Fall 2016 Applicants

[RCtheSS]

For now, cost/financial aid is my number one deciding factor. I hope to visit every university that I can since I have never been to the locations I've applied to, so local environment and campus vibe will also play a role in making my decision.

Edited February 10, 2016 by RCtheSS

[morningjunky]

26 minutes ago, sugarandspice said:

Are you guys picking schools based on affordability? Location? Ranking? I think cost will be the biggest factor for me in the end

My decision to enroll at a program are based on two factors: location and price. I prefer to attend a school I can see myself potentially living both short term and long term since fieldwork establishes a set of networks which will help in finding a job after graduation. Secondly, if I decide to pursue the LCSW route, transferring this license to another state can be very difficult and time consuming. 

Price is a huge deciding factor too. Most social workers I know do not make six figures and I don't want to accrue over $100K in debt even with PSLF, IBR and other options available to me. It's important to me to weigh both the financial risks as well as the expected payoff with an MSW. While the private universities I applied for offered me the most funding, it will still cost more for me to attend than an state university. However, I've found tons of funding and scholarships available which will help cover my costs and tuition for my second year.

For those who are still unsure about whether to attend a prestigious, private university or a local, state college, this thread is a good read:

Lastly, this NY Times article is a good snippet on ROI in terms of obtaining a graduate degree. While it was published during the recession when students flocked to graduate schools, in terms of the realm of social work, it still rings relatively true.

The master’s in social work has become “absolutely essential” to advance in the profession, says Jacqueline B. Mondros, dean of Hunter College’s School of Social Work, of the City University of New York. Ninety percent of the members of the National Association of Social Workers, the field’s largest professional organization, have an M.S.W. But the return on investment won’t tempt. For social workers with the advanced degree, the median salary in 2009 was $55,000, according to the group’s research. Social workers with a B.A. earned $15,000 less, while Ph.D.’s added $17,000 to their median pay.

And the investment? Students seeking an M.S.W. borrow an average $35,500; a degree can cost about $20,000 at Hunter or $80,000 at Columbia. By comparison, their M.B.A. counterparts borrow on average $32,000, and more M.S.W. candidates borrow (three-quarters of them; half of M.B.A. students borrow).

The rule of thumb for borrowing, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher offinaid.org, is that debt should never exceed starting salary. Ideally, he adds, it should be half that.

“I’d be the last person to say not to pursue a dream,” Mr. Kantrowitz says. “But do it with your eyes open.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24roi-t.html?pagewanted=all

Edited February 10, 2016 by morningjunky

[Joy418]

Thanks for posting that information, MorningJunky. 

I'm torn in my decision making...

Program-wise, ranking, and location, WUSTL is the best choice for me. But it isn't the best choice financially. I have some hard decisions to make! Hopefully I'll get my pittsburgh scholarship offer and michigan acceptance/rejection soon. I am planning on visiting a few schools during my spring break in March and I think visiting the campus/city will help in my deciding factor. 

[LAT]

On 2/3/2016 at 11:22 AM, BrendonSW said:

@LAT Portland is making me incredibly anxious. It sucks knowing they've made the decision yet you have to wait. I called the PSU grad school on Friday and checked on my application and they said they hadn't received the MSW decisions yet. The wait is killing me. 

Have you heard anything?! I spoke with someone about this and they flat out said, "They are just tryin to buy time". I called PSU yesterday and they said I was still in the applicant pool and it'd probably be within the week?

[BrendonSW]

29 minutes ago, LAT said:

Have you heard anything?! I spoke with someone about this and they flat out said, "They are just tryin to buy time". I called PSU yesterday and they said I was still in the applicant pool and it'd probably be within the week?

I have a friend who received her acceptance letter on Saturday. I know someone else who received their acceptance letter yesterday. I would expect something this week. I have it in my head that I've been rejected or wait-listed, but there's still hope if someone got accepted yesterday. Also, my friend who was accepted Saturday has until February 12 to commit. Crazy. 

[MrsKozee]

Has anyone heard from UCLA?!

[BrendonSW]

@LAT I decided to call PSU and a guy at the graduate school said a decision has been made and I should be receiving an email today or tomorrow. 

[MrsKozee]

@BrendonSW, good luck!!!!!

[RCtheSS]

20 minutes ago, MrsKozee said:

Has anyone heard from UCLA?!

Nope. I check my app status every few days, but at this rate I'm holding out for an early March decision announcement.

[MrsKozee]

@RCtheSS, congrats on the acceptance!! Woohoo!!! 

A couple of years ago, they rolled out this time... Yup! I looked ..... I am stressing like crazy... I have so much work, yet here I am!!! 

Edited February 10, 2016 by MrsKozee
Typo

[RCtheSS]

Thanks! And yeah, same here. I'm meeting with my supervisor later this afternoon to go over a data project, but instead I keep on refreshing my damn email inbox. This entire process has consumed too much of my time over the last six months.

[morlvera]

in terms of decision-making, cost for sure is the biggest concern. I only applied to 1 school, though. If I don't get enough in scholarships for the MSW, I'm still doing the MPH. There's no funding at all for that degree, but I'd at least be able to easily work part-time because I won't be juggling field placements + courses. 

[MrsKozee]

33 minutes ago, RCtheSS said:

Thanks! And yeah, same here. I'm meeting with my supervisor later this afternoon to go over a data project, but instead I keep on refreshing my damn email inbox. This entire process has consumed too much of my time over the last six months.

I'm afraid the second I see someone post they received their acceptance on the mail I am going to have to leave work and go check my mail.... Soooo serious!!! I'm waiting for USC, but I won't hear from them until March for sure! 

[caitmcguire]

3 hours ago, sugarandspice said:

Are you guys picking schools based on affordability? Location? Ranking? I think cost will be the biggest factor for me in the end

I'm feeling very torn right now over this very thing. I was accepted to my top two choice schools and one is much more affordable (in-state tuition, I could live with family) but I feel that the other is a better fit program-wise and is in the state where I want to settle eventually. Unfortunately the better fit school is very expensive and I did not receive much in terms of financial aid. I know that the state school makes more sense financially (especially since it is a very good program) but I am concerned about my networking and job prospects if I am planning to work and live in a completely different state down the line. I'm just not sure if $50k+ of debt is worth it. I have asked the financial aid department at my first choice to re-evaluate my award package in hopes that they might give me more money, but I am not that optimistic. 

[AmandaN]

I'm sending acceptance vibes your way @BrendonSW I hope you hear good things from PSU soon. I have no idea how I'm going to stay sane knowing it might by April before I hear anything. I've definitely entered the rethinking everything I wrote in my SOP and doubting my chances stage at this point, especially since I only applied to PSU's online MSW option. This forum has definitely given me a lot of hope for the future of social work though, you guys are all awesome!

[BrendonSW]

@AmandaN Thanks for the good vibes! I'm doubting myself like crazy. I just feel that I don't have the experience, but we'll see. I hope you get accepted, too! 

[anony2888]

Cost is a big deal to me as well.  I am waiting on all of my state schools, which cost a lot less than WUSTL. I have a number of scenarios that I am considering.  My original goal was to do MSW/MPH.  I have the MPH decision outstanding at WUSTL and am also waiting for Berkeley, but that's a HUGE longshot. If I am admitted to WUSTL for MPH, that's where I will go, unless by some miracle I am admitted to Berkeley's MSW/MPH program. I will choose Berkeley in that case. 

If I finish this cycle with MSW-only admits, I will go with the cheapest option, providing I have options.  If WUSTL turns out to be my only admit, I won't be going to school in the fall. I am really into what they do and what they can offer me, but not for that price tag.  They admit 86% of those who apply and it's because their yield is so low. 

I am really glad someone posted a link to the thread with the professor's insights. In addition to all the great advice it contains, it links to a blog that lists the admit rates of the programs. They are a bit old now, but definitely worth a look.

[kargigogo]

Cost is a really big issue for me as well, like most of us. I applied to two programs - one that seems to be so perfect and really fits the exact niche I'm looking to hit (Maryland), and one that sounds great but isn't as specific to my weird interests/passions (Pitt) but would still be somewhat related. I'm waiting to hear back from Pitt about scholarships - I'm hopeful that with a solid GPA and a strong background in national service that it could work out okay for me (fingers crossed!), but I have to make a decision before the end of the month for Maryland and I likely won't have all the financial information for them because I've applied to a couple fellowships that probably won't let me know until after that. It's totally stressing me out - after spending the last two years making so little in Peace Corps it's hard to imagine taking out huge loans for school. I hate having to make a decision without all the information, but of course I am thankful to have been accepted to both programs. Location to me is important as well, and I took that into consideration and only applied to schools that were in cities I'd enjoy living in and would work for me. Baltimore/DC is where I'd like to end up, so that would be super nice to start making connections to the area. Ranking to me doesn't matter as much, I feel like your education is what you make of it and I doubt people look at a resume and then look up school rankings.

[LAT]

23 hours ago, BrendonSW said:

@LAT I decided to call PSU and a guy at the graduate school said a decision has been made and I should be receiving an email today or tomorrow. 

Holy !!! I wish I could hear... ANYTHING! I have been..dying.

[BrendonSW]

5 minutes ago, LAT said:

Holy !!! I wish I could hear... ANYTHING! I have been..dying.

Same here! I haven't heard anything yet. I'm almost positive I'll be rejected or wait-listed, though, considering I'm 22 and lack SW experience. Boo. Good luck, though! 

[LAT]

Just now, BrendonSW said:

Same here! I haven't heard anything yet. I'm almost positive I'll be rejected or wait-listed, though, considering I'm 22 and lack SW experience. Boo. Good luck, though! 

I'm sure you'll be great! If you're doing advanced standing, it may not matter as much since you're young. I just turned 26 and I studied Communication Disorders and ASL interpreting. I currently work as an employment consultant/caregiver. I'm not sure... I feel like I am probably going to be rejected. Especially since they keep their calls so vague with me

[BrendonSW]

1 minute ago, LAT said:

I'm sure you'll be great! If you're doing advanced standing, it may not matter as much since you're young. I just turned 26 and I studied Communication Disorders and ASL interpreting. I currently work as an employment consultant/caregiver. I'm not sure... I feel like I am probably going to be rejected. Especially since they keep their calls so vague with me

They value experience at PSU. That's what everyone's told me, at least. I think you have a great shot at getting in. You have valuable experience. I called once last week and yesterday (ridiculous, I know) and they're very vague. "We're sending out MSW notifications now, you'll get your decision soon." 

One person looked up my application and said "you'll receive a decision by tomorrow." Who knows. 

[MrsKozee]

UCLA!!!!!!!!!!! I practically attacked the us postal service woman today!!!! I asked her to look again in her bag for my acceptance letter!!!

[anony2888]

I did my usual evening round of status checks on SDSU, Berkeley, and UCLA's websites.  A whole bunch of nothing! I applied at the deadline for all of them, so I'm not really going to get worked up about them until March 1. 

[RCtheSS]

I think UCLA is only going to alert us via email or their website. Their MPP program (also within the Luskin School) told me that they don't plan to send a physical copy of the acceptance letter.