U Penn DSW

[olayak]

Quick question, what criteria is the U Penn DSW admission committee looking for?  I called them and they didn't give a straight answer.  I was told that grades and publications and stats don't matter, it just depends on the individual. What does this mean? What are they looking for?  Has anyone been accepted to this program?  What stats do you have?  

Thanks! 

[htotheizza]

I think I responded to you elsewhere, Olayak.  Good to do your research.

My understanding is that DSW programs are not so competitive, so don't sweat the small stuff, so to speak. (Don't let that dissuade you, the DSW simply attracts a whole other type of student than the PhD and has not quite "caught on" yet, so you are ahead of the curve.) Just impress upon them that you have serious passions, interests, and goals; high motivation to learn and work hard; and that you would thrive in the program. Tell them what you intend to do with the degree. I bet the most critical factors for acceptance are the personal essay and the case evaluation. So work hard on those and don't forget to ask for help. (I have made that mistake one too many times in applying for doctoral study).

NYU also seems like it has a fine program - perhaps even better than UPenn, given the caliber of clinical faculty there - are you considering NYU?

[UrbanMidwest]

On 2/8/2016 at 1:28 PM, olayak said:

Quick question, what criteria is the U Penn DSW admission committee looking for?  I called them and they didn't give a straight answer.  I was told that grades and publications and stats don't matter, it just depends on the individual. What does this mean? What are they looking for?  Has anyone been accepted to this program?  What stats do you have?  

Thanks! 

I've read UPenn's DSW FAQ and found out that doctoral students fund their education through loans and "personal resources" aka your own pocket. If the program can't fund its own doctoral students then I'd consider that a big red flag. Honestly, if admissions can't give you a straight answer to, what I guess should be a common question. I'd mark that as a warning sign. Also, on UPenn's reason for the creation of the program left me skeptical and wanting more out of their reasoning.

UPenn's DSW FAQ

A little OT: I was on another institution's website checking out the plethora of M.A. degrees in their College of Education -- yikes! It seems like they had a masters for every thing they thought of under the sun.

Edited April 3, 2016 by UrbanMidwest

[htotheizza]

On 4/3/2016 at 4:21 PM, UrbanMidwest said:

I've read UPenn's DSW FAQ and found out that doctoral students fund their education through loans and "personal resources" aka your own pocket. If the program can't fund its own doctoral students then I'd consider that a big red flag.

I disagree completely. Is it dubious that undergraduates are charged for their degree activities? The only reason PhD students are not charged tuition in most instances is that the programs are paying students for the service of publishing on their behalves. The DSW program advances student knowledge, prepares them to work with PhDs, and places their graduates in another category of employability altogether, so I think it is a fair exchange for the investment.

[UrbanMidwest]

On 8/1/2016 at 4:37 AM, htotheizza said:

I disagree completely. Is it dubious that undergraduates are charged for their degree activities? The only reason PhD students are not charged tuition in most instances is that the programs are paying students for the service of publishing on their behalves. The DSW program advances student knowledge, prepares them to work with PhDs, and places their graduates in another category of employability altogether, so I think it is a fair exchange for the investment.

Or that PhD programs have funding and that a PhD is mainly about research, hence they publish. Nice try.