Fall 2020 PhD Social Work / Welfare

[BrendonSW]

Hi folks! My name is Brendon and I used this site a lot back in 2016 when I was applying to MSW programs. Since the site was so helpful then, I wanted to create a thread for those looking into PhD programs in Social Work to be admitted in 2020. 

I started looking into programs in late 2018 and began making faculty connections then. Over the past month or so, I've officially decided to apply. I haven't 100% decided on where I'm applying but I have a few programs in mind. Those include: (1) University of Michigan, (2) Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), (3) Michigan State University, (4) University of Denver, (5) Hunter College, and lastly, (6) University of Washington. I'd like to only apply to 3-4 schools, so I'm currently trying to eliminate 2-3 from my list. My main priority is having a program that feels supportive of me, my interests, and my professional goals. I specifically want to work with LGBTQ+ people (even more specifically, trans and nonbinary folks), so finding an affirming school is also a priority. 

How are other folks feeling? Do you have a few schools in mind? What are your main areas of interest? I really wanted to create this thread as a way for us to support one another and possibly get answers! It's nice to know you aren't alone when going through this process and that there's an entire community of people going through something similar. 

[dani.ela]

Hi, I am also applying! NYU, Columbia, WashU, BU, and UPenn. Good luck!

[BrendonSW]

On 10/31/2019 at 8:01 PM, dtuda said:

Hi, I am also applying! NYU, Columbia, WashU, BU, and UPenn. Good luck!

Good luck! Are most of your deadlines coming up on December 1? One of mine (U of Michigan) is coming up on the 18th of this month... 

[dani.ela]

Ah, sorry for the delay. I had a few come up yesterday-- all submitted though. I ended up applying to U of Washington and Berkeley as well. 

 

Fingers crossed!

[BrendonSW]

On 12/2/2019 at 7:12 PM, dani.ela said:

Ah, sorry for the delay. I had a few come up yesterday-- all submitted though. I ended up applying to U of Washington and Berkeley as well. 

 

Fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed! When do you expect to hear back from most schools? Do you have 1-2 schools that you're leaning toward or hoping for? 

[dani.ela]

I think NYU, WashU or University of Washington? I really want to do research in implementation science in community mental health settings and these seem like the best fit. But really, I just want to get into one school ?. My GRE scores were pretty average and I don't have any publications (although two currently in submission). I'm just playing the waiting game for now and it's torture!

[App7]

I am feeling excited and a bit nervous. I applied to five schools for Fall 2020. I am not sure about the strength of my applications as I've been out of school for a while and have no publications and average GRE scores. I've been practicing in the field for seven years and I want to explore social issues (clinician bias, validity of assessments for use with diverse populations, access to non-traditional therapeutic services i.e. Mindfulness-based interventions) via research and I've always wanted to teach. I am hopeful ? but also planning to take a vacation in April, so I am anticipating travel instead of which offers will be made, and another one in July to either celebrate or as a consolation! Best of luck to everyone during this process! I am glad this forum is here ? 

[Lorena02]

Hello! 

I applied to 6 phd programs: USC, UIUC, WashU, UT-Austin, U of Wisconsin Madison, U of Minnesota. My main research interests are child welfare and immigrants. I haven't heard from any of the schools yet, so I'm both nervous and excited! Has anyone received an interview offer from the 12/1 or 12/15 deadline schools? 

[BrendonSW]

On 12/30/2019 at 10:13 PM, App7 said:

I am feeling excited and a bit nervous. I applied to five schools for Fall 2020. I am not sure about the strength of my applications as I've been out of school for a while and have no publications and average GRE scores. I've been practicing in the field for seven years and I want to explore social issues (clinician bias, validity of assessments for use with diverse populations, access to non-traditional therapeutic services i.e. Mindfulness-based interventions) via research and I've always wanted to teach. I am hopeful ? but also planning to take a vacation in April, so I am anticipating travel instead of which offers will be made, and another one in July to either celebrate or as a consolation! Best of luck to everyone during this process! I am glad this forum is here ? 

You sound like a great applicant! When I spoke with potential advisors at the schools I applied to, they all said that each candidate is reviewed holistically. I didn’t do very well on the GRE and I won’t have my first publication until this year, so I can understand why you’d be a bit worried. With that said, almost everyone I talked with said that the personal statement (or statement of purpose) is typically the most important piece of your application. They really want to know that you’re ready for a PhD and that there’s going to be support and a good faculty fit for you. Having a faculty fit is extremely important. The GRE doesn’t define who you are or your worthiness for a PhD program! 
 

Is there a program you really want to get into? Best of luck to you, keep us posted!

[BrendonSW]

On 1/1/2020 at 11:03 PM, Lorena02 said:

Hello! 

I applied to 6 phd programs: USC, UIUC, WashU, UT-Austin, U of Wisconsin Madison, U of Minnesota. My main research interests are child welfare and immigrants. I haven't heard from any of the schools yet, so I'm both nervous and excited! Has anyone received an interview offer from the 12/1 or 12/15 deadline schools? 

Good luck to you! I hope you hear back soon. 
 

I submitted my applications by the 12/1 or 12/15 deadline at all schools and haven’t heard back yet. I believe I will hear back from Univ. of Denver and Michigan State sometime this month. Univ. of Michigan on the other hand tends to take longer. In the past, applicants have heard back mid-to-end of February. The wait is definitely the hardest part for me. One day I’m optimistic, the next I’m super anxious! Any idea when you’ll start hearing back? 
 

Here’s hoping for some positive news soon!

[App7]

On 1/1/2020 at 10:40 PM, BrendonSW said:

You sound like a great applicant! When I spoke with potential advisors at the schools I applied to, they all said that each candidate is reviewed holistically. I didn’t do very well on the GRE and I won’t have my first publication until this year, so I can understand why you’d be a bit worried. With that said, almost everyone I talked with said that the personal statement (or statement of purpose) is typically the most important piece of your application. They really want to know that you’re ready for a PhD and that there’s going to be support and a good faculty fit for you. Having a faculty fit is extremely important. The GRE doesn’t define who you are or your worthiness for a PhD program! 
 

Is there a program you really want to get into? Best of luck to you, keep us posted!

Thanks for the positive vibes! Good luck to you too! I know Michigan State is reviewing apps now but I have no idea when they will give decisions. I am leaning towards programs with faculty researching elder concerns (MSU and Maryland), but there is a professor at ASU that I would love to work with. Do you have a top school? In my searching, I looked for programs that have either a social justice focus or have faculty that seem to support cultural humility. 

[BrendonSW]

17 hours ago, App7 said:

Thanks for the positive vibes! Good luck to you too! I know Michigan State is reviewing apps now but I have no idea when they will give decisions. I am leaning towards programs with faculty researching elder concerns (MSU and Maryland), but there is a professor at ASU that I would love to work with. Do you have a top school? In my searching, I looked for programs that have either a social justice focus or have faculty that seem to support cultural humility. 

When I spoke with someone from MSU, they said they'd be making decisions on or around January 22nd. She said I'd likely hear back at the end of January. MSU would be a great program to work with faculty researching older adults! Are there specific faculty members you're interested in working with? Also, I currently live in Maryland and work at Johns Hopkins. If you'd like to know more about Maryland or UMBC, feel free to ask! 

My top school is the University of Denver (DU). I ended up applying to DU, MSU, and U-Michigan. Since I applied by the early deadline at Denver, they said I'll likely hear back this month. I'm very nervous considering how competitive the program is. I really like DU because they seem to use an anti-oppressive lens, and recent graduates of the program spoke very highly of their experience. I'm hoping to focus my research on transgender and nonbinary health, and DU has a few faculty who are really dedicated to this area of research. 

[Kathrynmtbc]

Hello all! Has anyone heard from Washington University in St. Louis? That is my first choice, and I am feeling so anxious to not have heard anything yet. 

[dani.ela]

HI received an interview offer for today for U of Washington for the following 4 Tuesdays. Hope this is helpful!

 

[anelab]

Hi all,

I applied to 5 programs. UNC, UPenn, UT-Austin, DU, and WUSTL. I received an early admission offer from WUSTL, so I'm really excited! Just waiting to hear from the other 4.

I've been obsessively checking here,  so now I'm finally making an account.

I have 8 pubs (with two+ in process), am graduating with MSW/MPH, have a decade experience as a doula (as well as some social service experience), 160/150/4 for GRE (I think), and a lot of research experience. 3.5/3.9/3.8 GPA for UG/MSW/MPH.

I'm interested in reducing birth-related health disparities and trauma.

 

Good luck to everyone!

[anelab]

On 1/6/2020 at 11:13 AM, BrendonSW said:

When I spoke with someone from MSU, they said they'd be making decisions on or around January 22nd. She said I'd likely hear back at the end of January. MSU would be a great program to work with faculty researching older adults! Are there specific faculty members you're interested in working with? Also, I currently live in Maryland and work at Johns Hopkins. If you'd like to know more about Maryland or UMBC, feel free to ask! 

My top school is the University of Denver (DU). I ended up applying to DU, MSU, and U-Michigan. Since I applied by the early deadline at Denver, they said I'll likely hear back this month. I'm very nervous considering how competitive the program is. I really like DU because they seem to use an anti-oppressive lens, and recent graduates of the program spoke very highly of their experience. I'm hoping to focus my research on transgender and nonbinary health, and DU has a few faculty who are really dedicated to this area of research. 

 

I've heard that DU is meeting next week. I love DU, it's a great school with fantastic scholars and support.

Edited January 18, 2020 by anelab

[BrendonSW]

52 minutes ago, anelab said:

Hi all,

I applied to 5 programs. UNC, UPenn, UT-Austin, DU, and WUSTL. I received an early admission offer from WUSTL, so I'm really excited! Just waiting to hear from the other 4.

I've been obsessively checking here,  so now I'm finally making an account.

I have 8 pubs (with two+ in process), am graduating with MSW/MPH, have a decade experience as a doula (as well as some social service experience), 160/150/4 for GRE (I think), and a lot of research experience. 3.5/3.9/3.8 GPA for UG/MSW/MPH.

I'm interested in reducing birth-related health disparities and trauma.

 

Good luck to everyone!

You sound like a fantastic candidate! Congrats on your early admission offer with WUSTL! Is there a school that you’d say is your number one choice? 

[BrendonSW]

51 minutes ago, anelab said:

I've heard that DU is meeting next week. I love DU, it's a great school with fantastic scholars and support.

Good to know! I’m very nervous. I’ve been checking my email and the DU portal way too much. Did you apply before the December 1st deadline or the January 15th deadline? Also, who are you hoping to work with there?

[anelab]

40 minutes ago, BrendonSW said:

Good to know! I’m very nervous. I’ve been checking my email and the DU portal way too much. Did you apply before the December 1st deadline or the January 15th deadline? Also, who are you hoping to work with there?

Dec. 1st.

At DU, I'd work with Jen Greenfield (and Kim Bender). Did you apply to work with Donny? 

[anelab]

46 minutes ago, BrendonSW said:

You sound like a fantastic candidate! Congrats on your early admission offer with WUSTL! Is there a school that you’d say is your number one choice? 

They're all pretty much tied. I had great connections at all, so I'm waiting on offers and then the Dean of my current school will help me compare offers.

[BrendonSW]

7 minutes ago, anelab said:

Dec. 1st.

At DU, I'd work with Jen Greenfield (and Kim Bender). Did you apply to work with Donny? 

Nice! My first choice listed was Eugene Walls. I also mentioned Donny, Jen, and Kim! All four of these faculty seem super invested in LGBTQ+ health. I’m really drawn to Jen due to her political background— I’ve done a lot of activism and many universities condemn it. She really sold me on DU due to how the school has supported her in her political work. 

[anelab]

7 minutes ago, BrendonSW said:

Nice! My first choice listed was Eugene Walls. I also mentioned Donny, Jen, and Kim! All four of these faculty seem super invested in LGBTQ+ health. I’m really drawn to Jen due to her political background— I’ve done a lot of activism and many universities condemn it. She really sold me on DU due to how the school has supported her in her political work. 

Eugene is fantastic! As are Donny, Kim, and Jen. It's a great place for feeling supported, and community work/activism is encouraged.  

[wodislah142]

On 1/15/2020 at 6:19 PM, dani.ela said:

Hello! I received an interview offer for today for U of Wash for the following 4 Tuesdays. Hope this is helpful!

Big Cong! would love to hear how the interview goes! UW is dream school! No.1 in the PhD program!!!!

[BrendonSW]

On 1/15/2020 at 10:19 PM, dani.ela said:

Hello! I received an interview offer for today for U of Wash for the following 4 Tuesdays. Hope this is helpful!

That's awesome! Congrats! Keep us updated. ?

[AR93]

Hi All,

I recently got invited for interviews at WUSTL and NYU  and I had an interview with BU last week! Still awaiting responses from Michigan and U of Chicago SSA.... Anyone else apply/hear from these schools?