Robin R. Wingo, MSW, LISW
Applying for graduate school is a big step! Whether you are just
graduating with your bachelor’s in social work or you have been out for a
few years, preparing that application takes time, energy, and careful
consideration. Your grades are only one indicator of readiness for
graduate study. It is highly likely that you will be asked to write a
professional statement or essay along with completing a standardized
application form. Although some admissions committees conduct personal
admissions interviews, your first representation will be in writing,
and your readiness will be evaluated on how you present yourself, your
experiences, and your professional aspirations.
Every graduate school’s application process is different.
Some are fully online and others use hardcopy, but they are all looking
for the same thing—students who can clearly and thoughtfully make a case
for how they are the best fit for acceptance into that particular
graduate program.
As that applicant, you want to be successful,
but making the most of the application process is a relatively
unexamined process. Each program will provide forms and directions as
part of the application, but little direction is provided regarding what
works to meet the expectations.
A new article in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine gives 14 tips for putting your best application forward. Read it here:
Your Social Work Graduate School Application: 14 Tips to Help You Get an Acceptance Letter
