birdy-bear

Do be friendly, yet professional and polite.  Don't do or say anything that you wouldn't want getting back to your POI.  Every field, department, and advisor will value lab input differently but expect them to be asked their opinion of applicants.  The POI has the final say, but if the lab is in agreement that a particular candidate isn't a good fit I bet that would make a difference in who is made an offer.

Hi all.
 
Tired of waiting for graduate committees’ decisions I estimated decision timelines myself based on gradcafe data. For each university and program in albums below you will find three graphs:
Decision timeline as a cumulative sum of decisions (accept, reject, interview, waitlist) as a function of time between Jan 1 and May 1 for the last five years combined. Boxplots of GRE Q and GRE V for people who reported both scores. Histogram of GPAs (from 2.5 to 4.0 with 0.1 step).    
Here is the list of programs I analyzed (some important notes below):
 
Computer science PhD https://imgur.com/a/cXaEs 
Computer Science MS https://imgur.com/a/u3joC 
Electrical Engineering PhD https://imgur.com/a/ra3Eh 
Electrical Engineering MS https://imgur.com/a/KUGrD 
Economics PhD https://imgur.com/a/NzlYm 
Economics MS https://imgur.com/a/JfgSk 
Statistics PhD https://imgur.com/a/mB5UC 
Statistics MS https://imgur.com/a/tXowL 
Mathematics (applied and pure) PhDhttps://imgur.com/a/d0821 
Chemistry PhD https://imgur.com/a/U5x91 
Physics (applied and pure) PhD https://imgur.com/a/35tTy 
Chemical Engineering PhD https://imgur.com/a/Tng2r 
Literature PhD https://imgur.com/a/LDKpT 
Anthropology PhD https://imgur.com/a/d5ub4 
Bioengineering PhD https://imgur.com/a/RpTSD 
Philosophy PhD https://imgur.com/a/ihoGS 
Biology PhD https://imgur.com/a/FWhoD 
 
How to use the graphs?
I used this data to decrease my own misery. Now that I know decision timelines of universities and programs I applied to, I can refresh gradcafe less and concentrate on more useful stuff more. Also, it is interesting to explore differences between different universities/programs. For example, some universities do gradual accepts rejects/accepts and others do it in waves. Some programs start early (chemistry) and some — later (CS). Keep in mind, that there may be errors in my analysis so use this data at your own risk.  
How reliable are timelines?
I personally trust them (but I am biased). In general, it depends on curve shapes and available data. If there are more than 100 observations overall — I would consider that data to be pretty reliable. If there are characteristic ‘steps’ — it is a good sign because may indicate internal deadlines for waves of accepts/rejects. But the number of admissions/rejections records in the data is definitely inflated by question records (i.e. ‘to poster below: what program?”). I filtered some, but definitely not all of them. Also, bear in mind that department policies can change.
How reliable are GRE/GPA?
Somewhat reliable. There is noise, mistakes (i.e. switched Q/V) and self-report bias. For example, salty people with good scores may more likely report rejections and lucky people with low GPAs may less likely report accepts. But for some universities which publish admission statistics (for example, Duke), calculated GRE/GPA medians are pretty close to reported averages (I didn’t calculate means, sorry). Also, we can’t affect GPA/GRE right now, so it is mostly for entertainment.
How did you do it?
Scraped and parsed all gradcafe results. Selected all records from Jan 1 2013 to May 1 2017 and combined data for all years together, so all data is based on five year period. For each university and program in question I built a cumulative sum of decisions as a function of days since beginning of the year. For analysis of GRE I only chose records which included both Q and V scores. For analysis of GPA I used only 4-point scale grades and didn’t convert other scales to it (i.e. 10-point). Selection of universities/programs was done by regular expressions so there can be some noise added by incorrect parsing. For example, “University of Washington” may both mean Seattle and St. Louis. I tried to avoid it the best I could but there can be mistakes nonetheless. How did you choose universities/programs?
Voluntarily, so there are a lot of omissions. Sorry, if your university/program is not there. Also, bear in mind that programs may overlap (for example ‘Computer Science’ and ‘Electrical Engineering’). Finally, I excluded uni/program from analysis if there were less than 30 observations.
Will you share your code/data?
I am thinking about it, but undecided yet.

Hope it helps and good luck with the admissions!


 

Folks applying to doctoral programs with a background in research likely already have a good sense of the researchers in the field with related interests--between attending national conferences, citing a recurring list of researchers in manuscripts, and talking with knowledgeable people in one's field, it shouldn't take too much effort to consolidate a "match list." Even without a research background, with tools like Google Scholar and ResearchGate available and abstracts free for all to read, I don't think it would be terribly difficult to DIY a list of researchers with similar interests.
If you're willing to take your project in a different direction, your brainstorming might be best aided by combing these threads to find out what applicants aren't able to do on their own. The question I've seen the most across threads of every discipline has been, "What are my chances of getting in?" While there's no straightforward way to answer that (and no way to objectively measure fit, which is usually the most important factor), it would be easier to get a rough sense if applicants could easily pull up a grad program's admission statistics (and maybe even compare multiple programs side-by-side, a la Amazon?). For most programs I was considering, I was able to find some basic information like GPA and GRE cut-offs, but despite searching high and low, had difficulty finding average/range of GRE scores of admitted students, average/range of GPA of admitted students, percentage of students admitted with a Bachelor's vs. Master's degree, number of students applying vs. admitted vs. enrolled, percentage of students who graduated (and in what time frame), placements for graduates (and in what time frame), average/range of stipends/financial packages, etc. An app that consolidated that kind of information would be ?. 

Hi @ARemi4! I've worked the past couple years as a BCBA in a clinic setting, and I'm about to start a PhD in Special Education under a BCBA-D. I can offer you my perspective, but I think the answers to your questions will depend on what you're looking for in a program and what you want to do after you graduate. Take my advice with that large grain of salt!
1. Your intended profession: If you intend to stay in academia as a researcher, doctoral student, or professor, I'd recommend choosing a strong program in your intended field, one that would provide you with research experience and that has professors whose interests align with yours. If you want to work as a school-based BCBA, I'd recommend considering Education programs that include teacher certifications; it's difficult to get a job as a school-based BCBA without classroom experience, and teachers will take you more seriously if you've spent time teaching (even if it's just student teaching). If you want to work as a BCBA in any setting (e.g., schools, clinic, home), I would strongly recommend considering non-ABA programs with an ABA track (e.g., Education or Psychology programs with coursework in child development). The coursework in most ABA programs does an excellent job teaching how to teach, but not necessarily what to teach. In my Master's program, the education-specific coursework (e.g., speech and language, curriculum development), in conjunction with the ABA coursework, trained me to be a much better provider than I would have been with the ABA coursework alone.
2. Pass rates: The BCBA pass rates for every program are posted on-line here. High pass rates are a pretty good indicator of a high quality program, and vice versa. 
3. On-campus vs. on-line programs: On-line programs are becoming increasingly popular, but if you can swing it, there are definite benefits to an on-campus program. Brick-and-mortar programs tend to: (a) have a higher pass rate for the BCBA exam than on-line programs, (b) provide clinical experiences across a variety of settings and/or populations, (c) offer opportunities for research experience (which I found to be invaluable in day-to-day work as a BCBA), and (d) have more/better funding. Plus, if you think you'll eventually want to pursue a Ph.D., your experiences and contacts in an on-campus program are likely going to give you an advantage over on-line programs.
4. Practicum/field experiences: For each of these programs, find out how you'll complete your 750-1500 hours of field experiences. Will the program provide you assigned fieldwork placements, or will you have to seek out your own placements? Will they assign you to one setting/population or a variety of settings/populations? Will you be completing supervised independent fieldwork (1500 hours), practicum (1000 hours), or intensive practicum (750 hours)? Will you have to pay for supervision, is supervision included in tuition, or will you get paid for your fieldwork experience? Do students tend to complete their hours in conjunction with the program, or begin accruing them after they graduate? Will you have opportunities in your placements to train on all components of a case, from intake to discharge? Depending on what you want to do after you graduate, the answers to these questions will help guide you to a good fit.
As long as your program has a verified course sequence through the BACB (i.e., can be found on this list here), you should be good to go. I honestly don't know what the ABAI accreditation is used for, but my Master's program is not on that list, and it's never been a problem. Hope this helps!

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)

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)

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)

chigirl2014, I fell in love with Vanderbilt this weekend as well! If networking was your biggest concern, I'm guessing this weekend put your mind at ease. For any lurkers who weren't able to attend, there was a 30-minute segment on Peabody Career Services in which a man named Jeff, reminiscent of a motivational speaker, sung the praises of Vandy's networking and career launching abilities. Essentially, Vandy has tentacles in every nook and cranny of the U.S. (and possibly, it seems, the world) and is dedicated to hooking you up with alumni in your areas of interest.
 
Maybe I can offer a unique perspective as a Harvard alumni attending Vanderbilt this year. If HGSE offered a Masters degree in my field, I'd still opt for Vanderbilt. Don't get me wrong--HGSE is an excellent institution--but it's not without drawbacks. I had several close friends completing Masters degrees at HGSE; my overall impression was that they were squeezing 2-3 year programs down into 1 year, primarily because the funding for Masters students stinks and HGSE doesn't think people will pay the big bucks with zero-to-limited funding for two whole years. It's a smart option if finances are a big concern, as HGSEstudent pointed out, but it does a terrible disservice to its students. My friends were stressed to the max, working their butts off, and were still unable to keep up with the workload. Additionally, invaluable classes were left off or squished together in their syllabi in the interest of time. I'm interested in an M.Ed. more for the pursuit of education than the promise of a paycheck, so I can't begin to imagine what learning you'll miss out on condensing two years down to one. 
 
It seemed clear in your first post that you feel a better fit with Vanderbilt's program but are stuck in the name recognition Harvard has. Remember that in the field of education, Vandy has at least as much (if not more) clout with researchers and working professionals. And besides that, it's not the name recognition that will ultimately open doors... It may catch an employer's eye, but the door-opener will be the experiences you gain and connections you make participating in a program you're sincerely passionate about.

To thecrab and anyone else who missed the Masters Visit Days: the weekend was jam-packed and a great way to gauge individual fit with the school/program, but don't worry... We didn't really learn anything that will put us a step above anyone who wasn't able to go! Here's the briefest of brief overviews, most of which will surely be covered in student orientation this fall. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions:
 
Student Organizations: There are five different student organizations on campus, all summarized on the graduate student groups website, except for a new organization called Common Grounds. Common Grounds aims to unite students within Peabody across programs, interests, and disciplines... facilitating dialogue, organizing events, etc. (Common Grounds is ALSO the name of the coffee shop in the student center, which I thought was funny.) Most of the student organizations have leadership roles you can run for in your first semester, and they are eager to get first-years involved. If you want to start a new organization, Dean Camilla Benbow is the person to talk to. 
 
Peabody Career Services: 95% of students who utilize PCS find jobs within 90 days of graduating. They're there to help with resumes, set up mock interviews, connect you in with the Vanderbilt network, etc.
 
Current Student Panel: Students seemed to agree on the following: 
(1) Nashville is fantastic: great music scene, top-notch food, minutes to an hour away from outdoor activities (hiking, biking, climbing, rafting) people say hello to you, etc.
(2) The programs are really, really, really hard, but you can make a conscious effort to have a life beyond school.
(3) The high cost of Peabody was worth the investment: for the pursuit of top-notch learning with the best folks in the field, and for being trained to become teacher-leaders and teacher-innovators.
One potential student asked about the drawbacks to Peabody. Responses included: feeling isolated from other departments (an island unto one's own department), the high cost of education, one student felt that the HDC program wasn't holistic (didn't tie in race or spirituality, specifically), and one department was tweaking a new program (an ESL specialization, I think?) that made one student feel like a guinea pig.
 
Financial Aid: 400 on-campus jobs are given to Peabody students each year, 80 of which are research assistantships (RAs). About half the people that apply to RAs get one. RAs work 20 hours per week, and receive a grant which pays for 70% of the RAs' tuition for 9 credit hours and a monthly stipend of $800. RAs need four free mornings (8-12) and four free afternoons (12-3:30) in their schedule since the research typically takes place in schools. It seems like most RAs implement intervention techniques in schools and are trained on-the-job (previous experience with kids not a prerequisite). Interested applicants should contact the e-mail address listed on the handout (which I can send you... PM me your e-mail address) and their own department heads in April (but NOT before) in order to be guided through the application process. The other 320 jobs are on-campus positions ranging from $9-14/hour. To learn more about those, we can check out vanderbilt.edu/studentemployment. For students starting in the summer, you need to fill out 2013-2014 AND 2014-2015 FAFSAs. For students starting in the fall, you only need to fill out the 2014-2015 FAFSA.
 
Nashville & Housing Options: An entertaining overview of Nashville's neighborhoods and price ranges. I signed up to receive the powerpoint, which goes into as much detail as the presenter did. When we receive this, I can forward this on to anyone as well. Resources for finding housing included: Craigslist, Facebook Groups, these Vanderbilt classifieds, and this Off-Campus Referral Service. 
 
There was also a current faculty/alumni session which I didn't attend, as well as program and department overviews (which obviously differed by department)! I also have handouts for the Applied Behavior Analysis Training Program and Master's Interdisciplinary Specialization in Poverty and Intervention, which I'm also happy to forward on if these are of interest to anyone. Maybe some other folks in attendance have useful details to add? Hope this helps!

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!

I put my Vandy acceptance in the mailbox before leaving for school this morning...then I immediately regretted it and ran home to remove it before the mailman came  
 
This afternoon, I officially accepted my offer from Baylor! I couldn't be happier:) 

Honestly, a relationship would not hold me back from traveling across the globe for graduate school. I love my partner, but that does not mean I have to be near him all the time. Besides, graduate studies will have you busy busy busy, so even if you are local to your partners, you won't have as much free time to invest into the relationship. With modern technology and social media (Facebook, Skype, Face-Time..), it won't even feel like you're that far apart. I love my partner, but I will still put my future first. That future = a better future not just for me, but for the both of us. If you feel your relationship isn't strong enough to survive 2 to 3 years of long distance while you sacrifice your time for graduate studies, then you shouldn't even consider that relationship strong enough of a deciding factor to make or break your choices of grad school. 
 
Plus, distance makes the heart grow fonder 
I'm much fonder of a partner that can wait for me, than a partner who holds me back selfishly.

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)

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 am starting this thread for those of us who have applied more than once, or will need to apply again during the next application season. This is a place to share your feelings, frustrations, success stories, and plans for the future.
 
After being placed on 3 waitlists, I am very aware of the possibility of applying again. I am thinking of reapplying to a few of the schools I previously applied to. However, I am now beginning to look into programs with a better fit/better chance of being accepted. I am also figuring out how to strengthen my application for next season. 

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.

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)

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)

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)

I just wanted to say, like others have been, how helpful this forum has been before and during my grad admissions process! I haven't posted but I've checked this thread numerous times especially over the past month or two during the "waiting game" and just wanted to finally log-in and say congrats to everyone and positive thoughts to those still waiting!
Not many people really understand how competitive the SLP master's program is and how rough the application process can be, so I found this thread very helpful and a nice break from friends and family who just don't understand...
I thought it was reassuring that many members on here shared feelings especially when it comes to people out of field and their reactions to the whole process. It's not like I was asking everyone in my life to stop what they were doing and celebrate, but when I got my first acceptance most people were just like "of course you got in, why wouldn't you?" and ahhh you people just get it on here!!!

Someone else expressed interest in schools that offer three-year or leveling tracks, so it might be nice to have a list here for easy reference (I'm not sure if there's a simple way to search for these programs on ASHA EdFind?).
 
Here are some schools that accept out-of-field students and offer integrated leveling years (i.e., these schools do not make students reapply after completing pre-requisite coursework):  
Arizona:
 
University of Arizona
 
Colorado:
 
University of Colorado, Boulder
 
Illinois:
 
Northwestern University
SIU, Carbondale
 
Indiana:
 
IU, Bloomington
 
Iowa:
 
University of Iowa
 
Kentucky:
 
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
 
Missouri:
 
University of Central Missouri
 
New York:
 
New York Medical College
New York University
Teachers College, Columbia University
 
North Carolina:
 
Appalachian State University
Western Carolina University
 
Tennessee:
 
Vanderbilt University
 
Virginia:
 
James Madison University (note: JMU accepts very, very few out-of-field students each year)
Radford University
University of Virginia
 
  Here are some schools with post-bacc options (i.e., students do have to reapply after completing pre-requisite courses):  
Washington:
 
University of Washington, Seattle
 
Washington, D.C.:
 
George Washington University
 
Wisconsin:
 
University of Wisconsin, Madison
 
Schools that require minimal prerequisites prior to matriculation:  
Massachusetts:
 
Boston University
Emerson College
MGH
 
 
 
If you know of other programs (including online leveling programs), please feel free to add them here!