HannahRae

Just got my last acceptance to Portland State!

Thank you! I am so excited to start, perhaps too excited. I already made a mock schedule of my first term so I am ready when class registration starts. I may have also already got myself a Loyola grad school shirt.....

You should email the person who sent signed your admission letter!

Woo my girlfriend and I just both got accepted to Madison!!

Yes!!

I definitely struggled making my decision! I feel very lucky that my top two programs are both just a bus or train ride away from me so after I was accepted to both, the location factor didn't really matter to me anymore. It really came down to money and program fit for me. Both Loyola and University of Chicago are great programs but, they offer very different things. UChicago being very research based and as many current students and alumni have told me, a very competitive environment. Loyola is very clinically focused and most of the professors are also practicing clinicians. After speaking with many people from both programs I found myself very drawn to Loyola. I honestly can't stress enough how much talking with current and past students helped. Financially I received scholarships from UChicago that make the program only slightly more expensive than Loyola that nicely evened the playing field. I think what really tipped the scales was a bunch of small things that added up in Loyoals favor. I also say, go with your gut! If something doesn't feel right or something really clicks, listen to that feeling! And if anyone has questions about either program I would be happy to share what I learned from students and alums!

The best rejection comment yet.

I live right up the street from UChicago so let me know if you want and info about housing around here or stuff about the neighborhood in general!!

Just got accepted to Denver! Even though I've accepted another offer, it is still really exciting to have that rush after an acceptance. I'm going to celebrate by going to Target and buying shit I don't need!

Someone seems upset.

Oh my god the University of Wisconsin-Madison MSW page is a mess. It honestly looks like it was made in the early 2000's has never been updated. It take so many different, confusing steps just to get to the application. In the past few weeks it seems like they have tried to improve it but honestly, it is just more confusing. Now when you click the apply button instead of being rewarded with the application that it took 10 minutes to find, you are sent to a weird page that gives you all the details of the program that should be in the rest of the site. You are then left to find another small apply button which finally takes you to the log in page. It is honestly distressing. Also, why is the original apply button all the way at the bottom of the page under the heading "Technical Support" ??

Something that is making me feel a little better and a little more in control of the pile of debt heading my way is making a detailed budget with tuition, fees and my living expenses for the next two years. I was able to calculate my estimated amounts each year with the interest I'll be accruing and seeing that number, while a bit scary, feels kind of manageable, especially after doing research into income based repayment.

I've definitely have several sleepless nights thinking about how much this degree will cost. I feel very lucky because my housing cost is pretty low and I have a job that allow me to save a good chunk of money before school starts. I just keep telling myself that this degree is essential to my career and it's what I need to achieve my goals. But, 45k of debt is still a scary thing to contemplate.

I was worried about this as well after my initial scholarship offer! I asked some of my friends who are current SSA students and they said to absolutely ask for more money and advised me to write to the person who signed my offer letter. I was offered 6,000 more than my original offer.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive admission offers from 3 great schools. I was shocked and thrilled but also nervous and stressed about making a decision. One of them, UMB, was easy to turn down because I realized that their program didn't completely align with my focus but, I was sad because the idea of moving to Baltimore was really exciting. The other two, Loyola Chicago and University of Chicago were my top schools and I honestly didn't sleep for a few days. I am lucky to know several people who either attend or have attended both programs and live down the street from UChicago so talking to people is what really made the decision for me. The big categories I weighed were: - Faculty (Are the professors doing work I am interested and are they there to actually teach rather than just do research) -Environment ( What kind of space do I want to be in for the next two years? Do I want ultra competitive or do I want supportive but challenging? ) - Opportunities ( A big name and top ranking comes with big opportunities. But, this is social work and I am not trying to become the next great researcher sooooo) -Program Fit ( Is this school going to prepare me to work with clients and actually utilize theory and treatment methods? Or it is all about the critical theory of the profession) I assume most other people will include location but I live 10 minutes from one and 30 from the other so it didn't matter to me. Talking with as many people as I could, especially those who had graduated recently, was what really helped me to put all of these categories into perspective. I couldn't be more happy with my decision to attend Loyola Chicago!

Hello fellow grad school 2018 applicants! I know this is kind of early in the game but, I wanted to start a thread for people who have either made their decision, or are in the process of making their decision about where they intend to attend grad school! After much much much thought and worry and back and forth, I have accepted my offer from Loyola University Chicago to attend their MSW program specializing in mental health! Anyone else out there feeling feelings, making hard decisions!?

I've heard great things about the MA in WSGS! What is your general impression of the social work program and do you feel like the classes prepare you for working with clients?

They have two scholarships on their website that are up to 25,000 a year the application for the one I did was fairly easy! They also consider students for need based and merit scholarships when looking at their applications. I was told they send out notice of scholarships and aid in the first week of March. At the open house I attended they spoke about the dual degrees and specifically talked about how the women and gender studies masters is great for people who want to work with women and the queer community. A few of the alumni there talked about the process of getting assistantships and that they post them online as well as mentioning open positions in class. They said they were paid about 12/hr.

Has anyone gone to a class visit? What was your experience like?

Hello! I wanted to see if there are any other people applying to Loyola University Chicago! I have always liked their program but after receiving my acceptance I found myself thinking of it as a my top choice! I went to an open house and the current students and alumni emphasized how much they valued their time in the program. They stated that the clinical program is extremely comprehensive, and ensures that it students can take what they learn and use it practically as clinicians.

They did say that many of their professors have been wonderful and that the really enjoy their second field placements. They also mentioned the many opportunities to make connections. And speaking from personal experience, Hyde Park is a wonderful neighborhood to live in! The housing is pretty affordable and there are great place to eat!

So, having dinner with my friend and another current SSA student, helped me to decide to decline my offer! They both spoke about (and I have heard this from several others) that their classes did not prepare them to take what they were learning and to apply it to practical situations. They also spoke about an unhealthy sense of entitlement and aggressive competition among the students. As someone who lives in Hyde Park and and interacts with UofC students everyday, that last part didn't surprise me. They both confirmed what I had inferred from the information session I attended that many SSA students see themselves as better than other social work students in the city, even though there are two other great programs. They didn't say they regretted attending SSA but that they wish it was less theory based and more clinical. They did state that those who are interested in research and theory really enjoyed the program but that for those who are pursuing clinical career and want to live in Chicago should look at Loyola. It was a very eye opening dinner and really confirmed what I have heard from co-workers who attended the program and other alumni.

I would be happy to help!! I am also having dinner with a good friend who is finishing up her second year at SSA so If anyone wants me to share that information I would be glad to!

I was wondering how you can find out if you are eligible for work study?

Hi! This happened to me with everything that was submitted for my app! eventually everything showed up as received!