citychild

re: Transcripts... all schools are different. I have 2 that wanted them mailed and others that wanted them sent directly to them. The application will tell you what to do--but plan ahead, they can get expensive! I went to 2 universities and 2 community colleges in total for my 4 year education. I made an excel sheet honestly to keep track of everything, it was easier. Maybe that would be useful for you too. Most importantly... relax. You'll do great! It will all come together and make sense even if it doesn't feel like it now.

I'm at Loyola if you have questions about their program--go ahead and shoot me a message. I also got into UW Seattle and PSU of the schools you listed. I am very happy at Loyola and with my internship and am happy I made the decision I did. I approached applications with a $30k cap on tuition and 2 expensive, 1 moderate, and 2 cheap schools. But you're the best one to know what's best for you. re Fullbright I would not personally put it on my resume, but possibly my LinkedIn.

Actually, I do something similar to photocopying. I take a picture of the pages and convert them on Mac. It's super easy. I've done that for all the books thus far (the ones at reserve). The PDF files I put on my iPad and poof, I'm set. But this one book is an enormous hassle. I haven't found a friend willing to loan me the money so we will see how this works out.

Honestly, I cannot afford anything at all which stems from my frustration. I'll probably have to borrow money from a friend or someone for this one book, but the prices of books are insane. It is an enormous barrier for many people, myself included :-/

I am going bonkers being able to afford books. I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship that allowed me to cover my MSW educational tuition/fee expenses without taking out grad plus loans at a modestly expensive school. I'm having a good time and love my school, but refuse to take out a grad plus loan for books... and books only. Most of my books have been on reserve and I've been using those. But one of the books in that class has been especially stubborn and that book is knocking on $100 for the cheapest option I can find (with no reserve copy). I've emailed the professor asking him to order a copy, with no response yet. I've looked through the public library and only the 1st edition is available, we need the 3rd. I've asked classmates but it's an online class so sharing is next to impossible with those who have responded to my inquiries. With working multiple p/t jobs, an internship, and classes... finding money to just pay rent has been an endless pursuit. How do you guys cope? What are some creative means to find books you use? /endrant

I think it is also program dependent. I go to a school where the research class is pretty intensive. But it's only one class that's required (I'm advanced standing so I'm not sure about the 2 year program). But on that note, all papers are pretty intensive. I'd say we (so far) average 3 intensive papers per class, per semester.

I would make sure to get the go-ahead from your professor first. Most that I have asked have approved...

I don't have insider thoughts, but I can tell you why I didn't accept my admission offer. It was a toss up between Chicago and Seattle in terms of location--I choose Chicago--for diversity. This sounds so petty but I wanted some more cultural diversity. Prior to Chicago, I resided in Phoenix, and felt that was a component of my education I was missing. It also helped to receive my internship offer in Chicago before my financial aid offer in Seattle, which got me totally excited... and I'm LOVING it. Funny why we chose the things we do sometimes. Seattle White alone - 403,578 (66.3%) Asian alone - 83,537 (13.7%) Black alone - 47,113 (7.7%) Hispanic - 40,329 (6.6%) Two or more races - 26,512 (4.4%) American Indian alone - 3,881 (0.6%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 2,246 (0.4%) Other race alone - 1,464 (0.2%) Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html#ixzz2bo4d7TZK Chicago Black alone - 872,286 (32.4%) White alone - 854,717 (31.7%) Hispanic - 778,862 (28.9%) Asian alone - 144,903 (5.4%) Two or more races - 35,949 (1.3%) American Indian alone - 4,097 (0.2%) Other race alone - 4,227 (0.2%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 557 (0.02%) Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Chicago-Illinois.html#ixzz2bo4iMV6d Phoenix White alone - 672,573 (46.5%) Hispanic - 589,877 (40.8%) Black alone - 86,788 (6.0%) Asian alone - 43,894 (3.0%) Two or more races - 24,876 (1.7%) American Indian alone - 23,327 (1.6%) Other race alone - 2,242 (0.2%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 2,055 (0.1%) Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Phoenix-Arizona.html#ixzz2bo4uPqsq

And something to consider as well for schools with higher MSW price tags.

I prefer eBooks... I use transit a lot and it's a lot easier to carry (an iPad) versus textbooks. I can highlight on my iPad, so that's not an issue too much for me.

I'm advanced standing, so things went rather rapidly when the ball started actually rolling. Classes started in early July for me and I am in 2 classes this summer. Next week is the last week of classes for those. Mostly reading/paper writing. For my field interviews, I only had one. And I got it. But the interview was kind of awkward. The day before we were in a car accident and I was pacing a Doctor's parking lot in scorching Arizona heat. Not my best of days, but I did it. There's an end, believe me... and it all starts to come together.

Does your current city offer something along the lines of: http://www.handsonphoenix.org/ http://www.chicagocares.org/ Websites like these allow you to work with varied populations but grant you the ability to sign up as your time permits and most/if any require volunteer trainings. I worked with HandsOn for some time and just put the HandsOn organizations on my resume with an overview of the populations I worked with during those times.

I usually try to get digital versions of everything. For me, it's easier to carry, easier to read on mass transit, and I don't have to worry about it's upkeep (ie: spilling stuff on it). I don't usually write/highlight books, so renting isn't problematic for me. Since I'm a macro student... I am borrowing my DSM-V from a friend. I probably won't need it in the future. That's how I look at books.

This. I applied to SUNY Buffalo. It was about $18k for an out-of-state student, I got a $4,000 scholarship. I was also in the running for a grant of $10k/year... which, if I received, would have made my MSW $4k. In the end, I chose a different--much more expensive school--because I was not confident the opportunities would exist for me in Buffalo that I need to grow as a professional. I also went to a different school in Chicago because I cannot stand driving. At all. I prefer public transit. And felt Chicago was a city I could do this in more so than Buffalo.

Honestly, I'd go with UMB based on cost and based on my experiences interacting with the admissions department at NYU. I felt like a number, which is why I didn't end up applying. I know this isn't concrete, solid advice based on the program but there are plenty of threads here about cost...

Yes, I heard back as an advanced standing applicant.

I've been accepted to Portland State for my MSW. I'm currently at Arizona State if you have questions about the school, program, etc... I know a fair amount despite being an undergrad.

You know, there's a really great thread here about state vs. Ivy programs that is worth a read. I am set on Loyola, which is $30k total. I haven't gotten an aid package yet, which is driving me nutballs. I'm not sure what I'll do if I don't get enough money. I've applied and applied to scholarships...

I cannot speak to their program, but I can say, I will be attending Loyola advanced standing starting in July. I have not been awarded my aid package as of yet, but I can say they do offer assistantship positions. Additionally, I can speak highly of their staff. They are incredibly responsive, even with what seems like the most mundane questions. Also, my internship is already confirmed for the fall.

I'm so sorry. I'm not sure what I did but work my tail off... but, for what it matters, I'm declining my acceptance at UW. This sounds so silly, but I got into another school--at about the same cost--and I opted for the city with better public transit. Insane? Maybe.

If it were me, I'd be weighing it by whether or not I want to get a PhD in the future. If this is the case, I'd probably choose the research components over the curriculum. However, if I did not want to get a PhD, I'd choose the classes over the research. But this is being rather simplistic about it, and I'm a big believer in "the gut never lies"... aka go with your instincts.

Honestly, $20k. Maybe SLIGHTLY more depending on the school. I just cannot rationalize more debt at this point. But that's me. And, more so, $20k is the equivalent of a 10% down payment on a house and $40k is 20%. I would like to purchase... eventually. But would like to be 5 years into paying off my loan and have my house paid OFF before I retire... I'm guessing, at 70. So, that was a ramble. For me, it's $20k in loans.

It is possible, however, there are other options. There are plenty of threads here about going to expensive schools and the cost/benefits of such. In regards to private loans, I am under the assumption: 1) They cannot be consolidated & 2) They are not eligible for income-based repayment. I'm sure others can be more thorough, but I just wanted to touch on that.

I am a lesbian woman and attended Fordham for 1 year as an undergraduate but left because of cost. Because of my phenomenal experience there, I applied to Loyola Chicago for my advanced standing program. The reason I did not apply to Fordham is because my girlfriend will be coming with me and she's too nervous about the cost of living in NYC. In Chicago, we have a lead on a very affordable housing unit, which helps a lot. Anyway, back on topic, like I said... I will be attending to Loyola Chicago. I have spoken to students, professors, and multiple individuals at their campus. Everyone has been incredibly open and 2 of my 3 internship leads are at prominent LGBTQ organizations. I highly respect the humanities, the commitment to community, and the ethics and challenges weaved into each class I attended at Fordham. I highly recommend the school and strongly feel you will not encounter any problems, only acceptance, as a lesbian in the program.

I know I was the one that mentioned this originally, but SUNY only requires a $50 deposit and Loyola and Portland didn't require a deposit at all. The $250 Seattle requires, on top of the $58 background check is not feasible for me, unfortunately. If I had known about the $308, I wouldn't have applied to begin with.