CAgirl13

It's ultimately up to you, but I would suggest considering the cheaper of the options. If you want to go into research and a future phd then go with a more research based, higher ranked school. It's sounds like GWU might be out, but between Purdue and Penn State which is cheaper, alines with your goals in the future, and gives you a good vibe. As long as the school is asha certified and accredited you will receive your license and degree like everyone else. My fellow classmates talked with actual slps in the field and this is what they told them. They don't care where you got your degree from as long as you have it and are a competent clinican. Hopefully that doesn't come across as harsh, but I took this into consideration when choosing my ultimate decision because for me I wanted to be financially responsible about my future. Between my two schools there was a $25,000 difference not including housing costs and living so that was enough for me to consider the cheaper option along with other reasons like the feel of the program, professor diversity and set up. Hope that helps

I did my undergrad at Purdue and loved it. The speech professors really care about the students and the facilities are really new and nice. There is also an on campus clinic which is nice. I would definitely recommend it! 

As of today I've heard back from all my schools! Now I have some tough yet exciting decisions to make!  

@zurako Definitely agree! NYU seems like a much better program. I spoke to LIU and they said a letter was mailed with more details and next steps so we'll see.
I also spoke with NYU. Good thing I called because apparently they were missing my social security number (even though I filed my FAFSA back in November) so my award info was on hold. Now that it's back in the queue they said I should receive my financial aid package in the next few business days. I asked about prerequisites, too. They told me they'd need to set me up with an academic adviser first and they can't do that until I put down the $500 deposit. Such a joke, I need to pay $500 before they'll tell me how many more classes I need to take? Those prerequisites could add an additional $40k to the total program cost! In my experience, most schools tell you what prerequisites you have left when they send your admissions letter. After all, they did review my transcripts as part of my application and that amount of money could make or break my final decision.
Anyway, sorry for the rant - this process has been so stressful and expensive!