BrendonSW

You sound like a fantastic candidate! Congrats on your early admission offer with WUSTL! Is there a school that you’d say is your number one choice?

When I spoke with someone from MSU, they said they'd be making decisions on or around January 22nd. She said I'd likely hear back at the end of January. MSU would be a great program to work with faculty researching older adults! Are there specific faculty members you're interested in working with? Also, I currently live in Maryland and work at Johns Hopkins. If you'd like to know more about Maryland or UMBC, feel free to ask! My top school is the University of Denver (DU). I ended up applying to DU, MSU, and U-Michigan. Since I applied by the early deadline at Denver, they said I'll likely hear back this month. I'm very nervous considering how competitive the program is. I really like DU because they seem to use an anti-oppressive lens, and recent graduates of the program spoke very highly of their experience. I'm hoping to focus my research on transgender and nonbinary health, and DU has a few faculty who are really dedicated to this area of research.

Good luck to you! I hope you hear back soon. I submitted my applications by the 12/1 or 12/15 deadline at all schools and haven’t heard back yet. I believe I will hear back from Univ. of Denver and Michigan State sometime this month. Univ. of Michigan on the other hand tends to take longer. In the past, applicants have heard back mid-to-end of February. The wait is definitely the hardest part for me. One day I’m optimistic, the next I’m super anxious! Any idea when you’ll start hearing back? Here’s hoping for some positive news soon!

You sound like a great applicant! When I spoke with potential advisors at the schools I applied to, they all said that each candidate is reviewed holistically. I didn’t do very well on the GRE and I won’t have my first publication until this year, so I can understand why you’d be a bit worried. With that said, almost everyone I talked with said that the personal statement (or statement of purpose) is typically the most important piece of your application. They really want to know that you’re ready for a PhD and that there’s going to be support and a good faculty fit for you. Having a faculty fit is extremely important. The GRE doesn’t define who you are or your worthiness for a PhD program! Is there a program you really want to get into? Best of luck to you, keep us posted!

Ah! I misread. FAFSA does send a letter in February/March. I was thinking about the social work department’s scholarships for you. Those usually come within a week of receiving an acceptance (in my experience). I believe my FAFSA came in February. The FAFSA for MSW programs really outlines which federal loans you’re eligible to receive. I don’t believe I received any federal aid for grad school.

When I received my acceptance letters, the award letter typically came within a week. Now that 2 weeks have passed, have you received your letter yet?

I think you should reach out to them. Sure, it might feel a little late, but life happens and people delay things like this for a reason. You can also acknowledge this in your email. Although it may feel late to you, sending an email like this reminds them of who you are, shows you're invested, and could also influence one of the PI's to put in a word with the admissions review committee for you. You never know, one of the PI's may even be on that committee. I think it's 100% worth reaching out. Here's somewhat of a template that I might use: "Dear ____, I hope you're doing well and having a great week so far! I am emailing you to let you know that I submitted my application to the Neuroscience PhD program a few weeks ago. I have been meaning to send you an email to inform you, but life has gotten busy and I'm just now getting around to this. Based on our conversations (you can say "about ______"), I am super excited to potentially work with you. Our conversation really encouraged me to apply to the program, and I wanted to personally thank you for that. Best (Name)" Good luck!

Fingers crossed! When do you expect to hear back from most schools? Do you have 1-2 schools that you're leaning toward or hoping for?

Based on my experience, I'd offer similar advice. Check in with the financial office and see if there's a way to be considered for more financial aid. I'd check in with the financial aid office located within the School of Social Work. I'd also look on the school's website to see what scholarships are available. As I mentioned above, sometimes there are only a few applicants for scholarships, so you have a better chance than you may think!

2 years later and I'm finally back on this site! I will go ahead and respond just in case anyone happens to check this thread wanting to know the same information. I emailed Tim Colenback regarding the re-review. When I reached out to him, I explained that I had not been offered enough funds to justify attending U of M and wanted to know if there was any additional aid I could apply for. He responded with a form for me to fill out and asked me to submit an essay basically outlining why I need the money, my career goals, etc. I believe the essay was around 5-7 pages long. I submitted everything to him in mid-April and received a response in late May stating that my request had been declined. I didn't respond to the "rejection" email and was pleasantly surprised when I was awarded additional funds 2-3 weeks later. Thinking back on it, it probably wouldn't have hurt to send him a thank you email after the rejection and a reminder that I still needed more funds if they became available. Regardless, I was able to receive more funds and decided to attend U of M. My initial scholarship amount was *deep breath* $3,000 per semester. I personally would have never attended without more money. Ann Arbor is not an affordable area. I've lived in Nashville and Baltimore and found Ann Arbor to be more expensive than both. During the re-review, I requested an additional $12,000 per semester. Ultimately, I received $15,000 each semester and ended up still going $40,000+ in debt for a program that took me less than a year to complete. To answer the question above, they never told me about a maximum amount. However, I did meet a student in the program who was from out-of-state and she received a full scholarship to attend the MSW program. Her tuition was completely covered. My advice: push them. Advocate for yourself. Advocate for yourself all the way up until your orientation and continue to advocate for yourself after that. People drop out of the program, they defer, many students don't accept to attend, etc. which makes funds become available throughout the school year. Also, apply for ANY scholarships offered through the SSW. I currently sit on a scholarship review committee and there is typically a very small applicant pool for SSW scholarships. Hope this helps someone!

Good luck! Are most of your deadlines coming up on December 1? One of mine (U of Michigan) is coming up on the 18th of this month...

Hi folks! My name is Brendon and I used this site a lot back in 2016 when I was applying to MSW programs. Since the site was so helpful then, I wanted to create a thread for those looking into PhD programs in Social Work to be admitted in 2020. I started looking into programs in late 2018 and began making faculty connections then. Over the past month or so, I've officially decided to apply. I haven't 100% decided on where I'm applying but I have a few programs in mind. Those include: (1) University of Michigan, (2) Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), (3) Michigan State University, (4) University of Denver, (5) Hunter College, and lastly, (6) University of Washington. I'd like to only apply to 3-4 schools, so I'm currently trying to eliminate 2-3 from my list. My main priority is having a program that feels supportive of me, my interests, and my professional goals. I specifically want to work with LGBTQ+ people (even more specifically, trans and nonbinary folks), so finding an affirming school is also a priority. How are other folks feeling? Do you have a few schools in mind? What are your main areas of interest? I really wanted to create this thread as a way for us to support one another and possibly get answers! It's nice to know you aren't alone when going through this process and that there's an entire community of people going through something similar.

Hey friends! I haven't been on here since May, so I wanted to give a quick update. I moved to Ann Arbor last week! I'm all set and ready to go for the academic year. I'm very excited to meet you all, so please say hi at orientation if we cross paths! I'll be in the Self-Reflection/Mindfulness SEED mini course. As for financial aid, I told you all back in April that I appealed my financial aid package from SSW. Originally, I was offered $9,000 for the entire program (advanced standing). At the end of May, my appeal was denied. A week later, my appeal was reversed and I was offered much more. For any folks applying for next fall, do not give up. If there's one thing I learned during this entire process, it's don't give up and keep trying. I was offered enough to cover more than half of my tuition. Initially, only about 10% of my tuition was being covered. Seriously. Don't give up. I'm looking forward to meeting you guys. I'm totally introverted, so hopefully being on here will help connect us in person.

Hey, David! First of all, congrats! I'll be heading to Ann Arbor in the Fall and I'm from Tennessee. I'm looking forward to meeting you if you decide to commit. Regarding the financial re-review, I had absolutely no luck. I submitted the re-review form in March and finally heard back on Tuesday of this week. I called Tim (he's on the financial aid review committee) and he said they did not have additional funds after the May 15 deadline (this was the final day for people to accept/decline scholarship $$). I was hoping (and kind of expecting) at least $1,000 extra but literally nothing. I swallowed the debt pill and decided to apply for the grad PLUS loan. Tim did say that if any additional funds become available I will be considered. I guess that's not the worst news. I'm also going to continue looking into scholarships at U of M and national/local scholarships. There's also the small possibility that your field placement will offer a stipend. I think 2 out of the 6 I applied for had stipends or reimbursements. And there's also a chance you could do research with a faculty member. I did that during undergrad and luckily walked out with no debt. Anything is possible. At this point, I'm hoping everything works out for the best and that this entire experience is worth the financial burden.

Has anyone lived at or heard about Liberty Grand?

I got an increase from $12,000 to $15,000. I'm wondering if the higher you were originally awarded, the more they give? I would do a second appeal. It isn't unheard of. I declined my offer this past week, so that opens up $15,000. Maybe if you appeal again, it would increase to at least $10,000, if not more. Good luck! Also, did any other schools offer you all more money? I've heard of NYU matching. You could always submit the appeal form and email Byron Cortes with the other schools offer. He's the main guy this process goes through.

Haha I feel ya! $1200 is my housing budget, too, so I understand your struggle. Maybe we could message and discuss this? I'm having a difficult time. But seriously, I'm excited to be going and excited to meet you and whoever else goes!

I am officially attending the University of Michigan in the fall. Best of luck to y'all and hope to meet some of you at U-M!

@ediblestranger Thanks for the reply. I will be sure to look into loan forgiveness and income-based repayment. I've applied for more scholarships and reached out regarding research assistantships and graduate assistantships in other departments. I think I will end up in a decent position once it's all said and done. And please do let me know when you find out about health insurance. That would be amazing! On a side note: I committed to U of Michigan today and will be in the advanced standing program! This is the school that my mind was set on and I've had good vibes during the entire application process. I can't believe I finally made a decision, but here we are! I'm very excited. And I am looking forward to meeting several of you.

I will be declining NYU today or tomorrow. I've decided to commit to the University of Michigan. I truly hope one of you gets my spot and I wish you all the very best. I'll still linger around on this thread because you all have been very supportive and kind during this process.

Congrats, @Opt4theBest! I think I'm going to commit to U of M as long as they match all financial aid.

No, not yet. It's between NYU and U of Michigan. I just can't decide. I'm stuck. Have you decided yet?

I called the social work office and spoke with Byron. He said the appeals are going out slowly but most of them are done. He also told me my appeal amount and said it would post to my account in a couple of weeks. Just call him if you haven't heard back yet. Byron Cortes is his name.

I haven't heard back regarding my appeal yet. Have you guys?

I applied to the CBI program but didn't get in. I didn't expect to, though. My application was spare of the moment. I'm meeting with a mentor of mine on Friday to re-evaluate everything. I really would love to attend U of M. I just need more financial assistance. If I could get around 50% of my tuition covered, I would be content. As of right now, NYU has offered me the most. The problem with that is that U of M has the program I want. NYU is more clinical and I've decided that the macro / organizational track is 100% what I want. I'm stuck, to be honest. Meeting with one of my mentors will be good because I need to make lots of lists and literally reassess this entire thing. I need a fresh mind and fresh eyes. I know there's $$ out there, I've just got to keep looking and applying. I'm also keeping an eye out for research opportunities. I've presented at several national and local conferences (my own research) and know there's opportunities for that sometimes. How's everyone else doing? Any final decisions?