Fall 2016 Applicants

[UMichHopeful93]

Anyone receive acceptances yet? I know early to mid-December is the start of notifications for early applications for some schools. 

[flip456]

2 hours ago, UMichHopeful93 said:

Anyone receive acceptances yet? I know early to mid-December is the start of notifications for early applications for some schools. 

I was accepted to Penn two weeks ago! Yay!

[morlvera]

I got my Pitt acceptance a few days ago. Pennsylvania schools moving fast!

As people start to get decisions, don't forget to add them to GradCafe's admission results section. Previous years results can give you a decent idea of when you might here back from various programs. I figure I might as well pay it forward to the next generation of neurotic email checkers.

[Joy418]

I got Pitt acceptance today Which was pretty anticlimactic. Does anyone know if other schools (like WashU, Michigan, Boston College, Case Western, U Chicago) let you know scholarship with acceptance? It's a bummer to have to wait for scholarship info from Pittsburgh until February.

[UMichHopeful93]

On 12/12/2015 at 6:03 PM, Joy418 said:

I got Pitt acceptance today Which was pretty anticlimactic. Does anyone know if other schools (like WashU, Michigan, Boston College, Case Western, U Chicago) let you know scholarship with acceptance? It's a bummer to have to wait for scholarship info from Pittsburgh until February.

I know schools like Penn usually notify you of scholarships, but I'm pretty sure this early in the game most schools wait until spring to send out financial aid info. I totally get the anticlimactic part, because the funding is how I'm going to decide if I'm even going to pursue the degree! 

[flip456]

On December 12, 2015 at 4:03 PM, Joy418 said:

I got Pitt acceptance today Which was pretty anticlimactic. Does anyone know if other schools (like WashU, Michigan, Boston College, Case Western, U Chicago) let you know scholarship with acceptance? It's a bummer to have to wait for scholarship info from Pittsburgh until February.

I believe that most programs tell you what funding you will get along with your acceptance

[anothercoffeeplease]

Hi all! I just submitted my application a few minutes ago and now I kind of feel like vomiting. 

Quick question: I took the GRE on 11/7 and, while still at the computer terminal, selected the option for ETS to immediately report my scores as soon as they were ready. When I submitted my application just now the portal says my GRE scores haven't been received.

Could it be that the system needs to match my scores with my application and update? Do I pay $27 and submit them again or contact ETS tomorrow? Do I contact the school tomorrow and ask for guidance? Today was the priority deadline for scholarship consideration, so I am eager to have everything d-o-n-e.

Never mind! Just got a confirmation from the school saying it takes a few days to match scores to apps. 

Eeeeeek!!! Now time to freak out every time I receive a new email. Good luck to all!

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by anothercoffeeplease

[pippapants]

1 hour ago, anothercoffeeplease said:

Hi all! I just submitted my application a few minutes ago and now I kind of feel like vomiting. 

Quick question: I took the GRE on 11/7 and, while still at the computer terminal, selected the option for ETS to immediately report my scores as soon as they were ready. When I submitted my application just now the portal says my GRE scores haven't been received.

Could it be that the system needs to match my scores with my application and update? Do I pay $27 and submit them again or contact ETS tomorrow? Do I contact the school tomorrow and ask for guidance? Today was the priority deadline for scholarship consideration, so I am eager to have everything d-o-n-e.

Never mind! Just got a confirmation from the school saying it takes a few days to match scores to apps. 

Eeeeeek!!! Now time to freak out every time I receive a new email. Good luck to all!

 

Not to add to your stress, but I would follow up with that school.  My GRE scores got lost last year when I applied to PhD programs.  One of the schools I applied to never received them, despite the fact that I had chosen the option to send them directly after the exam.  It was a mess.

[anony2888]

How's everyone doing? 

My applications are all submitted.  Final count: five, including SDSU, UCLA, WUSTL, Berkeley, and University of Michigan with some being dual degree with MPH and some MSW only.  I am so happy to be done with this process. It's a massive amount of work with a demanding, full time job.  My numbers are below average, but everything else is above average.  I'm not counting on anything, but I am cautiously optimistic.

[RCtheSS]

I've totally slacked on the MSW applications, but I'm happy to have submitted all but two of my MPP apps.

Once I solidified my SOP, it was much easier to get through the MPP apps. On the MSW side, I still need to draft my "Social Problem" responses. My last full day at work is Friday and I'll be spending two weeks away for the holidays, so I intend to use my down time either writing or playing on the beach with my dog!

Edited December 16, 2015 by RCtheSS

[anothercoffeeplease]

21 hours ago, pippapants said:

Not to add to your stress, but I would follow up with that school.  My GRE scores got lost last year when I applied to PhD programs.  One of the schools I applied to never received them, despite the fact that I had chosen the option to send them directly after the exam.  It was a mess.

I will definitely follow up tomorrow and resend. I'd hate to miss out due to ETS not having their act together. So sorry that happened to you!

[pippapants]

2 hours ago, anothercoffeeplease said:

I will definitely follow up tomorrow and resend. I'd hate to miss out due to ETS not having their act together. So sorry that happened to you!

Let me clarify... ETS didn't fail to send them to the graduate school, the graduate school at the university failed to forward them to the PhD program.  They were just sitting at the grad school, and in the mean time, the PhD program coordinator threatened me, saying that my application was incomplete and I would be rejected.  I had to provide proof that I'd had them sent for the PC to get off her butt and track them down.  In the mean time, the director of the program apologized to me for the PC's rudeness, told me it was fine, then offered me admission with four years of funding.  I went elsewhere, though.

[flip456]

I'm done as well!

Mine are all MSW only: U of Chicago, UIC, WashU, UCSD, Penn, U of Toronto

I already heard from Penn and got an email from U of Chicago saying that my application is now under review! It's happening!

I already thanked my references and have committed in my mind to being finished... but I keep itching to apply to more! I won't do it though. It's just so tempting. 

[morlvera]

1 hour ago, flip456 said:

I already thanked my references and have committed in my mind to being finished... but I keep itching to apply to more! I won't do it though. It's just so tempting. 

I know this feeling because I've only applied to 1 school at this point. It's tempered by my work on scholarship applications, though. No more essays!

[RCtheSS]

Are you all sending gifts to your letter writers? I want to write out thank you cards at least, but I can't think of an appropriate gift to send along with them...perhaps chocolate.

[morlvera]

I gave thank you cards and Starbucks gift cards because they're all addicts. Nothing extravagant because I'll be poor soon. The gift cards were much appreciated, but definitely not necessary. They all said they were just happy to help me out. 

Edited December 17, 2015 by morlvera

[jclay005]

I am applying to 5 schools! SDSU, CSU Northridge, CSU Long Beach, CSU San Marcos & CSU Stanislaus. I have submitted SDSU & Northridge already.

I was thinking of sending the thank you cards to my references in the spring when I decide on that school that I am going to or is that too long for a formal thank you?

[RCtheSS]

I think that could work. I know I've thanked all my letter writers at least 5 times in person or via email since I first asked them, so it's not as if they already don't know how much I appreciate their support.

[flip456]

morlvera I did the same thing, sent a thank you note and a starbucks gift card. I've read that professors always say a thank you note it more than enough. 

[kargigogo]

On 12/4/2015 at 8:52 PM, UMichHopeful93 said:

Anyone receive acceptances yet? I know early to mid-December is the start of notifications for early applications for some schools. 

I got accepted to Pitt this week. It only took a bit over a week to hear back - I was shocked it was so fast! I wasn't expecting to hear anything until January at the earliest!

[Joy418]

On 12/14/2015 at 1:26 PM, flip456 said:

I believe that most programs tell you what funding you will get along with your acceptance

Pittsburgh doesn't let you know scholarship until February! But I do think the others let you know along with acceptance.

[fenetian]

Not sure how many of you are applying to University of Illinois-Chicago's MSW program, but I recommend checking your status on the admissions login page. One of the documents I submitted (a fillable PDF) was deemed "illegible" but I never received any notification until I noticed a small note on the admissions site asking me to resubmit it.

Hope everyone else is having a smooth application experience!

 

[anothercoffeeplease]

On 12/4/2015 at 3:53 PM, morlvera said:

I got my Pitt acceptance a few days ago. Pennsylvania schools moving fast!

As people start to get decisions, don't forget to add them to GradCafe's admission results section. Previous years results can give you a decent idea of when you might here back from various programs. I figure I might as well pay it forward to the next generation of neurotic email checkers.

Is it possible to access admission results from previous application cycles?

[flip456]

On December 28, 2015 at 0:39 PM, fenetian said:

Not sure how many of you are applying to University of Illinois-Chicago's MSW program, but I recommend checking your status on the admissions login page. One of the documents I submitted (a fillable PDF) was deemed "illegible" but I never received any notification until I noticed a small note on the admissions site asking me to resubmit it.

Hope everyone else is having a smooth application experience!

 

fenetian, I am applying there as well I will need to check that out. Mine has been marked verified correct for all but two items. I have had everything in for about 2 months yet they still aren't marked verified correct. It's a bit frustrating because they say that you will hear an answer about 8 weeks after everything is marked verified correct. 

[DannyLee]

Heard it Through the Grapevine

 

1. Pittsburgh
   1. sends scholarship information early February
   2. You can email to extend acceptance/deny deadline
2. Washington University in St. Louis
   1. will let you know in late January if you got it in given you had all your materials in by Nov. 15th!
   2. Some of the earlier schools in sending admissions decisions
3. UW-Seattle's MSW program
   1. APPLY for their Scholarships/Research Assistantships/Graduate Assistantships NOW!!! I know it's weird to apply for money even though you don't know whether or not you got in yet, but their deadlines are before some of the dates of admittance!

Greatest Advice: Don't panic. If you read this forum all the way through, you will find that there is a great range of acceptance, deferrals, and denials making it hard to predict whether or not you will get in anywhere. Someone who got into UChicago (Tied for #1 ranking) did not get into WashU-St. Louis (Tied for #1 ranking) so just because you did not get accepted into Pittsburgh, or Boston, or Michigan, or Seattle does not mean you wouldn't get accepted into another fantastic school.