mrslee1122

Schatzie15, that would be awesome to hear from other teachers and career changers! I will email Dr Stillman and UNT - just never thought they would be friendly enough to advise a student calling or emailing them. UTD would be my top choice for the graduate program, of course! I can email them or message you with my email. I appreciate your help! (:

I might be able to help answer some questions.  I am a certified elementary education teacher, substitute taught for five years, went back to school, and just finished my first year as a school-based SLP.
I did my leveling courses at a brick and mortar campus where I got to build relationships with the faculty.  I ended up getting my Master's there as well.  Though I'm not in Texas, I did appreciate meeting the professors face to face on a weekly basis so they could write strong letters for me.
That said, I since you are in a school, I wouldn't count out your colleagues.  The special ed staff, SLP, and administrators that you work with on a daily basis can testify how you are already working with kids who have special needs, how well you collaborate with colleagues, your lesson planning, working with students from various backgrounds, etc.  Those are all skills that you already have that a 22-year-old fresh out of undergrad might not know.  If you don't already know where your school SLP got his/her degree, it might not hurt to ask.  A letter from a colleague who is a practicing clinician and an alumnus/alumna of the institution you want to attend may hold a little more weight than you might think, especially if the SLP hosts student teachers.  If the university trusts that SLP to train and teach student teachers, that person has a higher status in the eyes of the university and department.  I also strongly recommend that you write about your teaching experience in your personal statement.  How did you manage your classroom, work with parents, work with students with disabilities, collaborate with colleagues, etc.  While I can't say with any certainty, I'd like to think that my experience as a teacher helped my application stand out.

Hello,
I am actually in a sort-of similar position: MA in teaching, preschool teacher for 3 years, bachelors degree in an unrelated field. I'm also in Texas and have the same timeline for applying. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to go about getting my post-bacc (or 2nd bachelors degree). I'm sorry if I'm not much help in answering your question; I'm just glad to see that I'm not the only one trying to figure this out!

Going along with what mcamp said, remember that you are the consumer. Sure, grad school is hard to get into, but once you're in, you're going to be the one paying for and utilizing the materials to get through. If a school is down-right rude to you during the application process and comes across as really unprofessional, you might want to pick a different school to apply to. If a school is stingy with their info and expectations, that might be a deal breaker. Look for a good fit for you as well as a place that you can get into. There was a school that I was in the process of applying to that I didn't finish the application for because there were some red flags that told me we would be a bad fit. 

Also, chill out. Stressing about it every single day will not change the outcome. Sure, be organized and stick to your timeline of getting things done, but once those apps are with the adcomms, it's time to let it go until you get answers back. (I did not follow this advice and drove my family nuts.)

I am currently at UT Dallas and while I'm not in the same position as you, I know of at least 4 ladies in the program who are in similar positions! Former teachers, at least one with a couple kids, wanting to change their career. Would you like me to reach out to them and possibly connect y'all? 
Also, if you haven't already, email the UT Dallas COMD program director, Dr. Stillman, and get his advice. He is so kind and willing to help current and future students. I know nothing about Univ. of North TX, but it also couldn't hurt to email their program head and just see what they say. Maybe you don't have to do as much as you think! 
Best of luck!