annadreams

I talked with some people in enrollment at Silberman today, and they reiterated that the admissions process for Fall is still happening right now - so I would not conclude that you didn't get in yet. But that said, I share your anxieties and I also continue to be in the same boat without a conclusive yes or no. Ugh! I'm not sure if this was explained elsewhere in the thread, but for anyone else stuck waiting now, or who may be reading this in the future: the person at Silberman who I spoke with was more clear in defining what "Pending Program Decision" means than I had understood before. This means your application has been reviewed; they've assessed that you're a good, qualified candidate; but the reviewers have some reservations. In my case, this is related to my lack of direct experience in the field of social work, which I can certainly understand - I'm coming in as a career-changer. So the decision comes down to the Director of Enrollment reviewing your application to weigh out if the concerns are enough to tip your application one way or another, or at least that's what was explained to me today. I don't know if it's solely that person's decision, but it's primarily up to them now. Your fate is in their hands if you see the words "Pending Program Decision" in your application portal. In my own app process, I'm frustrated. I've formally declined two of my acceptances; I put down the deposit for NYU and will be registering for classes, but I wish I could have known by now what all of my options truly are in total. I'm also moving apartments soon - if I were to be commuting up to Silberman, that would be a really important factor to know! Even if I could've known sooner that I was not offered admission, that would have been helpful information for comparing my options and deciding with more certainty earlier on... I hope that you have heard something by now, OP! And I hope anyone else stuck in limbo gets some answers soon.

Echoing @MSWNYC above - you should definitely fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible. When it gets to the part with the school codes, you'll put in Hunter's - you'll be able to look up the code when you get to that part. And send it to/enter the code for any other schools you're still considering, too! For housing - I think you should speak to people at the school directly for this. My impression is that most if not nearly all students live off-campus, in housing of their own arrangements. If there is an on-campus option, I would try and reach out soon to figure out what that process looks like (is there an application, are there any criteria for getting it, are there different locations, etc.). Good luck!

Got it - yeah, that's the impression I have, too - more policy, and it seems many people come in interested in the dual MSW/MPH path that they offer. When someone asks, "what are the most clinically focused MSW programs?" I don't think Columbia is typically brought up; though that is not to say well-trained clinicians aren't coming out of Columbia's MSW program - of course there are. I have a vague impression that their counseling psych program at Teachers College may have the bigger draw for future therapists than the MSW program, but I could be wrong on that. I have found the most clarity about the differentiating aspects between programs from talking to current students directly. I encourage you to reach out to NYU if they haven't already paired you with someone; I'm sure Columbia has a similar way to get you in touch with their students, or perhaps will have some admitted students event for facilitating such discussions. You could very well end up talking to someone who was recently making this same exact decision. And maybe see if there could be a way to sit in on virtual classes; I am doing that soon for USC. I am most likely going to NYU, but I'm still deciding! If I get into Hunter (which is no guarantee, especially coming in as a career-changer), I would have a stark debt comparison to consider. Though I am still glad that I applied to the CA programs, I am starting to feel that they both make a bit less sense for my long term plans...

I posted a response to this same question from another user a little while back - page 29 of this thread, or check my profile to find it! The short version: I recently talked to someone who picked NYU over Columbia. She said it was because NYU seemed more clinically focused overall, and that it has a broader and/or more psychodynamic orientation (vs. CBT). That's one person's opinion (and she is a person who wants to work as a therapist as an LCSW in private practice). This general impression has been echoed by others who I have talked with in the field. (It could be worth noting that I personally decided not to apply to Columbia, so I have likely not investigated the "pros" of their program deep enough, or to the same degree of research as how I am evaluating NYU's program.) I'm not sure what your personal criteria or wishes are for deciding on the programs, or also what it is that you are more broadly hoping to get from the MSW degree and experience of study. With more info, others may be able to steer you or give you more tailored insights. Good luck in your decision, and congrats on all your acceptances!

Yes, another vote to definitely ask the programs for extensions! I requested and got an extension to decide from USC, too. It's of course in the schools' interest to get people committed as early as they can, but for the most part they will try to work with you. I'm in the same situation, and I'm somewhat prepared to put down deposits in a while but trying to avoid it; one school I applied to has flat out stated that we're not hearing anything until mid April. It's confusing to me how beholden MSW programs are to the Council of Graduate Schools "April 15 Resolution." But in theory, I don't think they can require you to enroll with a deadline prior to April 15 if there's "financial support" attached to your offer of admission. (It's unclear to me if schools of social work within universities are considered professional schools with their own rules or not...) It's definitely worth asking before putting down money that you can't get back!

My understanding is that NYU is more clinically focused of the two, but of course both MSW degrees are considered equivalent and can be used for the same paths of licensure and yes, you can absolutely make a more clinical path at Columbia. I would not put a ton of stock in "reputation" in your decision, but for what it's worth they both have a very good reputation within New York City. I've been offered admission to NYU and was recently talking with a current second year student hoping to work in private practice eventually - she was originally making the same decision that you are now, NYU vs. Columbia. Part of what helped her make the decision was that NYU seemed more psychodynamically oriented while Columbia's program seemed more into CBT, or more evidence-based theories of change, in her point of view. This is one person's impression, but it also has been echoed in conversations with other people I've talked to in the field. Columbia more macro, more public health oriented; NYU more clinical, perhaps more social justice oriented? You're going to get a very good training at either school; you're going to get similar field work experiences, which may be fairly luck of the draw (especially for first year) in either school; both schools have good relationships with good partners in the field; and you're going to graduate with the same MSW. There are happy students and less than happy students in both programs. Both are large universities with a lot of bureaucracy to navigate but also a lot of resources. Look at the electives offered, look at the professors you would want to work with, look at the overall support or advising that seems available within the university, talk to current students, talk to recent alums, and seriously weigh the financial implications of your offers. Try and get a sense of the classroom experience, and how students have an easy or hard time getting what they need. How does this all align with your desires? Those are the things I'd be looking at to compare more than anything else. Then, the California relocation aspect - neither program has any advantage in this arena, I wouldn't think?? This is straying away from the grad school discussion a bit but I'll give you a bit of context, from my impressions: If you were to be awarded your LMSW license in New York State, and then you were trying to transfer that over to the state of California, it doesn't matter what school you went to for getting that Masters of Social Work degree (both schools are CSWE accredited). You'll have to figure out how the hours you accrued as a student in NY carry over to the license you're testing for in CA, and/or how any supervised hours post-degree in the state of NY under supervision would then get counted when transferring it all to CA. You may need to do more hours in California unlicensed than you would if you were getting licensed in NY with those hours/you may or may not need to kind of "reset the clock" when you move. Also, you may end up wanting to test for an MFT in California instead of an LCSW, and you'd then need to figure out how those rules fit with what you've completed in New York. I doubt that either school will have any kind of top secret tips on how to navigate the fine print of all of this. Their priority in any career preparedness stuff will be much more focused on navigating your field placements and the AWSB exam itself, not in helping you map out this process 2 years post-grad. I think you're going to have to be a bit of a squeaky wheel to find your answers in this endeavor regardless of the school you go to when the time comes. But there is a way, and there will surely be faculty and alumni of either school who got degrees and licenses in other states - so many people have done this! I just wouldn't include this aspect in your decision here.

^^^ Yes, Hunter (Silberman) extended their deadline to March 15, with all supporting application materials in by April 1. It's updated here! https://sssw.hunter.cuny.edu/admissions/deadlines/ So @raesin19, I wouldn't be too scared about giving off a "bottom of the barrel" vibe getting your application into them soon. In general, I would encourage you to submit any apps to any programs you're interested in that still have their portals open. It's not guaranteed they will review your app or accept you, but if you don't submit, they CERTAINLY will not - you know what I mean? Good luck!