Hey so I’m also in middle of applying to grad school and this is what I got out of the open houses.
Hunter – Basically it’s hard to get it so if you do then go. No question about it. It’s the cheapest college and competitive so even if their curriculum is not exactly geared toward what your looking for, since they’re more administrative, just go and do your fieldwork in another field your interested in. Hunter is around 4,000 a semester. Hunter is also moving in 2011 to East Harlem if that makes any diff.
NYU – Prestigious name, and very clinical based. But from what I’ve heard, it’s not worth the extra work or the money. Their tuition comes out to 60,000 and it’s very hard. Being that starting salary is 40-42 a yr…you do the math 🙂
Adelphi – Very well established, and a little easier and cheaper than NYU. I think it actually comes out to 45,000 for the whole thing. They claim they run on a clinical track but you actually end up with a very broad knowledge of social work.
Columbia – I’m not applying there just because it is the most expensive of all the colleges. It is also very far, right near Washington Heights. They also don’t give an MSW degree they only give a MS which is technically the same thing. But it’s definately a very choshuv name.
YU-Wurtzweiler – Jewish based. Around the same price as Adelphi, but also very far, near Washington Heights. I actually heard from a few people that graduated from there that they are anti-semetic because the grad school is not frum so they davka try to go the other way.
You may want to look into Touro, R’Bulka’s thing through LIU, and Adelphi opened a program this year for Jewish women.
In regard to Social Work ethics, not every therapy has to be incorporated into your practice. People respect your religious opinions in most settings. Also, think about working in the frum community, you can help out so much!!
Gluk with wtvr you decide!!