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UNC Chapel Hill MSW applicants


riyadiya

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Hi all,

 

Has anyone heard back from UNC Chapel Hill yet? It's basically my top choice and I'm anxiously waiting!!! I applied in late December, but my application was completed in January (because of recommendation letters, etc.)

 

Thank you in advance!

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I'm also waiting to hear back.  I applied the day of the deadline (January 13th) for the advanced standing program.  Crow and hla003 - did both of you get accepted to the 2-year program?  I'm actually doing my BSW internship at the Behavioral Healthcare Resource Program (in the UNC School of Social Work) right now.

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GRE V: 165; GRE Q: 156; AWA: 5.5

My GPA wasn't as much north of a 3.0 as I would have liked, but I had a very rigorous, traditionally grade-deflation major from a top school

My extracurriculars were pretty absurd, to the extent they're personally identifying (boards, commissions, government policy author, etc.), but applied directly from undergrad

Strong ties to NC and UNC; Letters of Recommendation were very strong and from public leaders the school would have recognized

I'm a male and a macro applicant, which I think helped (90% of students are female; most applicants to social work programs are clinically oriented)

 

If you haven't seen yet, their website says that the average GPA of admitted students is around a 3.3 and the average GRE scores are more around the 50th percentile of each section.

Edited by TheCrow
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GRE V: 165; GRE Q: 156; AWA: 5.5

My GPA wasn't as much north of a 3.0 as I would have liked, but I had a very rigorous, traditionally grade-deflation major from a top school

My extracurriculars were pretty absurd, to the extent they're personally identifying (boards, commissions, government policy author, etc.), but applied directly from undergrad

Strong ties to NC and UNC; Letters of Recommendation were very strong and from public leaders the school would have recognized

I'm a male and a macro applicant, which I think helped (90% of students are female; most applicants to social work programs are clinically oriented)

 

If you haven't seen yet, their website says that the average GPA of admitted students is around a 3.3 and the average GRE scores are more around the 50th percentile of each section.

 

this is making me think i shouldn't apply... all i have going for me is work experience and a good gpa   :unsure: i also want to do a macro focus but have no experience with that. thanks for your response, maybe it was the reality check i need.

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Bquinn, I am definitely not a representative applicant and this forum is already a self-selecting page--you should definitely apply. Again, the average GPA of admitted students is around a 3.3. The average GRE scores are around the 50th percentile for each second. These aren't especially daunting numbers, especially for a top 5 program. It also means that somewhere in the neighbor of half the admitted applicants had a GPA below 3.3 and that somewhere around half the applicants had GRE scores below the 50th percentile (it's not exactly half, because it's the average, not the median, but GRE scores and GPA are bounded on such a scale that outliers that would skew the data are less likely to happen).

 

Also, work experience is highly valued in MSW programs--far more than GPA and GRE.

Edited by TheCrow
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Bquinn, don't sweat it. Stats give little indication for acceptance in an MSW program. Experience in the field will definitely help your chances... And a killer personal statement

 

 

Bquinn, I am definitely not a representative applicant and this forum is already a self-selecting page--you should definitely apply. Again, the average GPA of admitted students is around a 3.3. The average GRE scores are around the 50th percentile for each second. These aren't especially daunting numbers, especially for a top 5 program. It also means that somewhere in the neighbor of half the admitted applicants had a GPA below 3.3 and that somewhere around half the applicants had GRE scores below the 50th percentile (it's not exactly half, because it's the average, not the median, but GRE scores and GPA are bounded on such a scale that outliers that would skew the data are less likely to happen).

 

Also, work experience is highly valued in MSW programs--far more than GPA and GRE.

 

thanks guys! it gets discouraging on here sometimes when i see applicants with amazing experience that i just don't have the opportunity to do in my area, which then puts me at a disadvantage for great programs. i will still apply, and hopefully when i take the GREs this summer my scores are on par with what my programs want. i appreciate the encouragement! this is a really supportive forum :)

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Wow thank you everyone for replying and sharing your stats! I have a 3.4 gpa (which is meh) and really good research/internships/etc. The only true downside is my gre score. Scariest test in the world.

 

I'm just hoping I'll get accepted.

 

Again, thank you all for being supportive!

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I had a 3.5 gpa (finished undergrad at UNC) and pretty bad writing and math GRE scores, so I don't think you should worry too much about that! I do have 4 years of social service experience since graduating college, which I am thinking is what got me in. Does anyone have any idea how much reputation and ranking really matter in the SW field?

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In general, I think ranking doesn't matter much at all if you want to do clinical. Insurance companies pay the same, no matter where you went. On the other hand, I think the lay prestige of the school overall is far more important to macro students, probably more so than the ranking of the social work program itself. (I have concerns, for example, about whether Case Western is known well enough in policy spaces, even though it's a top 10 in social work.) Also, less highly ranked schools may not have significant coursework in policy and you may not have classmates interested in that either.

 

Ranking I think also matters much more if you want a PhD in the field and you may benefit from attending a program that has a doctoral program for your MSW. One of the great things about UNC is how affordable it is instate. I knew a clinical social worker in the middle of nowhere NC who went to Columbia and she wasn't making anymore money than those who went to not nearly as impressive schools.

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I had a 3.5 gpa (finished undergrad at UNC) and pretty bad writing and math GRE scores, so I don't think you should worry too much about that! I do have 4 years of social service experience since graduating college, which I am thinking is what got me in. Does anyone have any idea how much reputation and ranking really matter in the SW field?

oooh that makes me feel better! i have social work experience in multiple internships I've had throughout the years in college, so I'm hoping that'll work?

 

I think ranking does matter to an extent. Like, what TheCrow said, if you want to get your PhD, then ranking matters. I want to to policy, so I think in this case, it matters as well. I got into NYU last month, and that is, excuse me, but hella expensive. So I'm really hoping for another acceptance letter.

Edited by riyadiya
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In general, I think ranking doesn't matter much at all if you want to do clinical. Insurance companies pay the same, no matter where you went. On the other hand, I think the lay prestige of the school overall is far more important to macro students, probably more so than the ranking of the social work program itself. (I have concerns, for example, about whether Case Western is known well enough in policy spaces, even though it's a top 10 in social work.) Also, less highly ranked schools may not have significant coursework in policy and you may not have classmates interested in that either.

 

Ranking I think also matters much more if you want a PhD in the field and you may benefit from attending a program that has a doctoral program for your MSW. One of the great things about UNC is how affordable it is instate. I knew a clinical social worker in the middle of nowhere NC who went to Columbia and she wasn't making anymore money than those who went to not nearly as impressive schools.

 

Thanks everyone! I am interested in the Clinical route, so it is interesting to hear that ranking probably doesn't matter (which is kind of what I guessed)

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For those of you that got in:

 

Did you all receive any other emails/letters BEFORE you received your acceptance letter? Like I received many from NYU stating "Thanks for applying!" and "Check out these amazing opportunities!" "Email us if you have any questions!"

 

Unfortuantely, for UNC the line is...well, quiet. So I was just wondering if this is normal or if I'm about to get a no soon and I should prepare myself for it.

 

Thank you again!

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Nope. Just one e-mail that says "Your admissions decision is ready. Click here to view." I haven't even been able to get anyone at the School of Social Work to pick up their phones to answer some questions. On the other hand, I am really annoyed to keep getting promotion "APPLY!" and "LOOK HOW WONDERFUL OUR PROGRAM IS!" spam via e-mail and snail mail from USC and Michigan. I'm like, I applied three months ago. You know that. Stop spamming me and give me a decision.

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Nope. Just one e-mail that says "Your admissions decision is ready. Click here to view." I haven't even been able to get anyone at the School of Social Work to pick up their phones to answer some questions. On the other hand, I am really annoyed to keep getting promotion "APPLY!" and "LOOK HOW WONDERFUL OUR PROGRAM IS!" spam via e-mail and snail mail from USC and Michigan. I'm like, I applied three months ago. You know that. Stop spamming me and give me a decision.

Okay, good!!! Congrats, again. 

 

yes, RIGHT THO, NYU IS DOING THE SAME TO ME. I'm like bruh I already got accepted haha. good luck to all your other choices!

Edited by riyadiya
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