Columbia vs. NYU vs. Hunter College for MSW

[ARH_1]

Hello everyone! I am having a hard time deciding between Columbia University, NYU and Hunter College (still pending decision) for my MSW program. I wish to be a clinical social worker, and have heard that NYU is most clinical oriented while Columbia is more macro oriented. However, I'm thinking it may be good to have a range of experience, in case I decide later on to do something a bit more macro-oriented in the future. I also hear that the name of the school does really carry over when looking for jobs. The cost is definitely daunting, as well as the thought of being in debt. The scholarships from both schools are not very large - however if the programs are really good, its probably worth it! Any thoughts from those who have made their decision or went to these schools?

[Alittle_shady]

@ARH_1

Congrats on acceptances!! I also got into Columbia and Hunter and had the same dilemma. I was strongly considering going to Columbia because of the school’s prestige. I’m a first generation college student and I saw attending an Ivy League as a holy grail. Unfortunately, Columbia didn’t offer me a lot of scholarships. And for the two years, I would’ve taken over $80,000 loan and that’s excluding living expenses because I’m from New York City. So, if you are moving to NYC, you need to add those expenses to your loan. Personally, I didn’t feel comfortable signing up for a $80,000 loan. I even tried to reason with myself because I don’t have any student loans from undergraduate studies. Then, I thought about my personal goals like buying home and I knew that the loan will cause a big delay. The biggest reason why I chose to attend Hunter was because my salary from my first job out of the program will probably be less than the $80,000 loan that I would’ve taken out for Columbia. 
I contacted a few recent graduates from Columbia. I found them on Instagram and messaged them to ask about their experience and about their opinion on the program price. I got a mixture of responses. 
 

This is a very personal decision. You have to think about what makes you happy right now but also how this is going to effect future you.
 

I hope this helps. Sorry for the really long message. 

[blueberryxyz]

@ARH_1  I was deciding between Hunter and NYU. I really wanted to attend NYU but after doing my own research, I couldn't justify paying significantly more for NYU. I often read the "Weekly School of Social Work Thread" on the social work subreddit. The question deciding between programs has come up a lot, and current social workers say that school prestige does not exist within the field. They also say that NYC schools have access to the same field placements, which is where the majority of learning happens. I also have heard that Hunter is more selective than NYU or Columbia due to its affordability. Again, these are conclusions all based on my own research I've done over the past several months. Like the poster above mentioned, it is ultimately a personal decision. Best of luck!

[GeorgeWindsor]

Have you made a decision? I have accepted my place at Columbia for Fall 2022. I am pretty worried about the cost. Most folks have told me that the name does not matter. I applied to two schools. Smith and Columbia and chose CSSW. I should have considered applying to NYU. 

[ARH_1]

@GeorgeWindsor I have not! I think I'm choosing more towards NYU just because they gave me a better scholarship deal. @blueberryxyz+ @Alittle_shady thanks for your inputs! For the three of you, out of curiosity, what made you choose social work rather than mental health counseling?

 

[blueberryxyz]

@ARH_1 I chose MSW because it is more versatile. I’m not 100% sure I want to do therapy in the long-term. Also from what I understand, at least in NY, MSW can hill Medicaid but MHC cannot. I would enjoy the coursework of MHC more, but there’s also post graduate trainings you do as a therapist anyway

[pbutter]

Like others here I chose an MSW due to its flexibility. I also understand that it's an older degree than counseling and has a bigger lobbying force behind it. In addition to being able to bill Medicare I think that most hospitals and the VA will only hire MSWs and it's just a more well recognized degree. What finalized my decision was looking at profiles of therapists and people who worked a therapeutic centers that interested me and seeing they were all LCSWs. 

As far as NYU goes, I joined the accepted students FB page when I got in and saw threads of people who had graduated recommending one go elsewhere (Hunter) due to costs. I also spoke to a friend of mine who went to a private college (outside of NY) and said that her classes often had people straight from undergrad or otherwise with no experience or understanding of social work who ate up a lot of class time and that there were big problems with diversity in the student body in general. I believe a public institution will have a different caliber of student, especially one like Hunter which I have always heard is more selective than NYU, Columbia etc due to the high volume of applications they get. Like alittleshady said this is a super personal decision which in my opinion kind of boils down to are you wealthy enough to afford a private education. If so maybe it's worth it to you, but I've never seen anyone recommend to take out a ton of loans for an MSW.  

Edited April 19, 2022 by pbutter

[Alittle_shady]

@ARH_1

I decided to get my MSW because the flexibility of the degree. You can work in the medical field, education system, non profit or even the corporate world. I would like to have my own practice in the future. With my MSW, I will be able to explore different fields as I grow my practice on the side. I just like the wide range of roles that I can do with MSW. 

[DSWstudentTSSW]

Hunter. Unless NYU/Columbia are offering aid to make it comparable. Don’t take on the debt. Hunter is a fantastic problem. 

[Chris Rizzo]

On 4/8/2022 at 3:43 PM, Alittle_shady said:

@ARH_1

Congrats on acceptances!! I also got into Columbia and Hunter and had the same dilemma. I was strongly considering going to Columbia because of the school’s prestige. I’m a first generation college student and I saw attending an Ivy League as a holy grail. Unfortunately, Columbia didn’t offer me a lot of scholarships. And for the two years, I would’ve taken over $80,000 loan and that’s excluding living expenses because I’m from New York City. So, if you are moving to NYC, you need to add those expenses to your loan. Personally, I didn’t feel comfortable signing up for a $80,000 loan. I even tried to reason with myself because I don’t have any student loans from undergraduate studies. Then, I thought about my personal goals like buying home and I knew that the loan https://paydaysay.com/24-7-payday-loans/ won't cause a big delay. The biggest reason why I chose to attend Hunter was because my salary from my first job out of the program will probably be less than the $80,000 loan that I would’ve taken out for Columbia. 
I contacted a few recent graduates from Columbia. I found them on Instagram and messaged them to ask about their experience and about their opinion on the program price. I got a mixture of responses. 

This is a very personal decision. You have to think about what makes you happy right now but also how this is going to effect future you.
 

I hope this helps. Sorry for the really long message. 

Because MSW is more adaptable, I went with it. I'm not sure if I want to continue therapy in the long run. According to what I understand, MSW can access Medicaid but MHC cannot, at least in New York. Although I would prefer the MHC curriculum, you must do postgraduate trainings to become a therapist.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Chris Rizzo

[Melisaa]

On 4/8/2022 at 8:43 AM, Alittle_shady said:

@ARH_1

Congrats on acceptances!! I also got into Columbia and Hunter and had the same dilemma. I was strongly considering going to Columbia because of the school’s prestige. I’m a first generation college student and I saw attending an Ivy League as a holy grail. Unfortunately, Columbia didn’t offer me a lot of scholarships. And for the two years, I would’ve taken over $80,000 loan and that’s excluding living expenses because I’m from New York City. So, if you are moving to NYC, you need to add those expenses to your loan. Personally, I didn’t feel comfortable signing up for a $80,000 loan. I even tried to reason with myself because I don’t have any student loans from undergraduate studies. Then, I thought about my personal goals like buying home and I knew that the loan will cause a big delay. The biggest reason why I chose to attend Hunter was because my salary from my first job out of the program will probably be less than the $80,000 loan that I would’ve taken out for Columbia. 
I contacted a few recent graduates from Columbia. I found them on Instagram and messaged them to ask about their experience and about their opinion on the program price. I got a mixture of responses. 
 

This is a very personal decision. You have to think about what makes you happy right now but also how this is going to effect future you.
 

I hope this helps. Sorry for the really long message. 

Hi Congrats on your acceptances to Columbia and hunter is there any specific gpa they are looking for Columbia. I have a 3.78 and other outside activities.