MSW at ColumbiaU or Umich?

[lukybibi]

Greetings to all!

I'm an international applicant to MSW 2020 fall. I'm lucky to be accepted by ColumbiaU and Umich, and I'm struggling to choose from them.

I cannot go on a campus visit due to this epidemic. As I search through the Internet, I really feel comfortable with the atmosphere and culture in Umich, as well as the environment in Ann Arbor. However, ColumbiaU is one of a kind throughout the world with a famous Ivy title. It is really hard for me to let it go.

Moreover, as MSW students we must go to field study. I'm kind of worrying about the NYC Metro if we need to take it every day...

Because I'm an international student, there are not very large differences between the two concerning money issues, and I didn't receive financial aids either.

After graduation, I'm planning to work in western America or Atlanta, so I may not stay at either Michigan or New York...

So any ideas for my situation? Thanks a lot!

[AlabasterSeas]

I've also been admitted to the two.

Don't make the decision based on reputation. Both U of M and Columbia have similar reputations for MSWs, so reputation is sort of a wash between the two (usually, U of M's social work program is ranked #1). Secondly, social work is definitely not a prestige-driven field, so it won't matter that you went to an Ivy League school (if you choose Columbia). 

The main difference between the two would be in terms of placements. If you go to Columbia, you'll have more career opportunities in NYC. If you go to U of M, you'll have more career opportunities in Michigan. But, since you're planning on moving away from both places anyway, that doesn't really matter.

The next factor to consider would be cost. Even though you're not getting financial aid from either, it's possible that one of them will still be cheaper than the other (because of tuition and because of cost-of-living). There are cheap places to live outside of Ann Arbor, so you might be able to save some money with U of M. But if you're willing to not live in NYC and commute, you could save money that way. However, if you haven't already, try to get more financial aid. You can email the school's an submit an appeal. 

Another factor: what kind of social work do you want to do? Maybe one of the school's will cater to your career interests more. For example, Columbia has a DBT center, so if you really wanted to learn about DBT, then maybe you'd lean towards Columbia. Are you interested in clinical social work or want more of a macro / research / policy focus?

Finally, where do you want to be? It sounds like you think you'd enjoy Ann Arbor / Michigan more, so maybe trust your gut on that. 

Based off the info you provided, I'd say go with U of M. 

[lukybibi]

38 minutes ago, AlabasterSeas said:

I've also been admitted to the two.

Don't make the decision based on reputation. Both U of M and Columbia have similar reputations for MSWs, so reputation is sort of a wash between the two (usually, U of M's social work program is ranked #1). Secondly, social work is definitely not a prestige-driven field, so it won't matter that you went to an Ivy League school (if you choose Columbia). 

The main difference between the two would be in terms of placements. If you go to Columbia, you'll have more career opportunities in NYC. If you go to U of M, you'll have more career opportunities in Michigan. But, since you're planning on moving away from both places anyway, that doesn't really matter.

The next factor to consider would be cost. Even though you're not getting financial aid from either, it's possible that one of them will still be cheaper than the other (because of tuition and because of cost-of-living). There are cheap places to live outside of Ann Arbor, so you might be able to save some money with U of M. But if you're willing to not live in NYC and commute, you could save money that way. However, if you haven't already, try to get more financial aid. You can email the school's an submit an appeal. 

Another factor: what kind of social work do you want to do? Maybe one of the school's will cater to your career interests more. For example, Columbia has a DBT center, so if you really wanted to learn about DBT, then maybe you'd lean towards Columbia. Are you interested in clinical social work or want more of a macro / research / policy focus?

Finally, where do you want to be? It sounds like you think you'd enjoy Ann Arbor / Michigan more, so maybe trust your gut on that. 

Based off the info you provided, I'd say go with U of M. 

Thanks so much! That was very helpful. To be honest, I am not 100 percent sure about which area I would like to focus on later, I have a little experience before but not very systematic. It seems like clinical social worker is more likely to find a job in America for a foreigner... 

If I could have opportunities to study on a topic I interested in, I think research is also a nice option. I explored the curriculum of the two and I found a course especially attracting me in Umich named Animal Assisted Therapy Interventions, which they also arrange workshops on. However, it seems not a very popular area. In case there are fellows know about this, please leave a comment!

[Allanaj]

15 hours ago, lukybibi said:

Greetings to all!

I'm an international applicant to MSW 2020 fall. I'm lucky to be accepted by ColumbiaU and Umich, and I'm struggling to choose from them.

I cannot go on a campus visit due to this epidemic. As I search through the Internet, I really feel comfortable with the atmosphere and culture in Umich, as well as the environment in Ann Arbor. However, ColumbiaU is one of a kind throughout the world with a famous Ivy title. It is really hard for me to let it go.

Moreover, as MSW students we must go to field study. I'm kind of worrying about the NYC Metro if we need to take it every day...

Because I'm an international student, there are not very large differences between the two concerning money issues, and I didn't receive financial aids either.

After graduation, I'm planning to work in western America or Atlanta, so I may not stay at either Michigan or New York...

So any ideas for my situation? Thanks a lot!

Hey! I’m from Atlanta and live here now so if you need any advice let me know

[lukybibi]

On 3/24/2020 at 11:16 AM, Allanaj said:

Hey! I’m from Atlanta and live here now so if you need any advice let me know

Thank you so much! I always heard that people in Atlanta are very nice. ?

I may move to Atlanta because my boyfriend is applying for Ph.D. in Gatech, and I also think it is a wonderful city!

I'm considering finding a job there after finishing MSW. I saw people on the Internet saying that there are a lot of active NGOs focusing on nature protection in Atlanta. I'm pretty interested in that field. Do you know anything about that?