And a little about me, in case anyone could give advice on whether this might be a good fit based on my interests and aspirations, and whether I'd have a chance of getting into a decent program:
I'm current employed through AmeriCorps at a small non-profit whose chief work is centered around a long-term job training program. I do a combination of case work, job readiness training (resumes, job searches, interview skills, etc.), remedial academic tutoring, volunteer management, and grant writing. I plan to do similar work next year - perhaps at this same non-profit or a different one through AmeriCorps, or find a case worker job somewhere. I'm planning to apply this coming fall, so I'll have more than a year of related experience prior to applying, and two years of experience before beginning a program.
My work is interesting, and I wouldn't mind doing something similar for the duration...so I'm considering studying social work - perhaps with a focus on mental health counseling, though that isn't set in stone. My problem is that I'm concerned that I'll become burnt out if I strictly do one-on-one counseling or clinical social work on a full-time basis. Also, my academic background has made me accustomed to research, writing, and big-picture thinking, and I would enjoy a position that would allow me to employ these skills. I figure that, perhaps, adding an MPA to my MSW would allow me options for careers in which I could combine these two facets (perhaps through managing a human-services-focused non-profit organization), or perhaps begin in clinical social work before moving into some sort of less direct-counseling-focused position.
Education etc.:
- BA International Affairs (3.95 GPA, summa cum laude, high honors, etc.; minor in German and certificate in International Human Rights)
- MA Political Science (4.0 GPA, etc.; focus on comparative politics/international law/political philosophy), both from a large, public Midwestern university.
- GRE: 160 Quant / 165 Verbal.
- Fluent-ish in Spanish. Rusty but formerly fluent in German.
- Haven't asked for letters of recommendation yet, but could get good ones from former professors, the Executive Director of my current non-profit, and a board member who's a retired social worker.
- I've done a good amount of volunteer work over the years, but much of it was education-focused (teaching ESL to adults [which I also did professionally for a spell] and tutoring kids in writing).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
