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Hello all. I'm presently attending DMACC here in Des Moines. It's time to decide on a four year university to pursue a bachelors in Psychology, Social Work, or similar. I am also considering Law in the future, depending on how the next couple of years go. Though, I am terrible at Math, which may be worth noting. I am having great difficulties making this decision and would like opinions from those in the area who have attended or know someone who has attended one or more of these colleges - Simpson, Drake, Grand View, Iowa State University, and University of Iowa.
I live near Des Moines, and I am not able to move due to animals, family, and my current job. I need to attend somewhere within driving distance. It seems ISU is not viable because of the distance and lack of online or distance options. However, it is cheap.
University of Iowa has a Des Moines location for their Social Work program. Compared to just applying and being accepted to the other universities, it is quite strict and admission is limited. Presently, I would not be able to attend until Fall 2015. I am less than two semesters away from my AA degree and there are several courses I would need to take to meet the application requirements for this program. However, distance, cost, and major are ideal. I think tuition would be about 9k/year.
Drake and Simpson are location ideal. I'm not sure about their reputations. Simpson says it requires students to live on campus to be eligible for the scholarships. Without them, it would be 30k/year. I do not wish to live on campus. With scholarships, it's about 23k/year. Drake is a few thousand more, without living on campus and with scholarships.
Grand View, with scholarships and no housing, would be around 16k/year. I don't know much about this college. Does anyone have any information on GV's reputation?
I've also been told about Upper Iowa University for all online programs. I'm a bit skeptical. I'm worried that my degree may not be well recognized or valued from an online institution. I have applied and been accepted to ISU and Simpson for Fall 2014. Drake would have to wait until Spring 2015, but that is okay. I presently have no credit or debt. My father is helping me pay for college but we cannot afford to outright pay for Drake or Simpson tuition. Grand View also would result in some loans. Is it worth the intense cost of the private institutions (particularly Drake)?
-TL;DR - What do you know about the reputations of Drake, Simpson, Grand View, and Upper Iowa University?
Grand View is a fantastic option that is very popular for students in your situation. Its reputation is pretty good and getting better every year. That's the direction I would look if I were you. You'll get all the advantages of a private school, but with a lower-than-average price tag and a much more diverse student base than you would find at Simpson and Drake.
OP, do you have any idea where you would like to work? Why don't you ask those employers about their opinions of graduates from those schools?
Also, take a look at current job listings and salaries in those areas. I see a lot of part-time social work positions, as opposed to full-time ones with at least a few benefits. You might give some thought as to whether you'll be able to live on these salaries. Also be aware that a lot of psychology and social work positions require a Master's degree, but I'm not sure the salaries merit that sort of time and expense, but that's just my opinion!
If you go to law school, be aware that many lawyers are under-employed and have huge loans to pay back. Unless you are going into tax law (get an accounting degree and pass the CPA exam first) or are going into patent law (requires an undergrad degree in engineering) there aren't a lot of decent law jobs around. There are a lot of garbage ones that pay peanuts because lawyers are a dime a dozen these days.
Check the pass rate on the bar exam for graduates of law schools that interest you.
I'm not trying to discourage you! Just start being aware of the jobs that are available, their salaries, and what employers think of specific schools. Some don't care. Others have strong opinions. That way, you'll be an informed consumer, instead of another victim with a ton of loans to pay off and a crappy job that you truly hate.
Thank you for the quick responses both of you. I have not visited the campuses yet. Since I live in the area, I have passed or been through the areas for all of the colleges mentioned. I haven't really been inside any of them, except the, uh...auditorium or whatever for Simpson for one of their theater performances. The price tag is pretty important, and Grand View's is certainly more appealing than Drake's and Simpson's.
I haven't really given law a whole lot of thought, it's just been kind of a back up idea to pursue and research if I felt the need. I have heard before that there are a lot of lawyers and not a lot of jobs, and I'm not sure I'd be able to handle the schooling, so I suppose I'd best think of a better alternative option for a back up major if I change my mind. I am really terrible at math.
I'm checking around job listings. From what I understand, there are quite a few different employment opportunities for those with BA/BS level degree in Psychology or Social Work. I would like to get my Masters eventually. Until then, I figured I'd be a probation officer, case manager, etc. Different companies seem to use different terms/names for these jobs so I think it is kind of hard to look some of them up by guessing what the name might be. It is an unfortunate truth that the field doesn't pay much. I have heard people say that some of the licensed social workers can make decent money doing therapy work, which interests me. Here's one job I'd like to have that requires a BS/BA (treatment counselor at Orchard Place working with Youth): Treatment Counselor job - Orchard Place - Des Moines, IA | Indeed.com
Thanks again both of you for the input. It is reassuring to hear someone say that Grand View has a good reputation. I am going to take a closer look at the campus soon. I just can't really justify paying thousands more per year for Simpson or Drake when I'm getting pretty much the same thing and the field I'm going into doesn't pay a lot. As long as Grand View will be well recognized by other colleges in the state should I pursue a Masters in the future, then I'm content.
I wish more job listings mentioned salaries. Other than visiting the campuses, I do also want to ask around and see what employers think of these different colleges. I'm just not sure how to go about doing this.
Edit: I had a thought - I've known SO MANY people who said they were majoring in Psychology. A quick google search shows that it's one of the most popular majors (both sites I looked at ranked it at number 2). Shortly, these people I knew will be graduating and I'll be competing with them for jobs. Sometimes I wonder if for this reason alone I should choose a different major. It was one reason I wanted to pursue social work instead of psychology (though the jobs at the BA/BS level will be similar). Thoughts?
Last edited by the_unstable; 03-08-2014 at 08:37 PM..
Also, if you wanted to be a social worker for a hospital, you could try their employment pages
I don't think I've listed any competitor sites. If I have, Mods please forgive me.
I go at it backwards: I start with the company or the job and then look back to see what sort of education, internships, etc. are required. What's the minimum? My feeling: don't front money. See if I can work for someone and let them pay for my education. For example some hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for selected positions.
Here's another way I think about problems like this:
Social work/psychology could be competitive and low paying.
What are the skills that are appealing? Helping people? Doing research?
How about looking into becoming a patient advocate? (more specialized than social worker, although in that field)
How about jobs dealing with the elderly, such as senior case worker? (those jobs don't pay all that well but they are more specialized so the salary can be a bit better, especially if one gets on at an agency)
What about physical therapy? That's helping people . . .
When you start thinking about skills, it opens up a range of other potential employment. Some of it is also garbage, but you may find more options that fit into your wheelhouse and will also pay enough to justify the cost of college (or find an employer with tuition reimbursement).
Excellent links, particularly the first one! I did check out indeed, I'm just not sure what keywords to guess. I may be missing some other search options that would help me find what I'm looking for, though. I hadn't considered looking for an employer that will pay for tuition. That sounds like it would be hard to find. I work in mental health already so I kind of have my foot in the door and would hate to give up the job I have since I'm very happy with it.
With a masters in Psychology, there can definitely be some decent pay compared to the lower end social work stuff with BA/BS. I just feel like the competition will be (and probably is) fairly fierce.
Very good suggestions, I hadn't thought of a lot of the things you've pointed out. I haven't even heard of a patient advocate. It's certainly an option. I really like the field of mental health. It's always fascinated me. I would like to be a therapist and help people recover from psychological trauma. I'd particularly like to work with youth. I don't really have much interest in working with elderly.
I really like the field of mental health. It's always fascinated me. I would like to be a therapist and help people recover from psychological trauma. I'd particularly like to work with youth. I don't really have much interest in working with elderly.
That's a good start! Would you want to work with youth in a hospital setting? In a recovery setting, such as on a "ranch"? Are there programs in Central Iowa along those lines that interest you? If so, start contacting coordinators and expressing a desire to visit, perhaps volunteer or intern if those opportunities are available. Work the connections that you have already made to make additional connections. Again, keep an eye on how much these facilities/departments hire, pay, and what educational backgrounds they seek. Ask those who hire or fund projects their opinions. Keep asking about tuition assistance. Some hospitals have it but candidates have to ask!
You don't have to answer any of these questions on a public board. I'm just throwing out food for thought.
Also, don't be afraid to ask people who are "friends of friends" working in positions that interest you to have coffee or lunch and pick their brains! Ask for advice. Ask what they would have done differently. Listen. Listen. Listen.
Once you have a clearer direction, you're in a better position to evaluate colleges. You're the savvy consumer! If you must attend college, pick the one what has internships, networking opportunities, and excellent profs/courses that will enhance your career and is respected by your potential employer(s). Don't take the college's word for it. Go to the employers.
Lastly, if one contact won't talk to you, keep asking. This is your career. If you want to get a leg up on the competition, this is the sort of research that will make a difference. You aren't guessing or taking some college adviser's word for what is going on right now.
Well, I'm not sure if I'll be much help since I'm only a junior in high school, although I have a high interest in either attending Simpson or Drake, and I know a bit about Simpson that might be able to help you out.
While I know Simpson is a bit pricey, it is a private school after all and I know it has an ever popular growing Psychology program that I was told would come in handy in the near future for those going into that field. I know the people who attend Simpson are somewhat prominent in the Des Moines area concerning internships and such, and they do have guaranteed internships, so you'll be able to find something for sure. I know they have a very good reputation for being able to put people into jobs that they'd never be able to get otherwise. So the high tuition may very well pay off in the end, if work is a major concern. I remember at one of their events somebody was talking about how one of the professors encouraged someone to apply for a job/program in the science field somewhere a bit far away, and it was supposed to pay very high, and they ended up getting in despite their doubts, out of thousands of applicants. Very good for that sort of thing. Also, I know they recently merged with Drake's law program specifically, but I don't know anything above that.
Though I'm sure any one of those colleges would be great, I just thought I'd attempt to help out by giving information on what I know about Simpson. I have not heard one bad thing about it, other than they don't really let you travel out often back home if you're outside a 40 mile radius. For me, that's a bit of an issue seeing as I live at least 300 miles away. :/ I'd be happy to give some more insight on both colleges once I attend a visit at Drake later next month and a Simpson visit next Friday!
My boyfriend just graduated from Grand View this past summer. It is a wonderful school. He also received several grants and scholarships. He was offered a three jobs right after he graduated. He majored in biotech but he says the social work program is great. I am currently attending Upper Iowa at their west dsm location and love it!
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