[Fall 2020 PhD Social Work / Welfare]

On 1/1/2020 at 10:40 PM, BrendonSW said:

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!

Thanks for the positive vibes! Good luck to you too! I know Michigan State is reviewing apps now but I have no idea when they will give decisions. I am leaning towards programs with faculty researching elder concerns (MSU and Maryland), but there is a professor at ASU that I would love to work with. Do you have a top school? In my searching, I looked for programs that have either a social justice focus or have faculty that seem to support cultural humility. 

[Fall 2020 PhD Social Work / Welfare]

I am feeling excited and a bit nervous. I applied to five schools for Fall 2020. I am not sure about the strength of my applications as I've been out of school for a while and have no publications and average GRE scores. I've been practicing in the field for seven years and I want to explore social issues (clinician bias, validity of assessments for use with diverse populations, access to non-traditional therapeutic services i.e. Mindfulness-based interventions) via research and I've always wanted to teach. I am hopeful ? but also planning to take a vacation in April, so I am anticipating travel instead of which offers will be made, and another one in July to either celebrate or as a consolation! Best of luck to everyone during this process! I am glad this forum is here ? 

[Fall 2020 PhD!]

I applied to five schools for Fall 2020. My deadlines are all January 1st and January 15th so I don't expect to hear back for quite some time. My story: I am licensed to practice independently in Arizona (LCSW) and this is my 5th year working as a mental health therapist. I love the work that I do and it has raised questions that I would like to explore via research. I've also wanted to teach for a while now. I don't have a strong research background. I completed the thesis option and did some research in undergrad, but that was over 10 years ago. My GRE scores were average and GPA was standard. I am not sure what my chances are but I am excited!