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I've been really enjoying Penn! Everyone's been welcoming and helpful, and I hope to see that continue throughout the year! As far as your credits go, I really don't know. I'm not an admissions expert, and as diverse as social work is, you can never be sure as to what any given school is looking for. I will say this: find the specifics you like about each program. And by that I mean don't simply apply somewhere because you heard it has a good reputation. Find a school that tailors to your specific needs, and go from there. You might be surprised as to where you end up. Social work programs take a great variety of applicants. I will say this about NYU- be patient with them. Their application process is incredibly slow, and even if you submit it early chances are you will not hear back until early march. Best of luck!

Hey Everyone, I'm a first year MSW candidate at UPenn, and having recently gone through this process, I can definitely relate to how you're feeling. If you ever need any advice or help, please feel free to ask. While I chose to attend UPenn, I also got accepted at Columbia, NYU, Wisconsin-Madison, USC, and Pitt. So I can also try and answer questions about those applications should you need help. Good luck!

This article is a little old (written in '06), but I think it does a decent job of explaining what you do and do not want in a SOP. http://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf Check the section "damaging personal statements"

1. I would tell your references the app is due Dec. 1. Give them as much time as possible. 2. Columbia is not rolling admissions. If you get your app done by Dec 1. they send out each round of acceptances in "waves" so a bunch of people hear at the same time. Good luck!

I got about $10,000 from NYU. $7,000 in scholarship and $3,000 in work study. My GPA was around a 3.6, I worked in a few research labs, co-authored a published research article, worked a job, and finished my bachelors in 3 years. Hope that helps some!

My only question would be how do you do field placements if you're getting a degree online? Can those be coordinated based on where you're living?

I'm fairly certain NYU does, but you'd have to look around. I'm from the midwest and applied to primarily midwest and east coast schools.

A. You try to improve your GPA or gain more experience while you wait. B. Apply to a greater variety of schools! Also, some schools accept new applications at the semester. So you could try to start in January.

Penn!

That is something I have never heard of. You might want to give them a call. However, I do believe each school has the ability to allocate funding however they wish. So while schools will give out of state students funding, UW might have a different policy. Your best bet is to get in contact with someone in financial aid.

I applied to USC for Fall 2014 and got accepted there. My GPA was a 3.6 with a part-time job, a few research internships, and an article published in an academic journal. I'm not really sure if that helps. You have plenty of experience and even with a GPA a little on the lower side, you still have as much of a chance as anyone. Good luck!

I have actually visited both campuses. I am visiting one more, but I think I have an idea which way I am going to lean. Best of luck with you and your decision!

This is some of the best and worse advice I have ever gotten: Flip a coin. Make school 1 heads and school 2 tails. Then, if you don't like the result of the flip you know to go with the opposite choice. My next suggestion is really look at the funding situation. Out of the 6 schools I applied to, 4 of them offered my scholarship money, and I am not a genius by any means. Lastly, a common trend has been that prestige matters very little in social work. No one is making millions of dollars, and where you go to school is not as important as your experience in the field. So don't let that be a primary influence for why you want to go somewhere. Ultimately, though, go with your gut. No one knows what you want better than you.

I'm actually a MI native, so I get the rankings thing, although I'd take them with a grain of salt. You never really know who is actually "ranking" each school. A lot of it is opinion based. Honestly, just go with your gut, when you know, you know. There is no magic formula for picking the perfect school.

Really? I still haven't gotten an email response from them.... but that's good news!

I agree with the "do not take out more than you expect to make" motto. I get having limited state schools and private schools being expensive, but if you do your research and some basic math you can go to a great school with minimum debt. Which schools are the least expensive? Which schools are known for giving the most financial aid and award? Which cities are less expensive to live in? These I believe are important questions to ask.

rshaw86 did your email have each semester listed and then an amount? Mine just listed Fall 2014 and my amount and I wondered if that meant I only got a scholarship for a semester, which I think is weird...

I am not an international student. At this point I'm still undecided, but I'm leaning toward Penn. Both schools offered me the same amount of academic scholarship, but Columbia is still more expensive due to the high cost of living in NYC. Penn is a smaller school, (160 students vs 800) which is a big draw for me, and Penn has a dual degree in bioethics, which nicely complements my interests. I've also gotten into a few other schools I'm looking at, so it's up in the air.

I was wondering the same thing! I got accepted into the 2 year program and haven't heard anything about scholarships and financial aid. I'm really hoping they're a little more timely about it than they were with releasing decisions. I have a deadline in 10 days to commit to schools.

I got an email notification for mine.

Thanks! Have you ever considered looking at some kind of anthro PhD? You qualifications seem like they'd make you really competitive applicant. Not to mention, they're paid for, which is a nice plus! And some schools, UW is one of them actually, provide both daycare and housing for students with children. Food for thought. Lastly, some schools are rolling admissions for MSW, so until they fill the incoming class, they continue to accept new applicants. Maybe look at your personal statement? I don't know this for a fact, but I think programs really like it if you're specific as to what exactly you want to do with your MSW. So if you can hone in on your interests, I think it could help!

Thank you. UW is a great program, but I've also been accepted at Columbia, Penn, USC, and Pitt. I'm also waiting on a few other schools. So where I'm going is up in the air. Please don't take this personally when I say this, but no one is guaranteed a position at any MSW program. It's a crap shoot. And while you may look appealing, the reality is whether or not you get in somewhere often depends on what that particular university is looking for. While raising your daughter and going to school is a great accomplishment, it's not exactly the kind of "experience" programs typically look for. I interned in 2 research labs, had an independent research project published in a academic psychological journal, worked a job, and volunteered at a nonprofit while completing my Bachelors in 3 years, and even I came into this process unsure. Your GPA seems impressive (although I'm not exactly sure how one gets over a 4.0), I'd just maybe focus some more on getting social work experience.

I got my acceptance email on Friday 3/14. If you're feeling discouraged, don't. Good things are always worth the wait. Also, think about which program you really want to go to. Don't simply go to a school just because you got accepted. Maybe consider going back to the drawing board, examining how you can better your application, see which schools have top-notch programs in the focus you want to go into, and go from there.

Honestly, even though it's a pain, I would still take the GRE. Some social work schools i.e UCLA, UC Berkeley, UNC, and UT Austin who are among the best programs in the nation do actually require the GRE for MSW applicants. While there are plenty of schools who don't require it i.e Columbia, NYU, U Mich, ect, I believe there is a big benefit to keeping your options open. The last thing you want is to go to a school that requires a GRE and not be able to provide one. I literally bought a book, studied it, took the test, and managed to do decently. It's just a way to provide yourself with more choices. Lastly, I agree with Lifesaver in terms of definitely apply to a variety of schools. Not just in selectivity, but in price tag. Even with a scholarship, a school like Columbia will easily cost you over $50,000 a year when all the expenses are said and done. Some people are willing to take out those loans, some people aren't. I also might consider adding the University of Pittsburgh to your list. They are an excellent program, and they guarantee admission for anyone who makes their priority acceptance standards which is a 3.3 GPA. It also gives you an academic scholarship and out of state tuition is only $26,000. So if you want to minimize expenses, it's a great choice. In short, there's plenty of ways to get into an MSW program, just try to give yourself a lot of options.

For people still waiting, my guess is they probably are releasing decisions based on the number of people that turn them down. So until they know for sure how many spots they have open, they won't release more decisions. Just remember all good things are worth waiting for!