Jolie717

Hi to all of you thinking about UW, I just wanted to let you all know how visit day went. I was very impressed, and have basically nothing bad to say about this program. Students on both tracks seem very well-supported in achieving their goals, and are able to really delve into their interests in a way that doesn't seem as possible in other programs. Core students get a lot of elective options to steer their studies in the direction they want, and clinical opportunities for both tracks are numerous and varied. There seem to be lots of research opportunities, from doing a thesis to doing independent study to being an RA in one of many research labs. One direct benefit from the prestige of this school that I learned of is to do with clinical fellowships: apparently, UW students tend to get recruited for fellowships rather than compete for them. I don't know if this is true for all students,  or for what percentage of students, but they did mention that they are often contacted by people requesting to have a UW fellow. I asked about Core students going a medical route, and was told that it is not a problem. Med students are given preference for acute care placements, but other types of med settings are wide open for core student interns. They also said it's not an issue for med students to work in schools, they just have to pass a certification to be eligible to work with school kids.
Seattle is gorgeous, campus is amazing, U district is busy and lots of fun. The only things about this program that give me pause are the number of students in the cohort (med and core are combined in classes for the first year, so it's a group of around 40), and the fact that there is only one internship (done in spring or summer of year 2). Oh, and that the program is 2 solid years vs 7 quarters. 

Sorry for the late response!  Been a bit busy lately, but I did go to the open house at UW!  
The professors from my undergrad were pushing students to apply to schools with on-campus clinics.  That way, the clinics can easily serve as classrooms and there's less transportation involved.
UW is beautiful- the campus is huge, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom!  They have both ornate historical buildings and sleek modern buildings, and none of the rectangular concrete slabs I'm used to.  They have many great facilities.  They do have a reputation for being research-heavy, and it seems like many of their students are involved in research in some way.  If I were going for a PhD, I'd *DEFINITELY* choose UW (especially since I'm interested in AAC, which UW has great research faculty for).
I did get closer to a decision- I'm kinda surprised myself, but I'm actually leaning towards Boulder!  Boulder does have an in-house clinic as well; however, they have practica that are off-campus in various places with professors acting as supervisors.  They had a specific term for it, but I forgot what it was.  Because I'm not completely sure about what setting to work in, I'd rather have more experience in as many settings as possible.  As mentioned earlier, UW does indeed have only one internship.  The pre-internship during the quarter prior is done at the same place as the internship.  That being said, the advisor and faculty are very supportive in letting you choose where you want to do your internship as much as possible.  Boulder also has research opportunities available, and it also seems like they have more funding opportunities too.  Although you wouldn't have an official emphasis in adult or peds or things like that, the advisor will help tailor your various off-site experiences to your interests.
I thought I would weigh student impressions and atmosphere more, but the students I met on both campuses were very friendly and helpful, and they all seemed to get along with each other very well!  Both advisors are wonderful and informative, and the faculty members I met were very kind.
I'm giving myself a few days to process everything after the UW open house, but I'm probably going with Boulder  
As for Seattle itself, I got mixed opinions on safety and whatnot.  It's safe to say that Seattle has less gangs than LA (you don't have to worry about wearing certain colors in certain streets or anything like that), but I kept hearing about how aggressive the homeless population is over there.  My shuttle driver talked about how his son got beat up and mugged by homeless people on 2 different occasions: one resulting in broken bones, and one resulting in a TBI serious enough to warrant SLP services.  Actual students who live by the school say that it's not that bad.  Both agree that it's normally okay as long as you keep some good ol' LA street smarts around you: put in no more than one earbud, be aware of your surroundings, don't flash fancy technology in shady streets, don't open your wallet too much in public etc.
Edited to also add: I know us Southern Californians tend to think that any part of the US outside our region is extreme, but it's not like it's constantly raining all day all year in Seattle.  There are rainy days and sunny days.  It is chillier, but California residents are saying that it's not completely terrible.  However, people who are more prone to having seasonal affective disorder should be careful of the frequent fog and rain.

For length, I would keep it short and sweet - a page or less.  Briefly recount what it is about their program that resonates with you and why.  Include any new information that might further your application - don't tell them what they already know from having reviewed your initial application.  Definitely make mention of any additional funding you may have received such as grants or scholarships that can be used at this institution.  Any unique and exciting SLP-related experiences should be mentioned.  Any insight gained from reading a particular professor's work at the university (especially if you are interested in research) should also be noted.  I personally would wait until after the April 15th deadline as I'm guessing all of the programs are still trying to recover from the admissions process themselves!
Best of luck to you - if I were on an admissions committee I would be impressed by an individual who reaffirms their interest, and would consider them a go-getter, not pushy or entitled at all!  

Weeellllll, not quite 70 degrees all the time, otherwise I'd be happier!!!  We didn't really have a winter here at all this year.  I guess it depends on the specific CA school the OP is referring to.  CSUN is often 100+ by late spring and definitely 100+ through the summer - it is a dry heat though compared to some other areas in LA.  Out of the Cal States I would imagine SDSU and SFSU would have the nicest overal weather.  More seasons in SF of course.

Interesting - now I'll have to bug my attorney sister to see what she thinks.  I never thought twice about pantsuits in interview situations!  But I have to add that I find such bias insulting, to say the least.  Thankfully my last interview was via Skype...

Well I'm hoping to be able to, knock on wood!  It's just the looming debt that makes me unsure...  My undergrad BS is the regular (not online) program here at Cal State Northridge.  

Still waiting for one school, but also funding, and housing, plus schools for my boys, plus places that accept very large dogs.  We have a Great Dane, lol.  Apparently I had to make every single aspect of my graduate university application process difficult if not impossible, on multiple levels, in every way imaginable.
Yup.  I love a challenge.

Still waiting for one school, but also funding, and housing, plus schools for my boys, plus places that accept very large dogs.  We have a Great Dane, lol.  Apparently I had to make every single aspect of my graduate university application process difficult if not impossible, on multiple levels, in every way imaginable.
Yup.  I love a challenge.

I have two blunders. 
1) I wrote an email to the chair of the doctoral program titled: "pdf in social welfare - query". After I sent the email, I realised my mistake and had a minor panic attack. I sent him another email profusely apologising for my error! Phd, phd!!!!!!
2) I tried to be coy in my writing sample. I based my sample on a student population from "X university". I decided to change "X university" to "university in Y location". Anyway, turns out I didn't consistently make the change in my writing sample! I had X university and university in location Y littered across my writing sample. I had a good ice cream pity fest after I discovered it. 
rookie mistakes *shakes head*
 

@wongjcz
Hello, I would like submit my application for a Pdf in social welfare.... as you can see, I've already received my .docx degree from Microsoft, and am currently working on getting my JPEG.
Rofl... you made my day. Sorry for poking at your misery. 

I accidentally mailed a random receipt along with my SOP letter to the chair. He emailed me and asked what the receipt's purpose was. Thoroughly embarrassed.

Nope, don't stress.  I made a pretty blatant/stupid error in the title of my SOP, where the parameters were very clearly laid out by the university in question - and I got in.  All fingers crossed!  ?

University of Washington-for both CoreSLP and MedSLP:  https://m.facebook.com/groups/1715689872033388

I did my post bacc at UW so I may be able to answer some questions about Seattle neighborhoods. There were two women in my cohort with kids. One of them lived in Greenlake (a very nice neighborhood about 15 min from UW on public transit) the other lived in Queen Ann (also a lovely neighborhood that I've been told is hard to get to on public transit but is about a 15 min drive to UW). From what I recall they both have good schools. Greenlake is centered around a big park, so pleanty of good outdoor space for a dog (and/or kids). Rivenna, Wallingford and Ballard were also popular. Good luck!

I'm doing some specialized training this summer in auditory-verbal therapy (primarily to help my daughter with her post-cochlear implant auditory rehab) that I hope will have the added bonus of helping me get a good SLPA training field placement next year and job contacts (either as a SLPA or a CF). There aren't enough SLP's trained in AVT to meet the demand for them so I'm hoping that the clinics/schools might be more open to hiring a SLPA with AVT training.

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.

I agree with all the benefits of having a pet, but in addition to time constraints, please also keep the costs in mind. There's the recurring costs of food, litter, and routine vet appointments (these can be reasonably priced if you schedule the vaccines or spay/neuter with the SPCA or a similar clinic). However, also be prepared for the emergency bills. I was a veterinarian's assistant in college before turning on to this path and I can't begin to tell you the weird stuff that the vet had to surgically remove from the dumb pets who had swallowed them. Also, beware of the pets you find through Facebook posts. My friend recently adopted a cat that had been left behind by its owners, and then she discovered a week later that the cat had kidney failure. It was a lot of heartbreak and a hefty bill. Go through your local adoption or petfinder.com, since they will have screened the pets for health concerns and are honest about any special needs.
Not trying to deter you at all because I know how comforting pets can be, but definitely make sure you're in a place where you can handle those costs that unexpectedly pop up, especially when you're in such a financially unstable time during school!

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 have and I haven't - it's tough bcz both unknown funding and complications as far as moving my family are interfering with the decision making.  I'll be one of the ones that waits until the last minute I suppose...

Now that I've had some time to think about it, be very careful what you wish for!  Supply and demand, know what I mean?  ?
I say this as someone in a profession where big hiring bonuses were the norm, "travel pay"   (yay, thanks extra 10 miles) added hundreds of dollars in a week's check, offers of $200-300 extra incentive pay were common (on top of salary) if you would work an extra shift.  Work an extra overtime hour or so?  We will give you another $100 on top of double-time pay! 
Those were the days!  I get it - it sucks trying to get into grad school for SLP.  And I do think programs need to expand based on current demand and our extremely large pool of talented and qualified applicants.  
But at the end of the day, we don't want our field to become over-saturated, as my current one has.  It is truly a crazy balancing act - we do need enough SLPs to fill all the open positions.  Too few, and SLPAs are doing work they shouldn't.  Too many, and we become undervalued and underpaid.
Just some food for thought!

Now that I've had some time to think about it, be very careful what you wish for!  Supply and demand, know what I mean?  ?
I say this as someone in a profession where big hiring bonuses were the norm, "travel pay"   (yay, thanks extra 10 miles) added hundreds of dollars in a week's check, offers of $200-300 extra incentive pay were common (on top of salary) if you would work an extra shift.  Work an extra overtime hour or so?  We will give you another $100 on top of double-time pay! 
Those were the days!  I get it - it sucks trying to get into grad school for SLP.  And I do think programs need to expand based on current demand and our extremely large pool of talented and qualified applicants.  
But at the end of the day, we don't want our field to become over-saturated, as my current one has.  It is truly a crazy balancing act - we do need enough SLPs to fill all the open positions.  Too few, and SLPAs are doing work they shouldn't.  Too many, and we become undervalued and underpaid.
Just some food for thought!

Now that I've had some time to think about it, be very careful what you wish for!  Supply and demand, know what I mean?  ?
I say this as someone in a profession where big hiring bonuses were the norm, "travel pay"   (yay, thanks extra 10 miles) added hundreds of dollars in a week's check, offers of $200-300 extra incentive pay were common (on top of salary) if you would work an extra shift.  Work an extra overtime hour or so?  We will give you another $100 on top of double-time pay! 
Those were the days!  I get it - it sucks trying to get into grad school for SLP.  And I do think programs need to expand based on current demand and our extremely large pool of talented and qualified applicants.  
But at the end of the day, we don't want our field to become over-saturated, as my current one has.  It is truly a crazy balancing act - we do need enough SLPs to fill all the open positions.  Too few, and SLPAs are doing work they shouldn't.  Too many, and we become undervalued and underpaid.
Just some food for thought!

Then yes, you should definitely consider SLP.  You already have a background that will help you stand out from the crowd.  As you explore volunteer/observation experience, I would recommend seeking opportunities that do the same.  I'm not saying you would be wrong to shadow a school or hospital SLP, but shadowing/interning is fairly common in the undergrad experience.  
Since you are interested in pronunciation - try to find an SLP that specializes in accent reduction.  Or an SLP that works with individuals who are deaf that are working on pronunciation.  Or volunteer as a literacy tutor/coach.  Pronunciation comes into play there as well.  Use your experiences to write a very compelling SOP - and start early!!!  Make sure you stand out in the classroom setting as well so your professors get to know you.  Great letters of recommendation are very important.  I agree you can improve your quant score, especially because you have time.  I feel that this is the easiest area to improve for most because it's pretty much just review.
Spend a lot of time choosing the schools you apply to.  Don't just think about proximity, prestige and price.  (Shoot, I should copyright that line - it's perfect for all SLP applicants)!  Examine all three, together and separately.  As far as proximity, if you are limiting yourself geographically it will be much harder to get into a grad program due to how competitive our field is.  For prestige, second tier schools are known for "poaching" talent from top tier schools, in all fields.  How, you might ask?  $$$  Our field is in demand, so prestige isn't necessary In finding employment, for the most part.  That said, well known top-tier schools might open more doors (networking or top CFY offers, especially in big competitive cities or in a specialized niche).  Top grad schools might also give you a leg up into admittance into doctoral programs of study.   Price???  Well, some very expensive programs might happen to offer more funding than less expensive programs.  Some mid-range schools offer more aid.  Some schools (at all levels of cost) even offer full scholarships, teaching fellowships, etc etc!  So factor that in as well.  Best of luck!!!  ?
 

I don't know about the leniency of Oregon residency - if you want a miracle cure for insomnia, here you go!  ?
https://admissions.uoregon.edu/sites/admissions1.uoregon.edu/files/Residency_Rules_Publishing_draft.pdf
PS: The above link extends to most of the "big" Oregon universities...  I'm going to try to find out if my hubby can claim me as a dependent and then qualify us for second-year residency, but I'm not that hopeful.
 

I'm a bit more, ahem, conservative here but I do agree our education system needs A LOT of reform.  Many blame increasing costs to "top heavy" schools.  Today's universities seem to be using a business model rather than a model appropriate for higher education.  This results in a lot of higher-ups (and an unnecessary and increasing number of higher-ups) with over-inflated salaries and pensions.  
Both the students AND the professors are short-changed by this type of system.  Trust me, most professors are there because of their passion for both teaching and research.  They are most DEFINITELY not there to make the big bucks!