CSU East Bay anyone?

[allyba]

Anyone apply to this school like I did? I know some people dont seem to think very highly of their program (not really sure why) but it is a good fit for me. They have a high rate of grads that get decent jobs in the field after graduation. I am sure the location helps. I felt good about this app but, now am a little worried. I havent heard anything yet. I also was reading about how the undergrad programs used to not be very selective but last year only admitted 22percent as their response to budget cuts. It landed them on a list of very selective schools. I am hoping this doesn't translate into very selective grad admissions too.

Edited March 3, 2012 by allyba

[srahmadi]

It depends on your major. I'm from CA and I can tell you that CSU East Bay is not selective. If you have good grades, and a good essay, I'm sure you can get in Good luck!

[allyba]

The link doesn´t seem to be working. Maybe because I am abroad??

Here´s a cut and paste from the beg of an article...

How CSU East Bay got so selective.

Article from: San Francisco Chronicle | October 26, 2011 | Asimov, Nanette | Copyright

Byline: Nanette Asimov; Chronicle Staff Writer

One of the nation's most competitive universities - tied for 39th place with UC Berkeley in a new ranking, and tougher to get into than Tufts - is an unlikely campus in that cutthroat category: Cal State East Bay.

The humble Hayward campus is part of California State University, which admits all students who complete high school requirements with at least a C average and live within the school's attendance area.

So why does it rank high in a new list of the nation's 100 most competitive colleges from U.S. News & World Report? The ranking notes that Cal State East Bay admitted just 22 percent of applicants …

[ATohCe.24]

So the budget cut does warrant some concern because it could mean 150 spots being limited to 100 -- hypothetically; I don't know exactly how many spots are available each year. If CSU East Bay averaged 300 apps--another hypothetical number--in prior years, a 50% admittance rate falls to 33% given a cut of 50 spots.

Now if you've applied to Berkeley (<20%) and San Francisco State (~ 17%), CSU East Bay definitely can't be as competitive as those two. My guess is somewhere between 25-50% for East Bay. However, their applicants probably don't boast the kind of GPA, GRE, or experience the Berkeley or SFSU folks boast.

One last note: CSU East Bay does rolling admissions; which means depending on when you submitted your app and wait time, that's probably when you'll hear back. I completed mine in beginning of February and admissions office gave me a wait-time of 4-6 weeks. When did you submit your app?

[allyba]

Hi, glad to see someone else applied here too. CSU East Bay may end up being my first choice due to a lot of things including the location and what I have heard about the program. Great internship locations, high percentage of graduates working in the field, rent in this area won´t kill me etc. They also have a Latino social workers club which would be awesome for me. There are so many advantages for my particular situation so I am anxious to hear back from them.

I submitted sometime in the first few days of Feb. I think maybe Feb 2nd. Right before I submitted they said they hadn´t started reviewing any yet. I imagine we will hear in the next few weeks though. Is this a school you are considering or one that you applied to as a safety? Good luck!

Edited March 4, 2012 by allyba

[ATohCe.24]

Not my first choice but I'm anxious to hear back from them as well. I think mine was complete the second week of February so you will most likely hear back before I do. Hope you get some good news soon.

If you can change the title and add msw in there somewhere it'll come up in msw searches.

[ATohCe.24]

So I got into San Jose State. Cal State East Bay is effectively off my list because SJSU is just closer to my work place. What other place did you apply to and are strongly considering?

[allyba]

That´s awesome! Congrats. I applied to CSUN and am considering that too. I wasn´t able to get my app in on time ot SJSU otherwise I would have probably applied. I am sure that it´ll be great.

[Future MSW]

So I got into San Jose State. Cal State East Bay is effectively off my list because SJSU is just closer to my work place. What other place did you apply to and are strongly considering?

When did you submit your application? & what are your stats if I may ask?

[ATohCe.24]

Umm I'm pretty sure the admissions department doesn't fret about applicants' GPA because the grad department checks that applicants have at least a 3.0--or was it a 2.5?--before forwarding it to admissions.

Mine was 3.08 / 4.00 overall and turned in my app last day. They probably focused on experience, LORs and personal statement more. I felt confident about my LORs and personal statement. My experience come from working at psychiatric hospitals for the last three years and being familiar with the recovery model incorporated in psychiatric programs.

[allyba]

Hey I fogot to ask ATohCe, did you get any type of correspondence from the graduate department at CSU East Bay? So far I have just received the general letter to activate the online portal/email and the online portal says my application is being reviewed by the graduate department.

I have received an email from the MSW department at CSUN. It made me wonder if I should have recieved one from CSU East Bay.

[ATohCe.24]

I didn't even get a general letter to activate the online portal! Wow. They've sent me nothing thus far in the mail. The only time I got correspondence is when I emailed Lyn and she gave me the 4-6 weeks wait time beginning of February.

I'll shoot her an email to ask how applicants will be notified and then post it on here.

[allyba]

I think it was actually from admissions. The letter just gave you a password or something to activate the online portal to check your application status.

Let me know if you find anything out and thanks in advance for sharing your info here. I was just wondering because CSUN sent a nice email about when to expect decisions and I didn´t know if others had received some kind of official correspondence from the MSW program at East Bay.

[MommyMSW]

Has anyone gotten a response yet or offer of admissions? After not getting into Cal, this has become my #1 choice as I attended SFSU as an undergraduate and would like a new environment :-)

[ATohCe.24]

Hey MommyMSW, I emailed Lyn on March 12 and here is her response.

"Hi Peter,

The email you are referring to comes directly from the University Admissions Office not from the department. The department will send you a letter in the mail notifying you if you have been accepted or denied. Currently, the committee is reviewing applications that were complete in November & December. Your application was complete on February 15^th, so it will likely be another 4-6 weeks before you can expect a response.

Sincerely,

Lyn"

[MommyMSW]

Hi there...and thank you!! This is really helpful. I completed mine around the same date, so should be a similar wait.

Cheers :-)

[MommyMSW]

This seems to be the only CSU-EB blog on here, right? Here's what I am currently pondering and would love some outside input (maybe I'll post this in another forum as well). Ok, so I got rejected from UCB and feel I have a good shot at CSU-EB. My issue is they do not offer the PPSC, which I would really like to get. I can get the PPSC post-MSW, but must first earn 450 hours at a school-based internship which is supervised by a PPSC-social worker. I can't really force CSU-EB to give me a field placement at a school, but I suppose I can ask about it, if I am accepted. That or I wonder if I should wait another year and apply to Cal again and also SFSU (I didn't make their dead line b/c a professor didn't get their letter in on time...ugh). I realize there are a lot of "what if's" here and to boot, I am 35 years old and really ready to start school.

[allyba]

Only you can decide which route is best and you´ll need to wait to hear from CSU-EB before having all the information needed to make this decision. It sounds like you have a very specific goal in social work and UCB fits that plan very well. For what it is worth it sounds like UCB looks favorably on applicants that reapply the next year if the applicant can show the progress they´ve made in the year and why they are now ready for UCB. For example, it doesn´t seem anyone gets in that doesn´t have a year of relevant work experience. If you are short of that year now but, will have it for next application season UCB could be a good place to reapply. It also sounds like there are several viable programs to get the PPSC after your MSW so perhaps CSU-EB would be a great option to get going sooner. I think PPSC programs like the one at Sac State are on weekends. Keep in mind a lot of these programs state hours can not be verified until admitted to the program. You may want to check if your MSW field placement hours would count. I have doubts that they would. I imagine the focus when you are doing the PPSC is different and I don´t think you can accrue hours from a different concentration in an MSW program. Maybe you can get in touch with one of the PPSC programs for post MSW and ask about this. Good luck weighing the options.

[allyba]

Here´s the link for the Sac State PPSC program. It looks like if you are in the MSW program at Sac State you can also start this one at the same time. I am not sure if CSU-EB has the same program though.

http://www.cce.csus.edu/catalog/course_group_detail.asp?group_number=374&group_version=1

[MommyMSW]

Thank You allyba...this is very helpful.

[love2012]

I have not heard much about the CSU East Bay program. Can anyone give me an insight to their social work program? It would be really helpful as i am highly considering East bay.

[MommyMSW]

I went to their information session and also have worked alongside students and graduates of the program. Almost the entire faculty are PhD graduates from UC Berkeley and have years of experience in the field. The program places a great emphasis on cultural competency/cultural pluralism. And both from my visits and talking with friends, they are committed to having a diverse student body to help achieve culturally competent graduates. Compared to the info sessions I attended at UC Berkeley, the applicants were by far more diverse in race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. My friends say the program is tough, but that they feel prepared to enter the field upon graduation. My understanding is that the field placements are strong and most graduates get jobs in the area upon graduation. They only have two concentrations at this time, Children and Family & Community Mental Health. I believe this is due to budget cuts and the program still being fairly new (I think they've only been certified for about 7 years).

Anyone else out there attend or have more information?? I'd LOVE to hear more!!!

[allyba]

I have heard the same things. I think they have a solid program that will help you get employed in the area and I like the emphasis on diversity. Anyone hear from them yet? I have another acceptance I am leaning towards for reasons of the location and my husband's work but, would like to hear from them as I make the final decision.

[MommyMSW]

Has anyone heard from them yet, one way or the other?? I've heard nothing so far.

[ATohCe.24]

MommyMSW, I have not heard back from CSU East Bay. I spoke with another Berkeley-bound student who also applied to CSU East Bay and no word either. It seems like they're really taking their sweet time. E-mail Lynn, the admissions director. She's very nice and responds promptly.