hyronomus4

Anyone applying for a PhD in social work? What is your story?

Hey all! I was in your position this time last year anxiously waiting for my future to be revealed. I know the torture of waiting and I don't envy you at all! Now I'm happily enrolled (albeit completely stressed and overwhelmed) in my top choice program. I just want to wish you all the best of luck in whatever happens over the next few months!! P.S. I didn't get my #1 acceptance until mid March even though previously people reported acceptances in December and January. Don't lose hope, Grad Cafe doesn't know everything!

You're definitely not the only one. The application process was a huge reason why I waited so long to go back for my MSW. I had to really break it down into small pieces with deadlines to force myself to get through it all. "Write XXX and XXXX asking for LOR by XXX" and then "Have a first draft of SOP done by XXX". Getting started on the SOP is really the hardest part of the application process, I think. If you have a university close by that has a program you're interested in I would see if they have any talks or public events you can attend. I went to a lecture at a local university when I was working on my app (even though it wasn't one I was interested in) and it was a good reminder of why I want to go back to school in the first place. It helped motivate me to keep chugging along.

This is super helpful information, thanks you everyone! I will be parking on the street and I hadn't even thought about that increased risk. So many things to consider!

As I'm preparing to leave my job and move back into poverty to be a grad student I'm looking at ways to cut costs from my monthly budget. Since I'm moving, I'll be re-doing my car insurance policy anyway and I'm trying to make it more reasonable. The people who have given me quotes at the insurance companies are giving me advice but I'm also aware they're trying to make money. My car is a little two door 2008 with low(ish) miles. So, it's not new but it still has some value. My question is, what can I actually drop that won't be a huge mistake? Collision? Comprehensive? Property damage?

You can take this for what it's worth but you might benefit from medication (if you're not already on something). I did my master's a few years ago and I really struggled with the transition and my first semester was really rough for me. By the time I came back from that first winter break I felt I was starting to understand what was going on and everything improved from there. This fall I'm going back for a PhD and I felt myself getting anxious again. My doctor recommended a low dose antidepressant/anti-anxiety for a few months until I get settled into my new life. I've been on it for a month and I'm already noticing an improvement. If you're having panic attacks and crying every night it might be something to think about.

Lot's of good advice here. I would also add to make sure you have a good car battery. If it's stating to get old you're probably better off to replace it before the winter cold hits. Nothing sucks the life out of a low battery quite like a really cold night of sitting still. I also second the advice on the tires. I have a little car that had never seen snow until last year and it was terrible on slick roads. I got some snow tires and it made a HUGE difference. It was 100% worth the investment and Goodyear swaps them for me for free when the weather turns. Also, people are right about waiting on your winter gear that you wear but don't wait to get your ice scraper. The day of the first snow or frost the stores are usually cleared out of ice scrapers. I've been screwed many a winter because thought I had one in my car and didn't.

When I met with my advisor for the first time a few weeks ago she made a special point to talk about professionalism and my PhD program. She specifically said I should respond to emails even if it's not asking for a response. She said just a "I got this, thanks" if better than nothing at all. I've started being more responsive since I was always one to err on the side of not being annoying with extra emails. I don't known if that's just her preference though.

One of my applications said that it can take up to three months for the school to get your GRE results. Mine didn't take that long (I think it was a little over a month) but that's something to consider.

I found that during my undergrad and masters I could use the campus health services (which included some counseling services) for free since I paid a fee to the university. It doesn't do much good for a big emergency but if you're on you parent's insurance it might be something you can use for generic stuff when you're too far from home.

I would vote Simmons on cost alone. I didn't look at cost nearly enough and the difference between the two is almost a first year social worker's salary. It's crazy to take out 91K in loans when you'll be making a social work salary.

It varies by program what they will accept. If it's a basic stats class from an accredited university then it will likely count but it won't be a guarantee until they actually get your transcript and approve it. I found that many programs required the stats class before you start classes but they didn't require you to have it done before you apply. I didn't take my stats course until I was accepted into a program. That way I could send them the syllabus of the class I wanted to take and then made sure it would count. I didn't want to take any more stats than I had to. You might even be able to take it online the summer before you start your program through the same university to make it as simple as possible.

You don't have to have it all figured out, just tell them what you're interested in. Basically, from how you talk, you're interested in the clinical track and likely pursuing an LCSW to do individual and group work. Through previous work you've found that you're interested in working with individuals with chronic pain or disability. Then drop in some person-in-environment perspective and talk about how you also want to work with families and communities to understand and learn how to best support your clients. You don't have to say the exact position you want, you're going to school to learn what would be the best fit for you.

No, not necessarily. The letter could go either way.