SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid

Yep, that's what my waitlist letter said! However, I don't really have any other information about how their waitlist works. I also thought it was a little strange that they are notifying waitlisters in March...All of my other programs adhere to the April 15 deadline.

I paid my rent the last three years with my loan money (ouch $). Don't quote me, but I think it is really dependent on the landlord whether or not they are okay with people with little to no income, despite having loan money. I too will be finding an apartment to rent and I will not be working while in grad school. I know many places will ask for a reference from previous landlords to see if you were a trustworthy tenant. I've also came across some places that have a minimum income level required in order to live at them. As far as the credit goes, I'm not too sure. I never had a credit check done on me in the last three years of renting. That may vary from place to place as well!

I completely agree with the above poster^^^ Even things that aren't "relevant" to speech pathology show who you are as a person. I've been told that grad programs prefer to see maybe a few things you are really involved with/passionate about rather than 1000 things that you joined for the sake of looking involved. Haha, I had to laugh at jettip's comment about NSSLHA, because that's how I felt about being a member of my school's chapter too...I totally joined it because I knew it was THE thing to join. I got nothing out of it compared to other clubs and orgs I have been a part of. It' s unfortunate that the usefulness of clubs can change from year-to-year depending on the exec boards. I am an out of field applicant with a psychology and biology background so I have a lot of semi-related things I did as well. I got leadership experience from being an officer of an honor society and psychology club. It's nice to have at least one leadership experience to talk about, no matter what it is. I have other random things that I did for prolonged periods like a paid job editing papers, being a teaching assistant, a strong research background (most was behavioral pharmacology stuff with caffeine), a neuropsychological assessment internship, volunteering in a rehab hospital, and my current job where I work in a group home with individuals with intellectual and some communication disorders. I have a lot of random little things on my CV that I don't think are even worth mentioning in an interview since I don't have much else to say about them. These types of things were good to do, but I feel like I didn't put enough time into them to really talk about how they impacted me or allowed me to grow. I think a good rule of thumb is to get experience in things that interest you and also allow you show off some great personal attributes that made you awesome at whatever it was!

Hey that's awesome! That is great that you are going somewhere that fits your interests! I am kind of the same in that I like cold places. I don't think I could ever live somewhere without 4 seasons for a prolonged amount of time. As much of a pain the snow and bitter cold can be, I love the having seasons! Interesting, sounds like you have great experiences ahead of you!

I had an interview day that was composed of ALL group interviews. Prepare to feel belittled and threatened by competition. That was the biggest thing for me. I think ignorance is bliss when it comes to not knowing your exact competition and their qualifications. It was nerve wracking to be sitting in a group with 4 other students while being interviewed. I personally do not like group interviews. They seem so impersonal and rushed since other people need time to respond too. One upside to it is that you have time to formulate responses while others are talking.

That's a great question. I can definitely see how it could get a little annoying living with someone you are with all day, every day. I think I would personally maybe avoid roommates from class unless I meet someone who I really click with. I would hate to jeopardize a school friendship by moving in with someone from class and potentially ending up hating them (not to mention then you'd be stuck seeing them every day at class). Awkward. I think that would be the worst scenario. I hope I can just make ends meet by having a small studio apartment for myself. Having my own place will eliminate the stress that comes along with roommates. I have had my fair share of being a "house mom" for roommates.

Congrats! No bitter cold Grand Forks for you!

I am in the same spot as you right now! I will likely be moving to a program that is out-of-state (5 hours away too). I am actually not too scared. Think of it as an adventure! I guess I may not be too hesitant since I went to an out of state school for my undergrad and loved every second of it. As mentioned above, you will be sure to make friends with the people in your grad program. After all, they are likely the people you will be with more time than not on a daily basis! I have also spoken with grad students who say their classmates become their main friends since people in the "normal world" often get sick of all the nerd talk, and your classmates will likely have the same crazy schedule as you. I'm sure many of the people in your grad program will be the same as you in regard to not knowing anyone. If you're young, this is a great time for experiences like this when you are able to do it. Getting out of the bubble of what is considered home is never a mistake!

All of the courses they are making me do are CSD ones...Some of which aren't even offered to undergrads at the place I currently go to as a post-bacc. The place I'm at is a well-rounded program and they don't require them for undergrads/post baccs. Interesting, I wasn't aware they would accept something like vet science. There are some very questionable classes that they accept, so I've heard... I can see where you're coming from.

Yep, I committed to a program. If I didn't, I would've risked not getting off the waitlists I'm on. However, it is not to say that I don't like the program I'm accepted at as well! Programs do prepare for the fact that students may get off waitlists and choose to go elsewhere after they have committed. That is why some waitlists are still moving in later months. I spoke to an advisor about this and she said that all grad programs prepare for students to resign after accepting admission. If I get off the waitlist at my #1 choice I will go there since I have to look out for my best interests (financially, location-wise, etc.). It does feel rude, but you have to put your own interests above the grad schools'! After all, they have no shortage of students who would be elated to fill spots.

Okay, the first big hurdle was hearing back from programs. Now the next big hurdle is waiting for waitlist acceptances/rejections come after April 15! Sitting here waiting until April 15 like

Yeah, UND's application process was so user friendly. Their application process was one of the few that actually went smoothly for me. As far as the undergrad courses go, they gave me a list of the ones I'd be required to take. That's about all that I know about them. I am going to email them the letter of intent on Monday and hopefully get more information shortly after. I am assuming that it would add an extra semester to the plan of study. When I go up there (hopefully soon, if my busy schedule permits) I am hoping they can give me a personalized plan of study!

Yeah! I also have a sibling that lives an hour from there and he really likes the Grand Forks area too. Out of the three people I know who have lived in the area, they all seemed to like it. I think I read somewhere that Grand Forks has the second coldest average winter temps in the nation. Ouch. I'm used to MN weather so it wouldn't be too shocking. Interesting, the Grand Forks metro area is around 100,000 so I would think it is probably somewhat diverse in regards to religion, culture, etc. That's just my speculation though. I could see where ND could be labeled that especially in regard to how rural most of the state is. In the email, the department head told me that when one student declines the funding it gets passed down to the next student on the list according to ranking. I'm not sure if this happens if I accept the offer and then decline though. I kind of think they must expect and prepare for scenarios like this. I'm wondering if maybe they finalize the tuition waiver when the rest of the financial aid is done after students file for FAFSA and such. I'm not too sure what happens. I am going to talk to my advisor on Monday and see if she has any ideas about how this works since she's on the adcom at the school I'm at now.

Interesting, does anyone know if the Perkins Loan qualifies for forgiveness if you work in a nonprofit medical setting instead of a school? I'm assuming it does since it's a federally funded loan and PSLF says the setting just has to be a nonprofit. Sorry if this is a silly question. Also, the Perkins Loan isn't restricted to just teachers. I received some Perkins Loans in my undergraduate since they are typically given to students who have financial need.

It was for the full academic year. It is not a lot but it helps. I emailed the head of the department and asked a few questions about it. I was mainly curious about their selection for it and if their second year grad students get considered for tuition waivers. He said that in the last two years they have been able to give second year grad students partial tuition waivers too. I did some more calculations of what it will cost and it isn't horrible for me, I suppose. I can get the reciprocity tuition rate for MN residents which is nice. I'm still not crazy about the prereqs, but at this point I will be accepting the offer. It is too much of a gamble for me not to accept it. However, I'm hoping I can get off my waitlists still. I am thinking about going up there some time in the upcoming weeks to take a look around the clinic, university, etc. to get a better idea of program and the Grad Forks area. I have a friend who loved the Grand Forks area, so it will be interesting to see what it's like. I live about 4.5 hours away so it's not too bad of a drive.

I'm also in the same boat. I don't know anyone going to the program I will likely be going to. I did four years of my undergraduate with roommates. I loved my roommates, but man, 5 girls in a house got to be a little much...Especially with some that had never cleaned a day in their life. I felt like I was their surrogate mother at times picking up after them and cleaning their messes. I think I am going to go the route of living alone in graduate school unless I find some like-minded people who are fairly clean, respectful, and trustworthy to pay rent on time. I don't think I could take the gamble of moving in with a stranger. You never know what you could get stuck with if you sign a lease with someone you don't know. I have a feeling I would get bored living alone though too . I also think I may get a little creeped out at night being alone in an apartment/house. But then again, there's also the financial benefit of roommates too...

Does anyone know how tuition waivers work or how/why people are selected for them? I just received an email from UND, where I am accepted, and if I accept their offer before the 27th they will waive 6 credits of tuition for me. I was hoping to put off my final decision a little longer in case I would hear from a waitlisted program but it looks like I may have to make a decision sooner. Has anyone ever heard of this? I find it strange that they didn't initially tell me this when they accepted me. It's kind of important considering how costly graduate credits are.

ASHA edfind will tell you the number of spots offered with funding at each program. However, it doesn't tell you the amount of the funding. Also, many state schools do offer funding. I think all of the schools I applied to, which are mostly state schools, offered funding to a limited number of students.

I highly encourage anyone who is stressed out over graduate school to look at this. This tumblr never fails to make me laugh. Perfect for us SLP nerds. http://whatshouldwecallslp.tumblr.com/

I would also like to know more about Grand Forks! Anything about the area would be helpful!

That could be! I haven't been in stats or worked on research for awhile (it must be showing!). Fun times!

According to my statistical calculations, there is a negative correlation between nice weather and my motivation. Oh, and this graduate school stuff is probably taking 10 years off my life expectancy with all the stress it's causing!

It looks like I don't have much of a choice at the moment for where I will go, but I chose to apply to schools that were pretty affordable. I currently have three waitlists, and if I get off of them I will likely go to a program that is cheaper than the place I am currently accepted at. The amount of my undergrad debt is a little scary so I am trying to keep the price reasonable. Like others said, the salary for an SLP is decent but crippling debt is something to consider, even with the loan forgiveness program. After all, the government loans (forgivable ones) have a cap and then the rest of tuition would likely need to be payed by private loans which do not apply for loan forgiveness. Let's just hope that the loan forgiveness program doesn't get axed in the near future! I also chose programs where I closely resembled stats of students they have admitted in the past. I wanted to give myself the best chance of getting accepted that I could. Aside from that, I am finishing my post-bacc year and many programs don't take applicants whose undergrad degree isn't CSD; even if they've taken all the necessary preparatory work. I did some footwork contacting grad programs to ensure I would be considered since my undergrad degree is not CSD. There are so many factors to consider when applying! I am happy to be done with that part of the grad school process.

Does anyone know if programs pull people off the waitlist as spots become available, before April 15? Or do most programs dust off the waitlist pile no sooner than the 15th? I would hate to commit to my one acceptance only to back out if I get in to one of my waitlist schools. Not to mention I have to pay them if I accept so they can do a background check on me... Thanks!

Yeah, I am a little hesitant to commit still. Still weighing the pros and cons of committing there... *sigh* The joys of life-altering decisions...