UChicago A.M.

[PsyK]

So I called admissions at SSA and was told I am accepted with a $22,000 scholarship!!! soooo excited! good luck to everyone else still waiting.

For everyone still awaiting a response via postal mail, I was told I should expect a formal letter by the end of next week.

That's awesome!!! I should've called!! Haha

[Lilly]

They called me yesterday and offered me a 25k scholarship and an RAship! I'm kind of in shock and have some big decisions to make...

[zeb64]

They called me yesterday and offered me a 25k scholarship and an RAship! I'm kind of in shock and have some big decisions to make...

Wow, that is awesome! Congratulations!

[PsyK]

I was told that my application has only been through the first reader! I'll be waiting for a little while.

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

They called me yesterday and offered me a 25k scholarship and an RAship! I'm kind of in shock and have some big decisions to make...

Congratulations! Did you apply for the RAship, or was it just offered based on your application?

[Lilly]

Congratulations! Did you apply for the RAship, or was it just offered based on your application?

Thanks! I'm trying to decide between U of Chicago and Berkeley...

I didn't apply though, I guess it was just based on the application. And I haven't gotten my actual school financial aid package yet, so we'll see what kind of additional aid will be offered. I hope it comes soon!

[zeb64]

I was told that my application has only been through the first reader! I'll be waiting for a little while.

You gotta be going a little crazy! Keep us updated

[PsyK]

Well, everyone, I didn't get in.

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APRIL FOOLS!

Got in today with a $22,000 scholarship. I'm ecstatic! Will any of you be attending with me??

[zeb64]

Well, everyone, I didn't get in.

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APRIL FOOLS!

Got in today with a $22,000 scholarship. I'm ecstatic! Will any of you be attending with me??

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! you fooled me. I just sent in my acceptance today. So I take it your going to attend as well? awesome scholarship!

[PsyK]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! you fooled me. I just sent in my acceptance today. So I take it your going to attend as well? awesome scholarship!

Yay, Zeb!! It's pretty cool to have the chance to talk to one of my classmates! Yes, I'll be mailing my intent to enroll tomorrow!

On a separate note, I just applied for graduate student housing, but I think I'll be looking at other apartments in Hyde Park, too. I'm going to try to visit in July to check out my options. Do you know what you're doing on that front yet?

[zeb64]

Yay, Zeb!! It's pretty cool to have the chance to talk to one of my classmates! Yes, I'll be mailing my intent to enroll tomorrow!

On a separate note, I just applied for graduate student housing, but I think I'll be looking at other apartments in Hyde Park, too. I'm going to try to visit in July to check out my options. Do you know what you're doing on that front yet?

I am looking at some places in Bronzeville:

1. http://www.chicagoap...oom-L39682.html

2. http://www.chicagoap...oom-L40194.html

3. http://www.chicagoap...oom-L66494.html

4. http://www.chicagoap...oom-L66495.html

I still gotta check out the neighborhoods, it can get a little dicey around there; however, very cheap for being close to SSA. Do you currently live in Chi?

Edited April 6, 2011 by zeb64

[zeb64]

PsyK, have you checked out the Immunizations info yet (http://scc.bsd.uchicago.edu/pdf/11_12_New_Student_Immunization_Form.pdf)? I'm gonna get going with that pretty soon. I believe it all needs to be complete by August 19.

[PsyK]

PsyK, have you checked out the Immunizations info yet (http://scc.bsd.uchic...zation_Form.pdf)? I'm gonna get going with that pretty soon. I believe it all needs to be complete by August 19.

Yeah, I did look at that. I should be good to go, so it'll just be a matter of getting it signed off at the doc.

I was born in Chicago and have a lot of family there, but I've lived in Texas the longest. I'm back in Houston working right now after having graduated last year. Very excited for the move!! Are you a native?

Edited April 7, 2011 by PsyK

[zeb64]

Yeah, I did look at that. I should be good to go, so it'll just be a matter of getting it signed off at the doc.

I was born in Chicago and have a lot of family there, but I've lived in Texas the longest. I'm back in Houston working right now after having graduated last year. Very excited for the move!! Are you a native?

I was born in Chicago as well. I currently live in Valparaiso, IN... about 40 minutes outside the city. when do you plan to move up to the city?

[PsyK]

I was born in Chicago as well. I currently live in Valparaiso, IN... about 40 minutes outside the city. when do you plan to move up to the city?

I had to estimate a move-in date on the graduate housing application, so I put 8/15. Looking at last year's calendar, classes didn't start until end of September, and orientation was around mid-September. I want time to get settled and perhaps find a flexible job, so I decided about a month to get acclimated would work. I can't wait any longer!

What about you? Btw, those are some nice-looking apartments!

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

I'm going out to visit the school at the end of the month. Looking forward to it! I've never been to Chicago before.

I'm not going to have a car while I'm there, and I read on the field education website that that might narrow your placement opportunities significantly, but asks whether you'd be willing to carpool with another student, etc. Does anyone from the Chicago area have insight about this? I know Hyde Park is a little isolated, but I've always heard great things about Chicago's transit system. I'd love to hear some perspectives, especially from those of you who know the city well.

[PsyK]

I'm going out to visit the school at the end of the month. Looking forward to it! I've never been to Chicago before.

I'm not going to have a car while I'm there, and I read on the field education website that that might narrow your placement opportunities significantly, but asks whether you'd be willing to carpool with another student, etc. Does anyone from the Chicago area have insight about this? I know Hyde Park is a little isolated, but I've always heard great things about Chicago's transit system. I'd love to hear some perspectives, especially from those of you who know the city well.

I visited in February and had a great experience! Everyone was welcoming, warm, and very knowledgeable. The weather was beautiful when I was there, too.

Regarding transportation, students do not receive city-wide CTA passes, but we can ride a few buses around Hyde Park at no charge. Since I'm not from the area, I'm not familiar with all of our options for traveling to the city, so maybe someone can expand on that.

Hope to see you in the fall!

[amanda.kyrgyz]

I visited in February and had a great experience! Everyone was welcoming, warm, and very knowledgeable. The weather was beautiful when I was there, too.

Regarding transportation, students do not receive city-wide CTA passes, but we can ride a few buses around Hyde Park at no charge. Since I'm not from the area, I'm not familiar with all of our options for traveling to the city, so maybe someone can expand on that.

Hope to see you in the fall!

I've lived in Chicago for the past year without a car and it's been very easy to get around. A car is definitely not necessary. However, one way commutes are often at least one hour. I'm personally buying a car this summer, but that has nothing to do with SSA or field placements!

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

I've lived in Chicago for the past year without a car and it's been very easy to get around. A car is definitely not necessary. However, one way commutes are often at least one hour. I'm personally buying a car this summer, but that has nothing to do with SSA or field placements!

I don't mind a long commute, I just wanted to make sure that not having a car isn't really difficult or quality-of-life reducing. Thanks for the input!

[teacup]

Hey, so it seems like there's a pretty decent population of U of C admits on this thread. I am thinking of applying there for fall 2012 and it's my #1 choice. Their program offers classes touching on every point of social work I could ever possibly be interested in learning. Chicago is close enough to my family to not feel like I'm moving a world away, I have friends in Chicago, and I used to live in Hyde Park (and miss it desperately!). Would some of you with acceptances mind sharing your stats? Aaaand if I'm allowed to be nosy enough, could you share if you went to a "name-brand" undergrad school? You don't have to say which one, but when I look at the Student Profiles of the better MSW programs (including George Warren Brown), they all seem to have gone to Swarthmore and Stanford and Grinnell. I didn't go to clown college, but I went to a large (and middle-of-the-road) public university. My GPA is about what they're looking for, but does it count a little less if I got it from kind of a party school instead of an Ivy or public Ivy? I worry about this.

Another question: my best academic reference would come from a professor not even remotely related to my field. U of C wants four recs, and I have two glowing ones (from work - in a totally relevant, social worky agency I've been at for a year), one that should be pretty good from psych research labs I did, and then I can either get a kind of "She got an A in my class...what more do you want?" from a psych professor (so it would be relevant), or a "This girl is fairly awesomesauce," from a Russian professor. So is it more important for all the recs to be relevant or for all to be glowing?

Just thought I'd pop in and be neurotic and overthinky for a second...thanks.

[BalletAmy]

Hey, so it seems like there's a pretty decent population of U of C admits on this thread. I am thinking of applying there for fall 2012 and it's my #1 choice. Their program offers classes touching on every point of social work I could ever possibly be interested in learning. Chicago is close enough to my family to not feel like I'm moving a world away, I have friends in Chicago, and I used to live in Hyde Park (and miss it desperately!). Would some of you with acceptances mind sharing your stats? Aaaand if I'm allowed to be nosy enough, could you share if you went to a "name-brand" undergrad school? You don't have to say which one, but when I look at the Student Profiles of the better MSW programs (including George Warren Brown), they all seem to have gone to Swarthmore and Stanford and Grinnell. I didn't go to clown college, but I went to a large (and middle-of-the-road) public university. My GPA is about what they're looking for, but does it count a little less if I got it from kind of a party school instead of an Ivy or public Ivy? I worry about this.

Another question: my best academic reference would come from a professor not even remotely related to my field. U of C wants four recs, and I have two glowing ones (from work - in a totally relevant, social worky agency I've been at for a year), one that should be pretty good from psych research labs I did, and then I can either get a kind of "She got an A in my class...what more do you want?" from a psych professor (so it would be relevant), or a "This girl is fairly awesomesauce," from a Russian professor. So is it more important for all the recs to be relevant or for all to be glowing?

Just thought I'd pop in and be neurotic and overthinky for a second...thanks.

I was there a couple years ago for my Masters and am now going back for my PhD. For the Masters...I went to a big, no name state school, as did a number of my fellow classmates. As long as your GPA is solid, you'll be fine. SSA places a lot of importance on the reference letters, and at the masters level it's fine if the letter is not from a related area. Go for the Russian prof is said prof can extol your many academic virtues.

Good luck!

Amy

[Lilly]

Don't sweat it. I was accepted with a hefty fellowship (but I'm going to Berkeley instead) for next year, and my undergrad was a motley combination of community college and UIC....the rest of my application was good (I've posted my stats a few months ago), but I was def not Ivy status educationally. Apply!!

Hey, so it seems like there's a pretty decent population of U of C admits on this thread. I am thinking of applying there for fall 2012 and it's my #1 choice. Their program offers classes touching on every point of social work I could ever possibly be interested in learning. Chicago is close enough to my family to not feel like I'm moving a world away, I have friends in Chicago, and I used to live in Hyde Park (and miss it desperately!). Would some of you with acceptances mind sharing your stats? Aaaand if I'm allowed to be nosy enough, could you share if you went to a "name-brand" undergrad school? You don't have to say which one, but when I look at the Student Profiles of the better MSW programs (including George Warren Brown), they all seem to have gone to Swarthmore and Stanford and Grinnell. I didn't go to clown college, but I went to a large (and middle-of-the-road) public university. My GPA is about what they're looking for, but does it count a little less if I got it from kind of a party school instead of an Ivy or public Ivy? I worry about this.

Another question: my best academic reference would come from a professor not even remotely related to my field. U of C wants four recs, and I have two glowing ones (from work - in a totally relevant, social worky agency I've been at for a year), one that should be pretty good from psych research labs I did, and then I can either get a kind of "She got an A in my class...what more do you want?" from a psych professor (so it would be relevant), or a "This girl is fairly awesomesauce," from a Russian professor. So is it more important for all the recs to be relevant or for all to be glowing?

Just thought I'd pop in and be neurotic and overthinky for a second...thanks.

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

I'll officially be attending UChicago's MA program in the fall. Very, very excited! I was apprehensive when making the decision and experienced a lot of hand-wringing, but now that I've decided, I'm really looking forward to the move.

[PsyK]

I'll officially be attending UChicago's MA program in the fall. Very, very excited! I was apprehensive when making the decision and experienced a lot of hand-wringing, but now that I've decided, I'm really looking forward to the move.

Yay!!!

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

Yay!!!

Thanks!! Where is everyone thinking of living? It's tempting to live in Hyde Park to be near the school, but rents seem comparable in other areas of the city closer to downtown. I was particularly looking at Lakeview. Does anyone have thoughts on this?