Toonces

I hate to hear that, Quinn. If I can get in, I know you will. Keeping my fingers crossed for you in the meantime! Take care.

Yesss! Welcome aboard, daisyinc!

Yesssss! Been waiting around just to see you get good news, twinguy7! You deserve it for your tenacity and kindness to others who were already accepted. Woohoo!

I really hate to hear this for you, I can definitely relate. I think you're being very practical by re-visiting the GRE. Also, if it helps, here's my tip for improving your GRE Verbal score-obtain a list of GRE words (available in many GRE study books, free online and in flash cards at the bookstore. If you can memorize the full definitions, that's great. Since that's tough for anyone, try to at least memorize whether the word has a positive or negative meaning. The ugly words come up in the reading comprehension paragraphs and the "which word fits the sentence best" section. If you can tell by the context of the sentence around the ugly word that it means something positive/negative, it can be just enough to help you eliminate some of the answers. Don't give up!

tristannecaroline, I'd be glad to share when I finish compiling. Want to PM me with your email?

Quinn, I'm compiling SLP blogs, Pinterest boards and websites I find. If I can get some of it together in a Word Doc, I can send it to you. Want to PM me your email address? Also, check Amazon for a book called "Survival Guide for the Beginning Speech-Language Clinician (2004, Susan Moon Meyer.) I thought it was worth the splurge!

Thanks for the kind words, guys! artsyrunnergirl, I am going straight into the program this summer. I fully completed my B.S. in SPAU at UTD prior. Yes, please do let me know if you hear of a group started! wishingwishing, I forgot to look on the portal the day before the letter came, so I'm not sure which came first. I was surprised by the letter, was expecting an email for some reason. Quinn, I have not heard of a limitation on applications for out-of-field folks, but that doesn't tell you much, I apologize. I can say that I've heard it's not a bad idea to gain some experience and even an additional rec letter when re-applying after a denial. Submitting the exact same experience/data on your app might not help. I decided to reapply the second time after making the wait list prior. I hope this helps! I can tell you that Dr. Stillman appreciates thoughtful email questions (that are relevant to the field) and not blatantly asking about your status. When the emails are professional and genuine in tone/subject matter, they show him you have continued interest and give your application additional recognition. I wouldn't send more than one unless he opens a dialogue, though. Best of luck, I really hope you all end up at UT Dallas, the faculty and practicum opportunities are wonderful.

After my third application attempt to UTD, my track record with UTD is now: 1 waitlist, 1 rejection and 1 acceptance! I will start this summer and could not be happier. I live about 35 miles northeast of Callier Dallas, fairly close to UT Richardson campus. Please let me know if anyone starts a FB page!

Great to hear of your interview success, Twinguy7! Best of luck.

How did I miss this topic? Congrats to those who have made it into UTD! I managed to make it onto the wait list the first time, but didn't get picked up. I really want to go there!

Congrats on the good news, folks!

Look around for a Conceptual Physics class (has a lab.) The amount of math is much less than a traditional Physics class and it's way easier than Chem. (Unless you love Chem.)

I got rejected from UT Dallas Nov. 1 also. I wish I knew what made the difference between my UTD app making it to the waiting list Fall 13 and then the same app (with an improved GPA) getting denied for UTD Spring 14. Best of luck to everyone.

I agree that the process is mysterious. On a practical note, if you decide to continue, I would recommend volunteering for a SPAU professor (research related is even better). It boosts your knowledge confidence, you can ask questions about the field, it shows your dedication to (and experience in) the field, and it should help with recommendation letters. Some people have had really good luck talking with the program head and asking about ways to make themselves a better candidate. I was a little timid for that somehow. I tried to think about the requirements and the vagueness and I have a hypothesis. Maybe they're trying to find people who are dedicated enough to stay in the program. If they tried to make it easy to figure out or black and white, everyone's apps, experience & LORs would look the same. When the process is tough, it separates those who aren't positive the field is right for them. Schools can't afford to have low rates of graduation, so if this process is at all strategic, it may be meant to favor the most persistent applicants. Or maybe I'm full of hot air. I know I'm staying in the fight till they tell me to take a hike because I like everything about this field. You may decide that your interests and options are more flexible. I really wish you the best of luck!

The app due date for UT Dallas was September 15. Definitely antsy! Especially since Grad Cafe shows folks have been getting approved/denied since at least Sept 9. Good luck to you too!

I apologize for any confusion, that tagline on my profile is from last semester, so I was on the wait list for Fall '13 and didn't get selected from the list. Dr. Stillman at UTD emailed me (last semester) to tell me about being on the waiting list. He said that because I still showed interest (I had previously emailed about whether new rec letters would be needed if I didn't get in Fall and reapplied for Spring) and because my qualifications were good that I was put on the waiting list. After a couple of months had passed and others were only getting rejected by that point, I asked him if I should go ahead and reapply. He said they weren't likely to pull anymore candidates from the wait list and since I didn't get outright "rejected," I could roll over (defer) my app to Spring 14. So my app has been "in line" for Spring 14 since May and I still don't know if I'll make the cut. I'm also a non-traditional student near 40, so I am feeling your anxiousness too. Going to go ahead and prep my apps for the other DFW/North TX schools too...

Erack and tex-hart, I'm trying to get into UTD for Spring '14 COMD also. Any news for you guys yet?

Yep, I am waiting to hear from UTD. Didn't make it off the waiting list for Fall, worried that I haven't heard anything from the app I deferred over to Spring. Good luck to you also!

Their fast track grad school program document suggests a combined 300 minimum score when adding Verbal and Quantitative together. They don't look at the essay. Fall admittance to UTD COMD is more competitive because of the number of applicants. Good luck!

I just confirmed that my waitlist spot is still active, but they don't anticipate accepting any more folks from it. I was advised to defer my active application to spring, so I am! Good luck to all, see you next semester as we wait again...

Hope you hear something good...

So glad for you! Living vicariously through your acceptance!

Wish I had a good suggestion for you. I'm biting the bullet and taking an Intro Chem with lab at my local community college this summer.

Congrats and welcome!

Thanks, MakinChoices. It definitely helps to know that. I'm still trying to figure out the logic of the schools that don't give an expiration date on their offers. UT Dallas is one of them. How will they know when to tell the waitlisters to stop waiting (I wonder)?