[Speech Language Pathology Schools]

Fresno State in CA comes to mind. Browse through the speech-language pathology forum. Here's an old thread discussing spring admissions: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/52124-spring-admission/

 

[Alternate fields/career paths]

So glad to hear about your decision! Reading your other thread, it seems like you are well-prepared to revamp your applications and go another round, if necessary. You have a great support system behind you and determination, which will help you get so far  Best of luck to you! I hope you hear back good news from the programs that haven't contacted you yet!

[School Facebook Groups 2017]

1 hour ago, ellie1234 said:

Facebook for University of Washington (UW): https://www.facebook.com/groups/237908743343247

Thank you so much!

[School Facebook Groups 2017]

Is there a Facebook group for UW? 

[Alternate fields/career paths]

I worked at an Autism Center with many graduate students working on their hours. The nice thing is that you can get your supervision hours while you work full-time for an agency, so you can still earn some decent money while working toward becoming a BCBA. Additionally, there are a good number of online ABA programs. I had coworkers working full-time for their hours while doing an online program. It was tough, but they were getting it done. If you do decide to go the BCBA route, I would advise making sure whatever agency you work for when completing your hours is solid and consistent in providing supervision and support.

I found this site with a great list of alternative careers: http://csd.hhd.psu.edu/undergraduate/Alternative-Careers-CSD-degree 

Best of luck to you with whatever path you choose! 

[CSD Deciding Between Ohio State and Cincinnati]

Can't say anything about the programs, but you might wanna try asking in the speech-language pathology forum! Lots of friendly and active posters there, someone might be able to help you out.

["it doesn't matter where you go"]

5 hours ago, Jolie717 said:

Hi, voice of dissent speaking, lol. I tend to see the same opinion on this topic, over and over, and I thoroughly disagree. Not all programs are created equally, just because they are all accredited. There was a student in a nightmare of a grad program posting on this forum not too long ago. And there are currently people who have posted elsewhere about difficulty finding work as an SLP in the city they live in. I'm not saying that all "brand name" educations will guarantee a carefree post-graduation existence, but I've spoken to hiring professionals from many different fields (including ours), and they ALL said the name of the program attended most definitely influenced their hiring decisions. I don't want to have to settle for just any SLP job, I want to ensure I have the very best odds at getting hired into a position that I love.

I was accepted into the three programs I applied to, and ended up choosing the highest ranked among them and am very glad I did. It also happened to be the program that had the second highest price tag. Aside from choosing a higher-ranked program due to a specialty track you are interested in, there are other factors to consider. I get to attend talks given by the "rock stars" in our field frequently that are absolutely fascinating. My professors are very active in research, and several of them are also pretty famous in our field. We are supervised in the clinic much more closely than I have seen in other schools (my experience being drawn from the first year only so far). I love my undergrad program, but there are grad students who were actually unable to get clinic placements in a previous semester and will have a delayed graduation because of it. As I continue through my program (and continue to compare notes with my graduate friends in my undergrad program) I am certain I will find other things that validate my decision. 

Thank you for posting this! I'll be attending UW next fall (CoreSLP), and the advice "it doesn't matter where you go" made me hesitant and even guilty to choose it, even though I was always leaning more toward it. It is so nice to hear of your positive experience at UW!

For me, UW's research opportunities and clinical rotations (for example, the rotation through the CHDD) really interested me and were unique from other programs I applied to. I also want to pursue a PhD, so attending a program with noteworthy faculty active in research was important for me. UW was the most expensive option for me, but honestly not by much. I believe that the opportunities offered are worth the extra cost. 

That being said, I have the good fortune to be completing my undergrad without debt. UW is also being offered to me at an in-state tuition rate. I think UW is the best fit for me, but if it were significantly more expensive and/or I had more debt accumulated already, I might not have chosen it. There are just so many factors that go into choosing a program. I think the advice to choose the least expensive option is very solid, but the decision should not necessarily be an automatic response. 

[Cal State Letters of Recommendation]

41 minutes ago, joannly said:

Hi! 

Follow up question! The cal states require three letters of recommendation, correct?

It depends on the school. SDSU required three, SFSU required two but you could submit more, etc. I do think it is generally three, though. Have at least three recommenders on hand, and some backup recommenders in mind too just in case one of the three is unable to complete a letter. 

[What schools has everyone decided to go to and why did you choose them?]

I chose University of Washington's CoreSLP program! It was a difficult decision, but after speaking with the graduate program advisor over the phone I was really amazed by the unique opportunities at UW. The variety and depth of the research labs, the clinical rotation at the CHDD, the specialty tracks and elective courses all resonated with me and my goals, and I felt they were not offered to the same extent at other programs I applied to. Throughout the whole application and decision process, faculty and staff at UW have been so approachable and quick to respond. Throw in in-state tuition thanks to WICHE and I was sold! I will be visiting the campus next week, and will update again on my thoughts. I am so excited to start this upcoming fall! 

[2017 Applicants Here!]

I've finally heard back from all my programs and I'm officially done with the waiting! Earlier today I had a phone call with UW which solidified my decision to attend their program. I just declined SDSU and SFSU, so hopefully some people will be hearing from those programs soon

[Official Interview Thread 2017]

38 minutes ago, SpeechLaedy said:

Soooo I had an interview and basically BLANKED on so many questions that I KNEW the answers to!! I graduated about a year - 2 yrs ago but still remembered a lot of info that just REFUSED to present itself during the interview. Of course - after the interview, the answers came flowing like a river smh. Thankfully the interviewers seemed to understand my struggle. But it was definitely nerve-wracking! Other than those questions, I felt I did okay. I was asked What do you need to look out for in a language sample, what were some aspects of form and content, what were some examples of speech disorders and also language disorders, what course was my favorite (based on the material)...there were more but I just can't remember. I will be brushing up on all of my notes from here on out if I am fortunate to get more interviews! 

Hooray for completing your interview! I am sure you did great! At one of my interviews, I definitely felt like I was stumbling at first before I got a little more comfortable, and I still got accepted  Was your interview one-on-one? I only had two group interviews, and neither asked us knowledge-based questions, one asked opinion-based questions and another was a situational question that we had to discuss. It is so crazy how different all the interview processes can be... Good luck hearing back from them!

[Jobs and back up plans]

Seconding ABA therapist! I'm working as a behavior interventionist and I feel like it has given me a lot of experience on how to do therapy and work with kids with ASD. It also got me a great LOR. Most agencies I've seen around my area are pretty flexible with schedules, too. If you still have more time and want something else to do, you could probably add in some shadowing in various settings as well.

[First Acceptance, yay! What are the first steps? (mostly financial)]

Hello! Congratulations on your acceptance! You are on your way to becoming an SLP!

I am about in the same boat as you. I didn't have to take out loans for undergrad, so I'm not really familiar with the process. However, I do have older siblings who took out a lot of loans for undergrad and beyond. From what I understand, yes you will be paying mostly with loans. After you fill out FAFSA and submit it to your programs, they will send you a financial aid package detailing how much aid you will receive and through what means - maybe you've already received that package! 

Hopefully your financial aid package will meet your full need through federal loans, grants, work-study, etc. Federal loans are generally better in terms of interest rates and repayment options. However, there are also private loans that you can look for, but parents may have to co-sign for them (they never have to for federal loans), and co-signing can be risky for parents. In that case, it is up to you and your parents to decide how to go about that.

I would look for grants and scholarships within your college and department, and potentially outside too. Connect with your program now that you have decided on accepting and ask about being a GA or TA. Look for and inquire about scholarships you'll be eligible for once you're a student there. For the program I am leaning toward, they do not offer many scholarships to incoming students, but current students have a bit more options to obtain scholarships. That may not help you right away, and you may not necessarily get those scholarships, but at least you know the options are there down the road. 

After graduating, and while paying back your loans regularly, there are some options you have that can reduce or even eliminate the remaining balance. They require working for a set number of consecutive years in a certain setting (I believe non-profit organizations? For either 5-10 years?) in order to qualify. If you are interested in this, I would look into it now so you can try to imagine more clearly where you want to work after graduation. There are some great threads on this forum and information online.

Best of luck to you!! 

[Interviews and their correlation to acceptance]

I interviewed at 2 places, got accepted to one and waitlisted at another. Personally, I think it was due to the fit. Both were group interviews, and I didn't feel like I did particularly better in the interview for the program that accepted me. I was, however, definitely more excited for that program and maybe that came across in person. I'm not sure how many interviewees were accepted into the program that admitted me, but for the one where I was waitlisted, I believe about 100 people interviewed and around 25 were accepted.

Best of luck to you! I hope you hear good news very soon

[San Francisco State Universiy]

6 hours ago, Maridele said:

I see...well I am sure whatever you decide you will love it! I want to have financial aid information already, so I can start looking for places. By any chance do you know how much aid they offer?

I was already sent an email about my financial aid package. You should check your student center, you may already have information too! I was given a State University Grant that I believe is given to most graduate students in the CSU system, work-study, and loans. 

[2017 Applicants Here!]

2 hours ago, jmk said:

In terms of rent, I was paying $935/month through school housing to share half of a room in an apartment w 5 girls. Starting April 1st?? new students can put in their student housing requests. The pro is it's so close, you can street park (free) and walk/bike to campus. 

The con is student housing runs a bit pricier than the regular market, haha. I'm looking into getting a room to myself for around $950/month. Meanwhile, I would have to uber or bus about 8 minutes via car to campus each day...or purchase a parking pass, which is around $500 a semester to park in the school garage. 

Wow, rent is really no joke... my sister lives in SF and pays about $1500/month for a tiny studio apartment, her bed is literally 5 steps away from the "kitchen." And $500 to park is ridiculous! I have friends in SoCal whose parking permits for their schools are around that amount as well. Then they also have to pay for the parking at their apartments. Using the bus can be a nice alternative, my sisters went to college in the east coast and relied solely on public transportation. 

[Waiting on New York Schools]

15 hours ago, CaliK8 said:

NYU was my first choice since the get go, and putting all academics aside, I think it'll be a better fit for me as a person. Also, during this time waiting, I kind of remembered why i loved it so much! I go to the city pretty much every other year when i visit my family in NJ, but I've never had a reason to visit NYU. The last time I was there, I wasn't in grad app mode so I didn't think about visiting the schools.. but it's alright! I need/want change! So i'm super excited to be in a new environment learning from new people. Thank you! I'm so proud, and grateful for the opportunities. I celebrated any acceptance and waitlist I got, because I know how competitive it is.. Just wish we could all get spots, so all of us hopeful SLPs can celebrate together!

and congratulations to you too!! Especially on UW!! Such an amazing program!!! 

Thank you so much! I totally agree that I wish we could all get spots, everyone is just so deserving of becoming an SLP! I'm so glad you found the place for you And I totally feel you on needing/wanting a change! I wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors 

[2017 Applicants Here!]

3 hours ago, jmk said:

A BIG yes! I was so surprised to how many schools I had to add in summer costs. I'm leaning SFSU with cost being a very large factor. (Though rent / parking here isn't exactly a picnic) 

Yeah, when I went to the interview, parking was pretty ridiculous... But anyway, I'm glad you got a cheaper option!! I know you were worried about potentially having to go out of state - SFSU is a great program   I have to learn more about the stipend associated with the Autism specialization because that could possibly make SFSU my cheapest option. It's a little risky banking on that though because we only apply to the track after accepting admission, meaning I could possibly not get into the track.. and without that specialization option, SFSU is lower on my list than UW... So many factors to consider 

3 hours ago, kayyyyy_ said:

I'm from San Diego and my family lives up in Portland and Washington (various parts). I spent a month up there and wow it was beautiful but I couldn't do it with the rain.... I was ready to come home. 

Yeah, I'm mostly worried about homesickness being made worse by the weather. I've never necessarily been too averse to rain, but there's no way to tell yet because I've never experienced endless gray weather. Central CA does get pretty gloomy during the winter though, so maybe it won't be as dramatic of a change as SD to Seattle...... I doubt I'll like it lol, but hopefully if I choose Seattle I can put up with it for at least two years. Thank you so much for sharing!

[San Francisco State Universiy]

Just got home to my conditional acceptance Kind of an anti-climactic letter, if I'm being completely honest but I'll definitely take it LOL. SFSU is my top CA program and I'm really interested in the Autism specialization! Congratulations, everyone!  Now to make a final decision...

[2017 Applicants Here!]

5 hours ago, jmk said:

Calculating costs is almost as equal a nightmare as it was choosing schools to apply to. I'm factoring in tuition (I wish programs just gave you a breakdown up front instead of trying to figure out summer costs, etc.), average rent, etc.  

I agree! I wish they would give us an estimate of the entire program up front, though I realize it changes from year to year. But just a rough estimate would help a lot. Maybe it's just my programs, but to figure out costs I keep being directed to other websites where I have to personally add in summer costs in addition to things like rent. Even transportation and associated costs can knock you back quite a bit (I know a lot of CA schools that have pretty significant parking expenses). 

 

4 hours ago, SopranoSLP said:

Yeah, Seattle rent is more expensive than most people realize, which is why I felt sort of obligated to mention it as I was scrolling through this thread. That said, I think the quality of life here is amazing!! The rain really isn't thaaaaat bad, and the beautiful trees and water and mountains (and coffee) totally make up for it! Probably still cheaper than San Francisco, @pbandj, but maybe not for long! Anyway, congrats to all of you! Like I said, I hope I'm in your shoes a year from now :-)

Thank you! I've heard mixed reviews about the rain lol but only positives about the scenery! I was in Seattle for about two days a couple years ago, and we were lucky enough to get a sunny weekend. It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of it, I really liked the vibe. I figure I'll be inside studying most of time anyway so the rain shouldn't be too big of a deal, but being from Central California I have no way to tell how I would react to rain LOL 

Good luck on your upcoming applications! 

[Waiting on New York Schools]

4 hours ago, zurako said:

@pbandj Just curious because you are from the west coast, are you leaning towards going to TC?

Not anymore, to be honest. I applied because I wanted at least one possible New York option, since I have family there and used to live in Elmhurst - I love NYC! But now that I have an acceptance at UW Seattle and qualify for in-state tuition there, I can get my out of state adventure without paying the full sticker price of an out of state adventure lol. I may hold out just a day or two longer on TC, but I really doubt I will receive enough funding that will make it as inexpensive as my other options. Great program though, grateful and humbled by the acceptance! Someone on the waitlist will be very happy soon  

2 hours ago, CaliK8 said:

Wow Congratulations from a fellow west-coaster!!! I've been waiting to hear from TC because it was my other top choice, and I couldn't bring myself to make any final decisions until I heard from them. Maybe i'll hold off until tomorrow and if I don't hear anything i'll pay my deposit for my other program (which was my other top choice, so i'm still super psyched!) 

 

UPDATE: Kidding, just checked and their email went to my spam folder. Waitlisted! Not an acceptance but i'm proud to have even made it this far! This gave me what I needed though, taking this as a sign that NYU is where I am meant to be!  

Thank you! I'll probably be declining tomorrow or the next day, if you want to hold out just a little longer lol. But if you feel you're meant for NYU, totally go for it! And from a fellow west-coaster, congratulations on your acceptance!!! It's so exciting to get into a top choice, you should be proud of your accomplishments that are taking you to New York next fall! Have you visited the campus or the city? West coast to New York is quite a change, I think it is so cool that you're going to NYU  

[2017 Applicants Here!]

7 hours ago, jj134 said:

I haven't received work study in my financial aid package...yet lol. Apparently there was a minor discrepancy between my FAFSA and the UW Financial Aid office so my financial aid package was delayed (I finally got my financial aid award yesterday!). I talked to the financial aid office if I could still qualify for work study and they said most likely yes. I'm also not sure how work study works, so if I get offered it I won't know how to go from there. All of this is starting to get so real! 

Just like @imunster said, all I got at the moment are loans  . But honestly I was expecting that, especially from a school like UW Seattle lol. I'm STILL waiting on ASU to make my final decision. I hope we get to be classmates this upcoming fall!  

I'm glad they figured out your financial aid package! And yes, I wasn't expecting too much from UW either, I was barely expecting an acceptance to begin with LOL. Good luck with ASU and your final decision! Hopefully we will be classmates next fall 

 

2 hours ago, imunster said:

Actual tuition itself is said to be 21k and another 20k for living expenses are factored into. I looked on Craigslist just as I was curious about rent and it was scary ?. 

I haven't looked into rent yet, I'm scared to do that lol. Living in Seattle may actually be cheaper for me than living in my next top city, San Francisco! However, UW being 8 quarters rather than 5 semesters like my other programs is adding some additional costs... I have to sit down and really calculate everything soon.

[Waiting on New York Schools]

Just got an email from TC about an hour ago that my application status was updated! Accepted! Good luck to everyone who applied
 

[2017 Applicants Here!]

58 minutes ago, imunster said:

Were you offered work study? And yes! I think it's very likely I will go!

I was, though I've no idea how it works in the department. I'm wondering if positions in their labs are on a first come first serve basis, and if the department doesn't have any more spots I have to get another work study job on-campus. I'll have to look more into it. And it looks like we may be classmates next fall!  

[2017 Applicants Here!]

29 minutes ago, imunster said:

They were all loans. Nothing on work study.

Aw, I'm sorry about that. I do hope you hear back soon on funding! UW is a fantastic program, and their MedSLP track is an especially unique and wonderful opportunity! The more I look into UW, the more I'm drawn toward it.