MSDubbs

Thanks, that is really good to know. I talked to the financial aid office at BU, and they were like *shrug* we can't help you, this is all we offer. But if I can find outside funding sources, that will put my mind more at ease. Also, carrielynn, congrats on getting into Pittsburgh! Have you heard about your funding package there yet?

Hey all, For those of you who have heard from some of your schools already, are you running into the issue where even *loans* are maxed out at less than the cost of tuition? Does anyone know where you can go to find loans other than the unsubsidized loans offered by the schools themselves? Is anyone finding additional scholarships to apply for, or sites where you can still apply for outside scholarships? Maybe I was being naive, but I figured I'd be able to find loans to at the very least cover tuition...I'd just then have to figure out if it's realistic to be able to pay them off later. Any advice/people in similar situations?

Hey all! I also just got accepted to BU. I am SO excited, but a little nervous given they need a decision by March 1. It is definitely one of my top choices, but I need to see about funding and decisions from other programs I'm excited about before feeling totally confident in a decision. Ahhh!

Haha, yeah. I'm currently on the west coast, but only applied to UW in these parts, and the rest are pretty much on the east coast =)

I'm in the same position. I submitted before the deadline, but apparently it wasn't processed until just a few days ago. I guess that means we're not technically in the priority deadline pool, huh? Lesson learned for the next time, I suppose

I applied too, and still haven't heard back. I applied in early December though, so I'm not sure when we all should be expecting a response. Good luck! (I also applied to UW, and really really want to hear back from them!)

+1 Holy cow. It is completely inaccurate to say that LGBT issues are "disproportionately" taught in any MSW program, or any program without an explicitly queer theory foundation. The anecdotes I have heard, and through looking through academic materials, typically point to a struggle to have the issues of some of the most marginalized members of our society even addressed in these programs. That's how it works. I'm sorry to say this, but I believe that if you are not willing to work with LGBT people (who, by the way, also make up the populations you are interested in working with...homeless youth, domestic violence survivors...) you should rethink entering this profession at all. It is hateful and perpetuates the marginalization of populations, and I firmly believe social work is designed to counteract these exact structures. If you feel 'singled out' as someone who is conservative, I challenge you to examine your privilege.

SofieCat, congrats on BU!! You were already accepted? When did you submit your application? I'm working on that one now =)

Congrats, Citychild!

Oh man, I am so there with everyone who is exhausted by the process! I've completed 4 out of 6 or 7, applying just before the early application deadlines for each of them. It's so hard to continue the same level of motivation for the last few, I just want it to be over with! But until we've all heard back and are on our way wherever it is we're going... Good luck to us all!

I feel your frustration. It sounds like you're in a really tricky situation, and I'm sorry =( I'm guessing you'll already be filling out the FAFSA to get some need-based aid, and applying to the early deadlines so that you can be eligible for some programs' scholarships/workstudy type things...that's about all I can think of that I've found to try to minimize some of those crazy costs. Sorry I can't offer more, I definitely will if I come across anything.

Hey Citychild. I just met with an admissions rep at UW, and they seem to try to make it more affordable for MSW students. There are some research and work study type grants, but I'm not sure what their financial aid really ends up looking like for most students. Seattle is a good city to be in as far as transportation goes and there are some more affordable places, though it is not the cheapest city to live in, that's for sure. You're in Pheonix now? Any thoughts/things you've heard about Arizona State's program? I know they do have a macro program but I'm not sure if it's worth applying to. Are you considering it at all? Seems like that would be pretty affordable in-state. Have you thought at all about Hunter? NY is insanely expensive itself but the program costs aren't terrible.

How long does your resume end up being with all those sections? If you're looking to clear up some space, you might be able to combine some of those sections. Conferences and trainings could probably be combined, and professional affiliations could go in your education section, for instance =)

What michigan girl said is pretty much what I keep hearing as well. As far as I know, it doesn't hurt to have a related skills section, if those things will actually prove helpful and are truly related. I have a followup question actually...Michigan Girl, do you know if there is a 'cut off' to how far back any of your experiences should go? I'm 3 years out of undergrad, and I know adding anything from high school would be tacky, but there are a few things from my first year of college and even a few things in high school that would otherwise be relevant and awesome if I weren't worried about the date attached to it. I have enough experiences following that so I don't think it would seem so tacky or like I was grabbing for anything that would 'sound good' or relate, but I'm not sure if you've heard anything either way...

As far as I know, it is pretty common practice to use the same 3 references, if you're comfortable doing so. When people agree to be your letter writers/references, they pretty much know what to expect. For a lot of people, it's even part of their job description in a way. Sometimes it can seem like a pain, especially if you're disorganized. But there are ways to make it easier on your references. For instance, if you give them as much information as possible up front, it shouldn't be that hard for them to write you something and then tweak it as needed. If they are all forms, then yes, each person will be filling out several forms. But again, I think most people would be happy to do that for you if they are happy to be your reference in the first place. Also, unless you're having trouble figuring out who would be the best 3 people to write your letters, it sounds like it'd be ideal to stick to 3 you're confident about. This is my understanding based on what I've heard and experienced in asking for references for other things (usually jobs/internships/etc). I, too, am applying for the fall, so maybe others on the forums know more about this than I do.

That makes sense. Thanks!!

Thanks, rising_star! I'm mostly trying to figure out if that's a compelling enough story and segue into my other points, given that I suppose I could potentially easily offend someone. I mean, I'd surely never say the red cross is terrible and horrible and donating blood isn't important. I'm sure everyone has known someone (or at least realizes there are many people) who benefited from blood donation. Thank you both for your input! Amlobo: I'm looking at MSW programs and mostly trying to pare down my list to a smaller one because the cost of applying does hinder me a bit. I am interested in potentially pursuing a phD later too, so I'm also trying to find schools with a strong research focus and that would be up for letting a masters student help out on some projects. So far, I've got UMich, BU, UW, Pitt, UConn, UIC, and then a longer list of some I'm trying to do more research on before deciding.

Wow, that is a lot of schools! I'm trying to pare down my list, but as of right now, mine's about the same amount. yeeeks.

That's good! Good luck to you too! Out of curiosity, where are you applying?

Thanks, amlobo. That does make sense. I'll try to be as careful as possible, or scratch the idea if it's too charged =)

I've been experiencing a massive block trying to write my SOP. Leave it to a sleepless night and thinking about a conversation I had recently to get me free-writing at 2:30am Getting to the point, I am thinking of beginning with a conversation I had about the discriminatory practices of the Red Cross, specifically with their screening processes that prevent gay men from donating blood. I am hoping to start with this story and the way the conversation went, institutionalized homophobia, etc. and discuss how it relates to my experiences in organizing and with social justice, and to my motivations for pursuing a macro social work degree. I think I can make it work, but am concerned about bringing a political issue to an audience I am unfamiliar with. Many programs ask applicants to address a particular social issue, and I know I could work some of these points into that. I am looking for a program that is social justice minded and queer friendly, but is discussing something so loaded a risky choice? Thanks for any feedback!

Thanks MSW Hopeful!

Hey All, This is probably somewhat of a stupid question, but I'm wondering what schools mean when they have an 'early application' deadline and a regular deadline. I want to apply as early as possible and think it would be good to have applications in by that early application deadline, but I'm wondering if it just means a difference between which pool of applicants your application falls in, or if it's something binding like undergrad 'early decision' applications are. Does it depend on the institution? Thanks for any guidance =)

I started asking for my letters of recommendation back in May. I've been out of school since '09, so I wanted to give profs enough time to get back to me and know that I am starting to apply to schools. I am glad I asked early because I learned that one of my profs is on sabbatical and it gave me an opportunity to figure out another strong letter-writer. I haven't yet gotten back to everyone with a list of schools, deadlines, or a draft of my personal statement (because I'm still working on those) but I've heard a few months is good practice and minimizes any unnecessary freakouts. In terms of the number of schools, I have a list of about 7 I am very interested in, and a handful of others I really need to think about. How about you, sun519shine?

I am applying for programs for the fall too, so my advice doesn't really come from experience with admissions, but I know that my application will make it pretty obvious that I am queer. If you are interested applying to a gender studies department with a focus on queer lit, I am going to guess that your identity as a queer person would be less of an issue than some other programs might be. And I think there are ways to explain how your experiences and your identity really do influence your decision to apply to those programs specifically, without seeming like you are asking them to accept you because you are queer, or you're just really aching to tell them you are queer (for a number of other reasons). I'm applying to social work programs/maybe a few sociology programs so it is probably quite different, but as I start writing my SOP, I'm trying to ask myself: why am I telling them this about myself? Is it really because it makes me a more competitive candidate or truly explains how I got to this place of realizing that social work and THEIR program is right for me? If not, then maybe you should consider taking that out or rewording it.