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I graduated from Elmhurst -it has it's positives and negatives -faculty has turned over in the last 2 years so clinic maybe different. There is a huge emphasis on Social Communication -Michele Winner Garcia. Clients are spread out throughout the week as well as meetings with your supervisors so plan to be on campus everyday. Undergrads are assigned to graduate students starting the first semester and for some supervisors they sit in on your meetings. It works out well if your undergrad is helpful. The biggest downside was the scheduling -meetings and clients at all different times with only a weeks notice. Placements were generally good. The only downside for both placements and clients in the clinic is that your personal interests are not considered -you have to make sure you advocate to get clients in a variety of areas. Classes in the morning, Clients/Meetings in the afternoon. In the beginning it seems like you will never get your hours in but you do. Simucase is used. There are a few negatives to having half the class directly from their undergrad program -but that's mostly because there are a few students/ professors/supervisors that say -we covered this undergrad (like yes, my university covered it in undergrad too -I just thought we might explore it in greater detail in graduate school). Editing to add: there isn't a huge multicultural emphasis -I wasn't in the extra bilingual program (which is an extra class the first 3 semesters but was told it was not a lot of extra work). Clients/students/professors reflect the social-economic status of Elmhurst.

I took the GRE's after being out of school for decades! I used Magoosh test prep and spent about 6 weeks studying the math -maybe 5 hours a week? I ended up with a 150 in Math (English was higher). If I can do it -you can do it! I was amazed at how much I remembered. Plus, it's not like you have to know everything -I targeted the areas I thought I would do best in.

Zaralee! Good luck to you! I was also a post-bacc older student. I know Elmhurst takes at half of it's students from it's Bachelor's program and is geared towards more traditional / younger students. The Midwestern admissions rep always said that it was okay to send emails if you had something new to add to your application (for example if you had taken professional development/done something) that it helped to express your continued interest and enthusiasm for Midwestern.

Hi -Have you thought about taking non-CSD college classes to boost your gpa? I believe that CSDCAS just averages them all so you could take education or psychology classes. A counseling class or classroom management/behavior class will be very valuable in the field.

I was a post-bacc -Honestly I think it makes you a more well-rounded clinician because you have different perspectives! Elmhurst College in IL has an agreement to accept half it's graduate students from it's undergraduate CSD majors. The Elmhurst undergrads apply early and get accepted early (before the deadline for everyone else). It's a sort of a combined undergraduate/graduate program.

Everything Louly said! I'm also a parent and just did my first year in grad school. I wasn't prepared for how time consuming it would be -the academic work wasn't hard (I'm a good student) but the meetings with supervisors, group projects, and my clients would be scattered through-out the week made things stressful. Maybe it's just my grad program but they were constantly changing due dates and adding meetings. Most of my cohort went directly from undergraduate to graduate so a lot of the talk was "when your in the real world" . . . I would be prepared to be criticized (some is super helpful, some is because women in education are snarky), have a lot of family support/good nanny, advocate for yourself. It wasn't a good self advocate and often ended-up getting the crappy times, etc. I wish I had been more supportive. Be friendly to everyone -alot of girls in my cohort new past grads so they knew what would be on tests, about instructors, etc. Good Luck! remember it's only for 2 years!!

This happens all the time. If you can afford to lose your deposit (or part of it) accept the spot and then wait to see if you get off the waitlist.

Have you confirmed with the "high" cost program that you will get the placement you want? Here is my experience: The admissions people said preferences would be considered for placements and the reality of program has been -you get what you get because the clinic director says "it's all experience." In some ways she right, but I've yet to get a client in the area I think I'm interested in. . .

I think it depends on the grad program. My program does not have any 'free' time between 8-6pm -some days I'm done by 3:30 but professors are able to schedule meeting anytime between 8-6pm and your not allowed to say you can't because of work. Also my program doesn't give the clinic schedule out until a week before classes start. Jobs on the weekends are fine.

Maybe try Wisconsin Eau Claire

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows if there is something like this where you can post questions once you are already in grad school. I was an out-of-field candidate so I don't feel like I have as much information as the other women in my program about where to find materials, ideas, resources, etc. I know about pinterest and teachers-pay-teachers but I was wondering if I was missing websites directly about speech therapy, especially for adults. My program has lots of games but I have adult clients so it's more like where to find things suitable for adults. Thanks!

Wisconsin Eau Claire -- it has an early deadline ( I think around Dec. 1st) if you apply -they also offer undergrad on-line courses. I want to add that as a mom myself I looked at a few programs and if you read the fine print -your practicum placements might be a distance away. I would encourage you to talk to the schools -when I spoke to the counselor at the NYU on-line program she couldn't assure me how close my practicum would be to my house.

I think you have to enter anything that shows up on your transcripts -for instance I had a transfer orientation on my transcript and I had to enter it into CSDCAS. The staff at CSDCAS are very helpful and promptly responded to any of my emails. It is better to enter more than less in my opinion.

Have you used Magoosh? It was really helpful for the Math and they have free flashcards with vocabulary words -it's good to practice them when your waiting in line. Have you thought about a tutor? Good Luck.

I agree with the other posters -ASHA also requires that SLPs have general science classes (bio, chem), statistics and psychology. You might want to check those requirements. Before committing to an expensive graduate program you should spend some time shadowing / interviewing SLPs to see what the job is all about. I would take your time, take a few classes, get a job working with people with disabilities and then apply. If you don't have a college near you there are several on-line options for CSD classes. Most programs require Phonetics, Normal Language, and Anatomy and Physiology of Vocal Mechanism so you could start with those. I'm 43 and about to start a MS program so you have time!! I have another Masters in a different field but sometimes life does not work out how you plan in your 20s or you find a different passion.

I got accepted into 3 grad programs and I went to school WAY longer than 10 years ago. I checked and didn't see anything about my bio, chem, statistics or psych expiring. This may be a school specific rule. Not much has changed in basic biology or chemistry. I could understand if you were using these classes to take more advanced bio or chem classes but that's not the case. I retained enough knowledge to get a 101% in speech science!

Sacred Heart -the staff is very responsive and answers emails quickly. It costs $1915

Here's my 2 cents -The question is can you handle it? Anything is possible with lack of sleep, a sense of humor and perspective. I'm not sure from your post if your the one who will be pregnant or are the partner -but either way -it will be challenging at times. I've had two kids so I can tell you if you have good insurance will have tons of tests and appts. Unless you are more laid back -I had a friend who only went to the doctor a few times and has had two healthy home-births. Not my personality. Ask yourself if you can communicate well, balance life, prioritize, etc. I'll just add this -when I became a parent (in my 30's) -I had a pretty good perspective but I was unprepared for the amount of mental stress and worry that would start the minute the baby was born. My first had tests, dr. apps. every week for the first few months -and colic!! God Bless the people in our condo building. My second never went to the dr. except for a few well baby exams and was so chill / happy. He also has severe CAS. Go figure. Good Luck.

@PlieThenRose I saw that Longwood also offers Clincal Methods -at Longwood I was told some of the grade is based on doing observations. I'm wondering if for Longwood or Sacred Heart the observations can be thru Master Clinician or if you are suppose to find your own SLP to shadow. I've already asked the few SLPs I know to let me shadow them -I'm not sure if I want to keep asking . . .

Hi -I'm trying to decide if I want to take clinical methods on-line at Sacred Heart -the school I've been accepted at is not requiring it -just recommending it. I can decide to read the textbooks and do a self-study instead. Has anyone taken it? I'd love to learn more so if the course is great then I would be interested but if it's just busy work or observations then I would prefer not to take it. I've done 26 observations hours. Also, I've taken 2 on-line classes thru Northwestern which were okay but I got a lot more out of the ones I did in person. I'm definitely an auditory learner.

I think the key is not doing a bunch of volunteer hours but showing leadership. If you volunteered, did you hold an officer position, did you help organize a fundraiser, etc. There is a part on the CSDCAS application to list your volunteer experience and number of hours. If your interested in something -I don't think it has to be all SLP related but something that shows you have worked with different populations is really useful. Not just for the applications but in real-life.

If your interested in this summer, I would start registering now . . . the class fill quickly. Wisconsin Eau-Claire is already filled for Neuro and Clinical Methods. Sacred Heart has classes but I believe they only let you register for 2 at time.

I think I would target the grad schools you are interested in first. I just finished post-bacc classes -due to family limitations I knew I could only apply to a few schools so I looked at there pre-requisites. I did 6 in-person and 2 on-line (fall/spring). I have accepted an offer at a school that only required 6 but I was just accepted off the wait list at another school and may have to do 2-3 more courses over the summer. I think 6 courses will really limit where you can apply -or you will end up doing some the summer before you start. Also, some of the schools I looked at did not require the one or two education classes for state licensure -but I will need to take them at some point if I want to work in schools. Other things to consider -your current GPA -if it's high then the schools have a positive way to evaluate you. But if your GPA is average it can help to take more post-bacc classes to try to demonstrate how proficient you are in CSD. I'm adding: I think there is an advantage to doing post-bacc classes where you think you want to apply -I got to know my professors and ask for letters of recommendation. I was accepted into the Masters program I think partly because I was engaged in class discussions and demonstrated my interest in the field.

Hi - I have been accepted to Elmhurst but I don't know a lot about the program. Can anyone tell me about it? Do you like it? Schedule? Clinic Opportunities? Thank you!!

If you pay a $500 dollar deposit and then lose it because you withdraw and go to a school that's $10,000 less a year -you will still come out ahead in the end. I would pay your deposit somewhere so you don't lose your spot and then email your first choice wait-list school. Tell them why they are your first choice and recent accomplishments, activities, basically why are are awesome.