Random Admissions Questions

[blueberrymango]

I am new to this process, and am curious to hear some answers from people who have gone through it/know more than me. How heavily is gpa considered? If my gpa is below their minimum, will they even consider my application? Also, does anyone know what schools are looking for in GRE scores? Only a few schools I am applying to even want it, but they don't list any idea of what the average score is.

One last question for now: if I think that my gpa will be better after this semester, does it make more sense to submit my applications asap and then send my Fall 2012 grades after they are ready in December, or is it better to wait to submit the applications with later deadlines until after my grades are in (and i hopefully will have a gpa closer to their requirements)?

Hope my questions made sense.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!

[roxyshoe]

I can help, perhaps!

1. GPA - they will consider you if your human services experience, letters of rec, and SoP are really impressive, I think it's always worth a try but definitely apply to reach and safety schools and everywhere in between.

2. GRE - Like you said, most MSW programs do not ask for GRE scores. If you get above average scores they are worth sending to schools who don't ask because of low gpa. I know Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill are two schools that do require GRE scores, and from what I recall they want scores that are above average but don't have to be anything ridiculously high. I would just call the office of admissions for the particular programs and ask what their typical scores are.

3. My personal opinion is to submit your applications asap and then submit your transcript when it's ready. It is pretty doubtful they will reject you before you have a chance to turn in the transcript, seriously these programs can take forever.

[MSW13]

I'm not entirely sure about American schools but here in Canada, you MUST have a gpa that meets the minimum in order to be considered. Most programs are highly competitive (in the big cities anyway) and a below minimum gpa usually means that your application will never make it to the admissions committee for review.

The uni I'm applying to has about a 30% acceptance rate and although the minimum to apply is a mid B, they rarely admit anyone below a B+. This is just because they receive a ton of applications and many of them are well qualified.

Regarding your transcript, if right now you are at or just below the minimum, I'd wait until you get your fall grades in so that you will definitely be above the qualifying line.

I've learned that the best thing to do is to call up (or email) the school now (before they get super busy with applications) and ask these questions. Each school has a slightly different procedure that isn't necessarily reflected on their website. Some schools will only consider one transcript and others will accept an additional transcript to reflect fall grades.

My advice: dont be afraid to call the schools directly. it will save you lots of worry and $$ if you end up applying to schools that wouldn't consider your application. However, ask the right questions and you can really increase your chances of getting in by closing in on those programs that reflect your skills/abilities/interests the best.

Good luck!