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louise86

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  1. Downvote
    louise86 got a reaction from doctormelody in Lower ranking MSW program gave me less financial aid, but didn't tell me what my aid package would be until it was too late   
    It didn't really backfire, though. The higher ranking schools ended up costing less so they were more affordable. For the record, you could have paid the fee to reserve your seat at one of the other schools until you heard from the state school.
    Anyways, what do you want to do with an MSW? What kind of job do you have now? In what ways will the MSW give you a wider range of job opportunities?
     
     
  2. Downvote
    louise86 reacted to doctormelody in don't come to Pitt   
    If you have a problem with me, state it. Otherwise, I have more important things to do with my time than get in a flame war with a stranger who has no experience with social work on Grad Café, of all places.
    As for this sarcastic and unhelpful comment, suffice it to say that these concerns have been raised with the administration many times and that the response has been less than ideal. I do not feel comfortable saying more here, but if folks who are thinking of applying to Pitt have questions, please feel free to private message me. I’m also fine with continuing this discussion here, just not with you as you have contributed nothing of value thus far.
  3. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to Sigaba in don't come to Pitt   
    Your recommendation that I stay in my lane is both telling and ill considered. My recommendation that readers consider your other posts is not centered around Pitt, nor SW. At no time do I claim to have knowledge of either. For you to imply that I am writing from that perspective suggests that your attention to detail is lacking.
    My recommendation is simply that readers consider your "guidance" within the context of your conduct on this BB. Based upon your posts, readers can decide for themselves if you're attempting to urge aspiring graduate students to look before they leap or offering guidance on how to do their due diligence or if you're grinding an ax and settling scores. 
    Had you shared information on how you've diligently addressed your concerns with the program face to face with professors, staff, and administration at Pitt, which you doubtlessly have done many times, I would find your assertion that you're trying to help less controversial. 
     
     
  4. Downvote
    louise86 reacted to doctormelody in don't come to Pitt   
    I can’t speak to this as I am a master’s student.
    With respect, I don’t know what your point is. Is my opinion less valid because I have been uncertain about my career path in the past? I definitely think that people should do their own research and I can acknowledge that I was quite upset when I wrote this. However, I can support each of the claims that I made here if folks are interested.
    My only aim in writing this was to help other students. I never would have considered Pitt if not for grad cafe, so it was important to me to reach other potential out-of-state students who might not have anyone they can talk to who has firsthand experience of the program. 
    If you had done a little more digging in my post history, you would have seen that I was accepted to Columbia’s MSW program in 2018. I have a friend who attended that program, and while I don’t think they would say it was perfect, these broad systemic issues were simply not present. Am I, on some level, bitter that I turned down an Ivy League school to attend an overpriced store-brand institution? Sure.
    If an adult reads my post and decides not to apply to Pitt solely based on the words of a stranger from the Internet, I’m sorry, but that’s not my problem. I simply wanted to provide another perspective so that students can make an informed decision. Judging by your post history you are neither studying social work nor working in the field, so again, with respect - maybe just stay in your lane.
     
     
     
  5. Downvote
    louise86 reacted to doctormelody in don't come to Pitt   
    I'm a current student and open to any and all questions. But seriously, if you're thinking of applying to Pitt, I would recommend that you not waste your time.
  6. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to Sigaba in don't come to Pitt   
    Before investing in the guidance offered by a graduate student dissatisfied with a program, consider the benefit of taking a look at previous posts to develop context. 
    IME, first and second year graduate students who spend a lot of time praising or bashing their programs are not always the most reliable sources for information about the program they're attending. 

    The purpose of this post is not to invalidate the OP's experiences or feelings. The purpose of this post is to suggest that those looking to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives should do their due diligence before accepting (or rejecting) strongly held opinions that are offered as absolute fact from an insider.
  7. Like
    louise86 got a reaction from doctormelody in Reapplying to Graduate School after rejection - Is it worth it?   
    Apply again. They will give you a fair shot and will likely be impressed with the work you've done to strengthen your application.
     
  8. Like
    louise86 got a reaction from PsychedOnCaffeine in MSW vs. MFT vs. MHC   
    My advice would be to look at the curriculum of programs you are interested in to better understand the differences in degrees. The MSW is very social and economic justice oriented. I encourage you to read the NASW Code of Ethics and browse around the website.
    In general an MHC or MFT is going to narrow your career focus and options. You will be trained to provide therapy. An MSW will train you in therapy, community organizing, advanced case management, policy, leadership, etc. The MSW is more broad because social workers work in many different types of organizations and in many different roles. That is why the degree is considered more flexible. You can be a therapist, you can be a case manager, you can work in policy, you can work in program development, you can work in advocacy... the possibilities are vast. You can work in nonprofits, government agencies, hospitals, private companies, managed care organizations, private practice, etc. 
    If you start out as a therapist and decide that's not for you or 5, 10, 15+ years from now want to do something else, you can transition more easily with an MSW in my opinion.
    I started out as an outpatient therapist in community mental health then transitioned to medical social work, which is more on the case management side. In my experience MSWs are the ones typically promoted into leadership and management roles. 
    There are fewer LMFTs and LPCs so it can be more difficult  to find supervision. You will want to research the area you plan to live and practice in to assess how difficult this may be. 
    I'm not sure if this has changed, but years ago LCSWs were the only ones that could bill Medicare and therefore are preferred by a lot of agencies. This may have changed so that's something to look into and consider.
    I would also encourage you to look into licensing requirements for the state you want to live in to gain insight into what will be expected of you for an independent license. If you plan to move around, LCSW requirements vary widely from state-to-state, whereas LPC is more transferable (pretty sure I'm remembering correctly, but double check this). I'm unsure how the LMFT transfers. 
    Hopefully this has provided some helpful information.
     
  9. Like
    louise86 reacted to Neep in ONLINE MSW Programs   
    I fully agree with this. As long as the program is CSWE-Accreditted, i would go for cost. Licensing is pretty standard across most states. 

    Also, I started West Virginia University this week and so far I love it! We utilize cameras and i have even gotten invited to attend events in person (if i want) or via live camera. The classes are not usually a set time, so it is flexible. But it has been great actually seeing my classmates. I feel, so far, that the program in person is highly similar to online. In fact the same profs teach it and they use the same exact curriculum. Using Zoom has made the experience seem so in reality and not just online. I can't say enough good things, but you really need to do your research. I think with you already having a masters degree, I would highly suggest finding a much more affordable school to go to. No one really cares about the name when it comes to an MSW, they care about the accreditation. Likewise, paying more than necessary isn't going to help you out much. 
  10. Like
    louise86 reacted to TheCrow in Research-intensive MSW programs?   
    What are your goals after your MSW? I was in the same boat. I went to UChicago, push hard to get out of the required research courses (such I could take more advanced courses in other parts of the university). Ultimately, I just didn't find that there was enough time in the day to do research, and there was basically only one available field placement that was real research. Honestly, I'm not sure that the PhD in social work is rigorous enough for real research in many cases. I published and got a research grant while in my MSW program, but only by working solely with faculty outside of social work.
    One recommendation I would have, as you think about your goals, is to separate what credentials you need from what skills you need. As a credential, UChicago is great and so is Columbia (which you can do online). Neither master's program is likely to teach you much about research, but you can also push for that training outside of the formal curriculum. 
    If you do not need licensure in social work, it may also be prudent to consider other options. I think UPenn's social work school offers a non-MSW master's in social policy. 
    I see you are in Ohio. I would make sure to also look at Case Western, since they seem to have more funding than many other schools and more research opportunities than many other programs. Another consideration is, again, your goals. A degree from a lot of top name schools can be very expensive, and may not be worth it if you're not interested to moving to somewhere like Chicago or DC.
     
  11. Like
    louise86 reacted to briefinterviews in Attend UC Berkeley or CSULB for MSW?   
    While this is true, you also have to consider that the cost of living in California is also high. Over half of California renters are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs; this gets worse in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles.  I wouldn't equate a higher income to making the price tag more doable, especially if you have other loans or debts.
  12. Upvote
    louise86 got a reaction from phillips6540 in U of Louisville and U of Tennessee-Knoxville   
    I'm attending the University of Tennessee. I'm graduating from the online MSSW program in May. Overall I would say the program is good. You take the same classes and have the same professors as students at the Nashville campus, not the Knoxville campus. You do the same assignments, but you do online discussion boards instead of going to class. Most classes have a few live online sessions a semester. The website claims you have to go to campus once a semester, but you don't.
    My field placements have been good and I'm in the same agencies as the on campus Knoxville students because I live in the Knoxville area. I'm not worried about employment. No one has questioned my doing my degree online (I'm sure the fact the school has a B&M helps).
    I graduated a Tennessee university with a decent GPA. I did pretty well on the GRE although my quantitative was a little low. I'm a Tennessee resident. I had about 2 years of social work experience after undergrad.
     
     
  13. Upvote
    louise86 got a reaction from phillips6540 in University of Tennessee   
    Applications are sent to Knoxville, but the distance education program is actually through the Nashville campus. The distance education program has the same staff and professors as the Nashville campus and that is where you graduate although you can request to graduate in Knoxville instead.
  14. Upvote
    louise86 got a reaction from BackToSchool17 in Is it worth applying with an extremely low GPA?   
    I don't know where, but I think that you could maybe get into a program if you address the low GPA in your statement. So it's about saying "hey, I'm aware of this shortcoming" but then "let me tell you how I resolved the issue(s) that caused it and why it won't be an issue in the future." Also, if your grades improved that last semester you can use that as an example of ability to succeed academically once the Bipolar was addressed.
     
  15. Upvote
    louise86 got a reaction from stheart in Any tips for a junior applying to start an MSW in Summer/Fall 2019?   
    You'll be fine. Most MSW programs are not super competitive. Having said that, CA schools probably are more competitive than most simply based on population and availability. Look to see which schools may favor in-state students and those which are out-of-state friendly. I think it's better to attend a program in a state you want to live in simply because of the connections you make during field placements. My biggest advice, and I cannot stress this enough, is do not spend a lot of money on an MSW especially if you are taking out loans for it.
  16. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to TheCrow in Merit Aid for MSW Programs   
    FAFSA is for government aid. Generally speaking, there is no grant-based need/scholarships from the government for graduate school.
    I would think about your professional goals. 55k/year is more than most social workers make. By returning for a full-time program, you're not likely to end the program with a job that pays substantially more. Also, not only do you have to pay for the MSW program, but you're actually giving up 110k+ in wages you could be making, experience you could be gaining, not to mention retirement contributions/social security contributions.
    I think some of the schools that give the most merit aid are Case Western, UChicago, UMich, and WUSTL.
    If your current job will work with your on field placements, I would consider looking at USC or Columbia's online MSWs. Even with paying tuition to these programs, the total "cost" to you (including the $110k you could have made, health insurance would have to pay in a full-time program) is probably less than even getting a full-ride to a full-time program.
     
  17. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to Sigaba in Is it worth applying with an extremely low GPA?   
    Make full use of the competitive advantages that come from attending an Ivy. If your Ivy has a school of social work, consider reaching out to administrators and faculty members to discuss your concerns and ask for guidance. Listen with a keen ear. Someone may say without saying "If you apply here, you may have a shot."
    See if your alumni association has resources that will help you identify MSW programs that have other alumni as students and instructors. If such resources are not available, start looking at faculty and current student rosters to see how well  your school is represented. 
    In the event you get any kind of push back for exercising any kind of "elitist privilege," look your critic in the eye and point out that you earned what ever benefits you receive from the educational path that you have walked. 
  18. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to _kita in Is it worth applying with an extremely low GPA?   
    You can also discuss what you learned about yourself, and systemic problems you want to professionally address, as you went through the mental health system - how you learn, barriers to recognizing and getting appropriate help, etc. That can actually be a powerful personal story that shows a lot of appealing traits to the adcom.
  19. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to alisham in Is it worth applying with an extremely low GPA?   
    I agree with Louise to bring it up in your statement.  However, I would not overly focus on it.  I knew someone who dug herself into a hole by over-addressing it and basically mentioning that she had a low GPA because she couldn't keep up with a full-time undergrad course load, while she was applying for a full-time Masters, which tends to be more academically rigorous.  So, bring it up, briefly address it, and then move on.
    But I think you have a shot.  Someone in one of my classes mentioned that she was on provisional status this semester (our first semester) because she had a low GPA.  In order to remain in the program, she has to have a 3.0 GPA by the end of the semester.  So, schools definitely don't just look at your GPA and a low one wouldn't automatically disqualify you.
  20. Upvote
    louise86 got a reaction from Msw9993 in Is it worth applying with an extremely low GPA?   
    I don't know where, but I think that you could maybe get into a program if you address the low GPA in your statement. So it's about saying "hey, I'm aware of this shortcoming" but then "let me tell you how I resolved the issue(s) that caused it and why it won't be an issue in the future." Also, if your grades improved that last semester you can use that as an example of ability to succeed academically once the Bipolar was addressed.
     
  21. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to cowgirlsdontcry in Liberty University Masters in History   
    I have stated earlier in this thread that public universities all over this country have many different types of online degrees (both undergrad and master's level) and do not differentiate somewhere on their diplomas that the degree was obtained by online classes. My MA was about 1/3 person-to-person and 2/3 online. Because I lived in the area, I was funded as a GTA and received good training. I'm not fond of on-line classes, because I learn better in a person-to-person class. However, I wrote a great deal more in the online classes because of discussion boards. As a result, there is give and take. I am in the first semester of a PhD program and no one has ever questioned the legitimacy of my MA. I contribute as much to seminar discussions as anyone else and I am as widely read (if not more so). I had excellent GRE scores. Education is all about the person and what they are prepared to do. I have attended three universities now, two very large state institutions and one small state institution, two of which are accredited by SACSCG and one by NEASC. I found similarities between the professors at all three universities. Each has various online degrees. JKL you are correct about the pretentious smirks from universities; yet, I find it ironic that while such adcoms are smirking away, their own universities are handing out degrees to online students by the dozen, if not hundreds.
  22. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to Bumblebea in Liberty University Masters in History   
    I don't think anyone here is worried about YOUR beliefs and whether they'll hold firm throughout a PhD program. We're more reacting to your suitability for graduate work in history. If you dismiss scholars in the same way you've dismissed them here--because an author has an Arabic name--then doing critical historical research might not be a good fit for you. 
    And though you might want to avoid the debate over Liberty's politics right now in this forum, you won't be able to escape the question when you apply for a PhD program. I can guarantee you that, as others have pointed out here, many of the professors on an application committee *will* care where you went to school and may indeed be turned off by a degree from a university such as Liberty. Especially if it produces scholars who dismiss wholesale the authors of historical research solely on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religion, or gender ... or "whatever." 
  23. Upvote
    louise86 reacted to Sigaba in Liberty University Masters in History   
    Unfortunately, aspiring graduate students in history do not get to determine what is and isn't off limits when talking about the craft of history, where it is learned, or how it is taught.
    It is equally unfortunate that over the past sixty years or so, it's become the received wisdom of the profession that contemporaneous ideological and political views are intertwined with, if not inseparable from, the way institutions and individuals practice the craft. 
    So, to answer your question, you might benefit from a masters program that challenges your views. When it's time to apply to a doctoral program, you're going to be competing against applicants who have the demonstrated ability to step outside their comfort zones, don't ask questions so they'll only get answers they want to hear, and have the situational awareness not to take a dismissive tone when addressing emotionally charged issues of the time.
  24. Like
    louise86 reacted to UrbanMidwest in Did you enjoy grad school?   
    Yes and no.
     
    Pros:
    All but two of my professors have real world experience in my field. The best one has been a law professor.
    All of my professors have been somewhat likeable.
    Most of my classmates have been nice, not to mention unintentionally funny when speaking about the horrid practices they've faced when working.
    I've gained something from all of my classes that I can use once in the field.
    Knowing you'll graduate from a respective program let alone university.
    The great college athletics and university vibe.
    Cons:
    There's cognitive dissonance at times, as if my professors live in a bubble. I can expand on this but not here. PM if you want to learn more.
    In all but one class so far the professor has said something highly questionable on sensitive/controversial topics. One time it took me 30 seconds to come with information that successfully countered a statement my professor said (just brute facts I came up with); another time when I brought up counterpoints for a controversial topic the same professor basically went all "Well it's all still up in the air! Oh, look at the time! Class dismissed!"
    Classroom discussions. If you rock the boat you'll be "that person."
    A couple of professors just don't respond to emails.
    Some of my classmates aren't welcoming -- at all. For example there are those that will avoid you because they perceive you as inferior in terms of work experience. This avoidance spreads to group discussions and peer assessments.
    Emails from the president and chancellor emphasizing inclusiveness and the strength of diversity. I hope they're getting paid by the letter.
    The debt.
     
     
  25. Downvote
    louise86 reacted to rphilos in sexual harassment?   
    orange turtle - Thanks for context. That is worse than what you originally described. It seems like he's guilty of propositioning you in a crude and inappropriate way. Is it possible that he's on the autistic spectrum or otherwise impaired at reading social situations? Still, so far he's only made one unambiguous advance, and you told him no. If he does something similar again, then I think it would count as "persistent" unwanted advances and it would be bona fide sexual harassment. Maybe you could tell his wife what happened...I'm sure she would make sure it doesn't happen again.
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