erinl

Also, it's good to know a fellow Cal Bear alum is going to be out in NY as well!

I did manage to at the last minute, and I would have priority as I'm coming out to NY all the way from CA, but it seems there are only 100 spots given to those in the School of Social Work. ~350 students are enrolled each fall, so I'm concerned about my chances. Is everyone opting for on-campus housing?

I'll be there at the end of August for my Master's in Social Work...all the way from California. Does anyone know how tough it will be to find some sort of ideal shared apartment situation near campus/at least somewhere on Manhattan while I'm all the way out here? I'd rather live with fellow grad Lions than complete strangers. Is this close to impossible?

I'll be attending Columbia for my MSW for a multitude of reasons: 1) I received fairly good scholarship money from them, and they were able to work with me on getting me a little bit more. Not very many schools do that at all, especially when it comes to social work departments. 2) Fantastic Ivy education at the very first school of social work in the country. 3) I've always loved NY and never thought I would be able to justify living so expensively (this practically makes no sense as I've lived in CA my entire life). When I was accepted, it made sense to venture out of my comfort zone (SF and LA) and live on the opposite end of the country. I can't wait to experience living somewhere new and as a result, expand my academic and professional network.

I'm not sure if this is the program you've looked at, but there is a great MSW program with a military concentration at USC. Not quite San Diego, but located directly underneath downtown LA. This program is $41k/year, however. I was accepted to the program a couple months ago but had to pass it up simply because USC offers its social work students virtually no funding.

This is going to sound so corny and you've probably heard it before, but it's really a choice you'll have to make on your own based on your own factors. It is a lot of debt to take on -- could you see yourself enjoying your time at VCU? Is NYU a school you think is worth all that debt? Could you have your academic and career needs fulfilled going to either school? If that's the case, VCU may be the better choice. If you absolutely can't see yourself having a fulfilling experience anywhere else but at NYU, you know what to do. Again, it's a personal choice of yours to take on that much debt and you're going to have to explore your own options and be absolutely 100% okay with what you end up choosing. It looks like I will be going into heavy debt by entering Columbia School of Social Work in the fall to pursue my MSW, but I'm hoping to make the most out of that experience by involving myself in research projects, taking advantage of my field placement opportunities and making meaningful network connections with professors so I will be a shoe-in for PhD programs in the future. If you have a decent plan mapped out for yourself and you know well what you want to get out of your program, you'll be fine.

I've been hearing conflicting views -- some say Harlem starts at 125th, others say Columbia is in Harlem. Either way, it doesn't matter much. I'm just wondering if traveling through Harlem via subway to get home to Washington Heights at night is at all dangerous.

I have a question about licensing. I'm from California and I am quite sure I'll be enrolling at Columbia (I have also been accepted to USC). I plan on returning to California to most likely pursue a PhD -- if that does not work out, I would like to return to California and become a licensed clinical social worker. Am I at a disadvantage, going to school in NY when I plan on returning to California to work? Will it be harder to attain my license here if I go to school out there? Will job prospects be less available to me upon my return, versus if I were to choose to remain in NY? Overall, how much does the location of the program I choose affect the out-of-state choices I have available to me?

I have just been admitted to the School of Social Work at Columbia, which I see is on Amsterdam between 121st and 122nd. Initially, it looked like I had plenty of subway lines to take, but upon closer view, the line that makes most sense is the 1. (Though the walk from 125th A, B, C, D doesn't look bad at all.) Did I read above somewhere that the 1 is a scary line to take at some points of the day/night, or was that just my imagination? Also, I'm pretty open to moving into most neighborhoods surrounding Manhattan, including in Manhattan itself, if the price is right (which for me, would be pretty inexpensive). A lot of people have mentioned Washington Heights and that seems ideal given the close proximity to campus; my only perhaps far-fetched question is: because you're passing through Harlem by subway everyday and perhaps during the evenings/nights, too, are you putting yourself in any danger? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I ask because I've visited NY only a handful of times and despite being in love with the city, have never made it past 85th street. I'm originally from the Bay Area, have lived on the border of Berkeley and Oakland while going to school in Berkeley, and definitely know how to handle myself well...I guess being a small young woman just makes me a bit wary at times.

I have just been accepted to Columbia! I still need to hear back about funding -- but I'm wondering where you're at in the decision-making process. Any progress? I'd love to hear your thoughts, as I'm now more confused than ever!

I just FINALLY heard back from Columbia. I've been accepted. Now...what to do, what to do! Decisions from two of the most expensive programs in the country. I'm waiting to hear back about funding, and that will sway me in one direction or the other. Has anyone else heard back from Columbia? Any funding stories to share?

Reading over your post, I realize I should have included more useful info regarding both living in LA and the program itself. Well, here goes... Choosing to live in LA was difficult, especially because my Bay Area friends gave me such a hard time about it -- no one gives LA a harder time than those in the Bay Area, simply because (in my opinion) the Bay Area is pretty elitist...they tend to believe Northern CA is perhaps more educated, well-rounded, brainy, unsuperficial, etc. than Southern CA. I visited LA immediately after undergrad, thinking I'd move for better job prospects, and hated it. I only had one friend down here at the time, and he was in the music business, so we were out in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills a lot. I wanted to avoid that crowd at all costs. I went back up to the Bay Area relieved. Then I made the decision to move to LA this past October, and it was the best decision I ever made. I fell into a great group of friends who are all young and successful and intelligent, ranging from engineers to graduate students to finance managers. Everyone I have met down here has been down-to-earth, smart, and laid-back. Very giving, kind people. I haven't befriended anyone you'd stereotypically imagine is "LA." As with anywhere, you surround yourself with good people, and everything will work out. As for transportation, the light rail runs right by USC. They are currently extending that rail further West, so those living as far as Santa Monica/Culver City will be able to access public trans. It's a great thing, and hopefully it will be finished within the next year. You obviously don't want to live anywhere outside the couple blocks-radius of campus, as it's one of the worst areas in LA, perhaps even the country. But travel a few miles out in any direction, and you should find a place that's decent to more-than-decent (Manhattan Beach is really only 10 miles away). Placements are tricky at USC, from what I hear. Your first year, either you could land something really awesome or you could get stuck somewhere pretty crummy. It's basically a crapshoot, and you can petition to get placed elsewhere if the conditions are particularly bad. Your second year, you choose exactly where you'd like to intern. Interviewing gets competitive and the stakes get higher, but the students I spoke to could not have been happier with their placements. We get top bid, from what I hear, above UCLA and state schools. I would also argue that LA and the Bay Area are about the same as far as cost of living goes. I would also add that you can get away with living fairly cheaply in both places in comparison to NY. Anyway, as far as responding to USC, just email Amber in the admissions office and request an extension. They should be able to grant you one, and hopefully that will buy you some more time!

Wow - it's good to see someone else in a similar situation! I only applied to USC and Columbia, and while I have been accepted to USC, I am still awaiting Columbia's decision. I'm originally from the Bay Area, moved down to LA about six months ago, and am in love with living down here. I was born and raised in the East Bay and went to Berkeley for undergrad, so I had never experienced living anywhere else for 23 years. However, I have visited NY several times and Manhattan still remains my favorite city in the US. As you can see, we draw a lot of parallels! At the moment, I'm having a hard time grappling with decisions. I had to extend my response deadline to USC by 3 weeks simply because Columbia has had my app under review for over a month. I love living in LA a lot, and every time I visit USC I fall in love with the campus, faculty and students, but USC is $41k, and after speaking with everyone from the fin. aid director to students to faculty, there is really no way around that price tag. USC does not offer fellowships, so the only funding you'll receive is from very meager USC scholarships you'll have to apply to, or outside scholarships, which are hard to come by for social work programs. After speaking with several students, it seems the price tag and amount of loans everyone has taken out is on everyone's mind constantly. No one has regrets about choosing USC -- in fact, everyone is quick to sing its praises. But no one denied that it was perhaps the only downside to such a well-rounded, high-quality education. The last time I went to campus, a renowned faculty member who had graduated from UCLA with his MSW quickly shot down UCLA's program in comparison to USC's. The amount of student caucuses (basically student groups) keeps things very social, the closeness of the students within the dept. is very evident, and the amount of professional connections available within LA County to current students and alumni simply doesn't compare elsewhere. Plainly, if not for the price tag and meager amount of scholarships, selecting USC over another school would have been done a while ago. If you received funding at Columbia, I would say that should make your decision pretty easy. I can effortlessly put myself in your shoes -- after all, I never left the Bay Area until six months ago -- but you also have to consider your situation. You will absolutely need a car out here in Southern California, and at USC's price tag, the move + car will just add significantly to your debt. You are already in NY, and if you received funding at Columbia, you will be receiving a cheaper ride to an Ivy League institution that offers a slightly better education in comparison to USC's. You won't have to invest in a car, and if you plan on returning to NY to become licensed, you'll run into less of a hassle if you choose Columbia. In less than 20 months of classroom time, you will graduate and with significantly less loose ends. I take it you applied to Berkeley's program. Just curious as a native of the Bay Area myself: why favor the Bay Area over anywhere else?

To those who have applied to Columbia for Fall 2011: have you guys heard back yet? If so, when did you submit your apps? If you haven't heard, what's your current situation? Are you juggling different schools at the moment? Have you tried contacting the office, too? Any encouraging responses from them?

I would definitely not worry. Others are right; decisions are sent out in rounds based on when you applied, and everyone will have different decision response deadlines. You will hear soon enough!

Just a heads up, guys: I've been in touch with a handful of professors and students, and of course, the financial aid and admissions departments of USC...it seems very, very widely known that the lack of funds offered to its students is by far the worst quality of the department. I paid a visit to campus yesterday, sat in on another class (sat in one last September), met with and spoke to a great deal of students and spoke with admissions and various dept. directors, and while I had a really wonderful experience again (last time I visited and spoke with faculty and students, I fell in love) it is a very realistic fact that almost everyone in the program is facing a large amount of debt after graduation. Admissions addressed it, students DEFINITELY addressed it, and the professors I have spoken with have told me the same thing: be realistic about entering this program. Enter it only if you can come to terms with the fact that you will be in X amount of debt for many years. Out of all the students I spoke with, each one had nothing but rave reviews as far as the education goes. The electives, the professors, the student life (caucuses, events, seminars, social gatherings, sense of community) is superior to other schools, and a clinical professor I spoke with who actually received his MSW from UCLA said the program was likely the best and most well-rounded in the state. Students say the debt is worth the experience, but each warned that entering the program and that much debt is something each individual has to come to terms with on his/her own. It's likely I'll go here, but I've really had to grapple hard with the idea of so much debt...and after correspondence with a USC professor, I arrived at the notion that I will be pursuing a PhD afterward and teaching at the university level. It's definitely good to have a plan, you know? And I have to say...every time I visit campus I immediately feel welcome, comfortable and engage myself easily in 5-10 conversations with students, faculty and staff. The students have always been the most down-to-earth, engaging individuals. I genuinely love this program and I think that's what makes it easy for me to enter it.

Much thanks to everyone who has replied thus far! You've all been very helpful. I've already started applying to scholarships; I need to do all I can to earn that money! If anyone has ideas for specific scholarships to pursue, I'm open to hearing them

I haven't heard from Columbia, yet, either, and I'm in a similar boat...USC requires that I respond to their offer by the 29th. I called Columbia admissions yesterday, and they notified me decisions will continue being released for the next two weeks! (Two weeks ago when I called, the story was that everyone would hear back by the 18th...go figure.) I let USC know right away of the situation, and they gave me a two-week extension, no problem at all. Just inform Hunter!

Hi, everyone... I was recently accepted to USC's Master of Social Work program. Though I'm excited, I'm more disheartened by the price tag than anything: over $41k per year...for social work! I firmly believe the education is worth it, but the number is daunting, to say the least. I called the fin. aid director yesterday and asked exactly what financial aid packages could be offered to me...and he basically said no fellowships/assistantships could be offered, and directed me straight to a list of loans I'd be taking out to fund my education. Scholarships are available, but the dollar amount of each is relatively small and I'd have to apply like crazy for them. Can anyone dispute this information? Is it typical to go into so much debt for a Master's degree, and is it also typical to be offered no upfront funding? I have no problem with applying for a bunch of scholarships if it means bringing that price tag down - I suppose I'm just wondering if this is too outrageous to even consider, because being $82k in debt after two years sounds more than a little frightening. I'd really appreciate any advice on bringing that number down!

Could I ask a pretty general question to everyone? The price tag per year for USC is over $41k. I spoke to the financial aid director yesterday and he was saying they don't offer fellowships/assistantships and that the only way to really fund the education was through loans. Can anyone dispute this information? Is everyone basically planning to be over $82k after two years at USC? This is extremely daunting to me and I would really appreciate advice on how to bring that price tag down!

Hi, guys! I've been lurking these boards for the past few weeks and promised myself I'd sign up to be a member if I had something to add to the conversations! I finally do - I applied to USC last October and just received my acceptance "packet" (there's no other way to describe it, it's pretty large) in the mail yesterday. Included was my acceptance letter and load of pages welcoming me to the program. Funding info is apparently to follow...which I would badly need if I were to accept their offer! :/ (Is anyone out there pretty informed on their funding and how generous they tend to be?) I only applied to one other institution, so I'm waiting to hear back on that...in the meantime, USC is apparently giving me until March 29th to accept their offer. Doesn't that seem pretty early? I feel as if I'm getting very little time to decide! It's crunch-time, that's for sure! Good luck to all other potential Trojans!