MSW Applications Fall 2020

[noooodle]

16 hours ago, JuliaFrances said:

No not yet. I got my acceptance last Monday. 

Ugh, the wait continues !

[simonsays]

I got into NYU with a 15k scholarship!! It's my first acceptance and I absolutely love the school, I'm so excited!!

[MCSW23]

At what point does it become worth it to reach out to schools and inquire about my applications or pending status? I feel like I definitely got waitlisted from CU and NYU but would they tell me? 

[simonsays]

2 minutes ago, madisonc7 said:

At what point does it become worth it to reach out to schools and inquire about my applications or pending status? I feel like I definitely got waitlisted from CU and NYU but would they tell me? 

I think they're a little all over the place. I reached out to NYU last week and they said I'd hear back in 5-7 weeks... then got my acceptance this morning. 

[Polcc]

3 minutes ago, madisonc7 said:

At what point does it become worth it to reach out to schools and inquire about my applications or pending status? I feel like I definitely got waitlisted from CU and NYU but would they tell me? 

I've heard acceptances for some places go out over 2-3 week span, so I don't think it means that you haven't been accepted! Some schools will tell you over the phone and some won't. Id give them call 1 month after the deadline if they didn't give you a time frame to hear back

[MCSW23]

12 minutes ago, Polcc said:

I've heard acceptances for some places go out over 2-3 week span, so I don't think it means that you haven't been accepted! Some schools will tell you over the phone and some won't. Id give them call 1 month after the deadline if they didn't give you a time frame to hear back

Yeah I think I'm just annoyed that I applied for priority on those places and have felt like I've been waiting forever on CU. 

[Polcc]

24 minutes ago, madisonc7 said:

Yeah I think I'm just annoyed that I applied for priority on those places and have felt like I've been waiting forever on CU. 

I don't see any harm in calling and asking tbh

[ghklig]

I know the focus here tends to be on the more well-known schools, but anyone apply to the standard two-year program at Colorado State? 

[Anna H]

6 hours ago, savannahopes said:

Hi friends!! I got into U Chicago last night!! (At like 7:30pm which was weird?) Excited!!

Congrats!!! That is awesome news. Are you waiting to hear back from other schools or do you think you'll be accepting? 

[SMLDC]

12 hours ago, Css1087 said:

I've been accepted, but I didn't get the e-mail about the admitted students lunch.  Do you mind sharing when it is?

There's an info session this Saturday, February 8, which will be followed by a luncheon for admitted students. I imagine this will work best for applicants who are local.

[SMLDC]

I received my official acceptance from University of Pittsburgh in the mail yesterday -- did not receive an email with that information. 

[Shuklaklakla]

Hi Everyone!

I got accepted into USC Suzanne-Dowark and University of Denver (still waiting on Columbia). A lot of my decision is based on Financial Aid-- However both USC and Denver are saying that I wont get my package until after I enroll in their program. Are you guys hearing the same things? USC also said that they do not give grants. 

I am starting to freak out over the cost! I don't understand how you figure out what school you want to choose when you dont know how much the cost will be- It definitely is a factor! 

[Shuklaklakla]

On 1/31/2020 at 12:05 AM, DMSW20 said:

That's awesome! Congrats to you as well!! I read on previous forums that they received scholarship notifications a day or two later. Hopefully they reach out otherwise I'll give a call. Their program is my top, but its also the most expensive option so scholarships are a definite need lol. I applied for the 2 year program in the children, youth, and families concentration

Did you receive any Financial Aid information? I was told I wouldn't be told until after I enroll and even then maybe not until April. It makes me nervous! 

[SMLDC]

6 minutes ago, Shuklaklakla said:

Hi Everyone!

I got accepted into USC Suzanne-Dowark and University of Denver (still waiting on Columbia). A lot of my decision is based on Financial Aid-- However both USC and Denver are saying that I wont get my package until after I enroll in their program. Are you guys hearing the same things? USC also said that they do not give grants. 

I am starting to freak out over the cost! I don't understand how you figure out what school you want to choose when you dont know how much the cost will be- It definitely is a factor! 

Definitely be vigilant about cost. These numbers seem abstract until you are carrying that debt burden...

[Shuklaklakla]

Just now, SMLDC said:

Definitely be vigilant about cost. These numbers seem abstract until you are carrying that debt burden...

I definitely am trying to be. I keep calling and trying to get more information. Last week USC said I would hear back in a week then I get a call from the admissions counselor and she said I wouldn't hear anything until after I enroll. So I called financial Aid and they said I dont have to be enrolled but would hear back in April. I get such contradictory information. 

[Mindfu1ness]

3 minutes ago, Shuklaklakla said:

I definitely am trying to be. I keep calling and trying to get more information. Last week USC said I would hear back in a week then I get a call from the admissions counselor and she said I wouldn't hear anything until after I enroll. So I called financial Aid and they said I dont have to be enrolled but would hear back in April. I get such contradictory information. 

That sounds very wrong to me. I’ve never heard of a program requiring you to enroll before providing the financial aid package. I’d call back and speak to someone else with correct information. 

[ghklig]

12 minutes ago, Shuklaklakla said:

I definitely am trying to be. I keep calling and trying to get more information. Last week USC said I would hear back in a week then I get a call from the admissions counselor and she said I wouldn't hear anything until after I enroll. So I called financial Aid and they said I dont have to be enrolled but would hear back in April. I get such contradictory information. 

Hi, DU tells you in their admit letter exactly how much in free money (scholarships) they’re offering you over two years. The remainder (minus your expected family contribution) will be mostly in the form of loans and, to a lesser extent, work-study if you are a US citizen (max work study is about $5,000 per year). If USC tells you they’re not offering scholarships/grants, then it’s a sure bet they expect you to finance your cost of attendance (minus EFC) with a combination of subsidized/unsubsidized loans plus work-study. 
 

Let me just share this: I finished undergrad in 2005. Many of my fellow social justice-oriented friends from college went on to get their MSWs. Two went to USC and another two went to Columbia. They have been absolutely miserable over the last 10+ years repaying their student loans because they had counted on the federal public service loan forgiveness only to be conned out of the program by the Dept of Education. Their income-based repayment schedules consume almost all of their monthly discretionary income. 

i am not at all trying to be discouraging; I think your concerns about debt are valid, especially if you know your earning potential as a social worker will not be as much in early stages of your career. That being said, some of the big-name schools with hefty price tags have the kind of name recognition that may matter if you ever decide to move into the private sector or the federal government (i have friends with MSWs who are now GS-12s and GS-13s — that’s a good thing). If you have family wealth or are prepared for the debt burden, don’t think twice. But boy oh boy, I would not take out a mortgage-sized student loan for an MSW. I could never afford to work in the communities that need help the most. 
 

Good luck making your decision! You got into some great schools and already on a path towards success. 

[savannahopes]

1 hour ago, Anna H said:

Congrats!!! That is awesome news. Are you waiting to hear back from other schools or do you think you'll be accepting? 

I am waiting to hear from Michigan about aid and for an admissions/aid decision from Minnesota. I'm excited to have the option! Have you made any decisions yet?

[Mmgaf]

12 hours ago, Nai23 said:

Hi everyone! I got waitlisted from CU and feeling a little bummed. Can anyone give insight on how likely or not it is to be offered a place off the waitlist? Also, as I submitted my app a while ago, I have since started a new job and also enrolled in an online program at UPenn which is related to social work. Should I send across this information for consideration, would it help? 

They said I would hear back finally by April 19, but I am visiting NYC end of March, should I go meet them to discuss or would that be frowned upon? 

Thank you for your inputs! 

If it helps, I know that I'm going to be declining my CU offer soon so that's one spot at least! Just curious, what's the Penn online program?

[MCSW23]

1 hour ago, Shuklaklakla said:

Hi Everyone!

I got accepted into USC Suzanne-Dowark and University of Denver (still waiting on Columbia). A lot of my decision is based on Financial Aid-- However both USC and Denver are saying that I wont get my package until after I enroll in their program. Are you guys hearing the same things? USC also said that they do not give grants. 

I am starting to freak out over the cost! I don't understand how you figure out what school you want to choose when you dont know how much the cost will be- It definitely is a factor! 

ASU also won't give me a number until I submit my deposit. Denver though gave me my scholarship amount and said work-study, assistanceships and loans will come in the next two weeks. 

[katp]

hey ya'll quick question. for those of you planning on attending schools outside of mass-transit-heavy cities, do you all have cars? plan on buying one? I ditched my car a couple of years ago since didn't need it in the city and now i'm thinking with field placements that could be an issue unless I end up in NYC...

[Mmgaf]

3 minutes ago, katp said:

hey ya'll quick question. for those of you planning on attending schools outside of mass-transit-heavy cities, do you all have cars? plan on buying one? I ditched my car a couple of years ago since didn't need it in the city and now i'm thinking with field placements that could be an issue unless I end up in NYC...

I would guess that having a car is super helpful in being able to choose a right fit in your field placement (aka rather than only having a couple of options because of transportation). I have a car, and both UPenn and Berkeley asked me whether or not I had a car for field placement purposes, as neither has great public transit. I'd guess that the schools themselves are very aware of this, and you could definitely reach out to admissions at your top choices to see what they recommend. 

[Shuklaklakla]

9 minutes ago, madisonc7 said:

ASU also won't give me a number until I submit my deposit. Denver though gave me my scholarship amount and said work-study, assistanceships and loans will come in the next two weeks. 

When did you hear about your scholarship amount from Denver?

[MCSW23]

10 minutes ago, katp said:

hey ya'll quick question. for those of you planning on attending schools outside of mass-transit-heavy cities, do you all have cars? plan on buying one? I ditched my car a couple of years ago since didn't need it in the city and now i'm thinking with field placements that could be an issue unless I end up in NYC...

One of my big things is I planned on getting a new car around July, but now rethinking it in case I go to a mass-transit city. I'm from rural Kansas originally where there's literally no buses or anything, so it seems absurd to not have a car. If I go to Denver or ASU, I can't imagine I wouldn't have a car. At Penn, I think I'd keep my car, too. But if I'm in NYC, I think I'll sell out the car. 

[MCSW23]

3 minutes ago, Shuklaklakla said:

When did you hear about your scholarship amount from Denver?

It was announced on my letter.