CSU's: Anyone accepted yet?

[aalariemy]

Do u mind sharing your stats?

[cschapman]

Good luck to everyone waiting on CSUN! I think I have messaged with a few of you. I hope everything works to your advantage. Getting to the interview is a big achievement. They do not interview everyone. They interview only people they are seriously considering.

Also I should add, don´t stress if it starts looking like you´ll need to wait until next year. It seems a lot of great applicants find themselves in a situation where they need to apply again. I hope that you all get in but, also don´t be too hard on yourselves through the process.

Thanks allyba! I am still waiting for CSUN, could have to wait until May to find out. At least you have been accepted into the school but i agree, if i dont get in, then i'll just work and gain more experience.

[tgd]

Sure, I should have included that in my first post.

Graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2009

Majored in U.S. History

Overall GPA 3.21, Major GPA 3.6

2 years paid experience in a supervisor role at a direct-service human services agency.

I had good letters too, one was from the former chair of the CSUS social work department. I had no academic references however, they were all professional.

Had not completed Bio/Stats at time of applying

Apparently last year was one of the hardest years ever to get in, they had a huge amount of older candidates with significant career and life experience apply. This year is supposed to be better but there are less spots from what I understand. I was put at number 32 of 55 in the waiting list and I was told that if I had had a somewhat higher overall GPA I would have been in for sure. I looked back in the thread aalariemy and I think you have a pretty decent shot especially if you had good letters/statement. I had friends with similar backgrounds to you that got in directly out of UCD. I had excellent field experience but below-average academic experience; with the huge amount of new, qualified applicants they seem to be able to pick applicants that are either outstanding in one area or who have a very good balance of the two.

[futurelcsw]

For those of you that interviewed at CSUN, how long did it take to setup the interview? I got an email Friday requesting that I email the dept. chair with my availability and I wrote to her with my free times. It is now Wednesday and I haven't heard anything! Is this normal? Why haven't they responded? Will they call me out of the blue? Should I call them or just wait it out!

[Lisbeth]

Yeah it is a bummer this happened now as we are going to attend but, I think they had to start doing something. Student loans are getting out of control and people are taking out way more than they will be able to pay. It is the next big financial bubble. I recommend paying the interest while you are in school instead of letting it all accumulate.

Yes you make a great point, thanks. It is true that Way too many people have gotten and are going to get themselves into way too much debt. Hopefully my post makes a few more who are on the fence about ridiculously high tuition think a third time (afterall, interest growing on 30 and 40K a year is bad on top of the baseline these people take out). You're right, it's the next financial bubble....yikes.

[aalariemy]

Keeping my fingers crossed!

[futurelcsw]

Me too!! I'm a nervous wreck! I hope everyone gets in their school of choice!

[cschapman]

For those of you that interviewed at CSUN, how long did it take to setup the interview? I got an email Friday requesting that I email the dept. chair with my availability and I wrote to her with my free times. It is now Wednesday and I haven't heard anything! Is this normal? Why haven't they responded? Will they call me out of the blue? Should I call them or just wait it out!

They emailed me to set one up on Friday and I responded friday and they got back to me on Monday. They have forgotten to respond to one of my emails before, its easy to over look an email when they get hundreds a day. I would defintely respond back and ask if they recieved your times. They wont call you out of the blue. seriously though, just email them again with your times

[futurelcsw]

Ok great!! Thanks for your help! I just don' t want to bug them! Haha

[cschapman]

You totally wont! Just word it nicely !

[allyba]

Yes you make a great point, thanks. It is true that Way too many people have gotten and are going to get themselves into way too much debt. Hopefully my post makes a few more who are on the fence about ridiculously high tuition think a third time (afterall, interest growing on 30 and 40K a year is bad on top of the baseline these people take out). You're right, it's the next financial bubble....yikes.

I know it is a little scary to think this may be a bubble. Thanks for sharing these points. I think it is so helpful for people to hear these views. But I understand the frustration. I wish I could have gotten some of those subsidized grad loans while they lasted too. Instead I may have to try to work a little even with the crazy grad school schedule. Have you given in thoughts to trying to work while doing a MSW? I know it is difficult but, I thought maybe I could find something on campus even if I had to.

[Lisbeth]

I know it is a little scary to think this may be a bubble. Thanks for sharing these points. I think it is so helpful for people to hear these views. But I understand the frustration. I wish I could have gotten some of those subsidized grad loans while they lasted too. Instead I may have to try to work a little even with the crazy grad school schedule. Have you given in thoughts to trying to work while doing a MSW? I know it is difficult but, I thought maybe I could find something on campus even if I had to.

Yeah, I've been thinking lately about this. For instance, SFSU (not that I'm even accepted yet) but they gave me work study, so it might be a little easier w/ that to pick up a very minimal part time job. Sometimes it's not easy to even land those though, so we'll see. Even if I don't get offered work study wherever I end up, I will try my best to get paid fieldwork. I know this can be very difficult too, and maybe it won't happen in the first semester but hopefully by the second semester I'd have some time to find a place that would pay me and be able to go through the paperwork in time to be an official fieldwork location for me. We'll see, fingers crossed. I think the first semester I'll see how everything goes without working just since I won't know how difficult things are etc.

[Josh15035]

I talked to my professor at CSUS and she said that notices should be going out at the end of April. She said that they still had about 10 applications to process and then would have to send it to the graduate department for final review. I went up to withdraw my application today, because I was accepted at CSUC, and they told me that I was in the accepted pile of applicants. If your waitlisted there is hope! Good luck!

[LittleLO]

I talked to my professor at CSUS and she said that notices should be going out at the end of April. She said that they still had about 10 applications to process and then would have to send it to the graduate department for final review. I went up to withdraw my application today, because I was accepted at CSUC, and they told me that I was in the accepted pile of applicants. If your waitlisted there is hope! Good luck!

thanks for the info!! i am SO NERVOUS about hearing from Sac, I really want to go there. Hopefully I'm in the accepted pile like you!

[aalariemy]

Hey Josh I was wondering if I can go to the department and check my application. I really need to find out if I got in so I can begin planning for next year

[Josh15035]

Aalariemy, I would give Irma Salas a call instead. I don't know if she'll tell you or not but if you give your reasons maybe she'll help you out. You can find her info on CSUS's Social Work faculty page.

[cschapman]

I finally got accepted into CSUN MSW today!!! After waiting five weeks since interview, finally heard the good news.

[futurelcsw]

Wow congrats cschapman!!!

[cschapman]

I just got a call from USC , i was finally taken off the waitlist...now i have to choose between USC and CSUN. I really love everything about the program at CSUN but USC is such a well known school. Not sure what to do...any suggestions?

[cschapman]

By the way, futurelcsw...did you finally get to set up an interview at CSUN?

[futurelcsw]

Honestly, choosing USC sounds like a bad idea. It's $82,000 for two years. You DO NOT want to pay that loan back with interest. It is basically a second mortgage. It would be one thing if they gave you SIGNIFICANT financial aid/help. But that's just my two cents.

[futurelcsw]

Cschapman,

No, CSUN's spring break was last week so they are super busy replying this week. I called and they told me I should hear back next week about scheduling.

[aalariemy]

Called Sac State. All Irma told me was that I wasn't gettin an acceptance letter within the next 2 weeks. I think I might be waitlisted but I don't know whether to graduate and assume I'm in or assume I didn't get in and double major

[cschapman]

Ok well at least you know the reason now why they didnt respond to you! USC has so many more stipends and scholarships, and its a program that has been around for so long. CSUN has been around for 4 years, but i like it because you dont have to choose a concentration. Since im out of state it would be 30,000 a year so its still super expensive. I need to tell them today, ahh! Thanks for your input, i definitely consider the money part heavily.

[cschapman]

But then again, I don't want to base my decision strictly on money. I want to look at the program and what kind of reputation the school has as well. It's just a tough decision.