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MSW Fall 2022 Applications


moria95

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I have always wanted to be a Social Worker. I have a BA in psychology and sociology (Interdisciplinary Social Science) from Stony Brook University, NY. My average is a 3.0. I graduated over 20 years ago, and I am concerned with letters of reference. I am still somewhat in touch with one professor, however, many of the others have died. 

Locally, there is only one MSW program that is under an hour away. I will apply to that one, but since mt GPA is not stellar, I am looking at online options as well. I am somewhat concerned with age discrimination. Does that exist in MSW graduate programs? 

I do not care if the school is prestigious or not. I care that it is CSWE accredited and has a user-friendly online learning format. I really want to avoid for profit universities if at all possible. I'd like an online program that is supportive and encouraging towards students who are somewhat older than average. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

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I don't know about other programs, I graduated from WashU MSW and there were quite a few in my cohort that were in their 50s or 60s. I feel that if a MSW program has age discrimination then that's probably some program that you don't want to be associated with anyways. Also I don't think GPA matters that much for MSWs, the why matters more. Good luck with your applications! 

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I can't speak to which programs would be best for you but in terms of the references, don't worry about needing one that was your former professor. I obtained my bachelors degree 10 years ago and opted to use professional references only as I didn't keep that close contact with my school professors. If any of your professional references happen to hold university appointments though, I would try to use those people if you can. But if not, most school programs acknowledge that it's okay to use professional references if you've been out of school for long!

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Hey guys Im submitting my application for BU’s MSW part-time program for Fall 2022 tomorrow. Do you guys think I have a high chance of getting in? I’m so anxious. So here are my stats:

I have a BA in Political Science with a minor in Gender Studies from Tulane. I graduated cum laude with a 3.794 GPA. However, I had several incompletes and withdrawals in my last 2 years of undergrad due to mental and physical health reasons which is what makes me super nervous about getting in?

This past semester, I took 2 graduate level psychology classes online at the Harvard Extension School and received A’s in both classes. 

I have various work and volunteering experience. Most recently, I worked at a non-profit law firm in San Diego called the Legal Aid Society of San Diego for over a year. I was a Consumer Health Advocate working with mostly low-income clients. Our services were free. 

I am the child of 2 Syrian Muslim immigrants which has been an integral part of the way I navigate systems. 

I have received 3 letters of recs from former professors (one from Harvard and two from Tulane) and one from a former supervisor. I’m also waiting on an additional letter of rec from one of my Harvard profs. (I know only 3 letters of rec are required but they allow up to 6). 

Do you guys think I have a good chance of getting in even with all of the incompletes and withdrawals? 

I worked very hard on my personal statement and had lots of accomplished people help me edit it. I also talked about my struggles in the personal statement in a way I think will be positively received.

Also, BU MSW students, please leave your admission stats below if you’re willing! I’m sure it would be super helpful for me and other applicants as well :) 

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Received admission to Northern Michigan's two-year regular standing MSW program yesterday--woo! Having only applied to two programs, I'm relieved to know that I'll definitely be enrolled to earn my MSW this fall! Still waiting to hear about any scholarships/financial aid, and since my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in a starkly different field from social work, I do need to take 3 pre-reqs before enrolling in the fall. Do most of you have a social work/psychology (or related) undergraduate degree? 

I'm also still waiting to hear back from UMich, though I did get approved for in-state residency/tuition, plus I have approval for their MasterTrack program which would allow me to complete my MSW in twelve months. I know in previous forums people heard back from UMich anywhere between the end of December through March, so has anyone who applied heard anything yet?

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I'm currently a senior Psychology major at UMD and am preparing to apply for MSW grad programs next winter for Fall 2023. I'm super nervous about my chances of getting into a program and have been having a hard time determining which schools are appropriate reach schools, target schools, and safety schools. Some of the schools I am looking into are Rutgers, Upenn, Upitt, Fordham, UMD, Columbia, and Hunter College.

I have a 3.46 undergraduate gpa (kinda low, I know) because I messed up my freshman year and essentially failed out of 2 classes. However, for the past 5 semesters (ever since second semester sophomore year) I have managed to get straight As with the exception of one semester, so the gpa of the last 2 years of my undergrad average around a 3.85. By the time I apply I will have had 1.2 years of experience working part-time as a Rehabilitation Coordinator working face-to-face with clients (making sure they take their medication, implementing treatment plans, and implementing clinical assessments) as well as ~9 months of working full-time as a Rehabilitation Counselor at a non-profit working in-person with mentally ill adults, which include crisis control, medication management, and helping them with day-to-day living because they are often too mentally ill to function themselves. During my undergraduate career I also served as a TA for a psychology class and a research assistant for a research lab on campus working with adults with Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and other mood disorders. I also have had 2 internships. One was at a private practice doing more administrative work (client billing and checking) and one was at the same clinic I now work part-time at where I conducted research on psychiatric disorders and hosted activities and games for group sessions with child clients.

Would anyone be able to tell me if I would be a competitive candidate for any of the programs I mentioned above, or if I should shoot for something lower? I am kind of bummed about my low GPA and am scared that that will deter schools from accepting me (although I have great letters of rec). Please let me know what you guys think.

Edited by MSWcandidate604
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I know some programs explicitly say they look at the GPA for your last 2 years only,so you could check the websites of those programs you listed. You could also email the program administrators to ask about that if the website isn't clear, I.e., do they look at last 2 years GPA only. Other than the GPA, sounds like you have great experience and would be a good candidate. 

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