queenleblanc

Just FYI, "audiological rehab" might also be called "aural rehab" and they're the same thing.  I did all my pre-reqs with Longwood Univ (which is in Virginia, out of state = $$$).  Took language dev, phonetics, A&P, intro to audiology, and neurology; Two exceptions: articulation disorders (currently online with USU) and I am getting aural rehab with my grad school for the Fall online, but I could have taken that with USU as well.  Have heard good things about all of the places offering online pre-req courses, so I really don't think you can go wrong.  Tuition cost is the biggest differentiating factor.  
 
A starting point to finding the university you want to take with -- try ASHA edfind for all online masters programs -- many of those offer pre-reqs through the online forum as well.  Longwood doesn't have proctored exams (And they make up for it by the content / coursework -- much more than what I have to do with USU, but USU has proctored, more high-stakes exams; depends on your learning / testing style).  
 
Oh -- and if you want to apply to UNC CH, make sure all pre-req courses are complete at the time of your application.  Seriously, that's the only reason my app was rejected.  I really liked another university better, but it still makes me sad, since it is my alma mater for both bachelors and previous masters degree!! South Carolina is more flexible on pre-reqs since they offer all pre-reqs during the summer sessions prior to the Fall.  I am an NC native and I can boast about the GREAT weather we have in NC, and the proximity to the coast and the mountains... a little something for everyone.  Several universities to choose from in NC as well.  SC only has 2 ASHA-accredited universities, so there is a high number of applicants for only ~60 spots between the two universities; additionally SC State is technically a MSI (or HBCU), so the applicants may be drawn to the more well-known campus in Columbia, aka very competitive applicant pool.
 
You also asked about distance ed programs -- again, that ASHA edfind -- online masters program search -- should give you a lot of results.  Western Kentucky, East Carolina, South Carolina, Nova Southeastern, and James Madison U are just a few on the eastern half of the US I recall right now.  They will all have different requirements of "on campus" time -- as little as none, and could be as much as a summer session.  Just some things to consider.  
 
Best of luck with your journey -- it's TOTALLY worth it!! 

I agree with the OP's sentiments as well as the quote above. I have some relatives who are engineers and graduated with a B.S. in some form of engineering. I have total respect for what they do! It isn't a field I wanted, and they are very passionate and hard-working in their careers. Ever since I decided I wanted to major in music performance in undergrad, and went for my Masters in teaching, it seemed like my life choices were inferior to theirs. There is no explanation I can give about the amount of hours of practicing, the hours of studying, and the difficulty of my juries that they will understand. There isn't a way to make music perf. and music ed have anything worthy of their respect. After teaching six years and my dream changing, I am now going for a MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and I am still, somehow, not worthy of any respect for my career choices from my engineering relatives. I don't care to be superior to them- thats the reverse of the problem we already have. Music ed, SLP and engineering are totally different fields, and all are necessary. I have simply decided to let it go. They will never see me as an intelligent person. They will never give me the validation that I crave, so I get that from my professional peers and colleagues and leave it at that. My need for validation can also be a personal reflection on how I have had to learn how to teach things besides music VERY quickly and without guidance, and finding success in my 4th and 5th grade math students test scores (yay!). It can also come from knowing that I am an expert in my field, and I see that in the resulting performances of my music students. So, maybe you can look for other ways to get that level of validation you crave, and allow the jerks, as you might think they are, to go their own separate way.

I have 6 years of teaching experience, a previous masters degree in teaching (no GPA's are assigned at UNC Chapel Hill), and a 3.26 from my B.Mus degree in 2006, when getting an "A" from your professors was more arbitrary than today's college courses (I can attest to that after taking online pre-req courses, where the way to an "A" was made clear).  I volunteered / worked a lot during my previous undergraduate days, going on church mission trips abroad, working at children's music camps, serving in leadership for my music education student organizations, was also a leader in my career for the same organization.  I also showed on my resume the MANY independent, self-motivated tasks I had to complete in my career as a band teacher and music teacher, which I think weighed heavily in my favor -- being a HS band director with a competitive band program is a lot more work than a regular classroom teacher.  
 
My GRE's weren't as great as others on here, but I only studied for about 2 weeks and decided if I got scores over 150, I wasn't taking it again.  157 V, 152 Q.  My AW score was lower than I expected (got 6.0 the first time in 2005, but got 4.5 this time), but I didn't worry too much about it.  
 
I also had a 4.0 in pre-reqs when I applied. My prof's who wrote recommendations were very enthusiastic about writing them, which I really think helped me out.  I got admitted to 4 of the programs where I applied (out of 7), waitlisted for 2, and rejected for 1 (didn't have enough pre-reqs complete at time of app to be competitive at UNC Chapel Hill).
 
There isn't really a summary statement that says "this is what a successful SLP applicant looks like" -- we all come from varied backgrounds, and hugely different motivations.  As a teacher-turning-to-SLP, I will tell anyone who is looking to do the same --  if your resume doesn't show that you've tried teaching at several schools with several age groups, it will look like you are just unhappy with the one school where you currently work.  I have been cut by budgets, resigned due to wanting to be at one school (not itinerate), resigned due to ethics (I refuse to change grades after already giving generously where it was not deserved), and ultimately being sick of the politics of education and NOT being able to actually teach is driving me out.  I've spent a lot of time researching the field of SLP, reading journal articles, and I also have experiences with family in SNF's.  I'm not "rosey-colored glasses" about SLP -- it will definitely be a challenging field.  It's a wonder that a PhD isn't part of the process to be a practicing SLP with the huge scope of practice!!  I think showing that honesty, and accepting the challenge, is something professors want to see in your SOP's, as well as something about what makes you -- you.  

I'm incredibly serious when I say you should purchase a dictionary, or download a dictionary app for your phone.
 
English is not my first language (Russian is) and I read the dictionary to learn many words at once. Even more, keep a thesaurus or thesaurus.com with you as you're reading the dictionary. When you encounter a word you don't know the meaning of, make an index card, or a list and write the word + definition down. THEN, go to the thesaurus, and write down a couple synonyms and antonyms for that word.
 
This is more strategic for someone trying to learn the language for practical use rather than a test like the GRE, but the dictionary and thesaurus are the basic tools for the english language. I've been speaking English for over 10 years now, and I've actually scored better on exams in English than I have in Russian. I find myself more proficient/fluent in English than Russian now, too. 
 
Take this seriously if you want to go to a grad school in the US. You'll need to write lab reports and communicate with people. Knowing the logistics as well as the syntax and alternates in the language can only help you.
 
Have you thought about getting a private tutor? 

Are you serious about practicing for this?  You cannot take a few practice sections and expect to improve after a week.  Seems what you are looking for is a specific skill you can pick up that will make you instantly better.  It doesn't exist.  I spent months practicing.  While I agree that your quant score is the most important, all scores will get to your schools of interest.  Many top schools get hundreds of applicants for a few positions.  How do they decide the order of applications?  Many will use some weighing of the GRE and GPA.
 
I don't think your verbal GRE score will hurt after the initial screening process.  Unfortunately they may weed you out of the top applicants.  It all depends on the committee and their policy with respect to international students.  You can always call the program and explain your concern and see what they say.  Don't just assume they won't care about your low verbal score.
 
Also, is your "85-90%" score in quant your percentile or just percent correct out of the section?  To prepare, I would say take 4-5 full practice tests.  The first is your baseline.  Then as you study and practice, take tests on regular intervals to see how your scores improve.  Those full tests will give you a much more accurate score.  Take your score and match it to the current percentile ranking.
 
Do I think the GRE is a bad test of someone's potential as a grad student?  Yes.  It may be even worse for international students.  But it is still required, so you should take it seriously.  You will be competing against many other highly qualified applicants, no matter what school you apply to.

I got into SUNY New Paltz off the waitlist. Finally, this process has come to an end. I want to thank you all for the support and I'll still be checking in every day. I am keeping hopes for those of you still waiting for this process to come to an end. <3

Off topic, but maybe those of you who already committed to a school can relate with me or give me some mental comfort? 
 
(summary: STRESSED beyond control... trying to take it one day at a time, but dealing with spouse's job hunt, moving, budget adjustments, feeling like the grad school thing will somehow fall through... )
 
 
I feel like life is tumbling out of control in many ways.  I am on my 6th year teaching, decided to go back to school for SLP, a new passion of mine, but going on campus (complete change of lifestyle).  I even called the graduate school yesterday just to make sure that my registration / confirmation of attending this Fall has been processed.  As soon as I had confirmation from my prof that I am going there in the Fall, I made the decision known to my principal and promptly submitted the "taking a sabbatical / continuing ed" resignation paperwork so that they can recruit someone to come fill my shoes at this little rural school (hard to find people who want to come here).  Things are working out on that front, so I feel good about it.  But now I'm literally freaking out about the "what ifs" -- what if my grad program hasn't really processed my enrollment?  what if they call me in a few weeks and say they gave my spot away because I didn't complete some kind of online script to enroll / confirm registration?  what if they call and the program is completely cut by the state budget in July?  what if I am left without a grad school and without a job come August?  AGH!! 
 
I won't feel peace about resigning at the end of my contract (teacher) until I see "registration" or "student detail schedule" on the student data online showing what classes I'm taking and ENROLLED in for the fall... I confirmed with the professor on March 12th, via email twice since then, and again last Friday on a department visit/tour.  I also called the graduate school yesterday to verify everything.  Just growing SO anxious.  I know it's going to happen, somewhere deep down, but since I turned down the other three programs where I got an offer of admission, one of those being a funded offer, I'm thinking in the back of my mind "what if this dream program falls through????"  I also have to take 3 summer classes... 1 at UAA, 1 at USU, and the last one as a non-degree stud with my Fall program... I'm registered for the first two already, but my Fall program is REALLY dragging their feet and tuition / fees are due by May 6th (and it's also the first class calendar-wise to start in May) ... this is coming up SOON!!!
 
 
On top of it all, my course this semester - intro to audiology - is in its final two weeks.  I'm freaking out a bit about that as well.  There is one module left, plus studying for the final exam.  I have a few classmates who will get together with me via skype this weekend to go over the material for the final but that adds more to my to-do list between now and Saturday as well... UGH!  
 
 
And of course since I'm a music teacher, my schedule with the end of the year only gets worse - final pk through 2 concert, EOY awards, 5th grade graduation, field day (I'm the DJ), the k-2 dance and the 3-5 dance (I'm the DJ and announcing the event for both), pressured to give money I don't have to a cause that I don't care about by a principal I'm leaving in June... and at the same time, trying to sell my townhouse (even though it's near the grad program, we want to be closer than a 35 min commute), looking for potential apartments in the event that it sells soon, packing up our rental house, finding my husband a new job in the new area, preferably in June so we can cut out our second housing expense for our current living location for jobs.... yeah, stressed is a word, might describe it a bit... UGH!  GIVE ME THE CHOCOLATE!!!  (and maybe a martini.)
 
 
Okay, had to get that out there.  Help me feel better. 
 
(ETA the summary for those who didn't want to read the whole post)

If the reference is a printed journal, even if you somehow have online access to it, you do not have to put the URL, especially if it cannot be used to verify the source by an outsider reading your paper. Reference it like a journal article or whatever it is. I wouldn't worry about the URL unless it is a webpage with potential to change content (and include access date in reference)... Especially n your circumstance, the URL is only accessible by people at your specific library or program.

The SLP I observe (10 years in the field) has said several times that "Once you leave school, nobody cares where you went. Your experience is what matters, so get good internships." 

If SLP is your dream, I wouldn't recommend getting a backup master's unless you just have extra $$$ :-)  As Midnight said, I don't think it would hurt or help either way.  
 
Choose your schools carefully, find ones that don't get as many applications and be willing to move.  Rock the GRE and write a really passionate SoP and I think you'll find you'll do better than you think!

Start collecting bed bath and beyond coupons-they take them if they are expired, too! Love their stuff for decorating! :-)

You need to do your own research.

I think it's also worth mentioning that this isn't a textbook example of nepotism. 
 
To be technical, nepotism has two requirements: That it's based on familial relationship, and that there is no basis for competency. 
 
Really, having connections based on faculty that know you is rarely either familial, or without basis in your competency. 
 
In other words, faculty will usually recommend you for positions based on some competency you have shown, rather than just that they know you/like you personally. 
 
So there's a strong networking component, but I wouldn't call it nepotism. 

Just got accepted to UNC-CH off the waitlist. WOW I am floored. I thought my decision was made already!!!!!! must talk to my mom! (mom if you're reading this, I'll call you after class haha)

About your dog: I think that depends entirely on you and your program. I am in a social science program where the majority of my analysis and writing can be done from home, and I prefer to work from home or from a library (as opposed to my cube in the windowless cube farm). When I was taking classes I was generally there from 9-6 or so, but now that my coursework is finished I am rarely at the school itself. I go for meetings, seminars, interesting kinds of things and I do most of my work remotely. My time is verrry flexible, and if my building didn't prohibit it I would get a dog in a heartbeat. Another thing to keep in mind: a dog can be a great comfort when you're all stressed out over graduate school.

Advice?

Age:
-Don't feel like you have nothing to offer just because you are younger. I was 22 when I started graduate school. You got accepted to the program for a reason, and chances are you are just as equipped as any older students are to successfully complete the program, just in a different way.

-Your older classmates may be just as terrified as you. Talk to them. You have a lot in common. You are, after all, in the same place.

-You will feel like an imposter, like you don't belong, or like you are constantly behind. Or all three. It's normal. It will pass. (Well, sort of.) People of all ages go through this.

Adviser related:
-If you are lucky enough to get both research interest fit and personality fit perfect, congratulations! But sometimes, personality fit is more important than research interest fit as long as the research isn't too different. A great adviser is interested in your career development, likes you as a person, advocates for you, and wants to hear your ideas. Even if his or her research is quite different from yours, they may give you the autonomy to work on your own projects and just supervise you. A bad personality fit will drive you nuts, even if you love his or her research. Consider that when evaluating your adviser fit. (This will vary by field: research fit may be less important in the humanities, more important in the natural and physical sciences. Social sciences are somewhere in-between.)

-Don't be afraid to be straight up blunt with your adviser when it comes to asking about your progress. Ask if you are where you should be both academic program wise and getting-a-job-after-this-mess-wise.

-Be proactive. Advisers love when you draw up an agenda for your one-on-one meetings, come with talking points and progress to share, have concrete questions to ask, and have overall shown that you have been thoughtful and taken control of your own program. Of course, this won't immediately come easily to you, but in time you will work up to it. Every semester I type up my semester goals, and at the beginning of the year I type up annual goals. I show them to my adviser and we talk about whether they are too ambitious, or whether I need to revise them, and how I can meet them.

-Don't expect your adviser to actually know what courses you have to take to graduate. They will know about comprehensive exams and the dissertation, but a lot of professors don't really keep up with the course requirements, especially if their program is in flux. Get you a student handbook, and find out what you need to take. Map it out in a grid, and check off things when you finish them. Show this to your adviser every semester. You may have to explain how such and such class fills a requirement.

-Nobody loves you as much as you, except your mother. Keep this in mind as you take in advice from all sources, including your adviser. Your adviser is there to guide you, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything he says.

Studying:
-You will have to read more than you ever did before, in less time than you ever have before, and you will be expected to retain more than you ever have before. The way that you studied in undergrad may need some tweaking. Be prepared for this.

-Corollary: you may find that your methods change with age or interests or time. I preferred to study alone in college, but in grad school, I prefer to study in groups. It keeps me on task and the socialization keeps me motivated. You may find that you shift from being a more auditory learner to a visual learner or whatever.

-You will feel behind at first. This is normal.

-At some point you will realize that your professors don't actually expect you to read everything they assign you. This, of course, will vary by program, but there will be at least one class where the reading is actually impossible to do in one week. The point is to read enough that you know the major themes and can talk intelligently about them, and then pick some of the readings to really dig into and think more deeply about.

-For most programs, don't worry so much about grades. If you stay on top of your work and do what you're supposed to, you will probably get an A. How much grades matter varies from program to program. In some programs, a B is a signal that you are not up to par, and more than a few Bs will warrant a discussion with your adviser or the DGS. My program isn't like that - A, B, it's all meaningless. My adviser doesn't even know what my grades are. But at almost all programs, a C means you need to retake the course, and two Cs means you have to convince the DGS not to kick you out.

Extracurricular activity: What's that? No, seriously:
-A lot of your time will be unstructured. You will have coursework, but most grad classes meet once a week for two hours and you may have three classes. You may have meetings with your adviser every so often and some seminars or things to catch (like we have grand rounds and colloquia that are required), but a lot of time will be unstructured. However, since you have so much more work than you had in undergrad, you actually will have less free time than you had in undergrad. This may initially cause you great anxiety. It did for me. Some people love unstructured time, though. (I don't.)

-Because of this, you'll have to be planful about your non-grad school related stuff.

-TAKE TIME OFF. DO it. It's important for your mental health. However you do it doesn't matter. Some people work it like a 9-5 job. Some people take a day off per week (me) and maybe a few hours spread across the week. Some people work half days 7 days a week. However you do it, there needs to be a time when you say "f this, I'm going to the movies."

-Find your happy place, something that keeps you the you you were when you came in. I love working out. It gives me energy and I feel good. I stay healthy. I also love reading fiction, so sometimes I just curl up with a good book, work be damned. You have to give yourself permission to not think about work, at least for a couple of hours a week. You may also discover new hobbies! (I never worked out before I came to graduate school.)

-Your work will creep into all aspects of your life, if you let it. This is why I hate unstructured time. You will feel guilty for not doing something, because in graduate school, there is ALWAYS something you can do. ALWAYS. But since there will always be more work, there's no harm in putting it aside for tomorrow, as long as you don't have a deadline.

-You may need to reach outside of your cohort for a social life. None of my close friends are in my doctoral cohort. I've met master's students in my program, master's students in other programs, and I know a few non-graduate students I hang out with, too. Go to graduate student mixers. (If your university doesn't have any, organize some, if you like planning parties.) Join a student group that doesn't take up too much time. I had a doctoral acquaintance who kinda laughed at me because I joined some student groups other than the doctoral student one, and I was usually the only doctoral student in those groups, but I met some close friends (and future job contacts) and had a good time.

-DO NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR WANTING A LIFE OUTSIDE OF GRADUATE SCHOOL. This is paramount. This is important. You are a well-rounded, complex, multifaceted human being. NEVER feel bad for this. Everybody wants some kind of life outside of work. Yes, you may loooove your field, but that doesn't mean you want to do it all day long. Some other doctoral students, and perhaps professors, may make you feel bad about this. Don't let them. Just smile and nod. Then disappear when you need to.

Career:
-This is job preparation. Remember that from Day One. Always be looking for ways to enhance your skills. Read job ads and find out what's hot in your field, what's necessary, what's in demand. For example, in my field statistics and methods are a hot commodity, and they're not a passing fad. I happen to really like statistics and methods, so I have pursued that as a concentration of mine.

-Don't be afraid to take on volunteer work and part-time gigs that will give you skills that will be useful both inside academia and out, as long as it's not against your contract. Your adviser may be against it, but he doesn't have to know as long as it doesn't interfere with your work.

-If you want to work outside of academia - if you are even *considering* the possibility - please please definitely do the above. Even if you aren't considering it, consider the possibility that you won't get a tenure-track job out the box and that you may need to support yourself doing something else for a while. You will have to prove to employers that you have developed usable, useful skills and this is one of the easiest ways to do it. But don't overdo it - get the degree done.

-For more academic related ones - always look for opportunities to present and publish. Presentations look good on your CV. Publications look better. When you write seminar papers, wonder if you can publish them with some revision. Write your seminar papers on what you maybe think you may want to do your dissertation on. Even if you look at them three years later and think "these suck," you can at least glean some useful references and pieces from them. Discuss publication with your adviser early and often, and if you have the time and desire, seek out publication options with other professors and researchers. But if you commit to a project, COMMIT. You don't want to leave a bad impression.

-If you can afford it, occasionally go to conferences even if you aren't presenting. You can network, and you can hear some interesting talks, and you may think about new directions for your own research. You can also meet people who may tell you about jobs, money, opportunities, etc.

-Always try to get someone else to pay for conference travel before you come out of pocket. Including your adviser. Do not be shy about asking if he or she can pay. If he can't, he'll just say no. Usually the department has a travel fund for students, but often it's only if you are presenting.

-If you are interested in academia, you should get some teaching experience. There are two traditional ways to do this: TAing a course, and teaching as a sole instructor. If you can help it, I wouldn't recommend doing a sole instructor position until you are finished with coursework. Teaching takes a LOT of time to do right. You should definitely TA at least one course, and probably a few different ones. But don't overdo it, if you can help it, because again, it takes a LOT of time. More than you expect at the outset. If you are in the humanities, I think sole instructor positions are very important for nabbing jobs so when you are in the exam/ABD phase, you may want to try at least one. If your own university has none, look at adjuncting for nearby colleges, including community colleges. (I would wager that the majority of natural science/physical science students, and most social science students, have never sole taught a class before they get an assistant professor job. At least, it's not that common n my field, which straddles the social and natural sciences.)

-Always look for money. Money is awesome. If you can fund yourself you can do what you want, within reason. Your university will be thrilled, your adviser will be happy, and you can put it on your CV. It's win-win-win! Don't put yourself out of the running before anyone else has a chance to. Apply even if you think you won't get it or the odds are against you (they always are), as long as you are eligible. Apply often. Apply even if it's only $500. (That's conference travel!) Money begets money. The more awards you get, the more awards you will get. They will get bigger over time. If you are in the sciences and social sciences, you should get practice writing at least one grant. You don't have to write the whole thing, but at least get in on the process so that you can see how it's done. Grant-writing is very valuable both in and outside of graduate school.

-Revise your CV every so often. Then look and decide what you want to add to it. Then go get that thing, so you can add it.

-The career office at big universities is often not just for undergrads. I was surprised to learn that my career center offers help on CV organization and the academic job search, as well as alternative/non-academic career searches for doctoral students. In fact, there are two people whose sole purpose it is to help PhD students find nonacademic careers, and they both have PhDs. This will vary by university - some universities will have very little for grad students. Find out before you write the office off.

-It's never too early to go to seminars/workshops like "the academic job search inside and out", "creating the perfect CV," "getting the job," etc. NEVER. Often the leader will share tips that are more aimed towards early graduate students, or tidbits that are kind of too late for more advanced students to take care of. This will also help you keep a pulse on what's hot in your field. It'll help you know what lines you need to add to your CV. And they're interesting.

Other:

-Decide ahead of time what you are NOT willing to sacrifice on the altar of academia. Then stick to it.
I'm serious. If you decide that you do NOT want to sacrifice your relationship, don't. If it's your geographical mobility, don't. I mean, be realistic, and realize that there will always be trade-offs. But you have to think about what's important to you for your quality of life, and realize that there is always more to you than graduate school.

-If you don't want to be a professor, do not feel guilty about this. At all. Zero. However, you will have to do things differently than most doctoral students. Your adviser will probably never have worked outside of the academy (although this may vary depending on the field) so he may or may not be able to help you. But you have a special mission to seek out the kinds of experiences that will help you find a non-academic job. Test the waters with your adviser before you tell him this. My adviser was quite amenable to it, but that's because I told him that my goal was to still do research and policy work in my field just not at a university, AND because it's quite common in my field for doctoral students to do non-academic work. If you're in a field where it's not common (or where your professors refuse to believe it's common, or it's not supposed to be common)…well, you may be a little more on your own.

-Every so often, you will need to reflect on the reasons you came to graduate school. Sometimes, just sit and think quietly. Why are you doing this to yourself? Do you love your field? Do you need this degree to do what you want to do? Usually the answer is yes and yes, and usually you'll keep on trucking. But sometimes when the chips are down you will need to reevaluate why you put yourself through this in the first place.

-To my great dismay, depression is quite common in doctoral students. Graduate work can be isolating and stressful. Luckily your health insurance usually includes counseling sessions. TAKE THEM if you need them. Do not be ashamed. You may be surprised with who else is getting them. (I found out that everyone in my cohort, including me, was getting mental health counseling at a certain point.) Exercise can help, as can taking that mental health day once a week and just chilling. Don't be surprised if you get the blues…

-…but be self-aware and able to recognize when the depression is clouding your ability to function. Doctoral programs have a 50% attrition rate, and this is rarely because that 50% is less intelligent than, less motivated than, less driven than, or less ambitious than the other 50% that stays. Often they realize that they are ridiculously unhappy in the field, or that they don't need the degree anymore, or that they'd rather focus on other things in life, or their interests have changed. All of this is okay!

-You will, at some point, be like "eff this, I'm leaving." I think almost every doctoral student has thought about dropping out and just kicking this all to the curb. You need to listen to yourself, and find out whether it is idle thought (nothing to worry about, very normal) or whether you are truly unhappy to the point that you need to leave. Counseling can help you figure this out.

-Don't be afraid to take a semester or a year off if you need to. That's what leaves of absence are for.

Lastly, and positively…

…graduate school is great! Seriously, when else will you ever have the time to study what you want for hours on end, talk to just as interested others about it, and live in an intellectual community of scholars and intellectuals? And occasionally wake up at 11 am and go to the bank at 2 pm? Sometimes you will want to pull out all of your hair but most of the time, you will feel fulfilled and wonderfully encouraged and edified. So enjoy this time!

Kcald, I am planning to take Artic this summer too. Well be online classmates!!

Ahhhhhh finally a waitlist. They seem to be discouraging around here but as his last chance at grad school this year, my husband was pretty dang excited, let me tell you!

Yay, my official acceptance letter from Montclair came today! So happy that it's really official now and it wasn't a mistake It was a one page letter. They said I have until April 19th to decide, sign and return the letter, and put down a $200 deposit. The letter didn't say anything about an accepted students day; I wish they were having one so I can meet some of my future classmates. Since Temple doesn't look like they're accepting anyone else, I'm 99% sure I will be attending Montclair in the fall! The one positive thing about that is it's making my decision very easy. They also said that they will accept my Utah State courses so it looks like I only need to take 2 or 3 more classes this summer to be caught up with all of the prereqs! I believe I told someone that Montclair gives out 5 grad assistantships each year, but I think I was wrong. I believe they only give 2 away and we won't find out until the summer if we got one. Either way, I will be paying in-state tuition which will be a much more affordable option for me compared to Syracuse. I will be notifying Syracuse that I'm turning down their offer so hopefully this will help someone on the waitlist. Looks like I should notify the schools where I was waitlisted to take me off the waitlist. Phew, looks like this crazy admissions process is finally drawing to a close for me!

"Hi professor ____, I would really like your advice on making improvements to my work. As I revise this document, what suggestions can you offer on where to start? I looked over the document and I do see some obvious changes, but I would really appreciate your feedback. Perhaps this would be better done in a meeting, where you can mark up the paper for me to work on." Blah blah blah. Get through this... Because as my mom always tells me when I get frustrated with people in charge of my work, "This too shall pass." You are going through the typical grad school dejection and frustration. People experience this to different degrees, and yours sounds exceptionally hard, but it is not impossible. Do what the prof wants, be happy with your quality of work, and try to move on! :-)

I broke down crying in my advisor's office today.

I'm a first year graduate student, and this weekend I just finished up a huge project that required me to work at 200% capacity for over a month. I had a quiz today that I studied for, but I was so tired that I didn't retain anything I read. Tears welled up during the quiz, and I kept my head down for the duration of the class period.

After class, I went into my advisor's office to apologize for my poor performance on the quiz. He looked at me very kindly; I burst into tears at his hint of compassion. He then took the quiz from my hands, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash bin. After giving me a hug, he told me to enjoy the beautiful day with my family and not to crack open a book for the rest of the day.

I greatly respect my advisor and deeply admire his work, but I have always been intimidated by him and rather shy around him. I never expected this kind of response from him.

I knew people in my department were human, but this level of understanding astounded me. I am so thankful that THERE IS GRACE IN GRADUATE SCHOOL, and you DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT!

I hope this story encourages others who are going through tough times in school -- we all do.

I got into San Francisco State!!!    .... freaking out. Don't know what to do!!

It's unethical because you're being dishonest and manipulative. You do not plan to tell the UK school your intentions-- in your initial post, you say that you intend to keep the faculty in the dark until the end when you withdraw. That is dishonest; the UK school would be under the impression that you were using their funds to attend their program, not someone else's. There is no universe in which that is ethical; purposefully withholding information from someone is dishonesty-- it's that simple. And academic dishonesty can get you suspended from your program and seriously cripple your future career prospects.
 
You say that the funding is external. Where exactly is it coming from? If it requires you to enroll for three years at the UK program, then obviously it's linked somehow to that program and not truly external. If you can't legally transfer the funding to the other European school by contacting the funding agency and filing the appropriate paperwork, then that's a pretty clear sign that you aren't able to use that funding there, and you shouldn't try to do so anyway via this underhanded, secretive scheme of yours. It doesn't matter if the funding is coming from the UK school or the UK government or a private agency that requires you to study at a UK school... if a requirement for the funding is to enroll at the UK school for three years, the implication is that the funding is for work done at that UK school, not somewhere else.
 
On top of all of this, it is unethical to take up two admission spots when you are just one person. It's like someone taking up two seats on a bus/train while there are other people standing. There are tons of applicants out there on waiting lists for both of your schools, and by accepting both offers you are unfairly preventing someone else from attending a graduate program. If you're selfish enough, that won't matter to you... but it is still unethical.
 
The only way to do this right is to tell both schools upfront exactly what you plan to do. You need to tell the UK school that you plan to use their money to study somewhere else and then ditch them once enough time has elapsed to prevent the funding from being taken away from you. Then you need to tell the other school that you plan to simultaneously enroll in a different institution just to use their funding. Both schools need to know that you will be officially accepting two offers at the same time. There can be no lying... contrary to what you think, academic honesty does require full disclosure, and both schools need to hear the full story with all of the details. There's a very good chance that neither school will be impressed with this plan, and you should be prepared for one or both of them to tell you "no" and rescind your offer if you attempt it behind their backs. Just because one teacher at the European school is okay with the idea doesn't mean that the school as a whole will be. You need to talk to everyone involved-- your advisor, the head of graduate studies, and higher-ups in the graduate school itself at both institutions. They all need to be okay with it.
 
If you do try this without telling anyone your intentions, prepare to make a lot of enemies. It is inevitable that people will find out what you did-- don't think that they won't. Even if you manage to keep everyone in the dark until you withdraw from the UK school (which is unlikely), they're going to know that something's up when you withdraw. It would be incredibly easy for them to look you up and see that you had been enrolled in another institution all along. So it's not a matter of *if* they find out, but when. And when they do, you'll need to be prepared for some really unfavorable consequences. People within a given field communicate extensively, and word will get around. The guy at the UK school may not be a specialist in your specific subfield, but that doesn't matter at all. I study behavioral entomology, but if I pissed off a professor who specializes in something else (ecology, systematics, IPM... it doesn't matter), you can bet that that professor would tell the others and the news would spread like wildfire. The same would happen in your situation, and this would be damaging to your entire career. Not only would the people at the UK school contact the people at the European institution (who might be so displeased at your dishonesty that they suspend you from their program entirely), but they'll also contact their colleagues at other schools to warn them about you. Good luck finding a job after graduation with so many people in your field harboring a very unfavorable opinion of you! Even if you can manage to apply to a job with someone who has not heard about your past, that employer could very well call up your old PhD advisor for information about you (this happens very often)-- and then that employer would get the news and probably reject your application then and there. Ask yourself... what would you think if you were that employer? Here's a job candidate who has a track record of being dishonest and underhanded-- would you want him working in your organization? Would you feel that you are able to trust him? Absolutely not.
 
I'm not trying to scold you or anything. I'm trying to advise you to not do something that could damage your entire career as well as unfairly prevent another deserving applicant from getting into one of these programs. Just because you know someone else who did something similar does not make it right. If that person did it underhandedly too, then it's unethical for all of the same reasons that I described here. If he did it openly, though, then that should be a clear sign to you that the only way that this arrangement can work is if you are honest and fully disclose your entire plan to both schools.
 
When academics work simultaneously at two institutions, it's because they've arranged to do so openly and legally. There is a huge difference between an open collaboration with another university or serving as an adjunct faculty member at a different institution and the type of secretive, dishonest scheme you're thinking about. The former two arrangements do not keep anyone in the dark; both institutions know the details of the arrangement, and the people participating in that arrangement have gone through all of the official channels and done all of the right paperwork to set it up. You would not be doing that. You would be lying (by omission) and hoping that you don't get caught.
 
My advice is to go to the European school if you have powerful, personal reasons to be in that country. Defer your admission for a year if you need time to secure truly independent funding via legal and ethical means. Forget about the UK school and their funding-- it's only for people going to that school. Just suck it up and accept that you can't have your cake and eat someone else's cake too. Pick one program and stick to it, for your own sake.

I've been absent from the threads for a while but I've been keeping up with everyone.  Congrats to everyone who's gotten good news! To everyone else, don't despair - I do believe everything happens for a reason. You'll end up exactly where you need to be, even if you don't know where that is yet!
 
I officially accepted McGill's offer this morning. Looks like I will be returning to Canada after all It was very hard to turn down my alma mater but I just know this is the right decision. So excited for the upcoming adventure!!

First of all....you are not worthless, far from it. I know it sucks, it really does. My biggest problem last year was having someone (admissions committee) tell me I wasn't good enough,it is hard not to take it personally. With that being said, I used that feeling as fuel for the fire. It doesn't have to be over, if in your heart you know that SLP is for you, you can make it happen. Start working on Plan B, C, and D if you haven't already. If you want things to change you have to be the force behind it! Contact the schools you applied to after the season winds down and ask what they think you should improve. If you need any advice or someone to chat with PM me, I really know the feeling, but so many things can change in a year! Don't lose hope....

Right -- I meant to say federally unsubsidized loans -- you're right. That means you can be on deferment while in school.

You can also apply for private loans with Sallie Mae.

I got an email from my discover card that they are now offering student loans -- I'm going to look into that option too. "student loans" usually means deferred repayment, or maintaining very small payments on auto-draft (like $25 a month)- so while the overall amount at the end is going to be kind of high, it will be worth it.

Here is the ASHA page with FAQ's on the current student loan forgiveness program:

http://www.asha.org/advocacy/FAQLoanForgiveness.htm


Here is some info about the new student loan forgiveness program being proposed for SLP's and audiologists, which may help those of us who want to work outside of a school. The petition for this new bill -- to give loan forgiveness for SLP's and Aud's in "scarcity areas" is here:
http://www.capwiz.com/asha2/issues/alert/?alertid=62413836