MSDubbs

Yep. That's my plan, too. I'm moving three hours away from my girlfriend, which was a small part of the reason I chose that city. It means that visits can happen every once in a while, so I feel grateful for that. So for me, anticipating being super busy with the program is both a blessing and a curse...less time to sit and think, also less time to visit. We're going to be doing the long distance thing, and fully expect it to suck. I've done distance before, but this time without a specified plan for afterwards. We'll see how that goes. I'm trying to be okay with seeing how the relationship changes and grows and am less concerned about there being some huge issue because we have a really strong relationship and knew I was going to be moving *somewhere* for school when we started dating. But I fully anticipate it to suck. Good luck to everyone doing the long distance thing! I'm right there with you!

I've been living in Portland for the past four years, so it's not too far of a move. Thanks for the suggestions--I've been looking at greenlake, it seems like a really pretty and fairly affordable area. I am definitely open to anything at this point because I want to be close enough to campus to bus or bike, though I will also have a car for internship and such. This is my first time having a car so parking nightmares sound like real nightmares

Right on! I am heading up to Seattle in a few weeks to start the housing search. I was leaning towards looking outside of the U district because I've heard it's a bit more of a nightmare parking wise and things, but do you like where you live?

Hey all. I'll be coming up from Portland and am trying to start planning my move. Anyone have any opinions about whether or not it would make a difference if I chose to move in July or August? I've heard that it's hard to find places in August...Is july any better? I'm hoping to find a place to live that is within busing distance from the university, but I don't want to be too close, since I'll have a car and also would rather not be in the heart of the undergrad scene. Thanks for any advice!

Most everyone I talked to during my application process recommended going to school somewhere you'd like to stay for a bit afterwards. It is not necessarily that your first job comes from your internship but that the connections you make during the program will help you find a job in that particular location. It might be harder to find a job in another state, but probably not impossible, especially in NY I imagine. You might end up competing with people who got their education in NY and have those connections through the schools there or through their internships and being a part of communities there. However, if you went to University of Denver and got a job there, this doesn't tie you to Denver forever either. Having more experience under your belt could help you when you end up applying to jobs in NY. However, if you know you want to be in NY, it might make more sense to stay there for school. I think money is definitely an important factor to consider. It sounds like you might want to be asking yourself how important the animal assisted program is to you. It is a unique program that you cannot really find elsewhere, which makes the decision a bit trickier for you. As far as I understand regarding licensing, that process starts once you are done with school. If you were looking to be licensed in NY, you'd want to move back before starting the process and working in Denver...because most states have their own requirements and want you to be working there.

Headed to UW in the fall!

Sorry I wasn't super clear there. I mostly meant that I think it would be better to have a few places where you were really able to dedicate some quality time and energy than giving less to a large number of organizations. This will also help with your references by showing the organizations that you are invested in the work and by allowing you to make some solid connections. Just my 2 cents though.

Hey MaggieDot! I can't speak much to Hunter's admissions process (although I do have a good friend in that program now) but I applied and was accepted to UMich. I would say that if you are just starting to explore social work as a potential occupation, give yourself some time to feel it out. All of those volunteer experiences look great and references from them will help with your application. Since they will also be new, you might have more luck getting references after a year than after two months or so when you need to start gathering them. I would also keep in mind the fact that it will be apparent that you have just started all of these volunteer opportunities around the time you started considering an MSW. This is not a bad thing necessarily, and I actually think that if you are transparent about it, it could in fact help your statement of purpose. I think it can be very compelling to discuss why you have now chosen to pursue social work and your experiences will show a dedication to becoming involved. Try not to over extend yourself trying to line up resume boosters, though. That will probably end up being more detrimental than helpful in the end. As for volunteering at the hospital, you may need to do some boring tasks and not everything you do will be working directly with patients or clients, but I think those experiences are very valuable and also worth something in the admissions decisions. My resume was a mix of advocacy work and community organizing (I'm going that route rather than direct practice) and things like staffing the info desk at a community center. Even the "boring" stuff that doesn't feel super relevant makes a difference when it shows your dedication to a community or to seeing what a specific environment is like. I even talked about my experience as an admin assistant in the social service department at a hospital as one of my early introductions to the field of social work. I literally spent all of my time scheduling appointments and copying client records, but I got to see what the social workers were doing and how they functioned. Those sorts of things are more valuable than you might think. Good luck!

Awesome! I'll see you in the fall! I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the community centered integrative practice concentration, but it sounds like we'll all be together for the first year. Yeah, I haven't received all of that information yet, so it's starting to freak me out a little. I called today though, so hopefully it's on its way. We also have to have all of the immunizations up to date and fill out a few forms for that. Otherwise, as far as I know, that's mostly it.

Hey All, I just wanted to start a thread for those of us who will be attending UW in the fall. I thought it would be a helpful and fun way to start getting to know each other as we move from the decision-making process to the logistical nightmare phase Where are you all planning on living? What concentration are you interested in? Where are you coming from? How are you staying on top of all the forms and deadlines and planning without going crazy (if you're managing better than I am, that is!)

Hey there, I don't know anything about the red cross, but can speak a bit to working while in grad school. As I've been talking to various grad schools and students about working, most people say you should cap your job at 10-15 hours a week if you are in a full time social work program. With classes and field work, it is not very possible to hold a full time job, and certainly not one requiring set hours. However, if you haven't already looked into it, most programs offer extended degree programs so you can go to school part time. At least for the first year, you typically do not have internship, so you have classes over the weekends which would allow you to keep a job during that time.

I'm in a very similar situation, in that I am looking to work with LGBTQ populations afterwards. This is very important to me and BU is appealing for this reason. I was less impressed when I visited the school with the program itself, but I have heard time and time again that it really is all about the field placement experiences, connections you make, and being able to live there for a bit afterwards to take advantage of the connections and find jobs. This is making the decision tricky for me as well, because it means having to weigh cities (some of which offer similar things) as well as the program, costs, etc. When you know the kind of work you want to do, if all other things are similar, I would say take that into consideration. It's much easier to find work in your desired area if you have been cultivating that for years before you're applying for jobs. Good luck! Perhaps I'll see you at BU, who knows!

Nice! I live in Portland right now, so I'm familiar with Willamette. It's a great school =)

Hello all! It's looking more and more like I'll be going to Pitt, so I'm starting to look at my relocation options. I'm thinking Shadyside, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with rental companies in the area? Any companies in particular I should stay away from, or ones you can recommend? Thanks in advance!

Ahh, sweet. I've never heard of Uloop before, I'll have to check that out too. That's a great idea, asking them for advice. Perhaps I'll see you at those info sessions! Where are you in school right now?