alex bo balex

I'd be curious to hear from people who have gone through this before, as well--I haven't had total silence from my school, as I had to submit a fieldwork application after sending my letter of intent, but I have had a feeling of "Ok--What now?" I assume I just have to wait to hear more details, but I've also wondered if the next time I'm going to hear from them is for financial aid, or my first orientation in July.

Awesome, sounds good. : ) Here's a link for reference: https://www.facebook.com/groups/csulamsw2017 And congrats to everyone who received an acceptance recently!

Congrats!! And sure thing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/csulamsw2017

Congrats!! FYI if you're accepting, I started a group on FB: CSULA MSW Class of 2017

For those who have applied to one/both--what are your thoughts on each? What makes you lean toward one or the other (campus, location, faculty, etc)? As far as I can tell, their rankings are identical and the cost of living in the surrounding area is similar, so I'm curious what makes them distinct to you guys. PS: As a heads up for everyone who chooses CSULA, I've started a FB Group called CSULA MSW 2017.

You know, I think I *might* have regretted my degree a bit if it had impacted my ability to pursue something else I care so much about--so I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to fulfill both passions. Do you get a chance to sing much any more? And did you study classical or contemporary...? I'm curious what role piano will play in my life as I move forward with things. (PS: Feel free to drop me a message; I'd love to chat music a bit, but realize this may not be the place for it.)

Thank you so much for replying! It's awesome to hear from another musician. I totally agree about the dedication/collaboration element of music study, too--it's already helped me in so many areas of life. Fortunately, I was recently accepted into one of my first choices, so it looks like my undergrad degree wasn't a deterrent after all (huge relief here,.) I've also been working on a psych concentration in preparation for grad school, so hopefully that'll help a bit. Where (or whereabouts) are you studying?

Congratulations teem!!

Thanks so much, and no problem!

Sure thing: I applied right on the deadline (overnight mail) for the CYWF concentration. Volunteer experience as a special needs classroom aide and youth soccer coach, job experience as a summer counselor and nanny. But more directly, I worked for two years at a psychiatric hospital for male adolescent offenders, where I started a performing arts program. (I'm about to finish my music degree with a psych concentration, 3.9 gpa.) I've spent the past year as a victim advocate at a domestic violence shelter, and about a year as a research assistant in a lab that studies trauma. My letter writers also really came through for me, so I'm incredibly grateful for that.

I just got my acceptance packet (snail mail) to CSULA!! I'm beyond thrilled (and *may* have possibly broken down in tears of relief.) I'm still waiting to hear from the other schools, but this is very exciting and validating news. My undergrad degree is in music--so even though I have a good amount of social work experience, I was really starting to doubt my ability to get into an MSW program. Now, I'm just feeling super happy and super grateful.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the reassurance. And magfish, that's my plan too. My husband and I are moving to California whether I get accepted there or not, so if I'm not in this time around, I'll just keep working at shelters, establish residency, and take some community college courses. (It would just be super nice if it worked out this time around...the whole process has been such an expensive, time consuming ordeal that I'd kind of prefer not to do it all over again... )

That's good to hear--I did talk about the intersection between music and service work, as well as the personal strengths I developed as a result of the degree. I've also taken stats, biology, and twelve psychology credits (and earned a 3.9 gpa), so hopefully that helps. Guess we'll see. I think I'm just feeling anxious because I'm in the "waiting to hear back" phase, and a little nervous that the choice I made when I was younger will work against me.

Hey everyone--I'm just curious if any of you have experience or insight into this matter. I have several years of social service experience (mental health tech at a psychiatric hospital, domestic violence advocate, special-needs classroom aide), as well as about a year of research experience at a psych lab that studies trauma. However, I have a somewhat "random" undergrad degree (piano performance; I used to teach music at the psychiatric hospital, in addition to teaching privately). Although most of the programs I've applied to specifically state that they are open to a diverse range of undergrad degrees, I'm noticing that most members here who have been accepted seem to have an undergrad degree in sociology, psychology or social work. Is anyone else here in a similar boat? I realize that MSW programs are competitive and am fully prepared to be rejected this year...but if it turns out my undergrad degree is a significant problem, I'm not quite sure how to compensate for it the next time I apply.

Happy to have found this thread. I'm 30, and will (at last) be finished with my BA in May. I'm taking two GRE exams and applying to psych grad programs this fall-- and while I'm anxious about the time-consuming aspects of the process, I mostly feel eager/excited to get started with the next chapter of my life. Two years ago I transferred from a more "blended" university (decent mix of teens, twenties, and non trads), and began commuting to a much larger one, with a more traditional demographic (read: lots and lots, and lots, of teenagers). It was a challenging transition for many reasons....and although it's gotten easier, I admit that I still feel a little bit "on the periphery" of things. Fortunately, my husband is also a non-trad student and has dealt with some of the same challenges, which has made the experience less isolating for both of us. I also feel like the experience has helped me gain a lot of valuable personal insight and much needed awareness of hidden insecurities, which makes me feel much better equipped to enter the graduate arena. (That being said, I'm still really, REALLY looking forward to doing less "aw shucks"ing in the future. )