Many applicants’ desire to pursue a career in social work is driven by their lived experiences. Personal experiences are valid and can be used to strengthen your statement when done correctly. In this article, I will discuss how to include personal experiences in your statement and what to avoid.

Are you considering applying to a Master of Social Work graduate program but worried about your low grades? Don't let that hold you back! Although it varies depending on the school, MSW admissions committees generally look at applications holistically. That is why they require more than just your academic transcripts.

As an Application Advisor at MSW Helper, I have edited many personal statements. Each statement I edit is unique because each applicant has different skills, experiences, and interests within the field. However, while editing personal statements, I have noticed that I often make several key edits on many statements. I also made many of these mistakes on my personal statement when I applied to my MSW as well! I have compiled a list of tips to improve your personal statement based on these key areas for improvement.

The research analysis section of the personal statement is super important because it allows you to really show off your research and academic writing skills, which will help show the school you are applying for that you are prepared for graduate-level studies in social work. 

In this blog post, I’m outlining the 5 most common mistakes I see in the social work research analysis section when reviewing personal statements. I’ll also share some tips for how to avoid making them so you can make sure your analysis section is top-notch! 

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. 

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 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.

Many social workers have been through personal experiences that inspired them to pursue social work, but how do you navigate the balance between the personal and professional? Let’s talk more about how much self-disclosure you should be using in your Master of Social Work Personal Statement.

Many schools of social work ask about ethics in the Master of Social Work (MSW) personal statement. I often find that applicants aren’t sure how to answer the question, and end up tossing in a few sentences that can feel clunky and awkward, and stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise well-written personal statement.

I’m a big fan of using social work theories in the Master of Social Work personal statement. I feel like this is an area many applicants overlook, but it’s something that can help you stand out.

If you’re applying to advanced standing MSW (meaning you have a BSW), this is an opportunity to show the reader what you learned in school.

If you’ve ever had a job interview in the past where you were asked what your areas of weakness are, you might know that the standard answer is to provide a humble-brag, or a weakness that is actually a strength.

“I’m a perfectionist”, “I work too hard”, and “I care too much” are standard answers people often give. People often avoid answering this question because they don’t want to give an answer that might be a dealbreaker for the role.

Schools of social work often ask this question as well, and they are not looking for these types of answers. They are looking for you to demonstrate your critical thinking skills as it pertains to social work practice, which might not be the same as what you would say in a typical job interview.

Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of applicants apply to their Master of Social Work program. These are the top 5 biggest mistakes I see applicants make when writing a personal statement.

Master of Social Work (MSW) programs have comprehensive application processes; They look at your experiences, your references, your personal statement, and of course, your grades.

It can be worrisome when applying to competitive programs when your grades aren’t what you hoped they would be. However, since the application is so comprehensive this means that if you play your cards right, you can use the personal statement to highlight other areas of strength, or you can even put a positive spin on why your grades are low.

Here is what I recommend when working with MSW applicants:

Over the past few years helping MSW applicants apply to their Master of Social Work, I’ve developed some of my top tips for getting started with writing a personal statement.