AMKersh

I actually took the GREs twice - once before using Magoosh, and once after. There was a significant improvement in my scores after using Magoosh for several months, and I was much more confident when dealing with some of the trickier subjects. I found their study tools to be EXTREMELY helpful - including their smartphone app and vocabulary flashcards. I highly recommend it! (* I am NOT a paid representative of Magoosh - I promise! I wouldn't mind being one, though. )

I've also been seriously considering pursuing a PhD. I know that many students do not consider it because, if your primary goal is to work as a clinician, the PhD is simply not necessary and does require a lot of extra work (obviously). However, I do have a strong interest in research, and I love the idea of contributing to the field at large as well as on the client-by-client scale. Also, many professors and other SLPs with PhDs in the field are now retiring. (There was a huge spike in SLP studies in the 70s, followed by a bit of a decline, and the next big spike is happening now.) This may be why those faculty/student ratio is dropping. In other words - this might be a GREAT time to pursue a PhD, because the opportunities for research and employment will likely be available. As for conducting research and providing services - it depends what your research interests are! I think that in many cases, your clients/patients may actually serve as participants in studies. In other words, you may find that you have a great set of research participants as a service provider! Plus, there's always the option of providing services for a while, and then returning to research. I tend to be a big dreamer too with extremely high expectations of myself. I think that for now, I'm going to take things "one semester at a time." I'm planning to do a thesis project in graduate school which will help get my foot in the door in terms of research. We'll see where the road takes me, but for now I'm going to pursue the M.S. until I have some more experience as a student in the field, and I'll see what happens with the PhD later! Hope this was helpful!

Thank you guys for your input! I remember that car requirement as well, but I hadn't actually considered what that meant; it may be that, despite their location, many students get placements outside of Boston simply because there are fewer clinical affiliations and placements. I have recently been in contact with a student who attends Northeastern, and she said that she there are plenty of opportunities for extracurricular involvement, and it seems that she has time to do it, too! This too me seems like both a pro and a con - of course I'd love to continue with my extracurricular music passions, but I am also planning on dedicating my life to SLP. Other programs seems to really fill your schedule up academically/clinically, which gives me a stronger sense of commitment the career and studies in general. It's hard to tell what the "right" answer is - are my concerns legitimate or bogus? I don't know! As for administration, I definitely agree thus far, Ready42. Why is their response so late when 4/15 is a known deadline across MANY programs? What is with the minimal support and resources for accepted students? Even to find out my admission status, I had to check - no email or call! (That would be fine if it were't so late in the game.) I seemed to get some bizarre answers when I looked for ways to visit campus or get more info. Hmmm....

Time is dwindling down, but I'm faced with a bit of a dilemma because I just found out I was accepted to Northeastern! Any input you have would be most helpful. I did visit MGH most recently (I visited Northeastern about a year ago), so I fully accept that I may have a bit of a recency bias. Here are my thoughts: MGH is more expensive, and nearby housing seems a bit trickier to get. However, their full-time CSD faculty is about twice the size of Northeastern's, and there seem to be more opportunities for research (a big plus for me). MGH also has options for special concentration. MGH is just a graduate school, whereas Northeastern is large university with SLP undergrads as well. (There are pros and cons to each, and I'm not sure which is better!) Northeastern has an audiology program and clinic, whereas MGH does not much of an audiology/hearing focus. Finally, MGH had an admitted students event and a number of ways for me to get in touch for more information. I have found it a bit trickier to get post-acceptance information at Northeastern - everyone I've spoken to seems too busy to speak or meet with me. That said, I realize that my admission/acceptance experience will likely have little to do with my actual graduate experience. Again, any advice or experiences you can share would be EXTREMELY HELPFUL! Thanks!! TL;DR - see topic title. HELP!

WOW. We are pretty damn similar...except I'm a fiddle player (and some mando, guitar, and piano) and over the past several years I've been much more in the Celtic scene, though I love both traditional and contemporary Americana as well. I've been getting into some funky Scandinavian stuff as well. Any major influences or favorite groups/artists?

Super interesting answers!! @emmmyd - My sister is currently a musical theater major, and we've been talking about vocal health a lot lately! I firmly believe it should be a part of any singer/actor's education, because their voices are such an investment. Did you find that it was part of your education (i.e. a "musician's health" type of course, or unit within a course? @Love the Sun - Love the username! Yeah - music...education...linguistics...SLP. It all lines up!! For everyone - do you know of any good books regarding music and language connections? Here are some that are on my list for sure! Musicophilia - Dr. Oliver Saks This is Your Brain on Music - Daniel Levitin Music, Language, and the Brain - Anirrudh D. Patel The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body - Steven Mithen Also, some SUPER cool music/language research is happening at these places: http://www.musicianbrain.com/#index http://musictherapy.imnf.org/

I'm in the same boat - absolutely no word back, and I submitted my app on 12/1. I'm planning on calling sometime this week unless I hear back in the next couple of days. It's getting down to the wire and I have some decisions to make! Good luck!

These responses are all so interesting!! Thank you guys for responding!! @LuxAurorae - I love the guzheng (/goo-tzun)! It's a really beautiful instrument. Also - just to clarify for everyone - I wasn't necessarily implying that being interested in SLP is necessarily due to musical involvement, but rather that it might a natural choice for those who are particularly talented at or have specific training in paying attention to nuances of sound. Basically, I'm more interested in the correlation than any sort or directional causation (though for some, there may be causation!)! Hope this makes sense!

I incorporated melodic intonation therapy into some of my application essays (based on certain professors at the schools that use it/are researching it)! It's super interesting! And yes, I do imagine that musical experience does play a major role in whether a music-baed treatment would be effective for therapy. I imagine that rhythmic (as opposed to melodic) strategies might have a wider application in general. Do you know the name of the instrument your mom plays? Is it an erhu? Pipa? (I love traditional Chinese music. ) Seriously, if I weren't set on become a SLP, I would definitely be pursuing a career in ethnomusicology! Also, very interesting that you used to think in Chinese! I tend to think in English, but I'm also fluent in Hebrew and proficient in Spanish. Depends on the amount of exposure - if I'm in a Hebrew-speaking environment for a while, it definitely becomes more natural for me.

Hey everyone! This might seem like a random question, but from my own experience I have found that many people who are interested in speech and language are also somehow involved in music (vocal and/or instrumental). They are certainly related in a number of different ways! Practically speaking, both of them involve very specific attention to details of sound production and perception, both involve a somewhat arbitrary, rule-governed system with different types of conventions across styles/cultures, and I always felt there was a similarity between phonetic and musical transcription! This is definitely a research area that I'm very interested in, so I figured I'd start here and see how many of you were musically involved! I play mainly fiddle/violin, but also some cello, mandolin, guitar, piano. And I'm ALWAYS singing. I come from a very musical immediate family as well - we are all multi-instrumentalists. Also, additional question - how many of you are bilingual? Looking forward to hearing from you!

I'm actually very interested in this too, but I have a feeling that if/when I learn ASL, it's going to be on my own and not through my graduate program. Does anyone know of any good resources (online or Boston area) to get started? I've been doing a bit of my own preliminary research, but any recommendations would be most appreciated!

That is so late! I know they had a late deadline, but April 15th is the date that many schools require you to put down a deposit. I guess I'll be asking for an extension...

@Quinn - Thank you! I haven't had a lot of actual music lessons either, so my formal technique isn't that great. It's so cool that you studied abroad in Ireland! I went to Scotland with some friends, and I had a blast playing music at the pub sessions! @rainsonata - Thanks!! I actually mistyped the IPA, but by the time I noticed it was too late for me to edit it. (It should be /aɪjɛlɛt/. I know it probably doesn't matter but it's been driving me crazy!) It means "gazelle" in Hebrew (though it can also mean "morning star" in a more poetic context). As for the music - I truly believe that it's never too late to start composing. It doesn't have to always be a complex symphonic arrangement that comes to you instantaneously. Some of my favorite pieces came about by just literally poking around at the keys for a while. Also - I have to say - I love your username!!

I am SO down for drinks after the info session!! We're going to have to find a way to identify each other - that should be exciting. @LuxAurorae - Part of the reason I want to stay in Boston is probably because I have community ties here that I missed out on strengthening/establishing better when I was an undergrad at Binghamton. (Basically, I missed this city a lot and I love it here, and I want a chance to actually have the Boston life as a student.) I also want to stick around for family reasons - I was pretty far away before and I think it's probably a good idea for me to be able to get home pretty quickly should the need arise. However, I also loved the MGH IHP when I visited and the curriculum is definitely the kind of thing I'm looking for. In other words - the city of Boston is certainly not the only motivator. I haven't heard back from NYMC yet, but I have a feeling that if I were accepted, my rankings (in terms of preference, financial considerations aside) would be MGH, then NYMC, then Emerson. I could definitely see a case for you going to either, and I bet that the housing situation would be a lot easier for you if you attended NYMC. If you want my fully honest opinion - I don't think you can go wrong with either of those. They both have strong medSLP programs that seem prepare you wonderfully for a career in any sort of setting. I have this feeling that more people have heard of MGH, but that could also be from living in Massachusetts - of course more Bostonians have heard of MGH than NYMC. It could be that potential future employers/collaborators in NY view both programs as being of equal caliber. (tl;dr - I don't think you can go wrong here. NYMC looks awesome, and I could see myself being extremely happy there as well!) Hope this is helpful!

I LOVE hearing about you guys! It's great to hear from people that have the same SLP passion, but have different backgrounds and different specific interests within the field! My name is Ayelet (/aɪɛlɛt/ or "eye-YELL-et"). I'm 22 years old and graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a double major in psychology and linguistics. I am currently living back at home in MA, and have been taking prerequisite CSD classes online. I initially started on a pre-med track with a music minor, but I fell in love with a linguistics after taking a structural linguistics course and decided that I really wanted to incorporate my passions for the brain and language into a healthcare career. Because of time and scheduling issues, I couldn't continue with my academic music study, but music is a huge part of my life. I play violin/fiddle (mainly Celtic but I've been dabbling in other styles) and a few other instruments, and I was active in a composers' orchestra (we wrote everything we performed!) as an undergrad. I'd say outside of SLP, ethnomusicology is one of my absolute biggest passions. The only sort of experience I have so far in a language-focused setting was as an assistant in an ESL speaking skills class, where the students spoke mainly Chinese or Korean as their native languages. Within SLP, my main interests are aphasia rehab and research, adult neurogenic disorders, psycholinguistics, sign languages (though unfortunately I have NO experience except for some research reviews), bimodal bilingualism, and possible connections between music and language in the brain as well as music-based speech/language therapies. Glad to be part of this awesome community!

Hey guys! It's such a relief to see people in the same boat as me - welcome aboard! Isn't it crazy that we have all this stress about where to go, when a few months ago we were submitting applications and praying for at least one acceptance somewhere? (I mean, I was already trying to come up with a contingency plan if I didn't get in ANYWHERE...) Anyway, i was accepted to MGH and Emerson, and I'm definitely attending the MGH admitted students event. I visited a couple years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. I live about an hour outside of Boston, and I've become pretty well acquainted with the Boston medical scene rather unfortunately due to some of my sister's health complications. I can say that that Boston is an absolute hub of medical and scientific research. I know I'm pretty much preaching to the choir here - but having personally spent a lot of time in Boston Children's Hospital and MGH (the hospital itself, not the IHP), it has never grown old or ceased to amaze me. I actually did some audiology observation a couple days ago at Mass Eye and Ear with MGH's aural rehab professor, and it was absolutely amazing. ...so anyway - YAY BOSTON! My point is that it is a GREAT place to be if you want to get involved in a scientific and clinical community. I'm very interested in medSLP, but I think I would actually choose the adult neurogenic disorders concentration at MGH. (Then again, I realize that the more I learn, the more my interests may change!) One of the reasons I'm leaning toward MGH is the number of research opportunities. My goal is to be both a practicing clinician and active researcher, and I would ideally like to pursue a PhD if possible. This is what made MGH stand out for me. While I could see that the community at Emerson felt very warm, it doesn't seem to have a strong research focus. Additionally - for those of you interested in medical placements - during my interview with Dr. Lasker, she said that getting a medical placement is not very likely, and people go wherever they can get their Cs. I appreciated her honesty, but I was also a bit disappointed. (It also seemed a tad random because I hadn't asked about that, but maybe she was referring to my heavy science-bend essay and interests) One other reason I'm leaning toward MGH (I promise I'm not a paid rep or anything!) is because of the connections to institutions like Harvard and MIT. These are really great resources for networking and collaboration, and - though it may sound extremely blunt and very superficial - the "name dropping" aspect doesn't hurt on a resume at all. (Part of the whole grad school process involves building up a personal brand. It makes me feel a little uncomfortable. but it's true...) All that said, any Boston housing is going to be a challenge (I was looking at apartments online last night just for fun, and the prices were absurd.) For those of you who don't live in the area, I would suggest looking into some of the suburbs. Many of them are easily accessible by public transit. Also, Emerson seems like an AWESOME program - that's part of the reason I applied!! I'm definitely not trying to put them down - I just found that my particular preferences seemed to diverge a bit from their program structure. ...and I'm still waiting to hear back from NYMC, UMass, and a few other places. NYMC seemed awesome too and I could definitely see myself there, but I think I'd like to be in the Boston area for gradschool and beyond. AHHH this is hard! But keep in mind - this is the best kind of problem. Imagine if you could tell your past, awaiting-any-response self that you would ultimately have to make a choice between multiple schools that want you!! P.S. Sorry for continuing my novel of a post, but I also wanted to say that I'm excited to meet all of you that will be attending the MGH event!!!

Hi guys! I'm having a similar dilemma - I was accepted to MGH and Emerson (rejected from BU). I have a few thoughts: Another pro for MGH is the number research opportunities that are available to students (this is a big plus for me, as I am thinking of pursuing a PhD down the road...). Many faculty members are engaged in current projects, and the resources and networking available there are pretty extraordinary. I see MGH as really being in a very distinct and prestigious league in this way. (Of course, I also fell in love with it when I visited, so I could be biased.) I did not get the same sense of "research culture" at Emerson. I understand that there are a few opportunities for assisting professors and writing a Masters thesis rather than taking exams, but overall it didn't seem to be a major focus. All that said, it seems like a very nice, close-knit program. Just thought this might be a helpful addition to your really great list, shuca!

I'm taking classes through the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) and Longwood University. (I took A+P through UNK.) Hope this helps!

Haha wow I thought I was the only one! I had two separate nightmares: 1) I got a really mean email from one of my schools saying that they can't believe they're actually reviewing my application, and that it could cost them THEIR jobs to even be caught with my app. (Somehow that made sense in my dream - my application was so terrible that they could get fired over even taking the time to consider it. Haha!) 2) I got an acceptance from one of my top schools....in garbled Danish. Yeah.

Hey everyone! This is my first time posting, but I found this thread through a web search based on the same question that you guys all apparently had! I found that I had an interview time listed on my credentials today, but I never received an official email. I'm guessing I should call them on Monday? I'm praying this isn't some kind of application system error! (Leave it to my application-anxiety-induced paranoia to even come up with that kind of idea...) Thanks!