MSW stat check in - what are you applying with?

[asdghasdghsjdgas]

feeling VERY nervous in this area since i've never been too sure about how much experience looks "impressive" on an MSW application.

 

had a 3.58 undergraduate GPA, no GRE (none of the schools i'm applying to require it), 2 years doing peer facilitation/event coordinating for the campus gender and sexuality center, about 6-8 months of grassroots/political organizing experience, and some smattering of volunteer experience at the regional domestic & sexual violence shelter (hotline/house staff). i also have a LOR from a social work professor that i worked closely with/studied under, my supervisor at the gender and sexuality center, and a professor from my undergrad major (which was theatre & dance). my personal statement revolves around my research interests, which focus on domestic & sexual violence in transgender communities

 

since i have little experience with the graduate school process, i'm not terribly sure where my credentials land in the bell curve, but i hope i get accepted somewhere!! 

[zenkat]

My stats aren't exceptional. Graduated in 2009 with a BA in Women's Studies, 3.4 GPA, earned an achievement scholarship, departmental honors and a research grant. Did not take the GRE, did not need it. Worked in retail for 10 years before getting a full time job in the human services sector a little over a year ago. I only applied for Michigan State University, which has a great program but isn't as competitive as some of the big name schools, so hopefully I have a good shot! If not, there is always next year. Best of luck to my fellow applicants, I am so impressed by your stories and honored to be swimming in the applicant pool with all of you, haha. : )

[Cali_Coast]

I think my applications are pretty strong overall but here's what I'm applying with:

 

GPA 3.83 BA in Sociology and History

 

None of the schools I applied for asked for the GRE

 

Social Service Experience:

 

7 months volunteering at a family shelter 4 hours a week

6 months volunteering at an AIDS organization

11 months interning with a local organization specializing in housing homeless individuals

3 months (current job) working with homeless and disabled veterans

TBI and TIC training/certification

 

LOR:

 

2 of them are from professors. Both were very strong and more detailed than I ever imagined them to be. The fact that they talked about academics as well as personality traits I think is a plus. My third LOR came from my direct supervisor during my internship.

 

SOP:

 

I feel pretty good about it. Had it proofread by a professor who has their master in English Lit, as well as two Sociology professors, one of which has served on committees for graduate admissions

[ctb11]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm an undergrad at Santa Clara with a 3.5 GPA (as of end of junior year)

 

Psychology major, sociology and Spanish minors

 

4 months experience working as group facilitator for 9 week job search mentorship program for disadvantaged women

 

Nanny for 9 months, worked extensively on homework and improving reading with child

 

5 months experience as program intern for nonprofit that assists disadvantaged women with career services (turned into group facilitator position)

 

Camp counselor for 5 year olds for one summer at day camp

 

Social media/outreach volunteer at mental health agency

 

Volunteer intern at local nonprofit in Buenos Aires while studying abroad there for a semester.  Set up art workshops in public children's hospitals and assisted families in times of crisis

 

4 months experience as volunteer at non profit that assists people with diagnosed psych. disorders with career services and finding work 

 

Nervous about my experience being related enough! And coming right out of undergrad...

[JohnWK]

Hello everyone! I sent in 2/3 applications so far, working on my last one (hoping to turn it in by late January). I'm currently freaking out and losing sleep while waiting for responses back from the two schools... Can anyone give me feedback as to whether or not I would be considered a "competitive" applicant? Thanks!

 

 

GPA (jr/sr): 3.63

 

EXPERIENCE

 

University of California

January 2014 - Present (11 months), 3 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Veteran’s Treatment Court

 

Residential Facility for Adults with disabilities

September 2013 - Present (15 months), 21 hrs/week -- including shift covers

Direct Support Professional

 

County Special Education Area

July 2013 - Present (18 months), 18 hrs/week

Mental Health Clerk

 

University of California

July 2013 - Present (18 months), 4 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Counseling and Clinical Psychology

 

San Martes Assisted Living

July 2013 - September 2013 (3 months), 15 hrs/week

Supported Living Services for adults with developmental disabilities

 

 

Child Abuse Recovery Point 

July 2013 - October 2013 (4 months), 5 hrs/week

Tutor and Child Care Provider

 

 

University of California

March 2013 - December 2013 (10 months), 16 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Vision and Image Understanding Lab

 

 

Friendship Day Center

September 2012 - December 2012 (4 months), 10 hrs/week

Intern for Adult Day Care Services

 

 

Brain Injury Support Center

April 2012 - September 2012 (6 months), 20 hrs/week

Volunteer

 

 

LORs: one professor, two superviors (marks/ratings ranging from average, above average, and excellent)
Personal Statement: pretty solid, I'd like to believe
 

Edited December 22, 2014 by JWK

[Read_books]

 

Hello everyone! I sent in 2/3 applications so far, working on my last one (hoping to turn it in by late January). I'm currently freaking out and losing sleep while waiting for responses back from the two schools... Can anyone give me feedback as to whether or not I would be considered a "competitive" applicant? Thanks!

 

 

GPA (jr/sr): 3.63

 

EXPERIENCE

 

University of California

January 2014 - Present (11 months), 3 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Veteran’s Treatment Court

 

Residential Facility for Adults with disabilities

September 2013 - Present (15 months), 21 hrs/week -- including shift covers

Direct Support Professional

 

County Special Education Area

July 2013 - Present (18 months), 18 hrs/week

Mental Health Clerk

 

University of California

July 2013 - Present (18 months), 4 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Counseling and Clinical Psychology

 

San Martes Assisted Living

July 2013 - September 2013 (3 months), 15 hrs/week

Supported Living Services for adults with developmental disabilities

 

 

Child Abuse Recovery Point 

July 2013 - October 2013 (4 months), 5 hrs/week

Tutor and Child Care Provider

 

 

University of California

March 2013 - December 2013 (10 months), 16 hrs/week

Research Assistant, Vision and Image Understanding Lab

 

 

Friendship Day Center

September 2012 - December 2012 (4 months), 10 hrs/week

Intern for Adult Day Care Services

 

 

Brain Injury Support Center

April 2012 - September 2012 (6 months), 20 hrs/week

Volunteer

 

 

LORs: one professor, two superviors (marks/ratings ranging from average, above average, and excellent)

Personal Statement: pretty solid, I'd like to believe

 

 

 

Yeah you are a very competitive applicant.

 

Not sure where you are applying, but I can't think of too many schools where you wouldn't be very competitive. 

[JohnWK]

Yeah you are a very competitive applicant.

 

Not sure where you are applying, but I can't think of too many schools where you wouldn't be very competitive. 

 

 

Thanks! I'm applying to a few of the Cal State MSW programs. I guess I'm just paranoid because a lot of the applicants I talked to have 4+ years of direct social work experience, and I just have experience in "related fields". 

[Sh!zaam]

UG major: Psychology

UC UG GPA : 3.15

CC UG GPA: 3.67

Overall = 3.4

Last 60/90 units = 3.2

Applying to SDSU and CSUF. Top choice SDSU.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Sh!zaam

[niffler]

UG Major: Social Science w/ emphasis in Sociology

Overall GPA: 3.16 (when I applied it was 3.08)

Last 60 GPA: 4.0

 

No GRE - Not needed

 

Experience: 2 years as a correctional officer and 600+ hours volunteering as a sexual assault victim advocate and attending SART exams

 

Hopefully strong LORs from a sociology professor who always gave me extremely positive feedback, a professor I took 3 grad-level career counseling courses with, and my volunteer supervisor who seemed very positive about writing my letter.

 

When I applied I was very confident. I only applied to one school (a Cal State). It has rolling admissions and it's been 7 weeks since I applied and I haven't heard anything. I'm starting to doubt everything about my application and my qualifications and I deeply regret that I didn't apply to a few more schools.  

[socialworkette]

Hi all. I've applied to the Columbia full time MSW program for fall 2015 entry and I'm in the process of applying to Simmons and BC (part time program)….Columbia is my top choice though. The forum has been pretty quiet concerning applicants for Columbia for this round of apps so I don't really know where I stand….my GPA isn't fantastic but I think I have a good amount of experience…and even though I was an UG psych major my transcript shows I've been heavily involved in the SW department since my freshman year and I got all A's and one B+ in my SW coursework...

 

Academics:

-Graduated with a BA in Psych from a upstate NY liberal arts college May 2014

-UG Major: Psychology with like 22 credits in the Social Work department (they called me the honorary social work student because I was always there…)

-Overall GPA: 3.29

 

-No GRE

 

Work Experience:

 

May 2014-present 

Full time Case Manager for homeless and at risk homeless veterans at very large and well known veterans organization (supervised by a PhD) 40 hrs/week

-promote housing stability throughout central MA area

-conduct client needs assessments 

-coordinate care with other organizations/services

-collect and input data to Homeless Management Information System

-member of 2 committees (executive committee and vehicle donation committee)

-recently put on a special team of 5 CMs administering a special 3 million dollar grant from the VA for our Priority 1 designated catchment area

(In my full time job right now I've acquired about 1,500 hours of direct service experience)

 

Sept 2014-May 2014 (9 mos)

Intern at a Veteran's organization in upstate NY (supervised by a MA) (4-5 hrs/week)

-Conducted meetings focusing on issues of sobriety

-Conducted intakes of new clients

-Volunteered at community events

-Spearheaded the updating of the organization's website and FB page

 

January 2012-May 2014 (2 years 5 mos) (10 hrs/week)

Payroll assistant at college Financial Services Office

 

Volunteer Experience:

Counselor for elder client at local Senior Center (4 mos)

 

Program volunteer for a college-experience program for individuals with developmental disabilities (4 mos)

 

Program volunteer for a art therapy program for individuals with developmental disabilities (4 mos)

 

Language skills:

Intermediate German

Intermediate Mandarin

Intermediate French

 

Other:

Rode on a D1 equestrian team throughout college, went to National Championships

 

LORS:

-Very strong one from my favorite UG Social Work professor (PhD + Department chair) Took half of my SW credits with her so she really knows me and my abilities/style and she was also my faculty internship supervisor

-Very strong one from my internship supervisor at the veteran's organization in upstate NY

-I'd say a pretty strong one from my current supervisor at my full time job (have never read her professional writing really, so I'm guessing...)

 

Essays:

I'd say they're pretty good. Drafted them what seemed to be a million times, had people look over/edit them, felt good about them. 

[kurkz]

I am a little scared about hearing back from any school...so many are competitive! I have a 3.3 GPA with a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies. I was a memeber of Chi Omega Sorority and the womens honor society. I worked as a research assitant at our psychology department, an intern at the womens center, a vounteer for our womens activist committee, a volunteer for Make-A-Wish, Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer, and volunteer educator at Irish Feminist Network while studying abroad! After graduation, I have worked as a junior case manager with troubled female adolescents, a case manager for a rehabilitation center, a case manager for troubled youth, and FINALLY, I currently work as an advocate for the State of New York Protection and Advocacy System for the disabled, representative payee reviewer for Social Security Administration throughout the State of New York (part-time), site-manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters (part-time), and I volunteer as a staff member for Make-A-Wish Foundation! I am also in the process of publication  “A Guide for Tranisition and Assistive Technology into Vocational Rehabilitation”! I am hoping I have a chance of being admitted anywhere! If not, maybe that is not where my path was suppose to lead