MSW experience, which to apply to?

[Yellowsun]

Hi I come from the sunny state of Arizona 

 

I am really torn, because I received my undergrad degree from ASU and was not wholeheartedly impressed. It seems they let almost anyone in--though there were some smarties too! I am not sure where to apply to for my MSW, here is my dilemma: My family is here, but I am somewhat tired of Phoenix. I would consider moving to other cities in AZ, but part of me feels it is time to experience new things/places. I have a low GPA, but it is over a 3.0. I would like to live in a city or mid-large sized town. I would hope to be driving distance to AZ, because family ties are important to me. Can anyone with an MSW experience with ASU or nearby colleges (West/Northwest) share their experiences? I am very interested in how inspiring the professors are and what the field placement experience was like. 

[BunnyMeadows]

Hi,

I recently found out that ASU may offer a part-time (3 year) MSW program in Flagstaff. At least the climate and scenery is different than PHX.

 

As far as I know, there are NO other MSW programs in AZ.

 

I live in CA, and I believe you may qualify for the Western Graduate Regional program (Think that's the name). It would allow you to go to a number of Western schools for close to in-state tuition. But you have to apply for that separately.

 

There are a ton of MSW programs in CA - you might want to consider it. And I think University of Denver...or U of CO in Denver has an excellent program.

 

Good luck.

[amers]

Don't know much about Arizona myself, but here's a link to all the accredited programs, you can filter by state so it might be helpful to find something close to you!

 

http://www.cswe.org/default.aspx?id=17491

[Deez]

Go out of state and experience life! Come to Cali

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

ASU has a mission to not be elitist with its admissions. It is an interesting model, especially when it has high standings for preparing graduates for the job market. If you have Wanderlust, branch out. ASU will make a great safety school. Benefits of ASU include the opportunity to choose different specializations, more choice in classes, and you have all of the metro area to select internships from. 

 

I know a bit about Colorado. I was not impressed with University of Denver.  Very expensive, even with the scholarships. It is still worth checking out if there is a specialty there that you are interested in studying. University of Colorado does not have an MSW program. Colorado State has a very small program, no options on what classes you will take. I believe they only admit 20 some students at a time, with a strange distance learning schedule for working students. Students have to find their own internships, no assistance from an internship coordinator other than a listing of internships that past students had completed.  Metro State in Denver is a new MSW program that I do not know much about.  Metro State was a community college that transitioned to a public university and is emphasizing professional program. Worth checking, will likely be the cheapest of the Colorado schools. 

 

As far as WGRP schools: 

 

MSW, University of Alaska, Anchorage 

MSW and PhD, Arizona State University 

PhD, University of Utah Social Work

MSW, University of Wyoming

MSW and PhD, Colorado State University (Rural Social Work)

MSW, EWU (Rural Social Work)

[Yellowsun]

Thank you for the insight in CO schools, as well as the general encouragement from others.

[sunnyskies13]

Go somewhere different! I moved to a different state. Yes you get homesick, but it is a fun experience! If you really hate the state you only have to stay out there the length of the program anyways. 

[pippapants]

Eh, I guess I have a different perspective.  I'd stay in-state, rather than spending the money to move and paying out-of-state tuition for what will most likely be an equivalent education.  You'll thank yourself later.  It's very easy to get caught up in the idea that, "Hey, loans will cover it! I'll pay them back later or get them forgiven!" but the reality is that loans can really negatively affect your financial future (e.g., if you ever want to apply for a mortgage, your debt-to-income ratio will be a large factor)  There is also no guarantee that you'll get them forgiven; no loan forgiveness program is guaranteed and can be canceled at any time.  I know folks who have banked on this and ended up screwed.

Additionally, you'll be better off in a program that is near where you'll eventually want to settle.  If you have an inkling that you will want to return to Arizona because of your family, go to school in Arizona, because your field education will allow you to network and build a positive reputation at agencies, especially if you become involved in NASW or attend conferences.  Recommendations from your professors will also bear more weight when they also have an established reputation in the surrounding community.  Personally, I think it's a mistake to move somewhere for school if you know you won't settle near there and will need to move elsewhere afterward.

Just my two cents.

[morlvera]

4 hours ago, pippapants said:

There is also no guarantee that you'll get them forgiven; no loan forgiveness program is guaranteed and can be canceled at any time.  I know folks who have banked on this and ended up screwed.

 

I'm curious about this bit. In what way were they screwed?

[pippapants]

4 hours ago, morlvera said:

I'm curious about this bit. In what way were they screwed?

Two people I know have tried to do loan forgiveness, in different fields. When I say "screwed," what I mean is that they took out loans with the expectation of doing loan forgiveness, which hasn't worked out.  So now they are stuck with six-figure debt and income-based repayment (which has its own pitfalls).

• A guy moved to an "under-served" area (meaning that it was designated as under-served by the terms of the program) to provide services there. Bought a house, his wife got a job, they had a child, they established themselves in the community. Like, two years into the program, another person in his field moved nearby, and the community no longer qualified as "under-served," and he was SOL.  He would have had to move to another "under-served" area continue his program.  But, again, they'd already bought a house.  He gave up on it and is doing income-base repayment (IBR), instead, over the long term and hoping he can pay the principle down before 20 years is up.
• A woman I know got into one of those "10 years at a non-profit" loan forgiveness programs.  Unfortunately, the salaries she has been offered have been so low that she's struggled to make her payments (if you miss a payment, you'll get kicked out of the program) and make rent.  She's changed jobs and moved a couple times, has always had trouble finding a job that qualifies for the program.  She was really unhappy living the way she was living, and she's given up, too.

And ALL loan forgiveness programs, as far as I can tell, come with fine print that says the program can be canceled at any time (if the government decides to de-fund it).  So it's not as simple as people think it is.

We're doing IBR (on mine and my husbands), but, as I said before, there's a catch.  You have to pay taxes on the amount that remains after 10-20 years, which can be a significant sum.  So if you take out a bunch of loans and don't make enough money to significantly pay down the principle, you can get stuck with a huge tax bill (tens of thousands of dollars).  You can actually end up having more left to be forgiven than you take out, because of interest.

In other words, you're way, way better off if you can take out less in loans.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2015/01/12/the-dangers-of-student-loan-forgiveness/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/your-money/for-student-borrowers-a-tax-time-bomb.html?_r=0

Edited December 10, 2015 by pippapants

[morlvera]

Thanks for sharing those experiences!

I've already been accepted into a program, but I'm waiting on the scholarship information for the MSW portion. I know I'll have to pay everything completely out of pocket for the year where I'm primarily doing the MPH. I definitely don't want to take out too much in student loans so I'm already trying to figure out options for lessening my financial pain in the long run.

[pippapants]

2 hours ago, morlvera said:

Thanks for sharing those experiences!

I've already been accepted into a program, but I'm waiting on the scholarship information for the MSW portion. I know I'll have to pay everything completely out of pocket for the year where I'm primarily doing the MPH. I definitely don't want to take out too much in student loans so I'm already trying to figure out options for lessening my financial pain in the long run.

That's a good plan.  Lenders don't do a good job of making students aware of their financial obligations when they take out the loans, and as a student, you're just not thinking about it because it's not relevant at that point.  It can be an unwelcome surprise when you graduate and start looking at repayment options, crunching the numbers, etc.

We're in a bad place with my husband's loans from vet school (our debt to income ratio is atrocious, as vets have similar debt to medical doctors but make significantly, significantly less).  It's a constant source of stress knowing that we may get stuck with tax bill upwards of $$30,000 when his loans are forgiven if his salary doesn't significantly increase to the point that we can gain some traction and pay down his loans in the next 20 years.  We need to start saving for that eventuality now, but we're struggling already with life's other demands.  To be honest, we're hoping that there is some sort of student loan reform before that bill comes due. Not a great plan.

I applied for and accepted a position as a GA/TA my second year in the MSW program, which paid my tuition and gave me a stipend.  It added to my stress, but I have half the loans other people did.  If you have that option, I highly recommend it.

[Yellowsun]

I have been inactive, but have come to wonder about the answer to this question as I'm ready to pursue my MSW now, and wasn't then.  I thank everyone for their two cents. I wish there was more feedback on specific schools. It seemed like there are a lot of great programs academically and field placements are the main struggle.