rickthesheriff

Some of my opinions, based on what I have learned so far: positive aspects of the program - the clinic! I have been in contact with two students who state that the clinical experience is very positive. I have never seen a graduate clinic treat such a diverse range of communication disorders. (the clinic at my undergrad is tiny and only treats only a few types of communication disorders, with the expectation that you will get more exposure during externships.) here's the link for SU - http://csd.syr.edu/gebbie/Speech_services.html courses - compared to other schools I researched/applied to, this one has more to offer (including a lot of one credit electives to choose from). course descriptions here: http://csd.syr.edu/academics/Gradcoursedescriptions.html The interactions I have had with faculty were pleasant. After being accepted I received a personal email from one faculty member who encouraged me to call/email her with any questions. Also, the professor who interviewed me seemed sweet/helpful. cost - the scholarship I received will make this the cheapest option by far for me, which makes price a major pro in my situation. it seems like others got funding as well. area - I really like upstate NY and don't mind snow size - last year the class size was 32 (I applied to schools that have larger programs, most about 35-50). So for me this is a plus outcomes - as with most SLP programs, employment, praxis passing rate, and graduation rates are at or near 100%... so they must be doing something right! negative aspects of program - potential lack of support/disorganization - these comments have popped up, and I think it's important to be mindful of word of mouth reviews. I am a very independent person so having a super supportive program was not a priority for me. However, I would never want to feel isolated. If I go there I will probably try to connect with a professor who can serve as a mentor. (and makes lots of friends, of course!) - - obviously, my thoughts on SU are very positive. This is because I am probably going to attend. I think wherever I end up as long as I go in with a positive frame of mind I will be happy.

I have also been accepted to syracuse and I am interested in learning more about it as well. yancey - I'm confused by those links, the one about facilitated communication was from the Syracuse education program (which is different from the CSD program). Was there anything in there I missed about the csd program?

I also recommend speaking with Dr. Millar - she spoke with me for a while and also gave me the emails of some current students so I could see the student's perspective.

Hi! I also was accepted to University of Montana. I will not be attending and unfortunately do not know a ton about the program, but I can tell you that this is a relatively new program. Therefore I would not be concerned that it is unranked. I believe it just recently became officially accredited. (Before 2014 it was under a provisional accreditation for programs less than five years old). The most recent rankings are from 2012, so at the time perhaps not enough was known about the program to give it an official ranking. From what I've heard it's a fantastic program (and Montana would be an amazing place to live!!). Congrats and good luck

I know that the University of Virginia offers a M.Ed. degree. I have found that a lot of schools are hesitant to say they specialize in a certain area, because even if they do they want to appeal to a variety of students. You can always ask programs "what sort of opportunities do you have for students interested in working in schools?". If you can get in contact with any school SLPs and ask about their graduate school experience, that may help. Also, take a close look at the clinical program of the schools you may be interested in. Grad programs will require a variety of placements to adhere to ASHA certification regulations, but you may find programs which allow you to spend more time in educational placements.

I also would look at schools that require an interview. If you think you have a chance of qualifying for an interview at certain schools, you could wow them in person. Having a great impression on an admissions committee member could be super beneficial, even more so than having the best GPA/GRE. Also, though I have not done this, I have heard of students asking for interviews at schools that do not typically conduct interviews. I'm not sure which schools do this. My undergrad recommends making connections with programs. It may seem awkward sometimes to email/call people, but it is so worth it. Try researching schools and come up with an intelligent question to ask. Or you can even email programs saying "this is where I'm at, I really want to attend your school for these reasons, what can I do to improve my application?" Kudos to you for starting early.

Thank you all for the insight! And positive thoughts (awesome username btw), for these two programs there were no additional requirements for the scholarship/assistantship. I did apply to a few programs which required an additional application, but it was made very clear (for example, one program emailed all applicants instructions on how to apply for assistantships). I have heard how crazy grad school can be. I have always worked way too much, but I would hate to burn out/not get the most of my experience. Phaedra - congrats on your acceptances! Applying to schools was such a process, and I honestly never thought about this part (deciding between schools). I hope the decision comes easily to you! Good luck to everyone

I have been accepted to a few programs so far. I wanted to get this discussion going because this dilemma is not uncommon. Every situation is unique, and it's a tough call. My situation - School A will pay about 85% tuition and requires me to work 15-20 hours a week. School B is offering me a scholarship which will cover my tuition. (I do not need to work). I definitely like school A more than I like school B. However, school A is not my dream school, and I do not dislike anything about school B. So they are both somewhere in the middle for me, but I like school A more. I am still waiting to hear from two of my dream schools. I'll be lucky if I get accepted, and I do not expect to get any sort of scholarship/assistantship. If I am accepted I am not sure how it will factor into my decision. At this point, I am not sure I can justify spending 50,000 more over the course of two years. (I'm in debt from undergrad and my parents can't chip in for school) I was shocked/honored/excited to receive money from schools. Wherever I end up I will probably have a great experience, but I would appreciate any additional insight! (what would you do, similar situations, etc.)

I believe the last day of phone interviews is tomorrow, so it will probably be at least another week... hopefully sooner though!

I also got the email about funding opportunities

Most components of my app were in by late December, but it was not "complete/ready for review" until 1/24

The other day I suddenly became worried that my application essays were horrible, or that maybe one of my references said I was not fit for grad school. It's so absurd because I spent endless amounts of time writing my essays and I know my LOR writers so well... why am I so paranoid?!

I also applied and received the invite. I was not sure if they sent it to everyone or not.. it was almost a month after I submitted though which seemed strange

I went to an info session and David Ingram said there would not be interviews, only open houses. This was because the interview process was not as helpful as they wanted it to be last year. He said this back in September though so things might have changed since then. Hopefully we'll know within the next two weeks..