MSW Experience Prior to Getting MSW and Letters of Recommendation

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Hello All,

I am currently a student in a Masters in Counseling program that is not CACREP-accredited that I am about halfway through and I am looking to apply to MSW programs within the next year or two. My undergrad GPA was kinda bad and so far I have a good GPA in grad school but I was wondering in what ways could I boost my application in order to have a better chance at getting accepted? I saw that a few programs encouraged experience in social work and so I was wondering what are some good ways to get experience in the field without a degree in SW? Do you all think it is a good idea to try to find a place where I could volunteer or do you all think it is better to try to spend a few years in an SW position before I apply to MSW programs? Also, do you all also think it is a good idea to try to get a letter of recommendation from a professor or should I wait until my field placement to ask a supervisor for a letter of recommendation?

Thank you,
PsychMajorUndergrad18

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[foreverbull]

So you are planning to finish your MA degree and then get an MSW? I’m confused about why you’d get both when they’re essentially equivalent degrees in practice (this would be a waste of money and time).

If you plan to drop out of your MA program, you’ll need to be prepared to explain why to places you apply.
Any job working with folks 1-on-1 in a community organization would be helpful experience, but I’m not sure it’d be necessary if you have experience practicing therapy already...

Letters from different settings would be ideal, I would say, with a letter from a professor and a letter from someone familiar with your work/practice.

If you clarify what you’re doing and why, my advice would be more specific, but I’m just confused as to why you’d pursue two degrees that are almost identical unless you were dropping out of the first program.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

I am planning on dropping out of the Masters's program. I do not want to risk not being able to get my clinical license by graduating from a non-CACREP accredited program. I also am finding that I want to be able to do more jobs outside of just counseling such as doing medical social work or school social work. Basically what I am trying to say is that I want to have a more flexible degree that has more job opportunities and I want to make sure that if I choose to get my clinical license that I would be able to without any problems.

 

[futureapppsy2]

MSW programs tend to be really forgiving of lower GPAs, especially with experience and/or an upward trend. You'll want at least one LOR to be from a professor.

 

[Goobernut]

MSW programs tend to be really forgiving of lower GPAs, especially with experience and/or an upward trend. You'll want at least one LOR to be from a professor.

I second what Futurapppsy says. Low GPA alone isn't a good idea, but with upward trend and experience it's taken into account with whole package.

Social work programs do really love experience, I think volunteering at an agency or program would suffice depending on the quality of your volunteer experience. I.e. filling up bags at the food bank wouldn't count, but there are so many other ways to contribute to local organizations in a quality way while still keeping your paying job (if you need). Another route to an MSW program that I think is overlooked is getting a BSW first. Hear me out, I know you don't want another bachelors. By getting a BSW, it would be 2 years (likely 60 undergrad hours) and then you'd be eligible for an Advanced Standing MSW -- a shortened MSW program only for those with a BSW that is only 3 semesters full time. So total time to completion would be 3 years. If you are looking to get high quality social work experience and don't know where to start -- getting a BSW can help you do that. This was my back-up plan if I didn't get into the MSW program that I applied to. Instead I just went from my BS in psych to the 60 hour MSW for non social workers and it took me 2 years.