The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook: The Complete Guide To Selecting and Applying to MSW Programs

Rating:
Summary: good but could include more info on specific programs
Review: The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook is one of the best books out there about obtaining an MSW, but it does have a couple flaws.

The first few chapters discuss the characteristics that applicants should look for in MSW programs, including accreditation, rankings, financial aid, micro vs. macro social work, concentration, fieldwork opportunities, faculty quality, housing, campus facilities, and alumni networking. Then the book continues by discussing the qualities that graduate schools look for in applicants, such as undergraduate major, coursework, GPA, letters of recommendation, biographical statement, employment, internships, volunteerism, research experience, etc. These chapters are useful to applicants who do not know much about graduate school admission. However, a downfall of this book is that it could be a little more informative about concentrations. It has a couple paragraphs devoted to child welfare, housing and homelessness, and substance abuse, but I wish that it included more information about social work pertaining to battered women, the elderly, and education.

The third and final section contains several appendices about various programs throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, not all programs are listed, and even the 93 listed ones do not include all information, especially about concentrations, tuition, the percentage of accepted applicants, and accreditation dates. However, this final section also includes worksheets about visiting schools and preparing your biographical statement, which certainly ease the process of applying to graduate school.

Rating:
Summary: A "must-read" for anyone seeking to pursue higher education
Review: The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook: The Complete Guide To Selecting And Applying to MSW Programs by Jesus Reyes (Director of the Social Service Department of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois and former Assistant Dean for Enrollment at the University of Chicago School for Social service Administration) is a direct, comprehensive, and thoroughly "user friendly" guide to preparing effective social work graduate school applications. From searching out the best schools, to what schools look for among the applications submitted to them, to an extensive selection of research resources, The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook is a "must-read" for anyone seeking to pursue higher education in dynamic social work field and to secure their MSW or a social work doctorate.