USC MSW admissions/Those who are applying or were accepted before?

[MSWhopefulCT]

Thanks for all the great info @kurkz!

 

Anyone else still waiting on a decision? I called the office last week to make sure my transcripts were through after the posts on here about wrong addresses (mine aren't lost, thank god).  I also asked how long I should expect and they said 2-4 months!  Seems so late to me, hopefully they're just overestimating.

 

They told me 2-4 months in an email and I heard back within a week. Everything overall took about 6 weeks.

[ctb11]

They told me 2-4 months in an email and I heard back within a week. Everything overall took about 6 weeks.

Thanks for letting me know, hopefully that will be the case for me too. That puts me on schedule to hear back around next week

[alex bo balex]

Just a heads up for current and future applicants: the transcript saga continues. I received another notice that my transcripts hadn't been received. When I wrote back letting them know I'd sent my transcripts in January to the address on the FAQ page, I was told that the address wasn't a problem (which isn't true--the address was incorrect, and has since been updated on the FAQ page.) The person who emailed also scolded me, saying that I shouldn't have sent the transcripts before submitting my application and receiving my USC ID, and that the transcript instructions are "clearly stated on the website." So: out of curiosity, can any of you confirm seeing these instructions? I just checked the Application Process page and FAQ again, and don't see anything about waiting to submit the transcripts until after receiving the ID. 

 

In any event, this interaction only re-confirms my decision to not go to USC. : P  For anyone applying in the future, I'm going to say that it's probably in your best interest to contact the admissions office well in advance to double check the application instructions and addresses, just to save yourself some grief. 

[dreamcatcher725]

alex bo balex,

 

I sent my transcripts well before I finished my application. I had originally sent them to that wrong address they had on the MSW FAQ, and they were returned to me as 'non-deliverable." this gave me ample time to figure out what went wrong and re-submit to the other address. I have no knowledge about not sending your transcripts before sending the application. I did that and all was well. so that information seems false (that person also sounded like they were having a bad day; nothing for you to take personally). if you do see these as signs for you not to continue on, fair enough. but don't talk yourself out of it unless you're sure. sometimes the effort is worth it good luck!!

[dreamcatcher725]

MSWHopefulCT,

 

Have you decided between USC and NYU? or are you waiting for another school?

I'm so torn whether or not to move to the east coast (I love about 30 mins away from USC as it stands). Both are great, I don't know how I'm supposed to decide!

[alex bo balex]

Hey dreamcatcher, thanks for the info--that's good to know, and confirms what I suspected.

 

I'd say the email I received today was more unprofessional than anything else, and left me unimpressed. But, all's well. I was accepted to my first choice in February, so this transcript situation has largely been an unexpected nuisance. It would have been nice if the application time/money hadn't gone to waste....but all the same, I'm not willing to pay for a new batch of transcripts to compensate for their error, just so I can get closure.  

 

In any event, I hope my experience will be useful to applicants during the next cycle. Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back!

[lovinMSW]

@alex bo balex, I also had the same problem with USC. it has delayed my application process.The place is unorganized (admissions), as past people have mentioned. I did finally get someone to pull out my file and look through every item I turned in and they discovered the missing transcripts had been misplaced.the msw department has been extremely helpful with helping me out with this issue and processing my application for review.

Don't become discouraged by this experience, USC is a great school and has a good program. I would stry to speak to a supervisor in the admissions office that's what I did and they found my transcripts.

Good luck!

[kurkz]

DreamCatcher-

I live in New York. Do you like the freezing cold (-35 at times with the windchill)?? You cannot have a car in NYC and the trains do not go far enough to take you to mountains or large bodies of water. You are trapped. Trapped in a brick city where it is either too hot to stand in the underground (130+) or too cold to walk outside of your apartment. Sorry for my negativity toward NYC but honestly, I do not understand why anyone would choose to live there?! You never see the light of day because you are trapped under the city! Also, I know of multiple people who are completing their MSW's currently at they are expressing that they cannot find jobs in the field within NYC. A lot of them a having to move to Upstate New York to work for the state or outside of the city. The problem with this is that you already don't have a car from living in the city and now you somehow have to move out of NYC?? Sounds crazy if you ask me..... just my opinion!

[dreamcatcher725]

kurkz- sounds like you need an escape real bad with so many negative remarks about where you're from! USC is going to be a great place for you. having lived in LA my entire life, I just don't see the appeal. I could point out 50 negative things, but that won't change the place. It'll just make it worse in my mind. I've wanted to live in NY since I was 13, so I guess I'm jumping at the thought of crossing that off my bucket list. you never know, I may end up as one of those crazy people who love it there seems to be a bunch of those around. plus my best friend is going with me, so it's definitely going to be an adventure. different strokes for different folks, as they say. good luck to you

[iamhanam]

I agree with dreamcatcher725, different strokes for different folks. I was born and raised in LA, I actually live right off of the 110 closer to Pasadena. So I grew up around USC, but I decided to do my undergrad as far away possible. So I ended up in Northern California (Humboldt State), far north, my school is actually 2 hours away from the Oregon border. However, its going to be nice to back home for a bit and among friends/family. Living away from home, has definitely taught me to appreciate certain aspects of it, but I can also understand the calling of living somewhere else.

[kurkz]

Thank you for your input! I actually have decided to also not attend USC. I am actually not attending school at all this coming year. I have decided that I fell in love with LA more than the school. After doing A LOT of research I saw a lot of problems with USC that I honestly cannot bring myself to put money into. I have had a lot of negative feedback from the current student body of my dream to pursue women's rights. I find it interesting at USC that they state that it is "not very social work like" to promote one sex....when all of their caucuses are based in racial background and sexual orientation.....besides one, which has a global focus. Going into a school and having to fight with the student body to prove my passion and the need for women's right's activism just is not worth it when I am going to school to flourish this path of life. I am moving to LA in the fall due to the amount of activism, grassroots organizations, and growth potential for my own self. It took me a long time to reach this decision but in the end, I cannot put that amount of money toward a school that is surrounded by poverty and continues to live in a dream world that is surrounded by gates. We are going to school for social work to fight against discrimination and against institutions that place barriers on others, when clearly USC has a major factor of discrimination and seclusion. Good luck to all  

[alex bo balex]

 It took me a long time to reach this decision but in the end, I cannot put that amount of money toward a school that is surrounded by poverty and continues to live in a dream world that is surrounded by gates. We are going to school for social work to fight against discrimination and against institutions that place barriers on others, when clearly USC has a major factor of discrimination and seclusion. 

 

That also affected my decision re: USC, so I completely understand. Additionally, I couldn't get my head around the idea that they charge so much to complete a social work degree, which seems extremely at odds with the values of the field. So glad to hear that you love LA, though! I'm excited about it for all the reasons you mentioned, too. 

[kurkz]

That also affected my decision re: USC, so I completely understand. Additionally, I couldn't get my head around the idea that they charge so much to complete a social work degree, which seems extremely at odds with the values of the field. So glad to hear that you love LA, though! I'm excited about it for all the reasons you mentioned, too.

Are you moving to LA?? What for??

[alex bo balex]

I am! I'll actually be starting my MSW at CSULA in the fall. My areas of interest are women's rights and homelessness, so it's entirely possible we'll cross paths once I'm out there!