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marina415

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  • Location
    Washington, DC
  • Application Season
    2014 Fall
  • Program
    MSW

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  1. Hey there, yes I have applied to BC but got my application in pretty late so I am not sure if I will realistically hear from them before I need to make a decision about the other 3 schools. They do seem really amazing on international work! I think my only reservation is that I have heard they are not very strong on macro track (though, like most places, I think they are trying to move in that direction). I would seriously consider BC my top choice if I got in there, but, assuming I won't hear from them in time, does anyone have any insights on Columbia, Penn or UW?
  2. Any of you guys interested in Penn's international programs? I'm trying to figure out how strong they really are on that. They seem to have limited but quality offerings, and am wondering what others think of them.
  3. Hello, I'm deciding among 3 schools (a great problem to have) and really am stumped about which one is the best opportunity for what I want to do. Any information on the programs is much appreciated. I want to work internationally with refugee populations, and while I want the clinical skills to do direct interventions, I do eventually want to be able to move into macro or policy work on refugee issues as well. I am deciding among Penn, Columbia and UW-Seattle. I feel I have a good sense of Penn and am impressed, since they seem to have a very thoughtful program and to be ramping up their international offerings. That said, I know Columbia and UW traditionally have great international opportunities and are both excellent programs as well. When you get right down to it, what is the real difference among these programs? I suppose UW is not known for its macro track, but does that even matter given their overall strengths? And what are the real strengths of Columbia and Penn in this area? What trade-offs are there to consider when weighing each of these programs?
  4. Great information here - thanks much! I am thrilled to be accepted and want to find out more how it matches up against other schools. It's great to hear that its reputation and connections are so valuable, particularly for working internationally and in policy (both things I am hoping to pursue). Wondering if you can speak more to that - what opportunities do you think CSSW provides that no other school does? More alumni/networking connections in those areas? Superior training and field placements? A wider range of relevant courses? Something else? FWIW I am deciding between Columbia and Penn and it's not an easy choice (but one I am happy to have to make)!
  5. Hey there KNik, I am in the same boat and would like to second your question! It is going to be a tough decision for sure and I hope folks on here can help us out. My own sense is that Columbia is very strong in clinical training and research, whereas Penn is stronger on policy and social justice. However, I hope others chime in, since this is just what I've heard, and I know both are great schools. I've had an easier time getting info from Penn's website and have been quite impressed, but I don't want to assume that CSSW doesn't have similar opportunities (or better) based just on that internet sleuthing. For my part, I'm hoping to work internationally with refugees (either clinical or macro) for an outfit like Doctors Without Borders, and am trying to determine which would provide the best opportunities for that. Any guidance appreciated! In general, though, what are the reasons to choose one school over the other? KNik, what are you looking for and considering as you make your decision between the two?
  6. Thanks Chrislee and Alesso for the insights. Chrislee, it's great to see how your career trajectory shifted as you gained more experience in direct practice and became passionate about bringing about systemic change. Berkeley is so appealing and I agree that its program aligns with my interests. Unfortunately I haven't taken the GRE and time is too short for me to add that into the applications mix... Alesso, thanks for pointing out Boston College's weakness in macro areas. That is important to keep in mind, though their international opportunities seem so impressive that it still seems like a good fit for me. My sense is that UW has a pretty good balance of macro and direct practice and international opportunities to boot. Do you know about Columbia's reputation? I know they have a specific track for immigrant and international populations and assume the Columbia brand would be good for someone trying to break into the policy world as an MSW (which is an option I'd like to keep open). But as we all know they are pretty pricey and if their macro program is extremely weak, that might be a deal-breaker.... Thanks again for your help!
  7. Thanks guys! Great advice to focus on the essays and to diversify my schools a bit. Feeling reassured about all this, thanks!
  8. Hello friends, I'd love to get some guidance on how to determine one's competitiveness when it comes to choosing and applying to MSW programs. This would be a career switch for me, and I don't have direct experience in social work, but I have international experience with social justice issues, and am really passionate about pursuing direct practice (individual or community level) with refugees and immigrants, or working internationally in post-conflict areas. Long term I could see myself in an advocacy or policy-making role but I would like to start out working directly with people in a more hands-on way; I will therefore probably go the clinical route though I am not ruling out the macro track. So how can you gauge the likelihood of getting into certain schools without an obvious background in social work? I am really interested in Columbia, UW-Seattle and Boston College. However, I am not sure if it would be a better strategy to apply to less sought-after programs, because my primary aim is to gain the core skills of an MSW program and work as a social worker as soon as possible. I suspect I would also be quite happy working with non-international populations, and/or I could integrate my international background into my career down the line. Some background: I have been out of college about 5 years, working full-time in the non-profit sector supporting social justice/environmental campaigns in Africa, in a program administration capacity (I am based in DC but have traveled extensively to West Africa and am bilingual in French/English). Prior to that job I was an organizer in the 2008 presidential campaign in a rural part of the US. I do not have strong volunteer work to point to in an application. I majored in anthropology at a very well regarded department at a top US university. To be honest my overall GPA was not fantastic, but definitely above the 3.0 cut-off, and I am hoping that my undergrad university's reputation will help offset the OK but basically unimpressive grades. I have not taken the GRE. I would love to apply to the dream schools, but if it is too much of a long shot, I'd rather apply somewhere where I have a higher chance of getting in. I recognize that the importance of name-brand prestige is pretty moot with MSW programs, so I don't feel "Harvard or bust" about it in any way, but I would like to be somewhere that offers strong course and placement options in my core interest areas. I'd love to hear about: 1. how you went about assessing your own competitiveness (especially those of you coming to social work from another track); 2. if you have any thoughts about my particular competitiveness; 3. any schools I should consider either as good "safeties" or "reaches" (I've ruled out Michigan despite its strong global focus - too expensive imho). Thanks much for reading this long post!
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