Applying to a Master of Social Work (MSW) program without prior experience in the field can feel daunting. You might worry that your application will be overlooked or that you will struggle to keep up with your peers who have more relevant backgrounds. These concerns are common, but they shouldn't deter you from applying.

In this post, we will talk about how past applicants who made a career change into social work used their personal statements to show the admissions committee that they have the skills and insights needed to thrive in the MSW program.

When I was applying for my Master of Social Work, I spent hours scrolling through forums and trying to compare myself to other MSW applicants.

I see the same thing happening today. I always see MSW applicants compare their stats with each other “I have a 4.0 GPA, 10,000 hours of experience – blah blah blah.”

As someone who works with MSW applicants daily, I can tell you with confidence that having more experience doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a better application. It’s far more important to show admissions committees that you have the skills and insights they’re looking for.

When I applied to my Master of Social Work, I often compared my GPA and experience to other applicants, and it made me doubt myself even more. Here are my thoughts on the grades and experience you need to get accepted to grad school.