MagentaMacaron

Have you checked out the University of Virginia? The program is housed within the Curry School of Education and you recieve a M.Ed. When I applied, I got the feeling that the program was especially strong in pediatric/school populations.

I would not retake the GRE. Programs use the GRE as a cutoff, not a determining factor. So, a higher GRE won't necessarily make you a stronger applicant. The other aspects of your application are so much more important.

As long as your GPA makes some sort of arbitrary cut off, you will be considered. I would try to find out what those general cut offs are. Most program websites give you an indication of the minimum GPA you need. I think applying is definitely worth a shot. The process of applying is a good learning experience. Even if you don't get in, you can regroup and make a stronger application for the next year.

I only had one or two prerequisite courses for some programs, and zero for others. It is definitely possible.

Quant-151, Verbal-158, AW-4.5 -2.5 years of volunteering in a speech and language group therapy program for children and teenagers with developmental disorders (worked hands on with clients and facilitated games, activities, etc.) -1 year of volunteering in a speech and stuttering institute working with adults with fluency disorders and children with motor speech disorders (mostly shadowed SLPs) - Helped an SLP administer motor speech assessments to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders at a hospital (on and off for about 4 months) - volunteered as a research assistant in a speech lab for 6 months (created speech samples, ran tests etc.)

Yay! Congrats

I am attending BU! I have declined the other programs in my signature. I hope that helps somebody out.

It sounds like your dream school is the right fit for you, so I would say go for it. However, how reasonable is that debt? Do you have parental support perhaps to cover living expenses? Do you think you will be able to pay of your debt in the long run without an enormous amount of financial strain? If you plan it out and it is doable, I think you may regret not attending your dream school.

I haven't heard from Emerson either ..i Just assumed it meant waitlist/rejection! I am surprised they are still reviewing applications, since they already had the open house. Oh well.

I emailed Brie and there was a delay in getting the packets out. She said they were mailed at the end of last week. Don't worry if you haven't recieved yours yet

Location is a major factor for me. You are investing a huge amount of time/money/energy in graduate school, so you might as well love where you are living. I see graduate school as a great opportunity to travel and see new places. That being said, I think Purdue is a good option because you already love it there and the ranking is high. Northwestern is also a great school with a strong overall reputation, so if you think the tuition is justified, go for it! However, University of Illinois seems to strike a good balance between rank and tuition.

GRE minimums tend to be very low, and GPA is so much more important. You could check with each program and see what their cutoffs are. I think volunteer hours/direct SLP experience is very important! In terms of pre-reqs, a lot of programs do not requre you to have pre-reqs. I have no pre-reqs and their were plenty of programs I could apply to. You may have to take an extra year/semester.

No worries, I know you're not attacking people in any way. Actually, I know how frustrating this whole process is. I applied to schools last year and was rejected by all. Cliche, but rejection was truly a learning experience. I learned that life goes on. During the process my friends and family were the worst " you'll get in, you're a shoe in!", so I felt immense pressure. When I didn't get int, no one cared at all. I spent the year obtaining some great research/clinical SLP experience, so it worked out. And yes, the other programs are in French. I wish I was bilingual!

Great point. Most undergraduate degrees seem to have little practical relevance. Generally, the content is useless, but the skills you acquire (i.e. work ethic, critical thinking) will benefit you in the long run.

How does having an undergraduate degree in CSD work AGAINST you? Perhaps it does not work FOR you per se, but don't AdComms consider all degrees fairly? From an outside perspective, Canada offers zero CSD undergraduate degrees, and there are only SIX English graduate programs in SLP. I am glad programs in the U.S. consider out-of-fielders, because my options are very limited otherwise. I am pretty sure that out-of-fielders have something to bring to the table that is far beyond their money.