allyba

That grant is likely going to be scraped before we start this Fall. In fact I think the decision was already made. If you got your fin aid offer with the grant on it, I would check. Here's an article about it. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/14/MNDI1O32PO.DTL

I know it is a little scary to think this may be a bubble. Thanks for sharing these points. I think it is so helpful for people to hear these views. But I understand the frustration. I wish I could have gotten some of those subsidized grad loans while they lasted too. Instead I may have to try to work a little even with the crazy grad school schedule. Have you given in thoughts to trying to work while doing a MSW? I know it is difficult but, I thought maybe I could find something on campus even if I had to.

People please, please, please heed this information above. Loans are serious. You can´t get rid of them by declaring bankruptcy at least not at this time and they can garnish your wages to get payments from you. This is when they take the money directly from what your employer is going to pay you before you even get your paycheck. It is serious business. Think you can really afford to take out 60,000? Do you know what that will make your monthly payments? Do the calculations and act responsibily for the sake of everyone. Go to a school you can afford especially for a degree in social work where earning potential is lower. If you can afford an expensive school then great. But please people don´t just sign on the line for your financial aid awards. Think about it. Understand it. Way too many of you probably won´t. I know this. I worked at a college for a while. You don´t have to be in a rush either. Take a few years to save and work if it is better for you.

Good luck to everyone waiting on CSUN! I think I have messaged with a few of you. I hope everything works to your advantage. Getting to the interview is a big achievement. They do not interview everyone. They interview only people they are seriously considering. Also I should add, don´t stress if it starts looking like you´ll need to wait until next year. It seems a lot of great applicants find themselves in a situation where they need to apply again. I hope that you all get in but, also don´t be too hard on yourselves through the process.

Yeah it is a bummer this happened now as we are going to attend but, I think they had to start doing something. Student loans are getting out of control and people are taking out way more than they will be able to pay. It is the next big financial bubble. I recommend paying the interest while you are in school instead of letting it all accumulate.

Theyll probably just tell you those loans have to be converted to unsubsidized loans. I think the official start of this new rule is July 1st though so I am not sure if that would mean you can get some subsidized in June or not. I am surprised not many people seem to pay attention to all the politics because this is a big change in the system and grad students will owe a lot more if they don't have access to subsidized loans.

Subsidized stafford loans are no longer available to grad students. It is going to impact a lot of people this year.

No te preocupes para nada! I think the info you shared was certainly helpful and gave people a chance to bring up new things in this thread. I think part of the application procedures seem to be geared at figuring out if you can follow directions and if you are resourceful enough to find out the info that you need. Every school is different. Some want longer SOPs and resumes because they want you to include everything they have asked for. Some want it concise. Also just a tip- Some schools will check that you completed the SOP and resume correctly if you turn everything in by the early deadline and give you a chance to make adjustments.

I agree with the resume info but do follow the guidelines for each school. For two apps I had to include particular things on the resume that they wanted. One asked for example to list the hours per week worked at each job and several other items I would not have normally included on a resume. For the essay also make sure you check the directions and most will give you a max page length. For one I had to do a Q&A format and there's no way it could have been answered in three pages if you answered all the questions.

Early fall I think the application season generally starts. A lot of schools have early filing periods if you file maybe by December. The dates differ by schools. A lot of programs do information nights before applications are due and some of these begin as early as September/October. Go to them if you can and if not I think it is wise to make some kind of contact with the program you are appling to before you turn in your app to make sure the program feels like the right fit for you. Also the info nights give you a lot of tips about the application process at the particular school you are thinking of applying to. These days people do seem to apply to a lot of programs but, narrowing down your choices before you spend a lot of money on application fees is smart. I wouldn´t bother them right now though as they are probably still trying to finish admission decisions.

@TrojanManMSW. That´s awesome. Definently, take advantage of the tuition break! Congrats on your acceptance and all too. I guess just wanted to post that to remind people to think about the loans now rather than after they have already started their programs. I don´t know anyone´s situation and some can probably afford the expense. You surely do have a great situation.

I have heard the same things. I think they have a solid program that will help you get employed in the area and I like the emphasis on diversity. Anyone hear from them yet? I have another acceptance I am leaning towards for reasons of the location and my husband's work but, would like to hear from them as I make the final decision.

Maybe I shoukd have posted this in another thread but I had to say this. Some of these big schools seem to accept a lot of people and it makes me think that the MSW program could be a money maker for them. I knew a girl that took out large loans to go to Fordham and ended up having to change fields because she couldn't make her loan payments. She works in selling financial products now. Imagine having to make a switch like that to survive especially if your moral compass is pointing you towards one of the helping professions like social work.

This was one of the biggest surprises for me when applying. I had no idea for that SF State was more competitive than elite schools for example. No offense to anyone going to USC but, I can't fathom paying 85,000 or so just in tuition and fees for a 2 yr program. I've heard they have good program components especially for working with war vets but, the cost seems prohibitively high. PLease people think hard about the money you'll need to borrow. I used to work advising students and I can't tell you how many sob stories I have heard about loan payments ruining peoples lives. Paying the equivalent of two rent payments every month is horrendous. (one for actual rent and one for the big loan.) if you are super stressed out with the money you owe, likely you won't do the best job at work either. If you or your parents do have the financing then, go for it. If you are going to lean on really really large loans, make an honest estimate now of what you can earn after and how much your monthly payment will be. Figure out now if your plan is feasible. If it isn't, don't go to the expensive school even if that means having to apply to cheaper schools the next time around.

Opps, futurelcsw I thought you ask did they interview everyone. Yes, the interview is required for everyone it seems but, I don't know if they have already finished all of them.

I am not the right person to ask this question because this is my first year applying but, I would imagine an MSW is a type of degree where perseverance means something. I think it shows maturity to go through the application process more than once. It also shows dedication and really proves that you aren´t someone to balk at challenges. Edited to add- If you are going to apply again, I would make sure there is some extra work experience or even volunteer experience to add to your resume. I would probably also mention in my SOP how the year had helped me gain something that makes me an even better fit for an MSW this time around. But, that´s just what I would do. Maybe someone that has applied more than once can share their experience.

I really have no idea. It seems they just completed a wave of interviews. Might not mean they are finished with their process yet though. You could check-in with them.

I just got my first acceptance and haven´t heard anything yet from the second school I applied to. So, there is hope still. Hang in there people.

Just got an acceptance from Northridge. Yay! Anyone going here? I am very impressed with their organization and had a great interview with them. They made me feel very good about the quality of their program and the attention students receive from faculty and staff.

Here´s the link for the Sac State PPSC program. It looks like if you are in the MSW program at Sac State you can also start this one at the same time. I am not sure if CSU-EB has the same program though. http://www.cce.csus.edu/catalog/course_group_detail.asp?group_number=374&group_version=1

Only you can decide which route is best and you´ll need to wait to hear from CSU-EB before having all the information needed to make this decision. It sounds like you have a very specific goal in social work and UCB fits that plan very well. For what it is worth it sounds like UCB looks favorably on applicants that reapply the next year if the applicant can show the progress they´ve made in the year and why they are now ready for UCB. For example, it doesn´t seem anyone gets in that doesn´t have a year of relevant work experience. If you are short of that year now but, will have it for next application season UCB could be a good place to reapply. It also sounds like there are several viable programs to get the PPSC after your MSW so perhaps CSU-EB would be a great option to get going sooner. I think PPSC programs like the one at Sac State are on weekends. Keep in mind a lot of these programs state hours can not be verified until admitted to the program. You may want to check if your MSW field placement hours would count. I have doubts that they would. I imagine the focus when you are doing the PPSC is different and I don´t think you can accrue hours from a different concentration in an MSW program. Maybe you can get in touch with one of the PPSC programs for post MSW and ask about this. Good luck weighing the options.

Thanks! Are you going to UPenn?

I am sorry that happened to you. If you do believe it is complete, you should ask if they have an appeals process and maybe you can appeal the decision. A family member of mine recently did a master´s at Chico State in another field and had quite a lot to say about the lack of response he got from the administrative people there. He had quite a few hiccups during the course of his program with transfer units, financial aid, etc, etc. I am sure it doesn´t happen to everyone but, he learned to keep good records in case he needed to prove something to them.

Argh! Help! I was contacted for an interview and the interview dates are for next week. I am abroad right now and not set to return for a month or so. Have people been successful in asking for an interview by Skype?

Mapletree- Congrats btw on the acceptance this year. I did see that you got into CAL, right? I bet you are incredibly excited! I certainly hope you are right about the social work experience. It sounds like we may have a lot of similar type experience. I have worked in advising and teaching/tutoring similar populations. Currently I am working abroad where I encounter a little bit of everything it feels like. When you think about how little resources low-income kids have in the U.S., imagine it being much much worse in some areas of the world. Sometimes it can be a shock. I totally understand not tolerating a particular attitude or language. I think it is awesome that people on this forum made it clear that the post wasn´t okay. I guess I just wanted to give the poster an opportunity to make it constructive and thought maybe they would feel comfortable taking that responsibility if they felt less attacked (not that I think anyone was trying to attack the O.P.) But, it takes a while to develop the ability to not focus on defending yourself when you get called out on something. I am all about providing opportunities for people to make better choices. Even if someone doesn´t take the opportunity, I´d like to keep trying to provide an opening for them to do so. I don´t know anything about the poster but, the comments made me think of someone that is perhaps a bit younger than myself and feels they are fighting their way through life. Maybe they feel it´s a ¨me¨ vs. ¨them¨ world. A lot of good kids I have worked with abroad feel this way and their culture cues have taught them it is better to deny, defend, deny rather than accept responsibility. It is a lifetime process to learn how to get it right and none of us do it perfectly all the time. I agree the posts were not representative of what a good social worker would say but, we don´t know this person. A lot of great social workers come from tough places and have had to wrestle with a lot to gain every inch in life. Maybe the poster is going through some tough stuff too. Now, that doesn´t mean we should not critique the comments. I think we owe it to what we are trying to dedicate our lives to that we bring to light any type of derogatory language or hurtful attitudes. I want to add I think everyone expressed this very well.