Graduate School Across the Country

[Liza123]

Hello everyone,

My dream school/MSW program is University of Washington.I submitted my application last night (it was due today), and may hear back as late as late March. I live in Virginia, and honestly if I'm accepted there I'm attending...although I will say that the other schools I applied to are in Denver and Michigan, so really I'll be across the country regardless (I'm on the fence about applying to my alma mater, for a few reasons).

I'm not worried about living by myself across the country (although I hate that I'll move away from my best friend), but I am anxious about potentially hearing back rather late, and then having to find a place and move in a short amount of time, seeing as I applied for Advanced Standing and would be starting mid-summer (and of course I'll want to be there for a week or two before I start to familiarize myself with the city).

Is anyone else applying to school(s) across the country? 

[Katie B]

So I'm a current student in a psych grad program, but when I was in the application phase, all of my schools were across the country. I'm from Indiana and I applied to schools in Texas, Oregon, and Washington. It does suck moving away from your best friends, but it's completely do-able! My advice for you is to be looking for apartments now and planning ahead. I honestly don't remember if MSW programs do interviews (my best friend is getting his MSW at our alma mater so he did not have to interview), but if there is an interview process then I would really ramp up the housing search after getting an interview invite and if you have to travel there for interviews, see if you can swing it financially to stay a day or two extra to see the potential city. The last thing I'll say is moving is way more expensive than you would think! Try to be prepared and don't be afraid to ask your program if they have any kind of moving assistance for new students. Good luck!

[Carolina310]

Hey! I know exactly how you feel in regards to moving across the country for school. I live in NY and my top two choices are Portland State University in Oregon and MSU Denver in Colorado. I applied to two schools in NY as well. I applied for part time though so I wouldn't start until mid/late August. I have the same fears about moving away from friends and hearing back late/having to decide on short notice. We just have to hope for the best! Do you know when the schools notify you? Good luck!!

[Evidencebasedlogic]

I've never understood this issue with moving away from family/friends, but I suppose that comes down to personality traits.  My best advice is to truly weigh the pros and cons to ensure this is what you want to do.  Like any degree (for the most part), where you get your degree usually will not change your salary, chances of getting work, etc.  They mainly care that you pass your credentialing exams.   I've had far too many friends struggle and drop out of schools due to issues with distance.  Just make sure this is really what you want, and worst case scenario... Keep your head in the books and come up for air when you graduate.  You got this  

[tametympala]

I understand your situation! I am from Indiana and applied in multiple locations, two of which on opposite coasts! ? It is hard to come to terms with leaving loved ones. But you can stay in touch and you'll make lots of new connections with your cohort! 

It's nerve wracking to consider housing with so many variables up in the air before you get accepted and make a final decision. But remember that the area you're moving to will more than likely be a "college town." Oftentimes, towns with schools rotate quickly between tenants. People are coming and going all the time for various reasons. Many town residents are students just like us, so their living situations can change at the drop of a hat. I would recommend getting familiar with Zillow, Apartments.com, or HotPads in the areas of the country you're looking at. Pick 3 or so places in each city that you could definitely see yourself living at and bookmark them. Depending on how comfortable you are on the phone or email, you could reach out right away to a coordinator or property manager and let them know your situation (that you may or may not be putting in an application and why). Most housing websites (and rental company websites, too) let you set notifications for when floorplans/houses you're interested in become available and you can often even filter them to be around your desired move-in date. Having options and being ready to pull the trigger as soon as you've picked a program will get you a place faster I feel like! If you don't start researching housing before you decide, you might run into more roadblocks. 

Hope this helps ease your mind! Good luck!