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1. Don’t remember what a “priority” application is. Is this the application deadline for the university as a whole? IIRC, some if not all CSUs have “two” applications - one for the university, and one for the graduate program itself which is sometimes at a later date. 2. LORs are typically due by the application deadline for the grad program.

First off, congrats!!! So awesome that you got into two great programs! Next up, deciding, which is really a nice problem to have. Will you be notified of a scholarship before accepting, or is consideration for a scholarship only made after accepting? If it’s unclear, clarify and maybe that will help you know if it’s worth a gamble. Otherwise, deciding will be based on whatever is most important for you, whether that’s costs, coursework, etc. It might help to reach out and see if you can get in touch with a current online student of both programs and see what they say? Good luck!

I think you have great volunteer experiences already! I echo the above post about seeing if you can find a consistent shadowing opportunity. Additionally, rather than adding a new experience, I might suggest trying to see if you can increase your involvement or responsibility in one or more of those opportunities. Adding another volunteer site may add some lines to your resume, but more involved participation in an experience can really deepen your learning, personal statement, and potentially a LOR, which is where I think you can REALLY shine in an application.

First of all, I think you should give yourself more credit! It sounds like you’ve worked hard and have done some incredible things. ? I remember grad apps being totally confusing because on one hand, people would say you have to do XYZ to be a strong applicant, but on the other hand, people say doing those same XYZ is too “predictable” and doesn’t help you stand out! Yet it’s true, this is a competitive field and you have to do some of the “predictable” stuff while also standing out somehow. So there are tons of ways someone can be a strong applicant. A more productive question would be, given your background and experiences, what do you think are your personal strengths? Lean into those and build them in a way that will make grad schools care, and you’ll be a strong applicant! As for my own stats when applying, briefly I had 163/163 GRE, 3.9 GPA, research experience, ABA experience, etc. Totally have met people who are way more impressive, and the funny thing is they would say the same about me. Imposter syndrome in this field is real but you have people already trying to grab you for a reason ? Best of luck! Feel free to PM me for info on UW or more grad application stuff

I think you certainly have a shot at an American university. Your GRE scores look good, and while your GPAs may look like they're on the "lower" end, I wonder if having a previous Masters in another field can help you stand out from other applicants! If you haven't already, you should consider applying to programs in more rural areas in America. It will still be relocating, but at least it's still in the country. Schools that are in more rural areas tend to get less applicants, and they generally look at the applicant more holistically so it may be easier to get accepted. Best of luck!

Looks like we switched places then! I'm in WA but from CA haha. Best of luck to you!! The application process is so crazy but you will get through it! :)

You mentioned Audiology, and I'm not sure if you were just talking about a single course if you're looking at aud programs - sorry! The following advice is for speech path, I'm not sure of audiology stuff! If you're willing to go out-of-state, try to check out schools in more rural areas. Less people apply to these more remote schools, so it may be "less competitive." If the cost of living is low enough, attending OOS schools can sometimes be comparable to attending school in-state in CA. I would also consider taking a year off to build more experiences in the field. Some jobs include being a para, behavior interventionist, etc. Since you're in CA being an SLPA for a while is also an option. That would give you extra time to focus on your grades next year and study for a higher GRE score to offset your GPA. The application process can be daunting and competitive, so it may be beneficial to save yourself the stress and money if you take some time off to build up your application. Seriously, there's no rush to get into grad school right after undergrad! Best of luck to you! ❤️

SFSU has an Autism Specialization program, and I believe Florida State does as well

I don’t think it’s crazy to rescind your offer, especially if there’s nothing particularly special pulling you toward the program. Debt is very real, and if you don’t think it’s worth it, that’s totally valid and reasonable (though if you do think the program is worth it, then that’s valid too!) Personally, I would hesitate about that much debt and would rather improve my application for reapplying to more affordable programs.

CoreSLP - PM'ed you

Yupp, that's exactly what I do! I'm pretty visual so organizing my notes and making diagrams are more helpful to me than bullet point notes.

I have a Surface and use OneNote. If you have the means to get one, I highly recommend it! I upload PDFs of the PowerPoints and am able to physically write notes using the Surface pen, but I can switch to typing if information is coming at me too quickly - best of both worlds, plus no printing ahead of time! Used to type all my notes until I found that they were ineffective for certain classes, so it can depend on both you and the class

I don't think it's unethical or unprofessional if you politely withdraw a decision. Waitlists mean that these things are bound to happen, and programs certainly wouldn't keep a blacklist. The worst that would happen is you would lose that deposit, but no bridges will be burned

Some questions I asked that were really helpful: How does a typical day or week look like in terms of didactic courses and practicum (for example, are classes held on certain days and clinical assignments on other days)? What does progression through the program look like? What are some additional clinical and/or research opportunities available, and how can I participate? How diverse are the clients who come to the clinic? Feel free to share your specific interests and ask about opportunities they offer in those areas. I'll also throw in that if possible, try to get a sense of the work-life balance or "culture" of the program. I really appreciate my program's emphasis on self-care and a work-life balance now, but it was something I didn't think about before. Ask as many students as possible how supported they feel. If you can't ask students, you can try to get the information from faculty by asking about the workload and what resources are available to students to healthily manage their work. Grad school is intense no matter where you go, but I feel supported by both my cohort and the faculty and it makes it feel so much more manageable! Enjoy your open house and congratulations on your acceptance!

It was more “how would you approach this scenario.” Feel free to PM me for more info And I agree with the better over than under dressed! I was a little more business to business casual with dress pants and a cardigan, but two girls in my group were wearing more business professional attire