"to Associate A Verifier With A Given Activity, Enter A Number In Brackets Beside The Activity"

[coldpizzahotsriracha]

Alright so this is throwing me off. For each item in my sketch, I know there's a box to include the number of the corresponding verifier. Do they just want this in brackets then...?

[MathToMed]

No, they mean if you make reference to another activity anywhere on your OMSAS application  (ie. in your essays for UofT), they understand [1] to mean your first verifier.

 

ie. "When writing my graduate student thesis [2], I ..."

[coldpizzahotsriracha]

No, they mean if you make reference to another activity anywhere on your OMSAS application  (ie. in your essays for UofT), they understand [1] to mean your first verifier.

 

ie. "When writing my graduate student thesis [2], I ..."

This comes from the Ottawa application though, not sure they'd be referring to the U of T essays. I gave the OSMAS office a call and what they mean is that in your description (i.e. the 150-character one or whatever) you must also include the verifier within brackets. 

[Borax]

wait... you need to put the verifier in the 150 char description for the sketch that already includes a set verifier? I must be reading this wrong

[coldpizzahotsriracha]

wait... you need to put the verifier in the 150 char description for the sketch that already includes a set verifier? I must be reading this wrong

Yeah I know, it doesn't make much sense to me but that's what the dude on the phone said...might call again tomorrow. 

[MathToMed]

I'm almost positive they mean when you reference something you wrote in a different section (which is why I gave the example of UofT essays). If you're listing an ABS item and the verifier you've listed (in the verifier box) is sufficient for everything you're talking about, you don't need to provide another one.

If however your entry relies on another entry, like for some reason you mention another activity that must be verified by either the same person, or someone else (and it isn't clear), then you have to cite which verifier can vouch for you by including [12] beside the activity.

 

For example, if you're talking about volunteering for some organization then you obviously need a verifier. If in that ABS entry you want to emphasize that you learned to manage time because you were maybe balancing volunteering with concurrently doing your NSERC project [4] as well as doing your basic military training [8], that's what it's used for.

This definitely does not mean you have to end off every ABS sketch item with a redundant [1], because you've already listed that verifier in the appropriate box.

[MathToMed]

Sorry for the double post, but I've found another possibility.

First, I want to note that that clause ("To associate a verifier with a given activity, enter a number in brackets beside the activity. This number should correspond to the number on the verifiers list") appears on all of the applications, not simply Ottawa's. It's built into the [?]HELP file for the autobiographical sketch.

One other interpretation they may have is for certain sections such as "Other" which do not allow you to normally put in a verifier. For some of these activities, you may want to specify one anyway.

[Savac]

I'm pretty sure that's a relic from an older version of the ABS several years ago. I can assure you that I never put my verifier number in brackets anywhere on the entire application (with the obvious exception being UofT essays). There's a handly little box to put the verifier number.

[coldpizzahotsriracha]

I'm pretty sure that's a relic from an older version of the ABS several years ago. I can assure you that I never put my verifier number in brackets anywhere on the entire application (with the obvious exception being UofT essays). There's a handly little box to put the verifier number.

Yeah I guess that'd make sense. It's odd though how specific the guy on the phone was - I clarified that I'd be putting my verifier down twice for every activity and also that it'd be in the same space as where my 150-character description goes. I doubt the admissions committee really cares about it much though. But yeah, doesn't make sense with that box to put the verifier number being there.