ellyk

I sell Apple products so I'm a bit partial, but I personally think owning a Mac is well worth the investment. The most significant difference between Apple computers and PCs is that Apple owns the hardware and the software, so if anything goes wrong, they know exactly how to fix it, rather than having to figure out who fixes what on a PC. With AppleCare, you'd be covered for 3 years, which covers everything except accidental damage (dropping it, spilling something on it). For portability and everyday usage, the MacBook Air is a great option (I have the 13" Air) because it will do everything you need to do and it's a very well built computer that will last you a long time. Also, if you have any other Apple products (iPhone, iPod, iPad), with iCloud, you will have access to your contacts, notes, calendars, photos, documents (using iWork, not Microsoft Office), and more on every single device, all linked through your Apple ID. This will come into great use if you're reviewing for an exam and left the file you needed on your computer and it's something you can easily pull up on your phone when you're out of the house. As far as compatibility between Mac and PC, you're going to find that a majority of the things you would need to use a PC for you can do on a Mac, and if there are specific Windows programs you need to use, you can always use Bootcamp or Parallels to boot up Windows right on your Mac without a problem. In your case, the 11" or 13" MacBook Air would be great for your needs. You'll get the long battery life and portability and it's a great computer for your typical everyday usage. Unless you're doing something that requires more processing power, such as video editing or making music, you don't need a Pro. The Air doesn't have a disk drive, but most companies are doing away with needing disks anyway, and there are many workarounds if you do need to access a CD from your computer using a nearby computer that does have a disk drive or by using the portable disk drive you can purchase from Apple that plugs in via USB.

Have you called them yet? If not, I highly suggest you do that. That's quite a long wait when there are only a couple months until classes start up.

I'd say start tomorrow. Call up the School of Social Work (probably numerous times because you can't ever get through) and if you're in Athens now, just go there and tell them you still haven't heard anything. When I went in, the assistant looked up my name and saw that I had been recommended for admission but I just hadn't gotten anything about it yet.

The general time frame for hearing back is 6-8 weeks, but it might actually be less since I'm pretty sure they've gone through a majority of the applications. Good luck!

Wow, congratulations! Sure, ask away! I'll be happy to answer any question you have.

No assistantship for me either. Guess I'll go back to figuring out how I'll be paying for grad school.

Hey all, forgive me for planning ahead so soon... I was accepted into an MSW program last month, starting Fall 2012, and I'm intending on doing the clinical track. I know I'm going about this a really strange way, but going for my PhD right out of undergrad wasn't an option for me so I opted to get a master's degree first and then go for my doctorate. My question is, I know some schools will take the previously obtained master's degree into consideration for a sort of "advanced standing" program, and it says receiving a "psychology or other similar degree." Would clinical social work be considered to fit under the "similar degree" category? Social work can be taken in so many different directions, so I just wasn't sure. I'm also graduating with my B.S. in Psychology so I have plenty of psychology classes under my belt as well. Secondly, my GRE scores are sort of in the lower end of the spectrum for what some schools list as their mean/median scores for accepted students. Would taking the GRE again be a good choice or would the fact that my scores are "pretty good" suffice? Also, I'll be graduating with an undergrad GPA of somewhere between 3.50 and 3.55, and some schools I see like GPAs that are 3.7 and above. Would my master's program GPA be taken into consideration? I know I still have two years, but I figured it's never too early to start preparing for my next big move. I know about all the importance of being a good fit, but I know there are other factors taken into consideration when applying to a doctorate level program. Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice on this!

Thanks for the update. I guess I'll just keep waiting then. UGA sure has a way of being as slow as possible when it comes to getting important notices out.

I haven't even done my FAFSA yet. I don't think it really has anything to do with that or else I feel like it would've been on the instructions. We had to put down our financial needs in the application.

I've heard nothing at all! I'm getting really frustrated. If I didn't get an assistantship, I'd at least like to be told that I didn't get one instead of being left hanging. I need to make plans if I didn't get one.

Thanks for the update! I sent her an email on Tuesday and she never responded. lol Fingers crossed!

I think my biggest piece of advice is don't fret if you haven't heard back from a school and a fair amount of time has passed. It took 7 and a half weeks for UGA to get back to me and I was accepted. Some schools are just slower than others. Also, plan early in advance, such as what roxyshoe said, but not only your applications for schools -- applications for scholarships sometimes need to be in early too! I missed out on getting any scholarships at UGA because the application for scholarships had to be in around December whereas the application for admission wasn't due until April 1.

Has anyone heard back about assistantships? I really want to find out if I got one or not.

Georgia!

Personally, I'd choose Michigan over Boston, with the biggest weight in my decision being the program. I think overall fit between you and the program will be most important in the long run for getting the best education you can in your area of interest. You could always relocate afterwards if you still want to live and practice in Boston. I just feel that the program's fit should be the most important factor when making your decision. Plus you get to save money over the long-term, which could be put towards getting a car if necessary. I grew up near AA so I know the area fairly well, and while I don't think you will have the same number of opportunities as you would in Boston for field placement, the surrounding area should provide plenty of opportunities to find a good placement.