mystiqueSLP

I'm considering the same things but I think considering your future circumstances and the kind of person you are when it comes to money is important. I've heard of people with a lot of loans who pay them off quickly and people with relatively small loans who take decades to pay them off.
 
In my future, I know for sure that I can probably live with my parents for a few years (even if I don't want to) and save up to pay off as much of my loans as quickly as possible. I know that I don't like spending money and will have no problem living without cable or the latest fashion trends. I will be quite happy in a room with a bed, Internet, running water, and food.
 
And personally, I'm also thinking about what experiences are worth having and if I want to risk reapplying and possibly getting in nowhere next time. Despite my hesitation with its tuition, I think NYU would be fantastic for me and I think going to school and working in the city will force me to grow up quickly since I went to a nearby state school.
 
I know NY has a loan forgiveness program with the Dept of Education but I'm not clear on the specifics.

After a lot of going back and forth, I've officially decided on Montclair
 
Both NYU and Montclair are very different and both have good and bad things. I think my mom brought up an interesting point, which was, "You keep talking about which school is good for you but what about which school would you, in this moment right now in life as a student, do well in?" and Montclair won hands down. NYU would be an amazing experience but I just know that, academically, it would be tough for me. The commute would kill a lot of time that I could have used for studying or just anything. I would just stress out over public transportation before a class or an exam and I think NYU would be a more attractive choice if I were to live in NYC. I love NYU and the city but, as a student, I would just not do well there and it would seem crazy to choose such an expensive school and end up not doing well there.
 
I also feel like this is the most sensible choice I have ever made in my life (I usually go for the irrational choice to prove everyone wrong!)   Good luck to everyone still waiting or deciding!

I was accepted by two programs with none of the pre-reqs completed so it's definitely not impossible.

matrixgrl09, I agree with this advice. I know it's hard to appreciate it right now (especially since you're still waiting on a school) but you really should start looking into the weak parts of your application and see what you can start fixing ASAP. Summer is the perfect time for extra classes, more volunteering experience, etc.
 
Are you out-of-field? You mention having pre-reqs done for the SLP major, did you do a post-bacc already?

ok.

Montclair State University Congrats everyone - we did it!

Montclair State University Congrats everyone - we did it!

Thank you! I'm really excited!
 
 
and matrixgrl09: Don't worry! It looks like you're still waiting on 2 schools and waitlisted at 2 others so you might get in somewhere in the end 

After a lot of going back and forth, I've officially decided on Montclair
 
Both NYU and Montclair are very different and both have good and bad things. I think my mom brought up an interesting point, which was, "You keep talking about which school is good for you but what about which school would you, in this moment right now in life as a student, do well in?" and Montclair won hands down. NYU would be an amazing experience but I just know that, academically, it would be tough for me. The commute would kill a lot of time that I could have used for studying or just anything. I would just stress out over public transportation before a class or an exam and I think NYU would be a more attractive choice if I were to live in NYC. I love NYU and the city but, as a student, I would just not do well there and it would seem crazy to choose such an expensive school and end up not doing well there.
 
I also feel like this is the most sensible choice I have ever made in my life (I usually go for the irrational choice to prove everyone wrong!)   Good luck to everyone still waiting or deciding!

After a lot of going back and forth, I've officially decided on Montclair
 
Both NYU and Montclair are very different and both have good and bad things. I think my mom brought up an interesting point, which was, "You keep talking about which school is good for you but what about which school would you, in this moment right now in life as a student, do well in?" and Montclair won hands down. NYU would be an amazing experience but I just know that, academically, it would be tough for me. The commute would kill a lot of time that I could have used for studying or just anything. I would just stress out over public transportation before a class or an exam and I think NYU would be a more attractive choice if I were to live in NYC. I love NYU and the city but, as a student, I would just not do well there and it would seem crazy to choose such an expensive school and end up not doing well there.
 
I also feel like this is the most sensible choice I have ever made in my life (I usually go for the irrational choice to prove everyone wrong!)   Good luck to everyone still waiting or deciding!

Put down a deposit for NYU today!    /
 
Still going to visit Montclair and think it over more next week though. If I like Montclair's program, I'll just have to lose my deposit at NYU...hope everything works out in the end! 

Put down a deposit for NYU today!    /
 
Still going to visit Montclair and think it over more next week though. If I like Montclair's program, I'll just have to lose my deposit at NYU...hope everything works out in the end! 

Put down a deposit for NYU today!    /
 
Still going to visit Montclair and think it over more next week though. If I like Montclair's program, I'll just have to lose my deposit at NYU...hope everything works out in the end! 

Congrats on NYU! So you'll definitely attend NYU this fall if you're not accepted elsewhere? A lot of people are concerned about the tuition costs for NYU which is why I'm asking.
 
I'll be attending the luncheon event so we'll probably run into each other! 

Congrats! You should post this and any info about Montclair in the The mini open house for accepted students is on April 15th at 12:30pm.

I second whoever said to go to less competitive areas. For example, I got into some really "top" ranked schools but was waitlisted at CU Boulder. Did you know that the majority of states on the West Coast get in-state tuition there? To me that said 5+ states are full on applying there which makes it harder to get in, even if it's not a competitive program. 
 
My friend also applied at Towson (very lowly ranked) and she didn't get in because they told her 80+ people applied to their incredibly small school. 
 
 
At Nebraska, they offered me a fellowship and admitted me into both their SLP and Au.D programs. This tells me they need people! Apply where not everyone else does!

My Montclair application status changed over the weekend but I received my acceptance email today

I think a lot of first-time applicants underestimate how competitive the field is. It really isn't communicated to you until you're actually stressing out over decisions. I thought my application was ok, not great, but pretty ok until I started reading the results page and the threads on this board. I just knew I was in danger with a low overall GPA (3.2) and applying to pretty competitive schools afterwards.
 
My advice would be to work on weak points of your application and cast a much wider net, especially if you're not geographically restricted. My advisor said that one problem for first-time applicants is that they try to stay close to home. His point was basically, "You're just putting another restrictive factor when it's already competitive enough."
 
My goal was to get away from NJ as far as possible so I don't know what I'm going to do yet - reapply or attend NYU (I'm assuming Montclair is a rejection). I would probably work on my GPA, maybe get more experience, and definitely give myself more time to prepare the application (I really rushed through it in December at the last minute which probably affected my SOPs).
 
Good luck to all! Some of you might end up hearing from your waitlists in the end 

Hi everyone! I know some people weren't able to go to NYU's admitted student event so I'm going to list a few things that I learned about at the event.
 
I don't know what constitutes as a "good" event or a bad one since this was my first (and most likely only) event.
 
Things that stood out to me:
 
- You can take pre-reqs concurrently with some graduate courses. You can also take some pre-reqs this summer.
- NYU really appreciates students who don't have a CSD background. Students who don't have pre-reqs aren't treated as "below" students who have a CSD background.
- There is on-campus clinical practicum and off-campus practicum. The school encourages students to finish all required courses before off-campus practicum so you get your pick of placements, more time to focus, and it will be cheaper since the two off-campus practicum courses are considered full-time even though they're only 1 credit each.
- On-campus practicum at the Cooke Center with adults with Huntington's disease
- There are off-campus areas affiliated with NYU in New Jersey and Connecticut so you can fulfill your off-campus practicum requirements there as well
- Different electives, including one on baby trachs, an inter-disciplinary course with nutrition science on dysphagia, and another with vocal performers
- NYU has a pretty in-depth curriculum (53 credits + 24 pre-req credits) and they claim that this allows NYU students to get better placements in the city over other NY schools
- Individualized advising and course plan so you take the classes you need/want and go at your own pace (you don't have to finish such and such by this date)
- Class sizes are typically around 20 students and since everyone is taking whatever class they need, the people in your class will vary which I find to be a lot more interesting. You get to meet more people and it isn't as boring where you're stuck with the same people in all of your classes who you may or may not like.
- Study abroad in Lund, Sweden
- All of the students said that the program was challenging and intense
 
Financial aspects:
 
- The financial aid package is the max amount including tuition, fees and room + board. You can choose to take what you need.
 
I talked with a few current students about how expensive NYU is. Almost all of the students said they were receiving financial aid (loans + work-study). They also said that they were not concerned at all about paying their loans off after graduating since, they said, that this is an in-demand field where getting a job is no problem and the average salary for SLPs in NYC is $120,000. They were all really confident that they would be able to pay everything off eventually. I asked if they knew anyone who graduated and had any problems and they said that everyone they knew had a job and were in the process of paying their loans back without an issue. They also said that they see the cost of NYU as "worth it", that NYU may be expensive but you get what you paid for.
 
I don't know if they were just sugar-coating but I also somewhat doubt that all of NYU grad students end up in a miserable sea of debt after graduating.
 
- Work-study includes any jobs around campus or doing research with one of the professors.
 
Overall feel:
 
- The professors seemed genuinely nice and excited to meet us. The financial aid lady was also really nice. The current students all seem to really love NYU's program and everyone was so friendly and open. It also seems like the students get along with their professors really well.
- They emphasized a feeling of "community" for their students and that a lot of students become friends with each other. They try to hold events and have fun but they also noted that you have to reach out.
- Their on-campus clinic is small but it looks really nice. There was an area for observations and another area where students can just study together. 
- The city itself is just great. Being able to do your practicum in such a large city with so many different types of people is awesome.
 
Random:
- There was food, the tech guy was really slick, and their pens had purple ink. One girl asked if NYU had a medical setting emphasis since she had an interest in that and the department chair told her that their program prepared them for any setting, she basically said "I want you to be able to observe and treat a client with what you have in your pockets".
 
I know this event was trying to draw students to join so obviously there was some sugar-coating involved. But with the rumors surrounding NYU's program, I must say that I'm impressed. I expected a disorganized mess with professors phoning it in and snotty current students who looked down on us. But the event was organized and done efficiently. The current students who took us for tours didn't try to finish up by any set time and stuck around to answer questions long after the tour was over (at least the student I was with did).
 
Either way, NYU sure knows how to sell itself! And personally for me, NYU offers a LOT more than Montclair in terms of clinical and real life experiences so I'm really leaning towards NYU now. I hope this helps someone and counters some of the bad rumors! Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them. Good luck everyone!

Hi everyone! I know some people weren't able to go to NYU's admitted student event so I'm going to list a few things that I learned about at the event.
 
I don't know what constitutes as a "good" event or a bad one since this was my first (and most likely only) event.
 
Things that stood out to me:
 
- You can take pre-reqs concurrently with some graduate courses. You can also take some pre-reqs this summer.
- NYU really appreciates students who don't have a CSD background. Students who don't have pre-reqs aren't treated as "below" students who have a CSD background.
- There is on-campus clinical practicum and off-campus practicum. The school encourages students to finish all required courses before off-campus practicum so you get your pick of placements, more time to focus, and it will be cheaper since the two off-campus practicum courses are considered full-time even though they're only 1 credit each.
- On-campus practicum at the Cooke Center with adults with Huntington's disease
- There are off-campus areas affiliated with NYU in New Jersey and Connecticut so you can fulfill your off-campus practicum requirements there as well
- Different electives, including one on baby trachs, an inter-disciplinary course with nutrition science on dysphagia, and another with vocal performers
- NYU has a pretty in-depth curriculum (53 credits + 24 pre-req credits) and they claim that this allows NYU students to get better placements in the city over other NY schools
- Individualized advising and course plan so you take the classes you need/want and go at your own pace (you don't have to finish such and such by this date)
- Class sizes are typically around 20 students and since everyone is taking whatever class they need, the people in your class will vary which I find to be a lot more interesting. You get to meet more people and it isn't as boring where you're stuck with the same people in all of your classes who you may or may not like.
- Study abroad in Lund, Sweden
- All of the students said that the program was challenging and intense
 
Financial aspects:
 
- The financial aid package is the max amount including tuition, fees and room + board. You can choose to take what you need.
 
I talked with a few current students about how expensive NYU is. Almost all of the students said they were receiving financial aid (loans + work-study). They also said that they were not concerned at all about paying their loans off after graduating since, they said, that this is an in-demand field where getting a job is no problem and the average salary for SLPs in NYC is $120,000. They were all really confident that they would be able to pay everything off eventually. I asked if they knew anyone who graduated and had any problems and they said that everyone they knew had a job and were in the process of paying their loans back without an issue. They also said that they see the cost of NYU as "worth it", that NYU may be expensive but you get what you paid for.
 
I don't know if they were just sugar-coating but I also somewhat doubt that all of NYU grad students end up in a miserable sea of debt after graduating.
 
- Work-study includes any jobs around campus or doing research with one of the professors.
 
Overall feel:
 
- The professors seemed genuinely nice and excited to meet us. The financial aid lady was also really nice. The current students all seem to really love NYU's program and everyone was so friendly and open. It also seems like the students get along with their professors really well.
- They emphasized a feeling of "community" for their students and that a lot of students become friends with each other. They try to hold events and have fun but they also noted that you have to reach out.
- Their on-campus clinic is small but it looks really nice. There was an area for observations and another area where students can just study together. 
- The city itself is just great. Being able to do your practicum in such a large city with so many different types of people is awesome.
 
Random:
- There was food, the tech guy was really slick, and their pens had purple ink. One girl asked if NYU had a medical setting emphasis since she had an interest in that and the department chair told her that their program prepared them for any setting, she basically said "I want you to be able to observe and treat a client with what you have in your pockets".
 
I know this event was trying to draw students to join so obviously there was some sugar-coating involved. But with the rumors surrounding NYU's program, I must say that I'm impressed. I expected a disorganized mess with professors phoning it in and snotty current students who looked down on us. But the event was organized and done efficiently. The current students who took us for tours didn't try to finish up by any set time and stuck around to answer questions long after the tour was over (at least the student I was with did).
 
Either way, NYU sure knows how to sell itself! And personally for me, NYU offers a LOT more than Montclair in terms of clinical and real life experiences so I'm really leaning towards NYU now. I hope this helps someone and counters some of the bad rumors! Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them. Good luck everyone!

Mystique, I know a current NYU student who likes & recommends the program, and shadowed a NYU alum who also recommended the program! 

Definitely excited about NYU! Good to hear you agree! 
 
And congrats hopefulslp88, from one re-applicant to another! It takes a lot to go through this process again, and I am so happy for you that the hard work and commitment to this field has paid off for you too. It just goes to show, if you really want something you have to do everything possible to make it happen!

Mystique every program has its ups and down its up to you to make the best of it hun dnt be discouraged my friend goes to nyu now and she is enjoying despite some times of its ups and down. I have friend sin other programs who say the same thing

I hear things like that about almost every program- it's inevitable! Rumors are started for whatever reason (an upset grad student, someone who wasn't accepted, etc). Talk it over with your advisor and see if they know anything CONCRETE.
 
I am from NY, and I really haven't heard anything about the program not being great. Enjoy your success and don't worry until you know something factual.

I just received my first acceptance to The College of Saint Rose!