MangoSmoothie

Just wanted to echo the sentiment from above. While you may have three excellent LORs, it's hard to get over that requirement for an academic LOR and LORs required from SLPs. I had two great LORs from professors whose classes I only took the fall I was applying, so you can still get a good one in the short time frame!

YES if you can maintain a 4.0, you definitely have a shot at getting in somewhere! We can't tell you where or what exactly will do it, but don't discount yourself. Search this forum for threads on those accepted with a low-GPA, last-60, etc. (@twinguy7 will have posted a lot on the topic). I have friends who had undergrad GPAs of below 3.0 for various reasons (some medical, some because they just partied that hard), who all turned it around in post-baccs and second bachelor's, and they all got in to programs. You have very compelling reasons as to why your grades were what they were, and you've shown progress, and many adcoms don't discount that. Plus, you have what 22-year-olds applying don't, and that's a lot of life experience, especially with your ASL. I had a 3.25 undergrad GPA (due to lack of focus), and 4.0 in my post-bacc when I returned to school three years later, and I got in to a variety of programs. The experience I had in those three years also bolstered my application. Definitely do your very best on the GRE. 150 in both sections is about the average in our field, but frankly, I don't think it's hard to get a much better score than that. The GRE is important when you're making up for a low GPA, even if it doesn't offset it. I would say you want a minimum 155 in each section, but I would shoot for at least 160 to really show you can do it. I know that my GRE scores definitely help to offset my cumulative GPA, which was very low for the field.155 is very attainable, especially if you put your mind to it and have started studying now. You can't control your past GPA, but you can control your GRE score somewhat, and at this point, you want to control every part of your application that you can to make it as good as possible. Keep in mind quality is better than quantity when you apply to schools. Don't just apply to a ton of schools because you think it will help your chances. It won't. Not unless you are writing really personalized essays for each program, and your references don't hate you for making them fill out 10 different forms (as not all schools use CSDCAS). Schools know when you're not very invested in their program, and unless you're a perfect applicant (and even then) it's an easy way to hurt your application. It is worth your while to contact schools to see if they will even look at your application as well, because some schools as a rule won't look at anyone with below a 3.0 or 2.5 cumulative GPA, and this is often a requirement of the grad school, not the department itself. This is information you definitely need to obtain! Take the time to really research the places you apply to, reach out and explain your situation if you can. And in your essays, you absolutely must say why you want to go to that program, what attracts you to that program, and/or what you can bring to that program. Too often people overlook this super crucial aspect (especially those with lower GPAs), but every adcom I've talked to has said they absolutely look for this component. Personally, I think you will be a much more competitive applicant once you finish the whole series of CSD courses, because your overall GPA will be higher, and you will have more relevant references. The thresholds SouthernDrawl gave are not bad ones to meet before applying either. Do you have excellent references now? What is your last-60 though? What will it be if you get a 4.0 in the fall? What will your cumulative be with a 4.0 in the fall? I ask because I do think it's worth applying to some schools this year that have a deadline of mid-January or later, so that your fall semester grades will be included. If you can afford all the fees associated with applying to a few well selected schools, I think it's worth it, although based only on numbers, I suspect your chances will be much better next year. Even if you don't get in though, you may be able to contact the departments to see what you can improve for the next round. It's a big emotional, financial, and time investment to apply this year, but if you're willing to go through it, I would try for a few schools this year because you never know what will happen. If you do end up getting rejected, it could give you a bit of a bonus if you apply to the same schools next year, because you can point out your even higher GPA. Does USU give you an advisor at all or someone you can contact with these questions? Or maybe you can just ask a professor who teaches one of the classes you're taking. My advisors and professors were very frank with me about my situation and what schools I should be looking at, and I found their input to be useful when I decided when and where to apply. It's a tricky question, and the answers might be hard to hear, but good luck regardless! Whether it's this year or next or the year after though, I believe you can definitely get in somewhere! Programs are taking more and more non-traditional students and students with varied backgrounds, so don't let your past own you! Own it!

I'm applying last minute to a scholarship. "Last minute," as in I began the application one week before the deadline (because I wasn't going to apply, but a lot of people encouraged me to do so, so I am giving it a go). I managed to get everything in order, including three letters of recommendation, in time for the deadline tomorrow at midnight. But I don't have the statement of good academic standing from my department. I emailed the department head last week for it, but it was sort of buried in another email, and I completely forgot to follow-up about it before now since I was so focused on the essay required for the scholarship. It's entirely my fault for not following-up, and this faculty member and the other one who could possibly provide the statement are on vacation from today. There's a slim chance I'll be able to get it tomorrow since I only need a digital copy, but I'm not that hopeful. It really is my own fault, and I can't believe I let one of the most minor parts of the application prevent me from completing it. Live and learn, but in the meantime, it still sucks.

If you really want to know the department's expectations, call them and ask. It is better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed, in my opinion. My orientation was a mix, but the majority were in business/near-businesses casual (slacks/summer slacks and a nice top/blouse for the women and mostly sandals and flats) or a work-appropriate dress. A few also wore nice jeans with a nice top, which was a good in-the-middle look. I remember a few folks who just wore t-shirts and jeans or shorts, and all of them after the fact were a little sheepish because they felt really underdressed, especially as the department took our class photo that day. It's honestly going to vary from program to program, so really, it won't hurt to call and ask. It's not that big of a deal, so try not to worry too much about it. I would still recommend dressing a little nicer/more professional than how you dress day to day (i.e., don't show up in short-shorts and a camisole). If you're really worried, I think nice jeans with a blouse/nice top is a good look, and you shouldn't feel too underdressed. You should feel comfortable with yourself during orientation. So ask yourself, if everyone was dressed in business casual and you showed up in jeans and a nice top, would you feel okay? If everyone was dressed in casual, daily clothing and you were in slacks and a blouse, would you feel okay? Which would make you feel more awkward? I personally wore business casual (slacks, blouse, flats, and a cardigan) because it was what I wore to my full-time job for three years prior to beginning my program. I personally would rather be overdressed, so I err on the side of caution that way, although it's never really happened that I've actually been overdressed. (There are also multiple threads on this from the past, so you will find more answers if you utilize the search.)

(This post was way longer than I thought, sorry!) The fortunate thing is that, like mentioned, you always have the option of trying this out for a semester, and if it doesn't work, you can find a place closer to campus. No doubt you'll be able to find an apartment someone is trying to sublet if you decide the long commute isn't working for you. There are a few people in my program who commute by car, but I'd say the ones who commute the most drive about an hour each way. It's been working for them, and one in particular doesn't mind the commute because it forces her to stay on campus and finish things before going home. She doesn't even need to leave her place early since her schedule doesn't require her to be on campus until around 12:00 each day, so she avoids morning and evening rush hour. We have a bit of preference in our placements for the second year, and other second years have been able to request placements near to where they live, one reducing her commute from an hour to 5 minutes. She still had to make it back to campus two nights a week for class, but it's a big improvement. My program also tends not to have classes or clinic on Fridays, which makes the commute more bearable for them as it's only 4 days a week. This is a lot of time to drive each day, but you might find it's a good time to decompress. You need to consider the cost of gas (nearly three hours of driving each day will add up very fast), maintenance, and car insurance too. Make sure you have very, very good coverage for your car, since if it's out of commission for some reason, how will you be getting to campus? And does parking cost on campus? I've never been to a university that had cheap parking for students. If you compare the cost of living somewhere for free versus an apartment near campus (possibly with a roommate), these are all things you need to consider. You might find the difference, while still in favor of living with a family member, is not as large as you think. A thought that also just occurred to me was working. I don't know if you're planning on having a job or not, but I would think this type of commute is going to really impact your work availability during the week, since you will have fewer available hours. You can of course work near campus, but then you might find yourself driving an hour and a half home at 11pm. If it's more feasible to work if you live near campus, consider that cost, too. Most people in my cohort have a job or two (unless they're lucky enough to have parents who can afford to support them), so it is possible to work. Even if you spend only four days going to campus, that's 10 hours you spend driving. 10 hours that could be spent at a job making money to help offset the cost of living on campus. Potentially the biggest concern, depending on your personality, is the impact this will have on your social life. If you're moving to an area where you don't know anyone, you might find yourself lonelier than your cohort members, or not connecting as well with them. You will definitely have to make more of an effort to connect with them. While the people who commute such distances in my program aren't ostracized, they don't socialize as much with the rest of the cohort. For some, that's choice, but for others it's been a struggle. You naturally miss out on a lot of "on the fly" plans and weekend plans, especially in the beginning weeks of the program, when relationships are being formed. I've found that my cohort doesn't like planning things far in advance, which means the people who commute are more likely to miss out on these plans. It might not be fair, but it's the reality. If you have another support group nearby, or don't really care if you're friends with your cohort or not, this might not matter that much to you. But if you are trying to befriend cohort members, be aware you might be spending late nights in the city or spending your weekends driving to campus to socialize with them too, especially early on. One of the women I know who commutes wishes she had a closer relationship to people in the program, but she has resigned herself to the situation, and she tries to be ready for impromptu plans. If you live in most areas of the US, you're probably laughing at the suggestion of public transit. If a viable option exists in your area (that doesn't also double your commute), definitely consider it, but another option to consider are rideshares. My state has a state-run rideshare program, but it typically only serves the major metro areas and their surrounding counties. I personally can't read while in a car, but you might be able to, or you might be able to take the time for a nap on the way to/from school. I had a friend do this for four years in undergrad for an hour each way, and while she's thrilled to be done with it, it saved her a lot of money. It's something you can look in to, if your state/area has one. So in short, yes, this commute can work, and you are lucky you are able to trial it. There are more things to consider than just the savings of not paying rent and utilities, but you might find yourself with better time management and in more command of your schedule.

$22,000 is not chump change. Please don't make this decision lightly. As someone who cuts corners and pinches pennies to reduce their debt from school, carefully consider the extra 22k. You may find useful information if you utilize the search on this forum. Many threads have discussed this in the past including this recent one. Have you actually visited USF and talked to graduate students there? I see you might be doing that soon. If you read that thread, you'll see I was in the exact same situation. I found a school that was perfect for me, I absolutely loved it, but it was expensive. Then I got accepted to a program that was $30,000 cheaper and realized love doesn't make the world go round. It was initially a compromise to attend the cheaper university, but I can't imagine myself anywhere else now. The visit helped me make my decision and made me feel more comfortable giving up the school I loved that was a perfect fit for me. I went in WANTING my visit and tour of the cheaper school to show me that I belonged at the expensive school. But it didn't. Keep an open mind. Try to talk to grad students on your visit, or see if they'll arrange for a few graduate students to talk to you. Ask about the externship opportunities. Ask about how professors support the students, both clinical and academic faculty. Ask about how the cohort gets along or interacts, if people find their friends mostly in the cohort or outside of it. $22,000 is not worth it for "loving" a program, when the cheaper option will not inhibit you in any foreseeable way.

Again, I was literally in the exact same situation, almost to the day! I received an offer for the 36K school on May 7th last year. I emailed the program director at the expensive school to let her know of my decision, and she arranged for a phone conversation. She probed a little bit to figure out why exactly I was withdrawing, since I had been so excited during my visit, but she was very understanding when I told her it was because a school that was $30,000 cheaper accepted me. She agreed 100% with my decision, since this much money is not a small undertaking, and I will get a job no matter where I go. She actually tried to find me funding to get me to stay at that program, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The phone call really eased my mind about the whole thing, and I felt a lot better about withdrawing than I did after just an email. So to repeat what others have said, don't fret too much about it! It's a little bit awkward, but they're understanding, as long as you're very polite and professional about it.

You're trying to talk yourself in to paying 30,000 more. Don't. I was in the exact same position as you last year. Of three schools it came down to, one's tuition was $25,000, one was $36,000, and one was $68,000. I loved the most expensive program. They had an excellent on campus clinic, amazing opportunities, and I truly wanted to go there. It fit my interests perfectly. Superficially I was excited because of their good ranking. (The rankings system is bs by the way.) The $25,000 had... limited clinical opportunities both on and off campus, and you had to travel an hour for your externships usually. Good for some, not for me. The 36,000 had most of want I wanted, and I knew I'd get great placements, but I still wanted to go to that 68K program because it just felt right. But it's truly not worth it, and for me it wasn't. I ended up going to the school that was 36K in tuition. I knew the cheapest option would provide the worst opportunities for me in grad school. If I had had nothing to compare them to, it would have been fine. I would have gladly gone to that school. After all, I knew grads from that program who have secured highly coveted and prestigious positions, and they loved the program because it suited them. They shined in that program, and that's more important than where they graduated from. I am loving my time at the 36K school. At times I wonder what it would be like if I'd gone to the 68K school, but I'm getting great opportunities, I have an awesome cohort, invested faculty, and I just got a placement I'm pumped about. We even have another SLP program in the city, and we don't "compete" for externships really, since we have an arrangement with the other school. Plus we have opportunities I didn't even know existed before I toured, and those opportunities matter a lot to me! The ranking of your school will only matter if you want to do a PhD, and that's only if you're doing a thesis anyway. "Local prestige" is important, but like Norcal said, it's better to ask the students rather than rely on some arbitrary impression. Even you don't really know the "local prestige" of the programs because you're not placements that are hiring, so don't rely on that. Can you visit the school you just got accepted to before you make your decision? That really helped me. I didn't want it to help! I wanted it to show me I'd be happier at the 68K school, but it did just the opposite. See if they'll arrange for some grad students for you to talk to as well. And just to reiterate: the program you choose will not affect your job prospects significantly, and you won't be making more or less in the same position because of the program you graduated from. Good luck making your decision. $30,000 is a lot, and I would not make this decision lightly or based on arbitrary rankings.

Mine is also around 11-13, and summers are around 8. I don't know about other programs, but I didn't really get to decide my schedule, since the first years take classes together, and there's only one offering of all the classes. We have a little bit of flexibility between when to take two different courses, and a few elective offerings in the second year, but most semesters require at least 11 credits in my program. I wouldn't worry about overwhelming yourself; they lay it out nicely for you, and unless you're considering moving to part-time, there may not be much in the way of what you can change.

Unfortunately, I don't think most EdFind pages have a separate page/secction for the online/distance options. :\ I checked another page's program that has an established distance option (UW Eau Claire) and it seems that the stats are either lumped in with the other ones or not included at all; the distance option is mentioned on the page, but no mention of separate stats. Kind of a bummer! It could be a good point to email ASHA'S EdFind people about though. Schools do typically examine those applicant pools independently of one another, so it'd make sense to have separate stats listed for each.

I'm so glad you (seemingly) used the search to find this thread! The statistics are only available on specific program pages; you can't search by stats. So for example if I go to the EdFind page for CSU LA http://www.asha.org/edfind/details.aspx?id=D/s2RSL7dc0vdbXmehghfQ== I can see the following statistics about their admitted class from last year: GRE: Verbal reasoning: 147-168 Quantitative reasoning: 145-162 Analytical writing: 3.0-5.0 GPA: 3.77-4.00 Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 259 Part-time Students: 0 Total: 259 Number of Admission Offers: Full time: 21 Part time: 0 Total: 21 Not all schools opt to post these stats (so you may see N/A), and exactly what stats are posted is different from school to school, since they're self-reported by the schools. Some schools may only post the GRE and GPA of those who accepted admission, some post stats for all those offered admission, and I suspect some (like my school) only post the stats for those initially offered admission. It seems self explanatory, but take the stats with a grain of salt because it is up to the schools to post them! People also calculate "Acceptance rate" by dividing the number of applications received by admissions offers from EdFind. Again, it's not a hard acceptance rate, just a guideline! Some programs do post stats on the university department websites, but not all do. Hope that helps!

Browsing these forums will easily show you otherwise. Personally, I believe if you're coming right from an SLP undergrad, it is more likely to be true that you need to have very high grades; your undergrad experience has been the bulk of your related experiences in life to SLP, and you need those grades to show you will be competent in graduate school. I do not fault schools for this process, because they need something to show them you will succeed, and there aren't many ways a 22-year-old can truly show that. However, out-of-fielders and non-traditional applicants can boost their applications with related life experiences that often span longer periods of time than the traditional 4 year B.A./B.S. to master's SLP student. I was both out-of-field and nontraditional, with a 3.25 in my undergrad when I applied and accepted to five programs. My friends in my post-bacc, some straight from undergrad, others like me who'd done other things for a few years, also had around 3.3 GPAs, and they're all in grad programs now. I can count just as many people I know in an SLP master's program now who don't fit your criteria as those who do, although I admit, most of the ones who don't have perfect scores and GPAs are out-of-field and some are non-traditional, and their SLP grades were excellent. Sometimes, it just takes time and experience to make yourself a better applicant and to make up for less-than-stellar grades. I'm sorry you and those around you have had this experience. But myself and many others have had just the opposite. I'm starting to digress, but I don't want anyone to be discouraged from applying because of this post, because it's blatantly not true. There is no universal formula for admission, and by the time of application, some things are out of your control, so control the things you can (like your SOP, GRE, etc)., and truly learn about the programs you're applying to. Some schools might only care about numbers, but there's far more that (I believe) don't value only GPA and GRE.

Quality is better than quantity. You need to tailor your applications to each school, which can require whole new SOPs, and at the very least will require sections of your SOP tailored to different schools. To do this takes time to research and time to articulate truly why you want to go to a particular program. Plus you need time to allow for revisions that you do and that you have your peers or professors do. Leaving this information out of your application is going to hurt you far more than applying to fewer schools, I guarantee it. Things like "great city and opportunities!" and "highly ranked and respected faculty!" don't cut it. I understand wanting to apply to a lot of schools, but 18 is an extremely high number. As long as you get a 4.0 or damn close to it and do well on the GREs (I would recommend aiming for at least 155 in each; 150 is nearly exactly average for this field, and it's better to be above average than average if you're trying to be a strong candidate), you wouldn't be considered a weak candidate.

They don't give you a terribly long time after April 15th typically because they want to keep the waitlist moving. The waitlist offers I got last year all gave me two business days to reply. I remember that my friend's waitlist offers last year were roughly the same, or in the 2-4 day range. It's April 15th, so I hope you all hear some good news today! I remember I got an email on the 15th last year taking me off a waitlist, and my friend who had only gotten waitlists got two offers on the 15th! I hope for the best for anyone still waiting!

Most programs have some form of the (roughly) expected course of study which would have total semesters. So if you want to know exactly, you'll have to check each program's webpage. If they don't have that publicly available, most program directors are willing to provide it with a simple email request. But yes, jpiccolo is correct. In my experience researching programs, most programs have at least the first summer, but not the second summer, making them 5 semesters. My program is (unfortunately) one of the few 6 semester programs I saw out there, including both summers.

I have used many of my notes and textbooks from undergrad in just the first two semesters of grad school. Even if I'm not citing them in papers (which I have already done many times with my textbooks), I have gone back to refresh my knowledge and review or to find a starting point for research. Many people in my cohort have done the same or wish they could have done the same. I have even sent old powerpoint lectures from my undergrad courses to students in my grad program who went to the same undergrad program as me. I have no idea why people sell back textbooks only because they don't think they'll be useful in this field in the future. Look at the bookshelf of any seasoned SLP and you'll find they have many of their undergrad and grad school textbooks. Even as the editions change, most of the information is not yet outdated. My current clinical supervisor just threw out textbooks from the 80s, and they were still valuable resources until very recently. If you can save stuff, save it. Especially your first two semesters of grad school, they'll be very useful. "Reactivating old pathways" as tea4me said, is a very apt description. Everyone's experience is different, but for myself and those I know, having those materials from undergrad has been very beneficial.

I was about to say I can't imagine what essentially a 20-week semester would feel like, but I'm going to be living it soon, despite being semesters and not quarters! We finish spring semester on May 20th, and start summer semester on May 31st, which goes until August 5th (possibly 12th?). I don't even want to count how many weeks that will be. At least I'll have most of August. My friends and I were thinking of doing a bit of travel in that little break between spring and summer, but I'm starting to think I'd rather stay home and not think about or do anything! It doesn't sound fun to go for 20 weeks without much of a break. I didn't realize how tightly packed the quarter system could be! My own vent: I don't normally get socially anxious or super self-conscious, but I've been really feeling it these past few weeks. In particular, I've been very self-conscious about my body, and it hit a peak over the weekend. I'd gone social dancing with some friends, and the lessons are fun and so is dancing with my friends. We're all new to the dances, but I got very discouraged when no one asked me to dance (or accepted my offers), yet my friends, who are fit and conventionally attractive, were constantly out dancing with a partner. It could have been a number of reasons why I couldn't get a partner for most of the songs, but it hit me hard and made me incredibly self-conscious. I ended up just sitting around looking bummed after the first hour and a half or so (because I felt bummed!) until my friend came over and told me that I should "smile more and look like [I'm] having fun" in order to get someone to dance with me. Even though I had been, until I wound up feeling so self conscious. It just stung that on top of feeling crappy about myself, she essentially added more blame to me for having a bad time. I know her advice probably came from a good place, but it really didn't help.

Seconding everything up there. If it makes you feel better, even UW Madison's program was placed on probation in February of last year for clerical reasons. It was then removed this year, so they will have that status for a year. So really, no reason to worry, and future employers won't know or care. Like said, the accreditation reports are publicly available, and being placed on probation for clerical reasons is much less severe and more easily remediated than being placed on probation for factors related to the clinical aspects of the program (like sufficient faculty, sufficient placements, etc.).

This is an excellent question. You know yourself best. If you know you are going to be affected by the landscape and weather, that's a very important factor, and you need to give it appropriate consideration. I have a friend in my program now who has been profoundly impacted by the long and cold winter here, and it's begun affecting her schoolwork and motivation to do school/clinic work. The stress of grad school has just compounded how the weather affects her, which is why before grad school, she'd lived in the southwest. These feelings are not something she can just "get over" by willpower and pep talks or being more active (and she's already very active). It's only gotten worse as the season drags on (it recently snowed and there's more snow in the forecast). It was an odd set of circumstances that brought her here, and it's an excellent program, but she knows she's leaving as soon as the program is done. If she had had the luxury of deciding what geographic region to go to for a program, she wouldn't be here. I don't think this should necessarily be the single deciding factor in your decision, but you should give it the right amount of consideration for you. For some people it's not an important a factor at all, but those people have no right to tell you how to feel. Any kind of impact of the weather and landscape is not easy to deal with, especially when you're in a new place, possibly with little to no support system, and under a lot of stress from grad school. It may be "only" two years, but those two years can seem a lot longer when you're dealing with the seasonal affects of weather. Another caution I'll make is to really think about what makes a program "great" to you. I don't know if this is what you're thinking (and sorry if you aren't!), but rankings mean absolutely nothing to the quality of a program. You may have done this already, but it may also help to look more at the opportunities the programs offer (one externship, two externships, on campus clinic vs. no campus clinic, specialized externships, focus on certain populations, etc). It may help you feel more comfortable with whatever decision you end up making. It won't hurt to tour if possible, get into contact with current students, or make a personal call to the program director. I couldn't tour a few programs, and those personal calls asking for information really helped with my decision making. Good luck! I think this is an important question to ask yourself, and you should give it the right amount of consideration for you.

Just a friendly announcement: So just like last year I think it'd be good to not clog this thread with inquires about whether a group exists or not. It makes it a lot harder to search this thread for groups (and it will get big) and if a group exists and the person sees this thread, they'll probably post the group anyway. If the group isn't on the results page or this thread and you can't find it on Facebook, asking here isn't really going to get you an answer. If you need help making a Facebook group (since I think you need two people), I would just ask a friend to make a group with you, and then immediately delete them from the group. I did this with a few friends for different programs last year, and it wasn't a problem at all! My program also ended up with two Facebook groups early on, and we just ended up going with the one that got the most attention first, so don't be afraid that you might accidentally make a second group for your program.

And it's a great opportunity for people here who may not have had any luck yet, and are willing to relocate for grad school! Thanks for sharing! Exciting news! How's GVSU's accreditation going? I know you finished up there, twinguy, so I bet you're a great resource for people who might be a little wary of a program that's newer.

Hey, that's what my foster has! Big difference in price though! Her surgery was $1800, with the shelter discount, but she had to get it done at an emergency vet (even thought it wasn't an emergency), and they charge more. It was all her teeth too, and it actually hasn't resolved the issue, so we're still trying to find a way to manage it. She was feral, so it makes it hard to find things we can do to her that she's okay with. Another friend (in my program) has a cat with stomatitis, and at the same time unexpectedly had to get his final two teeth removed a week before my foster went in for her surgery, and that was around $600. Another person in my program also had pet problems in the first semester, and it ended up also being over $1,000 for the surgery, plus all the additional care. So yeah. I can name at least 4 people in my program who had pet issues the first semester alone, and it wasn't cheap. So OP and anyone else, please consider it, and realize unexpected costs are unexpected, but you need to be prepared for them. If financially you can't be, put it off until you are. The entire reason I foster is because I knew I couldn't afford the vet bills. Yes, I could open up a credit card for them, but I already have so much debt from school. So I help out by opening up a space at the shelter, and I do pay for food and litter plus toys (even though I don't have to). I strongly encourage fostering, if you can! Fostering a cat really doesn't take that much work, and it can really help out the shelters.

I foster cats, and I feel have enough time. I foster formerly feral cats, and it's been good to give them so much time alone in my apartment, so they get used to the place before acclimating to me. If you live alone though, please do not get a dog. Dogs need much more attention and interaction, and you will be far too busy in grad school to handle it, especially once externships start. Will you be able to get home to let it out to even go to the bathroom at least every 6-7 hours? My friend is married and has a dog, and they're both in grad school (she's SLP), and they have a hard enough time making sure he gets out enough, and he gets three long walks a day. Dogs will also really restrict the types of places you can live as mentioned above. I do have a friend in SLP grad school with a dog (foster actually), but she has two roommates, and it's works out just right. She knows she wouldn't be able to if she lived alone or even with one other roommate. I really enjoy having a pet to come home to, especially because I do live alone. I do recommend getting a pet, but only if you think you have the time and money. Fostering is nice, because you don't have to front the vet bills, and you're opening up space in the shelter for another animal. So make sure that if something comes up medically, that you have money around (at least $1,000, but that won't be enough if it's serious) for that. My friend's cat in my program was really ill, and required thousands in vet work, and it's lucky she had her family to help her out, or the cat would have suffered and probably died. My current foster even needed an $1800 surgery, which the animal shelter paid for.

What would be interesting is to know the typical track PhD faculty in this field and in our departments take. I feel like at my undergrad/postbacc, many of my professors had only a PhD, not a masters, but that program was very highly ranked for their research. At my master's program, it's different and most (if not all?) of my professors worked for a number of years (at least more than 5) as an SLP with a master's before returning to do a PhD. Also I was doing a little digging, and the sense I'm getting is that working at a (public) university would still qualify you for some public service loan forgiveness programs, given you meet the various requirements. But there are obviously more options for loan forgiveness as a practicing SLP! Still, I didn't consider the undergrad debt or master's debt, but that's a good point, and could be a point of concern for some. ASHA actually has a chart with the average school loan debt by amount of years worked, and the average debt practicing SLPs graduated with (I think), so if you ever want to not feel alone...

Realistically, none of us are going to know the correct answer to this question, but I think I can definitively say that it depends on the program. My program, for example, has a ranked waitlist, and those numbers don't shift once they're decided by the admission committee during that initial review after the application deadline, so a visit to move you up on the waitlist would be ineffective. Many waitlists are ranked because applicants receive a "score", and the lists aren't necessarily going to shift unless it's because someone was admitted off the waitlist or someone took themselves off. What your friend thinks happened and what really happened aren't necessarily the same thing. It could have just been a very happy coincidence. I definitely think visiting a program helps your application, but in an indirect way, in that it helps you write in your SOP why you want to attend that school. In that sense, I think this visit is very worth it, if in the event that you don't get in, you plan on applying next year as well. Personally, I probably wouldn't visit just to increase my chances to get off the waitlist, but that's because to me, it's a big expense with an unknown result. If the program were closer, I definitely would visit. I'll admit I'm very concerned about my finances, and the cost of a questionably useful visit would dissuade me. But if you have the time and money, and are willing to do anything to have even a slightly greater shot, then it's worth it to you, so go for it. You could always call the program coordinator and inquire about their waitlist. Try to fish for answers about the likelihood of actions now influencing your status on the waitlist. It's entirely possible, and I imagine it can and does happen at some schools. In my experience, schools aren't as secretive as we might think they are with their decision process, so you may just find out some good news. That's a rough situation to be in, and I wish you luck!