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Kobe36, I was accepted to NYU last week, but I applied back on October 15th! It took them absolutely ages to evaluate my application and from what I hear, they're pretty swamped. I applied to most schools super early so I've heard back from most of them, but I haven't heard a word about financial aid from anyone. I may as well still be waiting since that's the deciding factor. Best of luck to you and nessadub! I hope you both hear soon .

Thanks! If it makes you feel any better, acceptances are one thing, decent funding for MSW programs/international programs are quite another .

So far, most of my acceptances have just been single letters in an envelope followed by a thick packet a few days later.

You can also put your MPH GPA on your resume.

Creative writing was always that "what if I'd done things differently" option. I wanted to see if I could get in, though I won't be attending grad school for it any time soon. I'm going for social work instead .

Only if you choose the income-based repayment, which ultimately means you pay more interest. I think the best option depends on how much debt you have. It's worth considering that these things are likely to change, for better or worse, in the upcoming years. When I began my BSN four years ago, there were tons of federal and state loan forgiveness options available for nursing students. Now, my state has totally done away with those programs and I'm stuck with 40K in undergrad debt as a result. Needless to say, I'm a little skeptical of these new programs and am going to budget to pay it all back just in case. It would be nice, though!

It's already been enacted, though it only includes some federal loans. Specifics can be found here: http://www.finaid.or...icservice.phtml

I applied to five, though I regret applying to a few of the less reputable ones. I have acceptances from Pitt, Columbia, Hawai'i Pacific and Hawai'i at Manoa. Still waiting to hear back from NYU. Congrats on the acceptance kbenz!

I did. I just got a letter saying I'm being reevaluated too. Better than a rejection!

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. Define research interests early. As seen by my signature, I applied to a crazy variety of programs early on and consequently wasted a lot of time and money on applications. Look for funding early. I figured I would apply to a few reputable programs and the money would just fall into place. Apparently that $5 billion endowment at Columbia does NOT go to the social work department. Depending on your program, getting accepted is only half of the battle. Notify recommenders early. Most people suggest 6-9 weeks notice. And like others mentioned, give them all the materials they need. Info about the course, addressed envelopes, etc. Apply early, but not too early. I sent out most of my applications in October and have still not heard back from a few universities that claim to have rolling admissions. It's quite a long, taxing wait.

I applied to the University of Oxford's Women's Studies Program. Good luck to you both!

I think this is a terrible idea. In fact, I think it's a little insulting to ask your department, which has no knowledge of her academic suitability, to comment on her application in any capacity at all. I know the waiting sucks, but just because you're going to get married doesn't mean admissions committees should meet any earlier just to accommodate you, nor does it mean you should try to use your department to bully another department into making decisions earlier. I think this would reflect poorly on both of you, though moreso you than her for asking your department to overstep their boundaries like that. Sorry if that sounds a little harsh...I mean well . Best of luck to you and your fiance.

Me again . I got an email from CUSSW today saying not to expect financial aid letters before the end of March. Boo. I called them last month and was told the absolute max they offer in scholarships is $8,000 (aka, nothing) while the rest is all loans. Though it's very tempting, I do not in any way think it's worth the debt. Especially on a social worker's salary. I've heard that the Washington University in St. Louis gives out very generous scholarships. They have a policy concentration and are ranked #1 in the country, tied with the University of Michigan. I'll hear from them by Feb. 15th, so I can update you as to what they offer if you're interested. Good luck!

Thanks for your insight. It's always great to hear from people who are more knowledgeable about the field . Did you focus on clinical social work or policy during your MSW? Or did you go for a generalist program?

Has anyone else heard back from the University of Pittsburgh? I was accepted yesterday, but their financial aid situation is giving me a huge headache. Their website states we'll hear packages by Feb. 1st, though when I called they said Feb. 15th. My acceptance packet said I have to fill out a financial supplement form before I'll be considered for scholarships. There was a link to the 2010-2011 form in my acceptance packet but when I spoke with the admissions lady she said that information is outdated and they no longer use it. I wish they'd just proofread their own website and acceptance packets to prevent all of this confusion. Ugh.

Me too .

Shame you have to go through this, as this company is really not giving you an appropriate score. As someone else mentioned, my UK transcript was supplemented with a conversion chart.

I'd agree that a 3.0 is fairly low for a high 2.1. I would imagine it would be around a 3.4-3.6. I hope everything works out!

Try being engaged to someone who lives overseas! Use Skype, set up little movie dates, write letters, send her American treats that aren't available in Spain, etc. But also don't be that overbearing boyfriend who calls a million times a day and discourages letting her go out to clubs and bars with friends. It's a huge cultural experience for her, so let her enjoy it.

Yes, I'll be eligible for federal loans. I bet it's a huge relief to be finished! Keep us updated. Who knows, maybe we'll end up in the same place .

One of my recommenders had a horrible time with the Embark system. I called the university and they went in and fixed it so she could submit again.

I just realized a few weeks ago that my one SOP has a sentence in it which could be interpreted as really, really offensive. Oops. I switched majors (from nursing to psych) senior year, so I have no strong connections to any professors in my department. I did a year abroad which allowed me to get enough credits to graduate with a psych degree despite never having taken a psychology class at my home institution. I know absolutely nothing about psychology. Great. I'm graduating from a university nobody has ever heard of. My biggest weakness has to be my recommenders, though. I used about 8 different references in total since I'm applying to so many schools, but some of them have to be awful. For one program I'm applying to, my recommender is just saying I did well in her class since "that's the only capacity in which she knows me." Another of my recommenders is a former nursing professors who wrote utterly incoherent sentences (she showed me her letter). It includes such things as "She is good student. She works hard and is a self-starter." It's like a kindergartner wrote it.

Nope, I applied for the 2 year program. It's my top choice, so I applied back in October. Decisions weren't meant to go out until March but I heard in November. Just waiting on a financial aid decision!

You already know what NY is like- I'd go to Cambridge and experience a new country! Cambridge is stunning and the academic environment is vastly different than in the US (I studied at Oxford, but both use the tutorial system). Also, you can work on a student visa in the UK so I don't see why work opportunities are necessarily better in NYC. Plus, if you can somehow manage to save while you work, the GBP to USD conversion will certainly be in your favor. Just my two cents .

Hi Hamz! I responded to your last thread and I am more than willing to look over your SOP. Just wanted to say that I couldn't agree more with what coyabean said. Definitely don't start your essay out on a negative note.