[The New School]

I need an opinionon my current situation. I am currently waiting to hear back from the New School for a MA in International Affairs. Here's my situation. When I first applied,the deadline was Feb 15. I had all of my documents in by then and was told I could expect to hear back around mid March. When that time came and went, I emailed Admissions and they told me that: "The first wave of letters went out on the 15th. That being said,you should receive a decision within the next two weeks." Okay so fast forward to April, I don't hear anything so I call and ask Admissions for an update. Eventually, what I find out is that they did not send my application tothe department of International Affairs until March 9th. The school was on spring break 3/15-3/21. So I'm looking on their website for any morsel of information,and see that the posted deadline for admission has been changed to March 15. Frustrated, I tracked down the department's number and called them to ask when I should expect to hear back. The woman who answered the phone told me "not to expect to hear back before the end of the month [April]" and led me to believe it would be closer to beginning of May. This is semi-ridiculous and really driving me nuts. Any advice or tips?

It's a shame that they misled you regarding the deadline date. You didn't mention if you have other schools lined up and if you need to submit other decisions before you hear back from this school. Does that change how you'll handle an acceptance or a rejection from this school?

[Calling All SLP's!]

I just got accepted off Bloomsburg U. wait list this morning. Yay me! But the email said I have 6 days to accept or decline. 6 DAYS!? That is not even until April 15th! I am still waiting on 2 schools to tell me yay or ney, and 1 school which I am on the wait list for.

"If you would like to accept this offer, I will need to know your response within 1 week (by 4/13/10). Once I get an affirmative response from you, our Graduate Office will send you an official letter of acceptance."----- Does this mean I am paying a deposit or do they just not want to waste paper on me if I am going to say no?

Should I call my other schools and ask when they are in their decesion process? April 15th is sneaking up quick! What about financial aid? When do I learn anything about that? Help please!

Yes, you should call Bloomsburg to ask about financial aid and a possible extension on returning a decision, and also call the other schools and tell them that you need to know by 4/13. You didn't mention if Bloomsburg is your first choice school or one of the others is. I suppose that will carry some weight in making a decision. If you're concerned about whether you will receive more acceptances, you could try accepting Bloomsburg's offer and then decline if you're accepted to another more preferable school.

[Full Funding (GW) v No Funding (Georgetown)]

My best friend faced the same situation last year with law school. GWU offered her $100K over three years and Georgetown offered her little if anything. She chose Georgetown because GWU wasn't good enough in her opinion and now she regrets her decision. She's bogged down with homework and stress on top of knowing that she'll be deep in debt when she graduates.

I agree that you should go with the funding. Georgetown may have a better reputation but GWU will still offer you a great education and you can say that you were a full-scholarship recipient. If you can see yourself happy at GWU, why not go there?

[Money or Dream School?]

I don't have much to add as many important points have already been made. I didn't see you mention if you visited the two schools though. I think visiting the schools will make a difference in how you feel about the programs, especially after talking to teachers and current students. They can help you determine many aspects that you're uncertain about. For example, you may find Seattle to be a great city, but you won't have much time to enjoy it, while West Lafayette may offer a smaller, tighter community with just enough to fill your free time. If you really want to work in a hospital, maybe the staff at Purdue can specially arrange a hospital placement for you or one further away over the summer.

I'm actually interested in finding out what MGH did not interest you. What aspects of the program did you like or dislike? Did you visit Northwestern? How do you think the two schools compare?

[Calling All SLP's!]

I think schools differ in the length of their waitlists and how they process them. Probably the best way to determine how a certain school deals with their waitlist is to contact the school directly.

This is what I read on Northwestern's site FAQ. It seems from the numbers stated below that NW accepts a large number of applicants expecting many to turn them down, and only after the number of attendees has dropped below the ideal class size would they go to the waitlist. The chances of getting off the waitlist are probably slim. But again, probably talking directly to the school you're interested in would be best.

How many students apply and are accepted each year?

The average number of applications for the Master's program in speech-language pathology for the past several years has been approximately 200-225. About 45-50% of those who apply are admitted. The average number of students matriculating in each of the past several years has been approximately 40-45.

[Calling All SLP's!]

I'm also trying to decide whether or not I should attend Northwestern. I don't know much about the program other than what I've read online and I haven't been able to visit the school yet. Does anyone have insight into the program? Has anyone talked to current students or graduates of the program? For those who are considering or have accepted NW, why did you choose this school over others? I visited Emerson, BU, and MGH last year. I'm interested in finding out how people think the programs, facilities, etc. compare.

Does anyone know when NW sends out funding offers? I feel like I can't decide on NW until I hear about funding. Although I want to attend NW, I'm sure I can receive a great education at other schools without breaking the bank. Any advice you can provide to help me make my decision is much appreciated.

[Calling All SLP's!]

Hi Everyone,

I'm also waiting to hear from Northwestern. I emailed to ask when I should expect notification and the director responded that I would hear by the end of March. I haven't applied to any other schools, so if I don't get into NW or don't get a scholarship, I may wait and apply to other schools next year. Does anyone have any idea how decisions are made and how funding works at NW?

Also, to those who've been admitted to MGH, congratulations first of all. If you don't mind, could you please share your stats? I'd like to know if I'm competitive for acceptance and for a scholarship. I visited MGH last year and really liked the school. If I don't go to NW, I will definitely try for MGH next year.

Thanks for your input.