Hunter vs NYU for MSW?

[evic22]

Anyone else making the decision between Silberman & NYU (clinical)? 

I'm a 30-year-old career/changer (coming from education field) interested in doing clinical work.  Got a good scholarship to NYU which makes it a little more doable cost-wise, but still nowhere near as affordable as Hunter.  

I'm really on the fence. I've spoken to a ton of different people, and everyone has a different take (unsurprisingly). 

Thinking specifically about quality of instructions, quality of field placements, support, etc.

Wanted to reach out to see if anyone had any thoughts // experiences // perspectives they'd be willing to share! 

THANKS! 

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by evic22
more detail

[mswguy]

9 hours ago, evic22 said:

Anyone else making the decision between Silberman & NYU (clinical)? 

I'm a 30-year-old career/changer (coming from education field) interested in doing clinical work.  Got a good scholarship to NYU which makes it a little more doable cost-wise, but still nowhere near as affordable as Hunter.  

I'm really on the fence. I've spoken to a ton of different people, and everyone has a different take (unsurprisingly). 

Thinking specifically about quality of instructions, quality of field placements, support, etc.

Wanted to reach out to see if anyone had any thoughts // experiences // perspectives they'd be willing to share! 

THANKS! 

 

Not a student at either, but accepted to NYU, did not apply to Hunter. From what NYU students seem to say, it’s a split between the two. If you want a clinically intensive program, NYU is probably a good choice. If cost is a major issue Hunter is a great program, equally as well regarded in the city. Field placements are pretty identical from what I hear, same opportunities.

[MSWFall2019]

Most of what I've heard is that Hunter is considered more prestigious within NY because it's more selective because more people apply since it's more affordable. Obviously, if you leave NY, NYU name carries more weight. 

The main complaint I hear about Hunter is that administration is painful - as you've probably seen from the application process. Slow / don't respond to emails, really have to advocate for yourself, etc.

NYU also has the edge if you want to go into private practice, conversely, Hunter is considered to have more of an emphasis on social justice.

[evic22]

Thanks @mswfall2019 and @mswguy 

I may in fact be interested in private practice down the line which is the main reason I'm still considering NYU. Given the similar placements, the affordability, and the equal prestige within the NYC area, I otherwise lean towards Hunter. I also like the idea of a more diverse student body and the emphasis on social justice. 

I guess I just want to make sure I'm not closing any doors re: private practices by going to Hunter! 

[mswguy]

42 minutes ago, evic22 said:

Thanks @mswfall2019 and @mswguy 

I may in fact be interested in private practice down the line which is the main reason I'm still considering NYU. Given the similar placements, the affordability, and the equal prestige within the NYC area, I otherwise lean towards Hunter. I also like the idea of a more diverse student body and the emphasis on social justice. 

I guess I just want to make sure I'm not closing any doors re: private practices by going to Hunter! 

As long as your school is accredited you’re  on the path for private practice. From what I hear your field placements matter most as far as your msw goes, on the path to licensure. A good field supervisor will be a reference for you to get jobs and work toward your hours for LCSW post grad.

[SJA1]

On 2/21/2019 at 11:30 PM, MSWFall2019 said:

Most of what I've heard is that Hunter is considered more prestigious within NY because it's more selective because more people apply since it's more affordable. Obviously, if you leave NY, NYU name carries more weight. 

The main complaint I hear about Hunter is that administration is painful - as you've probably seen from the application process. Slow / don't respond to emails, really have to advocate for yourself, etc.

NYU also has the edge if you want to go into private practice, conversely, Hunter is considered to have more of an emphasis on social justice.

Can you explain what you mean by Hunter having more of an emphasis on social justice? 

[MSWFall2019]

 

21 hours ago, SJA1 said:

Can you explain what you mean by Hunter having more of an emphasis on social justice? 

I think it mostly is a reflection of who they enroll. Hunter has an interview process that they partially use to test social justice awareness. While a portion of NYU students are there to go into private practice and less interested in social justice. The cost differential also means the lived experiences of students enrolling in Hunter vs NYU differ a bit. 

The other contributing factor I’ve heard is Hunter has a community organizing track, which attracts students particularly interested in social justice.

Historically, NYU branded itself as clinically rigorous and Hunter branded as focused on social justice. NYU has been trying to change that from everything I have seen (admission essay prompt, info sessions, their DROP course), but you only have to go on their admitted students page to see there’s still significant issues and active student debate on racism on campus. 

[SJA1]

1 hour ago, MSWFall2019 said:

 

I think it mostly is a reflection of who they enroll. Hunter has an interview process that they partially use to test social justice awareness. While a portion of NYU students are there to go into private practice and less interested in social justice. The cost differential also means the lived experiences of students enrolling in Hunter vs NYU differ a bit. 

The other contributing factor I’ve heard is Hunter has a community organizing track, which attracts students particularly interested in social justice.

Historically, NYU branded itself as clinically rigorous and Hunter branded as focused on social justice. NYU has been trying to change that from everything I have seen (admission essay prompt, info sessions, their DROP course), but you only have to go on their admitted students page to see there’s still significant issues and active student debate on racism on campus. 

Thank you. I heard about the email at NYU but the school is refusing to make it public so its hard to determine what really happened (especially in light of the fact that people are making up stuff for their own personal interest i.e. Jussie Smollet so not sure what to make of the NYU debacle). Besides, it seems a bit KGB/mafia type for one student to squeal on another student to the administration regarding a private email correspondence so not sure how mature students are at NYU to begin with if this story is true. 

As for Hunter, my understanding is that they are being sued for discrimination and/or there are other problems with this school in terms of students not being allowed to graduate or being given a hard time to graduate so maybe its not as great as the school makes it out to be. 

Based on these, I would look into other schools that have better psychology/social work based education and more mature students. Thank you.