samiamslp

Wow, that's wild! Did you have their acceptance of deferment from them in writing?

I believe it's the same thing, but different programs use different terminology for it!

Congrats! That's amazing!! And not a weird question at all. Fair warning, this is no particular order! So, for me personally: Our scope of practice and all of the things that we can pursue as SLPs is HUGE, but what I've always been most intrigued by is the literacy aspect of speech therapy. MGH offers classes and clinical experiences in written language disorders, which I've really never seen at all in other programs, and because they offer various tracks and the electives to go with them, I can really focus on the part of speech that I love the most, while also getting a well-rounded academic and clinical education in every other aspect of the speech world. I love that they are in Boston, and it's not totally in central Boston which I personally actually prefer, because it's not as wild people-wise and is set on this beautiful location on the water, and yet you can easily drive or take the T to placements throughout the Greater Boston area. I really like that we don't start clinic until about a month in, so they ease us into it that way with seminars and whatnot, and then after the first two semesters, everyone does three different placements (medical, school, and one more which tends to be in some specialty-- the grad student I spoke to was doing it with an AAC specialist, which sounds AMAZING), so you really get to experience so many different of the subfields in our career and get comfortable with it all. And I really like the professors are not old and retired lol, they're still working and doing research and are completely up to date on best practices, yet everyone I met seemed so ridiculously down to earth and welcoming, to the point where students call their profs by their first names? I wanted to go to a program that was warm and welcoming, yet would give me a great education and make me come out feeling confident in my abilities as an SLP, and I feel like their combination of electives and clinical opportunities will really help me with that last part. Cons: the price of the program and Boston in general is obviously really high, and the courseload seems more than other programs. But I feel like for me, the pros outweigh the cons, because I honestly wouldn't have the opportunities that I would have in my future specialty as an SLP anywhere else.

It works for me!

'Sup, my subreddit pal!

I declined Lehman College!

I declined UofM last week! They have an amazing program and I would have loved to have gone, but it was too far away for me to move. I hope you get off their waitlist! I was so incredibly impressed with the program, the faculty, and the city when I visited!

Both subreddits are helpful-- r/slpgradschool for this whole process, and r/slp will be especially helpful now for advice for clinic and placements!

Hey all, I am officially committed!!

It appears to be! Although I'm not sure if Inbal is part of it anymore (and if there is a mod on there)? Is there a different facebook group that is also active?

Does anyone know what a typical schedule would look like, in terms of how many hours are spent in classes and in clinic at GWU? I'm trying to see how it compares to the other program I am deciding between and would be grateful for any info you all have!

Thanks! Looks like it really depends on the school!

I just got an email from one of the programs reminding me to submit my deposit "before April 15th", so that would mean by Sunday at 11:59!

I was trying to figure this out myself! Earlier in the process I was assuming we'd have until Monday, but I didn't really know, and thought for sure I'd have a decision by now... Now, well, I'm still working on that last part.? Which programs are you deciding between?

Yes! What they do is they split each incoming class into two cohorts. So even though there are around sixty people in your year, you'd only have about thirty in your cohort, and those would be the people that you are in class with and working with in clinic. So the courses and experiences in general are with those thirty people, which I think is much more reasonable in terms of getting to know each other and building strong relationships with faculty.

If you're interested in living in the New York area, Lehman College (CUNY) and the College of Saint Rose have spring admissions!

Yes! The clinic itself could be a bit nicer looking, to be honest- it's in a basement under one of the buildings where we'd be having classes, so the lighting is not the best. However, I think in many ways the ability to pursue the eight different tracks (generally two per semester) and the experiences we'd get from that pretty much make up for clinic appearances. We'd generally be doing two tracks at a time the first three semesters and then one track while doing our first external placement. So, we'd get so much of a variety of experience, from autism and AAC to child language to fluency to voice, etc. So while I've seen nicer-looking clinics, I'm super impressed by the opportunities of what we can do within the clinic!

Hi Eli! Do you mind telling me what specifically about MGH IHP's program was the factor that led to your final decision? I am deciding between there and another program!

That sounds amazing! You'll have your grad school paid for AND will working in a related field. I am so excited for you!!

I just declined offers from Saint Louis University and the University of Memphis (and their GAship-- if anyone is hoping for one from the UofM, check your inboxes in the next few days?). Now to decide between MGH IHP and GWU...

Okay, I guess I fit somewhere between the two other responses you've received. I agree with bibliophile to a point. Yes, ten years from now, what grad school you got your degree from won't matter. However, if either school provides you with opportunities that you need and that another school cannot, you should go to that program that provides you with the tools for your success, regardless if it is the cheaper one or not. I was just offered a grad assistantship to a program a love (a program which is now a LOT cheaper than some of the others I have been considering), but this is in a very different area of the country and doesn't have many connections for CFs and jobs in the part of the country I'm planning to head back to right after I graduate (the Northeast). It's an excellent program, but if I don't have as much opportunity for success as I would coming out of another program, I plan to choose a different program. So, I am assuming Hofstra is cheaper? What opportunities do both provide, both during your time there and after you graduate? If, for example, you specifically work in voice, do they both offer opportunities to do so in your externships? What about where their connections are? Does Hofstra's location mean that the majority of their connections are on Long Island, or do people work throughout the boroughs? If you want to do your CF outside the New York area, do both have connections to your desired location? My assumption is that NYU would have more students, and therefore more possibilities, outside NYC/LI, but my knowledge of Hosftra is limited! What about research-- is that something you'd want to pursue in the future? If so, do both offer the same opportunities there? If both offer the same opportunities in all you are looking for, sure, please save yourself some money and go with the cheaper program. If one could job-start your career in a way that the other school cannot, be sure to add these as factors in your decision.

MA is tricky in general right now for a CF since there's not a provisional license in that state. They are trying to get laws to change so that CFs can have more opportunities and bill insurance for their services-- my understanding is that currently CFs have to do it through their supervisors. BU would definitely provide more opportunities than many other grad programs in MA, but while there is no provisional license in place, a CF in a medical placement is harder to find in the state. If you don't plan on pursuing a CF in MA-- like if you'll be coming back to NY to do it-- I don't believe this will affect you, though! I think you'll have connections to hospitals with all of the schools! The question is how strong the connections are and how impressive/successful the hospital and hospital setting will be. Are you looking for something specific in the hospital setting? For example, if you want to pursue voice, my understanding is that BU will have better connections/placements specific to this than Brooklyn. How much say do you have with your placements in each school? You want to make sure it's a school where your needs and desires for a specific setting will be met, and you will have a role in the placement process.

I totally understand! I have been certain I want to work in a school setting since second grade, and now, faced with this big decision, I am second-guessing everything! Don't apologize-- we're all in the same place right now, and your feelings are completely valid and understandable. Thank you! Let me know what you decide?

You can see where schools are in their accreditation process on edfind! As well as how many students applied and what their stats looked like.

I don’t know much about St. John’s, but I have heard nothing but positive things about the program at Hofstra! Does location influence your decision at all? Hofstra is pretty far out on the island, which might be annoying for placement purposes, but I’ve heard great things about faculty and help with clinical placements!