birdy-bear

A few hours ago, I received an acceptance to the M.Ed. program in Child Studies with a 2/3 Peabody Honors Scholarship! I couldn't be more thrilled. Did any other M.Ed. applicants hear back today? I'm continuing to cross my fingers and send good thoughts to all you Ph.D. candidates!

Phew, thanks emilyrobot! I'm not sure what it was about your other posts that caused me to think you were applying to M.Ed. programs, but it's a huge relief that I had it wrong. Good luck at the recruitment weekend! I'd love to chat with you sometime no matter which programs we end up attending... Our interests are quite similar!

Oy vey! I didn't realize that e-mails had been sent out to M.Ed. applicants. You're applying to the SPED M.Ed. as well, emilyrobot? When did you receive an invitation for recruitment weekend? (Congratulations, by the way!) I haven't heard anything from the Special Education department, but I've gotten an amazing amount of support from the folks in Child Studies. I'd be completing a very similar program in either department and they're equally competitive (the Child Studies program slightly more so), so the discrepancy has me confused (and so very nervous)!

I hit "submit" on my applications a mere 48 hours ago, and I thought I'd take a break from compulsively checking my application status every five minutes to post on here. Who else is applying to Peabody, and what programs (and concentrations) did you apply for? What drew you to your particular field? From previous years, it looks like decisions could arrive anywhere between mid-January and mid-March... Let the waiting, finger crossing, and breath holding begin. Good luck, everyone!

This reply is a tad late, but I'm also applying for Masters programs in Special Education this year! I'm applying to the SpEd and Child Studies programs at Peabody, as well as a few schools local to my current abode, Mills and San Francisco State University. Good luck, everyone--I'll be rooting for all of you! Keep me posted on your application processes!

Oh my goodness... hours before I was going to fork over a whole wad of cash to Utah State. Definitely looking into this possibility further. Thanks for the tip, Dibbels81! (If you don't mind my asking, do you have any thoughts on the post-bacc program overall or individual classes? Was the workload easy-breezy or challenging? Were you able to learn a lot?)

You piqued my own curiosity, so I did a little research. Here's what I've found: 1.) There are three ASHA-accredited MS programs in Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico, Carlos Albizo University, and Universidad del Turabo. I'd bet you'd need to be fluent in Spanish for these programs, but I'm not sure. 2.) According to EdFind, there also 77 American schools with study abroad and international externship opportunities. Some of the opportunities listed look incredible. 3.) Last but certainly not least, I found this on the ASHA website (on the International FAQs site), which should open up a lot of options!: The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) mutually recognizes the certification programs in speech-language pathology conducted by the six signatories to the agreement: ASHA The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (Canada) The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (United Kingdom) The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited (Australia) Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (Ireland) New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists' Association (Incorporated) (New Zealand)

I've just begun studying for the GREs myself... I have a stack of books by my bed five high from my housemates (all grad students) and the library! I've only been using the 2013 Kaplan book so far, and it's great. (A word of caution if you check books out from the library: any books from 2011 or before will be outdated, even if they say "NEW GRE" right on the cover. Harrrumph!) If folks are right about VOCAB VOCAB VOCAB, my favorite study tool so far have been Vocab Cartoons. My seventh- and eighth-grade teachers used Vocab Cartoons with SAT words, and every single one of my former classmates (myself included) can still remember a handful of vocab words and their word associations. I'm using the $2.99 Kindle version for GRE words (available here). However, if you don't have $2.99 or a Kindle, they're easy enough to make on your own by simply hooking each vocabulary word to a similar-sounding word in a sentence. e.g. Draco Malfoy absconded to his quarters with Harry Potter's wand.

Here's a partial list of schools that offer prerequisites and post-bacc programs entirely on-line: Utah State (12 courses/35 credits, recommended 3 full-time semesters) University of Alaska Anchorage (7 course offerings, though not every class is offered every semester) East Carolina(but we missed that boat: must e-mail on March 1st for a spot) Eastern New Mexico (has synchronous/asynchronous class scheduling) Florida State (6 courses/24 credits, can do Post-Bacc anywhere but must reside in FL for Masters Program) Idaho State (12 courses/37 credits, has on-campus and mixed option) La Salle (10 courses/37 credits, has on-campus and mixed options) Longwood (9 courses/27 credits) SUNY at New Paltz (9 courses/28 credits, has on-campus option but limited seating) Tennessee State (6 courses/20 credits) Texas Woman's University (application was due March 1st AND finals must be taken on campus--yuck) The University of Montana (10 courses, fall/spring semesters, has synchronous/asynchronous class scheduling) University of Nebraska, Kearney (10 courses/32 credits) University of Vermont (8 courses) University of Wyoming (10 courses/31 credits) Kean Univesity Pre-Professional Program (8 courses/25 credits, has on-campus option) CSU, Northridge (10 courses/30 units, 5 part-time semesters [mandatory], on-line cohort) Ohio State (7 courses/21 credits, 7-week summer session, on-line) Tacomatalks, a few of these (CSU Northridge, for example) also offer Masters Degrees entirely on-line. And here are the 14 self-reported schools on EdFind that claim to offer Masters Degrees entirely on-line (though this list appears to be incomplete): http://www.asha.org/edfind/results.aspx?DE=ENTIREDEGREE There are also 166 self-reported schools that allow part-time enrollment... Maybe there's one near your hometown that could work for you? http://www.asha.org/edfind/results.aspx?PT=true

So grateful for this topic. My mom relearned how to speak and swallow after an epic brain surgery (it all but destroyed her vagus cranial nerve... and vestibulocochlear nerve, for that matter! Her abilities have improved tremendously and she's doing much better now, thanks to an excellent SLP at Appalachian State). It was so closely related that I was struggling to decide whether to include it or not, even though her brain surgery truly has very little to do with my interest in SLP. Now, it's clear that it's not necessary, and in fact, potentially harmful. that midnight streetlight mentioned, which I also serendipitously stumbled upon a few days ago... A grad student on a sociology admissions committee is answering anybody/everybody's questions about the adcomm process (at least for the sociology department in his program--which seems to be either Northwestern or Yale). Here were some of his key pointers on the SOP: How are the writing samples judged, like what are people looking for? So there are three kinds of personal statements. 1. The super vague: These almost always mention C. Wright Mills and a moment where someone realized they wanted to study sociology. I love CWM, but it's also something that SO many people mention that it instantly makes you forgettable. That isn't to say that if you mention him that you won't get in, but it's definitely a cliche. 2. The wildly personal: I tried to come up with a rule like "would you tell this story to a stranger on a bus", but people have different levels of sharing. If it's something you might talk about in therapy, you probably shouldn't write about it in your personal statement. You might be incredulous, but I assure you, these were COMMON. They are memorable, but also risky. Sometimes the risk pays off (you lived in a yurt in Mongolia for 4 years) and sometimes they aren't (stories about suicide, sexual abuse, etc.). 3. The just-right: A memorable anecdote that helped me remember them and a strong command of grammar, English language, etc. This might be contentious, because I'm sure some people will say "oh I'd tell a stranger that!" but you have to remember that this is your one impression on a group of people. Higher education can be slightly snobbish and some topics are just NOT discussed. None of these rules are 100% right all of the time. I'm sure we admitted someone with a vague statement and a stellar GRE score and didn't admit someone with a bad fit but an outstanding personal statement. Things I looked for in the personal statement: identification of faculty members they wanted to work with, clear definition of research interests (you don't need to state your intention to study fertility preferences among American Indians in South Dakota, but you should mention that you're interested in domestic fertility or something like that), and why they wanted to attend THIS school. Things I looked for in the writing sample: indicators of ability to do research, correctly interpreted statistics, interesting research problem What I would have changed on my own applications: Probably my statement of purpose. I didn't tailor them as much to each school as I should/could have. I think I did a good job on explaining deficits in my application, but I basically substituted each school's name into a couple of slots and used the same SOP each time. That was clearly a mistake now, but given how many similar applications we got this year like that, it's not something that's widely understood. Part of that was because I wasn't sure why I wanted to go to graduate school, other than desiring a Ph.D. and having a lot of smart people telling me that I should go. I also think I would have done even more research than I did ahead of time. Although I checked out school's websites, I now know that that information isn't always updated frequently and doesn't have details like that imaginary department that you mentioned. There's no way to tell by looking at a department's website if the person you really want to work with wants to move closer to their family and has been looking for open spots on the East Coast. Or if a young hotshot is about to get poached from a school that can offer them more. Or if a 4th year professor failed a tenure review and is on probation. I would email DGSs, graduate students, and professors I was interested in working in to get a feel for a department before I applied. I get several of these emails/visits each year in the fall and I never mind answering questions.

midnight streetlight: Oy, tell me about it! I honestly don't know what I would have done without these forums--they're a godsend. karish11: My understanding is that taking a full-year post-bacc program has its benefits too--you can boost a less-than-stellar undergrad GPA, make connections that will help you get an in-field LOR (at least with on-campus options), it will open up your ability to apply to a wider range of programs, and at some schools, they reserve a few spots in their Masters Programs for their own Post-Bacc students (though you almost always have to reapply). It's hard to say whether it's better to do the whole shebang or just take the few classes you need--I'm having a hard time figuring that out myself! Here's one more on-line option I looked into and tslsstc's recommendation. I undoubtedly forgot countless others... Hopefully others will add to this list! CSU, Northridge (10 courses/30 units, 5 part-time semesters [mandatory], on-line cohort) Ohio State (7 courses/21 credits, 7-week summer session, on-line)

midnight streetlight: Shoot, I made a few edits right after you grabbed it! They're pretty inconsequential--just added the on-line programs with on-campus options to the on-campus list, along with a few details about those programs. I'll add UT Austin to the on-campus list above. Thank YOU for compiling a list of 3-year/leveling programs! I hope all these compilations end up being useful for other out-of-fielders... they've already been super-helpful for me!

Hi, karish11! I'll likely be completing a handful prerequisites this upcoming year, so I've been looking into post-bacc/leveling options myself. If you're open to taking classes on-line, I've found Utah State's post-bacc to be the top recommended program on these forums. People also seem to dig Longwood, Vermont, and Idaho as on-line options. Portland State and University of Washington have been the most talked-about on-campus options. I've seen you around the forums, so I'm sure you already know this, but for the sake of lurkers and other future applicants: each of these programs has a different set of courses, and each Masters Program has a different set of prerequisite requirements. It's important to check that you're taking the right courses for the programs you're applying to! I'm only applying to one school with prerequisites (which has five required classes), so instead of uprooting to a new city, getting a secondary bachelor's in SLP, and depleting my entire life savings, I (think I) am going to take the handful of classes I need on-line, probably at Utah State. Some of these programs (particularly the on-line options) will allow you to take just the classes you want/need as a non-degree student; in others (particularly the on-campus options), you'll join a cohort, sign up for the long haul, and wind up with some kind of certificate or degree. Here's a compilation of post-bacc/leveling programs I've found so far, complete with links. Putting this list together helped me to finally organize this mass of information--hope it helps you, too! On-line Post-Bacc Programs: Utah State (12 courses/35 credits, recommended 3 full-time semesters) University of Alaska Anchorage (7 course offerings, though not every class is offered every semester) East Carolina (but we missed that boat: must e-mail on March 1st for a spot) Eastern New Mexico (has synchronous/asynchronous class scheduling) Florida State (6 courses/24 credits, can do Post-Bacc anywhere but must reside in FL for Masters Program) Idaho State (12 courses/37 credits, has on-campus and mixed option) La Salle (10 courses/37 credits, has on-campus and mixed options) Longwood (9 courses/27 credits) SUNY at New Paltz (9 courses/28 credits, has on-campus option but limited seating) Tennessee State (6 courses/20 credits) Texas Woman's University (application was due March 1st AND finals must be taken on campus--yuck) The University of Montana (10 courses, fall/spring semesters, has synchronous/asynchronous class scheduling) University of Nebraska, Kearney (10 courses/32 credits) University of Vermont (8 courses) University of Wyoming (10 courses/31 credits) Kean Univesity Pre-Professional Program (8 courses/25 credits, has on-campus option) On-Campus Post-Bacc Programs (all completed in one year as full-time student): CSU Fullerton (12 courses/36 units, 3 semesters, credential in Speech/Language/Hearing) CSU Long Beach (51 units, 3 semesters) CSU Los Angeles (14 courses/57 units, 4 quarters, preparatory certificate) Chapman (10 courses/30 credits, 5 terms, preparatory certificate) Portland State (12-16 courses/45-60 credits, 3 semesters, earn B.S. in SLP) Minot State (13 courses/40 credits, 3 semesters) Kean Univesity Pre-Professional Program (8 courses/25 credits, on-line or in-person, 3 semesters) Metropolis State University (8 courses, 2 semesters, leveling certificate) University of Washington (12 courses/65 credits, 5 quarters, earn B.S. in SLP) East Washington University (12 courses/34 credits, 2 semesters) Idaho State (15-16 courses/38-41 credits, three semesters [final semester is on-line]) La Salle (10 courses/37 credits, typically takes 18-24 months to complete) UT Austin (9-10 undergrad courses as non-degree student)

Wow! Thank you, everyone, for such thorough/helpful responses. Based on your responses, I'm going to take the middle way... With Gallaudet's five SLP prerequisites as my gold standard, I'll be looking for programs with these five prerequisites or fewer. (There's not a lot of talk on here about Gallaudet--are there just very few people interested in working specifically in the Deaf community? Or did you folks apply elsewhere?) Taking at least a few leveling classes seems like it'd be valuable exposure to the field, wouldn't be an enormously huge expense, and would set me up to complete a more thorough post-bacc should I not get into any programs next cycle. Since I'd have to move in order to take leveling classes in person (though I'd much rather take them in person), I'll likely take them at Utah State University as a non-degree student... From everything everyone's said, it seems like the best choice for on-line classes! Thanks for the great advice, everyone! midnight streetlight, I love the idea of compiling a list of programs that don't require prerequisites. Once I aggregate all this on-line research, I'll post my findings! kcald716, so nice to see another North Carolinian on the forums! I'm originally from Boone, and just moved out to California a year ago... Do you know much about App State's program? My sister is an ASU alum (and has heard good things about their SLP program), and my mom actually went to ASU's SLPs after a major brain surgery. How did you end up deciding against it?

Hello, everyone! As you all bask in the glow of your recent acceptances and await your next round of offers (I'm rooting for you all!), I'm hoping you out-of-fielders wouldn't mind sharing your experiences with a newbie... Like several others on these boards, I only recently stumbled upon the wonderful profession of SLP, and the moment I began researching the field of SLP, everything clicked into place... It's truly everything I've been looking for in a career! I hope to apply for the Fall 2014 cycle. I've been poring over the forums (you all are so helpful!) and swimming in Google searches, but I feel lost in the deep end trying to decide where to start! What's the best route into SLP if you're starting out-of-field? What was your own experience? In particular: 1.) If you chose to complete a post-bacc before/while applying, why did you decide to do so? Which program did you choose, how long did it take, and how did you choose that program? And if you don't mind my asking, what was the damage ($)? Are you glad you chose this route? Rinse and repeat those same questions if you chose to complete a leveling year. 2.) If you decided to apply for programs few to no prerequisites, which schools did you consider and/or apply to? What was your major as an undergrad, and how did you gain experience in the field? Are you glad you chose this route? If you've already begun your program, do you feel prepared and on par with your peers? Is there a bucket list out there of schools with limited or no prerequisites? 3.) This question is unrelated, but it seems like programs tend to be geared toward clinical/hospital settings or school settings. I am most interested in working in schools (or potentially early intervention)--is there a bucket list out there of the best programs for this focus? I have some momentum launching me into the field--a high undergrad GPA, strong testing abilities (so, ideally, a good GRE score), and two years of experience working with deaf children in India and Nepal. I'm looking into opportunities to shadow local SLPs, and there is a wonderful deaf school in my community where I hope to begin volunteering. What else can I do to learn more about the field, prepare myself for a Master's Program, and/or strengthen my application? Phew, I hope this doesn't feel like another round of essays! I'm so appreciative of any guidance you all can provide.