gradschoolsocialwork Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Hello! I am a BSW student about to start my senior year so I am looking into grad schools to get my MSW. So far I have looked at Columbia, Fordham, UNC- Chapel Hill, and Florida State! Just wondering if anyone had any tips on choosing a grad school- what to look for, how to plan, and what experiences anyone has had with any of these grad schools!! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsyDuck90 Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 What is your goal with the MSW? For instance, if it is to be a licensed clinical social worker and do therapy, going with a state school is usually your best bet to alleviate debt-load and get a good quality education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradschoolsocialwork Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 I'm still trying to decide if I want to get my LCSW and do therapy or if I want to do something like school social work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsyDuck90 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 6 minutes ago, gradschoolsocialwork said: I'm still trying to decide if I want to get my LCSW and do therapy or if I want to do something like school social work. For either of those, your state university will be sufficient. Applying to the higher priced big-name schools (like Columbia) is really only a leg up when you want to work for big NGOs and things like that where networking is a huge deal to get your foot in the door. Social workers are notoriously underpaid and most state schools have solid training, so you don't want to put yourself in a ton of extra debt if you don't have to. SOCW_Noel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradschoolsocialwork Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 Just now, PsyDuck90 said: For either of those, your state university will be sufficient. Applying to the higher priced big-name schools (like Columbia) is really only a leg up when you want to work for big NGOs and things like that where networking is a huge deal to get your foot in the door. Social workers are notoriously underpaid and most state schools have solid training, so you don't want to put yourself in a ton of extra debt if you don't have to. Yeah, you're right. It's so easy to get caught up in the flashiness of universities like Columbia. Have you had any experiences with specific state universities that you could recommend? I'm open to pretty much anything right now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsyDuck90 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 1 hour ago, gradschoolsocialwork said: Yeah, you're right. It's so easy to get caught up in the flashiness of universities like Columbia. Have you had any experiences with specific state universities that you could recommend? I'm open to pretty much anything right now!! I would just check out the one in the state you're in now. In-state tuition is always cheaper. I know many social workers from a few of the state schools in my state, and they are all fantastic. SOCW_Noel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradschoolsocialwork Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 56 minutes ago, PsyDuck90 said: I would just check out the one in the state you're in now. In-state tuition is always cheaper. I know many social workers from a few of the state schools in my state, and they are all fantastic. Okay, thank you for your input! I really appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namarie Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 On 7/9/2020 at 1:00 PM, gradschoolsocialwork said: Hello! I am a BSW student about to start my senior year so I am looking into grad schools to get my MSW. So far I have looked at Columbia, Fordham, UNC- Chapel Hill, and Florida State! Just wondering if anyone had any tips on choosing a grad school- what to look for, how to plan, and what experiences anyone has had with any of these grad schools!! Thank you! I would also think about what you want in a program. For me, I wanted something that had a strong social justice orientation and the school I chose had just that. I went to a state school and received a solid education. I did get accepted to Columbia's MSW program but they charge $50,000 in tuition and they only offered loans, which just wasn't practical looking at what a social worker makes. I think the advice you've already received is great, but think about what you want in the curriculum as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacholibre2003 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I personally did not have the best experience with Fordham's MSW program. Especially with the field work they were extremely unhelpful and my classes were just okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradschoolsocialwork Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 On 11/25/2020 at 1:56 PM, namarie said: I would also think about what you want in a program. For me, I wanted something that had a strong social justice orientation and the school I chose had just that. I went to a state school and received a solid education. I did get accepted to Columbia's MSW program but they charge $50,000 in tuition and they only offered loans, which just wasn't practical looking at what a social worker makes. I think the advice you've already received is great, but think about what you want in the curriculum as well. I am so sorry I am just getting to this. You're absolutely right. I only ended up applying to two schools and one of them is columbia. It's so pricey & even though its my dream school, I don't think I can justify the price even if i get in :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradschoolsocialwork Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 On 1/15/2021 at 4:58 PM, nacholibre2003 said: I personally did not have the best experience with Fordham's MSW program. Especially with the field work they were extremely unhelpful and my classes were just okay. Thank you so much for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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