Well my wait is officially over!! I excited to announce that I will be attending University of Cincinnati in the fall of 2018 for their audiology program!!
Hey everyone, I'm a first year AuD student and I was wondering about a lot of this last year as I went through the process! In terms of getting an idea of how many students schools fund, ASHA EdFind was a solid resource. I will say that the information is only as recent as the last time institutions submitted reports, but it's still nice to be able to see. Definitely don't be afraid to directly ask program/admissions directors more specific questions, like what percentage of incoming students are offered funding, what form is that in (TA/RA, scholarship, government grant, VA, in-state tuition rate, etc.), do they have a limit as to how long they fund you, etc. I am blessed to be fully funded in the program I'm in now, but I will say it's the only program I got a full scholarship offer from (I applied to six schools) and I'm the only one in my class who received it. Another school of mine gave a scholarship covering half tuition, and then I spoke to the department chair more and she said she would be willing to hire me in her lab if I attended, and that would have covered another quarter of tuition. One school had fellowships/assistantships I could apply for in addition to applying for admission. Some were openly displayed on websites and others you kind of had to go searching for.
Sorry for so many words, but as you can see, there really is a wide range of ways institutions go about making funding offers. Half of my schools I didn't pursue at all after I got accepted, because they didn't have you apply for funding until after you committed or attended. Hope some of this is helpful!
To the AuD Class of 2022 ,
I am an AuD graduate student who will be graduating this May. Yesterday, I had flashbacks of TheGradCafe as I was reviewing my graduation paperwork. I remember being in your position waiting to hear back from AuD programs. My AuD program experience has been fulfilling as it encompassed quite a few surprises along the way. Thus, I really felt that is was my duty to share some of advice as you are in this decision making process of which AuD program to attend.
For starters, rankings of AuD programs only mean so much. Please, please, please do not commit to a program primarily because of its ranking. There are plenty of smart and wonderful audiologists who come from highly-ranked programs as well as low-ranked programs. What makes someone a good audiologist stems from your dedication in graduate school is 1) learning the foundations and course material effectively, 2) clinical skill development, and 3) and your interpersonal skills. There is no doubt that a highly-ranked audiology program is a wonderful opportunity that will provide you a fantastic education! But also consider the other programs.
Should you be in the position with multiple offers from AuD programs, I recommend the following when making your decision:
1) Curriculum - AuD programs have the same general coursework to cover the different areas of audiology. However, each program will have professors who specialize in specific areas (i.e. cochlear implants, auditory processing, electrophysiology). If you have an idea of what area you are interested in, be sure that the program has it.
2) Clinical Rotations - Does the program offer a variety of clinical settings for you to rotate through? Clinical settings usually vary from in-house university clinic, VA hospitals, children's hospitals, ENT sites, private practices, etc. Will this program provide you a good variety prior to your 4th year externship?
3) Cohort - How big is the program's class size? AuD programs usually range from having 5 students to 25 students! Do you feel that you'd be more successful in a smaller or larger class? I am in a cohort of 5 students, and I loved it. I was able to know all my professors within the first semester and had access to them as needed. However, being in a larger cohort may be beneficial in other ways. You can find certain people that you can have study groups with along the way.
4) Accreditation of Program - AuD programs go through an accreditation process every so often. The CAA overlooks each program and ensures they are following the rules and regulations and also making sure the student outcomes (below) is meeting standards. You do not want to attend a program that is unaccredited. If you are interested in a program that is currently on probation, I'd consider learning the reason for probation. Sometimes it is a minor error that can be fixed easily or maybe it's worse. Check this website as it provides a listing of results per program - http://www.asha.org/eweb/ashadynamicpage.aspx?site=ashacms&webcode=caalisting&caacat=all
5) Student Outcomes - Each AuD program is required to post their student outcomes on their university website. This includes graduation rates and Praxis pass rates. The Praxis is a national standardized test that AuD students must take at some point in the program - each program has their own rules of when to take it. This standardized test is a multiple-choice exam (~120 questions in a 2-hour time limit). Passing this exam allows you to become certified by ASHA and grants you the Certificate of Clinical Competence. Seeing the graduation pass rates and praxis pass rates on the AuD program's website can tell you if the program's academic curriculum is strong in preparing students for success.
6) Finances/Tuition - I saved the best for last. When I applied to AuD programs, I was fortunate to have an opportunity to attend several programs. Three of the programs were well-known universities, and the fourth was not. However, the fourth program was the only program to offer me a great graduate assistantship/tuition reduction. At the time, I was naive and faced the dilemma of "attending an lesser known school" that would "lessen my chances for a competitive 4th year externship and job opportunities post graduation". IT WAS WORTH THE RISK! I am graduating with no graduate school debt, finishing up an externship at a prestigious institution, and have a job offer four months before graduation. I am sharing this to prove the point that a low-ranked program does not limit opportunities and tuition/costs should be seriously considered. An audiologist's salary has quite a wide range. Why put yourself in greater debt in one program when you will earn the same doctoral degree at a cheaper program?!
I hope you all have a very successful admissions process. The opportunities you may be given during this process is what is meant to be. Just trust the process and research each accepted program fully before making a decision! I emailed professors and current students of programs to ask questions. This helped tremendously before making my decision. Although graduate school may seem like it will be a lifetime, the next four years will fly by. It feels like yesterday that I was on this website waiting for admission results.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
