Reapplying After Rejection?

[calathea]

Hi all! I am currently in a PhD program in history of medicine, and because of some experiences in academia and changes in my goals I have decided to leave my PhD to pursue clinical work instead. It's something I had been thinking about for a few years, and am finally going for it.

I applied to Hunter's spring start accelerated program and was rejected. My letters of recommendation were late, however (frustrating), and I kind of applied knowing NOTHING about what MSW programs are looking for, just to get an application in, so I am wondering if it is worth it to apply again for the fall semester? I will also be applying to a number of others programs, but was wondering if reapplying to Hunter is worth it or typical having received one rejection.

I also have a question regarding statements of purpose. In my PhD program, social justice-type work was really discouraged (odd, I know, but partly why I am leaving). I think I may have censored myself a bit regarding my activist/organizing work because of the fear that it would not be well-received. Is political organizing something that one should leave out of an application or is this something that might be look at positively? 

Any advice or thoughts would be super appreciated!!

[ZippyZup123]

Hey! It's totally normal to feel uncertain after getting rejected. Last year I applied to Hunter for their OYR program and after getting an interview I was rejected. That really got me upset for about a week but I knew I wanted to go for social work. Then COVID hit and I reevaluated my options when everything was falling apart. Honestly I am glad that I was rejected last year because now I am more financially ready to take on grad school and I made more clear choices. In order for me to be more "marketable", I volunteered with local food pantries and soup kitchens as part of the pandemic relief force and I got a letter from one of the directors, along with my other experience. I applied to 3 colleges, including Hunter and then I got to make the choice of which school I wanted to attend. I ended going with Rutgers because it would be WAY cheaper for me and I liked the vibe. I say totally reapply but reevaluate why you are going to that school. There are people that can rush applying and get into grad school, but schools like Hunter and Rutgers are way more competitive and their acceptance rates sit around 40% - 50% instead of Columbia's 75% and NYU's 85%. State schools are a great option but they have the option to be way more picky. Weave your narrative of why you should go to that school and why social work (since you are moving to a different area of study). 

Shop around and be open to going to other schools but make changes and if they see that you improved from last year to this year, then you can definitely have a shot of getting in. They look at each applicant at the time of their submission of the application and compare you to that round of applicants. Also I know current Hunter students and just know that COVID has changed the game of how education and field work is being done. Speak to people, see how they got in, and go from there. 

Also Hunter is known to be very liberal and woke, but I steer away from politics so I do not know if I can properly answer that question. If it seems too controversial, then it might best left out. Still see if you can speak to current and past students as they would know best.

Don't get discouraged and good luck!

Edited December 25, 2020 by ZippyZup123

[ZippyZup123]

Also the accelerated program you applied to in the spring only admits 25 people in that cohort. Hunter accepts around 425 students for their fall program so your odds of getting accepted are way higher. Even the most qualified students that apply for the spring cohort might not get accepted. I hope this makes you feel better in some way.

[calathea]

5 hours ago, ZippyZup123 said:

Also the accelerated program you applied to in the spring only admits 25 people in that cohort. Hunter accepts around 425 students for their fall program so your odds of getting accepted are way higher. Even the most qualified students that apply for the spring cohort might not get accepted. I hope this makes you feel better in some way.

Oh wow this is actually so good to know and it does make me feel better. I was so discouraged! I had no idea that schools like Hunter and Rutgers were harder to get into, especially coming from academia. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for your advice! I am also looking at Rutgers for fall admission.