tudor3x8

Just received my acceptance letter for Yeshiva's summer block program! Unfortunately, as much as I love the program, the merit scholarship that I received ($2000 a year, renewable) is not enough to place it over my top choice. However, the admissions department and the program are both quite amazing, and I do recommend the program to others if they haven't looked into it. It's a pity that their website lacks so much information; talking to the admissions department over the phone told me more about the program than browsing online.

Seriously! I have friends in other disciplines who are getting multiple decisions already (two already putting in deposits, one receiving 4 decisions), and would it be not for this forum, I would be in a panic thinking I got rejections.

I really lucked out with my boss. He hired me to start right after my college graduation, but he had known right away that I wanted to go to grad school within the next 2-3 years. Actually, it wouldn't be out of line that he preferred me to have a life outside of work/to have future plans. It's not a position of growth... I could have the job for the next 20 years until he retires, but there is no promotion/room for growth. He already knows that I got accepted and so now we're planning about what to do after I leave.

I think Fordham also mentioned that if the 20,500 a year doesn't cover it, then we are eligible to apply for the PLUS loan? Because, unfortunately, 20k will not be enough to pay for any school that I attend... any savings I have right now will not be enough to make up for living expenses plus paying off the debt each year (I'm hoping to do work study or work part time... but I have no idea how many hours are reasonable...)

Oh! I got that email, but haven't received the package yet.

Really? I submitted mine January 20 and don't think I've received anything yet. Was yours directly on the FAFSA website or through Penn?

Yeah, I'd assume we could live at any graduate school housing, even if it is off campus. They're not cheap by any means, but at the university I currently work at (my undergrad institution), housing is about the same as Fordham, if not more (?!?). I'm not going to lie- Fordham's staff has gone beyond expectations, and is the main reason why I like them more than some other "better known" or "better ranked" schools like Columbia and Hunter (although they are amazing!)

Congrats Opt! Fordham's staff has been absolutely amazing. Some of the housing options (Wilshire & McKeon) don't seem too awful with pricing. They seem to be on-par with NYU's graduate school housing? Midtown Manhattan is pretty expensive in general- I have had friends who currently live or have lived in Midtown Manhattan and it's almost always expensive. The location is absolutely amazing though, and many of them prefer having shorter travel than living somewhere further than, say, Brooklyn or Queens.

Hi guys, I applied to all three as well, with acceptances from NYU and Fordham. Just waiting on Hunter now, so similar to Maggie. Tuition with scholarships made NYU similar to Fordham, so with my interest being entirely clinical with a focus on psychotherapy, NYU is my top choice. However, I must admit that Fordham's staff has been absolutely brilliant, and I don't think you can go wrong with choosing Fordham either. Maggie, please let me know how your visits turn out! I've had positive experiences with both. I think if financial aid or an interest in macro work is important to you, Hunter should definitely be considered.

Same! Looks like some of their MPH decisions went out last week, so hopefully we're just behind them!

HI morningjunky, Thank you for your informative response! NYU is my top choice despite it being maybe only slightly less expensive than Columbia. As you mentioned, it has a clinical focus, which is my own personal track, and I do not have as much interest in macro. My goal is to work in mental health and to become an LCSW. Although I strongly value Fordham's focus on social justice, Columbia's ability to offer a more generalist approach, and Hunter's pricetag, NYU fits my future goals the most. I had also considered applying for a PhD in clinical psych, so the switch over to an MSW does, I think, show that. Yeshiva's small class sizes and focus on ethics were interesting to me, but definitely was not as high on my list as NYU and Fordham. Living with family has also made either Fordham or NYU better choices for me by location. I know that location shouldn't be as much of a factor as price/fit, but commuting for twice as long to Columbia or Yeshiva would probably be exhausting after a while. And yes- I agree. I have had friends who are doing their MSW at my undergrad alma mater, and their primary complaint is the lack of fieldwork placements.

Yeah, I've heard back from two schools (one that is my top choice), but I am waiting for Hunter, Columbia, and Yeshiva. And I'd have to agree with you- since I'll be living with relatives, I won't have to worry about rent, but in order for Columbia to be cheaper than NYU, I'd have to get a scholarship that's double what NYU gave me! Honestly don't think that is possible. I'm considering waiting until next weekend or so for a decision, but I think I've made my decision. Pity that Hunter takes so long- financially they're an excellent choice, but I'm not sure if their program is the best for me, nor have I had the best experience talking to them.

Has anyone heard back from Columbia? When I last emailed them, they expected decisions soon this month. One of my good friends was just accepted to their MPH program, so I'm hoping our decisions are just behind her?

Yeah, I really did luck out with that. She doesn't live in Manhattan but the commute is short enough for it to be worth it. If I didn't have her, I would absolutely have not been able to make it work out in NYC. And ofc, we all gotta help each other!

Hi Maggie, I'll be living with relatives, so I would basically only need to worry about tuition. The scholarship I received at NYU would make the tuition of both schools somewhat similar (NYU still is slightly higher, but the difference isn't as enormous as, say, Hunter would be). If it was a significant difference, I would have chosen Fordham. I also like the program more at NYU- both are clinical based, but because I do have an interest in a research-based/direct practice/biopsychosocial model, NYU is a better fit for me.

Ah ok! My bad, I thought you were only referring to an MSW program, not the MPH.

I'm waiting until the end of the month to make my decision. I did request the extension to hear back from the other schools- I got accepted to NYU about the week after, which is my first choice, so I will most likely go there. I'm waiting back for a few other schools, but to be honest, unless the other schools accepted me and gave me a larger tuition break (unlikely except for Hunter, which will probably make decisions much later/doesn't have the clinical focus that I like about Fordham & NYU), I've already made my decision. If I didn't hear back from anywhere but Fordham by the end of the month, I would have absolutely have put down the $250 just in case. I would much rather have a spot saved for Fordham, which was my second choice, than to wait for other schools that might not accept me/ I was a little worried about field placements, but it seems like the schools all have many great fieldwork placements, so I think as long as I choose by the end of the month, I'll be fine. The deadline to apply was early February, so I doubt that all the spots would have been filled by then.

MSWs, compared to, say, a PhD program, are not that selective, especially the more expensive privates. However, personal statement and experience are very important from what I know. GRE scores mean very little.

Hey Maggie, They asked the same thing for me. They were kind enough to give me a 4 week extension as well for the same reasons that you mentioned. Just be honest and let them know you need more time! They're great over there, so they should be fine!

I think it depends on what your end goal is career-wise. Right now I have a decent administrative position, but I know that I'll need a masters to get close to my objective. I'm applying to MSW programs, and I don't believe that any will offer full financial aid (great packages and/or cheaper tuition, absolutely, but a full ride? Probably not). That being said, I was lucky to have been given a full ride for my undergrad, so loans I will take out now won't seem as bad. It's not fun to know that I'll need to take out loans for sure, but I know that I won't be able to work in mental health in a position that I want without the degree (and becoming an LCSW...)

22 year old female, graduated college in '14... I guess on paper I'm the usual applicant, but I would like to think that my personal experiences show diversity

I sent an email on January 26 asking when they may start looking at applications/starting interviews, and they said that they weren't going to start reviewing applications until the deadline (February 5). So hopefully soon!

If it helps, I requested an extension on the deadline I was required to accept, and they gave me this response: "We're hoping all decisions can be finalized by Friday, March 11. If you find you haven't received the information you need by then, please let us know and we can discuss further. Thank you."

I moved from coast to coast when I transferred for my undergrad. I always joke that your true friends will come out when you move- they're the ones who will do the most they can to keep contact, to visit you, to see you anytime you return. I've had everything from the best friend who's flown out to see me twice in a year to the friend who will say we're hanging out in our home town, just five miles away, and then accidentally "fall asleep" when we were supposed to meet. It's not your fault if either happen. If you did the most you can, you did what you can. People also change over time. I transferred to a university where everyone was smarter, more driven, more amazing in every way than I was. It really opened my eyes to see how things were at home. Whereas the bulk of my friends from my university have great jobs or are in grad school because they are driven, I go home to friends who are still trying to finish their degree/dropped out of school/are getting married. It's tough because they're all great individuals, but neither of us understand each others' lives anymore. As one poster said, it's important to reevaulate friendships. It doesn't mean drop friends because you think you're better than them/they're not doing enough for you. But if the friendship is completely one-sided, or in the OP's case where a friend seems upset that you are doing something you are passionate about in your life, then it's time to decide if it's something you want to keep.

I didn't attend an info session yet (I will this Saturday since I'll be in NYC anyways), but I didn't add any in mine. I do think looking back I could have benefited from adding sources- most of my essay is personal/anecdotal, so it didn't hurt much, but I certainly could've added more knowledge/research into the essay if I cited sources.