Kristopher

Others have addressed it and seem to have success, but as a current student doing the "traditional" route, I find the in-person experience of practicing interviewing strategies and having in-class discussion to be invaluable. I can see schools which utilize a Skype method like North Dakota being an acceptable substitute, but I think there is something lost when just interacting on message boards. I think if the school is good at assisting you in finding a good placement you will be ok, since field is where you can refine your skills.

I am unsure as to why you think you will be at risk because the people you are transporting having mental illness. It seems your biases about this population are overshadowing what social work is. Safety is certainly important, but severe mental illness does not mean more danger than other populations. Your assumption that because they are ill means they are violent is unfounded.

You're absolutely right. There needs to be overall institutional change to the way loans are given. Schools can charge a lot for tuition because they know students can usually get loans to cover it. There needs to be better oversight to prevent this artificial inflation.

Perhaps the problem isn't with the cap, perhaps it's students borrowing too much, going to schools they can't afford, schools charging too much tuition, inadequate funding for organizations that employ social workers (thus affecting salary), or students not having proper expectations for salary after graduation. Even a cap of $57,500 is very generous and unique to this field. If you are able to save that much but still have a ton of debt AFTER 10 years of payments, perhaps your financial choices weren't the best. It's not wise to make huge financial decisions hoping that in 10 years the balance will go away. I think the cap is a good thing, it will maybe encourage students to make wiser decisions.

No ranked schools? Ohio State is ranked 26th in the country, and is also the oldest Social Work program in the US. I attend it and love the program. Also, ranking matters very little. Chances are you are going to practice in the area you go to school in since you will be licensed in that state and would hopefully have networked during your time at school. Cincinnati, Toledo, OSU, and Youngstown State are all public schools that offer an MSW in Ohio. The only people who care about rankings are schools and applicants. Do you think someone at HR with an organization really cares that Ohio State is ranked lower than let's say Fordham? They care about what skills you have developed while at internship. If prestige really matters to you, I would bet that Ohio State's name alone is more prestigious than Smith or Fordham simply because it's well known beyond just an academic level. I think it's silly to choose a school based on ranking when you could end up paying over $40k a year in student loans for an education that may not even pay that much following graduation.

MSW programs, like many graduate programs, attract a broad range of people. Other than being predominately female, there is no specific age or experience.

Field placements and schools will have ways to make up for lost hours, that isn't a worry. Depending on your type of placement a car may be absolutely necessary to get to different homes, facilities etc. Is car insurance that expensive in California? I live in Ohio and pay about $100/month for 2 cars.

Please don't let such an important life decision come down to a poll, traffic, and weather.

Prestige matters little in the field of social work. No one will go "ohhh you went to Penn". They really only care about your experience in the field. Pick the school that offers the course content you want, and is in your price range.

I don't think you understand. Lola probably can't do advanced standing because they don't have a BSW. Advanced standing is only for BSWs and allows them to complete an MSW program in one year full-time.

Just be honest. As long as you recognize how to improve it and discuss what you have been doing to improve on the weakness, that will be appreciated. Don't try to bullshit it and come up with something that really isn't a weakness.

I just started the MSW program at Ohio State this fall. Here were my stats: 3.04 overall GPA, BA in Psych, no direct experience in social work type fields (only retail sales experience), and I didn't take the GREs. I'm in classes with history majors and spanish majors. I know Ohio State has a very handy to-do list on their site for applying. You need to send a copy to the graduate office and one to the MSW program office. I had strong letters of recommendations (1 professor, 2 work supervisors), and I addressed in my personal statement how my life and sales experience could help me in SW (I'm interested specifically in clinical). Ohio State's program is ranked 26th in the nation according to US News and World Report, and is the oldest active social work program in the country. I considered my school stats to be very average, but I had evidence of my successes and skills in my letters and statement. For what it is worth I got all my application materials in on March 1st the deadline, and heard back April 1. They do rolling admissions, so get everything in and get a decision quickly. Feel free if you have any questions specifically for Ohio State. You'll find most discussions on this board focus on the top ranked programs. I was surprised at how little Ohio State was discussed.

While there are "less" classes, the workload is usually much more intense and demanding, and requires even more independent learning than undergrad. Not to mention the course load in conjunction with field work.

You can search this board because the question has been asked before, but if you are determining whether or not to go to grad school because of the work load, then you probably shouldn't go to grad school. Expect to write and read a lot. If your program doesn't have you doing much of either, then you aren't getting a quality degree.

It really depends on how you "sell" your skills and how well your recommendation letters sell your skills too. I applied to Ohio State with no direct "relevant experience". I have experience only in customer service/sales. But in my personal statement I discussed how a lot of those skills are applicable to clinical social work (field I want to get in to). I think it is important to be able to identify what you want to do with an MSW and link it directly to what you have already done. It shows critical thinking about your skills and future goals, which I am sure means a lot to admissions.

Most MSW programs require the GRE if you have a GPA below 3.0. I graduated with a GPA of 3.04 and didn't take it and I got in to Ohio State. So I would say if they don't require it, don't bother. Too much work and stress.

I should have clarified. That is for one year. So in total the program will cost me $24,400 in tuition.

Wow. That's incredibly pricey for in-state tuition. Ohio State's will cost me $12,200 and I thought that was on the more expensive side.

Thanks for your advice, socialworkphd. I'm really excited to actually apply knowledge and critically think. You are right, undergrad is really "who can memorize the best", it's going to be fun to actually use the skills and knowledge in the field and work through projects with others.

I too would love to hear some input. Now that application season for Fall 2013 is pretty much over I'd like to hear some information about actual experiences rather than apps. I will be attending Ohio State this fall for their full-time 2 year program. We are required to take 4 classes: 1) Social and Economic Justice: Foundation knowledge related to social justice in the context of social welfare in advancing human rights of all people. 2) Social Work Perspectives: on Development and Behavior Across the Lifespan: Examine individual and contextual development processes across the lifespan in order to understand how human behavior is impacted by risk and protective developmental factors. 3) Engaging with Evidence: Students develop knowledge, values and skills about evidence to inform practice and prepare to analyze evidence at all levels of practice. 4) Engaging and Entering the Profession: Introduces students to the knowledge, skills and values needed to prepare for and engage in social work with vulnerable and oppressed populations. We also have to do field work. Unlike the rest of the program, field work begins 8 weeks into the semester, rather than right away. It is only for 16 hours a week, then in following semesters it is 24 hours a week. I'm very happy that they jump right in with field work, rather than waiting until the next semester to start. I'm still unsure about what to expect class wise. Group work? Lots of writing? I'd love input.

The Ohio State University. Focus on Mental Health and Substance Abuse and School Social Work certification.

I can't speak to Hunter's or U of Mich. credentials, but I applied to only one graduate school, Ohio State. Here are my credentials: 3.04 undergrad GPA (Bachelors in Psych.) Experience only in sales and customer service I have zero experience in direct human services, but in my personal statement I discussed similar traits required for sales that are required in social work (I'm interested in the clinical area). I also had 3 really strong letters of recommendation. 1 was from a professor, 1 was from a work supervisor, another was from an old supervisor of mine from Best Buy who is now a practicing PsyD. With that said, I got into Ohio State. Admissions looks at a lot of variables. What you lack, or think you lack (you may not have experience in the field, but you may have the same traits required like I do), you can make up for in other areas. As a side note. I see many posts on this board centered around just the "top" schools: Hunter, UMich., USC, NYU, Columbia. Very little about other schools. I'd encourage you to look at alternative schools if you feel like you want a better chance to get in. Picking a "top" school is a silly notion. Is a school ranked #10 all that different from one ranked #20? I doubt it. An MSW is a very versatile and employable degree. I think the connections you make while doing field work and within the University are much more important than the name. I'm not knocking the top schools, they are great. But try and save yourself some stress, and money and look into "lower" tier schools. No one looks at a resume and says "Well this person went to a school US News Ranks number 50, we'd rather go with the one ranked #20."

I rolled the dice and applied to only one school, Ohio State. And I just got the news today that I got in! Any other soon to be OSU students with me?

My application has said "Your application has been sent to the graduate program for academic review." for 3 weeks now. I'm getting antsy!

Anyone know the time frame for hearing anything back from Ohio State? My application has said "Your application has been sent to the graduate program for academic review." since last Thursday? I'm getting anxious! Congrats to everyone who has good news so far!