Monday, January 30, 2012

The Admission Interview: What Applicants Need to Know!


     The application interview is an aspect of our admissions process that differentiates us from most other professional and graduate schools. This is a requirement for all applicants who meet minimal admission criteria for the MSW, MSSP, NPL and DSW programs.  You will be contacted by the Admissions Office or the program to schedule an interview if your application is complete and meets basic standards for admissions. The components of a complete application vary depending on program requirements, but always include official transcripts and three recommendations.  Interviews are conducted at the School or via Skype. 
      I am often asked by prospective students how they can prepare for the interview and what to expect.  The interview is a two-way process - it gives us the opportunity to learn more about you while at the same time enabling you to gather more information about the program, the School, and the University of Pennsylvania.  Depending on the program, you will be interviewed by the director, senior associate director, associate director, or a part-time member of the program’s faculty. Admission interviews are usually 30 to 45 minutes in duration. The interviewer will tell you about the program and ask questions pertaining to your application. The interviewer is responsible for anticipating questions from the faculty reviewer and /or the Admissions Committee who ultimately make the final decision about your application. Therefore, some of questions posed to you might be redundant to what you have written in your application essay.


How you can prepare for the interview
     Although there is not a lot of preparation needed for the interview, I suggest you consider the following:
  • Review your essay and be prepared to discuss what you wrote;
  • Prepare questions to ask the interviewer;
  • Be on time (arrive at the School or sign into Skype a few minutes early);
  • Dress professionally (wear what you feel is appropriate for a job interview);
  • What you feel you bring to the program;
  • Relax and be yourself …..really!

We wish you all the best as you prepare for your admissions interview at Penn!
Mary Mazzola, Ed.D., MSW
Associate Dean, Enrollment Management and Global Outreach

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

SP2 Introduces Community Teamworks, by Dean Richard Gelles


As we welcome the new year and semester at Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, we are excited to introduce and launch SP2 Community Teamworks (CTW). This pilot volunteer service program enables students from our five degree programs to work alongside SP2  faculty, staff and alumni on projects that will have positive impacts on organizations and agencies in West Philadelphia. Although our students already contribute more than 250,000 hours yearly to our local community through internships, practicums and field placements, we believe there is always more that needs to be done. CTW will give the entire SP2 community the opportunity to work together. The goals of this project are twofold:  one, we will be able to make sustainable improvements that will hopefully continue long after the day of service is completed; and two, CTW is a meaningful way to build a stronger community within SP2.

Our plan is to start small with three projects selected from proposals submitted by students, faculty, alumni, and staff. CTW projects will occur during the months of March and April and each service project will be completed in one day. Project leaders will work closely with community partners to prepare for the day’s events. Although I am not planning to serve as a team leader, I look forward to participating on a CTW team and enthusiastically anticipate expanding this program to include other schools and programs at the University of Pennsylvania.

By:  Dean Richard Gelles