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UrbanMidwest

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Everything posted by UrbanMidwest

  1. Has anyone had experience with this program or knows anyone who currently is in it or completed it? My current work with children and adolescents who have social skill deficits and/or behavior & emotional issues has led me to become more familiar with the concepts and theories behind their disorders. Besides trying to be an autodidact, I'm interesting in delving into human emotions and self-regulation in a formal setting. I've looked into HES' psych course offerings and it may be something I might seriously pursue as I become more experienced in my specialty (school social work).
  2. What were the pros and cons in your mind? Harvard GSE's HDP is one my list for a masters. I'd like to study the basis of emotions and self-regulation. I'm also open to the GSE's MBE program.
  3. The wonderful thing about MSW programs is that they tend to attract a gamut of ages from just recent undergraduates in their early 20s to mothers (and fathers) in their 40s. As for 3 vs 2 yr degrees it doesn't matter: what matters if the program is CSWE accredited and if the same support in finding internships to the full-time students is offered to the part-time. The main difference is that instead of completely all your classes in the first year they'll be spread out, taking two every semester (or however it breaks down). I'd suggest contacting the program you're eyeing and asking if you can get in touch with any past or current students that were in the 3 year option for their experience.
  4. OT (so I apologize for thread jacking): Yea, experienced the extreme cold (today was beautiful compared to Wednesday and Thursday). Hyde Park, eh? I have close family friends in Hyde Park and a godmother in Bridgeport. Chatham's a nice SS neighborhood; I'm actually considering buying a bungalow house there.
  5. Another Chicagoan. What neighborhood/side if you don't mind me asking? I was born on the SS, then moved to the North Side, then back to SS (SW specifically).
  6. Yes and no. Pros: All but two of my professors have real world experience in my field. The best one has been a law professor. All of my professors have been somewhat likeable. Most of my classmates have been nice, not to mention unintentionally funny when speaking about the horrid practices they've faced when working. I've gained something from all of my classes that I can use once in the field. Knowing you'll graduate from a respective program let alone university. The great college athletics and university vibe. Cons: There's cognitive dissonance at times, as if my professors live in a bubble. I can expand on this but not here. PM if you want to learn more. In all but one class so far the professor has said something highly questionable on sensitive/controversial topics. One time it took me 30 seconds to come with information that successfully countered a statement my professor said (just brute facts I came up with); another time when I brought up counterpoints for a controversial topic the same professor basically went all "Well it's all still up in the air! Oh, look at the time! Class dismissed!" Classroom discussions. If you rock the boat you'll be "that person." A couple of professors just don't respond to emails. Some of my classmates aren't welcoming -- at all. For example there are those that will avoid you because they perceive you as inferior in terms of work experience. This avoidance spreads to group discussions and peer assessments. Emails from the president and chancellor emphasizing inclusiveness and the strength of diversity. I hope they're getting paid by the letter. The debt.
  7. Where did you get those tuition prices? I attend one of the schools listed and I'm paying 10K more than what's listed.
  8. I think it's better to help them understand the value that your degree might possibly bring to the world and your goals than fall on passive-aggressive actions demeaning their day job (oh noes you work corporate how soul crushing!).
  9. I don't. I just say I'm thinking of obtaining a doctorate to become a professor. Those that ask, non doctorate or advanced degree holders, don't necessarily respond in a negative or condescending way. They usually respond "Oh, that's cool." I have a few PhD holders on my father's side and a family friend is currently pursuing a doctorate in chemistry. Pursuing doctorates may sound like the norm in my family but it's not. It helps that my family sees higher education as something to invest in, so anything beyond a bachelor's degree is seen as fine as long as it serves a purpose for a career goal, and so far every advanced degree sought out in my family was for career advancement.
  10. Keep in mind that you're paying for two degrees if you do this, so twice as much debt with the hopes of more skills upon graduation. Besides the MSW/MBA, the MSW/JD route is the one that'll sink anyone into a deep ocean of red. If you can find a university where both degrees are at a relatively cheap price, can be taken jointly. even better if the MBA program has some prestige behind it, the better. I'm not in a joint program, but I might seek out an MBA where I'm getting my MSW because it's offered at such a low price point, granted the program is all online but the online portion has the fortune to carry the prestige of the brick & mortar program it falls under.
  11. Girl I liked in high school went to my undergraduate school. Before I learned this I said to myself, "Damn, that would be weird if she went here." She did. Girl I like in my hometown is attending the same university I attend for grad school. Before I learned this I said to myself, "Damn, we have a lot of things in common." Now we have too much in common. What does this mean? EDIT: Also, this semester totally sucks.
  12. @cavenue said, "Steve Bannon has a degree from HBS. Let me just leave it at that." You're right, Bannon does have a degree from HBS - an MBA, specifically. And you don't. He apparently graduated with honors as well. Let me just leave it at that.
  13. Just focusing on you post what are these "unearned advantages"? What exactly were you taught in these women's studies classes?
  14. Hi. You've been through some tough times - good for you for your perseverance. As for admissions, depending on what programs you apply to I wouldn't worry much. Your internships, upward trajectory of your GPA (most programs want a 3.0 or higher), and your extracurricular activities should make a program want you. Red Cross, career counseling, internships ... all look and sound great. Just polish your personal statements and I think you'll be set. This is an MSW; applying is not nearly the same amount of stress as wanting to get into a top tier MBA, law or PhD program. I will bet some money that the admissions committee won't be splitting hairs. Just relax, be confident in what you have already. You'll be fine.
  15. Or that PhD programs have funding and that a PhD is mainly about research, hence they publish. Nice try.
  16. Here are the professors at SSA whose area of "expertise" involves crime. You might find a couple that suits your research interests. There are also some research labs associated with the program and Crime Lab may be something of interest as well. Also, what PoliticalOrder said about the Harris school.
  17. Fit over ranking. Ranking/prestige for an MSW isn't entirely important, if not overplayed. For the JD, are you sure you want to practice law? I ask because wisdom says that "only do a JD if you want to practice law." I agree with this. (Unless you're making serious dough doing something else after graduation.) Same thing with an MD for medicine. If you want to help the incarcerated by policy reform, an MPP/MPA may do the job alongside an MSW. It can also be cheaper than a JD. Cheaper program over more expensive program. On one hand UPenn looks like a better fit while UChicago makes the pursuit of the degree cheaper. Does UChicago's curriculum have some similar courses to UPenn's re-entry program? You may find a sweet spot; a possible internship with Chicago's prison system during your second year. Ideally UPenn would be cheaper to make your predicament easier, but that's not the case. The thing that sways me to UChicago is that it's cheaper. You can also do a joint degree leading up to a MSW & MPP (The MPP I heard is quant. heavy.) Also factor in living expenses for the city of Chicago & Philadelphia. If you want to do law with an MSW, then UPenn seems like the choice given what you said about fit. If you're unsure about law you can do UChicago's joint program and achieve that sweet spot for fit while graduating with less debt with the program prestige card (though, again, not entirely important.) Just keep in mind the salary of the jobs you want coming out of professional school in order to pay back any loans.
  18. Awesome! And yes, finally!
  19. Just in case the university asks for it when applying. As for time, it all depends on how he prioritizes. Again, he should check the universities that have a BSW that he wants to transfer to and if they don't need an ACT then he's fine. If he does then I just see it as another step to achieve his goal. People study for the GMAT/GRE/EPP/MCAT so I don't see the issue studying for the ACT if it's needed. Once he obtains his MSW he'll have to sit for exams after two years of supervised work to gain his LCSW.
  20. I'm from the state of Illinois. A paradox for using the master's as a way to distinguish one self is that eventually the trend will catch on and then the master's will be the ubiquitous degree. The gluttony of applicants is probably the byproduct of many political, if not controversial things e.g. too many people attending university, economy just not keeping up with the workforce demand, too many deciding to enter education. I'm trying to think of my friends who are in elementary or high school education ... I do believe each found a job within six months of graduation. One's an elementary music teacher, another is a high school history teacher, another teaches AP History at a private high school, and the rest are elementary teachers teaching reading and social sciences, a mixture of public and private. I believe only one received her master's before she was fully employed; the rest were hired straight out of undergrad with some gaining their master's a few years down the line.
  21. bold: I'm not an educator, but I find this somewhat strange. Some of the best teachers I've had in elementary school and in high school didn't have a master's. (Keep in mind I went to private schools in the Midwest, so being certified wasn't a criteria.) They were erudite about their subject and were effective teachers. Math was my weakest subject and I was grateful to have a teacher that made it approachable - the man had a gift. I'm also surprised that elementary teachers needing a master's can get it in social work. Everyone in my cohort is entering the field with the mentality that they're going to be social workers, whether it's in schools, hospitals, hospices, government agencies, or in policy work. second bold: Many of the teachers in my high school that had a master's had it in their subject e.g. chemistry - master's in chemistry, bio - master's in bio, music - master's in music ed. Again, keep in mind this was in a private school setting. If a teacher was looking for a job in English and my high school had an opening, they'd first look if he had a degree in English and his teaching experience. A master's wasn't needed. Of course, my high school's degree standard isn't the same with other privates within the area. One private boasts that at least 70% of its faculty has a master's. I get the feeling that my high school encouraged its faculty to get a terminal degree if it furthered their knowledge about their subject; I didn't get the feeling that was for marketing.
  22. @Heather1011 I'm currently a candidate for a master's in social work. I'm taking a survey course in welfare history and it's rather easy. So far all the assignments were somewhat of a breeze. The only "hard" part was figuring out a couple of questions on quizzes that had unclear wording, making it hard to understand what exactly it was asking. @Gabrielle I wouldn't think much about it. If you're are excelling in the program due to your work ethic and being "the best" within your cohort I don't think you should be insecure. But facts are facts: out of all of Harvard's graduate programs the GSE master's program alongside Kennedy's MPP program have higher acceptance rates. It is what it is. As another poster said certain fields will be inherently easier to obtain admission for various reasons. I think in order to prove the dissenters/snobs wrong is being the star of the program. Every graduate program has its stars - be one of them. When you graduate you'll be part of the Harvard family (more so than Tyra Banks, bless her heart).
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