting one of the internal awards other than the merit-based entrance awards, as it's important to distribute what little funding there is equitably.

 

 

 

This is what I got  about the OGS summer. It could be difficult to reach 12 consecutive weeks with only 2 summer courses which is the max courseload

You need to be registered for 12 consecutive weeks.  Typically, you take a directed reading course SWk4801H Special Studies that meets over the 12 weeks.

 

[cat_not_kitty]

Oh, I see.  You have to organise a Special Studies course that runs for the minimum required consecutive weeks. I was thinking that this was just another term for the Special Topics courses that run in the Summer session. Hmm...that’s a bit of an added wrinkle. Ah, well — one step at a time ☺️.

1 hour ago, kiki14 said:

This is what I got  about the OGS summer. It could be difficult to reach 12 consecutive weeks with only 2 summer courses which is the max courseload

You need to be registered for 12 consecutive weeks.  Typically, you take a directed reading course SWk4801H Special Studies that meets over the 12 weeks.

 

Edited May 19, 2018 by cat_not_kitty
Formatting

[spers]

For those of you that applied to the September start of Laurier's online MSW program. Dilyara told me that 290 people applied and there are 80 spots open. Just in case anyone was wondering. 

[Noelle1]

On 5/21/2018 at 2:36 PM, spers said:

For those of you that applied to the September start of Laurier's online MSW program. Dilyara told me that 290 people applied and there are 80 spots open. Just in case anyone was wondering. 

That is better odds than the big Universities where it is 1 in 8 are accepted. I was told they will be sending out offers in June. Did you hear that as well?

 

Good luck!

[spers]

16 hours ago, Noelle1 said:

That is better odds than the big Universities where it is 1 in 8 are accepted. I was told they will be sending out offers in June. Did you hear that as well?

 

Good luck!

I didn't hear that but that's great! Dilyara told me it would be soon but that is all she said. Good luck as well  

Hopefully, we hear back in the next couple of weeks!