briefinterviews

UC Berkeley heavily emphasizes one year of full-time work experience in social services in their admissions, and with no volunteer work I cannot imagine you would be competitive next to other applicants in your concentration. (At Cal, you compete against others in your proposed concentration, not the entire applicant pool.)

...also here to rep the macros: I had a job offer from my second-year field placement, but I was set on returning to Los Angeles, so I was doing a semi-long distance job search; from resume submission to job offer, it was just under 6 months, starting in January. However, I had my eye on a very specific agency, and ultimately only applied to 3 jobs total because I was being very particular in the type of work I was after. Also, something in my gut told me this one job was just it. I had a phone interview within mere days of submitting my application in early January, but it was 2 months before I flew down for an in-person interview. Another 2+ months went by before I was asked to send updated materials, then shortly after that I had back-to-back interviews with the unit director and then the executive director, who subsequently walked me over to HR to make an offer. Very slowly-then-suddenly. While I was anxiously thumb-twiddling, I followed up with the manager every month to let her know I was still interested and what my status was (graduated, moving, etc). There was also some circle-intersecting happening with some of the work I was doing that I am sure played a part, and I had some great mentors on my side who helped advocate for me and position me in a place where this agency could see me in action. There were also a lot of other agency-specific factors that prolonged and delayed the process, but I feel nailing the first in-person interview and staying on their radar in the months after sealed the deal. My advice is if it is your dream agency/position, hold in there, be persistent, and use your network and the support of your mentors. Many of the macro students in my cohort are now gainfully employed (we graduated May 2014), with others either still on the hunt and doing something short-term, or purposefully taking some post-graduation time off. We were heavily advised to actively network, arrange informational interviews, etc.

You should be able to file a budget appeal with your school to receive additional grad plus loans. Talk with your school's financial aid office.

Consider cost of living (San Francisco is bananas), and fieldwork opportunities. I also did my undergrad at UCLA and was accepted into their macro program, but headed north (...though now I will be returning to Los Angeles this summer--Bay Area just isn't for me). Although I did feel like I needed a break from L.A. and wanted to experience something different, the high concentration of MSW programs in the area and the impact that had on fieldwork opportunities was a big turnoff. I also got the sense that UCLA and USC both framed first-year placements as intentionally throwing you into work very different from your interests or area of focus. I wanted to be more strategic in my field placements since I had a relatively new and burgeoning interest in youth homelessness when I began my MSW, and it was a trajectory I wanted to follow throughout my program. Find out how much input and control you have during the first-year placement process, if that is important to you. Again, name doesn't really matter for clinical folks, though I would argue that there is a bit more to be gained for people interested in policy and other macro-level work.

Please don't waste precious time and energy on the GRE-- I have heard straight from UCLA and Berkeley admissions that they essentially just look at whether you took them. Unless you're a PhD applicant, they are a formality and would not have been the reason your application was denied.

Get an idea of what kind of projects you might be working on, a sense of how your field instructor's supervisory style, and how these fit in with your overall learning and professional needs and goals. You might be in a unique position--a lot of programs assign first-year field placements based on a conversation their field consultant/coordinator has with them. Most folks don't have their pick of the litter till their second year.

PSLF may be undergoing some changes, beginning in 2015: http://www.edcentral.org/obama-administration-announces-major-reforms-income-based-repayment/ Changes are unlikely to impact those of us already en route to using PSLF in its current form--i.e. complete loan forgiveness after 120 qualifying payments, and no tax bomb at the end of the tunnel.

The area around UCLA not that great? Huh? I am not surprised that they are encouraging folks to have a car for field placements, given that you are competing with so many neighboring MSW programs for internships. But UCLA has to anticipate that having a car is not feasible for all folks, and will work with you on exploring your options. I would contact whoever is coordinating field placements for students with your concerns, and learn just how much this will limit your field options.

First, can I just say--Jill Berrick is a total rock star; an amazing woman. As a MAP student with no interest in pursuing direct practice, I cannot speak to what the clinical practice folks' experiences are in the program--but I have never regretted my decision to pursue my MSW at Berkeley. I was also accepted to UCLA, UW, and four other programs, and chose Berkeley for its reputation, smaller cohort, field placement process, and research focus. Although the Bay Area is not my scene and I will definitely be returning to Los Angeles post-grad, I have had opportunities here that I would not have been afforded elsewhere. I've been given a lot of exposure, and provided a tremendous amount of learning and experience that is laying the foundation for the rest of my career. Honestly, the coursework is as intense as you want to make it--many of us make it through the program without doing much (if any! :x) of the assigned readings, and are able to focus our energies on the areas and activities that compel us most. There is a lot of group work, and that can get pretty time-intensive depending on the course. It is also a very research-oriented program, which some folks (like me) love, and others--well, don't. If the academic side of things is important to you, you can load up on classes in and outside of the department and go nuts. But if you want to delve into research, fieldwork, or other activities, you can take a lighter load and scale back the time you invest in coursework. I have mixed feelings about the quality of instruction within the department, especially within the foundation courses required in the first semester. The general trend appears to be (at least among MAPpers) that the farther along in the program, the more students are satisfied with their experience and classes. Overall, faculty are open and supportive, and there have been a handful of courses in and outside the department that played a big role in reframing and refining my thinking, and have given me a lot of practical tools and skills to use in my work. You will not be able to do it all, and everyone in the program (including faculty) concedes to this. You are responsible for your own learning, setting your own priorities (and boundaries), knowing your limits, and determining what it is you want to get out of your time here. The more proactive you are in that regard, the more you will reap--but it is very easy to get pulled in a lot of different directions, and to get overwhelmed and burnt out. There are a lot of passionate, hardworking, ambitious folks here, although many of us certainly suffer from some degree of impostor syndrome. Also: I suspect the conservatism rumor stems from the fact that Berkeley is not the breeding ground for activism and social justice it was decades ago. When talking about power and privilege, diversity and -isms and social justice, the program falls remarkably short--and the cohort often needs to take responsibility for facilitating meaningful conversations around these topics. Every program has its pitfalls, and Berkeley is no exception. It is important to really manage your expectations. People tend to think that MSW programs are some panacea, and then they wind up disappointed or angry when they're not. This is but one phase in what is a lifelong learning process, and MSW programs are not immune from the brokenness plauging the very systems we seek to remedy. Hold on to your ambition and idealism, but understand that this field is fraught with its own complications that will certainly test your preconceptions about social work--and your role in it.

Congrats to the new admits, and best of luck to those still waiting!

I don't necessarily think it is so much a matter of macro jobs being hard to come by, as it is that macro jobs encompass so many different roles in different fields and settings, that you need to be a little more creative and proactive in your search than direct service practitioners. Networking is critical, and being flexible is key--both your location (if you can) as well as in what jobs you take. While you might not find your ideal job right away, you can uptake opportunities that allow you to build certain skills while working toward your ultimate goals. Meanwhile, start to identify organizations and individuals engaged in the type of work you envision doing, make contacts, learn the landscape, follow the broader conversation, and be strategic in what opportunities you leverage and pursue while in graduate school.

Well... I'm an almost-grad! My ideal post-grad job is to work in homeless services at the city or county level, doing a mixture of community-based strategic planning, research/evaluation, and policy advocacy. I love the idea of leveraging research and evaluation to empower communities to advocate for systems change. My concern about going into a strictly evaluation position (at least in the public sector), is that sometimes it seems a little to easy to get chained to a desk, collecting a bunch of data that nobody actually wants to use or analyze in a meaningful way. That has not been the case at all with my current field placement, but others in my cohort have witnessed as much in other county evaluation units. My first-year field placement primarily focused on implementation of extended foster care policy and program development, while my second-year field placement has involved myriad projects at the lead agency for coordinating homeless services throughout the county. I am also involved in conducting statewide research and providing technical assistance on counting homeless youth, which has me thinking I eventually might like to work at a state/regional/national level, either in the public sector or with a progressive advocacy organization.

Check individual program websites to see what data they share, or contact them directly as they are likely to track that information internally.

I think you have to be prepared to market yourself a little differently as a macro practitioner, as most people will tend to associate MSWs with clinicians. There are a wide variety of jobs that MSWs can pursue--it depends on your interests and your angle--but be prepared to network more than your direct practice counterparts. It's not that there are less jobs available, it's that the jobs take on greater variety in name, scope, and setting, and require more strategic digging.

Look for research assistant/graduate student researcher jobs on campus, especially with professors whose interests match yours--and don't be afraid to look out of your department. I actually wound up in a research assistant job with a team based out of UCSF, though they've since moved to my university's school of public health. Typically very flexible hours that you can work from home, and they understand the mayhem of grad life.

Academically, I do not think my program is as rigorous as I hear others are--we certainly do not have 50+ page papers, anyway. The culture around readings are to focus and hone in on what compels you most, and not stress about reading everything because nobody actually expects you to read everything (most classes do not even reference the readings). In fact, they seem to provide readings as a general framework and professional reference; you can get away with not reading much of anything, actually. Assignments are reasonable, overall--lots of room for flexibility, creativity, and real-world application for the most part. Though this is also assuming something about the strength of your writing and your own process around producing papers. The general advice seems to be about setting your own priorities for learning and growth because you simply cannot do everything--though many of us still try (especially that first semester, till we grow the wiser). Put into it what you want to get out of it. For me, my focus has been on my fieldwork and research, and I do not regret the investment. I am one of those people who doesn't do a lot of the reading, but I don't feel shortchanged--I earmark what seems interesting and most relevant to me, and can reference it later and as-needed. Meanwhile, I feel like classroom training has definitely done its job in wiring me as a macro practitioner.

There are lots of existing threads on this topic that offer some good insight. Ultimately, you have to decide what your own goals, preferences, and priorities are, and what concessions or sacrifices you are willing and comfortable in making. Talking to current students in the programs you are interested in and getting an idea of what sort of funding opportunities are available and what students do to defray the cost of attendance/living can help put things more into perspective. The ticket price for my program is pretty expensive--but I think it is rare that anyone pays full price. For me, I have reduced the cost through paid field placements, a part-time research job, and some fellowship money.

I feel this is also more of a factor for macro students.

I was working for 3 years till I entered my current program. Especially in this field, I think it's wise to take some time to work before pursuing your MSW, though of course everyone brings different levels of experience and various perspectives to the table. I just personally believe the majority of folks benefit more from having that initial work experience and can leverage their time in the program accordingly.

Try doing a free-write about what path has led you to this juncture, and why you want to now head in this direction; write for no audience but yourself.

Please feel free to PM me for additional questions regarding the Berkeley program. The FAQ section on Admissions appears to have been updated, and might help you get a better feel for things (I appreciate that they have stressed that we are a research-oriented program and not clinically-based, which is very evident in the culture and coursework): http://www.socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/Admissions/MSWFAQS.shtml Out-of-state tuition is steep, and first-year aid generally isn't particularly generous unless you're going the Title IV-E route. I know one out-of-state student in my cohort, but I do not know anything about his finances--although I do believe he was working to establish California residency to qualify for in-state tuition for his second year. A lot of students off-set costs by pursuing graduate student researcher (GSR) positions, work study (we're eligible for up to $10k), and flexible part-time work where we can find it. I used to have loan/debt data, but cannot seem to locate it at the moment... I do believe the average is around $30-35k for all students, but there are plenty of us who have incurred twice that amount if not more. Cost of living in the Bay Area is notoriously expensive. socialworkphd, who frequents this forum, can probably offer some sage advice--particularly if you are looking at the PhD route. However, if you are looking to live and work in Portland, there are rather large benefits to attend school in that area as you become more familiar with agencies and expand your professional network through your field placements. You mention that graduating debt-free is also important to you, and to be frank, the chances of that happening at Berkeley are very slim. I don't know of anyone who is coasting through the program debt-free, but then again people aren't wont to disclose their finances. My guess is that it is a select few who are likely receiving support from family and combining that with other forms of aid (either through the Title IV-E program for child welfare, GSRs, and/or other scholarships). FWIW, Berkeley does have a reputation, and there is a trend of students in the direct practice concentrations finding themselves promoted relatively quickly to managerial/administrative roles after graduating. As someone on the macro-level track, I have really appreciated the experiences and opportunities I've been able to have through the program, and because of the relationships and connections I am building, I will most likely remain in the area to work though I originally intended to return to Los Angeles. While there are certainly complaints among the cohort about the curriculum, and it does have its critical shortcomings, I do think that it plays its part in honing our perspectives and giving us the space to continually think, question, and contemplate the effects of our decisions before we act--a quality that is no doubt lacking in a sector that can be a little too eager for the quick-fix, from the CBO up through federal policymaking. But I think you can be just as successful going to Portland as going to Berkeley. Does name play into things a bit? Sure, but it is still relative. What is the reputation of PSU in your area? Part of the reason I chose Berkeley was because the reputation can carry me throughout the state and across the country, but who knows how founded that actually is. I strongly believe that in the end, seeking out the right opportunities and developing relationships and working hard will lead you to where you want to be. Overall, it sounds like you are still a little uncertain on your career trajectory, which is totally normal and perfectly fine--but I would investigate whether Portland's program is structured in a way that will allow you to explore those options and interests either in the classroom or out in the field, or if there are other ways for you to get that exposure and experience.

I would recommend you also reach out to your program's student services office for further counsel.

I am not sure the rankings you are asking for exist in any formal sense, but some programs post data on the percentage of graduates securing employment within 6 months on their websites. No, the name of your program doesn't carry the same weight as it does for other professional degrees--especially for those in direct practice. If you are going into academia or macro-level social work, then reputation of your program will matter a little more than it does for a clinician. I chose my program because of reputation and cost, and because I knew it would afford me certain opportunities and connections. I am not sure what the trade off is for USC's price tage, even with the way that Trojans notoriously take care of their own. USC students are still placed in the same agencies as other MSW students in the region. Unless you are looking at macro level work or research, I might reconsider and give yourself some more options and more time to research what you really want out of a program.

Regarding LORs: Do not stress about having an academic reference, particularly if you have been out of school for a while. The MSW is a professional degree program, and they by and large understand applicants have typically been out in the workforce prior to pursuing the degree. I would emphasize pursuing solid references you know will sing your praises rather than trying to break your neck to get an academic reference that might not be as stellar or from individuals who know you as well. I was only out of school for about 2-3 years prior to applying to MSW programs, but all three of my references came from my community and professional work--even for programs that "required" at least one academic reference--and I was accepted to all seven programs to which I applied. Cheers!

I applied (and was accepted) to seven programs, and spent about 4-5 months on my SOPs. Depending upon how many programs you are applying to and how confident you are in your writing and reasons for wanting to pursue the MSW beyond a compulsion to serve, I wouldn't recommend starting less than 3 months out from your deadlines, especially if you are working full-time. I would argue that the personal statement is the most critical part of your application, supported by your resume. For your LOR-writers, I would contact them now and let them know your plans to apply, and send out instructions and any other helpful information at least 2-3 months out as a courtesy so that they know what's coming and can plan ahead. Keep in contact and communication, and stay on their radar. I would not stress too much over the GRE unless you are considering a MSW/PhD track (which it does not sound like you are). Every program I applied to that required it said it was a formality that carried little weight. Your energy is better invested in your SOP.