2011 MSW Hopeful

IMO, stay north of 60th St. and east of Cottage Grove for sure, but the farther east, the safer things feel. I have friends who live in west Hyde Park who've had minor break-ins, and they have long walks to get to and from the express buses downtown. Personally, I think it's ideal to live within a few blocks of the 6/X28/171 bus routes along S. Hyde Park Blvd - the people I know who do seem happier with their experience in the neighborhood and feel less isolated (totally anecdotal, but maybe helpful). That said, I think people overstate the safety concerns sometimes. Safety isn't as block-by-block as it might be in some other neighborhoods... within the bounds of the neighborhood, there aren't really good streets/bad streets to my knowledge.

Just a word on second-year scholarships: it's apparently VERY rare to get your funding level increased between first and second years, even though I was told coming in that this would be a possibility. I received $18,000 for the first year, but most of my classmates I've spoken to are receiving at least $22,000. I'm really hoping for an increase for next year, but am not particularly optimistic. Just something to be aware of! SSA funds well in the first place, but what you get coming in is probably what you'll get. (Hopefully I'll be editing this later if my request for more aid goes well!) This might be different for you, vpsf, since the issue was depleted funds for this year, but I would want to be very clear about it coming in. Congrats on your acceptance!

I've only been there for six months, and haven't experienced a summer yet, but it feels like some parts of Hyde Park are safer than others. I live off of east 55th St. almost to the lake, and I'm perfectly comfortable out walking at night in that area (within reason, obviously -- common sense says to avoid the parks after dark, etc.). It also feels less isolated than the western parts of HP because the 6 and X28 buses to the Loop are a block away along Hyde Park Blvd. I've felt uncomfortable walking on some of the less well lit side streets farther west in the neighborhood. I haven't heard of anyone's car being stolen or broken into, but it's good to be aware of. I don't know, I know that a lot of people get down on Hyde Park and there are some drawbacks, but it's a charming neighborhood in my experience.

Congrats! I think it's perfectly doable to have a work-study job the first year -- you have one afternoon (either Monday or Wednesday) and all of Friday free. I lucked out and found a job as a research assistant that pays $15/hour ($10 is more common) and work 8-10 hours per week. It's busy, but I also love my job. I didn't have trouble finding a job, but I think it depends on your skill sets. If you're curious what types, you can look at the listings here: https://studentemployment.uchicago.edu/index_jobs.php A caveat to this is if you were granted a research assistantship by SSA, you may not have time for a separate job, but they do pay as well. People in my cohort live all over. I live in Hyde Park and like it, but I"m in the minority. Grad housing seems fine and easy, but I rented on my own and am very happy with my apartment. Most people I know live in Lakeview, but there are people all over (Andersonville, Pilsen, South or West Loop, etc.). I think it depends on which neighborhood you like and/or how close you want to be to school.

I say don't! It'll take some of the fun out of your first year core classes. It's fun to discover the information and have it come together in an organic and meaningful way (well, with a good curriculum/professor), and you'll get much more out of that than just memorizing information.

Sure, I interviewed last year. My interview was a faculty member and 10 or so prospective students sitting around a table. We all introduced ourselves and said a few words about our backgrounds, then the professor presented questions to the group. I can't recall specifics, but questions were things like, "What made you want to go into the social work field?", questions about diverse populations, ethical dilemmas ("What would you do if you were working at a homeless shelter at night and someone wants to come in out of the cold, but you can tell he's drunk and it's against the shelter's policy to let him stay?"), how you would adjust to living in NYC if you're from elsewhere, that kind of thing. You can volunteer to answer questions, and some people in my interview spoke quite a bit, others very little. I was really surprised/intimidated by how diverse and accomplished my interview group was (only one girl right out of undergrad, several working professionals, one with a previous Masters degree, etc.). It was actually sort of fun and conversational, and neat for me to hear where the other applicants were coming from. In terms of tips, make sure that you answer questions, but don't dominate the conversation, and acknowledge other people's comments in your responses. I have a feeling that a lot of what they're looking for is interpersonal competency.

IME (very biased, obviously), the financial aid that UChicago gives is indicative of how much SSA cares about its students. Administrators and professors have never been anything but generous with their time, in my experience. You might want to look at specific strengths of each school -- SSA's international program is still developing, for example, where Columbia's is stronger and they have SIPA. I will say that there are certain advantages to the smaller (though still large) size of SSA's program in terms of securing research opportunities and things of that nature.

For a PhD program, it'd be heavily frowned upon and could earn you some enemies. For a Masters program, especially a large one like SSA, while it's not ideal, no one's really going to hold it against you. You just have to be okay with losing your deposit. For what it's worth, I got a response extension because I was going to visit the school after the decision was due, and admissions was fine about it.

That was based on the Peterson's admission statistics here: http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/university-of-pennsylvania-school-of-social-policy-and-practice-program-in-social-work-admissions-000_10013879_10088.aspx It's highly possible that those stats are incorrect or really outdated, though. In any case, there are a lot more people applying to grad school in this economy. Those are pretty tough odds, though!

I LOVE SSA. Like zeb64, I can't say enough good things about the program. I didn't want to wax poetic about the program in my last post because it wasn't asked, but give me the opportunity and I will talk about it for an hour. As was mentioned, they tend to be incredibly generous with grant funding, most students get substantial work-study funds, the faculty are incredible, the cohort system of grouping students creates a really valuable support system, the field placement opportunities are great, and if you're interested in research, assistantships or jobs in research are pretty easy to come by. Career services gets an A+ for valuable workshops, dissemination of information about jobs and internships, and networking opportunities with prominent alumni. It's a large program, but the fact that your first two quarters are spent mostly in class with your cohort-mates (groupings of about 30) makes it feel a lot more personal. Everyone I know seems to be really enjoying the program.

Admissions rates for social work programs at elite private schools are pretty high across the board, in my experience. I think Columbia's is upwards of 50%, and Penn admits 63% of applicants (the figure was even higher a few years ago). Social work programs tend to be poorly funded and are moneymakers for schools, and, as you said, the yield is probably poor once people actually look at the costs. Some public schools (UIC comes to mind) are actually more competitive by the numbers. That said, UChicago seems comparatively generous with aid, and for me it's only marginally more expensive than the public schools in my state. Re: the MA vs. MSW, it's an MSW program and they more or less embrace that. The coursework is what you'd take in any MSW program, particularly for the clinical track. There might be a bit more policy work than in other MSW programs, but I'm not certain. Where the "MA" comes in handy, I think, is for social administration track students who might not want to feel pigeonholed by the letters in their degree and want to play up the policy/admin aspects (and may take classes outside of SSA).

I live in Hyde Park now, and my rather large studio is $750. We live to the east towards the lake where there's plenty of free parking on Everett and South Shore. I mean, you have to drive around the block hunting for spots occasionally, but we've never really had an issue with it. If you're more central, it's true that a car might be more trouble than it's worth.

They also waive the application fee if you've done the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America. If you can get around the application fee, it seems worth it to apply. Also, the admissions department is super, super helpful in my experience... call or email them, perhaps explain your situation about the hospital (who knows, maybe they'd let you submit a little late?), and ask if they can give you an idea of your chances of admission in April.

Generally, experience! At the same time, if you have a lower GPA, I would probably recommend expanding your list of schools you're applying to. I had a weak GPA because of failed classes my senior year of undergrad (long, moderately compelling story that I mentioned in my personal statement). I got into all of what I thought were my "reach" schools and was rejected from two of my safety schools because they calculate last 60 credits GPA and won't look at your application if it's below a cutoff. If you are considered, though, I think experience is absolutely weighed more in social work than GPA!

For most of my applications, a sort of standard format for the personal statement was laid out because they want to know certain things about you. The issue task (describe a social issue of importance to you and suggest a policy or direct practice response) is something that I think you should give plenty of attention. I wouldn't worry about being too standard with the formatting, because the content is what will make you stand out. For what it's worth, my statement looked like: Practice-related story Demonstrate understanding of social work field and readiness for grad school My background Issue response, which I wrote about an issue that I was passionate about/have experience with Address fit with the school (particular theoretical orientations/programs of study/etc. that made the school a good fit for me) Conclusion

I'm sure you already know that your stats so far are great, and I think that getting an MA from your undergrad institution would significantly increase your chances for combined MSW/Ph.D. programs. They're as competitive as Ph.D. programs in other competitive fields, which is to say that there are an endless number of factors involved any given year related to class size, which faculty are taking students, funding, etc. The bright side is that a few of the programs you mentioned fund Masters students well and, assuming that you graduate with a strong GPA, may partially or fully fund your MSW even if you aren't admitted to a combined program. Since you're looking at mezzo/macro social work, the most important thing you can be doing is getting involved with research. I do think it would be a great idea to try to get involved with social work research after your freshman year. I think it's also important in terms of broadening your understanding of the field and helping you clarify your research interests, particularly since "fit" is such a big part of Ph.D. admissions. You may find that, for example, your specific research interests would be better served by pursuing a Ph.D. in education or sociology. If you do stay on target for social work, I might try to stay involved with the volunteer human services experience as well -- I suspect that schools appreciate even their social policy/admin students having direct practice experience. On a personal note, I applaud you for thinking ahead but would caution you not to burn yourself out by taking on too much at a time. You've accomplished a lot for having barely begun your college career, and have a long way to go before the grad school application process. You're doing all the right things so far! Enjoy college and be open to the idea that your path might change along the way.

I'm moving to Hyde Park in early September. So excited!

Hmm. I find that poster's perspective interesting, and I do think caution is necessary given the saturation of Ph.D.s in psychology (and other fields as well), but overall the post is just too biased not to take with a grain of salt. It does read as sour grapes (perhaps justifiably, but sour grapes nonetheless). I found myself thinking that someone who finds employment as a technical writer and who took the time to compile so much research and anecdotal evidence should've edited it a bit more carefully. For whatever it's worth, my B.S. in psychology has served me pretty well. I've been employed at the bachelor's level in a couple of different social service agencies, and while the pay is not fantastic (read: bad), in the four years I've been in the field I've been able to climb the ladder and am doing about the most clinical work I can do without a higher degree. I'm starting an MSW program this fall. I had considered going the research MA/Ph.D. route, but was deterred by the career uncertainty and by the fact that I've really loved doing clinical work. Really, every field is getting oversaturated -- the MSW has traditionally been a pretty employable, practical degree, but there are so many in the field now that competition for jobs along with cuts to human services will very likely be an issue when I graduate. It's probably just magnified for Ph.D.s, who've spent 5-7 years training in a very specific field only to find that the chances of employment in that field are much smaller than hoped, and for them, there's nowhere to really go but down.

I don't really know whether the debt is worth it for your educational goals -- that's something you have to decide -- but you wouldn't have to pay off your loans before starting a doctoral program. If you get into a funded Ph.D. program (though in education, I would hazard a guess that funding is by no means a sure bet), you can defer your student loans. You just have to be enrolled at least half-time in classes. What you don't want to do is enter a Ph.D. program where you're tacking on even more debt.

Thanks so much! After my last post I had actually settled on looking for an apartment in Hyde Park anyway. My boyfriend may be moving with me, and he'd be working elsewhere in the city and would want to keep a car, which seemed like it'll be easier to manage in Hyde Park than in other parts of the city. Plus it'll just be nice to be so close to the school. I liked the few days I spent there and certainly don't have any hesitation about living there. And my friend did a great job of selling the neighborhood -- Jimmy's, the Point, Hyde Park Produce (wow, the produce prices - "overripe" (completely perfect) strawberries for $0.99!). I'm not applying for university housing due to the aforementioned boyfriend. That being the case, does anyone have insight on what rental companies/properties are particularly good, and probably more importantly whether there are any to avoid? I'd be looking for a studio or (ideally) a very affordable one-bedroom. I did join the Facebook group for the incoming class, so I'll be keeping an eye on that, too.

This is what I did. After finishing my Bachelors and starting work in the human services field, I found that I really missed academic research, and at the time I was still considering applying to research-focused MA or Ph.D. programs in psychology. I was working a schedule that allowed it (barely, since I worked the evening shift at an inpatient psychiatric hospital), so I contacted a professor at a local university who was doing research I was interested in and sent him my CV. I think it helped that I had related research experience as an undergrad, but depending on how much help the professors need, that might not be necessary. It also helped that this particular professor was new to the school and just getting his lab set up, so having a volunteer post-bacc research assistant was perfect for him. It helped me establish some connections at that school and get some great recommendations. Anyway, it's definitely doable. I've heard people commenting that finding a research assistantship is difficult and competitive at some universities, but if it's practical I can see a lot of professors considering your situation with your undergrad school and being accommodating. You also might look at applying for post-bacc research assistant staff jobs, which usually don't pay well but are great experience. All that said, my impression of joint MSW/Ph.D. programs is that they are primarily intended for students who have a Masters in another field and are coming into social work from that angle. Even an acquaintance of mine who had an impeccable CV and lots of publications went for a terminal MSW first (though she got it more or less fully funded, which is a rare feat).

Thanks!! Where is everyone thinking of living? It's tempting to live in Hyde Park to be near the school, but rents seem comparable in other areas of the city closer to downtown. I was particularly looking at Lakeview. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

I'll officially be attending UChicago's MA program in the fall. Very, very excited! I was apprehensive when making the decision and experienced a lot of hand-wringing, but now that I've decided, I'm really looking forward to the move.

I'll be attending SSA at the University of Chicago for many of the same reasons PsyK mentioned. I've been here this week visiting the school, and have just been blown away by the caliber of academic instruction and the general friendliness/happiness of SSA staff and students. I also received a generous scholarship offer and felt like the School of Social Administration values its students highly and, if you're admitted, will do everything they can to make it possible for you to attend. One of the features I'm excited about with SSA is the cohort system of grouping incoming students -- from everything I've heard, your cohort becomes a great support system. I had to consider the decision at length because it's a huge move away from my family and significant other on the east coast, but I know I'd be disappointed in myself if I didn't pursue this opportunity. Oh, and Chicago seems pretty nifty, too!

Is anyone else still waiting to hear from Bryn Mawr? Really wondering what happened there.... I was supposed to hear two weeks after my interview and have been getting the runaround for a month and a half.