1. A Valid Passport and Study Visa

YP3 participants must have a valid passport at the start of the academic program in Canada. If your passport will expire before the end of this program, you should start the process to renew your passport six months before the expiry date.? You will also need to know how to keep your visa current if necessary

2. Official Academic Transcripts

Official academic transcripts may include original, official, native language transcripts listing all completed courses and grades.  English translations must accompany non-English transcripts.  It is common for graduate programs to want to request these transcripts directly from your undergraduate institution.? You will need to know if this is possible, and, if it is, how long the process will take.

3. Degree Diploma or Certificate

It is more common for target programs to request this document from you in your application.? Although it is usually possible to use notarized copies, you will need to know if you can get multiple official copies.


4. Letters of Recommendation

Typically, today, a graduate program will request 2-3 letters of recommendation (also called letters of reference) in an application.? These should be letters from professors who have worked with you, in coursework or as advisors to your thesis.? M.B.A. programs may also request at least one professional reference: a letter from an employer describing your performance in a real, paid, work experience? ?Letters need to be in English or in a notarized translation.

Standard practice for letters of recommendation has been that you submit them with your application, in envelopes sealed and signed across the back by your professor for confidentiality.? Today, however, many programs ask for email addresses of recommenders, so that the programs can contact recommenders directly.? You will need to determine if this is possible for you and let your recommenders know that it may happen.

5.? Writing Sample

Depending on the major, programs often ask for a sample of original written work: a paper demonstrating how the applicant works with a body of literature or builds an argument.? Typically, the sample paper is from a university course completed within the past five years.? The length may be as short as 3 pages or as many as 12 pages.? In preparation for joining YP3, you should gather a few possibilities for such a sample – noting that a writing sample can often be an excerpt from a longer work.? In YP3, we will work with editing and presenting such a work to best advantage.

6. Checklist of Other Needs:

• Make copies of passport, visas, and medical prescriptions. Give one set to a contact person and keep one set;
• Bring plugs, power strips, and adaptors;
• Bring laptop with a wireless adaptor or bring a USB wireless adaptor ; and
• Make a back up soft copy for all required material.

7. Clothes to Bring:

• An umbrella
• A warm spring or fall jacket
• A warm winter coat
• Winter boots, hat, gloves
• Cultural clothing or more formal ???wear for special occasions.

• Warm sportswear for outdoor activities
• Comfortable walking shoes

Be prepared to dress in layers. In the summer you will wear light clothing during the day, but in the evenings you will need a light jacket or sweater.

II: Once you are here

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy, successful, and sane during this seven month program.

1. Residence Information

At the start of YP3, participants will probably stay in one of the undergraduate dormitories on the York University campus, within walking distance of classrooms, gym facilities, on-campus restaurants, student centers, libraries and computer labs. ??Theses facilities have single rooms, with common areas including refrigerators and microwaves. YUELI staff members will offer new applicants help with residence forms, surveys and payment forms.? Residence cost is CA $25 per day.? While living in residence, participants will be issued the YU-Card, which is York University’s ID and campus debit card.? Note that this card will be charged with a nonrefundable sum of $625 for the initial two-month residence period. The money can only be spent in restaurants on campus and in York Lanes, the on-campus mall.

2. Opening a Bank Account

International students may find it helpful to know that there are banks located on campus and various bank machines. Note that you may need to get a VISA or MasterCard to buy things online, make payments, or register for universities.

3. Renting an Apartment

After learning their way around campus and Toronto, participants may prefer to move out of residence and rent their own apartments. ?Early in the YP3 program participants will attend a workshop given by FMTA (the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations), a non – profit organization that educates tenants about their rights and advocates for tenants in Toronto.? This workshop is designed to help students learn about Toronto rental laws and regulations and prepare them to make informed choices. See http://www.torontotenants.org/

4. Eating on Campus

One of the most difficult things about arriving in a new country can be finding familiar food – and healthy food – to eat.? Especially for participants living in campus residences, this can be a challenge.? At the same time, the stresses of going through such an important, change-filled period of your life make eating well particularly important.? Early in the YP3 program participants will attend a workshop given by the York Health Education and Promotion Group (an organization of York undergraduate students in health-related majors), in order to gain information about how and where to find good food on campus and off, and how to prepare it.? See ?http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/? YP3 staff will also help participants find and get to appropriate grocery stores in Toronto.? See http://www.yorku.ca/yorkint/intlstud/new/grocery.htm for a list of some places to shop for food.

5. Gym Memberships

One of the best ways to handle the stress of studying in a new country is to make sure that you get enough physical activity.? In fact, a seven-month stay at York may give you time to accomplish new fitness goals of your own.? Although it may seem that your schedule is already full, many of us believe that when you exercise regularly, you gain more efficiency from the increased energy than you lose in time. ?York University has a sizeable gym, with memberships available at a cost significantly below that of private health clubs in Toronto.? YP3 participants can buy an eight-month membership at the Tait McKenzie Centre at the “Category B – Community” rate (YUELI students are not charged the fees that York degree students are charged to support this facility):

Category B - Community:

Basic

• Access to swimming pool, basketball, squash and tennis courts during scheduled recreation times.
• Access to City of Toronto Track and Field Centre weekdays 9:00am-9:45pm, and Sat 9:00am-4:45pm (for 8-12 month memberships).

Basic Plus

• Basic package plus access to the Fitness Centre (the Fitness Centre includes all weight training equipment and aerobics machines like elliptical trainers, stairmasters, etc).
• Aerobic/Cross Training classes available at an additional cost.

Gold

• Basic Plus package, access to aerobics/cross training classes and towel service.

Note that instructional classes in Sports, Martial Arts, Aquatics, Dance and Mind-Body Fitness, as well as certification courses, fitness assessments, and personal training are offered for an additional fee.? These can be a great way to get into the York community, meet people, and make new friends.? See http://www.recreation.yorku.ca/operations/hours.htm

6. Insurance

Adequate health insurance is an absolute necessity for any extended study period abroad.? YUELI works with the insurance company Student Guard to provide coverage for its students. Once you buy your insurance, you will not pay for many medical expenses.? We advise you to take careful note of what your health insurance covers and what it does not, and how the system works. The policy wording is available in the YUELI office, email yueli@yorku.ca; you can also investigate Student Guard on-line at http://www.studentguard.com

7. Opportunities to Get Involved at YUELI, at York, and in Toronto

An important part of your experience in YP3 will be the contacts you make outside of our program, at York and in Toronto.? These contacts – people you meet, experiences you have – may help you practice your English, help you learn about North American university culture, and may even become items you can add to your c.v. to help your application prospects.? YP3 instructors will be willing to adjust your class schedule to allow for your participation in especially useful activities.? Groups and activities YP3 participants have found have included:

• Joining in the club and trip activities that are part of the experience of YUELI’s many other programs, and meeting YUELI students from many other countries.

• Meeting York University students at weekly events of the York Health Education and Promotion Group, “Mellow Monday,” and “Wellness Wednesday” (see http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/signatureevents.html )? Explore also the York SC&LD page at http://www.yorku.ca/scld? for other ways of getting connected at York.

• Joining classes at the Tait McKenzie athletic centre (see above).

• Joining in events at any of the many student cultural organizations at York University.? For an incomplete list of such groups, see http://www.yorku.ca/scld/organizations/clubs.php?category=Cultural&key=&alpha=&clubsearch=Search

• Visiting York first-year undergraduate courses in your area of study, and meeting professors, graduate students, and undergraduates in these courses.? YUELI has an arrangement with a number of such courses on the York campus to allow for these visits.? Attending such courses and meeting these people can be a great way of helping your academic English vocabulary.? Some YP3 students have been able to join – informally – more advanced course at York, with the permission of the professor, and to participate in coursework.

• Meeting professors, graduate students, and alumni of YUELI in visits to YP3 classes to discuss the current state of graduate study in a variety of disciplines

• Attending the annual Schulich “culture crawl”: an evening of meeting students in the M.B.A. and I.M.B.A. programs at the Schulich School of Business at York University in their residences.? This event is designed to showcase the different cultures (and cuisines) of the many different cultures represented at Schulich.? See http://gbc.schulich.yorku.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=93

• Volunteering for the student organization “Peace by Peace.”? This is a student organization that travels to local primary schools and gives presentations to grade 5 students on how to respond to bullying behavior.? After fifteen hours of training with experienced volunteers, selected participants commit to 11 once-a-week visits to schools, in teams with other, non-YP3 student volunteers.? See http://sites.google.com/a/pxpyork.org/inspire

• Joining the York student-alumni association “YorkisU” ( http://www.yorkisu.ca ) and participating in the huge annual York festival “Multicultural Week.”? In 2008, over 11,000 students participated, representing more than 50 student cultural clubs, from the Afghan to the Vietnamese Students’ Associations.? See http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=10018

• Attending and participating in activities of Toronto’s active professional storytelling community ( see http://www.storytellingtoronto.org/Pages/Fridays.html ) and that community’s annual festival (see? http://www.torontofestivalofstorytelling.ca ).? Storytelling as a skill (in English) can be very useful in your applications for graduate programs as well as for your English language learning.? As part of YP3, a professional storyteller will be invited to visit your classes and help you learn how to present effectively both traditional and personal stories.

• Attending and participating in the University of Toronto’s biweekly open-mike musical/karaoke evening, OISENOISE (see http://www.geordiewilson.com/oisenoise.html )
  
  

8.? Transportation

Although located at the northern edge of Toronto, York University is a major public transportation hub for the area, connected both to downtown and to outer suburbs by several bus services.? Early in YP3, instructors will help participants learn about this system, how much it costs, where to buy tickets or passes, and where you can go.? (There are a number of different “Chinatowns” in different parts of the GTA.)

9. Visits to Ontario Universities

One of the advantages of YP3 and York is that there are twelve universities within a two hours’ drive of the York campus, making visits to a variety of prospective graduate programs easy.? Most of these schools are within 100 kilometers.? As part of our program, we will arrange visits to some of these schools -- universities chosen according to participants’ program interests and the directions of our applications.

       University                     Location

York University              Toronto
The University of Toronto              Toronto
Ryerson University              Toronto
Ontario College of Art and Design              Toronto
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology              Oshawa
McMaster University              Hamilton
The University of Guelph              Guelph
Wilfrid Laurier University              Waterloo
The University of Waterloo              Waterloo
Brock University              St. Catherines
Trent University              Peterborough
The University of Western Ontario              London
Queen’s University              Kingston?

10. The future beyond YP3

YP3 participants may also want to consider that there are many ways to a future at a quality graduate program in Canada or the U.S., and many ways to gather valuable study and work experience in North America, beyond immediately moving from YP3 to graduate study.? Note that university graduates from other countries who have attained an overall IELTS score of 6.5 are eligible to apply to York as “Visiting Students” and to take many kinds of undergraduate courses at will.? Study at York as a Visiting Student may help you gather prerequisite credits for a graduate program in a new major; at any rate, undergraduate coursework at an English-language university can provide powerful evidence of English proficiency. See http://futurestudents.yorku.ca/requirements/visiting for details of requirements and programs.?

YP3 participants who continue to pursue such alternative ways to a bright future can expect continuing interest from us in YP3 and whatever continuing help we can provide.