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Hi @paigesparky! I was accepted to UC Berkeley, UW and PSU (out of the schools you are interested in). My GPA in undergrad was a 3.7, and I graduated back in 2012. I volunteered some during my senior year of college, but most of my professional experience came afterwards--I worked a domestic violence shelter for 2 years, then as a mental health counselor at an elementary school for 1 school year, and now I work for a mentoring program that works with youth in foster care. I second what @pickfights says about waiting a year or two to gain more experience; most schools look for those who have extensive work or volunteer experience. UC Berkeley was also the only school that required the full GRE exam (although SFSU requires the writing score), but there are rumors that this past year may be the last year they require that for admissions (lucky you!)...although you definitely still want to check in with them about this. My best advice is to gain some good volunteer or work experience starting now, and try to narrow your interests within the field of social work. Most schools require you submit a writing portion (other than your statement of purpose) that asks you about a specific sector of social work you are interested in. I hope this is helpful to you! I am absolutely open to more questions you have...just comment of PM me. Best of luck to you!

Hi! I just got accepted into Berkeley's Title IV-E Child Welfare Program!!! Yayyy! I committed today, so it is officially official! Excited to attend with you @pickfights!!! And @MSW2016 I have also heard great outcome stories for people who were wait listed to Berkeley! Keep up the hope! I'll be crossing my fingers for you

Thank you! Congrats to you too! If I happen to see anything about the commitment deadline, I will definitely let you know!

Oops! Now I just realized that this post is backdated from 2 years ago! I may still try and private message some of you

Hi bellebruin! Just wanted to say that I'm grateful you posted this question. I have a couple Title IV E interviews coming up and I'm super nervous, so I too am looking for some guidance around the interview process, but also other experiences in the program. I spoke to a friend of a friend who is currently in the title IV E program at Berkeley, and she mentioned that the interviews are certainly very straightforward and they only last about 20-30 min. When is your interview next week? I have mine for Berkeley on Wednesday! The nerves are already settling in. Good luck!

Thank you! And no problem...here are my stats: Began undergrad at Santa Barbara City College, then transferred to UC Santa Cruz and graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. My Jr/Sr GPA was a 3.71 and my overall GPA was a 3.57. 9 months volunteering at a women's counseling center. 2.5 years working as a case manager in a women's emergency domestic violence shelter 9 months working in a public school providing behavioral intervention to children with trauma-based behavioral needs Currently working as a case manager for families involved in CPS (similar to family preservation), and providing youth in foster care with volunteer mentors (Been here for a little over 1 year) A little over a year volunteering for an organization that provides services and support for CSEC youth Let me know if there is anything else you'd like to know!

Sorry for the confusion! Here is the link I used to get to the "decision status" page. https://appstatus.grad.ucla.edu/account/login.aspx Use the same log in info as you did for your UCLA application. I hope this is helpful! Good luck!

Yay! I just got my acceptance this morning. As a heads up, I did NOT get an email, but got a notification on the application portal. So check that if you haven't. It sounds like they'll also be snail mailing an official hard copy letter. I'm so curious about their decision deadline...does anyone know when we need to notify them by? I'm holding out for Berkeley's Title IV E interviews still, and I won't have an answer from them till 3/18! Congratulations to everyone, and those waiting-- hold tight! Sending high hopes and positive vibes to you all!

Oh and one more thing! The writing portion is really quick and did not seem to carry a lot of weight. The prompt was to write about the overall interview in a kind of "reflection piece"--things you enjoyed about the interview, and how the process made you feel about your grad school pursuits, etc. They even mentioned "this does not need to be a beautifully written essay, we just want another writing sample from you. And we do understand you are under a time constraint"...I would not stress about that part too much. Good luck to everyone!

Hello! I interviewed with them about 2 weeks ago. They said they won't be sending out any acceptance notifications for about 5-6 weeks. The interview is pretty easy and goes by really fast. Be sure to dress appropriately (like professional job interview attire). You sit with a group of 5-7 other applicants and they have you answer a series of questions individually. Then you are given a vignette, and you have to work together with your group to answer the question and analyze the passage, then present back to the group. Here are some questions you should be ready to answer/keep in mind: -If not social work, what other type of career would you want? (I know, it's kind of a weird question), but a lot of people said something along the lines of "another career that involves helping people", etc) -Why are you drawn to CSUN's Urban Family Practice generalist program? Let me just say, SO many people did not answer this question "correctly". Make sure you talk about why you are interested in Urban Family Practice, not just social work as a whole. Give some examples about your experience working within an urban setting or with an urban population, OR why you might be interested in working with this population. -When you are given your group work, be sure to speak up and add something to the group presentation. -Have a couple of questions prepared for the panelists. They'll ask at the end if you have any last questions and it's always good to embrace that opportunity and speak up. The rest is honestly a blur, hahaha. But I hope this was helpful! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Hello! I was recently invited to interview for UC Berkeley's Title IV-E Child Welfare Training stipend program. I am reaching out to hopefully get some interview info from current or prospective Title IV-E Child Welfare MSW students (definitely not limited to Berkeley's program!) ! Has anyone completed an interview? How did it go? What was it like? How should I prepare? Any info would be much appreciated! Thank you all very much in advance! Good luck to everyone who has applied for programs and congrats to those who were already notified of their acceptances! This is such an exciting time for all of us

Ah, this is very helpful! I did submit my scores well before I submitted my application. I really appreciate this info! I'll give them a call.

Hello! Last month I applied to SFSU and UC Berkeley (among others), and they were the only schools that required GRE scores. I sent my scores to the schools directly from the testing center and my ETS score report page says that they had already been sent AND received. However, both schools have contacted me saying that have not received them. I called ETS so ask what the issue was, and they had no answer except "we already sent the scores there". I will definitely try to contact both school's admissions offices but this is SO STRESSFUL and I'm kind of freaking out. Has anyone else experienced this issue? Any words of encouragement would be appreciated I'm feeling a little defeated.

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate your input. I'll still try and reach the school and see what they say.

Hello! I am applying to a handful of MSW programs, one being San Francisco State. I have a question for anyone who may be able to give me some information on their Statement of Purpose instructions. The instructions they have on the website are worded in a confusing way (of maybe I'm overthinking it). I've copy and pasted their prompt below so you can try and understand what they are requiring... Do you know if they'd like you to answer the questions briefly "In the space provided" (as they indicate), as well as submit a 3 page statement of purpose? Also, does anyone know if you they want to questions to be answered in Q&A format? Or as an essay? I have completed a statement of purpose that answers all the questions they ask, but I'm not sure if they want it in essay form or Q&A form. Any info would be greatly appreciated. And I have indeed tried to contact their MSW office, and have not been able to reach them via phone--and my e-mails have not been returned Thank you in advance! And good luck to everyone embarking on this crazy, hectic journey! In the following space provided, please address the following topics with this application form, and address the following areas (Essays A-D should not exceed a total of 3 pages typed, double spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins): A. Educational Objectives – Please describe the educational and career objectives that motivated you to apply to the MSW program. Relate these objectives to your personal experiences and life goals (One page MAX). B. Professional Motivation – Discuss any environmental or personal obstacles that you have had to overcome in life. How have your efforts to overcome these obstacles influenced your decision to enter the field of social work? Please describe your personal knowledge of and/or identification with, or, experience with a specific disadvantaged community (One page MAX) C. Work/Volunteer Experience – Discuss any experiences you have had in providing services to, or working with, a specific disadvantaged group or community. Please describe your professional knowledge of and/or identification with, or, experience with a specific disadvantaged community (One page MAX).