Social work is so much more than an academic field, and as social workers, we need to have empathy, align with social work values, and contribute to the field in a positive way. None of this can be reflected through your GPA, which is why Schools of Social Work use a holistic approach when reviewing your MSW application.

I am currently in my first year of the 2-year Master of Social Work program, but I was rejected on my first try.

When admissions decisions came out in February 2020, I was rejected from the MSW program. Upon receiving that rejection, I felt defeated and confused. I thought my statement was great, and I had high grades and lots of diverse experience. However, when I applied a second time in December 2022, I reflected on my application and realized there were some major changes I needed to make to ensure my acceptance.

Narrowing down which Master of Social Work (MSW) programs you want to apply for can be challenging, especially if you are new to the field of social work and aren’t super familiar with the specifics of different branches.

In this article, I will go more in-depth on what clinical social work means, the clinical social work programs offered in Canada, and tips for your application to clinical social work programs. 

The most common social work interview questions and how to answer them:

1. Tell us about your experience with crisis and risk

2. What social work theories do you align with in your work?

3. Tell us about an ethical dilemma you faced

4. Tell us about a time you had a disagreement or challenges in a professional setting

5. What clients do you find challenging to work with?

MSW programs often ask for the following as part of the application process:

• Transcripts

• Resume/ Social Work CV

• References

• Personal statement

In this article, I will be sharing the tips and strategies I use when I help MSW applicants prepare their applications.

Your personal statement is one of the most important documents that you’ll write in your career, yet there are few resources that explain how to write an impactful personal statement. In this article, we will be talking about what you should include in your social work personal statement, as well as mistakes to avoid.

If you are applying to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program, you likely need to write a personal statement as part of the application process. The vast majority of Schools of Social Work ask applicants to discuss what motivates them to become a social worker.

In this article, we will be discussing how to discuss your motivations for becoming a social worker in a strategic way.

Starting the journey of pursuing a Master of Social Work can be both exciting and daunting. On one hand, you may be excited about your potential career path, but on the other hand you may already know that Master of Social Work programs can be quite competitive.

As a Canadian myself, I often get questions specific to Canadian Master of Social Work programs. This blog post will address important questions and considerations when applying for Canadian MSW programs, including the demand for social workers in Canada, finding suitable programs, GPA programs, and identifying the best programs in the country.

Schools also often ask about things like ethics, alignment with the school, values, conflict, and how you intend to manage the demands of the program, but almost every school asks the above two questions, so this is a great place to start

The vast majority of schools are looking for you to talk about:

• Your personal experiences (from your life, professional experiences, schooling etc).

• A discussion of a social problem and how social workers can work towards solving it.

• Your motivation or goals for becoming a social worker

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.