raychelaych

My number one piece of advice is to contact the program and ask THEM for advice before applying. Don't be shy! I had a visit with the admissions director of the program I applied to/ will be attending, and I truly believe it enabled me to get in. In this case of this program (UC Berkeley), I was actually told that the page limits were not strict, and to feel comfortable going over them if I needed to to properly address the question (and I did, liberally). I was also advised to make sure I really highlight and draw connections between my resume and essay, and not assume readers will go searching for info or make those connections themselves. I don't think this means being repetitive so much as it means drawing a clear picture by referencing my interests, strengths, and experiences throughout. She basically said, when in doubt, don't leave it out, because this is your one chance to show the readers what you can bring to the program - don't make them guess! I also got a ton of advice about what characteristics I should highlight that the readers often like to see, and what to explain clearly (my reasons for switching from psychology to social work, for example). Another note I appreciated was to write for my audience - what do you think your potential future MSW professors would want to hear? Help them see what you will bring to the field, as well as what you can offer to their classrooms. However, this is just one program. Don't assume it is the same for all (clearly, as is explained above, it isn't!). Ask for as much advice as you can get!

I also applied on December 16th, I think about 12 hours before the deadline, so it looks like the timeline for acceptances have nothing to do with time you applied. Thank you everyone for all of the supportive comments! I am impressed by how positive everyone is being during all the stress of waiting. As an undergrad, I worked as a kind of junior admissions officer intern, and I got to contribute to admissions decisions. Some of the easiest "denies" were students who clearly hadn't really been thoughtful about their decisions to apply, why our school would be a good fit, etc. When I was nervous, I tried to remind myself that the 700 number probably includes some people who really haven't thought it out and applied more on a whim, and the pool of people who really were purposeful about the application was smaller. I have a feeling that the dedication and passion it takes to be so invested here probably showed in everyone's applications, and that there will be a higher acceptance rate in the subsection of applicants who are represented on this board.

Oh, and I am from Southern California.

I feel a little weird putting all the numbers on the internet, but basically I had a GPA a little higher than the median, high writing/ verbal GRE, lower quant GRE. Undergrad in psychology from a moderately high ranked liberal arts college. I had 4 LoR - two strong letters from professors who know me well, two from supervisors. I spent a lot of time on my application essays, which I made longer than the cut off, and I was sure to include a lot of suggestions from Melanie that I got when I met with her (highlight my interest in child development, Spanish-speaking populations, the purposeful switch from psych to social work, interest in poverty as a risk factor, etc.). I will say what I was most concerned about was experience - I only graduated from undergrad in 2010. I have one year as an Americorps volunteer/ intervention specialist in an elementary school doing various social and academic interventions (anti-bullying curriculum, small groups, etc), and this year I am working as a behavioral therapist for children with autism. I highlighted other past experiences as well, such as being an RA in undergrad, working in a deaf preschool, and volunteer work. I also highlighted significant academic experiences, such as research, a class in poverty and child development that affected me strongly, and my undergrad thesis (prejudice reduction in children). So for all of you fretting on not having multiple years of being a case worker, I still got in! Something Melanie said that stuck with me - the people reading are professors, so at the very least, academics are appreciated by them from the perspective of who they want to have as a student. I really tried to highlight why I would be a passionate, committed student, as well as future professional. Good luck everyone!

It came in at 8 pm on the dot . I imagine this is a couple weeks of late nights at the office...

To respond to this, it was entirely out of the blue. I actually thought I wouldn't hear until next week because the Grad Admissions office had a hiccup with my application fee (I was supposed to get it waived but made a mistake), so it was a huge surprise. She said the official notice would come "shortly", and financial aid stuff in the next few weeks.

I got in! CFS concentration. I just got an email from Melanie. I have been checking the board every once in a while, but hadn't ever posted. Berkeley is the only school I applied to, so I will definitely be accepting!