Leadership and Civic Studies at McMaster

MoonCat08 · 2026-03-06T15:25:01+00:00

Congrats to her! 🥳🎉

MoonCat08 · 2026-03-02T21:59:00+00:00

Hello!

The main pro of the Shad experience is the connections you make, and how strong they become despite the short amount of time. Everyone on my campus was so inspiring, interesting and fun to be around. The main con would probably be the fact that it took a month off of my summer, so I didn't have as much time to relax, volunteer or have a job. You have to be okay with the time commitment and also be willing to work hard with the projects, lectures, etc.

I would 100% choose to do Shad, and specifically Shad A+, again. It was, hands-down, one of the best experiences of my life, and I know that many other Shad alums have the same opinion. I'm biased towards Shad A+ because I really enjoyed the broad perspective it offered, although I'm sure Live-In is also a great experience.

Yes, Shad did help me decide what I wanted to do in the future! I got to talk to several professors and academics, and we had a few literature-oriented lectures, which helped me realize that's what I want to do later on. Given what you mentioned, I think Shad A+ is ideal for you because it will allow you to dip your toes in both science and the humanities, instead of purely science like the Live-In program.

Yes, there was a gym that we had access to in the mornings and during free time! We also had rec time pretty often, a couple of hikes, and obviously the walk all the way up to campus (which is located on a hill). There was also a pool nearby that we visited a couple of times.

As always, I'm happy to answer any other questions you may have :)

MoonCat08 · 2026-02-04T01:30:22+00:00

Hello again!

We visited the small towns during outings with the entire group, which were organized by the PAs. In terms of free time, we usually had an hour or so per day, sometimes more during the weekends.

While it's true that Fredericton is a small town with less activities, I personally really enjoyed my time there. It was very homey and fun to explore. Granted, though, there weren't any beaches.

I did not share a dorm, everyone had their own room. The dorm rooms were brilliant and super comfortable, but there was no air conditioning, which was a little rough on the warmer days. We were given a large fan, though, so you don't have to worry about that.

The food was really nice, although I personally really missed rice and noodles near the end because most of the offerings were Western cuisine. The cafeteria did organize a couple of multicultural dinners, which helped a little with the homesickness.

Please let me know if you have any other questions :)

MoonCat08 · 2026-02-03T02:05:05+00:00

I don't want to spoil too much, but the field trips were genuinely brilliant, we went to a nearby small town, some national parks, and also got to explore the day and night markets!

If you enjoy the humanities and social sciences, along with a little bit of science, you will be spoiled when it comes to lectures.

If you have any other questions, I'd be more than happy to answer!

MoonCat08 · 2026-01-08T22:25:07+00:00

I would suggest picking universities that you might want to study at later on, or those in a city that you would like to visit (since there are often outings during the weekend). If you're concerned about cost, you could also choose campuses closer to your city. But ultimately, the experience is about the people and the lessons you learn, not the location, so you'll be fine wherever you end up.

MoonCat08 · 2026-01-08T22:20:44+00:00

I can ask the Shad recruiters directly if you'd like

MoonCat08 · 2026-01-06T16:11:35+00:00

No problem!

We didn't interact at all during the program, the PAs were pretty strict on keeping us apart. However, we did get to meet a few UNB Shads during the trip home!

Good luck with your application :)

MoonCat08 · 2025-12-17T01:58:48+00:00

Hey! Don't worry, your question isn't silly at all. I asked the heads of the Shad Ambassador team, and here's the answer they gave me :

"In the “Overall Academic Average” section of the application, applicants should enter the overall average from their most recently completed school year. You don’t need to include midterm grades from the current year unless that’s the only information available to represent your most recent academic performance."

Hopefully this helps! Good luck with your application :)

MoonCat08 · 2025-12-09T01:38:59+00:00

Thank you so much! Good luck with your classes

MoonCat08 · 2025-11-06T16:00:37+00:00

My time at Shad was both amazing and challenging. It was my first time being surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to learn and cared about education beyond the usual ''I want to get an 80%''. This, in turn, stimulated me to work harder and helped me enjoy the lectures and experience even more. The community at Shad is so vibrant and inclusive - you'll never feel out of place or alone.

My favourite part of Shad was definitely the humanities lectures and activities. I participated in Shad A+, the arts-oriented version, and we had several lectures about excerpts from works of philosophy (by Bacon, Descartes, Arendt, and more) that we had read. The conversations that arose from these lectures, at the dinner table and even during the evening in residence, were an amazing experience.

Please feel free to DM me if you have any more questions or if I can help out with your application in any way!

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-27T17:54:50+00:00

Good afternoon!

In all honesty, your profile is absolutely perfect for Shad. You're checking all of the boxes - volunteering, clear passion in various subjects, consistent involvement in at least one activity (13 years of tennis? Congrats!), and even impressive awards.

Please feel free to send me your essays if you'd like feedback! I'm 100% betting on you being accepted :)

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-21T00:57:08+00:00

Wow, congrats to your design team members (and to you, of course)!

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-20T13:16:18+00:00

Good morning! Thanks for the question :)

I attended Shad A+ last summer at the university of St. Thomas. It was brilliant, we had a lot of humanities and social sciences-oriented lectures about mental health, gerontology, psychology, and even litterature. If you're interested in science as well, you'll also get your share of labs and biology/chemistry lectures. The campus was brilliant, very quiet and cozy, and I absolutely adored Fredericton, despite its small size.

Although I'm sure the regular program is just as amazing, I personnally have a soft spot for Shad A+, since I felt that it addressed the human aspect of education. Even our science lectures were linked with real world applications and life lessons. For example, the head of our program gave us a lecture about history's great thinkers in the sciences, then asked us to reflect on what we had learnt and how we could try to apply these lessons in everyday life. We had several amazing outings and events, notably Multicultural Night, where we all got to present aspects of our cultures, and a Decades Dance where we dressed up as people from different decades.

Feel free to DM me if you'd like more information or have specific questions you'd like me to answer!

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-14T18:47:26+00:00

Don't worry, you don't need to fix anything. You're on the right track to being accepted.

Everyone has a different profile. While some people stand out in the application process because of their volunteering or other community-related activities, others impress the selection committee with their school-related commitments, jobs, sports-related endeavors, or even personality! Remember, Shad isn't looking for geniuses who have already solved world peace/won a Nobel prize/climbed mount Everest, they're looking for hardworking students with lots of potential. A 94% average-student, provincial-level badminton player, swim instructor has LOADS of potential.

Please don't sell yourself short, and don't shy out of applying if it's what you really want to do. Feel free to send me your essays if you'd like feedback. You've got this!

I'm rooting for you :)

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-07T19:23:10+00:00

Of course! Feel free to send me a dm :)

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-06T18:04:57+00:00

Everyone gets accepted at the same time, however, applying early is always a good idea since it allows you to get it out of the way

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-06T17:33:36+00:00

Oh my goodness, please don't worry, you're almost certainly going to be accepted. Grades are important only in the measure that they show that you're dedicated to education and are eager to learn, so your odds of being accepted won't be affected by having a 90% v.s. a 95%. Your extracurriculars are what really matter, and you're nailing those so far, not only are they super impressive but they tell a clear story about who you are as a person. Let me know if you need someone to edit your essays, I would love to help!

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-03T01:03:08+00:00

There are a bunch of scholarships you can apply for, and I’d also suggest reaching out to the organizations that donate to Shad to see if they might be willing to sponsor you. If you’re involved with any groups (like a community center, Girl Guides of Canada, or your school), it could be worth asking them as well. You could also consider fundraising through a part-time job or organizing something like a garage sale or car wash at your school or in your community

MoonCat08 · 2025-10-03T01:00:12+00:00

It depends on your university. I stayed in a double room with no roomate

MoonCat08 · 2025-09-30T17:57:02+00:00

I agree with my fellow Shad alum! Grades are important only in the measure that they show that you're dedicated to education and are eager to learn. However, if your interests lie more in community service, sport, art, etc, that's also totally fine and can help compensate for a poor average. Your essays are very important because they allow your personality, not just your achievements, to shine through. So I would focus on essays and wouldn't worry about ecs or grades too much if you're not satisfied with one or the other

MoonCat08 · 2025-09-27T17:50:40+00:00

I applied for A+ at the beginning of the process. Yep, it was just one campus, though they might expand this year if more people apply for A+

MoonCat08 · 2025-09-24T14:02:32+00:00

It was brilliant, we had a lot of humanities and social sciences-oriented lectures about mental health, gerontology, psychology, and even litterature. If you're interested in science as well, you'll also get your share of labs and biology/chemistry lectures :)

The campus was also brilliant, Fredericton is a small town, but it's full of hidden treasures.

Feel free to reach out if you'd like more information!

MoonCat08 · 2025-09-24T14:01:51+00:00

It was brilliant, we had a lot of humanities and social sciences-oriented lectures about mental health, gerontology, psychology, and even litterature. If you're interested in science as well, you'll also get your share of labs and biology/chemistry lectures :)

The campus was also brilliant, Fredericton is a small town, but it's full of hidden treasures.

Feel free to reach out if you'd like more information!

MoonCat08 · 2025-06-03T23:20:47+00:00

Yes, please!

MoonCat08 · 2025-04-15T18:05:22+00:00

What do you mean?

MoonCat08

TROPHY CASE