Do I have a chance of being accepted into graduate school if i was charged with felony posession of marijuana?
Yes we admit folks with felony convictions all the time. Now your felony may preclude certain types of field placements and future work. The only time felonies are a problem getting into school is if they are for violent crimes and they are recent. Some schools may then limit your attendance on "safety" grounds. Not every school will limit to those who are seeking a license (especially those that have policy, administrative or other macro practice options). DA
Do I still have a chance to go to top grad school after failing miserably in my undergrad?
Different grad schools and programs look for different things. A social work master’s program, for example, might look more closely at community involvement than at grades.But I suspect you want one of those famous Big Time Degrees like an MBA from Wharton. Competition to get into those programs is cutthroat, and undergrad grades do enter strongly into the consideration. They can be somewhat explained by extraordinary circumstances, such as the death of a close loved one during the school year. But even that may not suffice to deflect a poor GPA.My suggestion is to approach the programs directly and see what they tell you. Most won’t pussyfoot around; they’ll tell you chapter and verse what they’re looking for and where you stand. They’ll also tell you if there’s a chance in hell of making up that poor GPA with more schooling. Some will; some won’t. Even if you do penance in a classroom, there’s no assurance that you’ll be fast-tracked.Be assured that just because a program has dazzle and a very high price tag doesn’t make it more valuable except as an ornament. A Wharton grad may be able to schmooze his way into a Wall Street job, but he won’t keep it for long if he can’t learn in the real world. On the other hand, there are many, many excellent grad programs outside the Biggies in every discipline imaginable. In most cases, they’ll give you the same educational experience, or even better.
On a grad school application for a social work program, would it benefit me to discuss my ten years in recovery from addiction?
Try to anticipate your target schools’ views on this by surveying similar institutions. Contact admissions or a dept prof at a similar caliber school (NOT on your list) by phone or anonymous email. Mention you are considering applying, and provide some details on your personal experience, without offering any defensive statements. Just state the facts plainly. Then ask whether they would see this as a positive factor for your application. Also ask whether a supportive supplementary rec letter from someone able to comment professionally on your recovery would be appropriate and helpful for them to dispel any red flags. If you do this on email, keep it short, 4–5 sentences max. I would do this for multiple schools. The results may give you some clarity on whether to disclose.I'd hope they would see such experience as a wonderfully positive factor. Best of luck to you.
Pharmaceutical sales rep Vs social worker. Which job should I choose?
What are you interested in? Are you interested in sales? Do you enjoy getting out and trying to make sales? As you know, not everyone is a salesman/woman. If you have a drive to go into that profession, to me that would make the difference. They do travel a lot, and there are pros and cons to every job as you know. You probably have experienced your share of pros and cons as a teacher The smarter choice is what you are interested in! Me personally? I am not a salesperson, and when I think of pharmaceutical sales, I don't get passionate and excited....that is me lol To each his/her own is my watch word. I enjoy the field of social work........that is me! I also got out of graduate school with minimal college loan debt. I was able to get a research assistant graduate position with a Professor, and through grades I also qualified for several fellowships. SO there are options for looking at reducing your tuition costs. I also had an opportunity to be a teaching assistant, but preferred the research assistant position. Research and teaching assistants get their tuition paid in full and a stipend. ---------------------------------------... response-------------------------- You may qualify for some state level entry jobs. You could google your state government page and check out their job opportunities. Some states have where you can get in a registry online for certain positions. I am not sure what your area of interests were though? lol@ being a nice person......then probably pharm sales is not for you. I work in the healthcare field and some of the medications they push are not always the best for the patient. If a pharm rep wouldn't take the drug him/herself...makes me wonder lol Just saying that medications have their place, but to me what is good for the patient is what is most important. I personally couldn't do the sales side of it.
How does a social work graduate student get an agency to give them a second chance if they failed their first practicum? I was a 4.0 student after 8 courses.
Wondering what your reasoning is for wanting a redo instead of going somewhere else? Placement grading is separate from class work. Usually the school assigns an advisor to meet with the supervisor for your placement to help you negotiate bumps in the road. Look at it from another perspective.I supervised a master’s level intern who started working in our Intensive Outpatient program (IOP). He did so well the first half of the semester that I asked him to run a group under supervision that met 3x a week. We involved him in the unit meetings, he observed individual sessions and got plenty of good supervision weekly. He became part of the team. About half way through the semester, he started coming in late, sometimes for only half a day. He took off so frequently it hindered his ability to participate in staff functions. He lost the connection with his group and the issues they worked on. As he continued, he lost interest in the position & failed to fulfill his obligations for his internship as well as his ageement with our company. This behavior was unprofessional, immature and somewhat unethical.The intern program director at his school made the final decision about his passing or failing. None of our staff wanted him to return. We were too involved with a busy program and heavy caseloads to devote time helping this student any more. The student became disrespectful to us and derelect in his duties to his the clients. He created his problems that culminated in getting a failing grade from me.
Do students from PICT have a realistic chance of getting into any top 10 or 30 universities in the US for an MS?
Absolutely. If its an MS in CS/ECE/related field, a PICT grad with a good GPA (and acad projects) can definitely stand a good chance of making it, provided the rest of the vitals (GRE, SOP, etc.) are up to the mark. PICT Alumni network is thriving in the states, both at universities and in the industry. I remember one of my friends at CMU (and PICT) telling me that his interviewer at the career fair knew about PICT (he was asked about the the big banyan tree right at the entrance :P ), So you get the idea. Undergrad college plays a minor role, albeit an important one all the same, in the MS admissions and being at PICT will certainly help you in mastering the basics, having great BE projects and making a good first impression.
How hard is it to get into Columbia University's School of Social Work? (Graduate School)?
At least a 3.0 GPA for your undergrad degree (preferrably higher, the higher the better.) A strong personal essay explaining why you want to be a social worker. Work or volunteer work experience that shows you have an interest in the field. Excellent references that speak to your ability to do research work and complete what you start. The website will usually talk about what they look for in their applicants. When writing your application, keep these adjectives in mind, and try to come up with examples of when you displayed this characteristic (motivation, challenge, etc.) at work or in school. It is a very competitive field, and Columbia is an outstanding school. Other good schools offering an MSW are Fordham, NYU, and SUNY Albany and SUNY Buffalo. Apply to more than one school to increase your chances of acceptance. Best of luck to you! Best of luck to you.
Is anyone in a MASTERS program for SOCIAL WORK (MSW)?
I didn't have any exams in my masters program, the classes all required that I write papers, do presentations, and group projects. You will not do a thesis, but a field internship for both years (it is a two year program) which usually involves working 2 days per week during the school year at an agency, hospital, etc. (unpaid) This is the best on the job training, in my opinion. The LCSW is attained after you have been working as a clinical social worker (direct patient contact) for two to three years (depending on where you live, the various states have different time requirements) After you meet the time requirements of consecutive clinical work, you are eligible to take the LCSW exam. Not all MSW's go on for their LCSW. You can be a Social Worker for an employer that does not require you to get it, or you may do macro (systems level, not individual) level work, working with policies or grant writing, researching, etc. which does not require the LCSW. If you want to open a private psychotherapy practice someday, you will want to get the LCSW, it is required to practice independently. Graduate school is very competitive, especially the MSW program. When I went in 2007, my university in NY had almost a thousand applicants for 200 slots. You'll need at least a 3.0 GPA, preferrably higher, excellent letters of recommendation, a great personal statement explaining why you want to be a social worker, and paid or volunteer work that indicates a prior interest in this field. Best of luck to you!