MSWGirl2013

I haven't heard anything, but I think the email I received when I accepted my wait list position said that they would review our applications again in mid-April. I'm thinking they have an April 15th decision deadline, so I'm guessing sometime after that. I don't honestly expect to hear anything until the very end of April, early May.

I would definitely check. And I would also say that just because you may not be able to get an assistantship, doesn't mean that there still wouldn't be opportunities for you. So, you'd want to find out what opportunites they would be able to offer you. : )

I applied to four schools in late December/early January. I've heard from two and haven't heard from two. Of the two I haven't heard from (UW-Madison and UIC), I cannot seem to get any solid answers from them in regards to when I should expect a decision. I've been told March 15th, end of the month, maybe next month, etc. I've already requested and been granted an extension on my financial commitment through April 15th of the school I have been accepted to, so I guess I would just ask you guys - is it normal to still have not heard anything from a program (in particular, these two programs)? What steps can I take, at this point, to get some answers (if any)? Lastly, how long would you wait for a school to make a decision? Thanks for any help you can offer.

I have no idea. I'm almost wondering, just based off the wording in the letter I received, if everyone is placed on the wait list and formal rejections are issued after they make wait list selections in the spring. Maybe someone who knows more about this could confirm or deny that? Additionally, I don't know how many they take off the wait list. I would say, given the prestige of the school and the high cost of tuition, probably 50% of those accepted don't accept their admission for various reasons, but that is strictly me guessing and there is no factual evidence that would support that guess.

There are very few schools that are accredited to offer an ABA/ABS degree. I would check out the accreditation of the program and proceed with extreme caution.

When I selected which schools to apply to, I looked at professors research interests. However, upon contacting many of the professors at these schools, it seems that research opportunities are generally reserved for PhD students, which means that while I might be able to engage in research with them, it would be on a voluntary basis and likely wouldn't have a significant impact on my education at the institution. That being said, there is a less prestigious school in my area that offers a concentration in my area of interest, which will allow me to sit for my licensing exam upon graduation (for that particular specialization). Otherwise, I will have to take continuing education credits for that specialty, which will ultimately cost more money. So, for me, it makes the most sense to go to the school that will best prepare me for what I want to do, specifically, as opposed to taking out a boat load of loans, only to need more education and more time before I can do what I want to do. Also, being specialized will make me more competitive for jobs in my field. My advice would be to contact the professors you are interested in working with research wise and see what sort of opportunities would be available to you if you accept admission. If you don't think there will be an adequate opportunity, then maybe you should consider the schools who do offer you academic opportunities that will best suit your needs.

I'm looking at taking out about $20,000 a year in loans. While this isn't ideal, and I will definitely apply for any assistantships available to me to help offset the cost of the program, I'm fully prepared to take out the full amount. However, $40K for two years and $80K are drastically different numbers. I don't think I'd be willing to take out loans that are equivalent to the cost of a house. I would apply for a less prestigious program that was more affordable. That's just my take on the situation, you have to do what is best for you and your family. You know your financial situation and debt better than we do and you know what you can/can't afford. Personally, I wouldn't be willing to go into that kind of debt when the expected salary for MSW's isn't that high.

Also, from reading past posts on this forum, it sounds like wait-listed applicants aren't generally offered much funding (around $5,000) and it isn't anticipated to be increased in the second year, so just something else to consider if you're on the wait list and relying on significant funding.

My wait list letter said they would review wait listed candidates who have accepted their wait list position in mid-April. I'm under the impression that they don't have a rank order wait list (i.e. - a candidate says no, the #1 person on the wait list gets an acceptance and so on). Rather, they place everyone who has been wait listed in a "pile" and once they know how many remaining positions they have to fill, they review the wait listed applicants again and offer admission to the most qualified of that bunch. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I honestly wouldn't expect to hear anything until the end of April.

Yes, I got an email that there was a status change, which sent me to the webportal, where there was a letter for me to review that indicated I was wait-listed.

Found out today that I was wait listed at SSA. Does anyone know if they formally reject anyone, or if everyone is just placed on the wait list?

My questions: Most programs I've applied to require a minimum GPA during your last 60 hours, however, less competitive programs might be more willing to look at your individual circumstances, versus just numbers. With that being said, if I were a reviewer (and I've prepared all of my statements based around what someone who knew nothing about my aside from my packet would think), I would be concerned that since you obviously dealt with some tough circumstances and you performed at an average level in undergraduate, your performance wouldn't be "up to par" in graduate school if unforeseen circumstances arose. For instance, you're placed with an agency for your practicum hours and something happens in your personal life that is beyond your control that you need to deal with, how would you plan to balance your academics, practicum and personal life without letting your personal life interfere with the first two objectives? (This is a rhetorical question that you would need to convince a reviewer of without them even asking you). As far as public service goes, I think it would be beneficial to get back into the field you're interested in, but I don't think your recent public service experience will make or break your application, since you have been working while you've been out of school. I would also caution you against making your circumstances seem like an "excuse" for your performance. I would advise you to really formulate strong wording that explains your particular situation, but that allows you to take responsibility for your performance and actions. Like I said, my biggest concern for you would be that you would be able to deal with your personal life and graduate school separately and successfully. If you really believe in yourself and your ability, my thought would be that you could prepare a personal statement that was strong enough to convince others. I would also encourage you to look at less competitive programs, because if your hope is to attend a top school, you are probably less likely to be accepted when there are other candidates with strong credentials. I wish you the best of luck. I know how hard it can be to juggle life and school and I commend your desire to go back after a hiatus. I hope you don't take my comments too harshly, I just wanted to provide you with my two cents on your situation.

Did they give you any financial info in your acceptance? Congrats on getting in! That's really awesome for you!!

I called yesterday and she looked up my application and said I should hear middle of this coming week...maybe Monday. I don't know if it's because my last name ends with a P, because of the date I submitted my app, because of the decision, etc. : /

I know people who have done it, but they've worked for agencies that were able to double as their practicum. Perhaps you could find a weekend practicum or something like that? It would be daunting, to say the least, but it might be your most feasible option.

When I spoke to someone at UIC several weeks ago, I was told that they received over 900 applications! = O Illinois is beautiful! We love it here, but I'm geographically confined, so other parts of the country that I love equally weren't an option, unfortunately. One thought I had is that I had two pieces under consideration for presentation at an international conference at the time that I submitted my applications. Since then, both have been accepted for presentation. I'm thinking the, "I have something to add to my application" approach may be slightly less annoying than the, "I'm checking the status of my application" approach. Thoughts?

I completed my application January 11th. My transcripts were "verified - correct" as of February 9th and I still haven't heard anything...should I be getting concerned/putting in a phone call? When I have called and asked about when they'll be making decisions, I've been told "they don't have a target date".

That is helpful, thank you! I actually spoke with someone at UW today and they told me they haven't finished reviewing all the applications and while decisions were hopefully going to be made by tomorrow, they're now aiming for the end of the month. I have not heard either way, and she said they do send rejection letters.

Hey! For those of you who have applied for regular admission (Jan. 15th deadline for a decision by March 15th), have any of you received a response (email, status change, postal mail)? Also, does your application still just stay "submitted" on the application page? I guess I was thinking we might have something before tomorrow/Saturday morning, but I'm just especially nervous that my application still just says, "submitted". For those of you who applied early decision, you might be able to weigh in on the online application situation - did yours always just say, "Submitted" until a decision was made?

I haven't heard anything yet. As of this morning, my online status still says, "Submitted". I am thinking (and this is not fact based, at all) that there is a larger pool for the regular decision deadline and that it might be a bit more competitive, since some seats have already been filled with early decision applicants, so I won't be surprised if it takes until the 15th, or even maybe a day or two longer. Good luck to you, though!!

I remember reading somewhere (it may have been on the FAFSA website or a school's website, that if your current income is significantly less than what your tax return shows, you can file an amended FAFSA and possibly be eligible for more aid. That being said, our EFC is "0" and so far, all I've been offered in terms of financial aid at the federal level is the option to take out $20,500 in student loans and it's my understanding that's as good as it's going to get unless a school offers me something more. You can look at taking out private student loans or a graduate plus loan, if that's something you're willing to do. In terms of using another school's package as leverage, I would do that if and only if you are fully willing to walk away from the school who isn't giving you as good a package for the other school in the event that the first school isn't willing or able to match. There are a lot of factors that play in to how much a school is willing to give you and it may simply be that the second school isn't able to give you as much as the first for many reasons (less funding available, lower tuition, more deserving applicants, etc.) Appealing their aid decision isn't necessarily a bad idea, but just be courteous and poised in how you go about doing so.

I'm waiting to hear back from three of the four schools I've applied to (UIC, UC-SSA and UW-Madison). I'm expecting a decision from SSA and Madison within the next two weeks and from UIC by the end of the month.

My suggestion would be to network with people in the area (via telephone or email) who do what you want to do and find out how they were able to get to where they are. It's been my experience that many professionals are willing to share advice with people emerging in the field and are always happy to talk about their experiences when approached. Best of luck to you.

Great! I submitted my final document on Jan. 14th-ish (the financial form), so hopefully I'll be hearing soon! Thanks for the info!

I am a hopeful applicant to SSA and don't know their decision regarding my application status. However, I can tell you that I have a strong GPA (3.9) and significant clinically related research experience and customer service-related employment experience. One thing I wish I had done, that I think might hurt my application, is have social work related experience. I would recommend working, volunteering or doing an internship to gain social work related experience over the coming months before you apply. Good luck!!!