creativesocialworker

Hii. I still remember some of the questions and vignettes from my interview and would be happy to share. Would you mind sending me an email or private message through gradcafe? There are a number of caveats that go along with the stipends that I didn't know about until after I graduated that you should be aware of before signing any contracts. -CreativeSocialWorker

Hii. Whether or not you will get licensing hours while at DCFS depends largely on your county, and even office. For example, it's often very difficult to get hours if you are in LA. Some counties may also make you wait for 9 months until you are off of probation to get hours. Feel free to contact me via email if you have any specific questions I can help you with (uclasocialworker@gmail.com).

I have a bunch of free ebooks that include some that are commonly used in MSW programs (including the DSM5). Just send me an email (uclasocialworker@gmail.com) or a message through my blog (creativesocialworker.tumblr.com) if you want me to send them to you.

They recently changed it so that the GRE is only needed if your GPA is below 3.3. Even then, the department gives little weight to GRE scores because they recognize that it is not a culturally competent measure.

Hii. The experience you highlight in your personal statement will be the most important thing they look at during the application review, so I wouldnt worry too much about your GPA. Your crisis training will be very valuable (good luck!) and I also suggest you volunteer with at least one other agency before applying. I have an MSW from UCLA so feel free to let me know if you have any questions I can help answer (uclasocialworker@gmail.com).

Hii. I recently got my MSW from UCLA and the experience you described should be enough to make you a competitive applicant. The personal statement is the most important thing they look at and they will want to see what your experience has taught you, along with how it inspired your passion for social work and shaped your career goals. If you have any questions or want personal statement help feel free to contact me (uclasocialworker@gmail.com). The UCLA MSW students are putting on a "Diversity Recruitment Fair" on November 16 that is a great resource for anyone starting the application process. Even for people not considering UCLA specifically, the information will be valuable in applying to any MSW programs and they will take a look at your personal statement. Click here for details and consider stopping by if you are in LA.

Hii guys. I recently got my MSW from UCLA and am open to answering any questions you may have about MSW programs/the application process (uclasocialworker@gmail.com). I also have a blog that provides resources to new social workers (creativesocialworker.tumblr.com). Good luck! Unfortunately you cant get cal/pell grants for grad school :-/

Hiii. I'm a UCLA MSW. UCLA has 2 concentrations, micro and macro, but there are a number of specializations under that. Children/families, mental health, gerontology, health, and nonprofit sector services. Under children/families there is also child welfare and school social work, where you would get a PPS Credential through the program (what I'm doing). Let me know if you have any questions lstockly@ucla.edu

Hiii. I'm a current UCLA MSW. CALSWEC wont limit your career opportunities. It's the opposite, because that experience will look great on your resume. Your first year you don't intern at DCFS, you intern at an agency that serves a similar population. You will likely do therapy with children and/or families. The next year you intern at DCFS in the Emergency Response Unit (which can be pretty brutal). After graduation you are committed to working for Child Services for 2 years in an ER unit. There are, however, a lot of things you should be aware of with CALSWEC. LA did not hire CALSWEC students last year. For the first 6 months you are required to apply everywhere within 90 miles of where you live. After 6 months if you havent been hired you are required to interview anywhere in CA that is hiring. If you dont then you break your contract and have to payback the stipend at 15%+ interest. So if you are flexible about where you live then this might still be a good match. The situation with LA is very up in the air. There is a chance that they may end the LA hiring freeze, but that is a gamble. I didnt the IUC stipend ($18,500 stipend for 1 year). I interned at DCFS my first year and then got to choose my own placement the next year. After graduation I am committed to working for DCFS for 1 year. IUC is an LA only program. They have 60 days to offer me a job after graduation, and if they don't then my contract ends and I don't work for them or have to pay back the stipend. Last year they did not hire a fairly large number of IUC students, but again, we have no way of knowing if that will change in the near future. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions lstockly@ucla.edu

Hiii. I'm a 2nd year UCLA MSW. You definitely don't need 3-5 years work experience to get into UCLA. I almost didnt apply when I read that on the website. I got in straight from undergrad with only part time volunteer work experience and that is pretty typical. Also, they dont give GRE scores much weight at all, so dont let that stress you out either. If anyone has questions feel free to contact me lstockly@ucla.edu

My suggestion would be to narrow it down to UCLA and Berkeley. They are both very strong programs and Berkeley is the highest ranked in CA. This is not to say that USC does not also have a very good program as well, it is just hard to justify the $80k+ price tag when going there over UCLA wont give you an advantage in your career. One of the things I really like about UCLA is that they keep each cohort to about 100 students. I know almost everyone in my class and we have become close and use each other as supports. We often have smaller classes and it makes professors more accessible. This also means that UCLA must be very selective in their admissions process. Internship sites know this and sometimes favor UCLA students because of it. One of the main complaints I have heard from my USC friends is that they don't know most of their class and sometimes feel lost because USC accepts so many hundreds of students. UCLA has been going up in the rankings and I believe it might have just passed USC. USC went down, not because of issues with its program, but because of the addition of the new online program which affected their ranking. You probably wont hear about the fellowships until April. If you filled out a fafsa then you will also get part of the "professional fee" back (I got $2k). I also have an IUC stipend this year ($18,500). CalSwec is a 2 year stipend that is another option.

Hey guys. I know it's hard, but try not to stress out just yet. UCLA's review process is really long and they didn't let a lot of my cohort know they got in until late April. And it is true that GRE scores don't really matter. They don't even look at the math score. I am a first year UCLA MSW and am open to answering any question you have about the program now or after you get in. Lstockly@ucla.edu

Do not worry if you havent heard from the graduate division yet. Lance said that the grad division approves everyone they school accepts. It is more of a formality. They just need to make sure everyone meets the minimum requirements to attend UCLA, and the programs minimum prerecs are much higher. If you havent heard from financial aid then it means that you didnt get any fellowships. They will send you a form telling you what loans you are eligible for. Someone started a facebook page where people in the same boat as you have been posting concerns. Just search for "ucla msw 2013"

I decided on UCLA. I am hoping to get the IUC stipend this year and then get my PPS credential the second year. I really liked the sound of their International Social Welfare Caucus. This year a bunch of them are going on a two week, fully funded trip to Switzerland. They are also planning another trip to Peru. They just stared a facebook page for our cohort: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_155773951153416&ap=1

Colombia is a much higher ranking school for social work that is a lot cheaper than USC and in a nicer area. But if you really want to leave NY, USC has a really great program and is a good option if you don't mind huge loans. There is a chance that you could get a significant amount of financial aid but the problem is that they wont tell you until after you have officially accepted and sent in the deposit, so you wont be able to factor in how much aid you will get into your decision. I have also head great things about USC's online program. It is the same price but you could live where ever you wanted to.