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pbandj

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Everything posted by pbandj

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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!
  6. 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! :)
  7. 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! ❤️
  8. SFSU has an Autism Specialization program, and I believe Florida State does as well
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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!
  14. 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
  15. When I did it last year, it was a group interview with a scenario that we all had to discuss to come up with a resolution. It was a really easy scenario with pretty obvious resolutions so honestly it was just a little awkward LOL. I think they mostly wanted to see how we worked together! You don't have to prepare anything super impressive or know specific skills or content, and I only mentioned my experiences very briefly and informally during the intros. Focus on showing your collaborative and interpersonal skills, and adopt the pleasant, relaxed SFSU vibe There also wasn't really an opportunity to ask questions about the program, but I spoke briefly with one of the interviewers about their autism tracking and connected with her via email to ask my questions and thank her for the interview. And I think that kinda helped, actually! Good luck!
  16. I think everyone copes in different ways, so do what you feel you need to do to try and relax! You're so right that everything will work out in the end. In the mean time, practice self-care as you see fit and be proud of your acceptance Some grad schools do send out decisions in "waves." Every school should contact you about some sort of decision. Not quite sure if I've heard of a school without a waitlist, but if you're on one, the school will tell you! Yes, you can get off a waitlist! I've never discussed with my classmates whether they were on the waitlist, but there must be at least one student. Waitlists are there because they expect some people to decline - everyone can only attend one program, after all!
  17. Currently have two part-time jobs on-campus, they're both a little sporadic so my total hours per week is probably 10-15. I think it's doable, though my program doesn't suggest to not work, just to be realistic about your time. It's not much but it helps! If I budget particularly well I even pay back some of my loan interest to keep that down. My suggestion is to find something on-campus because they tend to be more flexible and understanding of student schedules. A lot of students I know babysit and actually make some decent money that way, too.
  18. I wouldn't go through the trouble of retaking the GRE for three points. From what I've heard, programs mostly just check if your GRE is above 150 for both sections (and I believe at least 3.5 or 4.0 for writing). After that, it doesn't really matter what your GRE scores are, especially when other aspects of your application are solid and your GPA is high. Save yourself the stress, time, and money!
  19. @BrookeH @snoves I'm not completely sure about Fresno State favoring their own undergrads. It can seem like that to me when looking at the matriculated students, but I think it's because most of the students applying to the program are from Fresno and are really set on staying so they're more likely to accept the offer. I've also heard of people getting accepted from outside the university, so it's definitely worth a shot! Fresno does have applications for spring admittance, which should be less competitive if that option becomes something you want to explore.
  20. I had ABA experience and know a number of grad students who also worked in ABA. All or most schools will strongly consider applicants with ABA experience, because they will strongly consider applicants with experience period. I think that professor probably meant that your experience doesn't have to be specifically in ABA to get into a program. You can have experience as a para, or SLP-A, or preschool teacher, or volunteer at a hospital or SNF, etc. they will all matter to a program so feel free to pick what you like and know it will mean something - if not to the programs, then to your own development!
  21. I applied to 7 schools for Fall 2017 admission. Honestly, I could have cut it down to save money. There were schools that I applied to based solely on the program. While I would have attended any of my schools if that were the only factor, once I started looking more thoroughly into each school's cost of attendance I realized there was no way I would have chosen some of those programs! I would have rather taken a year off and reapplied the following year. Hindsight is 20/20 lol. But some people feel more comfortable applying to more schools, so to each their own.
  22. Look around this forum and online to find programs that will take applicants without prereqs. I agree with the above that EdFind would be a good way to browse the stats of accepted students and determine your chances, but definitely take the reported stats with a grain of salt. They may not always be accurate. Once you know which programs you're interested in, you can also check their website for more accurate stats or send them an email asking about the information. I personally don't think you necessarily have to add any "leadership" positions or any more experiences in general. Your experiences look great to me, just focus on your SOP and the GRE! As for LORs, I actually only had one LOR from an SLP professor familiar with my academic work. My other two LORs came from a speech and hearing sciences professor I did research with (but I did not take an academic course with her), and my BCBA supervisor from work where I was providing ABA services. Sometimes the former was even replaced with a Latin professor when I needed physical copies of LORs. Point being, a personalized LOR from a non-speech and hearing sciences professor (or work supervisor, research supervisor, etc.) will beat a basic LOR from a speech and hearing sciences professor. Think about who knows you best and will talk you up the most! Good luck with your applications
  23. I wanna say they don't give too much information because it's mostly their own undergrads who apply, but that does make it pretty difficult for other students trying to get more information! I had the same issues with other CSUs that didn't give too much information about their program lol... Anyway, I'm glad I can help! There are definitely programs out there that can offer quite substantial grants/scholarships, but imo they tend to be in areas I personally would not want to study and the costs to some of those programs are already high. In the end, it might just even out anyway lol. I see you're a Spanish double major so I know Fresno would be a great place for you to study given its population! It really is such a diverse city! Feel free to contact me for more info down the line. Good luck with applications!
  24. I went to Fresno State for undergrad. I believe they automatically offer a grant that is applicable for all California residents attending a CSU for graduate school. Other than that, all I know are the scholarships/grants that you can apply for. The speech path program itself has quite a late due date compared to other programs, but if I remember correctly the university application due date is the same as other programs. You should be able to access the scholarship apps right after applying to the university because at that point you will already receive a Fresno State ID. I wouldn't worry about accessing those opportunities "too late." Keep in mind Fresno itself is an inexpensive city to live in while being diverse and relatively big, and Fresno State is one of the cheaper CSUs for sure. Taking out loans for grad school there would be much easier than taking out loans elsewhere. An easy side job like babysitting is something many grad students are able to do as well. As for how the program itself is, it's unfortunate the website doesn't talk too much about what the program is like - many things we find out only in our undergrad classes. One cool aspect is that you'll definitely get experience in both school and hospital settings, in addition to experience in the on-campus clinic. The program highlights behavioral principles in therapy more than most other programs; SLPs throughout the city are more pro-ABA than other SLPs I have seen. Fresno State has a very pro-ASL approach to therapy as well. Overall, it's a pretty great program that will prepare you for a variety of settings and won't be nearly as expensive as other program. SLPs are well respected in Fresno and there are plenty of opportunities throughout the area. I loved living in Fresno and studying there! PM me if you have any more questions about the program or city and I'll try my best to answer, or ask my friends currently in the program. And don't be afraid to call the department, they are all very friendly there Good luck with applications!
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