MSWGirl2013

Hey! Can I ask when you applied to UIC?

Hey! I see it says you've been accepted to "Madison". Is that UW-Madison? If so, can you tell me when you applied, when you heard and how you found out (snail mail, email, status change on the website)? Thanks!

I have no idea. I assumed around 100, but I honestly don't know. Someone told me UC-SSA only accepts 25, but I'm starting to think that was an incorrect figure, too. I don't think UIC is nearly as competitive as UC-SSA.

When I spoke to someone in their office, they said they hoped to have decisions made by March 31st (for the Jan. 15th deadline). However, they also told me they were having difficulty getting attachments to open for some of their applicants (mine all opened fine, she checked them while I was on the phone), so you may want to call on the premise that you're confirming they received everything. Finally, she also stated they had roughly 900 applicants this year, so "they're trying to wade through all those applications".

I'm a mom to three boys, 7, 5 and 2. I have been enrolled in an undergraduate program full time (taking 18 hours this semester) since my youngest was 4 months old. My husband has consistently worked 50+ hours a week. In addition, I am actively involved in student organizations and am a lead experimenter on a longitudinal research project. There are days that I see my kids for 20 minutes before I leave in the morning. My husband works for his family, so we are blessed in that he can have some job flexibility, which has required him to go to work later this semester so he can drop the boys off at school. We also have very supportive parents who help with the kids when we can't make our schedules work for something and we have a nanny who keeps our two year old. Without being able to have the flexibility in his schedule, a reliable child care provider and a supportive extended family, I would not have been able to successfully complete undergraduate, much less be able to consider a full time MSW program. If you feel confident in your support system and have flexibility and reliability, I would say a program is definitely do-able. However, bear in mind that you will likely be assigned a course schedule and internships that may not work within your traditional schedule, so you need to be certain that you can make arrangements that will allow you to meet the demands of the program. Best of luck to you! I commend you!

My recommendation would be to get a BSW then proceed with your MSW plans. Taking a GRE prep course would be beneficial if you went the LCPC route, but considering you've been out of academia so long, I'm concerned that you might struggle with the GRE. I'm presently in academia and found trouble recalling things I've learned within the past 5 years, but don't use regularly (mostly for the math portion). However, with that being said, when other candidates have really strong letters of recommendations from professors they've worked closely with in varying capacities for an extended period of time, the recommendation a prep course administrator could offer you wouldn't be very strong. The same would apply for a professor that you simply took a class with once. I had recommendations from one professor that I've studied with twice, my clinical psychology faculty mentor whom I've worked closely with for over a year and a former employer, whom I worked with for two years. By engaging in a BSW program, you would be able to foster relationships with faculty that would allow you them to write strong letters of recommendation. Best of luck in whatever you decide! Also, look at programs you're interested in and contact them for advice. While right now you may not be competitive for more prestigious programs, you may still be highly competitive for programs that offer quality education and training, but aren't in the top tier.

Has anyone heard from UIC, University of Chicago or University of Wisconsin-Madison?

Hi! I'm new here, but after trolling every possible lead, I stumbled upon this site and thought you guys would be the best to ask... I have applied to M.S.W. programs at University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Wisconsin - Madison and Aurora University. I've applied for the Fall 2013 cohort. Has anyone applied to these schools, same track and cohort and heard anything yet, or do you have any idea when we can expect to hear? I'm just really ready for a decision (though I know we all are, and I can appreciate how many applications these admissions counselors have to go through). Also, I know UC accepts around 25 students each year. Does anyone know how many UW-Madison and UIC accept?