MES Program Application Information
Application cycle: program beginning September 2013
Submission Timeline
Applications for the MES Program beginning September 2013 will be accepted beginning October 15, 2012. There will be two rounds of assessments. Please see Timeline Guide below for details and submission deadlines.
In order for applicants to successfully meet the final deadline for all submissions, the on-line portion of the application must submitted on the system no later than February 14, 2013. We will not accept any new applications to the program after this date. This will not affect applicants who have submitted an on-line application before this date and have yet to complete their full application. |
MES Program Application Timeline Guide (September 2013 program)
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October 15, 2012
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Accepting applications for the September 2013 program |
Assessment Rounds |
January 15, 2013
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Target date for submission of the on-line application for applicants applying on an incomplete transcript, who wish to be considered for round one admission. |
Round 1
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January 15, 2013
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Final date for submission of the on-line application for all applicants who wish to be considered for round one admission. |
Round 1
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February 1, 2013 |
Deadline for receipt of all application materials for all applicants wishing to be considered for round one admission. |
Round 1 |
February 28, 2013
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Notices of application result will be issued for round one admission (Email). |
Round 1
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February 14, 2013 |
Final date to submit an on-line application for the September 2013 program. On-line applications submitted after this date will not be reviewed. |
Round 2 |
March 1, 2013 |
Deadline for receipt of all application materials for all applicants wishing to be considered in the final round of admissions. |
Round 2 |
April 1, 2013
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Notices of application result for the final round of admissions will be issued (Email). |
Round 2
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"Target" date |
Not a deadline but a guideline. The target date is an estimated time by which to have completed the corresponding item, to increase chances of completing a full submission by the deadline for a particular round. |
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Program Communication and Application Results
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Statement of Academic Intent
As part of an application to the MES Program, you are required to submit a Statement of Academic Intent*. The Statement of Academic Intent provides an opportunity for applicants to freely express their interest in the program while providing information useful to determining the suitability of the candidate for entry into the program. The evaluation of your statement will focus on both content and the effective expression of your interest in the program as it relates to your particular goals and aspirations. Attention will be paid to writing skill and style in terms of organization, cohesive and concise articulation of thought, clarity of expression, and proper use of grammar and punctuation. In preparing the Statement of Academic Intent, applicants are encouraged to use the following list of topics as a guide for organizing the content of their statement:
- how the candidate anticipates the program will assist in meeting future career goals
- how the MES program relates to previous academic studies
- how previous work experience might prove to be useful
- how the MES program could expand on personal interests
Required Format for Statement of Academic Intent
length: 500 words (minimum) to 750 words (maximum). Statements exceeding the maximum will not be reviewed.
style: original prose format, written specifically for the purpose of application to the MES Program
format: 12-point font, double-spaced on numbered pages (example: page 1 of 2)
header: at the top of each page of your statemtent document:
YOUR FULL NAME _ Statement of Academic Intent_
MES Program Application 2012
document type: electronic documents (.rtf), (.doc) or (PDF) are preferred. Scanned copies of other types of files are also acceptable. Paper copies will be accepted through the regular mail but electronic submission is preferred. Submissions will be acknowledged by Email confirmation.
submission: By Email to: esadmin@uwo.ca. Subject Line: SURNAME/Statement of Intent
Example: SMITH/Statement of Intent
*The on-line application includes a section for candidates to write a similar statement of only 1000 characters in length. MES Program applicants have the choice of filling in this section on the on-line application or leaving it blank. This Statement, either left blank or filled, does not replace the 500-750 word Statement as described above.
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MES 2012 Application Check Lists
Domestic Applicants (Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada)
A complete application for domestic students consists of the following items:
- complete on-line application and payment of the on-line application fee ($80.00 CDN)
- submission of official transcript(s)* including a photocopy of degree certificates for institutions outside of Canada.
- two letters of reference (please read about electronically submitted forms)
- Statement of Academic Intent (please see above section for important information)
- photocopy/scanned copy (front and back) of Permanent Resident identification card where applicable
*Transcripts from institutions within Ontario, Canada can be ordered electronically through the OUAC application process. Applicants with transcripts from The University of Western Ontario are not required to submit these as they will be issued through the internal system.
Delivery address for documents sent by post (some transcripts, letters, identification documents)
Delivery address for documents sent by Email (Statement of Academic Intent, identification documents)
International Applicants
A complete application for international applicants (those requiring a Student Visa) will include:
- complete on-line application and payment of the on-line application fee ($80.00 CDN)
- official transcript(s), including a photocopy of degree certificates for institutions outside of Canada
- certified English translation of transcripts, when the original is not in English
- two letters of reference (please read about electronic reference forms)
- Statement of Academic Intent (please see above section for important information)
- proof of citizenship (photocopy/scan of national identification card or passport bearing photo)
- original or electronic submission (where available) of an English language proficiency score taken within the last two years before application*
*Applicants with degrees from institutions where the language of instruction is English are exempt from providing a score, provided the applicant attended the institution for at least two full years of study. Similarly, applicants having lived and worked in settings where the language of business communication was exclusively in English are exempt from providing a score with their application. Notation of this experience should be included in the Statement of Intent, or an additional letter of reference from the employer included with the submission. The university reserves the right to request a test score from applicants in this circumstance at a later date, as a condition of acceptance into the program.
Delivery address for documents sent by post (some transcripts, letters, identification documents, test scores)
Delivery address for documents sent by Email (Statement of Academic Intent, identification documents)
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Recommendations for all applicants
1. Space in the MES Program is limited and the number of available positions will change with each round of selections. Early application to the program is recommended to increase the opportunity for selection in each round. Students applying for entry on an incomplete transcript (in their final year of degree studies), should wait until first term grades appear on the transcript before submitting as part of the application.
2. Complete and send the on-line application portion of the full submission as early as possible. Delivery of the on-application through the system may take up to one week (7 days) after it is completed. The date Western receives the on-line application (and all other application materials), is considered the official SUBMISSION date. All materials must be RECEIVED by Western on or in advance of submission deadlines in order to be considered. An application is not considered complete until all materials are received.
3. Pay the application fee promptly to avoid delay in the delivery of the on-line application to Western. Instructions on payment methods are included with the on-line application. We do not accept for the purposes of assessment, mailed printouts of the on-line application.
4. Avoid delays in the delivery of official documents:
- order transcripts as early as possible as these documents may take several weeks to arrive (especially from institutions outside of Ontario and Canada)
- Additional delays in the delivery of transcripts ordered at peak periods may be avoided by ordering well before the submission deadline
- expedite delivery of transcripts by arranging for institution to institution delivery
- consider using a courier service for delivery of documentation and use the tracking services to monitor the delivery
- use the correct, complete mailing address for prompt delivery of documents
5. Avoid delays in the delivery of 3rd party references:
- alert referees to your request for a letter in advance to insure a reference will be provided and to avoid peak periods when your referee may be unavailable to take the time to fulfill the request.
- use Western's electronic reference letter system for the submission of reference material instead of requesting separate delivery of a hardcopy letter from your referee. The electronic reference letter system delivers an electronic FORM to the referee on behalf of the applicant. The form outlines for the referee the type of information that should be included in the reference. Completed forms are returned electronically to Western, directly from the referee.
- monitor the status of your requests using the Email notices sent to applicants for this purpose
- complete the on-line portion of the application as early as possible to avoid delays in the delivery of reference letters. Western's request form for reference letters cannot be sent to the referee until Western receives the on-line application that contains the contact information for your referees. Allow ten (10) days following the submission of the on-line application for Western to contact referees.* Applicants will be informed via the system, when referees have been contacted and when the referee has responded with a submission.
* time required for transmission of complete on-line application to Western (<7 days) plus
time required for Western to contact referees identified on the on-line application (<10 days).
6. Submit only the materials that have been requested. Additional materials will not be reviewed and will cause delays in the processing of your file. A few examples of additional material are listed below.
- GRE test scores
- curriculum vitae (resume)
- duplicates of application materials such as copies of the on-line application, transcripts, letters
- Improperly formatted Statement of Intent or a submission exceeding the word limit
- work portfolios, research papers, articles, thesis
- outdated ESL scores and photocopies/scans of official score reports
- financial statements
- extra letters of reference (except for testimonials of English language proficiency. See checklist for international applicants)
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Submission Notices
1. Automated Notices will be received by the applicant for the following submissions:
- on-line application
- referee forms (notices indicating issue, delay and receipt of complete forms)
2. Program Notices will issued by Email to the applicant from the Program Office indicating:
- Receipt of Statement of Academic Intent (electronic submissions only)(not automated).
- File Incomplete (issued once)
As a courtesy, applicants having already submitted an on-line application will receive an incomplete file notice by Email from the program, prior to the first round of selections within which the applicant may compete. The notice will list items received and outstanding. Applicants are wholly responsible for the timely completion of their submission without receipt of such notice from the program. Incomplete files will not be assessed. - File Complete
Applicants will receive an Email notice from the program when all necessary application materials have been received by the program office which will include an indication of when results are expected. Every effort will be made to issued complete notices in a timely manner but some delays in notification are to be expected during peak periods.
Due to volume, we are unable to issue individual notices of receipt by telephone, facimile or Email for items delivered in person, by courier or mail including: transcripts, certified translations, certificates, identification documents, Statement of Intent and English Language Proficiency Score. Acknowledgement of reciept of such items will appear in the File Incomplete/File Complete notices issued to each applicant PRIOR to the first round of selections inwhich the applicant is eligible to compete.
Application Status/Result - Notification Proceedure
All notifications are communicated through Email. Formal OFFERS will be issued electronically, through Student Centre. Paper offers will not be issued. Formal responses to OFFERS are communicated by the applicant, through Student Centre.
Applicants will receive an Email notice from the program indicating the status of their submission immediately following each round of selections. Status categories include: RECOMMENDED for OFFER, HOLD or DECLINE.
Recommendation
The submissions of applicants receiving a notice of recommendation from the program will be forwarded to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for processing (taking 3-10 days). Following this procedure, the applicant will receive an Email notice from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies indicating a Change of Status on the Student Centre system (OFFER). Applicants are required to accept or decline the formal OFFER of admission on-line by the deadline set by the program. Applicants who encounter impediments preventing a response by the deadline, are asked to contact the program office prior to the deadline (esadmin@uwo.ca).
Hold
Some submissions may be held for further consideration in subsequent rounds. A notice indicating "hold" is not the same as a notice of "decline". Applicants with submissions in this category (hold) will be notified by Email from the program of their status immediately following the committee review of the application. A second Email will follow, prior to the next round indicating when it will occur and when results can be expected.
Decline
Entry into the MES Program is a competitive process with limited spaces in the program available in each year. Applicants receiving a notice of decline
will be advised of the status of their submission immediately following the round of selections, by Email notice from the program. The decision to decline a submission to the program is final (no appeals process). Due to the number of applications received we cannot offer applicants individualized post assessments of their declined submission.
Waitlist
Applicants competing in the final round of selections will receive one of the following notices: Recommendation for Offer, Decline or Waitlist. Only applicants receiving the waitlist notice will be placed on the waitlist. Applicants in this position will receive a subsequent notice from the program should an Offer be pending. [back] [top of page]
This page was last updated on
October 5, 2012
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