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SopranoSLP

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Everything posted by SopranoSLP

  1. SopranoSLP
    In the words of Homer Simpson, "the waiting game sucks! Let's play Hungry, Hungry Hippos!" I don't know about you all, but the waiting game is making me absolutely insane!!! I'm the living definition of a basket case over here. What do you all do to ease that feeling of your chest exploding with tension? I've been making sure to get regular exercise and good sleep, but I'm curious to know how you all are dealing with the anxiety!
  2. SopranoSLP
    Hahaha, I had the same dream last week, except it's the only school I applied to! Let's still hope my dream self was confused. ;-) Good luck!!
  3. SopranoSLP
    My situation is pretty similar! I also already have a masters degree in an unrelated field, and I spent about 10 years working in that field before making the change to SLP Land. I decided to do a full-time postbac before applying to grad schools, but it's only been just under 8 months since I started coursework, volunteering, research, etc. It feels very daunting to compete with traditional students who potentially have 4 years of experience! I have 2 stepkids, so I am also geographically bound and only applied to one school. I've been stressed out of my mind waiting to find out whether I got in!! Fingers crossed for both of us
  4. SopranoSLP
    I just submitted my app, and I definitely estimated. They provide a little guidance for that on the form, I believe - i.e, if you took a 4 credit class, you probably had x hours of class per week. From there, you can just estimate based on what you learned. It's sort of a hassle to fill that out, but I think they just want a way to standardize course content, since every school calls classes by different names and may vary the depth at which they cover certain topics. I'm sure that particularly comes into play with people who have taken CSD prerequisite courses but don't have CSD degrees.
  5. SopranoSLP
    I feel your pain! I want to be an SLP so badly that at first, I just sort of word vomited every reason why. All the reasons felt equally important! Once I thought I was done, I had a friend with a lot of academic writing experience give me some feedback. Since the words hadn't poured out of her soul, she was able to let me know what objectively didn't support my narrative. The more I trimmed, the more obvious it was when a sentence was extraneous or I could word something more simply. So yeah, definitely have someone read it over, as long as it's someone who knows what they're doing (otherwise too many random opinions might just make you crazy)! Also, it's sort of arbitrary, but I tried to make mine fit on 2 pages so it didn't look visually overwhelming. (I never wanted someone to open my document and groan, you know?) Best of luck!
  6. SopranoSLP
    Which programs are you applying to? Just UW-Seattle Where are you from? Originally CT, but I've been in Seattle for awhile now What are your biggest concerns about applications? Just applying to one school! Also, a limited background in CSD/ only 3 months of volunteer experience. (Soooo nervous.)
  7. SopranoSLP
    Oh man, I've had to deal with this issue a lot in my career as a singer. Here's what I'd suggest: Plan A: Go well in advance of the move to check out the area in person. Scout out possible locations/buildings/complexes in advance from CL or whatever local apartment-finding sites you might find online. I've found great places just by driving/ walking around parts of town I really liked and seeing "Vacancy" signs outside buildings. Plan B: Book an Airbnb or short term sublet for the first couple weeks, so you give yourself a chance to scout out apartments in person without having to spend money to go early. (But if you can get there a week or two early, even better!) Plan C: Find potential apartments online and ask to do a Skype/ FaceTime tour. If you have a friend in town, perhaps they'd be willing to go check out the place in person so you're sure it's not a scam. Send a deposit through PayPal for security reasons (so you have some recourse if you have to dispute a fraudulent charge). That last one probably sounds sketchy, but I've actually done it before and had things work out well. (And with a CL sublet, no less!) Best of luck!
  8. SopranoSLP
    The only time I've ever seen it matter was at Portland State, where they specify that they offer an M.A. if you are proficient in a second language and an M.S. if you're not. Otherwise, I think it's just arbitrary.
  9. SopranoSLP
    That's a really interesting observation! I'm also an INFJ, which I've always understood to encompass a rare blend of analytical mind and intuitive spirit. :-) I was initially drawn to the arts, but I think SLP offers a better blend of the analytical and the intuitive, AND it offers a chance to help others directly. (One could argue that the arts help a lot of people, but the day-to-day life of an artist is EXTREMELY self-involved.) One of the SLPs I observed said that success in the field requires someone who is extremely bright AND extremely empathetic, so... A nerdy empath. I have a feeling that describes a lot of us here! :-)
  10. SopranoSLP
    Hi all :-) I've been trying to find some interesting volunteering opportunities for the summer and upcoming academic year, and it's got me thinking... I had been strongly considering volunteering at the local community college or public library as an ESL tutor/ general tutor for adults prepping for the GRE -- it sounded rewarding and reasonably relevant to my SLP interests. The thing is, I've also been checking out SLP job listings in my geographical area to get an idea of what's out there on the other side of all this school, and almost every listing I've seen has been pediatric (early intervention/ schools/ private pediatric clinics/ childrens' hospital). I like kids, but ideally I'd prefer to work with adults (professional voice users)... but now I'm wondering if it might be more pragmatic to get some experience with kids, given the way the job market seems to be going? (Side note: Is that an accurate assessment of the way the job market is going?) I'd heard the field is expanding most in terms of children and the elderly, thanks to modern medicine, so maybe it would be smart, from a career strategy perspective, to have a really solid pediatric background. I'd rather be an SLP who has a job working with kids than an unemployed SLP, you know? Also, as a way out-of-field applicant, I'm also considering how to craft solid resume/ grad school application. Would it be better to just stick with adults and create a more focused, cohesive snapshot of myself (opera singer who wants to work with professional voice users) for an admission committee? Or should I find some way to work with kids (homework helper/ reading tutor) to diversify my experiences a bit and be more versatile/ open to the entire SLP field, not just a narrow focus? Thanks! :-)
  11. SopranoSLP
    Ah ha! Good to know. Just trying to plan 10 steps ahead, as usual. Hahaha I picked that school out of thin air, but that's good to know! I'll have to evaluate that with each school. Awesome! I'm MANY steps away from that point, but I like to know what's coming down the pipeline!
  12. SopranoSLP
    Out of curiosity, is it possible/ common to complete your clinical fellowship somewhere other than where you completed your masters? For example, could I go to the University of Colorado - Boulder for my masters and then complete my fellowship at, say, UCSF's Voice and Swallowing Center? (Those are randomly chosen examples.) Or do people typically rely on their university having connections to practitioners and clinics/ schools/ hospitals close to them? Thanks!
  13. SopranoSLP
    I asked a similar question (hypothetically) a few months ago regarding my own interest (voice). The consensus seemed to be that an MS/ MA/ MEd in SLP is a generalist degree, so the curricula themselves don't vary all that much, and that one would instead focus on one's specific interests through clinical experience, post-grad fellowships, research, etc. Personally (and still theoretically), I'm looking at a couple affordable, public, in-state options that don't have much of a voice focus (though one is very highly ranked overall), vs. some extremely pricey, out-of-state schools that are known for their voice specialty tracks and clinical placements. I've been told repeatedly that minimizing debt should be the priority, but I still feel a pull toward the expensive options with "VOICE" plastered all over them! At this point, I'm not sure whether there's a point to even APPLYING to the expensive "voice" schools, if I don't really plan to go... but.. but... Maybe you should also consider WHERE the schools are? If Program B isn't anywhere near where you ultimately want to live/ work, then connections made in that geographical location will probably be less useful in the long run, even if they are more aligned with your area of interest. (For example, I live in Seattle and ultimately want to continue doing so. After a lot of internet research, I've discovered that almost everyone in Seattle who is doing the kind of work I hope to do is a UW or WWU grad, not a Vanderbilt, Iowa, UW-Madison, Pitt, or MGHIHP grad. Of course, there are exceptions, but the local program grads win by a landslide! UW is very highly ranked, so that can't hurt, but WWU is #199... and neither offers a voice specialty.) One other thing that just occurred to me... Programs are seeking diversity of interests amongst their cohorts, right? Maybe if you're one of many students focused on multilingualism/ multiculturalism at Program B, you'll be a small-to-medium fish in a big pond and will have to fight for good clinical placements, etc. Perhaps being one of few students (if not the only student) focused on multilingualism/ multiculturalism at Program A will actually yield more personalized attention, the best clinical opportunities in your area, etc. Just a thought! Let us know what you decide! :-) Best of luck and congratulations on having two good options!
  14. SopranoSLP
    Yeah, Seattle rent is more expensive than most people realize, which is why I felt sort of obligated to mention it as I was scrolling through this thread. That said, I think the quality of life here is amazing!! The rain really isn't thaaaaat bad, and the beautiful trees and water and mountains (and coffee) totally make up for it! Probably still cheaper than San Francisco, @pbandj, but maybe not for long! Anyway, congrats to all of you! Like I said, I hope I'm in your shoes a year from now :-)
  15. SopranoSLP
    Congrats on your acceptance! I hope I'm in your shoes a year from now! :-) Just one thing I wanted to mention... In addition to the difference in tuition rates, be sure to factor in the cost of living when you consider UW. Seattle is an increasingly expensive city, particularly when it comes to rent. (Thanks a lot, Amazon... *orders 10 things from Amazon anyway*) I'm not sure what the financial aid packages include for living expenses, but rent is currently expensive and only getting worse, so be sure to look into housing options and factor that into the overall expense! I would hate for you to be blindsided by that. But again, huge congratulations!! It's supposed to be an amazing program!! :-)
  16. SopranoSLP
    Thanks, @al25! I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have about the program. Did you feel solid going into grad applications? Good interactions with faculty? How far outside the field were you/ did you feel caught up after the program?
  17. SopranoSLP
    @Caconnor Thanks! Best of luck with the grad app! I'll be in the same boat next year. Both UW masters programs look really great! :-)
  18. SopranoSLP
    Has anyone here done a postbac at UW? I just applied, and I'm wondering when they notify. The UW general admissions page says May and June, but the program STARTS in June! Another page says March, so... Any first-hand knowledge/ clarification would be super helpful! Thanks!! <3
  19. SopranoSLP
    Thanks, @plume, and best of luck to you too! It's so hard to have any idea how things will turn out, but let's hope for the best. :-)
  20. SopranoSLP
    I'm applying for this cycle as well! I'm a way out-of-field applicant, and I've been out of school for 6 years now. My undergrad GPA was a 3.75 and my (first) grad degree GPA was a 3.95. I'm taking the GRE in 3 weeks (eep!) and trying to stay calm about the pesky Quant section. I've done some observations, and they got me SO excited about this field! I'm particularly interested in voice disorders. My current plan is to apply to Vanderbilt, Iowa, MGH, and the University of Washington's postbacc program… with the assumption that I won't get into any of those masters programs and will (hopefully) get into the UW postbacc. 3 years of tuition is 3 years of tuition, regardless of how you break it up, and at least the postbacc would allow me to apply anywhere I wanted to next year (Wisconsin, UW MedSLP, etc). We'll see how it shakes out! Best of luck to everyone! This is scary, but it's also exciting. :-)
  21. SopranoSLP
    I don't have an answer, but I'm in the same boat. I'm working full time, trying to take pre-reqs, and squeezing in observations when I can. There's no way for me to volunteer, because everything I've found is during business hours or requires a 3-12 month commitment, which I can't make. It's so frustrating! I feel your pain. I keep trying to remind myself that people like us bring a form of diversity to an applicant pool. Our experiences will allow us to bring different things to the table than someone who is applying straight from undergrad will bring. Some schools will be into that, and others won't be, but you bloom where you're planted! Best of luck! :-)
  22. SopranoSLP
    So I'm curious... More than a couple people in this thread have said they wish they hadn't wasted time and money applying to schools they had no intention of actually attending. In other threads, people have stressed the "numbers game" aspect of acceptances and suggest applying to as many schools as one can afford. Is this just a matter of differing educational philosophies (quality vs. quantity), or are the two ideas not mutually exclusive (in other words, should applicants be finding as many schools as possible that we'd actually want to attend)? I realize that this process is all highly personal and subjective, so what works for one person might not work for another... but I've been too curious not to pose the question! :-) I also wonder how much the rank or relative prestige of a school really matters when it comes to the job market. Maybe it depends on the specialty, type of practice/ desired work environment, geographical location, etc.? I suppose most people frequenting this forum aren't far enough past the education phase to know the answer to that, but it's worth tossing the question out there.
  23. SopranoSLP
    I'm in sort of a similar boat, and my plan is to apply for 3 year programs AND postbaccs. If I get into a 3 year program, I'll go. If not, I can do a postbacc and then apply for 2 year programs. In the meantime, I'm taking the ASHA prereqs and a few CSD/SLP courses that are required by all of the schools I'm interested in. I don't know if it's going to work, but that's my plan and I'm sticking to it! :-)
  24. SopranoSLP
    True, but I've taken vocal pedagogy classes that involved a fair amount of vocal anatomy, so I actually feel like A&P Speech Production is probably the closest to my current comfort zone. (That and phonetics, I suppose.) We do have to know more than just how to sing! :-) I'm optimistic. Thanks!
  25. SopranoSLP
    I read a good blog post about this recently, courtesy of @mcamp. He suggested you start by just writing EVERYTHING. Say every little thing you want to say! Get it all on paper!... Then start distilling. So plow past the 300 word limit for now and go from there. :-)
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