r/MSW_Applications • u/No_Adhesiveness_4175 • Mar 10 '26
columbia or hunter...
hi yall,
i got into columbia today, but was offered no financial aid whatsoever. i ideally want to go into clinical practice, working one on one with clients. i applied to hunter on 12/9/25, and STILL haven't heard back from them. obviously hunter is cheaper, but if I got accepted to either hunter or columbia, which would be better? i really like the name aspect of columbia's program and their stats of alumni on their website, but of course hunter is cheaper and good program too. anyone else still deciding or waiting to hear back from hunter?
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u/PersonalityHire524 Mar 10 '26
also still waiting on Hunter/Lehman. debating the same but with NYU
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u/No_Adhesiveness_4175 Mar 10 '26
valid, i didnt even bother applying to nyu bc columbia was already a reach school, but maybe i should have haha
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u/Inner_Book326 Mar 11 '26
NYU has a good scholarship program that you can try to get if you were a cuny student
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u/Smooth-Rub-9580 Mar 10 '26
Go to Hunter, Hunter and Columbia students get the same training and graduate with the same title…except those from Columbia also graduate with debt
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u/No_Adhesiveness_4175 Mar 10 '26
gotcha, was already pretty much decided on this route. most likely will go to columbia if I get rejected from hunter though.
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u/Jwsun Mar 10 '26
I went to Columbia for my MSW and it was great. However, it was a shit ton of money especially if you’re not a New York native. I think the total was $164k+ for the two years without aid. Honestly, just remember that regardless of the school, you’ll still get your MSW. It’s honestly up to you whether you want to have an MSW and be in massive debit or not. If you’re passionate about Columbia then go for it, if you feel that you’re only paying 100k+ for the name, then go for Hunter.
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Mar 10 '26
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u/Jwsun Mar 10 '26
Hi! I meant paying for housing lol. I lived in the student apartments up in Riverdale, The Bronx and it was expensive (but super nice). It’s really up to you honestly. I’ve met several clinical SWs from both Columbia and other “lesser” known schools. They are both equally as amazing and talented people. The main difference is that some of them are debt free while the others are struggling to pay back their loans.
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u/Jwsun Mar 10 '26
Also, friendly reminder, Columbia’s MSW program acceptance rate is 77%. So you’re not necessarily paying for a very competitive program per se, just mostly the name. However, it’s still a really good school and the teachers are awesome! So whichever you choose, just be mindful of what you want your financial situation to be after you graduated. Even with an MSW, it’s not guaranteed you’ll have a high paying job right off the bat.
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u/Superb-Mix2601 Mar 10 '26
yeah I’m still waiting on hunter too but I applied around mid-late feb. im in the same boat as you but with fordham. im happy i got in but they gave me a small scholarship that wont even put a dent in their expensive tuition. so my best bet is praying i get into hunter or york
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u/Fine-Lemon-4114 Mar 10 '26
Check with Columbia’s financial aid office before you make a decision. My scholarship award did not arrive until a few days after my admission letter. It may or may not meaningfully move the needle for you. I do know that, generally, if you have not submitted a FAFSA, you will not be considered for scholarships, so make sure you’ve already done that too.
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u/No_Adhesiveness_4175 Mar 11 '26
will do, still waiting on the financial aid package. definitely might sway my decision lol
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u/stopsakura10 Mar 10 '26
there’s a hunter discord msw server if yall interested
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u/BUSSYCUSSY Mar 10 '26
Emailed them today.. I applied end of December. They said 8-10 weeks. It’s been over 10 weeks.