Considering my profile, how realistic should I be when choosing universities?

[lolcocks]

Hello,

So the time has come when I will be applying for universities.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience
Applying for M.ENG Electronics and Computer Engineering (ECE).

I also am a 50% director in my father's business where we conduct trainings in the field of HVAC and IT (I handle the IT part) and currently we are trying to shift from a service based company to a product based company (thus, the need to learn electronics). I am not sure if being a business owner is a plus point or not.


I was unaware that my professors are going to fill out reference forms, and no one is going to fill out 10 forms for me if I apply for 10 universities. Most they will do is 5 so I need to trim down my list to 5, otherwise I would not have minded to apply for all the M.ENG ECE universities in Canada.

I know my academics are not good and my chances are low but I will be having a strong SOP relating to the future scope of my education.

So considering @tapperb's list of universities, which one's should I go for? Tier 2, 3, 4? Any other advice?

Thank you and regards.

 

[primaprime]

Tier 3 or 4. Contact professors in each university's ECE department beforehand to see if any of them are interested in you. Otherwise you're competing with those who didn't secure a supervisor in advance.

Owning a business back home can help your study permit application since you need to explain why you're doing another master's.

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

Tier 3 or 4. Contact professors in each university's ECE department beforehand to see if any of them are interested in you. Otherwise you're competing with those who didn't secure a supervisor in advance.

Owning a business back home can help your study permit application since you need to explain why you're doing another master's.

M.Eng is a course based Master's finding a supervisor is not the norm as you are likely to be doing much if any research. Although, contacting them may help in your admission decision? I'm not sure. You still need to get through the first screening phase by the admins who will try and deny you based on more quantitative factors.

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

Hello,

So the time has come when I will be applying for universities.

My profile:
Bachlors (BCA): 49.5%
Masters (MCA): 60%
IELTS: L-8.5, R-8.5, W-6.5, S-7.0. Overall - 7.5
1.5 Year Experience
Applying for M.ENG Electronics and Computer Engineering (ECE).

I also am a 50% director in my father's business where we conduct trainings in the field of HVAC and IT (I handle the IT part) and currently we are trying to shift from a service based company to a product based company (thus, the need to learn electronics). I am not sure if being a business owner is a plus point or not.


I was unaware that my professors are going to fill out reference forms, and no one is going to fill out 10 forms for me if I apply for 10 universities. Most they will do is 5 so I need to trim down my list to 5, otherwise I would not have minded to apply for all the M.ENG ECE universities in Canada.

I know my academics are not good and my chances are low but I will be having a strong SOP relating to the future scope of my education.

So considering @tapperb's list of universities, which one's should I go for? Tier 2, 3, 4? Any other advice?

Thank you and regards.

I will advise you to apply to a bunch. There's always some luck involved. Maybe because of coronavirus and online enrolment, you may have a better chance if you apply sooner rather than waiting for next fall and competing with the masses.

Also, I recommend you look for thesis based programs. I don't know if you've done any research but having a supervisor put in a good word for you is a lot better for a low GPA than course based programs where the cutoffs are very strict. Also, there's a lot more room for increasing your chances through your words and emails.

 

[lolcocks]

Tier 3 or 4. Contact professors in each university's ECE department beforehand to see if any of them are interested in you. Otherwise you're competing with those who didn't secure a supervisor in advance.

Owning a business back home can help your study permit application since you need to explain why you're doing another master's.

M.Eng is a course based Master's finding a supervisor is not the norm as you are likely to be doing much if any research. Although, contacting them may help in your admission decision? I'm not sure. You still need to get through the first screening phase by the admins who will try and deny you based on more quantitative factors.

Perhaps I will drop them an email explaining my background, mentioning my low academics, future scope of my studies and ask if they would be interested in having someone like me.

Who should I email though? An individual professor or the general ECE department email? As I am unaware if the general department email is checked by someone who could recommend me.

To be honest I did email 1 university, but they said "we cannot evaluate like this, please go through the application process". They need the sweet application fee money I guess.

I will advise you to apply to a bunch. There's always some luck involved. Maybe because of coronavirus and online enrolment, you may have a better chance if you apply sooner rather than waiting for next fall and competing with the masses.

Oh yes, I too believe this is the perfect time for me to apply as a lot of people are having financial problems due to COVID-19, and I am guessing the number of people applying for Canadian education has reduced substantially. I will try and convince my previous professors to bear with me and apply for more universities.
I am planning for the September 2021 intake, forgot to mention that.

Also, I recommend you look for thesis based programs. I don't know if you've done any research but having a supervisor put in a good word for you is a lot better for a low GPA than course based programs where the cutoffs are very strict. Also, there's a lot more room for increasing your chances through your words and emails.

I actually wanted to go for a thesis / research based program (MASc ECE) as it would prepare me towards getting a PhD as well, but I read around this forum that research based programs need a good professor to recommend me and no professor will entertain my profile due to my poor academics, which is why I made the switch to M.Eng. Now I am confused again.
Decisions decisions.....


Quick question by the way, how long do universities take to reply if they have accepted or rejected me? Is it like after a certain time period, like a month or so.... Or at the end of their intake's final date of submitting the application?

 

[lolcocks]

@primaprime and @tapperb

Thank you for your suggestions, I think mailing the university departments and to get a hold of one of the professors is the best way to proceed.

I did email one of the universities yesterday, been over 24 hours, they still haven't responded back unfortunately. Hopefully they will respond soon.

 

[Jh1]

Noted

 

[ramseriv]

hello

1. I applied to the pre- qualification form and at the same I'm having contactwith a supervisor. Master in Engineering

Based on my program webpage they stated that I needed to contact a supervisor before even trying to apply officially on the Master, that's where I am right now. In fact the professor talked to me about a ''fully funded vacancy for winter 2022'' *and I was not even asking him for it because the master that I signed up for in the ''Pre-qualification form- was not MsC (could be funded), was M.eng (not funded).

While I was in the WebEx meeting with the research supervisor, I received the noticed from the pre-qualification staff, saying this: '' Sorry, There are currently no faculty members who are able to offer to provide supervision in your area of interest and as such we cannot proceed further with your application''.
I got confused, at that exact time I was in a meeting with a supervisor, because he proposed it after receiving my first email that was like a letter of intention to apply to a M.eng!! I don't know what to do, I did not even mention that email to the supervisor and continued with the interview, we are advancing into a conclusion. That email put me in a position where I don't know why is there not supervisor available if the one who I was talking to, was one of them, and did not mention anything similar!! on the contrary, he has not yet rejected me. He is providing information on the application process and the university overall.


2. I entered to the courses catalogue for winter2022? is it normal that all the courses presented in there are most related to undergraduate level and just a few for graduate level? and if there are courses on graduate level, the majority are from the others areas that are not part of my research focus area (I meant I could just be able to found 2 courses of my area, and one says that the instructor is still unavailable -,-, so, what am I supposed to take? I do not want to take classes that are not related with the field of my research, and I just saw one available (how am I supposed to maintain my full time status with just 3 credits in the first term!!? I feel bad about it, because I loved the university campus by just watching videos and comments in here. That makes me believe this university does not have strong curriculum on the field I'm trying To pursue :/ and it is the only one I'm able to afford $$ in Canada overall.

Any advised will be appreciated...

Thanks!