Advice needed
Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to get some advice on how to move forward career-wise and academically.
I applied to the Fall 2026 BSW programs at UBC and NVIT but unfortunately did not get in. I want to stay in the Lower Mainland, so those were my main options. (UBC I am guessing is because of my GPA and NVIT said something about not having enough transferrable credits, but could also be GPA related)
I already have a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from SFU, but I wasn’t able to find work related to my degree and have wanted to transition into social work for quite a while now. I also struggled academically during my undergrad due to undiagnosed ADHD, which impacted my GPA significantly so applying to masters is not an option. Since graduating, I’ve taken additional courses to try to improve it, but I guess it still wasn’t competitive enough.
At the moment, I have around 600 volunteer hours and plan to continue gaining more experience before reapplying next cycle.
The main issue I’m running into with getting experience in the field is that many entry-level jobs require either related education or work experience, so it has been difficult to get started professionally.
Right now, I’m considering doing the Social Work Certificate at TRU because it includes a placement component at the end and could help me gain practical experience and possibly qualify for related work while I reapply. My concern is that the certificate courses do not transfer toward UBC GPA calculations, so it may not help much academically for admissions purposes.
I’m 26 and have spent a long time in school already, so I’m trying to make a practical decision that gives me both career stability and a realistic path into social work.
I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.