Applying to U of Denver, Washington, and Portland State - anyone else?

[KristinMSW]

Hi guys!

This is my first post in here. I have applied to the MSW programs for Fall 12 at University of Denver, U. of Washington, and Portland State. I haven't seen much about these schools in these threads... anyone else out in my boat?

I'm not sure which is my first choice, all have their positives and negatives! I'm a bit nervous about getting into UW since I am out of state.. but I guess we'll just have to wait and see

I have a pretty good undergrad gpa (3.6) and 3 years of experience post-college in youth development- 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer and one working on program development for a youth-serving non-profit in Colorado. Not sure how competitive these schools are.. I know Denver will be an easier one (issue there is more about the $$), but all I read about with UW is how competitive that process is, especially for out of state applicants.

Anyone else out there applying to these schools? I'd love to hear if people know more about the programs!

-Kristin

[briefinterviews]

I'm also applying to UW from out of state, but was honestly underwhelmed by the admissions representative they sent to the Idealist Graduate School fair in my city this past fall. One prospective applicant was asking her what the distinctions between micro/macro/mezzo social work were, and she stumbled through the answer, mixing up micro/macro... For whatever reason, she just didn't seem that well-informed about the program despite having an MSW herself. That was a bit of a red flag to me, but I decided to chalk it up to a rogue rep.

Find comfort in numbers! http://socialwork.uw.edu/admissions/class-profile

While there was a 41% acceptance rate for in-state applicants in 2010; it was 27% for out-of-state, which isn't so terrible. But that's across all MSW programs. For the Day Program, they only admit 80-90, and the overall acceptance rate was 24%. You never know!

Best of luck

[Whitty]

I am also applying to UW from out of state. I didn't realize it was so competitive. It's not my first choice but I really like the school

[KristinMSW]

Yeah I've checked out those class profile things, I love the detailed stats that they give out! UW is definitely the most competitive school in my list, I'll be intrigued to see what happens. I have a good friend who applied to a bunch of MSW programs a couple years ago (she ended up at DU), and the selection process just seemed so random sometimes. She has like a 3.8 gpa and 5-6 years of social work/education post-college experience and didn't get in to a couple of schools that seemed more like "safety" options. Not sure if it was the timing of her apps or what, but I'm just prepared for it to seem random.

I hope youre right about that being just a bad rep for the school! I have heard nothing but great things, and the main reason I am applying there is for their child welfare training program (which will include yet another set of applications/reference... yikes). I suppose only time will tell.

Thanks for responding, guys. Let me know how it works out for you & good luck!

[katiemk1230]

I'm applying to DU! Not sure how I feel about moving to Denver, but the program itself is probably my top choice - because of the animal assisted social work option.

Does anyone have any idea when they might start sending decisions out? How early did you guys apply?

I'm getting nervous now...I have great grades, GPA, letters, SOP essays, etc....but almost zero experience (as far as sw itself goes...though I was a vet tech for awhile, so that might help me with the the animal assisted concentration). Now that I'm seeing how many people with similar stats as mine PLUS experience aren't getting into various MSW programs, I'm starting to highly doubt I'll get in anywhere

[magicflute]

I have applied UW, but no information from it so far..

[KristinMSW]

I'm applying to DU! Not sure how I feel about moving to Denver, but the program itself is probably my top choice - because of the animal assisted social work option.

Does anyone have any idea when they might start sending decisions out? How early did you guys apply?

I'm getting nervous now...I have great grades, GPA, letters, SOP essays, etc....but almost zero experience (as far as sw itself goes...though I was a vet tech for awhile, so that might help me with the the animal assisted concentration). Now that I'm seeing how many people with similar stats as mine PLUS experience aren't getting into various MSW programs, I'm starting to highly doubt I'll get in anywhere

I have heard that DU is not terribly competitive... I wouldn't assume that you wont get it! Im from Denver, and the program at DU is GREAT. I have heard amazing things about it from a lot of people. I like Denver as a city a lot... lots of sunshine and fun things to do.

They send out admissions offers on a rolling basis. I applied around 1/10, checked in with them to make sure my app was complete around 1/24, and they said my app was currently in review and that I should find out in a few weeks. So maybe another week or 2?? You also should find out about any merit-based scholarships at that time...

Good luck!!! Hope we find out soon!

[KristinMSW]

I have applied UW, but no information from it so far..

I applied around 1/11 and it still doesnt even say that they have recieved my transcripts and stuff! I called yesterday, and they said they still havent processed everything. Lots and lots of applicants. I think decisions come out from then around end of march/ beginning of april. UGH i hate waiting!

Do they have all of your transcripts updated and stuff? When did you apply?

[katiemk1230]

Thanks for the input, Kristin!

So, on the weather topic - you said it was pretty sunny, which is awesome. I don't know if you're familiar with the northeast's climate at all, but do you know how winter would compare? I hate winter here (cold and snow), but love the program at DU, and from what I hear from a friend who grew up there, it's an awesome area.

My other concern is cost...this is definitely one of the more expensive out of state schools I've seen, and it's not like SW is a fantastic paying field.... :-/ But I'm getting ahead of myself.

On the note of getting ahead of myself though I may have a potential update on my app(?): In typical neurotic fashion, I just checked my app status *again* and suddenly there is a box for "decision". That wasn't there this afternoon! Granted, it says "Decision unavailable" - but I'm assuming that means they've made one. It's pretty soon! I only submitted my app a month ago. Not sure if a decision this soon is a good thing or a bad thing....I guess I won't know until I know, right? Has anyone else had this on their app? If so, for how long?

[KristinMSW]

Thanks for the input, Kristin!

So, on the weather topic - you said it was pretty sunny, which is awesome. I don't know if you're familiar with the northeast's climate at all, but do you know how winter would compare? I hate winter here (cold and snow), but love the program at DU, and from what I hear from a friend who grew up there, it's an awesome area.

My other concern is cost...this is definitely one of the more expensive out of state schools I've seen, and it's not like SW is a fantastic paying field.... :-/ But I'm getting ahead of myself.

On the note of getting ahead of myself though I may have a potential update on my app(?): In typical neurotic fashion, I just checked my app status *again* and suddenly there is a box for "decision". That wasn't there this afternoon! Granted, it says "Decision unavailable" - but I'm assuming that means they've made one. It's pretty soon! I only submitted my app a month ago. Not sure if a decision this soon is a good thing or a bad thing....I guess I won't know until I know, right? Has anyone else had this on their app? If so, for how long?

Winters here are actually pretty great. It does snow and get cold, but Denver stays very warm and snow melts FAST. You'll have one day of 20 degrees and a blizzard and the next it will be bright, sunny, t-shirt weather. It can get pretty weird, but it's nice because you don't get like three months of freezing, its very on and off.

I'm also very concerned with the cost. What kind of merit-based and need-based scholarships I can get from them will be a huge factor in my decision. BUT everyone I've talked to who goes/went there have said it's worth it, and that the internships that you get from it (and therefore the jobs) make it feasible.

Yeah I have that box on mine as well and next to it it is says "not available". I think that just stays that way while you are in review until they have made a decision. Still should be a couple weeks......

[katiemk1230]

Just got accepted to University of Denver! No $$ info yet...not even an official acceptance letter or email yet either. I went on the website and though the decision still said "unavailable", there are now two buttons at the bottom of the page saying "Accept Offer of Admission" and "Decline offer of admission". According to the survey results, several other posters have experienced this, and it always means they're accepted. Hopefully I'll get official notice and some info about money soon too!

Edited February 15, 2012 by katiemk1230

[SunsetHarbor]

Still waiting to hear from U of Washington-Seattle and Portland State.

Any thoughts on the MSW Fellowship application at UW? Know how many they give out? If they are mainly looking to increase under represented minorities at school or is it general merit scholarship?

[KristinMSW]

Still waiting to hear from U of Washington-Seattle and Portland State.

Any thoughts on the MSW Fellowship application at UW? Know how many they give out? If they are mainly looking to increase under represented minorities at school or is it general merit scholarship?

Are you talking about the tuition fellowship? I have NO ideas how many they give out or how much they are worth. It says the goal is definitely to increase diversity, but I mean it does list other qualifiers. Since they use the FAFSA, i think it is more needs-based then it is merit-based... but WHO knows!

I am not in any way a minority, so I am going to focus more on the population I will work with. Let me know if you find anything else....

[KristinMSW]

Just got accepted to University of Denver! No $$ info yet...not even an official acceptance letter or email yet either. I went on the website and though the decision still said "unavailable", there are now two buttons at the bottom of the page saying "Accept Offer of Admission" and "Decline offer of admission". According to the survey results, several other posters have experienced this, and it always means they're accepted. Hopefully I'll get official notice and some info about money soon too!

This happened to someone else I know who applied too! I am jealous.. I don't have anything like that yet. I am applying to the Peace Corps Fellowship program, though, so I'm wondering if that will make it take a little longer.

That is exciting, though! I think it does mean you are in... I don't think they intend for that to happen (with the buttons that pop up), I think they expect the letter/email to come first. At least its something though

[katiemk1230]

Just got my "official" letter today (I had emailed the admissions assistant the other day about the buttons which he confirmed did mean I was in)! It included info on a "GSSW tuition scholarship" for $14,000 total (at first I thought it was 14,000 a year, which had me psyched. 7,000 a year is nice, I'll take any "discount" I can get, but U.Denver is super expensive even with that). Apparently tuition scholarship amounts are included in acceptance letters, then other financial aid info (loans, work study, other non-tuition scholarships) comes mid-march.

Kristin, I bet you'll get your decision by next week or so, if your app was complete 1/24. My application was officially complete as of 1/17, and the admissions buttons popped up on Valentines day, so the decision a came in a little less than a month- just to give you an idea of the time frame. However, you're right that it could take longer because of the Peace Corps Fellowship.

Ahhh I'm so excited - this is my dream program, and after doing a lot of research and talking to Denver residents, the city sounds amazing. I'm only worried about the expenses and loans :-/ I'm trying not to stress until I find out what else I get in March, but it's tough! I'm not sure how much it makes sense to take out in loans, given that SW isn't a well paying field...but on the other hand, We've all worked damn hard to get where we are, and we deserve our dream school, if we get in, right? I went through community college and my state school (I've been itching to get out my home-area since high-school, so it took a lot of willpower to stay here haha) to keep my loans down, in the hopes that I could splurge on the grad school I really wanted to go to, but even that still resulted in a good chunk of debt. So what do I do now?! When it comes to money, it can be hard to know where the draw the line between dreams and reality...

Edited February 18, 2012 by katiemk1230

[KristinMSW]

Just got my "official" letter today (I had emailed the admissions assistant the other day about the buttons which he confirmed did mean I was in)! It included info on a "GSSW tuition scholarship" for $14,000 total (at first I thought it was 14,000 a year, which had me psyched. 7,000 a year is nice, I'll take any "discount" I can get, but U.Denver is super expensive even with that). Apparently tuition scholarship amounts are included in acceptance letters, then other financial aid info (loans, work study, other non-tuition scholarships) comes mid-march.

Kristin, I bet you'll get your decision by next week or so, if your app was complete 1/24. My application was officially complete as of 1/17, and the admissions buttons popped up on Valentines day, so the decision a came in a little less than a month- just to give you an idea of the time frame. However, you're right that it could take longer because of the Peace Corps Fellowship.

Ahhh I'm so excited - this is my dream program, and after doing a lot of research and talking to Denver residents, the city sounds amazing. I'm only worried about the expenses and loans :-/ I'm trying not to stress until I find out what else I get in March, but it's tough! I'm not sure how much it makes sense to take out in loans, given that SW isn't a well paying field...but on the other hand, We've all worked damn hard to get where we are, and we deserve our dream school, if we get in, right? I went through community college and my state school (I've been itching to get out my home-area since high-school, so it took a lot of willpower to stay here haha) to keep my loans down, in the hopes that I could splurge on the grad school I really wanted to go to, but even that still resulted in a good chunk of debt. So what do I do now?! When it comes to money, it can be hard to know where the draw the line between dreams and reality...

My online app finally changed with the accept/decline admission buttons! Did you get an email or a letter in the mail with the details? I totally agree- the waiting SUCKS! It will be nice to hear from at least one school, but it wont really mean anything until I hear from all of them and can make a decision. ughhh oh well... so it goes~

The finance side of it all is so hard. My personal opinion is that because youre already making an investment, you don't want to settle for a school that doesnt really fit your needs. For instance- I want to do the Child Welfare track (at any school I go to), but i would also like to get my School Social Work certificate (which usualy requires 1-2 courses, an internship in a school, and a test). DU is the ONLY place I can do both, which is a big factor for me. That's something that will give me a lot more flexibility in my career in the long-term, and is worth extra tuition money for (I think, haha well see when push comes to shove).

So in that sense, DU seems to have a lot more career opportunities and wonderful internships that help you get your foot in the door. Its just soo hard to say what thats worth! Perhaps youll get a lot more with the financial aid package. If it's worth anything, I visited the campus this weekend and was very impressed.. the students were nice, the area seems like a really cool place to live, the admissions rep i talked to was very helpful, etc.

Hoping to get this letter SO SOON!

[katiemk1230]

Congrats Kristin!!

This reply is probably late enough that you've already gotten your letter, but yes - I did get one in the mail a few days after the buttons popped up. It included the admissions decision, a tuition scholarship offer (other scholarships and financial aid info coming mid March), info on submitting an admissions deposit, and info on logging into web-central, to access resources for admitted students. If you got your letter yet, did it include your DU id# and info on the admitted GSSW students group? We've got a good message board going there where people are getting to know each-other. You should join in, if you haven't yet!

I agree that because DU offers such specific, customizable MSW options that very few other programs offer, it is probably worth the cost. I am extremely grateful and excited to have recently learned that a well-off family member has offered to cover the difference between my financial aid offer, and cost, so it is very likely that I'll be accepting. Right now I'm just waiting to hear back from the rest of my schools, just in case of the unlikely event one of them offers me some amazingly ridiculous scholarship or something that would make me consider going there instead.

Hopefully financial aid will be generous with us both..we should find out in a few weeks - I can't wait!

[rollingmountainthunder]

I have applied to DU as well and appreciate the head up on box popping up for "Admission Decision" and then the sudden appearance of the buttons. My final LOR was received on 02/20. They told me I should be hearing something in the next 2 weeks. Untill then, I wait ....for a letter or the buttons.

[katiemk1230]

Has anyone heard anything more from any of their schools lately?

I am still waiting on 3 of the 4 I applied to, but really the only one that could hold a candle to DU is Smith, and even then, DU is coming out ahead.

I am so grateful to have learned that a well off and very generous family member has offered to cover the difference between any scholarships/grants I may receive, and tuition cost, so I don't have to take out more loans for school. I can't even begin to express my gratitude and appreciation for this!!

My next challenge though is cost of living. Is anyone else planning to take out loans for personal/living expenses (food, rent, books, etc)? This is making me a bit nervous...I just did the exit counseling on my undergrad loan, and it included info on graduate loans. The interest is higher, and there is no grace period (though you can apply for deferment). And of course, adding that to undergrad loans turns my stomach, but I suppose it has to be done, no matter where I'm in school. I don't think I can do school, field placements, *and* enough hours of work to make a dent in my expenses. I'm not even sure if the graduate loans I read about are the types of loans that I could use for personal expenses. In undergrad, when I asked about taking out money for living expenses, the financial aid office basically just said "You can have up to X amount, and Tuition is only (about 1/2 of that), so you can take out as much or as little of the remaining amount that you want for any expenses. Just verbally tell us how much you want, and we'll make sure you get it." (A little too easy/scary, I know). I know I should be more aware of my how these things work, but no matter how much I read about and look at my loans, it's super confusing. I'll definitely be talking to Fin. Aid wherever I go, about this, but in the meantime - does anyone have any knowledge on this subject?

(Also, does anyone know how to cross post things? Is it just posting it in two different places, or does it involve tagging or something? I feel like this could be a good question for the general SW forum, or "The Bank").

Edited March 4, 2012 by katiemk1230

[SunsetHarbor]

Any news from U Washington? Think they said this month!

[tschuss]

Any news from U Washington? Think they said this month!

I saw on the results survey that two people had received rejections from the PhD program, but that's the only news I've heard

[KristinMSW]

Whenever I've talked to them I think they've said late March-early April is pretty normal! They also said this will come in an email, and not in the mail or on our online app. Looking at the results survey from last year, looks like that was about right.

I am very eager to hear from UW to be able to make a decision! Pretty sure its my first choice...

Edited March 7, 2012 by KristinMSW

[KristinMSW]

Just called about a different question and they said admissions should be sent out in 2-3 weeks. Hopefully before april!

[isawstars]

Hey Kristin! ...We have the same name Anyways, I applied to Portland State too! I'm still waiting back... Ugh... The deadline was Feb 1st so I may have a while to go. Have you heard from them yet? Your thread has gotten me so excited to finish the rest of my applications. Everywhere I am applying is out of state.

[KristinMSW]

Eeeeee just got into UW!!!!!!! Anybody else??? Next steps??? Exciting stuff... this is the one I was waiting for!!