lululuna

Thanks a lot LMZ and autismadvocate... This waiting game is so hard. I, too am finding myself checking every day. It gets kind of tiring when there are 11 different schools, hah! Let's all relax and have a glass of wine! Best of luck! L.

Hey all, I know it is still a little early...but does anyone know what month we should start hearing back from schools? Every school is different and from what I understand their projected dates are typically off. I AM JUST SO ANXIOUS!!! L.

Best of luck to those of you that are proactive and have finished your apps!!! Sit back and grab an ice cold beer! =)

YES! I will PM you my email address, which is easier for me! =)

Hey there! I was wondering the same thing, their website is pretty vague...

@ SLPeechopeful- Thank you for the info. I have already checked out the results page and I must say....GOOD LORD IS IT ADDICTIVE! Haha. Good information, but I have to remind myself that it is not all encompassing. There is still hope! haha

Hey NCAR- I am having the same issue with studying for the GRE. I feel behind, but only according to my own, made up standards...which basically follow the principle of: There is no such thing as too much studying! =) Forgive me if I have already asked, but what resources are you using for studying the GRE? I am just going off the free practice booklet provided on the ETS website. It doesn't really help with explanations, but youtube seems to have a wealth of informative, instructional videos. About the applications, (long story short): NO. haha! I really feel like I should be drafting something,but I only have about a week and a half to finalize language sample encoding for my summer internship. Then, I have ASHA to prepare for. I will have one month summer vacation, which will be solely devoted to GRE/essay drafting, on top of ASHA preparation. My mentor was very staunch in his attitude toward starting the SOP so early (I respectfully disagree, but I do have more time-sensitive, closer-to-deadline projects at the present moment). In terms of my research position, it is unpaid, but so, so worth it. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the McNair scholar program, which forced me to go out into the department and find a mentor who could guide me through my own independent research. Basically, someone who knows what they are actually doing to help guide me/grade my updated papers/laugh at me when I try to sound smart/etc. I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity, but it is not an impossible one! Actually, a couple of labs are looking for unpaid student help. The experience is invaluable and the amenities are worth every unpaid second! Just go to the SPHR website, http://www.pdx.edu/sphr/home and go down the list of faculty and click on their CV/Interests. Unfortunately, the website is a bit junky, but the manual work will pay off. Then just go from there....email professors, call them, do what you have to do to show them you are interested in working for free in their lab. Oh yeah, I forgot to preface that information with: I hope you are willing to work unpaid, because even MA students have difficulty securing funding at PSU (from what I hear). It is MORE than worth it, though. I hope all of this helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Cheers, L.

Welcome, NCAR! Funny enough, I am a current undergrad (senior) at Portland State University. We will likely be taking most of the same classes, since it is your "leveling year" and my last! I plan on taking my GRE in late August. I have been trying to prep, but I think I am beginning to feel the summer burn-out with other events I am taking on during summer. It makes it that much harder to stay focused, especially with self-motivated study. My current stats are as follows: 3.78 GPA (Hope to bring this up in the upcoming year) Honors College Undergraduate researcher in the Language and Cognition Lab McNair Scholar, post-baccalaureate achievement program Leadership fellow, student and leadership activities NSSLHA treasurer-elect for upcoming year Neuroscience club vice president Also, I just learned my research proposal was accepted to be a poster presentation at this years ASHA conference in Chicago, first authored paper, first time attendee 4+ years managerial experience in banking several years of related and unrelated volunteer experience I am looking at the following programs (In no particular order): Vanderbilt, UT Austin, Northwestern, U of Cincinnati, UW, UC Boulder, PITT, U of Arizona, SDSU, MGH, Rush, U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Though the list is rather extensive, I am still on the fence about a couple of them listed. Like many others in our situation, I am looking for (1.) Quality as determined by my interests (2.) FUNDING =)

Phew! I have been (kind of) keeping track of admission stats on ASHA's Ed Find website, but it seems their information is mostly outdated. I swear, I keep hearing higher and higher numbers of applicants. I guess those of us planning to apply just need to keep that in mind, without letting us drive us too crazy ;-) @ lorenzojojo: So, how'd the GRE go? Well, I hope! It is such as task prepping for them (I plan to take them late August for the first time). There is just so many details to recall from high school math. I don't know about you folks, but I haven't taken a math course in almost seven years...ouch, it hurts to say that! haha.

Hey there Sayjo, Although I am an in-field applicant, it seems you have a nice advantage with the other Masters AND work experience! It seems logical that some schools would prefer to see that kind of experience over a decent GPA! I am pretty stressed about the GRE's and also plan on taking them in August, to have time to retake if necessary. Are you following a book or study guide? I find that the free GRE materials provided online through the ETS website are pretty comprehensive. I am working through the Quantitative workbook and let's just say...Boy, have I forgotten a lot since high school! Also, a quick note about the observation hours...many schools require 25 observation hours before beginning a masters program. However, I heard somewhere that some schools require them before you even apply, though I have yet to come across one (of the latter).

Hey there, Sayjo! That is really surprising to hear about Rush. It seems like such a great school, you'd think people would want to go there because it has a good program (and not just because of the name.) I do not know anyone who has gone there personally, so it seems nice to have someone close to you that can give you an insiders perspective. If you recall, what were the reasons for the bad review? My current school follows the quarter system, which I have heard many complaints about. However, I have only ever attended schools (Chemeketa community college and PSU) on the quarter system, so I guess I can't personally compare it to the semester system! =) I was actually looking into Rush as a prospective grad school...along with UT, UW, Med-SLP, U of Cincinnati MA/PhD Program, Vanderbilt, Pitt, U of Arizona, San Diego State, and MGH. So, on my "grad school info" excel worksheet, I have nine schools that I am pretty serious about. It may seem like an outrageous number to some, but I have been constantly researching programs, seeking advice from professors, among other things that have brought me to the conclusion that no matter how stellar my application, it is still a very competitive field. Also, I am kind of anxious to get out of Portland for the first time in my life and grad school seems like a great reason to do so! -L.

Thanks for your thoughts! I am debating on that or a therapy aide. We'll see! Thanks again.

Hey everyone! I am just wondering if anyone out there can give me some advice. I am applying to several grad schools (MA/MS-SLP) this fall for Fall 2014 admission. I currently hold an active CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) license and am thinking about applying for Part-Time positions to help make me a better candidate for grad schools. Does anyone have any thoughts about this, or if it would even make a difference at all? I wouldn't necessarily be doing it for the $$$, though extra moolah never hurts. I do have about a year of full-time CNA experience under my belt, from about a year ago. Being as volunteer and/or part-time work with SLP's (office or hospital) are difficult to come by here in Portland.. Any and all advice is appreciated! Thanks, L.

@ARF: Mind me asking which class you got a B in? Some classes are just harder than others. It sounds by all of your experience, you're on a great track! Also, you have a lot of variety in the schools you are applying to. What is your research experience look like? I am still narrowing down my prospective schools...talk about a chore! ;-)

@ lorenzojojo That is the beauty of this field. It is so multi-dimensional! You really can work in a variety of settings, with a variety of populations, etc. as an SLP. @rks2010 Nice! I am kind of in the same boat, in terms of applying to places all over the country. It's all about what program works best for you, right? =)

@RKS-- it's really great that you've given yourself enough time to take the GRE again. I wish I would have planned like that! Which schools in Ohio are you looking at? I've been in contact with a faculty member at University of Cincinnati. That whole department has been nothing but kind in our contact.

@Caterpillar -- welcome! I am hopeful for your husband! Keep us updated! @lorenzojojo -- Thanks for the reply. It sounds like you have a great background which may certainly help out you, especially if you plan on getting into school-SLP. Is that the plan? I am currently looking at: Vanderbilt, Ut-Austin, U of Cincinnati, University of Washington-Seattle, and CU-Boulder. From what I can tell, all pretty tough programs. I am hope that studying the GRE every day for two hours for the next two months will help my chances!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to start a new thread for all of "us" who are new to the site and wanted to get acquainted. I am a junior in the Speech and Hearing Sciences department at Portland State University. Where are you from? Any specific interests or schools you are looking to apply to? I look forward to meting some of you! Cheers, L.