Emarouk

Hello, I wish I had found this site before I sent in my application, there are so many helpful posts here! My final reference just made it in to UW and now the waiting begins. I'm hoping to attend UW in the fall and to then add a MPH the following fall. UW has a great global focus for the MPH and a strong MSW. I want to work with migrant and immigrant populations, particularly women and children. I'm interested in helping to better the health outcomes for those who are forced to cross borders for work. I'm hoping that the MSW/MPH focus offered at UW with it's global focus will allow me to address issues faced by these populations on various levels; I want to be able to do one on one work as well as policy. I've been in the workforce for a long time, though not in social work. My background is in event management, pr, and marketing. While I don't have a lot of experience in social work, I do think that I have a lot of skills, both inherent and those developed through my professional background, that will be useful. I'm hoping that my lack of experience won't be too much of an issue. I have done some research around child obesity and school lunches with a well-known nutritional anthropologist and I've volunteered for the last year and a half with a company to do nutritional seminars for pregnant women and new mothers as well as working as their charity ambassador. My GPA is a 3.99 with a 4.2 in my major, cultural anthropology. I also have excellent letters of rec. Here's to hoping! I applied to PSU as well since I live in Oregon and they have a decent program. If I get into both it will be a difficult decision. UW really feels like my dream school, but PSU is much, much less expensive and I have a great community there, which is important to me since I have a young daughter. Phew. Thanks for letting me get that all out. I know no one can really tell me my chances, but I've seen such great replies on here that I thought I'd throw it out there to see what you lovely folks have to say.... I'm also curious to hear where people have applied and why? If you're already in a program you love, what do you think makes yours so special? I want to know everything! If you go to UW or PSU, I sure would love to hear about your experience.

Wow, that's really nice of you. I just sent you a PM!

Thanks for the info! I think I have a strong application, great grades, and I know my letters are really good, but I don't have much experience. I know UW is competitive but here's to hoping!

I just finished my application for University of Washington today! I'll also be applying to Portland State University because it is instate and funding is a big issue for me. My other choice was Berkeley, but mostly because I just want to get back to the Bay Area...I decided to let that go since it doesn't seem like the best way to pick a school (especially one with that price tag). I'm hoping to do a MSW/MPH with a global focus, concentrating on health outcomes for migrant women and children. The focus that UW has is PERFECT for me, but it comes with the possibility of a lot of debt since I'll be out of state. As a single mama, it may come down to finances for me. I'm hoping to magically get a large enough aid package to make UW a reality. Did anyone else get their application into UW for early consideration? Any idea when we could expect to hear back?

I just finished my application today for the University of Washington! I'm no expert on personal statements, but I was fortunate to have a few friends with MSWs and PhDs look mine over and tell me a thing or two. I'm happy to take a look at yours. Do you have any idea when to expect to hear back for early decision? UW is my first choice and I'm so anxious to hear!

Hello, This is my first time posting here so I apologize if I have somehow done it incorrectly. I'm finishing up an undergrad degree in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oregon. I have a 4.2 in my major and a 3.9 overall. I really want to go to Columbia or NYU for their joint MSW/MPH degree option. I'm really interested in what human rights looks like in a globalized economy and I appreciate the focus both of these schools have on both clinical work and global issues. My issue is that I don't have any experience. I worked in PR/Marketing for a long time before finally going back to school after having my daughter. My focus in life has really changed and I know that this is the track I want to pursue, but between school, work, and raising my daughter, I just didn't have much time to volunteer or do other work while completing my degree. I'm curious if any of you are in a MSW/MPH program and if you're aware if it's possible to get in without experience. I know this is a tough one to answer if you yourself have experience and didn't have this issue when applying, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. I'm hoping that someone will tell me that my grades and determination are enough; that I can use my experience as a single mother and my dedication to benefitting my own community to round out my application.