What grades and experience do I REALLY need to get into my MSW?
Applying to your Master of Social Work
When I was applying for my Master of Social Work, I often found myself scouring forums and comparing myself to others. I always wanted to know what average grades people who got accepted were, or how many hours of experience they had.
Comparing myself to others had the opposite effect I wanted it to – it just made me doubt myself and feel more anxious about my application.
Despite that, today I’m going to tell you about the grades and experience I had when I applied because it’s something people always ask me about.
But here’s the thing.
It doesn’t actually matter.
Let me explain.
Your grades are not the most important thing
When I applied, my grades were slightly above average, and since I graduated right out of school my only experience was my placement experience, a job in childcare, and some resume-filling volunteer experiences.
However, I had a peer who had grades that barely made the cutoff (honestly it might have been lower) but she had very compelling life/real world experience and had amazing insights and goals to share.
Many of my peers had average grades, took a few years off, and got a few years of experience in the field before re-applying.
And over the years I’ve seen people with a TON of different situations get accepted to the program.
I know sharing my grades and experience can either be a relief or anxiety provoking, but I want to emphasize that it’s actually not relevant, because applications are so comprehensive, and whoever reviews your application will spend the most time reading your personal statement, so that’s, without a doubt, the most important factor in your personal statement.
Isn’t that great?
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have amazing grades.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have two years of social work experience (yes, EVEN if schools explicitly state that you need it).
What matters is that you show the reader that you have the critical thinking skills and potential to contribute to the field by focusing on your strengths in your personal statement.
The importance of the social work personal statement
The personal statement is one of the most important tools you have to show admissions committees what an amazing candidate for grad school you are. The personal statement gives you the opportunity to highlight your strengths, experiences, and skills, as well as justify any deficits in your application such as a low GPA.
Take advantage of these free resources to help you write your Master of Social Work Personal Statement
If your grades are lower than you hoped, it’s imperative that you put extra care and effort into your personal statement. Use the following free resources to write a personal statement that stands out.
89% applicants who received personal statement editing from our Application Advisors got accepted to their MSW program. Learn more about our personal statement editing services here.
Michelle
