Papaya91

I've finally made my decision. After visiting the University of Arizona yesterday, I'm 99.99% sure that's where I'm going. I can't really foresee any circumstances that would change my mind at this point, so I'm sending in my acceptance letter sometime this week! I was waitlisted at my former top choice, the UW MedSLP program, but I've realized that the UofA has a program that is just as good, and I'll be able to get the medical training and placements that I want. They're both top 5 schools (which may or may not really matter), and the UofA is more affordable, even if I don't get any funding. And there's so much sunshine in Tucson! The research opportunities they have are amaaaaaaazing (and a great fit for some of my interests), the faculty seems very friendly and supportive, and the first year grad students (who will be second years next year, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other) were very nice. Also, none of the students seemed as stressed out as I've seen in other programs - the UofA has a very manageable feel to it, although I'm sure it'll still be very intense. The campus is beautiful, they have an olympic size pool for swimming (my favorite way to work out), I'll be able to continue studying the harp (for free, I might add), and it's warm year-round. I also plan to end up back in SoCal again eventually, and it'll be a much easier move from Tucson than it will be from Seattle. Everything just seems to be falling into place. Did I mention sunshine?! I need some (read: a lot) of that in my life. I'm so glad to finally have my decision made. Now I just have to take physics or chemistry, lol. Best of luck to everyone still waiting on schools or making decisions - it's almost over!

Great thread! I did one of my undergrad papers on prosody, and I read a lot of cool (though not entirely related) articles about music during my research. To answer your questions - I played the piano as a kid (but stopped because I didn't like it). Now I play the harp. I'm not bilingual, but I've been working on Japanese for a long time. I'm probably halfway to being fluent, but I'm not there yet.

Hi. I think it is absolutely worth your time to join your school's NSSLHA and attend any conferences that you can. I attended NSSLHA meetings, but couldn't be an officer due to time restraints (from work and other commitments), but even just going to the meetings was always educational, and we raised some money for our clinic, too (I don't know if all schools do that, though). My friends who went to the state and national conferences said they were great networking opportunities. And lots of fun - that never hurts. Any experience like that can go on a resume to show that you were involved beyond the classroom. I don't know if it would be worth mentioning in your SOP unless you were an officer, or you presented at a conference with a professor or something, since you sometimes have so few words for your SOP, but if the school doesn't ask for a resume, it might be worth putting it in. You sound like you're on the right track - volunteering is great, relevant work experience (if you can find it) is great. And even if there's not much you can do with your GPA, if you feel like you could improve your GRE score by taking it again, it might be worth the extra cost.

I never really felt singled out or uncomfortable. I don't know if this is TMI, but most of my friends are girls and gay guys (I'm gay myself), so I didn't mind being in a major with mostly women. I know the other guys in my program tended to stick together, though. My teachers never treated me differently either. Not for being a guy, at least. If anything, I was one of the brighter people in my class, so that may have gotten my teachers' attention, but I think they did a good job of spreading the attention around. Socializing outside of class, however, was a little weird sometimes. The girls would occasionally have "girl's nights" where I was either forgotten or not invited, since I'm not a girl, lol. And if I was invited to go out with them, I was sometimes the only one stuck paying cover while they all got in free. I ended up hanging out with them either individually, or in small groups, for the most part. The only advice I could really give is to not exclude the guys when you're hanging out outside of school. It might make them feel left out, lol.

Hello everyone, My decision for where to go has pretty much been made already, unless I get off the waitlist at what was initially my top choice. Being waitlisted gave me a chance to really look at the other programs, though, and now one of them seems to be an equally appealing option. I'm planning to turn down the other two schools on Monday. After that, if I don't get off the waitlist, my decision is made. But if I do get off the waitlist, I'll have a really tough choice to make... one program is slightly better in one way, the other is slightly better in another way, so it all balances out. What are deciding factors for you? How are you choosing between two seemingly equal programs? P.S. I'm sorry if this thread is annoying to those who have yet to receive an offer of admission... I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad or anything. I realize that I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to have this dilemma. I hope you all hear good news soon - hopefully by me turning down two schools, some of you get off the waitlists.

I'm a guy as well. I was one of 4 in my undergrad, of a graduating class of about 25. We had started with one more, but he was a postpac so he was gone the next year. One of the other guys decided not to pursue his masters, one went into another similar field, and one went straight on to his masters. I took some time off for fun in the sun and to relax before starting the rest of my life, lol. Anyway, I'm also hoping to work in a medical setting (hospital or rehab center, ideally) after graduation. I think you're all right about the perception of speech therapy being all about schools, though. Up until my first class in CSD that I took just for fun, I thought that speech therapy was mostly about articulation for kids ("winoceweses have howns" lol). Then I realized there was so much more you could do. As someone who doesn't like kids that much (read: at all), I was happy to discover that it's a much broader field.

I've heard from all the grad students I've spoken to that it's difficult, if not impossible, to hold a job while in this program. Although it's tempting to try to save money, I don't think it would be worth letting your education possibly suffer. Yes, loans are hard to deal with, but if you live frugally, and don't have a family or other financial obligations, you can pay them off in just a few years. Otherwise there are forgiveness and repayment options where you pay for a certain length of time, but the rest is forgiven afterwards. I think a better way to cut down your education costs would be to apply for lots of scholarships! The applications don't take much time, and even if it's for a smaller amount of money (like $500 instead of in the thousands) - you spent maybe an hour on that application. Let's say minimum wage is $10/hour... in that hour you've made 50x what you'd earn in an hour at a part time job.

Your GPA is good, and if you can bring it up, even better. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. Unless your goal is to get into an extremely selective, highly ranked program, I think your GPA will get you in somewhere. And if you have volunteer experience at a hospital and a private clinic, and you participate in NSSLHA, I don't know why your parents have little faith in your resume. Some of my schools didn't even ask for a resume, they just asked about relevant experience (hospital, private speech clinic, and NSSLHA would all count). As for the school that was just accredited - if it passed its accreditation, that's all that really matters. You'll be able to get your license. If you'd feel safer somewhere else, though, then by all means apply somewhere else. How many schools you should apply to really depends on how much money you're willing to spend, and how desperate you are to get in. I know people who applied to a higher number of less competitive schools because they had lower scores and GPA. With your GPA and volunteer experience, though, I don't think you really have to worry about not getting in somewhere. Look on Asha EdFind, and look on individual school websites. Don't apply to schools where you're too far below their accepted range of GPAs, because chances are you might not get in. But if you're applying to schools where you're within their GPA range, you'll be fine. My undergraduate professors actually refused to write more than 5 letters of recommendation, so my classmates and I could only apply to 5 schools. You're good enough to get in if you apply to the right schools, so I would recommend NOT applying to very many. Not only does it cost a lot (can be almost $100 per application), but it makes your decision for where to go harder in the end. Good luck!

I'm in a similar predicament. I'm waitlisted at my top choice (which is my most expensive choice), so it's not as much of a problem for me now, but if I get off the waitlist it'll be really hard to choose. As long as the program is ASHA accredited, you'll learn what you need to know. The big name doesn't matter so much once you're out of school. The higher ranked program might have better connections for placements, though, which could affect your CFY, which could then affect how easy it is for you to get into the setting you want to make a career in. Hospitals typically like to take people from medical CFYs, for example. Also, if the high ranked program has someone who's an expert in a certain area you're interested in (like autism), and the lesser known school doesn't, it might be worth it for you. I'll be interested to see what other people have to say.

lexigal_gap: Thanks for the advice. I'll review in moderation instead of going crazy with it. Enjoy your spring break - you sound like you've earned it!

Haha you have a good point!

Nice I have most of my notes still, and copies of powerpoints printed off in a folder. I'm somehow missing notes for two of my classes, but I misplaced a lot of stuff that quarter (including about 13 hours of observation logs that I had to make up!), haha. I'm planning to buy the book again for one of those classes.

Hey everyone, I figured I might as well start my reviewing now, to distract myself from this waiting game. For those of you who are still undergrads, it might not be as big of a project. For people who've taken some time off, though - what's your plan of action for reviewing? The programs I've applied to throw you into therapy sessions from day 1, so I'm sure we're expected to know everything from undergrad really well. I've pulled out my notes every few months since I graduated, but now I think it's time to go back and re-read certain chapters, make flash cards again and get my transcription skills back up to par! There's one textbook that I sold back that I might need to buy again, but I've found it for super cheap on Amazon. What are you all planning, if you even think you'll have to review? If you don't think you'll need to review... get out of here. You're too smart.

Oh my gosh?! That sounds really stressful (and kind of unprofessional on their part). Congrats on getting in, though!

I found out this morning. Their website was actually down for a good portion of last night/this morning, so I wonder if they're having technical difficulties on their end. There's still hope! I think you'll get in.

I'm wondering the same thing. When I graduated, I had satisfied the ASHA requirements, but then they changed 'em and I may need a physics/chem class, depending on where I choose get in. :/

Ditto to what LMZ said. Thanks Norcal. It makes me a little less worried.

I was also waitlisted (for the MedSLP program). Which program did you apply to? UW Seattle is my top choice, and I'll definitely go if I get in. But I still haven't heard back from all of my schools, and I haven't heard about funding either. It's hard to say what to do. I would hate to accept at another school, just to get in to the UW afterwards (although of course, I would love to get in no matter what). Not only would you lose your deposit, but I think it's kind of rude to the school you're leaving behind to commit like that, and then be like, "Just kidding, kthxbai." I worry that it might be a bad start to future professional relationships, too. Being waitlisted is the worst mindgame of them all! Haha. If you have your heart set on the UW, then waiting's a smart choice. If you know you'll be happy at NYU, maybe that's the right place for you. Who knows - we all end up with the same degree in the end!

Well that's exciting that we're starting to hear back. I haven't heard yet, and haven't seen results posted online yet (or on the status check on their website), but thanks for being so quick to give your spot to someone else.

Hey My name's Ben, I'm 23, and I also went to Western Washington (like erdestromp; I don't think we ever met, though). I graduated in June 2012 with a major in CSD and a minor in Japanese. Similar to emikate above - I took way too many classes, and also graduated in 3 years. Then I took some time off to pursue another interest of mine, to save up money, and to soak up the sun in San Diego! I wanted to be totally refreshed going into grad school. I'm hoping to become an SLP in a medical setting. Stroke and TBI rehab, and voice disorders all really interest me. In my free time, I enjoy playing the harp (that's the interest I was pursuing), swimming, hanging out with my cat Oliver, and watching pretty much any show on the CW. I'm job hunting right now, since I moved back to Seattle from San Diego, but my most recent job was at Starbucks. I also play harp as background music at parties and such, but not often. Hopefully something comes my way soon! Nice to meet you all.

Hello, I'm a male applying to grad schools this year. I don't know if my gender has had anything to do with my 1 acceptance and 1 waitlist so far, but I think it's important to strive to be the most competetive applicant that you can be. After all, I think it's better to be admitted because you're good enough to be in a program than it is to be admitted because a school needs to meet a diversity quota. So keep your grades up and try to get to know some professors who can give you great LORs. That being said, I know that some schools do want more guys. I've heard that un-ranked waitlists are often un-ranked because the admissions committee wants to be able to replace the applicant who declined their offer of admission with someone who is similar regarding diversity and background. So if they need a certain number of guys, and you're a guy on the waitlist, you're more likely to be accepted if another guy drops. But if a Spanish-speaking applicant drops, they'll try to find a bilingual replacement, etc. I wouldn't count on your gender being an advantage. Best of luck with the rest of your undergrad, and grad school afterwards!

Haha I think I read just about every page on their website. I went for a tour and spoke to a professor and a current student (2nd year), as well. Everything seemed really professional and it looks like students get a lot of support, too. Your dog might learn to enjoy the rain! And if not, at least summers are pretty dry. I'll let you know if I get off the waiting list.

MaxSLP - if you got in and it's definitely what you want, I say go for it! Congrats on getting in, btw. Yes, it's expensive, and Seattle's expensive, but the program is phenomenal. I don't know how much you know about it, but you don't just get the standard two placements. You get four placements your second year, all in medical settings, you get to spend a week learning to use an electrolarynx, and you learn how to use a stroboscope as well. They give you some medical setting-specific classes, too. So cool. If you're 100% sure that a medical setting is what you want, it's the best place to go to meet your goals as quickly as possible, I think. Through your four placements in medical settings you'll get lots of networking done which'll make arranging your CFY so much easier. Anyway, good luck with your decision. If you decide not to go, let 'em know so I have a chance of getting off the waitlist. Edit: All of that being said, the MedSLP program isn't the only way to succeed. SLPs have been going to "normal" (a.k.a. non-medical) grad school programs since the dawn of time, and they all end up fine. If the MedSLP program won't end up working out for you, the other programs will still be able to give you the training you need; you just might have to put in a little more effort to end up in a medical setting.

I just got my second notice, from the University of Washington (MedSLP). Waitlisted, but there's still hope.

Argandoc - would you mind saying if you applied to the CoreSLP or MedSLP program? I saw people posting UW results, but I haven't heard anything yet. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest when I saw those results come up! Good luck with the other schools. (Also, congratulations to everyone who's heard good news so far!)