sasquatchslp

I'll be there! Feel free to message me if you want details/impressions.

Hi @Ari127! I was in a similar position last year (down to the long-distance relationship between Washington and California!) so I thought I'd share my experience. In last year's application cycle, I applied and was admitted to only two programs, the University of Washington postbacc and a not-as-fabulous 3-year master's program at a California state school. I was torn between just putting my head down and getting the 3-year degree or using the postbacc as a jumping-off point to get into higher-ranked programs in locations I'd love. Although I could have attended the CSU for a cheaper cost, I wanted to live in Seattle and explore the opportunities that the city could offer me. I knew that I would be kicking myself every day if I didn't take the chance to live in Seattle, so I ultimately ended up flying up north to join the UW postbacc cohort and I haven't regretted it a single day. Since coming to Seattle, I have retaken the GRE, joined a lot of fun clubs, and participated in every single volunteer opportunity I could get my hands on. I also joined a fantastic research lab, which is something that I could not have done if I had chosen the CSU because similar lab positions were not offered there (Iowa, I'm sure, has a ton of amazing labs so this may not apply to you). After a lot of hard work, I was admitted to the UW CoreSLP program, as well as several other competitive schools. Completing the postbacc and upping my scores made me a much more competitive applicant and provided me with the opportunity to transition to a range of high-ranked programs. Granted, I was not choosing between a postbacc and the University of Iowa, which is a fantastic program, but I'm still very confident that I made the right decision, and it has opened the door to being able to complete the equally amazing Core-SLP program (which also happens to offer me in-state tuition prices)! I realize that a CSU 3-year program doesn't really compare to the University of Iowa's 3-year program, but I noticed that you and I share very similar stats and work experience and I just wanted you to know that you WILL have options if you do decide to complete a postbacc before you reapply. I'm not at all suggesting that you choose the postbacc over Iowa (in fact I would be equally as torn), but just know that you will likely still have plenty of options if you do choose to pursue the postbacc over the 3-year program.

That's a relief to hear! I'll definitely be asking more questions about this when I attend the open house next week. Thank you for all this great information!

Thank you so much for your response! Just one more question-- is the bilingual extension reserved for only Spanish speakers? I have a degree in German and I speak it fluently, but I'm not sure if there's much of a demand for German SLPs. I also fear that I'm not "fluent enough" to earn the certification, as I'm not a native speaker, so I didn't try applying under the bilingual program. Would you happen to know if any of your classmates shared this concern? Thanks!

Hi @zurako! I’ve found it really difficult to pin down accurate information on TC, so I’d be SO appreciative if you could answer a few of my questions! Thank you!! 1. Would you say that the school is fairly research-based? I’m interested in pursuing research and I’m wondering how many students participate in the labs in the department/if research is emphasized as part of the TC experience. Do you know if there are any paid research positions available, or is it strictly volunteer-based? 2. Where do most of your cohort members live? I know I could save some money on tuition by attending TC over a school like Northwestern, but it would definitely cost me more in terms of living expenses so I'm wondering if it'll be 100% worth it. Do you or many of your classmates have jobs in addition to your schooling? 3. Would you happen to know if any of your classmates are pursuing the NYCDOE scholarship for some help with paying off their student loans? I’m very interested in this avenue and am wondering if it’s a feasible option. 4. And lastly, did you find yourself torn between two schools when you were in this position last year? How did you decide on Columbia? Thank you so very much! I’m planning on attending the TC open house in early April, but I’m a little nervous as I only have a week to make a decision after I check out the program and facilities. I really appreciate your input!

Hi! I just received my acceptance earlier this evening! I had a jam-packed resume and strong personal statement, and my GPA for my last 90 credits was 3.85. I haven't heard any information about the TC waitlist, but don't give up hope! Best of luck to everyone.

Wow, that makes me feel a lot better knowing that I'm not the only applicant having issues with this school! It seems like a lot of the CSUs have super confusing applications/unresponsive staff, which is kind of alarming... And thanks for all the great info, speechie72! However, I just got accepted somewhere else closer to home so I emailed SFSU to tell them I won't be attending their interview after all. Hopefully that helps someone else out! Glad to hear you're enjoying SFSU-- the city and campus are really beautiful

Hi guys! Just curious about your thoughts on San Francisco State's program, because I feel like I've only run into problems with their department and I'm wondering if I'm not the only one. Here goes... Since applying to SFSU's program in mid December, I've received six emails informing me that my undergraduate transcripts for two of my universities have not yet arrived. I've now paid $40 to send three separate copies of my transcripts to the graduate studies department, both in electronic and paper formats, and I have sent five emails to different people asking if there is anything I could possibly do to fix the situation. I tried logging into my student portal, only to have to tangle with the IT department because I was unable to answer the security questions the site was asking, as they did not apply to me. I emailed the Division of Graduate Studies, who reminded yet again that my transcripts were missing from my application. This was the second and last time I ever received a response from the SFSU graduate department. I know that this is not a problem on my end, because I've read multiple accounts on here posted by confused students who are also frustrated with the department. In early December, I called the Communication Disorders office because I had several questions about the application that I could not find answers to on their website. When I called, the woman on the other end told me to guess on portions of my Cal State Apply application because she and her colleagues had yet not been trained on how to use the new Cal State Apply system... huh? This was nearly a week prior to the deadline! She also told me that the department had intentionally left misleading and outdated information on their website instructing applicants to send hard copies of their application packets to the department through the mail (with an additional application fee and postage expense) because they thought it would be confusing if they deleted it. I was surprised when I received an invitation to interview, as I had all but written off this school, seeing as the department doesn't respond to my emails and I can no longer view which documents have been processed in my student portal. I wasn’t even aware that the program conducted interviews, because I couldn't find any information about it anywhere on the Communication Disorders website. The only reason I suspected that they might interview prospective students is because I hunted through last year’s information here on GradCafe specifically looking for evidence that interviews might be held. I received the interview invitation Monday evening and went to bed thinking that I would respond in the morning, but then I was buzzed awake at 2:30 AM when I received yet ANOTHER email telling me that SFSU still doesn’t have my transcripts! Please tell me I'm not crazy... is SFSU usually this disorganized? I feel like I'm trying everything I possibly can but I'm getting no response from the school and I don't know what more I can do. This seems like a great program and I'd really love to live in San Francisco, but I'm honestly thinking of withdrawing my application because it's been such a headache!! Anyone else run into similar problems with this school?