sayjo

Thanks for starting this thread, tchris! My apps are done, but I don't plan on hearing anything until March. On a semi-positive note, SIUE told me that my application did not qualify due to lack of some required pre-reqs. However, upon speaking with them, they agreed to consider my application anyway due to my strong academic background! (I will be finishing pre-reqs before attending, if I get in.) They're currently my top choice, so I'm hoping this means they were impressed by my app.

Just thinking....now that people are starting to hear back from schools, should we start a 2014 SLP Admissions Thread? This thread is getting kind of long. It would be nice to have a space to celebrate acceptances (and console rejections).

Hi marshmelos, Go here. If you scroll down, there will be a list of all online COMD courses USU offers and links to the syllabi. Hope that helps!

I'm not sure. My ASHA requirements are complete from my previous undergrad. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

I've taken phonetics and am currently taking anatomy. Both classes are excellent. Phonetics is somewhat of an "easy A" since the exams are open book. However, I still have a thorough understanding of the phonetic alphabet. Anatomy is somewhat more challenging. The lectures are very clear and easy to follow, but (as you'd expect) there is a lot of memorization involved. Tests for anatomy are proctored.

Well, you'd THINK that having a degree would make them listen to you. I've been a teacher for the past 5 years, and while there are WONDERFUL, AMAZING parents out there that WILL listen and do anything for their child, there are also parents that won't listen, despite what degree you hold. We had a really sad case at my school a few years ago where a child had such severe language delays that we thought he had a learning disability. Turns out, the kid just needed tubes in his ears and many different professionals (with degrees) told mom this. However, mom flat out REFUSED to get the procedure done (which is her right, as a parent) and her kid continues to have severe academic issues. So, while getting an SLP degree is going to be great, it won't necessarily make parents listen to you. The choices they make for their child are ultimately up to them. Except, I think I would qualify feeding your child bleach as child abuse. Did you ever attempt to contact anyone about that situation?

Just FYI to everyone - Illinois has a tuition waiver that I know Illinois State accepts (I'm not sure about other schools). If you get the waiver, you need to work in a school in Illinois for two years after you graduate. Here is the link. I'm nervous about loans too - I have a family member that went to Rush and is now over $100,000 in debt!! I mean, Rush is a good school, but I don't think any school is worth that much $$$. I guess the upside is that said family member now has a pretty well-paying job, but still. That number makes me freak out!

I just get my tests proctored at the local library because it's free. You can also use ProctorU if you can't find anyone to proctor nearby.

I think the expense is exactly the reason they accept so many people. It's hard to stomach that amount for tuition if you can go somewhere else for much less $$$.

When I was getting my undergrad, I wish I had known that SLP existed.

I'm pretty sure the cost for USU is the same no matter where you live. It's $275 per credit hour for online classes. See here.

I'm taking my leveling courses through Utah State and I LOVE it. I have found the classes to be well organized and every bit as demanding as in-person classes. I took two courses last semester while I worked full-time as a teacher; now, I'm taking 5 classes and have cut back my work hours. The professors at Utah State will write you letters of recommendation. I had one Utah State professor write me a letter, but I also had professors who knew me personally write my other letters. Utah State has been the right choice for me, but some people do better with in-person classes. Before you make a decision, you should think about how you learn best and then decide if online or in-person courses are best for you. I wouldn't be afraid about being older than everyone either. When I did undergrad (in education), we had a bunch of students who were in their 30s and 40s. They were treated just the same as everyone else. Don't let your age make your decision for you. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions about Utah State!

Whoohoo! I just finished my 9 applications! Let the waiting begin!!

Ashtae220, You've got some great experience! One thing you can definitely do to boost your chances is work on your GRE score. Your verbal score is really good, but a 142 for quantitative is low. See if you can take a GRE class or get a book to work through and help you with your quant score. I was an English major in college (and hadn't taken a math class for 7 years) so I got this book. I thought it was awesome because it started with very easy math concepts and gradually worked up to more difficult material. Also, are you taking any prerequisite courses in communication disorders? Many schools require you to have pre-req work done before your begin their masters program. Additionally, doing pre-req work will give you a better idea of the field and will help you when writing your personal statement. Good luck!

Hi MangoSmoothie, If your schools are using CSDCAS, they have something called "academic update" so that you can submit your application early, but then go back and update your grades once fall grades are posted. If you are applying to a school directly through the school's website, I would just email the school and ask them. It's possible that they will also let you send it updated copies of your transcripts after fall grades are posted. Hope that helps!

Check on the school's website. Some schools want certain documents sent to the school, not CSDCAS. I would assume that Temple wants the GRE sent to them if there is no CSDCAS code listed.

I'm not applying to any of those schools, but I've heard that UNC Chapel Hill is CRAZY competitive. I'm not sure if your GPA & GRE will be enough to get you in there. That said, you're out of field, so you might have some other cool life experiences that will help get your application noticed. Schools don't look at numbers alone.

I know someone who did their undergraduate at Governor's State. They liked it there and was accepted there for grad school but chose to go somewhere else. Governor's State gets a lot of applicants because it offers a part-time grad school option, which is fairly rare. I've heard that Governor's State does take a lot of applicants who have completed their undergraduate degree at Governor's State. Also note that you need to have a bachelor's in communication disorders to attend Governor's State - you can't just complete prerequisites.

YES!!!

I noticed that too! My husband and I want to stay close to Illinois since his family is here. Good luck on the rest of your apps!

SLPamy, I'm in the same boat! I got all of my CSDCAS applications done weeks ago, but I've been struggling to motivate myself to finish my apps for Vandy and U of I. Stay strong! We can do this!

Hi LisaZ, I can't speak to most of those programs, but I can write a little about Northwestern. I previously completed a master's program (not in speech pathology) at Northwestern. It's an absolutely beautiful campus and the surrounding town (Evanston) is great as well. Northwestern is also super close to Chicago and you can take public transportation into the city easily. In terms of the academics, Northwestern is very highly regarded for the research their faculty completes. My professors often had published well-known articles and books or they were conducting interesting research. This sometimes translated into great classes, but not always. I was required conduct research and write a thesis for my master's. Overall, I liked Northwestern but I didn't feel like my Northwestern education was superior to the bachelor's I earned at a smaller and less prestigious school. I see that you're interested in the medical side of things - have you looked into Rush University? Their program focuses heavily on medical SLP and is actually located in a hospital.

I just wrote mine like an essay. I don't think it's supposed to be in letter format.

What does everyone think is the weakest part of their application? For me, it's definitely the small amount of in-field coursework I've currently completed. I'll be completing my second bachelor's via Utah State by August 2014, but right now I've only got two classes. Even though I think the rest of my application is strong, I feel that it won't even be looked at just based on my coursework. I'm feeling overwhelmed by applications and am stressing out that I'm not going to get in ANYWHERE. I hope I'm not the only one!

Hi waitwhichgaby, Many people get into graduate school with lower than average GPAs. However, I think there are a couple of things you can do to boost your chances of getting into graduate school. 1. If this is financially feasible, I would complete your undergraduate degree in psychology. Then, I would complete a second bachelor's program either in person or online. I currently am taking courses at Utah State University online and find them affordable and appropriately challenging. When applying to grad school, they will care much more about your GPA for your second in-field bachelor's than your first bachelor's. 2. If I read your post correctly, you're at UIUC, so you could still change your major or take classes in communication disorders there. If you keep your COMD classes as close to a 4.0 as possible, this will also improve your chances to get into graduate school. 3. If you do want to teach abroad, I would highly recommend doing that before graduate school. First, because it will definitely help your application and be a unique experience. Second, (I write this as a married 26 year old) as you get older, it gets harder and harder to uproot yourself and move to a new country. After graduate school, you might need to pay off debts, you might be in a serious relationship, etc. Also, you can combine online SLP classes with living abroad. I'm friends with girl who is teaching in Ireland right now and taking classes via Utah State. If these ideas won't work for you, then you're just going to have to buckle down and pull up that GPA in your last year and a half of undergrad. You'll need to find faculty members to write you stellar letters of recommendation, you'll need to put in some serious study hours for the GRE, and you'll need to make the experiences you do have sound AWESOME in a personal statement. What I WOULDN'T do is "just apply anyways and see what happens." If you're going to spend your time and money on graduate school apps, you might as well do it right. You'll be going up against in-field applicants with stellar GPAs and out-of-field applicants with lots of unique experiences and (most of the time) a second bachelor's in the field. It's difficult for EVERYONE to get into graduate school, so just throwing some applications out there is just like throwing money away. Hope that helps & good luck to you.