roxyshoe

Hi all, I am itching to move to the UK. I know that getting a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Oxford would be great, but I highly doubt my chances of being accepted... Does anyone here know if the programs in the UK are generally good? I'm looking at University of Exeter, Cambridge, and Edinburgh. Also, through the websites it appears that funding isn't a big thing (but I might be wrong, I just barely looked), yet the programs itself (even with the exchange rate) are not ridiculously pricey. Is it worth it to go to school abroad and pay for it? Or would it be a waste since I am already an American citizen and we have some damn good and well-funded programs here? Also, does anyone know of any other online forums for creative writing grad programs? I love grad cafe, but this forum seems kinda dead =[

Thank you!

Hi everyone, So about two weeks ago I dropped out of my Master of Social Work program. It wasn't that I didn't like it, but I just realized that I want to give my true passion - for creative writing - more of a chance. I am hoping to apply to MFA Programs next fall, which means I will have at least 2 years off. Currently I am just searching for a job or internship in the area I live in. But I really want to do something special and meaningful with my time off next year, and i was wondering if any of you have suggestions for meaningful gap year experiences. I am looking for something that pertains to creative writing/literature or personal growth. I'd also like it to be all or mostly funded. I'm pretty open to suggestions...I have a wide variety of interests (i.e spirituality (I am Jewish but also into eastern philosophy), art history, nature/the environment, German, history, etc. etc.!) Things I'm not really into: AmeriCorps (unless there is a program you know of that really applies to my interest in writing) and Fulbright (well I think the deadline passed.) Thanks so much for any and all advice/suggestions.

MSW hopeful is right. The gist of it is: if you apply by the early deadline, you have a greater chance of getting in because of rolling admissions, so there are less people who have applied at that point and competing for your spot. But if you are accepted on early admissions, you are in no way bound to go to the school. In fact you should apply to EVERYWHERE's early application deadline to highly improve your chances (and, well, just make the waiting game a lot less long and annoying.)

I can help, perhaps! 1. GPA - they will consider you if your human services experience, letters of rec, and SoP are really impressive, I think it's always worth a try but definitely apply to reach and safety schools and everywhere in between. 2. GRE - Like you said, most MSW programs do not ask for GRE scores. If you get above average scores they are worth sending to schools who don't ask because of low gpa. I know Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill are two schools that do require GRE scores, and from what I recall they want scores that are above average but don't have to be anything ridiculously high. I would just call the office of admissions for the particular programs and ask what their typical scores are. 3. My personal opinion is to submit your applications asap and then submit your transcript when it's ready. It is pretty doubtful they will reject you before you have a chance to turn in the transcript, seriously these programs can take forever.

Sorry for the slowness in responding!! Here's my input, hope it can help. So far U Mich has definitely proven to have great clinical opportunities. One aspect of Michigan's program that really sets it apart from the rest is that we get to choose our field placement...of course this means applying/interviewing and being accepted to the placement, but the office is super helpful with that. Most schools just assign you to a field placement, so you could get stuck somewhere really unrelated to your interests or even clinical work. There are a lot of agencies in Ann Arbor that have clinical related work, although it is somewhat competitive/difficult for your first year to get a purely mental health related placement in Ann Arbor, but there are a ton outside of Ann Arbor too if you drive. For example, I ended up getting a (great) placement at a substance abuse outpatient treatment center that works with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders...so it's not the same as maybe working at a counseling center or the psychiatric unit at a hospital, but I'm still get amazing clinical experience. And next year I will have enough background experience to be accepted to one of the more competitive placements. In terms of courses, there are seriously a ton of clinical oriented ones. A ton, for like every kind of therapy you can think of. And they are really good about incorporating roleplaying, etc. so we get practice. Mich also offers 1 credit mini courses every semester that teach a really specific skill, like motivational interviewing. AKA highly recommend U Mich! Happy to help! After I graduate I know I want to do some kind of interpersonal clinical work. My goal is eventually to open a private practice, but I hope to work for some university or community counseling agencies for a while after I graduate. This is a pretty similar goal to a lot of people I've talked to in my program. I am also currently doing my field placement at a substance abuse clinic and I'm finding I really enjoy it, so I may end up pursuing that. We'll see! Other programs are a lot of the California schools, probably especially Berkeley but this would be a good question to ask someone from Cali. I think NYU's program is pretty good and UT Austin's, but I'm really not sure...I was so limited location-wise that I didn't heavily research too many other schools. One thing I do know is that Washington University's (in St. Louis...not University of Washington which I think actually has a really good clinical program) clinical program is NOT highly recommended, despite how high in the rankings their overall sw program is. Also yessss, I was pretty certain I was going to get my PhD in Clinical Psych until I realized I am really not ready nor interested in a PhD at this point in my life. First of all PhD's, particularly for clinical psych are the most competitive PhD programs right now, including just getting accepted but also succeeding after getting the PhD. second, they take like 7 years to complete and are extremely research focused. There are very few clinical PhD programs that do not scowl at students who (secretly) want to take their PhD to private practice instead of continuing research and teaching (I believe University of Virginia is one school that incorporates research and practice well). Also Clinical Psych PhD do not offer a ton of hands-on experience, you get one year of work in the field to finalize your degree and that's it. It doesn't seem like enough to me. Moreover, and this is an issue I'm finding with clinical, counseling, and PsyD degrees - there is not enough focus on the "bigger picture". Social work is really causing me to view mental health in a whole new light that I think is so, so important and the field of Psychology is just barely beginning to pick up on. I don't know as much about counseling psych PhD programs, but I do think it is better to get an MSW than Master in Counseling Psych because an MSW provides you with a bigger range of job opportunities after you graduate. I do not recommend Psy D programs. Honestly if you are going to go to school for at least another 5 years, get a PhD. The whole PsyD degree is somewhat looked down upon and some predict the degree will just cease to exist in a few years. I also take major issue with the fact that most schools offering PsyDs are for-profit. Hope this makes sense and helps!

I honestly recommend taking a year off to work in the field. It would help your application and also help assure you that this is the right choice (it is really hard to know without having the experiences first. You might seem certain right now but once you actually end up getting accepted to places (which you will!) you might begin to seriously question yourself. I say this 'cause I've been going through it, haha. Also, working in the field for a year will help you get into the school you desire most

I think the best way to set yourself apart is to not be afraid to discuss something personal that really defines who you are in your statement of purpose. Think about what makes you you and then connect it to social work

I think it might be ok depending on how strongly/in what context you discuss it. Just remember that regular/general social work ethics require that a counselor's religion or religious concepts not be involved in the intervention method.

Honestly, I recommend that you all not worry about having transcripts for this year in before applying. It is more important to send in your app early, and then once your fall transcripts are ready, send them in! (It is very doubtful they will make a decision any time before January, no matter when you apply. But applying early gives you such a better chance). My recommendation is to get apps in by December 1st, but mid-November is best since lots of people will be turning them in around dec. 1t. Also, trust me, it's nice to get them finished and out of the way!! They are a lot more time consuming than I had thought =[

Hi all, I applied for the 2012 season, and you can see all the schools I applied to in my sig! I am happy to help if anyone has questions about a particular school's application process/why I decided to apply there. (As a side note, I will be studying mental health counseling, micro-level)

I have basically just been freaking out. I was extremely close to deferring and moving out of the country for a year. Main reason why I decided not to is that I ended up getting hired to a really great field work position. Seriously though, I am freaking out. I am coming straight from undergrad and am currently really, really regretting my decision to not take a year off in advance =/ BUT! I am also getting super excited again Not doing much directly to prepare yet...except I keep telling myself I will get on a better sleep schedule. Honestly I am at a point where the future and grad school is really unknown. I might end up loving it, but I also might realize I made a mistake. Either way, I'm pretty sure it will be exhausting, but if I enjoy it (and the rest of us!) the stress and exhaustion will be so worthwhile and feel like nothing!

So, I applied to Columbia's MSW program on January 15th, and am STILL yet to hear a decision. This is actually hilarious. They have not wait listed me. On their website, my application is simply listed as "complete", and the last correspondence I received from the university was in late April, apologizing for their delay in communication of admissions decisions. Is anyone else in the same boat? Am I just missing something? For people applying this year - If you are planning on applying to Columbia, apply as early as possible if you ever want to hear back, lol..lol...lol.

I think you definitely stand a great chance! Having professional experience - even if unrelated to social work - is impressive and shows that you're willing to stop a career because you want this. I am going straight from undergrad, but had pretty much zero experience. I was a psych major and mostly focused on research, but I think my teaching job and 3 week volunteer thing I did helped. But what helped the most was getting good letters of rec (definitely get one from the volunteer work you did in undergrad) and being honest in my application/writing a good essay. Also, the most important thing I discovered was applying as early as possible. It made my chance of being accepted somewhere so much better. Best of luck!

Just do a ton of research on each program, and ask for more info around here Start with a big list then narrow it down. Wanting both good public transit and being near the ocean already really narrows your options, so hopefully that helps. I really think B.U and NYC schools sound like a great fit for you. If you do apply to Columbia, apply really early. I applied on their deadline back in January and still have not heard a peep. Completely ridiculous. Also, Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill are two other schools I know of that require the GRE!

Another question - have any of you been interviewed or been accepted to a field work position yet?

Thanks!! I found it! For anyone else who wants to look, it is all on pg. 3 of the field instruction manual, here: http://ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/ofi/fieldInstructionManual.pdf Thursday and Friday for 20 month curriculum in the fall. Yayyy

Hi everyone!!! For anyone in the 20 month program - do you know if there are specific days of the week that we go to our field work position? I thought it was Tuesday and Thursday, but not sure how I got that idea hahah. Thanks!!

Hi, This may seem like a silly question -- but I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to read some writing samples that have been linked to a person accepted to an MFA program in creative writing (fiction or non)? Any top 50 program, really. I am curious about what MFA programs are looking for. Thanks!

Hi ya'll...so the title of this post is kind of summing up my thoughts right now. I am "freaking out" for two major reasons: 1) I am really concerned about the field work position. I am going to be at Michigan, which does not have great public transit, and now my field work advisor is making it seem like it will be impossible for me to get a field work position in Ann Arbor (I cannot drive). Honestly the way she has been emailing me about makes it seem like my application is hopeless and there's no way I'd get into anywhere competitive...I guess a lot of the Ann Arbor positions have only one slot, and being that I don't have any prior social work/clinical experience I suppose it's just really unlikely. - On that note, it is seeming more likely that I will end up getting a field work position not much in line with my interests. Has this happened to any of you/do you think it will decrease my chance of getting a position more related in my second year? 2) Well, I am basically worried that I made the wrong decision. Not only with grad school, but also with what I chose to major in in undergrad and everything. I have tons of interests, and back in October I was still struggling with what to do in life. I decided on social work because it was practical and involves my psychology interests, plus it is hands-on. But now I am suddenely worried it's not for me...like I won't fit in, won't enjoy my courses, etc. I feel like this is somewhat normal in general...but I also feel like going to grad school (and paying lots of money for it) means you should KNOW you're taking on something you love. Maybe I should have taken a year off... I guess I don't want to go and then drop out because I hate it...or worse go through all two years, have all that debt, then move my career into another direction. I really hope all this is paranoia and I end up loving social work. Does anyone have life advice or thoughts or anything? Thanks and sorry for the rant

Welp I FINALLY heard from UM Baltimore. very indirectly, through an e-mail about financial stuff. I may have gotten a letter by now but I'm abroad, so. Still waiting on Columbia. lol did not ever imagine it would take this long.

Congrats on finding housing!!! I was really into the idea of Spice Tree..considering it for the year after this one. I ended up leasing a tiny tiny place on Granger. It's cheap and a good location so hopefully that will make up for the closet-like apartment. I think it would be really cool to live near Ypsi, I really love it but never get over there. Also happy you enjoyed your visit!! Yay!!! I am o'course already living here but will be a bit in and out this summer. Going to Germany for a few weeks but will be back on may 24th, we should definitely meet up!!

Seriously can't believe I haven't heard from Maryland yet...I submitted my app on December 16th. Maybe my decision got lost in the mail.

I just said the word serious a lot. it's late i have my last exam of undergrad in the morning ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Yeah I know loans are serious, but I am super fortunate enough to have family that is going to do their best to help me pay them back. If I were seriously on my own I wouldn't be going to grad school at all next year or anytime in the near future. Sorry for not mentioning that important detail, heh. But yes, do take loans even more seriously than I already do if you are completely on your own with repaying them.