Jolie717

On the topic of humanitarian missions, I'm auditing a grad course this summer on cochlear implants (my daughter just had CI surgery so I wanted to take it now even if I won't be able to receive a grade due to my UG status) and the start was delayed because all the audiology students are off doing a mission. So that's a career you might want to explore. I think it would be much easier to do mission work as an audiologist than a SLP because the language barrier would be less of an issue. You'd still need an interpreter to give the directions and explain the results of course. But a lot of the work that an audiologist does isn't reliant on being fluent in the local language(s).

With the traveling for missionary work I would also see which form of therapy is most needed or most sought out in addition to what you enjoy.  If that is the driving force behind this I don't know that speech would be a great fit unless you were specifically working with cranio-facial disorders (cleft palate etc) or perhaps swallowing?  Articulation and actual speech therapy would not make a lot of sense unless you are multilingual or bilingual and become certified with those languages in mind in order to put them to use abroad.
Whatever kind of therapy you decide it will definitely be a rewarding career helping others

Lindamood-Bell tutor
Special Education Preschool Teacher if you have enough credits in Child Development-related courses to meet your state's requirements

If you do a member search for "mcamp" you could message him for help.  He has a blog that has a lot of useful advice, and he has offered to read SOPs and give critique.  His site and advice was very helpful for me!  I'm in the middle of finals, but if he doesn't chime in I'll find his blog link later on...

If you do a member search for "mcamp" you could message him for help.  He has a blog that has a lot of useful advice, and he has offered to read SOPs and give critique.  His site and advice was very helpful for me!  I'm in the middle of finals, but if he doesn't chime in I'll find his blog link later on...

Don't forget that the sticker price of a school may be very deceiving!  It's good to research schools to assess their capacity for funding - many students have turned down "cheaper" programs for more expensive ones that offered assistantships/TA positions/GTFs.  Also some out-of-state schools offer in-state tuition for various reasons.  WGRP is one such program:
http://www.wiche.edu/wrgp
?

Don't forget that the sticker price of a school may be very deceiving!  It's good to research schools to assess their capacity for funding - many students have turned down "cheaper" programs for more expensive ones that offered assistantships/TA positions/GTFs.  Also some out-of-state schools offer in-state tuition for various reasons.  WGRP is one such program:
http://www.wiche.edu/wrgp
?

Specialty tracks if the applicant knows what specific area within SLP he/she wants to focus on. I want to do auditory-verbal therapy for the deaf & hard-of-hearing so my list is going to look very different from someone who wants to focus on working with bilingual/multilingual patients, adult rehab patients, those with voice disorders, etc.

They don't know, because you only send the set of scores that you specifically choose to CSDCAS.  Just make sure NOT to select the sending scores option to the schools each time you actually sit down and take the GRE.  If you do that, they will know.

You may have difficulty finding a post-bacc even willing to take you with that GPA. USU at least requires a 3.0 minimum. Might want to consider starting an associate's in SLP Asst. from a community college to get your GPA up. It's way cheaper than a 2nd bachelor's, though it does take 2 years.

I would say the low applicant pool has more to do with the general shortage of PhD SLPs.
As far as relying on ASHA EdFind - don't.  Much of the info is outdated and inaccurate.  Just call the CD programs / departments.  They won't remember your name - don't be scared!  As far as reaching out to prospective professors, I highly recommend you do so in the summer, and not the fall, when you will be busy with applications (and school).

I think I only have one really relevant example here, but I talked with one of my former professors who works at one of the most (if not the most) highly esteemed children's hospital in town. She told me she was also offered admission at UW, but ended up turning it down in favor of a smaller, private school in this area because she liked their clinical model better. She's pretty young, so I don't think she's had to spend a lot of time working her way up to the position she has now.
The only UW grads I know are professors who did their PhDs there, so I haven't even asked about their experience in the job market since I'm pretty sure I never want to do a PhD. 
I'd be interested to hear other input on this as well, if anyone has any.

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.

Mine is typically 11-12 credits a semester except summers. 

It really depends on each individual school.  For UW for example, it appears the credit load is about the same as my undergrad school - but it is the quarter system vs. my undergrad semester system.  

Accepted off the wait list at the University of Pittsburgh and accepting the offer! I'm so excited!

Huh, not sure how I missed your post the first time around.  But yes, as you stated, PhD programs are a different beast.  There is a much smaller applicant pool, and the selection and interview process gives a more intimate look at the applicant.  This is necessary for both the student and the advisor, due to how closely they work together and the years (and $$$) committed to earning the degree.  Many of us here after completing our "short professional program" are planning to pursue PhDs.
I disagree, however, that race or gender *needs* to be mentioned on the application in most instances.  And the SOP is where we reveal our background and history, not the boxes you check for your race and gender.  I was a working parent and supported my family throughout my undergrad, and yet my race and gender were not mentioned once in my SOP.  In fact, I would be willing to bet if my name were omitted, most readers would assume I was the opposite gender.  Letters of recommendation can also reveal a lot about an individual without disclosing race or age, for example.  Gender would be difficult to eliminate, for obvious reasons.
An exception to the rule as far as including identifiers, for me, would arise if a specific race or gender (or age, etc) had been historically underrepresented by an educational program or programs.  This is a very contentious topic however, probably best debated in another thread.  
You stated:
"Of course, a committee can use this information "for evil" and discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, etc. However, I take the less fatalistic approach of believing that we can train ourselves to recognize conscious and unconscious bias and make fair decisions."
I guess I must take the more fatalistic approach.  Here is some light reading about bias in the admissions process, and GRE.  I think it gets even worse when you examine bias in hiring and the workplace.  But again, a topic for another thread, or another forum perhaps.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/06/new-book-reveals-how-elite-phd-admissions-committees-review-candidates
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-harberson-asian-american-admission-rates-20150609-story.html
http://aspiringdocsdiaries.org/bias-in-the-medical-school-admissions-process/
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/11/07/gre-bias

Haven't seen many people post about CSUN results so I thought I would share mine. CSUN emailed me Wednesday March 30th with my acceptance letter. I believe they also sent out emails to those who are on the waitlist. Congratulations to everyone that got in and good luck to everyone on the waitlist! :-)

I seem to remember someone saying Boulder only gave out one WRPG - but you should definitely call each CD Dept and ask.  It's best not to rely on the forums or ASHA Edfind as info may be outdated.  As far as UW Seattle, they only offer the WRPG to the Core SLP students - not Med SLP.  I believe all of the programs you listed are very competitive, for what it's worth.  It's great that you are researching early - make sure to research funding opportunities as well!  I wish I had done more of that!  ?

Thanks for all the info!  So your concern as far as cohort size is that it seems large?  (In my current program it isn't unusual to have 50 in a class and sometimes 60).  As far as cohort size, are you more concerned with classroom learning or getting placements?  Also did you get any insight about off campus housing and areas to live in that are nice and within a decent commuting distance?  I can't remember if you were planning to live on or off campus now...  Thx again!

I'm doing the same thing- turning down an offer with funding in favor of a program that is a better fit for me.  I needed a couple weeks of reassurance from my friends before I finally let the program know that I would be declining.  As a reminder, you can still look for other funding sources in the program!  For many programs, lots of scholarships and work-study positions aren't available until after you start.  You can try asking your advisor to see if there are any available.
I'm also interested in AAC.  Looking at your signature, is the program you're talking about SFSU?  The AAC concentration tempted me to apply there, but applications were due so early :S  And to top it off, after finishing the GRE, I was feeling too lazy and burnt out to take the CBEST lol 
I saw your post both here and in the UW vs UNC thread.  My long answer is in the UW vs UNC one.  Good luck with decisions!  

I would love to hear about what you think of the UW open house!  I won't be able to visit until summer, so it would be wonderful if I could get a fellow Californian's perspective on the area, as well as a fellow undergrad's perspective on their grad program.  ?

I'm just posting this for anyone who has the same issue and stumbles across this post. I did speak with the financial aid office. It wasn't a mistake as much as just how their process works. I am indeed eligible for the maximum federal direct loan and PLUS loans to bridge the gap between that maximum amount and the total cost of attendance. At UW, they first award you the minimal amount of loans based on your FAFSA EFC and put it on you to request more. I personally think they should explain that in the award letter, but there it is.

I don't have concrete experience here, but I would imagine that an unranked waitlist gives the program more flexibility in who they choose and greater odds that the person might accept.  I think the administrators want the whole admissions process finished quickly just as much as we do!  So let's say somebody backs out only one month before classes start.  Do you think they would have greater success in filling a spot by picking an applicant that currently lives in the area, or one who resides on the opposite coast?  We can also imagine that some of their wait listed applicants have expressed continued interest well after the first round was picked.  Let's assume some of them say *this* school is their first choice school. Do they go through the headache of admitting one student on a ranked waitlist after another, only to have them decline?  I'm guessing not.  Honestly all of the people on an SLP program waitlist are likely just as qualified and just as deserving of a spot as the next person on the wait list.

Accreditation is essential. However, there are many reasons a program is put on probation. Some are as silly as not updating their website, others as serious as lack of faculty competency. I looked up their reason for being placed on probation; they didn't put the phone number to CAA on their website. I would have no qualms attending this program