University of Michigan Social of Social Work Fall 2016

[ediblestranger]

11 hours ago, Joy418 said:

I've declined Chicago, Michigan, and Boston College. I should hear back from the Case fellowship this week or next at the latest. I am not holding my breath. Unless I get that, I should be headed to WashU! They actually gave me a little bit more money which will help out.

That's awesome!  Can I ask how you approached asking for more money?  I attempted this with WUSTL too but was unsuccessful, probably contacted the wrong person lol!

[ljo377]

Hey y'all - I just got back from my visit to UMich! I was actually able to spend several days in Michigan visiting downtown Detroit and some of its suburbs (Royal Oak, Ferndale) as well as the campus and the towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Had a really nice time and was impressed by the school (though I think the 60 degree weather may have clouded my judgement somewhat).

Let me know if you have any questions!

[BrendonSW]

4 minutes ago, ljo377 said:

Hey y'all - I just got back from my visit to UMich! I was actually able to spend several days in Michigan visiting downtown Detroit and some of its suburbs (Royal Oak, Ferndale) as well as the campus and the towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Had a really nice time and was impressed by the school (though I think the 60 degree weather may have clouded my judgement somewhat).

Let me know if you have any questions!

Awesome! What are your overall thoughts regarding the SW faculty? 

[ljo377]

@BrendonSW - I sat in on a child & family policy course. There were only about 25 students in the class, which was 3 hours long. The first half was a guest speaker, then a 15-minute break, and then I headed out because the class was going to work on group projects for the second half. It wasn't the best day to sit in because there was a guest speaker from a local teen sexual health organization presenting (so I didn't actually hear any of the professor's lecture). The professor was VERY welcoming and kind, though. She had recently published a book, and it was displayed in a hallway with all of the other recent publications from faculty. Most of books published by faculty in the display seemed to be macro oriented, and that was the general sense I got from the school. That said, I'm sure the interpersonal practice tracks are very strong as well - overall it was clear that there were a lot of resources and opportunities for students within the social work school and at the broader university. I could really sense the resource differences between Michigan and UNC (the two schools I've visited and am considering), even though UNC is highly ranked as well.

Edited March 16, 2016 by ljo377

[BrendonSW]

@ljo377 Thanks for the response! I'm concerned about the faculty at each of my schools because that's one of the most important pieces for me to decide. I won't get to meet any of them before committing because of my job and finances, but I feel that I'm getting a decent idea of what they're like and how they're perceived by other candidates. From what I've read, Michigan seems to be very resource-heavy and extremely inclusive. There appears to be tons of opportunities for minorities in the field, which is very different from my undergrad experience. 

[Joy418]

4 hours ago, ediblestranger said:

That's awesome!  Can I ask how you approached asking for more money?  I attempted this with WUSTL too but was unsuccessful, probably contacted the wrong person lol!

I contacted the admissions person and just sent an email. She said that they typically don't review applications for more money, but decided to for mine! So I think I really lucked out.

[StephMSW]

Received my financial aid package today, which essentially made my decision for me. $3,000 of work study and $20,500 in loans to cover an estimated $60,000 of expenses?! I wasn't expecting for everything to be covered but I'm just not sure how they expect anyone to be able to afford that, especially when going into a lower paying field. 

I'm considering attempting to negotiate it but I'm also not sure if it's even worth the effort. I'd need a lot more to be able to go there.  

[ediblestranger]

4 hours ago, BrendonSW said:

@ljo377 Thanks for the response! I'm concerned about the faculty at each of my schools because that's one of the most important pieces for me to decide. I won't get to meet any of them before committing because of my job and finances, but I feel that I'm getting a decent idea of what they're like and how they're perceived by other candidates. From what I've read, Michigan seems to be very resource-heavy and extremely inclusive. There appears to be tons of opportunities for minorities in the field, which is very different from my undergrad experience. 

That's one of the things I like most about Michigan.  They go to great lengths to admit a diverse student body, which makes the idea of living in a college town much more tolerable to me.

2 hours ago, Joy418 said:

I contacted the admissions person and just sent an email. She said that they typically don't review applications for more money, but decided to for mine! So I think I really lucked out.

I think I emailed the financial aid person which is probably where I went wrong, lol.  But that is very lucky and congratulations!  It's nice to feel like they want you to be there.  That's one of the reasons I decided to consider Michigan more seriously; that they chose me for a scholarship they only award to 8-10 students made me feel more valued and desired as an applicant.

13 minutes ago, StephMSW said:

Received my financial aid package today, which essentially made my decision for me. $3,000 of work study and $20,500 in loans to cover an estimated $60,000 of expenses?! I wasn't expecting for everything to be covered but I'm just not sure how they expect anyone to be able to afford that, especially when going into a lower paying field. 

I'm considering attempting to negotiate it but I'm also not sure if it's even worth the effort. I'd need a lot more to be able to go there.  

They didn't offer you a Michigan Opportunity Grant?  I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't at least get that, unless you didn't submit your FAFSA or have an absurdly high income.

[StephMSW]

3 hours ago, ediblestranger said:

 

They didn't offer you a Michigan Opportunity Grant?  I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't at least get that, unless you didn't submit your FAFSA or have an absurdly high income.

No, they didn't. Is that only for MI residents? Because that would explain it. I'm OOS.

I'm currently unemployed so it's definitely not the income, lol. 

 

Oh well. I was pretty upset for a couple hours but I'm feeling a little better now. Minnesota is the other school I applied to and it'll save me a lot of money. Regardless of which school I attend, I'll still be getting a MSW degree and working towards my career goals! 

Edited March 17, 2016 by StephMSW

[ediblestranger]

1 minute ago, StephMSW said:

No, they didn't. Is that only for MI residents? Because that would explain it. I'm OOS.

I'm currently unemployed so it's definitely not the income, lol. 

 

Oh well. I was pretty upset for a couple hours but I'm feeling a little better now. Minnesota is the other school I applied to and it'll save me a lot of money. Regardless of which school I attend, I'll still be getting a MSW degree and working towards my career goals! 

I'm not a Michigan resident and I got it.  I was under the impression that it was based on financial need.  I would definitely look into that.  It's not a huge scholarship, but it's something... mine was 12K.  There are other scholarship opportunities too if you are set on going to Michigan.  Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that they still have special program spaces to fill, and most of those come with significant scholarships, like to the tune of 20K.  

At the end of the day though, I don't think it matters too much where you go to school (with a few exceptions, i.e non-CSWE accredited schools) as they all teach essentially the same stuff.

[BrendonSW]

Has anyone heard back that's interviewed for a GSSA position? 

Signed, 

The Curious & Anxious 

[RCtheSS]

So for  y'all who received financial aid notices: were they through the SSW, or through the UMich Financial Aid office?

I received a notice and it's pretty much $1,500 for work study plus maxed out unsubsidized loans, still leaving another $20,000 in costs each semester. welp!

[ljo377]

@RCtheSS -- The online notice includes all of my aid, including the fellowship funds, "Michigan Opportunity Grant," work study and federal unsubsidized loans.

@BrendonSW -- Yes, I was definitely impressed by the diversity of the faculty and students that I met within the social work school (as well as the incredible social justice work they are doing in Washtenaw County and greater Detroit). When I was there a group of students who had visited the Mexican-American border in New Mexico over spring break had created an installation in a common area about their experiences and reflections on immigration issues. Also the school is one of the only places on campus that has designated gender nonspecific restrooms. The rest of the university and Ann Arbor seemed prettyy homogeneous to me, though...

[RCtheSS]

Thanks for clarifying, @ljo377. Congrats to y'all who were awarded fellowships and grants! Looks like this decision is going to come down to financing for me.

Also, I spent a summer in Ann Arbor as part of a program encouraging underrepresented groups into public service. I know it was an off-time since it was summer semester, but the immediate area around campus was quite homogeneous to the point where my cohort felt singled out while going out to local bars and restaurants. I grew up around diverse communities and that summer threw me off. I think some folks going to UMich prefer to live in Ypsilanti and commute.

[ljo377]

@RCtheSS, YES! My partner and I both were very conscious of the fact that the only time we were around PoC was when we visited Ypsilanti (it was about 20 minutes away by car in the afternoon). Even the areas where we visited friends in the Detroit suburbs and downtown were overwhelmingly white. That said, Ypsi is a cool place, and I'd much prefer to live in a more diverse area, but I don't think I want to risk having a difficult commute as I get acclimated the first year.

Edited March 17, 2016 by ljo377

[RCtheSS]

Just now, ljo377 said:

@RCtheSS, YES! My partner and I both were very conscious of the fact that the only time we were around PoC was when we visited Ypsilanti (it was about 20 minutes away by car in the afternoon). Even the areas where we visited friends in the Detroit suburbs and downtown were overwhelmingly white. Ypsi is a cool place, and I'd much prefer to live in a more diverse area, but I don't think I want to risk having a difficult commute as I get acclimated the first year.

Very understandable! When I read your comment, I immediately felt the need to validate your experience. 

I think that's what puts me on pause about UofM as a whole, the homogeneity of the student body and surrounding campus area. I think those social dynamics will end up reflecting on the class cohorts and discussions, and it's an issue that is ever important to address holistically in social work and policy.

[BrendonSW]

@ljo377 Thanks for the reply! I really wish I could visit beforehand, but it's not possible right now. I extended my date to enroll/commit, so we'll see. I'm very hopeful that the area is diverse and friendly because I'm a trans man. I live in Tennessee right now and face a high level of oppression for it, especially from lawmakers. 

[ljo377]

1 minute ago, RCtheSS said:

I think that's what puts me on pause about UofM as a whole, the homogeneity of the student body and surrounding campus area. I think those social dynamics will end up reflecting on the class cohorts and discussions, and it's an issue that is ever important to address holistically in social work and policy.

Yes, for sure. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill for undergrad, which is certainly far from perfect as far as homogeneity, but does better than a lot of schools (Chapel Hill the town is another story, much more like Ann Arbor). I thought UMich would feel very similar, but it was definitely more reminiscent of private schools like Duke or WashU to me as far as resources and types of students. Many students from NY/NJ because they have around 40% from OOS. The School of Social Work itself felt more diverse, FWIW...

[ljo377]

@BrendonSW, I am going to PM you the name & contact info of the student I met with as he is involved with LGBTQ communities locally!

[RCtheSS]

Worst comes to worst, the GradCafe crew who end up attending this fall can support each other! 

[ediblestranger]

I would like to take a moment to validate the concerns and anxieties others in this thread have about the homogeneity of UMichigan as a whole.  I too worry that Ann Arbor will lack the level of diversity that I am comfortable with.  I am particularly concerned about the lack of diversity in terms of socioeconomic class, since I am from a very low socioeconomic background which is a part of my identity and affects the way I relate to others.  The lack of racial and ethnic diversity is pretty troubling to me as well, since it will make commuting to/from Ypsi or Detroit for field placements much more likely.  I too considered commuting from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, but like you do not want to add another element of frustration to the rigors of grad school.  In the end, I decided to attend because program-wise it is the best fit, even if that means feeling alienated outside the School of Social Work.  I will do this in the spirit of Pierre Bourdieu, the sociologist from a low SES background who did not allow himself to be pushed out of academia by its subtle but real favoritism toward middle-classness [end rant].

[ediblestranger]

@BrendonSW I don't know much about Michigan's overall receptivity toward the LGBTQ community, but I did come across these which I think is promising:

http://www.housing.umich.edu/gender-inclusive

https://spectrumcenter.umich.edu/article/classifieds

Granted, every school should have resources like this, but still.

[BrendonSW]

1 hour ago, ediblestranger said:

@BrendonSW I don't know much about Michigan's overall receptivity toward the LGBTQ community, but I did come across these which I think is promising:

http://www.housing.umich.edu/gender-inclusive

https://spectrumcenter.umich.edu/article/classifieds

Granted, every school should have resources like this, but still.

Thanks for sharing! The university seems to be fairly inclusive. Luckily, the SSW is much more inclusive. There seems to be good resources in the area.  

[JessSW]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 9:21 PM, BrendonSW said:

Has anyone heard back that's interviewed for a GSSA position? 

Signed, 

The Curious & Anxious 

I applied for the GSSA position and never received an interview. On February 26th, I received an email telling me that I didn't receive the position and that the selection process was highly competitive. Perhaps you should inquire? The email I received was from Erin Zimmer.

[StephMSW]

On 3/17/2016 at 7:51 PM, ediblestranger said:

I'm not a Michigan resident and I got it.  I was under the impression that it was based on financial need.  I would definitely look into that.  It's not a huge scholarship, but it's something... mine was 12K.  There are other scholarship opportunities too if you are set on going to Michigan.  Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that they still have special program spaces to fill, and most of those come with significant scholarships, like to the tune of 20K.  

At the end of the day though, I don't think it matters too much where you go to school (with a few exceptions, i.e non-CSWE accredited schools) as they all teach essentially the same stuff.

Huh. I did apply to some special programs but I haven't heard anything about those decisions. I might try calling them and asking about it.

Yeah, that's what I've been told. Both schools have programs that fit my needs so either way it'll be okay!