I have been accepted into two graduate programs for social work and need to accept University of Waterloo’s offer tomorrow but am stuck in my decision making. The UW program is a 1-year Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and the UofT program is a 2-year Masters degree in Social Work. I need to get a Masters to become a therapist (the end goal) but can do it by either getting a 2-year MSW or a 1-year BSW and then a 1-year MSW. Here are the pros and cons I have been weighing:
University of Waterloo:
Pros:
-I have a friend who just completed the program and loved it and had a great experience with her placement.
-It’s in Waterloo, the city I live in now. I am really happy here, my boyfriend lives here and I know some friends who will be around as well. I genuinely enjoy living in the city and plan to settle down in this general area after my schooling.
-Because it is only a 1-year program, I have the option to go to a completely new school for my 1-year Masters program the following year or stick around UW or Laurier (assuming I get accepted).
-I will end up with 3 degrees (BA, BSW and MSW), though this doesn’t make a huge difference since I will end up with the same amount of education (it just sounds cool haha).
Cons:
-I will have to take 4 courses while working full-time this summer because the school requires certain prerequisites.
-I will have to reapply for my Masters again this fall (extra work and money to reapply).
-I feel a bit silly turning down a Masters program for a Bachelors program.
University of Toronto:
Pros:
-It’s a Masters program rather than a Bachelors so I wouldn’t have to deal with reapplying this fall.
-The program itself is over 100 years old and, from what I can tell, is well-known and well-established.
-It would get me more outside of my comfort zone (even though I am happy with my life now).
Cons:
-It’s in Toronto. I’m not a big-city kind of girl and get anxious whenever I am there. I enjoy nature and am not a big fan of crowds. I don’t know anyone living there. I also hate commuting.
-It’s much more expensive to live in Toronto than Waterloo.
-If I end up moving to Toronto and really don’t like it, I’m stuck there for 2 full years.
So essentially, I’m trying to choose between the city/lifestyle I want and a 2-year Masters program. Hoping to get an objective perspective on my decision. I can’t find much online regarding the ratings of each school so it’s difficult to tell which one will give me the better education. All responses are appreciated! Thanks!