morningjunky

Congratulations on your acceptance! Choosing a school is ultimately a very personal decision depending on a variety of factors. If you want to be a clinical social worker, note that the curriculum for MSW programs are streamlined and very similar to one another since they are all accredited by CSWE. However, there are differences between these schools as well ranging from price, location, overall arching focus and research areas of specializations. Fit is extremely important as is cost and location. What one student values, another may not see any value in it all. I applied to Hunter, but not NYU since I am interested in macro social work. I know Hunter offers scholarships, but they are quite limited compared to other schools. As an in-state resident, I expect to take out loans to fund my first year and applying for external funding to pay for my second year. I considered applying to Fordham because of its research focus and social justice focus, but the price tag deterred me and they seem to be very paltry in their funding (I've heard of students being offered a measly $2-5K a year in scholarship assistance). Fordham is a Jesuit school and is very focused on social justice and assisting those at the margins. There's also the option of three campuses and the College is very flexible in meeting the needs of its students. It's also a generalist program offering both clinical and macro courses. Fordham's main campus is on the Upper West Side which is nice, but also has two other locations (Westchester and Long Island) as well as an mixture (hybrid) component. Hunter is New York City's oldest public graduate program in social work and as such, makes it a priority to focus on the New York community by making education affordable so students can ultimately become agents of change in NYC. Hunter is also very focused on topics surrounding social justice, diversity and various isms and is very involved in local politics and government. I'm very interested in community organization and am very interested in social justice so Hunter's program is a nearly perfect fit for me. Hunter's location is in East Harlem, which some find unsavory (mostly out of state folks), but I have no problem with it and feel comfortable and safe. On the other end, NYU's curriculum is very clinically focused. If you plan on applying to post-MSW clinical fellowships to accrue your hours for your LCSW and garner experience, many of them require certain courses in psychopathology and theories and techniques of psychotherapy which NYU has.However, you can certainly excel and apply for these post-MSW fellowships if you graduate from any MSW program in the United States that is accredited by the CSWE and have fieldwork experience and enrolled in the specific coursework the fellowship required. NYU's location is superb since it's in Greenwich Village. For example, Berkeley's Post-MSW Fellowship in Clinical Social Work states the following: QUALIFICATIONS Applicants must have a master's degree in social work from an accredited training institution. All applicants must have graduated by July 25, 2016. Course work must include personality development, psychopathology, and theories and techniques of psychotherapy. Applicants must have two years of supervised clinical experience as part of their master's training. Candidates with a demonstrated interest in working with multicultural populations are preferred. http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/home/joinourteam/cps/mswintern/training1.shtml Just one thing to note, fieldwork is the cornerstone of MSW programs, so this aspect of our education is extremely important to note. Some folks think that by attending a private or prestigious schools they have better access to fieldwork placements. I've had friends who are attending/who have attended NYU, Hunter and Fordham and they have completed their fieldwork at similar places (obviously, this is purely anecdotal, but I've had plenty of people attest to this). I think the best thing for you is to do your due diligence, visit the schools, attend an Open House or similar event, contact current students with questions and peruse the website heavily (look at the curriculum, electives offered, focus and mission of the school, etc.) and ask yourself the following questions: 1) How large/small are classes? What is the average class size? Do you prefer larger or smaller class sizes? Do you enjoy a smaller cohort or larger cohort? 2) Where do I want to practice after I graduate? Do you want to stay in the state you attended your MSW for or do you want to move? There can be lots of issues with licensing and rolling over hours if you decide to move to a notoriously difficult state to do so (i.e.: California). 3) What sorts of scholarships are available? Is this merit, need or a mixture of both? Look at the school's endowment to see if they are able to offer substantial awards (schools with endowments over $1 billion tend to be more generous with funding). I applied to over five schools and not surprisingly, private schools with endowments over $1 billion gave me very generous merit and need based scholarships (one offered me a 2/3 tuition scholarship). After securing a GA or RA position, the private school would only cost me about $9K per year in tuition and expenses, which is about $4K cheaper than my state school I applied to. As a second year student, can you secure a GA or RA to pay for your entire or partial tuition at NYU or Fordham? How competitive are these assistantships? 4) What sorts of field placements are available? Do these field placements line up with what you want to do as a social worker and your areas of interest? 5) How many students find a job within 6 months (within 12 months) post graduation? 6) How large is the alumni network? Are there career services for alumni? 7) What is the average salary of an MSW graduate down the time line (1st year, 5 years, 10 years)? 8) What sorts of electives and classes are offered? If you are interested in getting your LCSW and already know you want to specialize in a specific sort of model of therapy (i.e.: CBT), look to see if CBT is offered. 9) What are current faculty conducting researching on? Are there are specializations or concentrations or areas you are particularly interested in? 10) Lastly, finances. How much do you want to take out in loans? Will you be happy with your quality of life if you accrue over $80K in debt and make $45K your first year post graduation? Do you have hefty loans from undergrad? Make sure to use the following link below to estimate your monthly loan payments and how much your initial loan will result in due to interest charges. For example, a $60,000 loan with an average interest rate of 6.8% with a term of 10 years ends up becoming over $82K. Your total interested paid will be in excess of $22K. Nearly all of us in MSW programs will take our loans and accrue debt, but it's especially important to educate ourselves of the reality of repaying back these loans once we graduate. Luckily, there are plenty of resources and programs offered for social workers in assisting us in this process. However, we shouldn't rely on these resources solely to help us. As social workers, we advocate for others, but we must also learn to advocate for ourselves and educate ourselves. Let's be honest. Debt can be crippling and can vastly affect one's quality of life. http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/091514p14.shtml http://socialwork.nyu.edu/alumni/career-licensing-resources/loan-forgiveness.html Here's a really great thread from 2012 comparing the five big MSW programs in NYC (Fordham, Hunter, NYU, Yeshiva and Columbia): I wish you the best of luck in selecting a program that fits your needs and wants!

Per NYU's website: Based on the above tuition figures, here are the projected total charges in tuition and fees for a typical student enrolled for the fall/spring academic year: Full-Time course load totals for academic year 2015-2016: Advanced Standing: $40,072 based on 32 points total – 16 points Fall ($20,036) and 16 points Spring ($20,036) Two-Year Program: $41,299 based on 33 points total – 17 points Fall ($21,263) and 16 points Spring ($20,036) http://socialwork.nyu.edu/admissions/msw/tuition-fees.html The cost of living in New York City is among the highest and most expensive in the States. NYU does have graduate student housing, but I think it's quite limited: https://www.nyu.edu/life/living-at-nyu.html The cheapest rate I found for on-campus housing at NYU for the 2015-16 academic year was a shared room (that is, you share a room with another student) for $9,190.00 a year. For a single private room in a shared suite/apartment, the cheapest I found was $11,056.00. Lastly, the cheapest private studio/apartment was priced at $16,912.00. https://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/resLifeHousServ/documents/ApplicationsandAssignments/2015-2016AYRates.pdf Compare this information with Columbia University's proposed living expenses for 2015-16 via their website: Living Expenses for 2015–16 The following table lists estimated living expenses based upon reasonable expenditures over a nine month period. To determine a more realistic cost of living, however, you will need to adjust these figures to account for the personal expenses particular to your lifestyle. TUITION AND FEES PER ANNUM Room & Board (rent, utilities, food, etc.) $19,350* Books $1,200 Transportation $1,170* Personal $3,510* TOTAL $25,230 http://socialwork.columbia.edu/student-resources/cost-attendance Essentially, room and board can vary from $12,000 to $20,000 annually depending on your level of comfort (size, privacy, location). You have to figure out if you are willing to spend more money living next to NYU, but sacrifice space and privacy. You will have roommates if you live in Greenwich Village or the surrounding areas (Lower East Side, East Village, NoHo) because of the astronomical prices for a studio (priced at anywhere ranging from $1,600-$2,100 a month). If you are wiling to live in Northern Manhattan (Harlem, Inwood, Washington Heights), your commute will be longer than 40 minutes one way, but you will have more space. You can also look at Brooklyn as well since NYU is in downtown Manhattan. Lastly, here's a great website you can use to gauge the overall cost of living (COL) in NYC and also use it to compare the COL to another city as a benchmark: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=United+States&city=New+York%2C+NY Good luck!

Has anyone heard from UW-Seattle?

Congratulations! Choosing a school is ultimately a very personal decision based on a variety of factors. I hope you find the one that suits you the best. That's really great. If I had family in NYC, I would live with them in a heartbeat to avoid taking out an extra $20K in living expenses and fees! What is your top choice? Fordham, NYU, Columbia, Yeshiva and Hunter are all great schools. It's good to remind yourself that if you plan on becoming a clinical social worker, the curriculum for MSW programs are streamlined and very similar to one another since they are all accredited by CSWE. However, there are differences between these schools as well ranging from price, location, overall arching focus and research areas of specializations. Fordham is a Jesuit school and it's very focused on social justice and assisting those at the margins. There's also the option of three campuses and the College is very flexible in meeting the needs of its students. It's also a generalist program offering both clinical and macro courses. I considered applying to Fordham because of its research focus, but the price tag deterred me. Hunter is New York City's oldest public graduate program in social work and as such, makes it a priority to focus on the New York community by making education affordable so students can ultimately become agents of change in NYC. Hunter is also very focused on topics surrounding social justice, diversity and various isms and is very involved in local politics and government. I do agree that Hunter's lack of immediacy in terms regarding education can be frustrating, but I'm okay with that and advocating for myself. Columbia has name recognition, a vast alumni network (over 20,000), tons of specializations and concentrations and tends to be a bit more macro/generalist in its program based on my experience with their open house and perusing their website. If it wasn't for the price tag, this would be my top choice since I am interested in macro social work and would like to segue into other realms outside of social work such as policy. On the other end, NYU's curriculum has a very clinical focus. If you plan on applying to post-MSW clinical fellowships to accrue your hours for your LCSW and garner experience, many of them require certain courses in psychopathology and theories and techniques of psychotherapy which NYU has. However, you can certainly excel and apply for these post-MSW fellowships if you graduate from any MSW program in the United States that is accredited by the CSWE and have fieldwork experience in whatever it is the fellowship requires. I don't know much about Yeshiva though, but I have a friend who is in their PsyD program and really enjoys it. Lastly, it is important to note that fieldwork is an important part of an MSW program (this is, after all where we learn the foundation of social work and translate theory into practice) and a few of my friends have/are attending these programs and many of these programs offer the same field placements.

Yes, they will render a decision by 3/1, but hopefully a bit earlier. I've already heard back from 4 schools and am now just waiting on 3. I'm waiting on Columbia as well, but I don't think I'll attend either way based on their lack of funding and scholarships in comparison to other schools. It's probably possible to get a graduate assistantship second year since they are a research heavy school to pay for tuition in the form of a tuition waiver or something, but the first year alone with tuition, living expenses and fees are in excess of $69K! Even with a $15K scholarship, that's not financially viable to me. So now, I'm just waiting for CUNY Hunter's decision as I want to stay in New York. I believe Hunter is quite slow because of how many applications they receive (in excess of 1,000) and they also require group interviews. I've had colleagues who were rendered an admissions decision as late as June, but also as early as March in previous admissions cycles. I also heard that your interview invitation timeline depends on the concentration you apply for (clinical vs. macro) and clinical invitations are often earlier because there are more who apply for this concentration.

The following link below is a great resource to your question regarding what types of students enroll in an MSW from the Council on Social Work Education's 2013 survey on social work education in the states: http://www.cswe.org/File.aspx?id=74478 Begin on page 29 which highlights Masters programs in social work. "Enrollment There were 35,178 full-time students enrolled as of fall 2013 in the 213 programs that provided this information, with an average of 165.2 students per program. Overall, full-time master’s students were predominantly female and under 34 years of age. There were 35.1% (n=12,355) full-time students from historically underrepresented groups and 2.0% (n=694) full-time foreign students (no resident visa)."

My decision to enroll at a program are based on two factors: location and price. I prefer to attend a school I can see myself potentially living both short term and long term since fieldwork establishes a set of networks which will help in finding a job after graduation. Secondly, if I decide to pursue the LCSW route, transferring this license to another state can be very difficult and time consuming. Price is a huge deciding factor too. Most social workers I know do not make six figures and I don't want to accrue over $100K in debt even with PSLF, IBR and other options available to me. It's important to me to weigh both the financial risks as well as the expected payoff with an MSW. While the private universities I applied for offered me the most funding, it will still cost more for me to attend than an state university. However, I've found tons of funding and scholarships available which will help cover my costs and tuition for my second year. For those who are still unsure about whether to attend a prestigious, private university or a local, state college, this thread is a good read: Lastly, this NY Times article is a good snippet on ROI in terms of obtaining a graduate degree. While it was published during the recession when students flocked to graduate schools, in terms of the realm of social work, it still rings relatively true. The master’s in social work has become “absolutely essential” to advance in the profession, says Jacqueline B. Mondros, dean of Hunter College’s School of Social Work, of the City University of New York. Ninety percent of the members of the National Association of Social Workers, the field’s largest professional organization, have an M.S.W. But the return on investment won’t tempt. For social workers with the advanced degree, the median salary in 2009 was $55,000, according to the group’s research. Social workers with a B.A. earned $15,000 less, while Ph.D.’s added $17,000 to their median pay. And the investment? Students seeking an M.S.W. borrow an average $35,500; a degree can cost about $20,000 at Hunter or $80,000 at Columbia. By comparison, their M.B.A. counterparts borrow on average $32,000, and more M.S.W. candidates borrow (three-quarters of them; half of M.B.A. students borrow). The rule of thumb for borrowing, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher offinaid.org, is that debt should never exceed starting salary. Ideally, he adds, it should be half that. “I’d be the last person to say not to pursue a dream,” Mr. Kantrowitz says. “But do it with your eyes open.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24roi-t.html?pagewanted=all

Does anyone have any experience with Buffalo's program? I'm intrigued by their trauma and human rights focus and their offerings of certificates as well as their small, but focused international field placements. Since I'm in-state, it's very affordable so I am definitely considering it as an option for enrollment this fall.

Has anyone heard anything from CUNY Hunter in terms of scheduling an interview? I submitted my application in November (now complete) and haven't heard a peep.

Whoops-wrong forum. Sorry!

Does anyone know how competitive graduate assistantships are at BC (both at the GSSW and other departments)? I'm considering BC if I'm able to get a GA to avoid getting into too much debt, but I believe this process starts in March specifically for the GSSW at BC and my tuition deposit is due by the end of this month.

Received an email from Columbia earlier today regarding financial aid, but also pointed out when admissions decisions will be released for Fall 2016: The Office of Admissions expects to release Fall 2016 admissions decisions in mid-to late-February. In order to be considered for financial aid from the School, admitted students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend that you submit the FAFSA prior to receiving your decision letter so that, if you are admitted, your financial aid award letter can be promptly processed and sent to you. So just a few more weeks!

The master’s in social work has become “absolutely essential” to advance in the profession, says Jacqueline B. Mondros, dean of Hunter College’s School of Social Work, of the City University of New York. Ninety percent of the members of the National Association of Social Workers, the field’s largest professional organization, have an M.S.W. But the return on investment won’t tempt. For social workers with the advanced degree, the median salary in 2009 was $55,000, according to the group’s research. Social workers with a B.A. earned $15,000 less, while Ph.D.’s added $17,000 to their median pay. And the investment? Students seeking an M.S.W. borrow an average $35,500; a degree can cost about $20,000 at Hunter or $80,000 at Columbia. By comparison, their M.B.A. counterparts borrow on average $32,000, and more M.S.W. candidates borrow (three-quarters of them; half of M.B.A. students borrow). The rule of thumb for borrowing, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher offinaid.org, is that debt should never exceed starting salary. Ideally, he adds, it should be half that. “I’d be the last person to say not to pursue a dream,” Mr. Kantrowitz says. “But do it with your eyes open.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24roi-t.html?pagewanted=all

Hi there, When a graduate school extends an invitation to an applicant for an interview, it signals a few things. The school wants to get a better picture of who you are and whether your application matches your answers to their questions they ask and further clarification on details they aren't able to get on the paper application. Essentially, the school wants to see if you are a good fit for the school and vice versa. Thus, it's really important for you to have clear, concise answers on why you are interested in Michigan's program versus other MSW programs in the states. Firstly, why are you interested in social work? Are there certain personal or professional experiences that have motivated you to pursue the field? What are your ultimate professional goals as a social worker? How would you be a positive addition to the program? Secondly, is there a specific program Michigan offers you're particularly interested in? Is it the focus of the curriculum and overall mission of the school? The research opportunities? I was really drawn to Michigan for its global focus, international field placements as well as its research opportunities. Since you're from the New York metropolitan area, they might ask you why you applied to Michigan and not to a slew of NYC MSW programs (Columbia, Rutgers, Hunter, NYU, Yeshiva). Make sure to give the website a thorough look over and review your application package as well (especially the admissions essays). Best of luck!

Does anyone have knowledge of UChicago's waitlist? I've accepted a slot on the list and it's one of my top choices due to the generalist/interdisciplinary focus as well of its generous funding, but I've already received two acceptances and am unsure if I will have to wait until after June or so to hear back (I know some schools like Michigan and UWashington are notorious for their delayed notifications for those on the waitlist and some have waited until August to hear back).

I think Michigan is reviewing the special programs (Scholarships & Funding) first. I applied for the Global Activities Scholars Program by the priority deadline of 12/1 and received a rejection email yesterday afternoon. I'm bummed, but GASP only accepts 6 people a year and Michigan was my reach program/school so I wasn't too shocked. So for those who applied for the specials programs, you should be hearing soon. Good luck everyone!

Yes, you should be fine as long as you supplement and create a compelling admissions package (essay, recommendations, etc.). I've had friends and former colleagues who received an admission to Columbia, but not at Hunter or other state schools even with a GPA below or around 3.0. Prior to applying for MSW programs, I applied for a masters program at Columbia with a GPA slightly lower than 3.0 and received an admission to Columbia. It was way too expensive even with a small scholarship, so I had to decline. Good luck!