wishingwishing

Also, note on the table that UTD charges extra fees for SLP (and some other) students! $40 per credit hour.

The email said they have sent out all the acceptance letters, but I don't know if they have sent all the waitlist letters. Responses are due by March 27th, and they will start taking people off of the waitlist then if there are openings.

Yes - I was waitlisted.

TWU has sent their acceptances and waitlist notices. I've heard UNT is sending out notices today.

Did you see the email about scholarship applications today? There was this little note at the end, "We are still working on acceptance decisions and hope to have letters out by email later this week."

UT Dallas doesn't send out their acceptances at any particular time. Their answer is ALWAYS "we are still reviewing applications" and you might not hear back until May - though those are usually rejections if it takes that long. They also don't have an official waitlist.

Being any kind of teacher can be hard - the paperwork, the class sizes, lesson planning, the kids, the parents, the lack of appreciation, you name it. Sometimes it's wonderful, sometimes it really stinks. You just have to love what you do, and no one can answer that question for you. There's a high turnover for teachers because in part it's one of those things you just don't know for sure until you are in the thick of it. (Those are some of the same complaints that SLPs have too.) I'm not sure that being a special ed teacher will help you any when it comes to getting into a program, but I think it will help you find out if you like teaching (and SLP, because they are similar) and to better understand what it's like working in the schools.

One thing I have heard is that some schools just look for the Physics or Biology prefix. So if your nutrition class was BIOL 2336 vs HLTH 2336, that might make a difference. Per ASHA's guidelines, they leave it up to the school to decide if your math/science core courses are appropriate, so the best bet is to check with the schools you're applying to.

futureslp15 - congratulations! And I really mean that for you, not for me. I did the last half of my undergrad at UTD. Before that, I tried to make myself study something for the money instead of the interest, and my grades reflected it. Once I got to UTD I did MUCH better. I've been hoping that committees will overlook my first two years and focus on the resulting turnaround, but my leveling advisor told me that it doesn't always work that way. I think that UTD wants a certain kind of student, and that's not me. Which is fine! I just wish I'd come to that realization sooner.

There are some (many?) SLP programs that won't allow you to apply before you have the prerequisite classes done (or are in your last semester). There are others that will allow you to take prerequisites, but you are only conditionally admitted. I know when I applied at one school, they mentioned something about having a check mark next to my name for leveling completion - so even though they allow levelers, they were obviously making a note of whether or not it was completed. You could certainly ask at your schools - sometimes they give a real answer, sometimes they don't. I think it makes sense to wait, and it sounds like you would be more comfortable doing so. The only classes I wouldn't worry about getting in before you apply are the statistics & science classes, unless they happen to fit in your schedule. I haven't gottent the impression that they factor into the decision process.

Ok, I feel a lot better. My numbers are fine, my letters are fine, my background is fine, but there's no "wow." I think you both have the "wow" factor! I just wanted to make some sense of it, and your acceptances certainly make sense. I also really hope you both get into Baylor and clear up some space for me.

futureSLP & longhorn731, please don't take this the wrong way, but... do you have something special going for you in terms of volunteering or something else? Because you both have good GPAs, but your GREs are not at all what I've been told UTD wants. Just trying to figure out what they are looking for!!

It looks like we don't have an answer to your question! I do know someone who took courses from more than one school, and while he has not yet been accepted, advisors have not mentioned this being an issue.

I think like a lot of fields, it can be emotionally draining. As with anything, it depends on your attitude -- and not everyone can get their attitudes where they need to be. Why would a hospice worker choose that field? They want to make life easier for someone in their last days, they think the end of life can be beautiful, they feel called to do it. Some people have a great attitude about jobs that are super boring to other people (sprinkler repair sounds like torture to me, but my nephew loves it). So, as an SLP working with students with major problems, you might find joy in the actual work, but also the connection, and in knowing that you've made a difference for them and their families, even if it's a small difference. Right now, you aren't making a difference, you're just watching. So maybe this will improve when you get more experience. This is so much variety in the field, so I think you just need to find an area that works better for you.

What bothers me is that there are majors out there that are not really adequate for getting a job in that field. For an SLP major, you are qualified to be an SLPA -- but they are not hired at all that many places (I'm talking about in my area), so why bother with getting a four year degree in that subject? When I was getting my degree in English, I planned to be a librarian, but they got rid of the undergrad Library Science program at that time because it was useless. If they were going to require people to go to grad school to do anything with it, they figured you might as well major in something else (which would still benefit you as a librarian). I would like to see SLP undergrad programs either go away, more SLPAs hired, or for ASHA to acknowledge that you can perform the job with quality undergrad training.

I am so tired of wondering and obsessing. I've already made contingency plans, I've made peace with waiting another season, but I can't seem to stop myself from constantly checking the portal. With all of the acceptances and rejections, I'm sure that I am on the waitlist or "maybe" pile, so no news is sort of good news, but I am still TIRED OF IT.

UTD does not allow you to take pre-req's there unless you are already admitted. I think it says it on their website now - they revamped it in the last few months.

Toonces, YAY! DId your status change on the portal first, or did you get the letter first? And I wonder why some people get emails and some get snail mail?

Registration at UT Dallas starts tomorrow. Really thought I would've had word by now, but like SeaCsd posted above, at least as long as there's no word, there's still hope.

Ok, thanks! I have been debating about what to do ... it's been so long that I feel like it's pretty certain I'm not getting in this semester. I am thinking about taking leveling courses before I apply again, but I am also thinking about just giving up on the SLP plan. I am 45, and if I have to wait another year to get started on a 2+ year degree, well, that's a long time. I only have one academic recommendation, but I also assumed that the fact I already have a master's degree (with a 3.9 gpa) would show that I can indeed handle graduate school. My grades and test scores are higher than their median for this semester, so that leaves either my letter of intent (I thought it was good), my lack of SLP experience, or my lack of academic referrals. I absolutely think they need some wiggle room in who they accept, but I wish the process was a little more straightforward in a) what they are looking for and in regards to dates (and keeping us informed). How long am I supposed to sit here and wonder what is going on? And the program assistant told me nothing helpful other than "some people get tired of waiting and give up." Does that really sound like the way to go with this process? I'm getting a little bitter.

Toonces, how did you find out you were on the wait list?

I'm out of field. I have a background in teaching, but no volunteering or classes in SLP yet. My scores are competitive, but I just wonder if the people they are accepting have lots of extras. They've updated their website with stats, if you haven't looked lately.

Erack, me too! The results forum shows one person accepted, one rejected. I called to see if they could give me more info, but nope. They said that I would know for sure by the time registration ended in January. I couldn't believe it!

Over the years I've noticed that teachers generally seem to be missing the efficiency gene. I wish that schools would recognize this and ensure they had better administrative support and systems in place. I am playing the waiting game too, and the program contact was spectacularly unhelpful - not rude, but just kind of going with the flow. Basically, they are working on the applications and will finish deciding by the time registration is over (that is FOUR MONTHS after the deadline to apply).