The 20072008 Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program at Western

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The 2007-2008 Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Program at Western
What is it and How Does it Work for Me?
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2007-2008 OGS Program 2

• The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program is an
  external funding opportunity for you! If you are
  planning to pursue, or you are continuing in,
  full-time studies in a graduate degree program
  next year at an eligible Ontario university, you
  apply for this scholarship.
• For currently registered graduate students,
  applying to the Fall OGS competition is an
  eligibility criterion for the following Winter
  OGSST competition.
• During their period of fundability at Western,
  doctoral students must apply for all external
  scholarships for which they are eligible. 5.03
  http//www.uwo.ca/grad/section_five.htm

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2007-2008 OGS Program 3

• An Ontario Graduate Scholarship is awarded for
  one academic year, which may consist of two or
  three consecutive terms. One-term awards are not
  granted. For 20072008, the value of the OGS is
  5,000 per term. Thus, you may receive 10,000
  for two consecutive terms or 15,000 for three
  consecutive terms. The province of Ontario
  contributes two-thirds of this amount and the
  university fundraises one-third.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 4

• You are eligible to apply if you
• plan to be enrolled full time in an approved
  graduate program leading to a masters or
  doctoral degree at an eligible Ontario
  university.
• are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (the
  landed on date on your permanent resident
  document can be no later than November 15, 2006),
  or have been admitted to Canada with a student
  authorization/study permit dated no later than
  November 15, 2006.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 5

• Registration Status and Academic Eligibility
  Conditions
• http//osap.gov.on.ca/eng/not_secure/OGS.htm
• You are not eligible to apply if you are a
  refugee claimant and do not have a student
  authorization/study permit.
• If you are not eligible for a Canada-Ontario
  Integrated Student Loan, have defaulted on a
  Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan, Canada
  Student Loan, an Ontario Student Loan, a loan
  made under the Ontario Venture Capital Program,
  or have failed to make satisfactory repayments on
  an Ontario Student Grant overpayment, you will
  not receive your OGS award, unless the default is
  cleared.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 6

• Eligibility Conditions continued
• You can receive a lifetime maximum of four years
  of government-funded student awards. This maximum
  includes awards offered by OGS, CIHR, NSERC and
  SSHRC.
• You cannot hold a scholarship from SSHRC, NSERC,
  or the CIHR, or an Ontario Graduate Scholarship
  in Science and Technology (OGSST) at the same
  time as an OGS.
• You can receive up to two OGS awards at the
  masters level. The award is tenable during
  either one or both of the first two academic
  years (12-month periods) of a masters degree
  program, but not after the second year.
• You can receive up to four OGS awards at the
  doctoral level. The awards are tenable during any
  of the first five academic years (12-month
  periods) of a doctoral program, but not after the
  fifth year.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 7

• Application Procedures
• There are specific application procedures that
  you must follow depending on whether or not you
  are currently enrolled at Western. It is
  extremely important that you follow the
  appropriate procedures otherwise your application
  will be delayed and/or not included in the
  competition.
• In addition, you must ensure that all supporting
  documentation (e.g., Statement of Interest or
  Plan of Study, etc) are included in your OGS
  Application Package. Check out all of the details
  on Application Procedures.
• If you do not have a Social Insurance Number
  (SIN), you must apply using a paper application
  form.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 8

• Program deadlines are usually set 2-4 weeks prior
  to the universitys FGS deadline which, this
  year, is
• Tuesday, October 31st, 2006 by 1200 noon
• Happy Halloween!

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2007-2008 OGS Program 9

• First Steps
• Introduce yourself to the OGS administrator in
  your program/unit and advise them that your
  application will be placed with them. Note the
  programs/units deadline.
• Order all of your university transcripts and have
  them sent to that administrator by the program
  deadline.
• Find 2 professors who will each write a Report on
  your behalf, and have them each send their sealed
  Report to that administrator by the program
  deadline.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 10

• Application Procedure
• Complete and submit your online application. Go
  to OSAP Main page and click on "Apply Online".
• Print all items listed on the Last Step of your
  online application under "Your OGS Application
  Package" section. 
• Depending on which Application Procedure you are
  using, either have the Reports and Transcripts
  forwarded to your current department
  (undergraduate or graduate) at your university or
  university college, or your previous university
  department from which you graduated, OR the
  Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
• Check your program deadline date and hand your
  completed application in on time.
• Go to the OSAP website to check the status of
  your OGS application. Information should be
  available around January 1, 2007.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 11

• Firm but Friendly Reminder
• Your academic unit/graduate program will not
  accept late or incomplete applications after its
  deadline
• The Faculty of Graduate Studies will not accept
  late or incomplete applications after the FGS
  deadline
• The Ministry will not accept late or incomplete
  applications after its deadline.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 12

• Order of Documents
• Westerns FGS OGS Cover Page with a copy of the
  Statement of Interest/Plan of Study and a copy of
  the List of Significant Academic Accomplishments
  stapled to it
• Change Form if applicable
• Personal Data - Page 1 (to be completed online)
• Student Authorization/Study Permit if
  applicable
• Institution Checklist (not yet available)
• Student Checklist
• Summary Sheet
• Education Information - Page 2 (to be completed
  online)
• Additional Education Page if applicable

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2007-2008 OGS Program 13

• Order of Documents (contd)
• Report 1
• Attachment if submitted
• Report 2
• Attachment if submitted
• Ranked Candidates Form (not yet available)
• Transcripts
• Plan of Study or Statement of Interest
• List of Academic Accomplishments (if applicable)
• List of Scholarships and Awards (if applicable)
• This order is very important to the professors
  adjudicating the files. When they are reviewing
  numerous files it is important that all the
  documents in the file are in the same order.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 14

• If you have additional previous studies and
  transcripts, list them on a separate sheet of
  paper and include it directly after Page 2 of
  your application package.
• When completing the Education section of the
  application form, you must use the discipline
  names and codes listed on the OGS Web site under
  Divisions and Disciplines.
• The Ministry will no longer accept faxed
  reference letters.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 15

• How To Get Good Referees
• Give referees plenty of time
• When you approach a professor for a reference,
  ask if he or she feels able to provide you with a
  strong reference
• Provide the referees with the form (with your
  information completed) your personal statement
  would also be helpful for them
• Ask the referee if he/she would like any
  additional information (i.e., your CV,
  transcript)
• Choose referees who are able to comment on your
  abilities within an academic context
• Choose referees who are able to comment on at
  least most of the characteristics on the form

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2007-2008 OGS Program 16

• OGS offers templates for your use in the
  free-form section of your application. The
  following are available on the OGS Web site and
  on the FGS Web site
• Plan of Study Template .doc
• Statement of Interest Template .doc
• List of Academic Accomplishments Template .doc
• List of Scholarships and Awards .doc
• N.B. Change all font and size to 12pt. Arial

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2007-2008 OGS Program 17

• Preparing Your Plan of Study(for Doctoral
  Students)
• Keep it to 1 page, single-spaced, 12pt Arial font
• In some Divisions, the application may be
  reviewed by someone outside of your specific
  discipline
• Dont go into too many details about your thesis
  design or get too technical, but dont be too
  sketchy either
• Dont rely on generalizations. Be focused and
  concise.
• Dont claim to address or fix all the problems in
  your discipline
• Be grammatical and avoid words or technical terms
  that exceed your grasp or the scope of potential
  reviewers

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2007-2008 OGS Program 18

• Preparing Your Statement of Interest (for
  Masters Students)
• Keep it to 1 page, single-spaced, 12pt Arial font
• In some Divisions, the application may be
  reviewed by someone outside of your specific
  discipline
• Avoid platitudes and warm fuzzies about the
  importance of your interests or the importance of
  your chosen discipline
• Avoid grandiose claims of how youre going to
  improve the world
• Focus on tangible aspects of your interest
• Be grammatical and avoid words or technical terms
  that exceed your grasp or the scope of potential
  reviewers

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2007-2008 OGS Program 19

• List of Academic Accomplishments List of
  Scholarships/Awards
• Make sure you include all relevant
  accomplishments and awards
• Avoid embellishing
• Use point form lists
• Provide brief explanations for awards that may
  not be clear
• Highlight scholarships and awards that are
  competitive

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2007-2008 OGS Program 20

• Free Form Section
• You may add a maximum of 100 words at the end of
  the Academic Accomplishments page to describe any
  special considerations such as health problems,
  family responsibilities, disabilities or other
  circumstances that have had an effect on your
  performance or productivity, including any delays
  in disseminating research results or completing a
  degree. The weight to be given to any special
  circumstances will be determined by the OGS
  panels evaluating their application.
• A Bibliography or references may be included only
  on either the Plan of Study or Statement of
  Interest page. There are to be no extra pages
  other than what is specified.
• Publications must be included on the List of
  Significant Academic Accomplishments page only.
  There are to be no extra pages other than what is
  specified.
• Do not include a resumé/ curriculum vitae in your
  OGS application package.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 21

• Transcripts
• OGS now requires official/original transcripts
  from studies done in Canadian and American
  Universities.
• No certified photocopies, no registration
  summaries, no academic records, no Web print-outs
  will be accepted.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 22

• Communication Protocol
• The Graduate Assistant/Academic Assistant in your
  program/department/university college will be
  compiling your application. He or she is your
  primary contact for all inquiries/questions
  regarding the application procedure. You are to
  submit your completed application to your unit by
  its internal deadline.
• It is your responsibility to confirm your own
  eligibility. If you have questions concerning
  your grade eligibility, please consult your
  Graduate Assistant/Academic Assistant who will
  calculate your average with you. Per OGS
  instructions, FGS will not accept any
  applications from candidates who do not meet all
  the eligibility criteria.
• The following e-mail address is now available for
  all scholarship competition inquiries
• schol_at_uwo.ca

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2007-2008 OGS Program 23

• This Powerpoint presentation will be posted on
  The Faculty of Graduate Studies Web site at
• http//www.uwo.ca/grad/current_students/external.h
  tm
• I wish you all success in this and all other
  scholarship competitions and throughout your
  graduate career.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 24

• APPENDIX 1
• Plan of Study Dos
• I plan to study how school environment and social
  support variables relate to social adjustment in
  adolescents with health related activities
  limitations.
• Research suggests that
• I plan to administer a survey to students within
  a cross-sectional sample of high schools in
  Ontario. The survey will include measures of
• I will use structural equation modeling to test
  an hypothesized model of the relationships among
  the school environment, social support, and
  social adjustment constructs measured in the
  survey.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 25

• APPENDIX 2
• Plan of Study Donts
• It is important to understand adolescents with
  health related activity limitations.
• To date, no good research has been conducted in
  this area. The research is limited because
• I plan to conduct a study that will help answer
  many questions about this population.
• My study will be very important in helping
  adolescents with disabilities achieve positive
  social adjustment.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 26

• APPENDIX 3
• Statement of Interest Dos
• I chose to pursue graduate studies in
  occupational therapy because I am interested in
  studying and working with children who have
  suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI). In
  particular, I am interested in how assistive
  technology can be used to support children with
  TBI in participating in typical childhood
  activities.

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2007-2008 OGS Program 27

• APPENDIX 4
• Statement of Interest Donts
• I chose to pursue graduate studies in
  occupational therapy because the profession of
  occupational therapy and my personality are
  undermined by the same values.
• Its important for all people to engage in
  meaningful occupations and I plan to complete my
  graduate degree in occupational therapy so that I
  can help people do the things that are important
  to them

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2007-2008 OGS Program 28

• APPENDIX 5
• General Advice
• Grammar counts
• Spelling counts
• Follow font and font size rules
• Neatness and fluency count
• Clarity is essential
• Strong references are important
• Keep your potential audience in mind
• Get someone (ideally, a professor or more senior
  graduate student) to read over your application
  and give you feedback
• Allow yourself and your referees enough time to
  do a thorough, careful job