Using Documents as Verifiers

[Guest turtle]

When using documents (i.e. transcripts) as verifiers, how do you fill out the little verifier screen. i.e. where do you put "see university transcript"? Under 'name'? Under 'comments'? Do you leave the rest blank?

 

Also, do we really need to provide a full mailing address for each person, or is a phone number enough?

 

Thanks,

 

turtle

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi turtle,

 

I can't really address your first question properly, as I didn't use documents as verifiers for my academics. Instead, I inserted the contact details for the registrar offices for the institutions that I attended and put a comment in the little "comment" box at the bottom of the verifier information window stating why I had done this. (Should be pretty apparent, though.)

 

As to your second question, I'd fill in all the addresses if you can. You want to make the reviewer feel as warm as possible about your application, and make their job as hassle-free as possible. By leaving details out, not only do you chance making them wonder, but you also miss out on an opportunity to potentially provide a little more information on the location of your activity.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest turtle]

Thanks Kirsteen,

 

I just discovered that the program won't accept the form without an address anyway, so I will definitely put them in. That makes me think that it would be difficult to use transcripts, etc. as verifiers too, since my transcript does not live at an address...haha...unless I put my own address. Transcript, in file drawer, at my house.

 

Can anyone else comment on using transcripts or other documentation for verification?

 

turtle

 

PS. Kirsteen, congrats on getting your application done!! I am still finishing my U of T essay...I feel like it is sucking all of the energy out of me! But the plan is to have it done tonight, even if that means sitting at this computer for hours...

[Guest peachy]

I used the registrar's office as the "address" for the transcript, and then put in the comment something like "See transcript for all entries attributed to this verifier". I doubt that it matters, if it's on your transcript, you can't possibly be lying!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there turtle,

 

Ooops, in the haze of OMSAS data-entering memories from the past few weeks, I completely forgot that the address text fields were obligatory. :rolleyes

 

As to completing the application, I'm sure you'll enjoy the feeling once yours is complete and submitted. Now, in lieu of life depletion from OMSAS, it's life depletion from a major systematic review and presentation that I have to deliver by next Friday. (...and from previous posts, I know that you know what those entail. )

 

Cheers and best of luck in the final stretch!

Kirsteen

[Guest turtle]

Ugh...systematic reviews are brutal! Though, I have to admit, they are very useful. I'll be starting one soon for the intro to my thesis, but I'm under the impression there's not much out there on what I'm doing so it shouldn't be too bad.

 

Good luck with yours!

 

Just a heads up for you too...I'm involved in the planning of the Ontario-Quebec regional student conference for the Canadian Society of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. We don't even have a date yet, likely late winter/early spring (March/April?), but maybe you'd be interested in submitting an abstract?! I'lll post again when I have more info, plus we'll be sending stuff around to all the schools. We're hoping to make it lots of fun, and it would be awesome if you could come!

 

turtle

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there turtle,

 

Do you have a location decided yet? My preference would be anyplace warm in Ontario/Quebec at that time of year. Yep, keep me in the loop on that one, please. I have a few studies on the go at the moment, which could be ripe for abstract-ing for the conference. As a side note, if you're involved in CSEB activities, then I'm assuming you know Jason Pole? He's on a few committees at UofT with me.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest turtle]

Jason is actually the person who has been helping us get organized. I don't know how it was decided, but the conference will be held here in Ottawa...sorry, definitely NOT somewhere warm! I guess the CSEB made the decision, then Jason sent an email to the department secretary here requesting student volunteers to organize the conference. Yeah, Jason has been a great help so far...wow, small world! We hope to be deciding on a date very shortly. We're just waiting to hear back from a potential guest speaker...I'll let you know!

 

turtle

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there,

 

Yep, it's continually evident how teeny a world it is. Here's a freakish example (freakish primarily because of the hairstyle involved, of course ): while in Perth, Australia last month I took a cab to the airport. It turned out that the driver was from Glasgow, also. We kept chatting and it turned out that we both emigrated from Scotland just a few months apart. What's eerie: I was actually in his hair salon at the age of eleven, just a few weeks before I left, to get my hair cut in a Princess Diana do. Geesh. That was odd. In Perth--my one-time hairdresser! :eek

 

In any case, back to the point: I'm happy you know Jason. He's great, and I look forward to attending the conference in the spring. Thanks much for letting me know about it.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen