Canadian schools (York, McGill, UToronto) 2010! Forum

[letsgojayhawks]

I think there probably aren't enough applicants to Canadian schools to warrant a thread for each individual school, so I'm figuring we can discuss our RFRs, acceptances, denials, and waitlists here!

My current status:
RFR at McGill since October
Everything sent in to OLSAS since October
Anyone know if UToronto has a status checker? I've been complete there for awhile, but I haven't heard a peep from them.

Hows everyone else doing?

[pikalove]

Good to hear there are fellow Canadian applicants!!

I applied to Osgoode and U of T near the deadline, but my OLSAS stuff has been complete for ages. I'm as lost as you on status checker stuff.... I'm still waiting for complete emails to be honest. If you have any insights let me know!!

[calicocat]

Hey Canadians! (or Americans applying to Canada )

Apps in for UBC, UofT, Osgoode

As far as I know UofT doesn't have a status checker, neither does UBC.
Once you're complete at Osgoode they will send you a username and password for OASIS where I believe you can check your status

[letsgojayhawks]

Unfortunately I have no insights whatsoever. I'm applying to McGill and UofT, and I've had all my stuff into OLSAS and McGill since October 21st...not a peep from either one.

I guess it's better, in terms of maintaining sanity, that they don't have status checkers, but I'd still like to know whats up with my application.

Any ideas when we'll hear back? LSN data is somewhat limited, but it seems to suggest anytime from early December to April...which is rather broad.

[CanadianEH]

Hey guys, Canadian here as well.

3.5/170 applied to UofT and Oz.

Apparently am a lock at Oz, and U of T is a coin flip.

I've heard that acceptances will start going out by late november for those with auto-admit numbers, so hopefully you find yourself in said group!

[freeflowfox]

AT UofT, acceptances go from november all the way to April, May, and June. As the deadline is November 3rd, you are more likely to hear nearer to January and February. My friends who got in generally heard nearer the end of winter term. Near and into June they establish a waitlist of 25 people, and inform those people, of these, about 8 get in every year. Whether or not you hear from that waitlist is up to 25 people who have been accepted. In between these times you hear nothing about the application.

UofT is silent and powerful, they just don't care about you before you get accepted.

Admissions people are extremely nice though, you can go visit and chat. Anymore questions feel free to PM me.

[Shadyb]

From what I remember, all the schools call before they update the status checker (if they have one) so checking it is useless (I still did of course)

Good luck everyone!

[pikalove]

We are going to have to wait forever....... uuuggghhhhhhh

Also, I wish that OLSAS sent notifications of receiving things, because I have NO idea whether they have everything or not....

Good luck every one!!

[letsgojayhawks]

We are going to have to wait forever....... uuuggghhhhhhh

Also, I wish that OLSAS sent notifications of receiving things, because I have NO idea whether they have everything or not....

Good luck every one!!

You know you can check on the OLSAS website, right?

After you've submitted, wait a week or so, and then log back in to OLSAS. There should be a link letting you see what materials they have received and when they received them.

[pikalove]

We are going to have to wait forever....... uuuggghhhhhhh

Also, I wish that OLSAS sent notifications of receiving things, because I have NO idea whether they have everything or not....

Good luck every one!!

You know you can check on the OLSAS website, right?

After you've submitted, wait a week or so, and then log back in to OLSAS. There should be a link letting you see what materials they have received and when they received them.

Thanks!!... I saw that about the LOR, but not the rest

[ziggy13]

I applied to UBC and UVic (I like the West Coast).

No idea about UBC, since they have no way of checking online... And app complete at UVic and forwarded for review since October 28. I should be first round acceptance for both, so I'm hoping to hear back within the next 4 weeks for both.

[letsgojayhawks]

I applied to UBC and UVic (I like the West Coast).

No idea about UBC, since they have no way of checking online... And app complete at UVic and forwarded for review since October 28. I should be first round acceptance for both, so I'm hoping to hear back within the next 4 weeks for both.

Good luck! Do you have a preference between the two? I'm quite jealous that the BC schools are so prompt with their decisions.

[ziggy13]

I applied to UBC and UVic (I like the West Coast).

No idea about UBC, since they have no way of checking online... And app complete at UVic and forwarded for review since October 28. I should be first round acceptance for both, so I'm hoping to hear back within the next 4 weeks for both.

Good luck! Do you have a preference between the two? I'm quite jealous that the BC schools are so prompt with their decisions.

Yeah, it's kind of funny that BC schools have a late deadline (Feb 1) yet you hear back so much sooner... ha. I'm also happy that they don't require LORs for regular applicants because I'm lazy.

I have no idea which yet. I'm at UVic finishing my undergrad now. I'd like to stay with my friends and I like Victoria, but I also feel like it's time for a change. I'm hoping one of them will throw money at me at the other one won't and I can just pick that way, haha. However, I doubt that'll happen.

Good luck with McGill and U of T!

[ritchie77]

I'm also a canadian applicant, applying to york, u of t, queens and ottawa (as safeties)
i also applied to teh joint program between york and nyu. Long-shot there though. anybody know general requirements for that?
what do you guys think my chances are at U of T w/ a 167, 3.7 ?
hope to hear soon from them but it doesn't sound like it.

[letsgojayhawks]

I'm also a canadian applicant, applying to york, u of t, queens and ottawa (as safeties)
i also applied to teh joint program between york and nyu. Long-shot there though. anybody know general requirements for that?
what do you guys think my chances are at U of T w/ a 167, 3.7 ?
hope to hear soon from them but it doesn't sound like it.

Your LSAT is within their 25/75, so you're good there. Apparently they like GPAs 3.8+, but it depends where you're applying from. According to some rumors I've heard, if your undergrad is UToronto or McGill (due to widespread grade deflation), they cut you some slack in terms of GPA...meaning that someone with a 3.6 from McGill is more likely to get in than someone with a 3.6 from Windsor.

[IHeartNewYork]

i also applied to teh joint program between york and nyu. Long-shot there though. anybody know general requirements for that?

<---NYU/Oz joint program reject here...

Basically you have to have the stats to get into NYU in order to have a shot at the joint program, which is unfortunate because if you had the stats to get into NYU you should probably just...go to NYU? or another t-14? (unless you really want the Canadian degree).

I'm at Osgoode now, and if you want to transfer into the program after second year here that's a possibility too, but I'm not sure how that works or what the requirements would be.

[Harryis44]

I think there probably aren't enough applicants to Canadian schools to warrant a thread for each individual school, so I'm figuring we can discuss our RFRs, acceptances, denials, and waitlists here!

My current status:
RFR at McGill since October
Everything sent in to OLSAS since October
Anyone know if UToronto has a status checker? I've been complete there for awhile, but I haven't heard a peep from them.

Hows everyone else doing?

I seem to recall ppl getting acceptances to U of T in early Dec. last year.

Good luck, guys!

edit. This year I got Hawkeye to expand the Cdn schools listed in the "Class of 2013" forum sticky. The TLS admin ppl are open to expand their Canadian content, so please let him know of your acceptances!!

[CanadianEH]

. According to some rumors I've heard, if your undergrad is UToronto or McGill (due to widespread grade deflation), they cut you some slack in

I hope that this is true! As a mcgill student, I can certainly testify to our horrible grading policy.

[letsgojayhawks]

. According to some rumors I've heard, if your undergrad is UToronto or McGill (due to widespread grade deflation), they cut you some slack in

I hope that this is true! As a mcgill student, I can certainly testify to our horrible grading policy.

I'm at McGill too...oh man. I never realized how much American universities inflated their grades until I came here.

[pikalove]

. According to some rumors I've heard, if your undergrad is UToronto or McGill (due to widespread grade deflation), they cut you some slack in

I hope that this is true! As a mcgill student, I can certainly testify to our horrible grading policy.

I'm at McGill too...oh man. I never realized how much American universities inflated their grades until I came here.

McGill here too.... McGill undergrad is EVIL in terms of deflation. I can only hope that American law schools recognize this. And Canadian schools, for that matter.

Is there any definitive literature on this?? I've tried to find some to make myself feel better without success...

On a different note, I wonder if I know either of you!!! (McGill go-ers, that is)

[porkbarrel]

. According to some rumors I've heard, if your undergrad is UToronto or McGill (due to widespread grade deflation), they cut you some slack in

I hope that this is true! As a mcgill student, I can certainly testify to our horrible grading policy.

I'm at McGill too...oh man. I never realized how much American universities inflated their grades until I came here.

McGill here too.... McGill undergrad is EVIL in terms of deflation. I can only hope that American law schools recognize this. And Canadian schools, for that matter.

Is there any definitive literature on this?? I've tried to find some to make myself feel better without success...

On a different note, I wonder if I know either of you!!! (McGill go-ers, that is)

I'm at McGill as well, but I have to say that talk of grade inflation/deflation is generally blown way out of proportion. I have worked hard, and have subsequently received grades that are going to make me competitive for some top schools. I think that too often, talk of grade deflation is just a poor excuse for sub-par work. It isn't supposed to be easy to get into a t-14 school or UofT or McGill Law for that matter. And if American law schools do "recognize" any alleged deflation, I feel like the stats driven nature of the US News rankings, and subsequently the American admissions process, will earn us, at best, a pat on the back from adcoms.

[pikalove]

I'm at McGill as well, but I have to say that talk of grade inflation/deflation is generally blown way out of proportion. I have worked hard, and have subsequently received grades that are going to make me competitive for some top schools. I think that too often, talk of grade deflation is just a poor excuse for sub-par work. It isn't supposed to be easy to get into a t-14 school or UofT or McGill Law for that matter. And if American law schools do "recognize" any alleged deflation, I feel like the stats driven nature of the US News rankings, and subsequently the American admissions process, will earn us, at best, a pat on the back from adcoms.

I think that in cases you are right that deflation serves as an excuse for some people's lacking GPA; however, I think that grade deflation in certain McGill programs remains very real. Until recent years, every application for grad school submitted by an honors political science student contained a letter from the head of the department explaining the extreme grade deflation within the program. In my program, although quite specialized, there is a tacit B+/A- grade ceiling in almost all of my courses, with only 1 or 2 in the class achieving this. I have been lucky to be one of these people in most cases, but I do not feel that a 3.5 program GPA really says that I am one of the best in my program to potential graduate schools. To the best of my knowledge, this phenomenon does not occur at most other institutions. I am happy that you are happy with your GPA and I am sure that you worked hard for it, but I still think that many programs at McGill practice significant grade deflation.

[letsgojayhawks]

I'm at McGill as well, but I have to say that talk of grade inflation/deflation is generally blown way out of proportion. I have worked hard, and have subsequently received grades that are going to make me competitive for some top schools. I think that too often, talk of grade deflation is just a poor excuse for sub-par work. It isn't supposed to be easy to get into a t-14 school or UofT or McGill Law for that matter. And if American law schools do "recognize" any alleged deflation, I feel like the stats driven nature of the US News rankings, and subsequently the American admissions process, will earn us, at best, a pat on the back from adcoms.

I think that in cases you are right that deflation serves as an excuse for some people's lacking GPA; however, I think that grade deflation in certain McGill programs remains very real. Until recent years, every application for grad school submitted by an honors political science student contained a letter from the head of the department explaining the extreme grade deflation within the program. In my program, although quite specialized, there is a tacit B+/A- grade ceiling in almost all of my courses, with only 1 or 2 in the class achieving this. I have been lucky to be one of these people in most cases, but I do not feel that a 3.5 program GPA really says that I am one of the best in my program to potential graduate schools. To the best of my knowledge, this phenomenon does not occur at most other institutions. I am happy that you are happy with your GPA and I am sure that you worked hard for it, but I still think that many programs at McGill practice significant grade deflation.

I agree completely. I still remember going to see a TA in a second-year polisci class after getting a B+ on a paper I thought I had done fantastically well on. To quote him: "Your paper was very good. That's why I gave it a B+. I did not give anyone over 90%. To get 90% or higher, you have to be writing at the level of the professor."

I wonder if we McGill-ers DO all know each other. I had no idea there were this many people applying from McGill. On an unrelated note, did you guys enjoy the incredibly mild Montreal weather earlier this week as much as I did?

[pikalove]

I agree completely. I still remember going to see a TA in a second-year polisci class after getting a B+ on a paper I thought I had done fantastically well on. To quote him: "Your paper was very good. That's why I gave it a B+. I did not give anyone over 90%. To get 90% or higher, you have to be writing at the level of the professor."

I wonder if we McGill-ers DO all know each other. I had no idea there were this many people applying from McGill. On an unrelated note, did you guys enjoy the incredibly mild Montreal weather earlier this week as much as I did?

Hahaha YES. Its been my favorite topic all week. I seriously haven't shut up about the weather - I even looked up the seansonal averages (3 degrees btw) just so I would sound informed when I talked about it..... hahah pathetic

[urban_cdn]

the majority of canadians on here seem to be from mcgill eh?