plume

I used to use Myers-Briggs and it did help in my career search. INFP (or J, not sure) here!

I got an acceptance too! It's also my first acceptance!

Mmm, I just got th follow up email. But I got a phone call and my email acceptance letter this morning!! It's my first acceptance and my third time applying so I am over the moon. I hope you hear good news

No, I did not have to care for a parent growing up. Like Callen, my parents are in the medical field and I have always been drawn to it. I do have a disabled sister who required care growing up, and I have wondered if this had anything to do with my drive to pursue a helping profession. 

No, I did not have to care for a parent growing up. Like Callen, my parents are in the medical field and I have always been drawn to it. I do have a disabled sister who required care growing up, and I have wondered if this had anything to do with my drive to pursue a helping profession. 

Anyone thinking about attending Northeastern University in Boston? I am from California and am pretty positive I will be attending this fall / would LOVE to connect with others thinking about attending! 
Also if anyone has any insight on the program or about moving to Boston in general I would love to hear it! I have absolutely no friends or family in the Boston area and am nervous to move so far away from home. Is it easy to make friends in the program and in Boston? Where do students usually live? What are the clinical placements like? Anything helps!!! SO excited  

Now that you say that, I am realizing I wasn't even counting the classes I would be taking this summer....! I just keep reminding myself that in two years I will be an SLP!

If I were in your shoes, I would put down the deposit to Emerson but go to Redlands instead if you get in, even if you lose the deposit at Emerson. Having a sick parent is hard...it's what has kept me close to home. I don't think that's something you will look back at and ever regret. 

Now that you say that, I am realizing I wasn't even counting the classes I would be taking this summer....! I just keep reminding myself that in two years I will be an SLP!

Now that you say that, I am realizing I wasn't even counting the classes I would be taking this summer....! I just keep reminding myself that in two years I will be an SLP!

Now that you say that, I am realizing I wasn't even counting the classes I would be taking this summer....! I just keep reminding myself that in two years I will be an SLP!

Emerson is about $30,000 per year. And Boston living expenses... eek. Thankfully, I will be living with my partner, so I will be able to split rent. It's looking like we will spend anywhere from $500-$700 each per month living in an itty bitty place and possibly having roommates. Still not 100% on this decision... if I am admitted to Redlands I could move in with my parents for the two years and save a lot of money. I am jealous of the people reporting tuition under $10,000! If only...

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

From what I have been told, they never matter. I think we need to pretend like they don't exist, and do our own research to determine which schools are the "best." This article doesn't cover graduate school/SLP programs specifically, but it shows how the rankings are somewhat arbitrary: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/10/why-u-s-news-college-rankings-shouldnt-matter-to-anyone/?utm_term=.25744e0ef6ab
HOWEVER, it does say that the school's reputation receives a lot of weight in the ranking. I would say this oftentimes does not reflect the quality of education (I truly believe a small school in Ohio could have as much support, range of clinical placements etc. as a "top" school) but I suppose reputation can have some clout later (people will dispute this in the SLP field, though!)

Hey Plume, first of all, I just want to say I'm so sorry that you are in this situation. It sounds like you and your parents are close, which makes it even harder.
I'm in a really similar position - my father has had stage 4 cancer for the past few years, and I already live halfway across the country from my parents. I'm about to start a PhD program in the Fall, and I, too, sometimes feel conflicted about whether I should really be moving home to spend time with my family (we try to see each other as often as we can, about once every two months or so) - though living away from home, I felt guilty about this long before I ever applied to grad. school. My Dad promises he'll be around when I finish, but obviously he only has so much control over it. 
I think the right path for you is a very personal choice, based on what your relationship with your family is like, whether you feel you can handle continuing to live away from them, and to some extent, the progression of your dad's illness. I'm an only child and very close to my parents (my Mom also has a limited support structure to care for my Dad). However, my Dad is currently stable, and I know for sure that while he'd love to have me home, he doesn't want me to hold up my life, or miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to move home and stay with him. That being said, if/when he starts to decline, I've given a lot of thought to coming home for a while. It's really, really hard sometimes to be so far away, especially when he was really sick from chemo, but there are some things that help us feel connected - Skype/FaceTime calls, visiting as often as we can, keeping open communication about how things are going on any given day. When things are tough, sometimes my parents just need a safe space to vent, share their fears, or have a good laugh. I find this kind of support to be a small way I can help from afar, both so I feel "hooked in" to what's happening and so I feel like I'm contributing something.  It's important to remember, too, that you should have the option to take leaves of absence, if needed. At some point you will probably have to make a decision to put your Dad before anything else, but that time may not be now. Just out of curiosity, could you defer your admission if you needed to?
Its also important to take care of YOU and your needs. It's not wrong, or unhealthy, or selfish to want to pursue your career during such a difficult time - if you don't maintain some semblance of sanity and happiness in your life, your Dad's illness can engulf your whole world and throw you into an emotional situation that is really difficult to crawl out of. On the flip side, graduate school can be so stressful that your Dad being sick could affect your ability to keep up with your studies. I think it's ultimately about finding an emotional balance that allows you to process your feelings about what your family is going through, while still getting up every day and being as present as you can be in your own life. Oh, and other forms of self-care -- talking to a therapist or clergy member, engaging in meditation, art or journaling, exercise, meals or coffee with friends -- any activities that can give you a short "pause" on what is probably always in the back of your mind.
i don't know if anything I've said is helpful - I've actually never tried to talk to someone about how to deal with this. (It's also too late at night for me to be super eloquent - sorry!). I sincerely wish you and your family strength, health, and joy. Congratulations on your admissions!!

I would call them. It might be nothing, but you should call just in case.

I JUST GOT MY FIRST ACCEPTANCE FROM MILWAUKEE!!!

Thought I'd start a forum about the universities you've been accepted to and then maybe listing some pros and cons of each...
I know there are some of us that are starting to get acceptances and waitlists rolled in and some people have visited campus, met faculty so it may help us decide where to choose for our future grad program..?

I am so sorry that happened!! It must be even more frustrating because you gave them ALL of the reminders (and more) that they needed.
My friend used the same recommender as me and she did not submit any of his letters until 2 minutes before the deadline. He said he almost passed out and was planning what else he would do the next year because he thought it was all over. I agree... choose recommenders wisely and use fake deadlines.

Wait listed at Western Carolina University today. Will be turning this down. Good luck to anyone waiting on WCU!

I disagree, I do not think you will lose any chance of being admitted... I think you would have to do a lot more than that for them to take back an offer. I am not sure how frequent this happens in this field, but I know it is common to contact your top choice about funding in other fields. As long as you are tactful I think it is fine. They understand that funding is very important in your decision, and may be motivated to offer you something if you express they are your first choice. I only have one example, but my ex did this for law school and was not offered any extra funding. However, another law student suggested he try because he had done the same and the program matched the scholarship he was offered from another program.

Thanks for your responses everyone!  I have accepted my offer- I'm officially going to be a SLP grad student at a university I'm really excited to attend! 
I'm hoping that you all receive some good news soon as well!

Ahhhh, I wanna know!

That's great to hear!