Experience: ECA from University of Toronto Comparative Education Service (CES)
Firstly, I am a US citizen in the United States, and I only had my Master of Science (chemistry) from a US university assessed through CES. That being said, remember that your results may vary!
Jan 23, 2018: Application started
Feb 6, 2018: Application submitted
Feb 8, 2018: Transcript sent
Mar 22, 2018: 1. Initial Review In Progress; 2. Transcript(s) Received; 3. Initial Review Complete.
April 24, 2018: 4. Assessment in Progress
April 25, 2018: 5. Assessment Decision Made - digital copy emailed.
April 27, 2018: Approved. 6. Decision dispatched.
May 5, 2018: Documents received (US mail).
I do not know exactly when the transcript was received because I sent it without tracking. All I know is that one day I logged in and suddenly the checklist went from nothing to steps 1-3 checked off. I do know that it usually takes 1-2 weeks for my letters to be sent from the US to Canada.
The process:
The process to apply for my ECA was, in my opinion, fairly easy, and they try to make it easy to get what you need. UofT uses the same website that they use for other School of Continuing Studies programs, so the login portal is the same as the students use.
Once you've created your profile, CES will send you an email with your (temporary) password, which you can then use to log into the student portal and click on "My Applications" on the left-hand bar to access your ECA application. You will be assigned a student number, which you see on the top right of page once you've logged in.
Under My Applications, you get a checklist of things to fill out, and if you have any questions, you can contact them either by phone or email. I had a question regarding the duration of my Masters program since it was a 5-year condensed B.A./M.Sc. program, and they responded to my email within a day. If you're wondering, I ended up listing the duration as 1 year, since I technically finished my B.A. about a year before I finished my M.Sc. Everything came out fine.
UofT makes it very clear what your expectations should be right at the top of the intro page and offer a tool that explains exactly which documents you need to provide for verification depending on your country. In my case, since I'm from the US and it was a US university, I had to provide a digital copy of my transcripts (front and back), a digital copy of my actual degree (front and back), and a physical transcript sent directly from the issuing university to CES. In order to get the digital copy of my transcript for my application, I had to have a transcript sent to me so that I could scan it.
Once you've completed all the fields and made your selections, you can submit your application. You do not pay for anything until you've finished filling out your profile. The fee when I applied was $210 CAD per credential + mailing fee (if outside of Canada, or if you want tracking) + HST (13% tax on anything beyond the assessment fee).
And then... you wait. They will check off the boxes on their end as they progress through your application, although in my case, steps 1-3 were completed simultaneously, then nothing for another month, and then 4, 5, and (I'm assuming) 6 within the span of a few days. I found this page explaining what each item on their list meant to be very helpful. It's not an easy page to find, though, so I think they should provide a link to it on the application page.
Now, when I applied, the estimated processing time was 14 weeks. Additionally:
The estimated processing times are based on the date that the application and all required official documents from the awarding bodies are received and accepted by our office.
As of today, the processing time is now quoted at 12 weeks, but if you're paying attention, you'll notice that my timeline was much shorter than that. Less than 5 weeks, actually, from the date they confirmed receipt and acceptance of my documents. I'm as surprised as you are.
Results:
The soft copy emailed to me is an actual scan of the physical document that they will be sending me in the mail. CES locks the document with a code (explained in the email) to protect your privacy. CES asks you to review the document for any discrepancies and contact them within 24 hours; if they hear nothing from you, they assume that no updates are needed and dispatch your physical copies.
The document is signed by the assessor and states the equivalency both above and below the details of my M.Sc. The document is issued on watermarked paper, and the reverse side details the purpose, standards, and process involved in the ECA.
They sent the (2) paper copies in a folder inside of a large envelope marked as coming from the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies. The presentation is very professional. Inside they also include a sheet thanking you for using their service and asking you to review your reports and get back to them within 30 days if there are any discrepancies. They also offer a $200 discount on a course should you decide to enroll in some studies. Overall, I am quite pleased with the results and will be using the UofT reports in my application.
In the end, my one-ish year M.Sc. was rated as equivalent to a Canadian "Master's degree from a recognized university." Here’s hoping for an ITA in Wednesday’s draw.
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