ObsessLP

It's probably different now, but it amounted to around $700+ per 3-credit course as an out-of-state student. I believe it's somewhere in the $900-$1000 range now.

I did not apply to Radford because it is too far away. I live in Gum Spring, which is about 40 minutes from UVA and 1h30m from JMU. Longwood was also doable. I only applied to those three schools and got accepted to all three. I ultimately decided on UVA because I was so impressed by them at the open house and also by how communicative they were after sending out offers. Let me know if you have any questions!

I'll send you a PM.

I have taken a large number of CLEP exams. Which one will you be taking? I may still have my review material.

Every SLP I have spoken to, both medical and school SLPs, have said to go with the option that will put you in the least amount of debt. There really aren't any "medical programs," because ASHA's standards are uniform for all programs. There are programs with a few more medically-based courses, but not having those does not mean that you cannot ultimately work in a medical setting. The advice I have gotten from medical SLPs (many of whom were not graduates of a self-proclaimed "medical SLP program") is to do your internship and externship placements in medical settings, do a great job, and have a good relationship with your supervisors. Your experience in your placements and your CF will help you get into the setting you ultimately want to be in. Good luck!

Already declined my offers at Longwood University and JMU. Good luck!

Dr. Weems is absolutely NOT a horrible professor despite what you might have read on ratemyprofessor. She is one of the best professors I have ever had. She really cares about her students' success and makes the course as student-friendly as possible. Unfortunately, there are lots of dummies who take the course and attempt to Google their way through it instead of actually watching the lectures. If you watch her lectures and ask her questions, you will get an A easily. Don't believe everything you read on RMP.

Eastern New Mexico University runs a Neuroscience for CSD course. It is taught by Dr. Linda Weems. She is an excellent professor!

Space out

ENMU is another good option!

You're not crazy! Haha! Your best resource would be the InstantCert forum - there is very specific feedback about the exam and InstantCert also has practice questions to help you out. It's a paid membership, but there is a discount code here. Here's a study guide that you can refer to: http://www.free-clep-prep.com/Chemistry-CLEP.html Send me a message if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help!

Just turned down my offer at JMU. I hope that helps someone get off the waitlist!

Agreed! Sometimes it is hard to see the errors in your own work, especially when you are so familiar with it. At two of the schools I went to, the directors said you will lose a lot of points if your essay has grammatical errors. One director said she had received an essay addressed to a different school and immediately disposed of the application.

One of the hardest parts about grad school applications is writing your statement of purpose (SOP). When I was working on mine last year, I had no idea where to start. So, instead of Googling it and ending up with a generic SOP, I attended three different open houses and asked a lot of questions to find out what schools really look for. In the end, the answer was pretty simple: Schools want to know that you can be successful academically, even when faced with obstacles. With that in mind, I made a list of the challenges I faced throughout graduate studies and picked the ones I thought would best show the qualities that SLP programs seek: persistence, dedication, confidence, and a passion for helping others. I wrote about how I worked full time and studied at night, and how I still managed to make the dean's list. I wrote about how I did not initially qualify for any graduate programs, but found out what I needed to do and persisted in meeting those requirements. "GRAD SCHOOL IS HARD!" This is what everyone tells us. Admissions committees just want to know that you are a candidate who will not give up when things get tough, and that you are a person who will go above and beyond to become a well-rounded clinician. So before you write your SOP, make an outline: What made you want to become an SLP? What challenges did you face while working on the academic requirements, and how did you overcome those challenges? What qualities do you have that helped you face those challenges? (Focus on qualities important for SLPs) What are the things the school is most proud of? (Have a unique paragraph for each school, describing what specific things made you want to go there) Why is that school the best option to help you reach your goal of becoming an SLP? When you have the answers to these questions, it will be a lot easier to start working on writing your essay. Please add any additional tips below! I know I would have loved a thread like this last year when I started working on applications!

Get to know your instructors! I took online courses and extremely few people took the time to email instructors to ask questions or give feedback. I was surprised at how receptive my online instructors were, and I ended up keeping in touch with a handful of them. Those same instructors ended up offering me letters of recommendation when the time came to apply to grad schools. If you really enjoyed a course, if a course inspired you to pursue a specific specialization, or even if you just thought it was a well-organized class, tell your instructor what you think and thank them for their work. Affirmation feels great to anyone!

Go for the one that will put you in the least amount of debt. And wait for financial offers before you make a decision! Sometimes you won't get them right away because they might have been offered to other students. If those students end up declining their offers, the TA/GA/fellowship offer could go to you. Good luck!

Hi there! I had a similar question and I talked to a number of SLPs in different settings. Everyone has told me to choose the least expensive option because employers will not care what school you went to. It also doesn't matter whether your degree is M.S., M.A., or M.Ed. because ASHA has uniform requirements for every program. One thing I have heard is that the name of the school will matter more if you intend to go on to get a Ph.D.. With that in mind, my top choice is significantly more costly to attend than my second choice, but money was not the only thing that factored into my decision. My first choice will allow me to live at home and commute to school, so I would be able to live with my husband and not pay rent. Those things are very important to me, so I am willing to shell out a little more or have a little more debt. So it really depends on your situation! Overall, I'd say if nothing else is holding you back, go with the cheaper option!

Hi everyone! Over the last two years, I have been asked by so many about where to take ASHA prerequisites like biology, physics/chemistry, sociology, psychology, and statistics courses. If you are pressed for time and missing these courses, there is an alternative to enrolling in courses. Most schools will accept examination credit from CLEP and DSST exams. I personally tested out of 49 credit hours in undergrad and I can tell you that most of the exams are pretty easy to prepare for. Each exam costs $80 plus a small proctor fee. It is SO much cheaper, easier, and faster than taking a full-length course. You only need to PASS an exam, and it will not show as a grade on your transcripts. It will could toward your total credit hours though, and ASHA accepts test credits. You have to be enrolled in a program in order for your school to accept your exam credit and indicate this on your transcripts. You can easily check on your school's policy by Googling "[School Name] CLEP". Alternatively, you could give your registrar a call to ask about it. CLEP Exams: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Sociology DSST Exams: Statistics *** I would not recommend the biology and chemistry exams because they are very difficult. I studied for 2 months and only barely passed the biology exam. All the others are very easy and doable though! In addition, there are dozens of other DSST and CLEP exams you can use to fill your elective and gen. ed requirements in undergrad studies. I am starting this thread for anyone who has questions about going this route. I would be happy to help you all out!

I have been accepted to Longwood University, James Madison University, and University of Virginia. Every SLP I have spoken to has told me to go with the one that will cost me the least amount of money, but so many things factored into deciding to go to UVA. While it is the most expensive program of the three, it is only 40 minutes away from home so I can commute. This means I would be able to live with my husband and save on rent. In addition, I fell in love with the program and the level of support offered by the faculty. All of these things made it feel like the right choice for me. I have not notified UVA of my decision yet because I am still waiting to hear about financial offers. I have turned down my spot at Longwood so I hope that went to someone on the waitlist!

If you want to know more about the test, just send me a message. I may still have the review material!

If you are currently enrolled at a school, you can actually test out of statistics with a Dantes (DSST) exam as long as your school accepts the test. If you google "[School Name] DSST" you will likely find a page which indicates whether your school accepts the test. You could also call your school's registrar's office to ask. I tested out of statistics and the test was very easy. It's only $80 to take the test. It will show as credit on your transcripts but it will not count for a grade. ASHA accepts credits through testing as long as your school accepts it and indicates the test credit on your transcripts.

I don't know about these schools specifically, but I've talked to a number of medical SLPs and every one of them has said to choose a program based on which will save you the most money because employers will not care which school you went to. School reputation or name recognition will count more if you intend to go on to do a PhD program. I hope this helps!

Some schools send out admissions decisions in waves. Good luck!

I would imagine quite a few people get in off the waitlist. Like @snoves said, it probably depends on the school and how many offers they sent out in the first place, but I've noticed that many admitted students in the programs I have gotten into are planning on declining offers. So many people apply to 10+ schools, so I'd be optimistic about getting bumped up. Good luck!

I made groups for... James Madison University (JMU): https://www.facebook.com/groups/194339074484807/ and University of Virginia (UVA): https://www.facebook.com/groups/430193920768097/