ediblestranger

Even though I've already accepted Michigan's offer, I was really disappointed to find out that my application for the MSW Tuition Fellowship was never received. Apparently I sent it to the wrong email address, because I used the 2015 instructions which was all they had posted on their website at the time. I have emailed two different contacts at UW regarding this issue and they didn't even bother to respond. I wish they would still consider my application, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Oh well. Good luck everyone.

Well, it sounds like you'd be a very competitive applicant for research opportunities if you can find any. Don't forget about income-based repayment and public service loan forgiveness either. I know it's not ideal, but it's an option. From what I have read on this forum, school rank and reputation carries a lot more weight in macro-level work and can lead to higher earnings, which is something to look into/consider. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you select the 16-month program track, the cost of living will be reduced by about $10,000. If you are okay with having roommates, you can reduce it much, much more than that. ALSO: I believe full-time students are eligible for Medicaid under Michigan's adoption of the Medicaid expansion, which further reduces costs by over $4,000 (if you planned on getting student health insurance). I plan on looking into this more, so I'll let you know what I find out! After factoring in these differences, Michigan turned out to be a lot less expensive for me than my other top choices.

I applied and was accepted to OSU by 03/08, possibly earlier because it had been awhile since I had logged in to check my status. I don't remember exactly when I submitted my application, but it was probably about a week before the priority deadline. No news on financial aid which is expected - to my knowledge, the College of Social Work does not award scholarships, fellowships, etc. to students who apply after December 13th. You also have to take the GRE to be considered for funding.

I think they do tend to award large scholarships, but for me it wasn't enough to offset the high cost of tuition.

Actually it's only 16 months, so I'll only have one brutal winter to endure! Good luck with your visit! I bet you'll find it acceptable, especially given all the incentive you have now

I don't think they're as close as they look because you have to drive all the way around Lake Erie! And yeah, I'm headed to Ann Arbor unless I get one of those full-tuition scholarships somewhere else (possible only for WUSTL and UWashington - Seattle, but probably not very likely). I am not too thrilled about living in a college town with brutally cold winters, but they really sold me on that Integrated Health Scholarship Program. It is so perfect for what I want to do that all the other schools seem less relevant somehow. I was in love with WUSTL as a whole (awesome faculty, wonderful placement) but fitwise it's not AS good of a choice for me as Michigan, which is the whole reason I'm going to grad school after all! Anyway, I think Case is a great choice period but even more so with a full ride! Do you know if you still get the field placement stipend in addition to all your tuition paid? That would be even more awesome! Their class sizes are the smallest I've ever heard of, which is great too.

I am so excited for you! I haven't spent much time in Cleveland but I don't think it's a bad place to live. Cost of living is dirt cheap and it's big enough and diverse enough that it should be good for social work.

Sorry you didn't get the gig Brendon, I was rooting for you too. Did you apply to any of the special programs? People keep saying they've still got spaces to fill!

I don't know much about the other programs, but I was accepted into the Integrated Health Scholarship Program without any kind of interview or notice that I was even being considered. That it integrates physical, mental, and behavioral health seems like great preparation for work in a variety of settings. It has a greater emphasis on policy than the straight mental health track, which is helpful long-term for clinicians since many decide to exit clinical practice at some point in their lives. Your field placement is selected for you by the program members which has its ups and downs, the downside being fewer choices and the upside being that you are likely to be placed in the UM Health System which means it will be very intensive. I think it's probably very good preparation for working with society's most disadvantaged populations. It's a good choice for me because I plan to work with those affected by severe mental illness, and this is a population that is also disproportionately affected by substance abuse disorders and physical health problems. I don't believe you have to choose the interpersonal practice method concentration to apply, but I think those applicants are preferred.

Congratulations, Joy! That is so awesome! I told you that you had it in the bag

@BrendonSW I don't know much about Michigan's overall receptivity toward the LGBTQ community, but I did come across these which I think is promising: http://www.housing.umich.edu/gender-inclusive https://spectrumcenter.umich.edu/article/classifieds Granted, every school should have resources like this, but still.

I would like to take a moment to validate the concerns and anxieties others in this thread have about the homogeneity of UMichigan as a whole. I too worry that Ann Arbor will lack the level of diversity that I am comfortable with. I am particularly concerned about the lack of diversity in terms of socioeconomic class, since I am from a very low socioeconomic background which is a part of my identity and affects the way I relate to others. The lack of racial and ethnic diversity is pretty troubling to me as well, since it will make commuting to/from Ypsi or Detroit for field placements much more likely. I too considered commuting from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, but like you do not want to add another element of frustration to the rigors of grad school. In the end, I decided to attend because program-wise it is the best fit, even if that means feeling alienated outside the School of Social Work. I will do this in the spirit of Pierre Bourdieu, the sociologist from a low SES background who did not allow himself to be pushed out of academia by its subtle but real favoritism toward middle-classness [end rant].

I'm not a Michigan resident and I got it. I was under the impression that it was based on financial need. I would definitely look into that. It's not a huge scholarship, but it's something... mine was 12K. There are other scholarship opportunities too if you are set on going to Michigan. Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that they still have special program spaces to fill, and most of those come with significant scholarships, like to the tune of 20K. At the end of the day though, I don't think it matters too much where you go to school (with a few exceptions, i.e non-CSWE accredited schools) as they all teach essentially the same stuff.

That's one of the things I like most about Michigan. They go to great lengths to admit a diverse student body, which makes the idea of living in a college town much more tolerable to me. I think I emailed the financial aid person which is probably where I went wrong, lol. But that is very lucky and congratulations! It's nice to feel like they want you to be there. That's one of the reasons I decided to consider Michigan more seriously; that they chose me for a scholarship they only award to 8-10 students made me feel more valued and desired as an applicant. They didn't offer you a Michigan Opportunity Grant? I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't at least get that, unless you didn't submit your FAFSA or have an absurdly high income.

That's awesome! Can I ask how you approached asking for more money? I attempted this with WUSTL too but was unsuccessful, probably contacted the wrong person lol!

Thanks! That's not to say I would turn down a full-tuition scholarship if one comes my way from either WashU or UWashington - Seattle. I'm not holding my breath, which is why I gave my deposit to U of M, but I still don't want to sign a lease in Ann Arbor until I am absolutely certain. Which is unfortunate because by the time we hear about UWashington fellowships it will be summer, at which point off-campus housing at Michigan will be pretty cut-throat (if it's anything like OSU, which it almost certainly is). Are you any closer to making a decision?

Although Michigan was not my first choice initially, I have decided to accept considering the financial aid I've been offered and the alignment of my interests with the special program I've been admitted to. Without scholarships, it would have been impossible and probably very unwise to attend. I have some reservations about the social environment, the high rents, and the brutal winters, but program and career-wise Michigan is the best choice for me, which is the most important consideration. I like that it's only a 16-month program too, i.e. no wasting the summer juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.

@KatieJaiYen From what others have said, many people did receive interviews for the special programs. I personally was not invited to interview but was accepted into the Integrated Health Scholarship Program.

So helpful! Thanks morningjunky!

What was your search criteria for digging up this kind of information? I'd love to be able to look at each of my schools through this lens, if possible.

Found out by email (after inquiring) that I received a $25K scholarship and a $4K stipend, making Case Western fall in the middle-range cost-wise on my school list. Not bad, but I don't think I'll be attending unless I luck into one of those fellowships. @Joy418, how long after you received your acceptance were you asked to interview for the fellowship?

Thanks, that's helpful. I can't recall specifically which schools, but I know I've read/heard from a few that failure to accept/decline by the deadline may result in scholarship offers being withdrawn.

The deadline to accept/decline is flexible - you just have to send a written request by email. However, I am not sure how this may affect any scholarships that have been offered. Anyone else inquired about this?

They estimate 6-7 weeks' processing time, so you should be hearing back soon! I received an email first and then the portal was updated, but it sounds like not everyone saw an update on the portal. If you call the school, they can give you your application status over the phone as well. For those of you who have been accepted, how long did it take between receiving your acceptance email and receiving scholarship information by mail?

I second this. If they weren't still considering you, they would have rejected you outright. Don't give up hope just yet! I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of admitted students end up declining, especially out-of-state students, given the high costs of the program. Heck, I received a 32K scholarship from Michigan (and acceptance into a special program) and I'm still not sure I'll be accepting, since the program and living expenses will still come to over 95K. For out-of-state students who didn't get funding from a special program or one of the mere like 3 assistantships positions they have to fill, that's about $130,000, which I can't imagine a lot of prospective MSW students are willing to spend.