Fall 2016 Applicants

[tudor3x8]

Has anyone heard back from Columbia? When I last emailed them, they expected decisions soon this month. One of my good friends was just accepted to their MPH program, so I'm hoping our decisions are just behind her?

[Opt4theBest]

They mentioned that they are aiming to release the decisions by mid month. So maybe early next week?

[morningjunky]

1 hour ago, tudor3x8 said:

Has anyone heard back from Columbia? When I last emailed them, they expected decisions soon this month. One of my good friends was just accepted to their MPH program, so I'm hoping our decisions are just behind her?

Yes, they will render a decision by 3/1, but hopefully a bit earlier. I've already heard back from 4 schools and am now just waiting on 3. I'm waiting on Columbia as well, but I don't think I'll attend either way based on their lack of funding and scholarships in comparison to other schools. It's probably possible to get a graduate assistantship second year since they are a research heavy school to pay for tuition in the form of a tuition waiver or something, but the first year alone with tuition, living expenses and fees are in excess of $69K! Even with a $15K scholarship, that's not financially viable to me.

So now, I'm just waiting for CUNY Hunter's decision as I want to stay in New York. I believe Hunter is quite slow because of how many applications they receive (in excess of 1,000) and they also require group interviews. I've had colleagues who were rendered an admissions decision as late as June, but also as early as March in previous admissions cycles. I also heard that your interview invitation timeline depends on the concentration you apply for (clinical vs. macro) and clinical invitations are often earlier because there are more who apply for this concentration. 

[tudor3x8]

1 minute ago, morningjunky said:

Yes, they will render a decision by 3/1, but hopefully a bit earlier. I've already heard back from 4 schools and am now just waiting on 3. I'm waiting on Columbia as well, but I don't think I'll attend either way based on their lack of funding and scholarships in comparison to other schools. It's probably possible to get a graduate assistantship second year since they are a research heavy school to pay for tuition in the form of a tuition waiver or something, but the first year alone with tuition, living expenses and fees are in excess of $69K! Even with a $15K scholarship, that's not financially viable to me.

So now, I'm just waiting for CUNY Hunter's decision as I want to stay in New York. I believe Hunter is quite slow because of how many applications they receive (in excess of 1,000) and they also require group interviews. I've had colleagues who were rendered an admissions decision as late as June, but also as early as March in previous admissions cycles. I also heard that your interview invitation timeline depends on the concentration you apply for (clinical vs. macro) and clinical invitations are often earlier because there are more who apply for this concentration. 

Yeah, I've heard back from two schools (one that is my top choice), but I am waiting for Hunter, Columbia, and Yeshiva. And I'd have to agree with you- since I'll be living with relatives, I won't have to worry about rent, but in order for Columbia to be cheaper than NYU, I'd have to get a scholarship that's double what NYU gave me! Honestly don't think that is possible. I'm considering waiting until next weekend or so for a decision, but I think I've made my decision. Pity that Hunter takes so long- financially they're an excellent choice, but I'm not sure if their program is the best for me, nor have I had the best experience talking to them.

[jwde2009]

Hey guys just thought I'd check in. I've been accepted into San Diego State University and Boston College's advanced standing programs. I won't be attending SDSU but BC is a maybe! I'm excited! I just need to hear back from other programs for now! Good luck everyone!

[morningjunky]

36 minutes ago, tudor3x8 said:

Yeah, I've heard back from two schools (one that is my top choice), but I am waiting for Hunter, Columbia, and Yeshiva. And I'd have to agree with you- since I'll be living with relatives, I won't have to worry about rent, but in order for Columbia to be cheaper than NYU, I'd have to get a scholarship that's double what NYU gave me! Honestly don't think that is possible. I'm considering waiting until next weekend or so for a decision, but I think I've made my decision. Pity that Hunter takes so long- financially they're an excellent choice, but I'm not sure if their program is the best for me, nor have I had the best experience talking to them.

Congratulations! Choosing a school is ultimately a very personal decision based on a variety of factors. I hope you find the one that suits you the best. That's really great. If I had family in NYC, I would live with them in a heartbeat to avoid taking out an extra $20K in living expenses and fees! What is your top choice?

Fordham, NYU, Columbia, Yeshiva and Hunter are all great schools. It's good to remind yourself that if you plan on becoming a clinical social worker, the curriculum for MSW programs are streamlined and very similar to one another since they are all accredited by CSWE. However, there are differences between these schools as well ranging from price, location, overall arching focus and research areas of specializations. 

Fordham is a Jesuit school and it's very focused on social justice and assisting those at the margins. There's also the option of three campuses and the College is very flexible in meeting the needs of its students. It's also a generalist program offering both clinical and macro courses. I considered applying to Fordham because of its research focus, but the price tag deterred me. Hunter is New York City's oldest public graduate program in social work and as such, makes it a priority to focus on the New York community by making education affordable so students can ultimately become agents of change in NYC. Hunter is also very focused on topics surrounding social justice, diversity and various isms and is very involved in local politics and government. I do agree that Hunter's lack of immediacy in terms regarding education can be frustrating, but I'm okay with that and advocating for myself. Columbia has name recognition, a vast alumni network (over 20,000), tons of specializations and concentrations and tends to be a bit more macro/generalist in its program based on my experience with their open house and perusing their website. If it wasn't for the price tag, this would be my top choice since I am interested in macro social work and would like to segue into other realms outside of social work such as policy. On the other end, NYU's curriculum has a very clinical focus. If you plan on applying to post-MSW clinical fellowships to accrue your hours for your LCSW and garner experience, many of them require certain courses in psychopathology and theories and techniques of psychotherapy which NYU has. However, you can certainly excel and apply for these post-MSW fellowships if you graduate from any MSW program in the United States that is accredited by the CSWE and have fieldwork experience in whatever it is the fellowship requires. I don't know much about Yeshiva though, but I have a friend who is in their PsyD program and really enjoys it.

Lastly, it is important to note that fieldwork is an important part of an MSW program (this is, after all where we learn the foundation of social work and translate theory into practice) and a few of my friends have/are attending these programs and many of these programs offer the same field placements. 

 

Edited February 12, 2016 by morningjunky

[tudor3x8]

3 minutes ago, morningjunky said:

Congratulations! Choosing a school is ultimately a very personal decision based on a variety of factors. I hope you find the one that suits you the best. That's really great. If I had family in NYC, I would live with them in a heartbeat to avoid taking out an extra $20K in living expenses and fees! What is your top choice?

Fordham, NYU, Columbia, Yeshiva and Hunter are all great schools. It's good to remind yourself that if you plan on becoming a clinical social worker, the curriculum for MSW programs are streamlined and very similar to one another since they are all accredited by CSWE. However, there are differences between these schools as well ranging from price, location, overall arching focus and research areas of specializations. 

Fordham is a Jesuit school and it's very focused on social justice and assisting those at the margins. There's also the option of three campuses and the College is very flexible in meeting the needs of its students. It's also a generalist program offering both clinical and macro courses. I considered applying to Fordham because of its research focus, but the price tag deterred me. Hunter is New York City's oldest public graduate program in social work and as such, makes it a priority to focus on the New York community by making education affordable so students can ultimately become agents of change in NYC. Hunter is also very focused on topics surrounding social justice, diversity and various isms and is very involved in local politics and government. I do agree that Hunter's lack of immediacy in terms regarding education can be frustrating, but I'm okay with that and advocating for myself. Columbia has name recognition, a vast alumni network (over 20,000), tons of specializations and concentrations and tends to be a bit more macro/generalist in its program based on my experience with their open house and perusing their website. If it wasn't for the price tag, this would be my top choice since I am interested in macro social work and would like to segue into other realms outside of social work such as policy. On the other end, NYU's curriculum has a very clinical focus. If you plan on applying to post-MSW clinical fellowships to accrue your hours for your LCSW and garner experience, many of them require certain courses in psychopathology and theories and techniques of psychotherapy which NYU has. However, you can certainly excel and apply for these post-MSW fellowships if you graduate from any MSW program in the United States that is accredited by the CSWE and have fieldwork experience in whatever it is the fellowship requires. I don't know much about Yeshiva though, but I have a friend who is in their PsyD program and really enjoys it.

Lastly, it is important to note that fieldwork is an important part of an MSW program (this is, after all where we learn and a few of my friends have/are attending these programs and many of these programs offer the same field placements. 

 

HI morningjunky,

Thank you for your informative response! NYU is my top choice despite it being maybe only slightly less expensive than Columbia. As you mentioned, it has a clinical focus, which is my own personal track, and I do not have as much interest in macro. My goal is to work in mental health and to become an LCSW. Although I strongly value Fordham's focus on social justice, Columbia's ability to offer a more generalist approach, and Hunter's pricetag, NYU fits my future goals the most. I had also considered applying for a PhD in clinical psych, so the switch over to an MSW does, I think, show that. Yeshiva's small class sizes and focus on ethics were interesting to me, but definitely was not as high on my list as NYU and Fordham.

Living with family has also made either Fordham or NYU better choices for me by location. I know that location shouldn't be as much of a factor as price/fit, but commuting for twice as long to Columbia or Yeshiva would probably be exhausting after a while.

And yes- I agree. I have had friends who are doing their MSW at my undergrad alma mater, and their primary complaint is the lack of fieldwork placements.

[BrendonSW]

@jwde2009 Hey! By any chance, have you heard anything from Denver yet? My application has said submitted for the past month, nothing has changed. I called last week and they said they were reviewing it and that I'd hear back by the end of the month. Once they get back to me, I can make a final decision. I've heard from a few people that they offer good financial aid packages, but I don't know. 

If there's one thing I've figured out about myself during this whole process, it's that I am extremely impatient. 

[yogaandpearls06]

Just heard back from Boston University! I was accepted into their 2-year program 

[MrsKozee]

Congrats on all of the acceptances!!!!

[MrsKozee]

Check your email people!!! I got accepted to UCLA again!!!! 

[sugarandspice]

12 hours ago, yogaandpearls06 said:

Just heard back from Boston University! I was accepted into their 2-year program 

Congrats!! How'd you hear?? Email? Mail? Portal?

[yogaandpearls06]

1 hour ago, sugarandspice said:

Congrats!! How'd you hear?? Email? Mail? Portal?

I got an e-mail from them yesterday 

[kamber]

I received my acceptances to Boston University for their MSW/MPH! Also, waiting on UCLA's MSW since I received MPH offer. Accccck, the agony continues, but really happy so far

[LAT]

Accepted to PSU as of this afternoon! Really excited as I only applied to 2 schools. Strongly prefer UW to PSU but really excited to go!!! Hearing back from UW in a few weeks

Edited February 14, 2016 by LAT

[lib1845]

@kamber congrats on the acceptance! I got into BU's MSW program too! Did you hear separately from the MPH program?? (I applied for the dual degree also). Thanks!

[OLDERMSW!]

I applied to the full-time, online 2-year MSW program and haven't heard anything yet.  I did just get an email today (2/15) inviting me to set up a Skype interview for Friday 2/19.  It's only a fifteen minute interview, so not sure it can be that substantive, but who knows!  I've also applied to the Fordham online program, so we'll see how this goes.

[morningjunky]

Has anyone heard from UW-Seattle? 

[KatFreeLee]

I have the same question! I got a rejection from the University of Chicago, but I still haven't heard from UW or Columbia. Has anyone else been notified? I wasn't prepared for how stressful this wait has become.

[RCtheSS]

When did you apply to UW? If you applied by the December deadline they should be announcing at the end of February, which still gives you two weeks to hear some news.

I applied for the January deadline for a notice at the end of March, so I'll be very thankful to hear anything before then.

[KatFreeLee]

I applied by the December deadline, but I'm still anxious to hear back! Hopefully you don't have to wait until March to find out.

[jwde2009]

On 2/12/2016 at 7:52 PM, BrendonSW said:

@jwde2009 Hey! By any chance, have you heard anything from Denver yet? My application has said submitted for the past month, nothing has changed. I called last week and they said they were reviewing it and that I'd hear back by the end of the month. Once they get back to me, I can make a final decision. I've heard from a few people that they offer good financial aid packages, but I don't know. 

If there's one thing I've figured out about myself during this whole process, it's that I am extremely impatient. 

Hey I have not heard back from UD as of yet but I might be contacting them soon to notify them of my offer at Boston College to see if that can push my application through a bit faster. I plan on doing this with WashU and UT-Austin. I'm not sure if it'll help or not but the worst case scenario is they don't do it or they deny me and then I go to Boston College so we'll see!

[BrendonSW]

1 hour ago, jwde2009 said:

Hey I have not heard back from UD as of yet but I might be contacting them soon to notify them of my offer at Boston College to see if that can push my application through a bit faster. I plan on doing this with UWash STL and UT-Austin. I'm not sure if it'll help or not but the worst case scenario is they don't do it or they deny me and then I go to Boston College so we'll see!

I'm tempted to give them a call today. They're the only school I'm waiting on. When did you submit your application? Mine was completely submitted on 1/13. I called last week and they said it usually takes 5-6 weeks, but I saw someone was accepted a couple of weeks ago and they applied around the same time as me. 

[jwde2009]

15 hours ago, BrendonSW said:

I'm tempted to give them a call today. They're the only school I'm waiting on. When did you submit your application? Mine was completely submitted on 1/13. I called last week and they said it usually takes 5-6 weeks, but I saw someone was accepted a couple of weeks ago and they applied around the same time as me. 

My app was submitted on 01/05. I think I'll reach out today!

[anothercoffeeplease]

I got into UNC Chapel Hill yesterday! Email to check my portal came in around 11:00 am. I'd been checking that thing like 20 times a day anyway. After I received an email there was a "decision link" option that took me to more info.

Stats: applied 12/15; 3.21 GPA; 90+% verbal, 45% quant, 5.0 writing; 10 years work experience in the legal field; 2 years guardian ad litem; RMH hospital family room volunteer; medical social worker experience with family.