Application Advice

[acw]

Hi there!

 

I am a junior undergrad who is interested in pursuing an MSW, but I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Every avenue I've sought out for help (the career center at my school, the department chair in my major, etc) has given me very little direction. I know I need to take the GRE soon, but that's about it. So I have a ton of questions, and I was hoping you might be able to answer them!

 

Where should I apply?

I have a 3.34 GPA and I am a Sociology/English double major at a liberal arts school. I've been volunteering at a battered women's shelter for the past 6 months, and I've been leading a high school small group of 15 girls for the past 2 years through a local church (although I don't know if that kind of volunteer work even means anything to an MSW program). I'm also in the process of getting training to be a victim's advocate at a center for victims of sexual assault, but at the time of application I will only have volunteered for 6 months. This summer, I will be an intern under a social worker who has an organization in Kenya that keeps underprivileged girls in school. Someone told me to look into Columbia, NYU, and VCU, so I've been doing research on those, but I don't know if I can even get in to those programs. Where else should I look?

 

When do I take the GRE?

No idea what I'm doing here. Along with this, how did you prepare? Did you take an online course? Go through a book? 

 

What are some things I should start doing right now to be a competitive applicant?

Like I said, I have zero clue what I'm doing.

 

Thanks so much!!! Any and all advice is appreciated!!!

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by acw

[Lifesaver]

You're definitely on the right track! Any kind of related work experience, especially volunteer experience, is very important for an MSW applicant. Don't stop!

 

A lot of MSW programs do not require applicants to take the GRE. Some schools will allow you to send scores if you have them, others don't want you to send them at all. I took the MAT (Miller Analogy Test - an alternative graduate entrance exam) for my first masters degree, only because my undergrad GPA wasn't great. So, if the programs you are looking to apply to don't require exam scores, don't take the exam. It's a huge waste of money. The test itself is expensive and sending your scores costs money after awhile. You can call each school you're interested in and ask if they require the GRE/MAT. If they do require an exam, and they accept the MAT (it's becoming a lot more popular now) and you're not good at math (like me!) take the MAT. It was very easy. That being said, I didn't send my scores to any of the 7 schools I applied to.

 

Another thing to consider is location. Where do you want to live? Do you want to stay in your home state or do you want to leave? Would you be more comfortable paying in-state tuition, or are you okay taking a huge loan for Ivy League tuition and sky high NYC rent? With your GPA, you may not be overly competitive for funding from top 15 schools - which NYU, Columbia, and VCU are, to my knowledge. On the topic of finances, familiarize yourself with the federal loan repayment programs for social workers; specifically income based repayment and the public service loan forgiveness program. Google will give you all of that information.

 

Think about your focus. Do you want to be a clinical social worker or do you want to focus more on macro-based things such as research and policy? Some schools have stronger programs for clinical social workers, while others have stronger macro programs. Do you want to do something a little different in the realm of social work? For instance, Tulane has a certificate program for disaster mental health, and the University of Denver has an animal therapy program. Check out each school's program - some of them have really unique stuff.

 

When it comes time to apply (next fall if you want to go straight from undergrad to grad school), don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Make sure you have a safety school if you are determined to go straight into a graduate program without taking time off. A lot of times, people overshoot and apply to a handful of elite universities without keeping in mind that the admissions process can be extremely arbitrary. Some people firmly believe that they can't get rejected. Don't be one of those people, lol. Put yourself in a position to have options. 

 

In summation, build your resume as much as possible, make connections with professors because you'll need two to write letters of recommendations for you (and the more personal, the better), study hard and get good grades for the duration of undergrad, do a lot of research on schools, and give yourself plenty of time to fill out your applications and hassle those professors for the letters of recommendation. Professors can drag their feet like no other!

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

[Jjjjjbird]

I completely agree with everything lifesaver has said, but I wanted to let you know, acw, that my stats were similar/less than yours and so far I have been accepted to Columbia (with a $2,000 a semester scholarship) and Fordham (no financial aid info yet from Fordham)  (I am still waiting to hear from NYU and Hunter).

 

I went to a small liberal-arts school for undergrad and had a 3.39 gpa at graduation with child development/psychology/French majors. As far as experience in the field, I have, relative to you, very little. I did a little work in high schools throughout college and I am currently volunteering as an SAT tutor in NYC, but that's it! I also did not take the GREs because none of the programs I applied to asked for them.

 

It really sounds like you're on a good track to get an acceptance to the schools you have mentioned...I hope this helped lessen your stress a little! I would definitely continue with the volunteer work (by the way, the work you do at the church seems like it is actually very relevant to the field) and definitely keep your grades up, and I'm sure you'll be fine (and get higher merit scholarships then I did!). Good luck!

[jillchristine]

Hi acw,

 

No worries I think you have a great chance! I've applied to those three schools so I'm able to give you a good idea of what you're looking at. Personally I have a very low GPA, 3.04 (but 2.99 when I applied to the schools). However, I have a ton of volunteer experience/ work experience, etc. I founded and operated a legal non-profit for a few years while in college. You most likely won't have to take the GRE, one of the few perks of the social work field Because of your beginning volunteer experience I would wait to get your applications in until after you have a significant amount of time you can produce for your resume. I personally think December- Jan is a good time (in accordance to application deadlines, of course!). I wish I did that to have an extra semester of grades under my belt-- I was wait listed for VCU because of that very reason but I'm sure I would've gotten in if I waited for a slightly better GPA after Fall 2013 grades. 

 

As for right now-- try not to worry, you have all next year for that! Try to research the schools that you want to apply to and learn about the areas, etc. Personally, I would start working on your personal statement over the summer. However, the 2014 questions may vary from the 2015 application, but probably not much so it's a good start. Start gathering recommenders around mid-September so they have plenty of time. I provided my recommenders with a large envelope full of the information they had to fill out in order of their deadline and pre-stamped and addressed envelopes if mailing. Make sure you make it as easy as possible for them and they'll be more likely to do it quicker (you can start this over the summer!). And again, have all of your applications in no later than January 1st (or earlier if the deadline is earlier). I thought the earlier I got mine it it would give me a larger chance of acceptance but it would have been more helpful if I would've waited and added more experience and went in with a better GPA. Don't forget a thank you card and/ or gift for your recommenders around November/ December. 

 

If you can get an internship over the summer I would recommend that, just do whatever you can do gain more experience.. that's huge in this field (I was a Psych/ Soc major). So far I've gotten into Pitt, Columbia, Simmons, Loyola and wait listed from VCU. I have yet to hear from Sarah Lawrence and NYU. I think you have a great chance and you'll definitely get in somewhere! Also, I filled out 10 applications and it was more than the amount of classwork I had so make sure you have plenty of time to devote to it to not overwhelm yourself. If you have not taken statistics I would take that next year as well since most colleges will require this. Just give yourself plenty of options and remember more experience, the better. Of course, this is just my advice but it's what I did and I have to say it all went very very smoothly because I gave myself plenty of time. Good luck, you'll do great! 

[KNik]

Honestly, even though it's a pain, I would still take the GRE. Some social work schools i.e UCLA, UC Berkeley, UNC, and UT Austin who are among the best programs in the nation do actually require the GRE for MSW applicants. While there are plenty of schools who don't require it i.e Columbia, NYU, U Mich, ect, I believe there is a big benefit to keeping your options open. The last thing you want is to go to a school that requires a GRE and not be able to provide one. I literally bought a book, studied it, took the test, and managed to do decently. It's just a way to provide yourself with more choices. Lastly, I agree with Lifesaver in terms of definitely apply to a variety of schools. Not just in selectivity, but in price tag. Even with a scholarship, a school like Columbia will easily cost you over $50,000 a year when all the expenses are said and done. Some people are willing to take out those loans, some people aren't. I also might consider adding the University of Pittsburgh to your list. They are an excellent program, and they guarantee admission for anyone who makes their priority acceptance standards which is a 3.3 GPA. It also gives you an academic scholarship and out of state tuition is only $26,000. So if you want to minimize expenses, it's a great choice. In short, there's plenty of ways to get into an MSW program, just try to give yourself a lot of options.

[ssllove]

I agree with a lot posted here but make a list of schools you are interested in first. I did, and none of the schools I wanted to attend required the GRE - so I didn't take it! People told me I should "just in case" but I simply didn't need to. Definitely doesn't hurt to have scores if you're unsure or if your list is longer than mine was, but for me it was silly to spend the money on the fees and prep when I didn't need to. If you're looking into NYU and Columbia, definitely look in to Hunter. It's significantly less expensive, slightly more competitive (interview process), and an excellent program. Columbia is my dream program so I understand shooting for the moon but also be realistic about pricing and financial aid and such, don't pay for a name, especially in this field! Also, it always helps to apply to schools in the area you want to live; you'll make connections and such through your program and field work and those can be difficult to forge if you move elsewhere after graduating. There are going to be people telling you tons of different things, that you need to do this or that... take it all in but remember that there are so many options and pathways, find what works for you. The one pretty much consistent piece of advice I have is to write a killer personal statement that displays your passion and dedication for your work and your understanding and desire to engage social change. Deep, moving life stories can be hit or miss if you aren't careful; sometimes they hint at an inability to separate your personal emotions from your work which is a vital skill in this field.

 

Good luck!! x

Edited March 16, 2014 by ssllove

[acw]

WOW. I was not expecting this many responses!!! Thank you all so much for your help - this has certainly given me a lot to chew on. You all are the best!!! I wish I could send you all chocolate or something. 

[Catlovers141]

Why were you advised to apply to those schools?  I think the schools you apply to depend a lot on where you want to be geographically while you are pursuing your degree, and what you hope to do in the future (macro or micro work, etc.).

 

I disagree with the person who said to take the GRE.  I wouldn't do it automatically.  None of the schools I looked into (which was about 15 until I really narrowed it down) required it, and it is a lot of studying, preparation, and money for something that isn't necessary.  That said, there are some schools that do require or recommend it, in which case you should take it close to the year you are applying (I think GRE scores are good for five years, but the more recent the better).  Schools that require it seem to be in the minority, and the ones who don't require it don't seem to want to see it, so it won't really add anything to your application unless they request it. (Someone else feel free to disagree with me there.)

 

GPA is important, but social work is different from a lot of programs in that it considers the whole person more than scores.  Your personal statement is very important, so spend a lot of thought on this.  It is your chance to show who you are and why you are a good fit for this field, and why the specific university will help you accomplish your goals.  Between now and applying, think about what you are learning from your volunteer and relevant life experiences.  Being introspective in this way will help you when you have to write your personal statements and also help you have more of an internal sense of clarity that this is the right field for you.  The volunteer experiences you have done so far sound great -- if you can stick with them for awhile so you have more years of experience that will do a lot for your application.

 

Ask yourself now, because others will ask you this later in one form or another, what you hope to gain from your career and what you hope to be doing (what populations you would like to work with, etc.), and as you start to consider specific universities how you think studying in that specific program will help you get there and what unique perspective you will bring to them.

 

These are not things you need (or even should) know right now, but they are things to think about, and combined with experience in the field knowing the answers to questions like these can really help you in your applications.

[acw]

My next question is: do I have to take a Biology course as an undergrad? I know some schools require this, but I really don't want to, especially because I know it'll mess with my GPA. I've already taken Intro to Psychology as a Natural Science and someone told me that this might fulfill any biology requirements a program would have...

[Lifesaver]

None of the schools I applied to/looked into had a biology requirement. I vote no, especially if it's going to jack up your GPA.

[paige_elizabeth10]

My next question is: do I have to take a Biology course as an undergrad? I know some schools require this, but I really don't want to, especially because I know it'll mess with my GPA. I've already taken Intro to Psychology as a Natural Science and someone told me that this might fulfill any biology requirements a program would have...

 

I am a first year MSW at UW, and my program does require a course in human biology (as I'm sure other schools do as well). During undergrad, I took intro to Biology, but UW didn't give me credit for it because it wasn't "human oriented enough" (i.e. my course spent too much time talking about plants...). If you're concerned that a Bio course would mess with your GPA, I would go ahead an skip taking it in undergrad. I only say this because there are a ton of online biology classes you can take that schools might accept as credit. With me, since my Bio course wasn't accepted, I took a human anatomy class online over the summer through Texas State University San Marcos (per UW's suggestion) and it was only $150 as opposed to the $350 something UW was asking for the Biology course they offered in the summer. One other piece of advice, often schools will post the pre requisites that are required for their MSW programs. Usually its Biology and Statistics. Hope that helps!

[ontheswpath]

I am a first year MSW at UW, and my program does require a course in human biology (as I'm sure other schools do as well). During undergrad, I took intro to Biology, but UW didn't give me credit for it because it wasn't "human oriented enough" (i.e. my course spent too much time talking about plants...). If you're concerned that a Bio course would mess with your GPA, I would go ahead an skip taking it in undergrad. I only say this because there are a ton of online biology classes you can take that schools might accept as credit. With me, since my Bio course wasn't accepted, I took a human anatomy class online over the summer through Texas State University San Marcos (per UW's suggestion) and it was only $150 as opposed to the $350 something UW was asking for the Biology course they offered in the summer. One other piece of advice, often schools will post the pre requisites that are required for their MSW programs. Usually its Biology and Statistics. Hope that helps!

Hi paige_elizabeth10,

Thanks for posting the information about the online summer class you took. One of the schools I applied to requires a human bio or human anatomy/physiology class as pre-req so it's great to know about online options in case I need it!

[pdwilks]

CSU East Bay has the same requirement for Human Biology. If I'm accepted into the MSW program I will need to take the class over the summer.

Either I will look to an online course or community college course, but I would prefer an online course.

The only thing to say about the different programs is they each seem to have some little "tweak" to the process and no two are identical. UGH.

[Catlovers141]

Two of the schools I applied to had a human biology requirement, but would not deny you admission just because you did not fulfill it.  However, they would make you take it before the end of your first year of grad school.  So you could wait and see if any of the schools you apply to want biology and if so, maybe take it at a community college over the summer so it is not a part of your regular course load?