MSW2010

[tem11]

I just finished reading through the MSW 2009 thread and it seems like a good idea to join together in this crazy application process.

So far, I've applied to Columbia University, New York University, The University of Hawai'i at Manoa and Hawai'i Pacific University's MSW programs. I've applied to a few non-social work programs as well at The University of Oxford, The University of Sussex and Winchester University (all in England) as well as Goddard College and the University of San Diego.

So far, I've been accepted to the MSW at Columbia (yay!).

Has anyone else finished their applications? Anyone currently working on them?

[nessadub]

Congratulations! That is amazing news. You must be so dazed and confused... I am applying to MSW programs this round. Then in two years it will be PhD in Social Welfare. I have not finished my MSW applications yet..

Why did you apply to UCSD and not San Diego State MSW? I have a masters in counseling psychology mft track, but I am now headed toward research...

[tem11]

Yes, very dazed and confused!

I only decided to change career paths this summer. I spent 3 years of my undergrad as a nursing student, hated it, and changed my major to psych at the beginning of the year. Originally, I wanted to pursue counseling (and applied to USD) but have since been told by many professionals that a MSW is more valuable so I've applied to a bunch of those as well. I, too, am working toward the PhD in Social Welfare goal.

Where are you applying? There are so many programs that I had no idea where to start. I'm sure your counseling psychology will definitely make you stand out among other applicants.

[nessadub]

I have about 7 schools on my list right now, but I am focusing on the West Coast short list mentioned on my signature. Can I ask what kind of funding Columbia is offering, if any? Are you eligible for in-state tuition? Have you visited there yet? I am not applying there for MSW. Right now the big city environment would be too much of a learning curve as I have a 2.5 year old daughter. I might consider it for PhD though.

[tem11]

I have about 7 schools on my list right now, but I am focusing on the West Coast short list mentioned on my signature. Can I ask what kind of funding Columbia is offering, if any? Are you eligible for in-state tuition? Have you visited there yet? I am not applying there for MSW. Right now the big city environment would be too much of a learning curve as I have a 2.5 year old daughter. I might consider it for PhD though.

I was just accepted on Thursday so I've not yet heard what kind of funding they are offering. I will be sure to post when I do. I am not eligible for in-state tuition (though from their website, there doesn't appear to be any difference between in-state and out-of-state). I plan on visiting at the beginning of January so I guess I'll take it from there.

[michigan girl]

Columbia University is a private university. Make sure they give you financial aid (scholarships/grants), otherwise it's not worth the debt (considering social workers generally don't have high starting salaries.)

I am a current MSW student at the University of Michigan. As a resident, I am paying much less tuition than if I had gone to schools like Columbia University or Washington University in St. Louis.

[tem11]

On 11/17/2009 at 5:44 AM, michigan girl said:

Columbia University is a private university. Make sure they give you financial aid (scholarships/grants), otherwise it's not worth the debt (considering social workers generally don't have high starting salaries.)

I am a current MSW student at the University of Michigan. As a resident, I am paying much less tuition than if I had gone to schools like Columbia University or Washington University in St. Louis.

I've heard this argument, though I'm really leaning toward policy instead of clinical social work. From everything I've read, Columbia offers very little financial aid but some say it's worth the debt to go there because policy concentration will open up more doors for phd programs and academic posts. Is this consistent with what you know of the field? I'm very nervous about going $120,000 in debt!

[Dreams]

I've heard this argument, though I'm really leaning toward policy instead of clinical social work. From everything I've read, Columbia offers very little financial aid but some say it's worth the debt to go there because policy concentration will open up more doors for phd programs and academic posts. Is this consistent with what you know of the field? I'm very nervous about going $120,000 in debt!

Columbia is indeed very stingy with aid. I would suggest doing three things if they do not give you an acceptable package.

1. Strongly consider deferring and lobbying them for more aid for the following year. or..

2. Finding a different department in the university who would be willing to offer you an assistantship position.

3. Petitioning for a paid field placement.

Likely one of the three will pan out. I lobbied for more non-loan aid and Columbia boosted it to over half my total tuition and fees for the first year. If you can claim financial hardship, then number 3 might be achievable. And as for number 2, a friend in another department managed to snag an assistantship that zeroed out his tuition. So if you are determined, then there is a way. You just have to be very creative. Good luck!

[michigan girl]

University of Michigan has a very strong macro social work program. It offers three macro concentrations (Community Organization, Management of Human Services, AND Social Policy and Evaluation). I am concentrating in 2 of the 3 areas. There's the option to take courses and/or pursue a dual degree in Business, Public Policy, Public Health, Law, etc. which are all top-10 ranked programs. Lots of my peers are MSW/MPP dual degree students. Finally, University of Michigan is ranked #2 for Social Work in U.S. News rankings.

To imply that Columbia is the only program with a strong policy focus is misleading and incorrect.

Edited November 21, 2009 by michigan girl

[tem11]

University of Michigan has a very strong macro social work program. It offers three macro concentrations (Community Organization, Management of Human Services, AND Social Policy and Evaluation). I am concentrating in 2 of the 3 areas. There's the option to take courses and/or pursue a dual degree in Business, Public Policy, Public Health, Law, etc. which are all top-10 ranked programs. Lots of my peers are MSW/MPP dual degree students. Finally, University of Michigan is ranked #2 for Social Work in U.S. News rankings.

To imply that Columbia is the only program with a strong policy focus is misleading and incorrect.

I'm not at all implying that Columbia is the only program with a strong policy focus and I'm well aware that University of Michigan consistently ranks higher than Columbia. However, I am not considering any programs outside of a few select areas (NYC, Pittsburgh, the United Kingdom and Honolulu) due to my husband's career. Out of the universities I've applied to, Columbia has the best policy-based program. I was mainly asking if it's worth some debt to study policy, and if policy generally yields more financial returns than clinical social work (at least within the U.S.).

Also, my husband is from the UK and we'll likely move between countries quite a bit. I need to make sure that I market myself well both in the U.S. and abroad. It's indisputable that Columbia has a stronger international presence than any of the MSW programs I've applied to, regardless of rankings, and I think Columbia would likely make my c.v. and applications for PhD programs in Europe much more competitive. I'd hate to feel like I'm paying for a name, but I have to consider its potential as an investment.

Thanks for the advice FSIA! I received a call from a Columbia admissions counselor on Friday and I was told that the absolute max they offer in scholarships is $8,000/year. They said I could get paid for my field placement through federal work study but that only amounts to an additional $4,400/year. Though that's nearing half-tuition, the cost of living in NYC is much, much higher than where I'm from and that's still close to $50,000/year with housing. If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you lobby for more aid? Did you show them that other universities had offered you more money or something? And your friend who found an assistantship position- did he/she already have a master's degree? I brought this option up with the admissions counselor also and she said those positions are typically filled by people with a master's degree and I am just about to graduate with a B.A. I've already started emailing various departments, so hopefully something falls into place!

[tem11]

How's the wait going, everyone? I saw a few acceptances in the results search!

Edited December 16, 2009 by TerriM

[tem11]

Has anyone else heard back from the University of Pittsburgh? I was accepted yesterday, but their financial aid situation is giving me a huge headache. Their website states we'll hear packages by Feb. 1st, though when I called they said Feb. 15th. My acceptance packet said I have to fill out a financial supplement form before I'll be considered for scholarships. There was a link to the 2010-2011 form in my acceptance packet but when I spoke with the admissions lady she said that information is outdated and they no longer use it.

I wish they'd just proofread their own website and acceptance packets to prevent all of this confusion. Ugh.

[pessachayah]

I know that this post is old but I am a person who is graduating with an MSW in May 2010 and hopefully continuing on to a doctoral degree in a research & policy field. For this reason, I think I have some valuable insight.

I went into social work as a field b/c of my interest in community based work and social justice issues. I chose not to attend an expensive school but instead went for a state college. The trend in social work at MANY institutions is towards a more clinical focus. Also, the shift in jobs is going this way and I have been told by my advisor who is an admin. at NASW in my state that I could maybe find a "mixed" clinical/policy job that would become more policy with time. For all of these reasons I decided to pursue doctoral study and I have gotten a good response to my apps so far.

Here are some golden rules:

There is close to NO FUNDING available in the US for an MSW.

Private schools are not always the best schools in this field. In fact, historically public MSW departments have been stronger.

Go where you can get the bang for your buck. If you are seriously invested in policy work, you might be in for a surprise.

[tem11]

I know that this post is old but I am a person who is graduating with an MSW in May 2010 and hopefully continuing on to a doctoral degree in a research & policy field. For this reason, I think I have some valuable insight.

I went into social work as a field b/c of my interest in community based work and social justice issues. I chose not to attend an expensive school but instead went for a state college. The trend in social work at MANY institutions is towards a more clinical focus. Also, the shift in jobs is going this way and I have been told by my advisor who is an admin. at NASW in my state that I could maybe find a "mixed" clinical/policy job that would become more policy with time. For all of these reasons I decided to pursue doctoral study and I have gotten a good response to my apps so far.

Here are some golden rules:

There is close to NO FUNDING available in the US for an MSW.

Private schools are not always the best schools in this field. In fact, historically public MSW departments have been stronger.

Go where you can get the bang for your buck. If you are seriously invested in policy work, you might be in for a surprise.

Thanks for your insight. It's always great to hear from people who are more knowledgeable about the field . Did you focus on clinical social work or policy during your MSW? Or did you go for a generalist program?

[pessachayah]

Thanks for your insight. It's always great to hear from people who are more knowledgeable about the field . Did you focus on clinical social work or policy during your MSW? Or did you go for a generalist program?

Policy. And I always knew that I was more interested in policy/research than clinical work. The only reason that I regret not going to a higher priced school is that I feel I would have been better accommodated in terms of policy field placements. Because my college is public it is also very consumer driven and what the consumers seem to want right now is clinical. In short, there were not many policy placements to choose from. But I actually think my expected MSW is helping me in my application process to PhD (health services research & policy programs, mostly). These programs seem to be looking for allied health professionals and the MSW sort of stands out b/c it seems there are not a lot of people pursuing MSW & then public health doctorates right now.

[pessachayah]

Thanks for your insight. It's always great to hear from people who are more knowledgeable about the field . Did you focus on clinical social work or policy during your MSW? Or did you go for a generalist program?

Oh, and good luck.

[michigan girl]

I agree that the private MSW schools are not always the best programs. If you are interested in clinical practice, the local accredited university is fine. I am attending a public MSW (Michigan), and the available resources here are phenomenal (OK, Michigan is more quasi-public than the average state university). The school was generous with my financial aid funding. If you want to seek a research (doctoral) career, the top-ranked public (Michigan, Berkeley, UCLA) and top-ranked private (WUSTL,Columbia, Chicago) social work schools have great research contacts and networks.

[kobe36]

has anyone heard from any other schools ?? the silence is killing me .... and I am trying to see if anyone else got in already to the schools I applied to. My 1st choice would be WashU and Loyola University but has not heard anything from them and I turned in my apps for Loyola on 1/12 and WashU 1/26. loyola have rolling admission so my guess is that they will review my application as soon as they received everything adn they sent me a confirmation email that my package was complete on 1/26. I know I know that was just last week but I am so anxious to hear. Has everyone heard from any of the school ?? I just want them to reject me already so I can move on with my life and stop obsessing with the results.

[nessadub]

On 2/2/2010 at 5:44 PM, kobe36 said:

has anyone heard from any other schools ?? the silence is killing me .... and I am trying to see if anyone else got in already to the schools I applied to. My 1st choice would be NYU and Loyola University but has not heard anything from them and I turned in my apps for Loyola on 1/12 and nyu 1/26. loyola have rolling admission so my guess is that they will review my application as soon as they received everything adn they sent me a confirmation email that my package was complete on 1/26. I know I know that was just last week but I am so anxious to hear. Has everyone heard from any of the school ?? I just want them to reject me already so I can move on with my life and stop obsessing with the results.

I am a nervous wreck! I have finally stopped the application process. Save for the FAFSA which I haven't done, because I'm still doing my taxes.... I thought I would throw in one more application, but I have decided to stop the madness. Washington University in St. Louis said they would be notifying 2/15/2010, so this will be my first admissions result. I can't stand it!!!! AAAAAAAAAAH. It's comforting to know I am not alone.

[tem11]

Kobe36, I was accepted to NYU last week, but I applied back on October 15th! It took them absolutely ages to evaluate my application and from what I hear, they're pretty swamped. I applied to most schools super early so I've heard back from most of them, but I haven't heard a word about financial aid from anyone. I may as well still be waiting since that's the deciding factor.

Best of luck to you and nessadub! I hope you both hear soon .

Edited February 3, 2010 by TerriM

[kobe36]

aww i just got a letter from WashU regretting that they cannot offer me admission... ... sigh...i am getting ready to restart my apps again....maybe better luck next year

[tem11]

On 2/2/2010 at 8:19 PM, kobe36 said:

aww i just got a letter from WashU regretting that they cannot offer me admission... ... sigh...i am getting ready to restart my apps again....maybe better luck next year

Don't give up yet! There are still plenty of schools on your list that you haven't heard from. Hang in there .

[kobe36]

thank you, TerriM, for your kind words. I know there are still many schools left on my list but it seems like once you get hit with one rejection letter, the rest are not far away. Btw, I totally forgot to congratulate on your admissions. It must be wonderful to have received all those acceptance letter . Do you mind telling me your stats??? I am sure its a lot higher than mine but I just wanted to see who my competition is

and to nessadub: good luck to you too !!! it is nice to know that there is someone who is as nervous as me in this whole month and probably more. I hope you get into the school you want. Update us on your progress, regardless if they are good and bad.

[tem11]

thank you, TerriM, for your kind words. I know there are still many schools left on my list but it seems like once you get hit with one rejection letter, the rest are not far away. Btw, I totally forgot to congratulate on your admissions. It must be wonderful to have received all those acceptance letter . Do you mind telling me your stats??? I am sure its a lot higher than mine but I just wanted to see who my competition is

and to nessadub: good luck to you too !!! it is nice to know that there is someone who is as nervous as me in this whole month and probably more. I hope you get into the school you want. Update us on your progress, regardless if they are good and bad.

No need to apologize! To be honest, I kind of feel bad posting when I have acceptances because I'm sure it's not very comforting for others to read. I always try to remind people that I applied in early October so they don't freak out . I also applied to a bunch of stupid programs that I'm kicking myself for now. (Seriously, MA in creative writing at a really poorly regarded university? Really low or unranked/barely accredited MSW programs in Hawai'i? School counseling?! What was I thinking?!)

As for stats, I'm almost 23 and I'll graduate in May with a BA in Psych from a private liberal arts university no one has ever heard of. My cumulative GPA is 3.8 and my GPA in major is 4.0. I didn't bother with the GREs since no one really seemed to require them. I studied nursing for over half of my undergrad, so I have a lot of hospital/non-profit experience. I've completed one hospital internship + an internship with a crime victim agency. I also studied abroad at Oxford in the UK for a year.

That being said, I know a LOT of people who got into great MSW programs with much lower stats/no experience. From what I've read, they take life experiences/hardships and your personal essay into account before everything else. Don't think that stats make the application! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions .

[annie a]

thank you, TerriM, for your kind words. I know there are still many schools left on my list but it seems like once you get hit with one rejection letter, the rest are not far away. Btw, I totally forgot to congratulate on your admissions. It must be wonderful to have received all those acceptance letter . Do you mind telling me your stats??? I am sure its a lot higher than mine but I just wanted to see who my competition is

and to nessadub: good luck to you too !!! it is nice to know that there is someone who is as nervous as me in this whole month and probably more. I hope you get into the school you want. Update us on your progress, regardless if they are good and bad.

I agree - don't give up!

I did absolutely terrible in undergrad - I had a 2.77 and countless withdraws. But I spent a couple years volunteering with AmeriCorps and really involving myself in the community and got accepted to study for my MPH. Granted, the school was far from top-tier, but it put me in a position for loads of opportunity!

Do you have a bit of professional experience in the field? This will help tremendously.

Hang in there!