MSW 2009

[lifeincartoonmotion]

Anyone out there!? I don't know how I had been missing this section.

[Dreams]

It's a new section. Congrats on your acceptances. Any idea where you are going? I know that CUSSW is very stingy with scholarships and such.

[bingcal]

Hi All,

I'm in the process of applying to some MSW programs and was wondering if anyone who has already been accepted would mind sharing some of their stats? I realize that the application process is quite personal and that a lot of weight is given to the application essays, but any background information would be helpful.

[Dreams]

I'm in the process of applying to some MSW programs and was wondering if anyone who has already been accepted would mind sharing some of their stats? I realize that the application process is quite personal and that a lot of weight is given to the application essays, but any background information would be helpful.

You should take the lead here and share any numbers about yourself that you asking us to share. And you are correct, the most energy should be put into creating a top notch resume, personal statement, and essay (if required by the program) Many social work programs are willing to take a risk on a person with a gpa lower than 3.0 if there is a sign of promise. And the best way you can demonstrate that is by building up a solid background of service, either paid or volunteer.

[i_settle]

es I have heard from many actually. I've been accepted to Columbia , U of Chicago, U of Michigan, NYU, and am waitlisted at Berkeley.

My stats were pretty good except for my GRE scores I think. I went to one of the University of California's, attained a 3.7, graduated a year early and am doing a job currently with a non profit. I was a little confused about being wait listed at Berkeley but they informed me it was not at all because of my academic record but my inexperience in the field. I graduated in June 08 and applied for Fall 09. Anyway, they told me something along the lines of "we don't count any experience in the field until the point of when you apply" meaning, they only counted me having 2 months experience even though I've been working since July. Janky right?

I'm just waiting on USC, UCLA, and WashU next. Hope this info helped some perspective social workers out there!

[isaiahboi87]

Hey Everyone,

I am so glad this forum exists. I hope I'm not the only one freaking out while waiting to hear back from schools! Someone on her requested information about other people applying so I'd though I'd tag a long with that trend. I applied to (in order of preference) University of Washington, WUSTL, CUNY Hunter, NYU, Boston University, and was rejected at San Francisco State. I'm graduating from Mount Holyoke this year, I'm not sure how much it's going to help me out but it's a competitive and well known school. I'm a psych major, gender studies minor, 3.25 GPA. I made a bunch of mistakes my first two years but my last two years I've managed a 3.5 so I'm hoping the schools will look at improvement. I've had two really awesome volunteer experiences but they were both a little over 3 years ago and for short periods of time so I'm not sure how much my lack of experience is going to help me. I really don't know what my chances are, I was pretty taken back to me rejected at SFSU but I guess everything happens for a reason.

Anyone else apply to these programs and heard back? I can't believe UW says they are going to wait till late April, that just feels dreadful!

*sigh*

[michigan girl]

I am applying to social work schools late in the game obviously. I hope to get into my first choice (Michigan) next month.

[cse24]

has anyone heard from the university of Windsor for the 2 year MSW program. I applied but i have not heard anything as yet

[savannahbee]

i swear i have NEVER seen this part of the forum before!!! would have been so helpful while i was applying, though it should be equally helpful now.

i applied to U of Washington and Portland State. currently am unofficially in at UW (just waiting on the grad school to officially accept me and for my background check to be a-okay). i haven't heard from PSU yet, but it doesn't really matter at this point--it would kind of be nice to have the illusion of getting to make the choice though.

[veravoros]

I applied for MSW off campus at University of Windsor in January, it said on the website it will take 2-3 weeks to process the application and notification will be sent out. Until today, I have not heard anything.. I e-mailed them several times and all i am told that my application is being prepared for review....every time I ask...I guess, they are waiting to see if there are better applicants than me, or whether they will defer me to 2010 or 2011 year...This is so frustrating....

Is there anyone else waiting like me >

[newusername]

anyone know the likelihood of getting off the berkeley waitlist?

also... anyone hear from ucla yet? im going nuts waiting to hear from them. *sigh*

[michigan girl]

I will hear back from some of my schools by April 15th. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

[rams222]

I still haven't heard from Berkeley - should I be worried? Seems like people on this forum have heard one way or another, but I haven't had any word... it's the only MSW program I've applied to and the last school I need to hear from (and top choice!). Ack!!

[rduvall612]

Just wondering if anyone's received word from WashU? I've haven't heard a thing. I know there have been interviews and acceptances, but I'm not sure if there are more to come or if I should consider my application rejected.

Thanks!

Rachel

[happydays]

Has anyone heard back from UCLA's MSW program yet?

[vanillalatte]

rduvall612 said:

Just wondering if anyone's received word from WashU. I've haven't heard a thing. I know there have been interviews and acceptances, but I'm not sure if there are more to come or if I should consider my application rejected.

Thanks!

Rachel

I just got an email today congratulating me and telling me I'll get another email sometime this week inviting me to a "group discussion at the school". So there's still hope.

 

[newusername]

not yet... it's driving me nuts and i feel like, at this point, can it really be good news? although knowing that no one else has heard from them yet could make me feel a bit better. but what is up with them? for having such early deadlines, it seems they would have been one the first schools to make a decision. alas, still waiting.

[kimmeth]

Has anyone heard back from UCLA's MSW program yet?

I got a call from the Admissions Director at UCLA yesterday saying the Admissions Committee wanted him to contact me to confirm I am taking a statistics course this summer, as I indicated on my application. I told him I was enrolling at my local community college as soon as I could. I also asked him if he could tell me anything else about my admissions status, and he said he couldn't at this time. So based on that conversation, it sounds like the Admissions Committee is still reviewing applications.

I've been wait-listed for Berkeley's MSW program. Is there anyone else out there in the same boat?

[newusername]

thanks for this update! it is so reassuring to know that UCLA is still reviewing the MSW applications and i'm not just the last to know.

and yes, I have been waitlisted to Berkeley as well. I emailed them last week to ask about how it works (b/c every school is so different) and they said it is not ranked numerically, but rather alphabetically (seems odd to me..). They said there are about 50 students on the list and no way of knowing how many they will actually be able to admit. They said I could check back 'next month' to check in on my status.

Good luck to you..

[kimmeth]

and yes, I have been waitlisted to Berkeley as well. I emailed them last week to ask about how it works (b/c every school is so different) and they said it is not ranked numerically, but rather alphabetically (seems odd to me..). They said there are about 50 students on the list and no way of knowing how many they will actually be able to admit. They said I could check back 'next month' to check in on my status.

Who did you speak to at Berkeley? When I called the admissions office after receiving my wait-list letter, I spoke to the receptionist who answered the phone. She told me the list is not ranked, but rather divided based on the applicant's concentration (i.e. Health, Mental Health, Gerontology, etc.). I've never heard anything about the list being ranked alphabetically. If that's the case, my last name starts with R, so I'm probably screwed. :x

I then contacted an acquaintance who graduated from the program last year. He suggested I contact the head of my chosen concentration (in my case, Health). The Health concentration director sent me a very nice e-mail saying he didn't know all the specifics of the wait-list process, but he referred me to someone in admissions who could "explain our protocol to you, and we follow it strictly so as to be fair and equitable to all candidates." I'm still waiting to hear back from the admissions contact. I seriously doubt strict protocol equals an alphabetical wait-list, but who knows.

Best of luck to you, too! Let's keep each other posted.

[newusername]

I actually don't have a name of a person I contacted at Berkeley, I just emailed them here: socwelf@berkeley.edu

This is the exact response I got:

The Wait List is not ranked numerically, rather in alpha form. We have have perhaps about 50 people on the list (from all the 6 tracks). Every year the number varies so it's hard to estimate what it will be this year. You can check in with us next month as to your status.

Perhaps I misunderstood what 'alpha form' means... what do you estimate that it means?

I'll definitely keep you posted... UCLA is driving me NUTS!

[kimmeth]

"Alpha form" does sound like an alphabetical system, but that still seems a bit odd to me. Perhaps you should contact your concentration head. I doubt it would hurt anything. Which concentration did you apply to?

Berkeley is far and away my top choice, so this wait-list thing is driving me nuts! And it might be driving me nuts until Aug. 15.

[kristela204]

I got a call from the Admissions Director at UCLA yesterday saying the Admissions Committee wanted him to contact me to confirm I am taking a statistics course this summer, as I indicated on my application. I told him I was enrolling at my local community college as soon as I could. I also asked him if he could tell me anything else about my admissions status, and he said he couldn't at this time. So based on that conversation, it sounds like the Admissions Committee is still reviewing applications.

I've been wait-listed for Berkeley's MSW program. Is there anyone else out there in the same boat?

On April 1st, I got a call from the Admissions Director asking me to send in my proof of enrollment and I did. He said I should hear in a few days and I am still waiting. I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask for another extension at the other schools.

Have you received any updates?

[newusername]

I JUST placed a call to the social welfare department at UCLA and got Lance Brooks' voicemail. Left a message requesting an update on when I can expect an admissions decision.

At this point... as much as it sucks, I'm thinking we must all be on a waitlist and will get notified April 15, once they figure out who is accepting and who isn't. I'm not really expecting to hear anything before then anymore... I'm tired of mentally agonizing over this. I am INCREDIBLY disappointed with how they've handled this... we all deserve the respect of an answer one way or another prior to now. If we ARE on a wait list, we deserve that notification as well. I have already had to ask for an extension at one school and actually accept enrollment at another, which I feel terrible about doing. But at April 10... it's like, what other options do we have? UCLA was my first app that I finished in December, I just can't believe I still don't know.

[newusername]

"Alpha form" does sound like an alphabetical system, but that still seems a bit odd to me. Perhaps you should contact your concentration head. I doubt it would hurt anything. Which concentration did you apply to?

Berkeley is far and away my top choice, so this wait-list thing is driving me nuts! And it might be driving me nuts until Aug. 15.

Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. I applied to the Child & Family Services concentration. I haven't yet contacted my concentration head... not sure if i plan on it. While Berkeley is one of my top choices, I'm not sure logistically I can make it work. If i don't get into UCLA, it will probably be a bigger consideration, but at this point, I'm just going to let it play out with the wait list as it will. What concentration are you? I wonder if they accept equal amounts of students across each concentration, or if some are more heavily waitlisted than others. Anyway, good luck and keep me updated! Maybe we'll end up at the same place!