Fall 2018 Decision

[doctormelody]

22 minutes ago, rosieposie said:

I'm partially posting this as catharsis for myself, and partially hoping someone else is in the same situation as me. So far I've been accepted at VCU and Columbia and rejected from UNC Chapel Hill. I love Columbia, but it is wildly expensive and I can't afford to go with the current financial aid package they've offered me. I'm trying to negotiate more aid, but I'm also not getting my hopes up. As for VCU, they don't award financial aid until June... way after when I would have to accept the offer of admission. All I know is that VCU awards every student at $20,500 loan and given that I'm out of state, that doesn't even cover half of the cost. I'm still waiting to hear from UNC Wilmington and George Mason, but right now it seems very unlikely that I'll be starting my MSW this fall at all. Chapel Hill was my first choice, I just graduated in December and live in the area, so it's affordable and a great school- everything I'm looking for. It's disappointing but I think I may take another year to work and reapply next application season. Anyone else in a similar situation?

Hey, I am! I got into Tulane and Simmons, but Simmons didn't offer me any merit aid and Tulane only gave me 12,500 for the first year. I'm still waiting to hear back from Columbia and BC but I'm not hopeful since I already got rejected from BU. I'm pretty sad, but I'm thinking about applying to the University of Pittsburgh for the fall of 2019 since they have a guaranteed admission program if your GPA is over 3.4 and you apply by a certain date. My partner and I are considering moving to Pittsburgh this summer because that way I could get in-state tuition + guaranteed scholarship assistance of some kind, which would make getting an MSW a lot more doable. Plus, it's a lot more affordable than other cities we were considering, and there would be decent job prospects for my boyfriend (he's an engineer). I am disappointed but at the same time I feel like all is not lost, y'know? It's not a bad feeling.

[rosieposie]

1 hour ago, doctormelody said:

Hey, I am! I got into Tulane and Simmons, but Simmons didn't offer me any merit aid and Tulane only gave me 12,500 for the first year. I'm still waiting to hear back from Columbia and BC but I'm not hopeful since I already got rejected from BU. I'm pretty sad, but I'm thinking about applying to the University of Pittsburgh for the fall of 2019 since they have a guaranteed admission program if your GPA is over 3.4 and you apply by a certain date. My partner and I are considering moving to Pittsburgh this summer because that way I could get in-state tuition + guaranteed scholarship assistance of some kind, which would make getting an MSW a lot more doable. Plus, it's a lot more affordable than other cities we were considering, and there would be decent job prospects for my boyfriend (he's an engineer). I am disappointed but at the same time I feel like all is not lost, y'know? It's not a bad feeling.

Wow, yeah we are in pretty similar situations. I'm still hopeful though, I keep thinking about people I know who did not go to graduate school until later in life and they're still successful and happy in their careers. It's definitely tough to put so much effort and planning into the application process to have it fall through. On top of the fact that I do have offers, but the thought of being $100k+ in debt (not including debt from undergrad) is sickening.  Best of luck to you, wherever your future may take you! 

[doctormelody]

10 minutes ago, rosieposie said:

Wow, yeah we are in pretty similar situations. I'm still hopeful though, I keep thinking about people I know who did not go to graduate school until later in life and they're still successful and happy in their careers. It's definitely tough to put so much effort and planning into the application process to have it fall through. On top of the fact that I do have offers, but the thought of being $100k+ in debt (not including debt from undergrad) is sickening.  Best of luck to you, wherever your future may take you! 

Same! It is hard but I'm trying to have some perspective. I'm only 24 now, if I start grad school at 26 and finish at 28 that won't be the end of the world. Heck, my dad didn't finish his undergrad degree until he was 30 and he's done really well for himself. Best of luck to you as well!

[TooExcited&Nervous]

I officially committed to NYU! I sent in my deposit so I couldn't change my mind. lol

[stheart]

Congratulations @TooExcited&Nervous!!!!!

[TooExcited&Nervous]

10 minutes ago, stheart said:

Congratulations @TooExcited&Nervous!!!!!

Thank you!! The decision was easier after I visited the other option this past week. 

[doctormelody]

Congrats @TooExcited&Nervous! Would you mind terribly if I PM’d you about Pitt since I’m considering applying there next year?

[TooExcited&Nervous]

11 minutes ago, doctormelody said:

Congrats @TooExcited&Nervous! Would you mind terribly if I PM’d you about Pitt since I’m considering applying there next year?

Absolutely PM me, I don't mind!

[doctormelody]

9 minutes ago, TooExcited&Nervous said:

Absolutely PM me, I don't mind!

Thanks!!

[DearR]

1 hour ago, TooExcited&Nervous said:

I officially committed to NYU! I sent in my deposit so I couldn't change my mind. lol

congrats!!! and also a good way to secure the decision lol

Wondering if I could ask for your opinion?

I've been struggling with UCB, UPENN, and NYU. looking for clinical practice/mental health. I just asked UPENN and NYU for an extension of reply. Struggling with decision ah!

Obviously, NYU has a strong clinical emphasis. expensive city. competitive environment. may not be the best place to live/survive (I guess you would vote for NYU as you choose it as well, right?)

UPENN: nice interviewer, responsive admission team. more affordable city.

UCB: most mysterious. it is said there hasn't been any admitted MSW student from my country for at least 5 years (honored and worried). I actually like California but is the program strong in clinical practice? I could barely find information as the online curriculum is not even complete (no elective information at all).  Does the name "master of social welfare" indicate not clinical-friendly? I hope I am just paranoid.

Among the three, the actual tuition payments would be similar after deducting the scholarships.  

Any idea would be great! Thank you. 

 

 

[TooExcited&Nervous]

8 minutes ago, DearR said:

congrats!!! and also a good way to secure the decision lol

Wondering if I could ask for your opinion?

I've been struggling with UCB, UPENN, and NYU. looking for clinical practice/mental health. I just asked UPENN and NYU for an extension of reply. Struggling with decision ah!

Obviously, NYU has a strong clinical emphasis. expensive city. competitive environment. may not be the best place to live/survive (I guess you would vote for NYU as you choose it as well, right?)

UPENN: nice interviewer, responsive admission team. more affordable city.

UCB: most mysterious. it is said there hasn't been any admitted MSW student from my country for at least 5 years (honored and worried). I actually like California but is the program strong in clinical practice? I could barely find information as the online curriculum is not even complete (no elective information at all).  Does the name "master of social welfare" indicate not clinical-friendly? I hope I am just paranoid.

Among the three, the actual tuition payments would be similar after deducting the scholarships.  

Any idea would be great! Thank you. 

 

 

California is weird with the social welfare instead of social work, but it essentially means all the same and should not be seen differently. My honest opinion is to visit the schools if possible. I was 98% sure I was going to attend Pitt until I did my visit. I didn't like the vibe and I wasn't getting that feeling that I needed to be there, ya know? I am a "go with your gut" type of person. I honestly wish I would have applied to UPenn because I heard it was great. However, I did hear that UPenn is more Policy and NYU is more clinical. So, it just depends on which track you are leaning towards. I wanted to do clinical, so a clinical based program made sense to me. Also, talk to the faculty and current students. As a minority, I wanted to talk to another minority from the schools to get their honest opinion. This helped a lot because it will say a lot about how the school treats minorities and if the support is there. My current school has so many supportive programs for minorities that will provide that additional support. Also, ask about class size, course work, professors and etc. 

[DearR]

19 minutes ago, TooExcited&Nervous said:

California is weird with the social welfare instead of social work, but it essentially means all the same and should not be seen differently. My honest opinion is to visit the schools if possible. I was 98% sure I was going to attend Pitt until I did my visit. I didn't like the vibe and I wasn't getting that feeling that I needed to be there, ya know? I am a "go with your gut" type of person. I honestly wish I would have applied to UPenn because I heard it was great. However, I did hear that UPenn is more Policy and NYU is more clinical. So, it just depends on which track you are leaning towards. I wanted to do clinical, so a clinical based program made sense to me. Also, talk to the faculty and current students. As a minority, I wanted to talk to another minority from the schools to get their honest opinion. This helped a lot because it will say a lot about how the school treats minorities and if the support is there. My current school has so many supportive programs for minorities that will provide that additional support. Also, ask about class size, course work, professors and etc. 

Thank you! I do like the idea of visiting the campus and check out the vibe but my visa application was rejected last fall as apparently a single female may not be the most welcomed visitor QAQ

I've talked with students from my country who went to Upenn and NYU and indeed NYU students are quite proud of their clinical emphasis. Sounds like you made your decision very wisely! Btw, I also notice there is no concentration in NYU's program. How do you view that? 

[TooExcited&Nervous]

5 minutes ago, DearR said:

Thank you! I do like the idea of visiting the campus and check out the vibe but my visa application was rejected last fall as apparently a single female may not be the most welcomed visitor QAQ

I've talked with students from my country who went to Upenn and NYU and indeed NYU students are quite proud of their clinical emphasis. Sounds like you made your decision very wisely! Btw, I also notice there is no concentration in NYU's program. How do you view that? 

Honestly, I do not mind it at all. Since I have a current placement and I have had other social work internships, I think it allows me to be flexible with my learning. Like I was debating between school social work or mental health with a primary emphasis on children, so I think the program may allow me to maneuver and explore both further. I definitely took that into consideration when making my decision because I was put off at first but them I started doing more research pertaining to requirements in other states. I think I will be fine. 

[DearR]

5 minutes ago, TooExcited&Nervous said:

Honestly, I do not mind it at all. Since I have a current placement and I have had other social work internships, I think it allows me to be flexible with my learning. Like I was debating between school social work or mental health with a primary emphasis on children, so I think the program may allow me to maneuver and explore both further. I definitely took that into consideration when making my decision because I was put off at first but them I started doing more research pertaining to requirements in other states. I think I will be fine. 

Less restriction, more room for exploration. That's quite helpful. Thank you!

[HannahRae]

On 3/14/2018 at 3:37 PM, green_dots21 said:

Welcome to Loyola! 

Thank you! I am so excited to start, perhaps too excited. I already made a mock schedule of my first term so I am ready when class registration starts. I may have also already got myself a Loyola grad school shirt.....