Columbia Social Work Program Fall 2018

[Moonlight008]

19 minutes ago, Kat_MSW2018 said:

Ahhhh!! What concentration? If I have figured out the method of their madness, I should be hearing back soon. I hope   You should be fine! Is Columbia your first choice then?

I choose advanced clinical social work practice. Columbia is more of a far-fetched dream since CSULB is more cost effective and closer to my home/family/friends/boyfriend. But, I've always thought it would be an amazing opportunity to live elsewhere for a bit and grad school is my "chance." I was so busy with school that I wasn't able to apply to other schools and feel discouraged. I didn't research enough schools that did advanced standing and UC Berkeley & UCLA did not offer those options. CSULB has an amazing program and I know a few of the grad professors. I just still want to see if NY is even a possibility and take it from there. 

 

9 minutes ago, doctormelody said:

This feels churlish to say given that I've only been waiting for a month, but If I have to wait until the third week of April just to get rejected I'm going to lose my mind. I have the feeling they haven't even read my application yet. When they do, it's going to be very quick. I just wish it was over with already.

I feel the same way! I've been checking the portal and emails everyday! Are you waiting on other schools as well? I applied early Feb for CSULB and heard a response back in three weeks. It was so quick! I don't think Columbia has the same mindset. 

[doctormelody]

8 minutes ago, Moonlight008 said:

I choose advanced clinical social work practice. Columbia is more of a far-fetched dream since CSULB is more cost effective and closer to my home/family/friends/boyfriend. But, I've always thought it would be an amazing opportunity to live elsewhere for a bit and grad school is my "chance." I was so busy with school that I wasn't able to apply to other schools and feel discouraged. I didn't research enough schools that did advanced standing and UC Berkeley & UCLA did not offer those options. CSULB has an amazing program and I know a few of the grad professors. I just still want to see if NY is even a possibility and take it from there. 

 

I feel the same way! I've been checking the portal and emails everyday! Are you waiting on other schools as well? I applied early Feb for CSULB and heard a response back in three weeks. It was so quick! I don't think Columbia has the same mindset. 

Besides Columbia I just have Boston College left, but I only applied there on the 24th of February, so I'm not holding it against them. Plus I called them today and they said I would hear back within two weeks which seems like a much more reasonable time frame than "the third week of April."  To be fair, I think someone said that Columbia only has half its regular staff reviewing applications this year, so this wait might be very atypical. I know that my friend who applied last year heard that she was accepted within two weeks, which seems unheard of on this thread.

Edited March 15, 2018 by doctormelody

[Sunset95]

Well everyone, after a good night's rest I have decided not to accept the waitlist offer and I just sent in my deposit to Penn! I just felt my application process was not positive enough to accept an "eh, you'll fit you in if we can" offer and I feel really good about my decision. Plus Penn was just about tied with Columbia in my book if I'm being honest. I'm still going to check in with this forum to see your updates because I'm really invested in everyone's outcomes. We've sort of become a family on here through this torture?

[Chebrutta]

36 minutes ago, Sunset95 said:

Well everyone, after a good night's rest I have decided not to accept the waitlist offer and I just sent in my deposit to Penn! I just felt my application process was not positive enough to accept an "eh, you'll fit you in if we can" offer and I feel really good about my decision. Plus Penn was just about tied with Columbia in my book if I'm being honest. I'm still going to check in with this forum to see your updates because I'm really invested in everyone's outcomes. We've sort of become a family on here through this torture?

Congratulations! Penn is an amazing school, and you’re going to have an amazing experience there! I’m so happy for you!

[Sunset95]

2 hours ago, Chebrutta said:

Congratulations! Penn is an amazing school, and you’re going to have an amazing experience there! I’m so happy for you!

Thank you!!

[doctormelody]

3 hours ago, Sunset95 said:

Well everyone, after a good night's rest I have decided not to accept the waitlist offer and I just sent in my deposit to Penn! I just felt my application process was not positive enough to accept an "eh, you'll fit you in if we can" offer and I feel really good about my decision. Plus Penn was just about tied with Columbia in my book if I'm being honest. I'm still going to check in with this forum to see your updates because I'm really invested in everyone's outcomes. We've sort of become a family on here through this torture?

That makes total sense, I’m so happy for you!! I’m sure you’ll do great things at Penn and beyond.

[Sunset95]

1 hour ago, doctormelody said:

That makes total sense, I’m so happy for you!! I’m sure you’ll do great things at Penn and beyond.

Thank you!! And I know you'll do amazing wherever you end up as well! Hopefully Columbia will throw an acceptance your way!

[honeynut]

I wrote to them yesterday to ask about financial aid and they said I should receive that info next week. I’ll be choosing between Boston college and Columbia. I love nyc but I don’t know if I can afford it. BC offered me 20k/year and i don’t think I can pass that up. ?

[SSocial]

I received my financial aid information this morning and I was approved for the reduced residency scholarship!! Columbia will pay HAlF of my tuition for the entire three years of me attending ( along as I continue to work at my current agency). I’m so happy!!

* still waiting on Hunter College before I make my final decision*

[honeynut]

1 hour ago, SSocial said:

I received my financial aid information this morning and I was approved for the reduced residency scholarship!! Columbia will pay HAlF of my tuition for the entire three years of me attending ( along as I continue to work at my current agency). I’m so happy!!

* still waiting on Hunter College before I make my final decision*

That’s amazing congrats 

[Kat_MSW2018]

10 hours ago, Sunset95 said:

Well everyone, after a good night's rest I have decided not to accept the waitlist offer and I just sent in my deposit to Penn! I just felt my application process was not positive enough to accept an "eh, you'll fit you in if we can" offer and I feel really good about my decision. Plus Penn was just about tied with Columbia in my book if I'm being honest. I'm still going to check in with this forum to see your updates because I'm really invested in everyone's outcomes. We've sort of become a family on here through this torture?

That was really nice of you to share. I wish you all the best at Penn!!! I am longing for the feeling of submitting my deposit and finally committing to a school lol. Take care!!

[SSocial]

29 minutes ago, lostxoco said:

That’s amazing congrats 

Thank you!

[Kat_MSW2018]

21 hours ago, Moonlight008 said:

I choose advanced clinical social work practice. Columbia is more of a far-fetched dream since CSULB is more cost effective and closer to my home/family/friends/boyfriend. But, I've always thought it would be an amazing opportunity to live elsewhere for a bit and grad school is my "chance." I was so busy with school that I wasn't able to apply to other schools and feel discouraged. I didn't research enough schools that did advanced standing and UC Berkeley & UCLA did not offer those options. CSULB has an amazing program and I know a few of the grad professors. I just still want to see if NY is even a possibility and take it from there. 

 

I feel the same way! I've been checking the portal and emails everyday! Are you waiting on other schools as well? I applied early Feb for CSULB and heard a response back in three weeks. It was so quick! I don't think Columbia has the same mindset. 

I would agree and say grad school is your chance to branch out. Social work is flexible which is great but this is our prime time to explore before we really give our all to this career..... Personal opinion of course lol. that is why I am choosing to temporarily relocate. There are TONS of ASPs, but if you didn't have time to check them out then its understandable. CSULB gets so much amazing feedback!! If that is where your heart is, it's still a great choice. Anywho, I can't wait to hear what you choose! 

[doctormelody]

Sooo... I’m guessing no one heard anything today?

[doctormelody]

Also, I talked to my friend who goes to Columbia today and she had mostly positive things to say about it. She said the classes were great, although there wasn't much flexibility in terms of courses - I think she said the first semester they didn't even get to pick their own schedule. She is enjoying her field placement but said that some other people got stuck with really bad ones - like, where they are just doing translations all day - and haven't been able to change them. I didn't exactly pick her brain about it because I haven't told her I applied, but what she said seemed to jive with what other people have written on here about the field placements not necessarily being the greatest and students not having any say in where they get placed the first year. She's doing the two year clinical track, btw.

[Sunset95]

4 hours ago, Kat_MSW2018 said:

That was really nice of you to share. I wish you all the best at Penn!!! I am longing for the feeling of submitting my deposit and finally committing to a school lol. Take care!!

Thank you!! I'm really excited and it's such a relief to finally move forward past the application/waiting stage. I wish you the best as well!

[heybakerena]

On 3/8/2018 at 12:24 PM, o___livia said:

Did they say when they would be releasing the FA info?

They said "two to three weeks," and I got it about five days ago.

They gave me 18 grand, and after doing the math out it looks like after taking out loans for school and rent I'll graduate with $102,000 in debt, which is.......... a really hard number to ignore. I've decided to go to Pitt instead. I hope you get what you're looking for!! :-) 

[heybakerena]

On 3/8/2018 at 11:01 AM, doctormelody said:

That sounds super frustrating. You found out you were accepted quite a while ago, right? I am in a similar boat waiting to hear back about FA from a different school and it's so stressful.

Yeah, I got accepted February 15th and I fount out about FA about a week ago. I posted this above, but just an update: They gave me 18 grand, and after doing the math out it looks like after taking out loans for school and rent I'll graduate with $102,000 in debt which is lol yikes so Columbia does not seem to be in my cards. 

(The $102k figure includes my current $19k from undergrad)

[doctormelody]

15 minutes ago, heybakerena said:

Yeah, I got accepted February 15th and I fount out about FA about a week ago. I posted this above, but just an update: They gave me 18 grand, and after doing the math out it looks like after taking out loans for school and rent I'll graduate with $102,000 in debt which is lol yikes so Columbia does not seem to be in my cards. 

(The $102k figure includes my current $19k from undergrad)

Wow, yikes is right! I guess they feel like they can get away from it because they’re ~Columbia~, but also, they have to realize that 18k a year is not gonna make it doable for most people. I wonder what their yield rate looks like...

[Kat_MSW2018]

New week, more expectancy! Crossing fingers for letters tonight ?? Don’t forget to share lol

Edited March 19, 2018 by Kat_MSW2018

[rosieposie]

On 3/17/2018 at 7:07 PM, heybakerena said:

Yeah, I got accepted February 15th and I fount out about FA about a week ago. I posted this above, but just an update: They gave me 18 grand, and after doing the math out it looks like after taking out loans for school and rent I'll graduate with $102,000 in debt which is lol yikes so Columbia does not seem to be in my cards. 

(The $102k figure includes my current $19k from undergrad)

I'm in the exact same position, I got $18K as well.  I wonder if that's the standard scholarship they give out? As much as I love Columbia I can't stomach that much debt.

[Chebrutta]

I seriously hope *everyone* who applied at the priority deadline hears back this week!

[doctormelody]

Hey, quick question for all those that have gotten their decision - when a decision has been made, does it say something other than “Submitted” on the page after you log in?

[goldenbear]

I received my FA package. They gave me $15K with no work-study. 

[abswk]

...... still nothing.......