angelamarie32

I got in to SFSU! just got a letter in the mail yesterday! I really didnt think I would get in since they only take 25 and theres so many applications, and I'm only 23, but I did! Yay! I am really stuck trying to decide SFSU or SJSU. As of now I'm totally lost. Help? I live in North Oakland and don't plan to move to San Jose, so SF would be the better option for commuting. Also I know SF's program is highly social justice and direct practice oriented, and the cohort is super tiny (only 25!) so I would get alot of individual attention. Its a super competitive program from what I understand and I feel lucky to have gotten in. Finally I'm planning to try to get the MH stipend my second year, and I probably will get it at SF since there's so little competition. I have several friends in the MSW program there who love it, but the budget cuts are awful: there is only one concentration (Individuals, families and groups) and few (if none) elective classes However, I have a special interest in working with monolingual spanish speakers, and SJSU has a class specifically designed for that (Spanish for Social Work), as well as a study abroad opportunity for a summer in mexico. They seem to have a much bigger cohort, four concentrations, and waaay more class electives for the second year. But the commute (two hours from where I live by train) would suck and I dont know the school at all. SJSU was my safety school. Help me! I have to decide ASAP!

Hi all, I was accepted to San Jose State's MSW program, in Health/Mental Health Concentration. I have been considering changing from the 2 yr to the 3 yr program so I can keep my job (and more importantly, my health insurance!) in San Francisco. Its a part-time job at a Family Shelter with an organization I really love and honestly, I really don't think I'll be able to survive two years without working. I spoke with the people at SJSU and they said I can change programs easily, if I change now. Does anyone have any advice for what I should choose? What are the advantages to a 2 year or the 3 year? HELP!

Says the same for me. It means they are still pending the decision from the department. So you are admitted to the university but the department has yet to accept you. I actually work at SFSU so last week I went in to the social work office and they said they haven't released ANY descisions yet, and they should be letting people by the end of the month at the earliest. Apparently they have about 600 applications to read, and so far only about 200 have been read. yikes!

To which school?

Just got that same email vmpancucci and MommyMSW! Also rejected from CMH. I really had hope since my GPA is high and I've worked in the field for over 2 years. Well, at least I know and can start planning. I told my boss (A SW professor at SFSU and one of the most amazing social workers I know) and she told me she was also rejected from Berkeley when she applied for the MSW (they later accepted her for the PhD), so I feel somewhat better. Still very sad though. Congrats and good luck to everyone!

Haha, I like that hypothesis. My last name is near the end of the alphabet too! Maybe... Sorry to hear that lccsf. I may be wrong, but I would agree it would probably be your resume that might have gotten you. I think that despite a year of experience being the requirement (regardless of hourage defining that year) there are probably applicants with over a year and paid-work experience in the field. Were you straight out of undergrad? I hear that they take very very few people straight out of undergrad unless their experience was exceptional and they went to Berkeley. I work with two MSWs who went to berkeley and they were somewhat "older students" and had paid experience at social work-realated jobs before their application to the MSW, as well as a wealth of life experience. All that said, I'm only a year out of my undergrad and still waiting to hear. My heart goes out to you!

Also on pins and needles! Thanks for emailing them and posting this. I also applied for CMH and every day I am more nervous and more discouraged. If I don't hear soon I don't know what I'm going to do!

So I heard from CSULB on Tuesday. Apparently the will not be processing my application because it was decided to be incomplete. Said I am missing a LoR and my stats syllabus "does not provide enough info to evaluate." My boss who sent the LoR has the certificate of mailing so I know I can contest that, but does anyone know why they would say my statistics syllabus isn't good enough? What am I supposed to do about that? It was just a generic Introductory Statistics class taken at a community college and the syllabus outlined everything we learned. I'm confused. And somewhat pissed off. Also, does anyone know if there is a deposit to intend to enroll at San Jose? I'm still waiting on SFSU and UCB but I don't want to lose my spot at SJSU!

I haven't heard either! I wish they would tell me something...anything! I'm also getting discouraged but it seems like we aren't alone at least!

hey lizabeth, I actually heard from sjsu last Tuesday (3/6) and I applied on the very last day possible, which I think was Jan 20th. The admissions person called me actually and said I had to about the end of the month to decide, but no later. Also I applied to the 2 yr CMH program at San Jose.

Thanks! I know SJSU is a good school but I would like to keep living in SF and commuting from SF to SJ for classes sounds awful. Yep when I log on to sfsu gateway it says the same...pending admission decision. If you click on it it says all my docs are submitted and my application is under review. Guess we'll just have to wait. Nice to know others are waiting with me though.

I wanted to throw in some things about answering question #4 in the original post. The options available to a person with an MSW are EXTREMELY BROAD! not all social workers are in Child Welfare. I've been in social work-y positions for two years now, three different jobs that are quite different. First I interned in County jail with incarcerated women, then I worked with other social workers getting their MSW in a mental health office for students at the university, and currently I work at a homeless shelter, working primary with undocumented women from Latin America. It is true, Child welfare is HARD, and so are many other social work positions, but that is what the internships are for, to try out working with a certain population and see if you enjoy it. Eventually, if you are interested in doing therapy, you can be licensed and do private practice, which my good friend says is not very stressful since you make your own hours and choose who you work with. I've also met social workers who have switched populations several times throughout their career, and done so very successfully financially speaking. If you are interested in social work, I recommend trying to volunteer with an agency you would eventually work for as a social worker, and shadow others doing the work. Also, any job can be stressful. But if the work is meaningful to you, it will be worth it!

Has anyone heard from San Francisco State? I know their MSW program is super competitive... I was accepted to San Jose State! Yay! But I really wanted SFSU or Berkeley. I pretty much gave up hope already on CSULB.

It seems like quite a few here have been accepted or waitlisted. Congrats to all of you! I'm still waiting to hear from Berkeley...it's already the second week of March, is there still hope for me?

2011 MSW Hopeful, can you say alittle more about how you addressed the issue task? I'm having a very difficult time writing mine.

Hi! I'm applying to: SFSU UC Berkeley (CMH concentration) CSULB SJSU CSUEB My Stats: GPA 3.86 Major: American Studies (Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts degree) GRE Verbal: 159/84% GRE Quantitative: 149/49% GRE Analytical: 4.5/72% LoRs: one very strong from supervisor/faculty in SW dept at SFSU, one somewhat strong from professor and mentor, one somewhat strong from field supervisor Experience:Case Management Intern at San Francisco County Women's Jail for one year, Support Specialist at mental health counseling office for students for one year, Day camp coordinator for kids in homeless shelter for 4 months, current residential counselor at homeless family shelter. I'm so nervous!! I really want Berkeley or SFSU but they are so crazy competitive and I'm only 23! Although I have lots of life experience being homeless as a teen I'm still really young and I hardly every see MSW students my age in those programs (I work at SFSU). My SOPs are okay, I'm mostly concerned about the "analytical question" for Berkeley.

Hi Everyone, I'm applying to Berkeley for fall 2012 and I have everything done and submitted except the analytical question. Apparently this is something new as all current MSWs at Berkeley seem to have no idea what I am talking about. Anyone else have any advice for me on writing my answer to the analytical question? The app is due in a little over a week! PLEASE HELP!!!! thanks! angela