jessie_lee

I'm not positive, to be honest, but I know there were several of us. The timing is the tough part; it can be anywhere from mid-April onwards. I was lucky in that I got off of it earlier (around April 11); conversely, one of my friends didn't get in until end of May. It's enough to drive a person crazy, ugh. I hope you hear from them soon! It would be nice to have you in the SLP program

My supervisors usually have me come up with my own plans and goals for clients, although we do discuss some options at the beginning of each quarter. I have to submit lesson plans 24 hours before each session, and they have to get approved. If I'm not sure how to approach something, or need them to model a technique, or just need ideas, I definitely ask! Also, my supervisors typically observe most of my sessions (via cameras), and then provide me with emailed feedback afterwards. It was a little weird for me, at first, to be observed all the time, but now I'm often grateful for the safety net.

It varies, but for my first 2 quarters, it equated to 4 client appointments per week (two 45-minute sessions per client), with the expectation that my client load will increase for spring quarter. Mine also includes a 50-minute clinic class once a week. Plus, you'll need time to prep, complete paperwork, and possibly meet with supervisors (I typically have weekly meetings with mine). It's kind of a lot for 2 credits, but it's great experience, and one of the best parts of grad school, in my opinion.

I know, right?? I was so relieved when I got that first acceptance, but things became more complicated when I was waitlisted at my top choice, and had deadlines for accepting...it's not easy! It's good to have options, though. Congrats on the acceptance and waitlists!

Congrats! I'm currently going to grad school at WWU, and I got accepted off the waitlist right before April 15 last year (I think it was like the 11th). I hope you do, too! I got in the day after after I sent my acceptance (and $300 deposit!) to another program, of course. I got lucky, though, in that they were willing to just send the check back to me, as it hadn't been processed yet. Sorting all that stuff out can definitely be frustrating!

I spend a LOT of time on campus. Even on days when I don't have a lot of classes, I typically have clinic, paperwork, studying, clinic prep, research, homework (and now TA work) to do. Some of that can be done at home, but I've found it easier to do the majority of it on campus. I just think of this as my job, and I'm on the clock from (roughly) 8 to 5. As soon as I get home, I typically just want to crash, and do normal non-grad school things. Easier said than done, but that's what I've been striving for, lately. My first quarter was a bit less hectic. I still spent the majority of the day on campus, though, and had a fairly heavy course load (17 credits). I'm sure it varies a bit by school, but the CSD building has definitely become my second home!

If it makes you feel any better, I was accepted off of a waitlist, and so were several of my cohort members.

Chromebooks would be great for taking notes and for general assignments & paperwork. I was looking into getting one at the beginning my grad school program. I found out, though, that my grad program does not want us to use Google Docs (& related applications) for clinic documents such as SOAPs, lesson plans, etc., or anything else that could potentially contain any client information. Because HIPAA. As a result, a Chromebook ended up not being a good fit for me. We use encrypted Word docs for all clinic-related documents and materials, which isn't possible on a Chromebook. And clinic paperwork is slowly taking over my life, so I like being able to use a laptop (for lesson planning on the go!). Not sure if other programs are similar, but you might want to check with them before you buy one.

I don't think I found out until mid-April, which seemed late, to me. I heard from the rest of the programs a lot earlier...

The graduate coordinator at my school recommends working less than 15 hours a week, just because of the time demands of grad school. I've been working 12-15 hours a week as a server; it's difficult, but doable if you have very good time management skills.

Your experience and volunteer work in the field should definitely help! And it's useful for grad school clinic work, as well. Make sure that you allude to your experience in your SOPs (if you haven't already). If you end up taking some time off, being an SLPA would be an amazing way to get more experience and beef up your application. I would also recommend doing a GRE prep course (I constantly hear great things about Magoosh) before you retake those GREs! Sometimes a strong GRE score (especially verbal) can help offset a lower GPA. If it makes you feel any better, I got a 142 on my Quantitative section, too. Math is not my friend... Hang in there! The application process is a pain, but you can do it. Best of luck to you!

Sort of. A few of my applications were through CSDCAS, so I think they really ended up doing something like 4-5 LORs, total. Maybe check if any of the programs you're applying to use CSDCAS, as well, as that could lower the number of LOR submissions (if more than one of your universities use it). My school professors have a cap on the number of LORS they are willing to write per student (6, I think), so you might want to check and see if your school or profs have a similar policy.

I don't know how the EWU interview changes from year to year, but I don't remember them asking me any case study-type questions. I was interviewed via Skype, by two people (I think one was the clinic director). I do remember getting some field-related questions, such as "What do you think will be the biggest challege facing SLPs in the future?" Or something to that effect. I wish that I had done more reasearch on the SLP field, in general; I didn't feel very prepared for that. Also, I remember being asked at least one personal question along the lines of "Who are you outside of the SLP program?" and maybe one about my strengths and weaknesses, and why I picked EWU as a potential grad school, etc. My interview skills aren't the strongest, so that's definitely a plus that you feel more confident in that area! I didn't have much related experience, either, except for some volunteer work, but it was a meaningful experience for me, and I milked it for all its worth in my SOP. I did have 3 LOR writers, all of whom were academic. One was from an undergrad professor who knew me well (and I'm pretty sure he gave me a strong recommendation), and the other two were professors from my CSD post-bac program, who had had me in their classes for like 6 weeks. Rejections aren't fun, but I'm just glad I got into a few programs. I think it worked out for the best, in the end.

I was rejected from the University of Houston, Arizona State, and EWU (after a Skype interview that didn't go that great for me). I was waitlisted at WSU, though, which combines elements of its program with EWU, so I'm not sure how that whole thing would've worked if I'd ended up getting in there. While EWU is competitive, it might be worth a shot, especially if you have some interview skills, ha. It seems less competitive than UW, at least. The ASU rejection, while possibly due to a variety of factors, was not helped by the fact that one of my profs didn't submit his LOR. It was a different submission than usual (letter writers have to answer questions, rather than submit a document), and I should've kept a better eye on it. Also, remember that there are a lot of different factors that go into a program's acceptance: you could have some experiences, killer LORs, or personal qualities (for example) that I don't, and that could be an advantage for you.

I got into Texas A&M Kingsville, as well. I originally was going to apply to some California programs (I lived in L.A. for several years), but they seemed really competitive, and often expensive, especially when you factor in out-of-state tuition and cost of living. One of the big reasons I ended up going to WWU was that it's in-state, and tuition seems fairly reasonable, as well.

I ended up applying to programs that were located close to people who are near and dear to me (yay support system!), so my apps were more west-coast based. I applied to schools in Washington, Montana, Arizona, and Texas. If it makes you feel better, all of my (admittedly small) post-bac cohort who applied to grad school ended up getting in somewhere. A few of them had better stats than me, but some had lower, and most of them were around our age. I think being a little older is actually an advantage; we have work and life experience to bring to the table! About a third of my current cohort is 30 or older. I was told by my post-bac director that I had a "competitive" application, so I think you probably have a good shot at getting in. It's sort of funny how the whole application process works; different programs seem to look for different things. I got in right away to NAU (which was a relief!)...and then it was a mixed bag of waitlists, acceptances, and a few outright rejections. I would get as much info as you can about the programs you're applying to, and see if you can get a sense of what they look for in a candidate.

Are you thinking about doing a levelling/post-bac program? If you do, and get a high GPA, most admissions would look more at that than an undergrad GPA from 20 years ago. Having some experience/volunteering in the field would also be a plus. The fact that you've travelled and have life experience is in your favor, too! I feel your pain on the quantitative section of the GRE; I hadn't had a math class in almost a decade, and ended up getting a 142 (28th percentile!). Luckily, though, my verbal and writing scores were high, and that seems to be looked at more than the Quantitative scores (at least, it was the case for the programs I got into). As you mentioned, there are some online prep courses that can be helpful in getting ready for the GRE; Magoosh and Khan Academy are two that come to mind. Or, honestly, just signing up for a basic math course at a community college in your area might be helpful in getting you more comfortable with the material. It definitely is a difficult, competitive field to get into, but it isn't impossible. You'll have to decide if it's worth the time and effort (and money!) that goes into it. Best of luck to you, whatever you choose!

The professors at WWU are pretty terrific, overall. Some standouts for me are the Drs. Evans (a married couple; he specializes in fluency disorders, and she in aphasia and related disorders). Dr. Peters, the department chair and also the AR clinic director, is amazing, too. Here are my stats: Overall GPA: 3.67 Program GPA: 3.9 (this was only for one quarter, mind you) GRE Verbal: 162 / Quantitative: 142 (ugh) GRE writing score: 4.0 I'm also an older student (32), and did my post-bac at WWU last year. I really didn't have much experience in the field, aside from a small amount of volunteering. I was waitlisted at WWU, at first, but got off of it during the 2nd round of acceptances. Overall, I applied to 7 schools, and ended up getting into 3, rejected from 3, and waitlisted for 1. Let me know if you have any more questions. I know the application process is stressful and often ridiculous, but you can do it!

I'm currently in the master's program at Western Washington U, and their app deadline is February 1st. No CSDCAS, either, if I recall. So keep that one on the list! It's a great program, too.

1. Why did you choose the program you're going to? What really sold it for you? I chose WWU, where I'm currently completing a post-baccalaureate/leveling program. I picked it mostly because I'm already familiar with a lot of the professors and clinicians (and I like them!) and because of the smaller school/cohort size. In-state tuition and saving on moving costs were also a big draw. 2. How many schools did you apply to? I applied to 7, in total: WWU, EWU, WSU, Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, University of Houston, and Texas A&M. I was accepted to NAU and Texas A&M, initially waitlisted at WWU (and accepted a week ago!), and was rejected from the rest. WWU and NAU were my top picks (I've got great family support in both areas), so I was pretty excited to get acceptances to both.