MaggieDot

@LincolnLover: Wow, thanks so much for the information! I have my interview via Skype tomorrow morning and I am SUPER nervous. Hunter is my top choice school. I just hope I'm articulate and don't let my nerves get the best of me.

@ LincolnLover: How did your Skype interview go? And did they ask for the writing sample immediately after the interview? @asd2t: Good luck, hopefully you'll get an answer soon. In past years, it seems like most people got a response very soon after their interview. If my memory's correct, the writing sample step is new in the admissions process; maybe that's what takes a while to review as well. Anyway, I know the wait to hear back is awful for applicants, hang in there!

@pmelwani: Thanks for the info! It's funny, but these forums do actually help to quell the anxiety that comes with waiting on decisions. Thanks, guys.

@meep15: Oh, I didn't realize that the Skype interviews were also group interviews (thought Skype was 1:1). That information actually makes me feel much, much better. I was nervous to think it would be individual. Thanks for that, and I'm sure your next interview will go well. @pmelwani: Not sure when it'll be available, but I guess I'll just keep checking the website to see when it's become "active." I thought about sending an email, but I'll give it another month if it's not due until May.

Ah, well good luck to you guys! I hope you all get accepted to your top choice programs (for me, it's Hunter). NYU is too expensive for me, but I hear they give generous tuition breaks. If I get accepted to both programs (fingers crossed), it might come down to cost of tuition as an out-of-state student. Why does New York have to be so expensive?

Is NYU supposed to be sending out decisions starting March 1st? I try not to think about it in order to avoid checking my email 40 times a day, haha.

@pmelwani: Do you know when the financial aid forms are due? It seems like they haven't updated them from last year and the link to submit them is "currently inactive." Are we supposed to apply before we find out admissions decisions? @meep15: Well, hopefully the make-up interview will go just as smoothly (content-wise, of course). Did they mostly ask you about your social work experience or were there program-specific questions? Kind of have no idea what to expect. Anyway, good luck!

@meep15: How was your Skype interview (as far as you got)? Do you know if they were still going to have you provide a writing sample that same day?

Haven't heard anything from NYU yet, but hoping we hear something soon! Good luck, everyone!

@JasonCharles: Congrats! I submitted my app late in Jan. Hopefully we all get our responses soon as well. Good luck, everyone!

Well, they're my only choice in the Bay Area. But now I'm feeling like I might not have that option, huh? Haha.

How does everyone feel about the new curriculum? I know CSULB's program has a good reputation, but what makes you want to attend even when a lot of things seem to be up in the air for the '14-'15 year?

Seriously? Twoone, can I ask how you found that out? That would be awful for everyone that applied this year. I know that CSUEB is trying to boost their prestige by being more selective, but that approach seems a little over the top.

And just checked my application status--transcripts now read "received (not official)." Hope that means I get a response soon. Good luck everyone!

Yeah, I received a phone call this afternoon as well. The person said that they manually verify/process applications and transcripts, so they just hadn't gotten to mine yet. My guess is I'll be lower in the stack since I'm not a NY resident. Hope this helps!

Uh oh, reading these last posts made me nervous. I'm calling in the morning--hope I get to talk to someone. Email responses take a while, too. Hunter MSW admin seem difficult to get in contact with; anyone have any tips?

SenegalRPCV: Yeah, same here. I see a notification which states it's submitted, but the checklist says my transcripts are missing, even though I uploaded unofficial copies. My guess is that's normal?

Applied just before February, probably cutting it close. Not sure how things work in terms of writing samples when you're an out-of-state applicant. I know they do Skype interviews. Anyone have additional info? Also, what would be housing plans for you all if accepted? Even though it's relatively inexpensive compared to other NYC schools, cost of living is so high + tuition!

Hi All, I have one glowing academic reference, but am having a hard time choosing which recommender to submit a letter from for my professional reference: - A private consultant I assisted recently in a research/training capacity. This person trains corrections staff EBP and has a MSW/PhD. Has known me for several years, but has not seen me work in direct service, although has wonderful things to say about my work ethic/potential as a social worker. - My field support supervisor from a recent program I completed (with an internship in mental health). Was my team leader and got feedback from my internship supervisor, but has only known me for 3-4 months, although has always had positive feedback for me. I feel nervous and confident about both in different ways. Anyone have any advice? I'm applying to pretty competitive programs and am concerned making the "wrong" decision will impact my admission.

Not yet, filling out the initial app on CSU Mentor as soon as I get confirmation on LOR writers this week, but already started PS for a couple of them.

Hi JillB162! Yes, I agree with Lisa4420. I think the point is for you to form an argument based off of an opinion/your interests. What will be your area of focus going into your MSW program? Maybe thinking about what's most important to you as a future social worker is a good place to start. Good luck! I know writing personal statements is stressful--I'm in the same boat!

Honestly, not sure. My feeling is that if the programs you're applying to have rolling admissions, apply early. If not, then you could wait. How big of a difference in GPA are you expecting? If it's not too much of a difference and you have everything ready to apply, I say take the plunge. I think that if you have strong experience and LOR, that helps your application. Anyone else have feedback?

Haha, I guess I should brace myself once I send it to get looked over for the first time. Thanks for responding!

Has anyone made progress? How common is it for MSW applicants to mention specific professors in their PS? I feel like this is something commonplace in PhD SOPs/PS, but I can't tell if it's appropriate for us here. Any thoughts? @ MsDarjeeling: How's that approach working for you? I just started really free writing rather than jotting down ideas. I feel mentally all over the place already, but feel like taking time away would help clarify things for me.

My suggestion is to contact schools now-ish (shooting an email is quick and simple) just to see if you can set up a visit. Some schools don't schedule visits/information sessions until late summer/early fall, but it's good to know these things. I still think 2 months is a good length of time to study/take the GRE. From my understanding, it's a good idea to ask for LOR at least 6 weeks before you need them (early notice is good, especially with professors since they write so many). Transcripts are generally pretty easy to get, so I would ask for those a few weeks before you'll submit your app (also, some schools are flexible about when you can turn these in). I'd stick with spending at least a good month writing/editing/getting your PS looked over. So, like Chrislee shared, you can do all of this in about 2 months. I just started way early because I had a lot of research/work to do since I decided relatively recently that I wanted to pursue a career in Social Work, am applying and hoping to get into out-of-state schools (setting up visits takes a little more time/planning), and generally just like getting an early start on things. I didn't mean to freak you out with my personal timeline!