Born2Speechify

Super excited to start meeting other folks who accepted! I just joined the group.

I accepted the spot at GWU! They just seemed to have more of a track that I wanted, so I feel like it was a smart decision. I still love Towson though!! What about you? Made a decision?

Also haven't heard back - would love to know whether to include it in my considerations!

Sorry about the delay! I posted some thoughts to the original poster who asked about the program, so do check that out.

I'm so sorry I haven't responded! Ok, here's my brief take: Pros: a couple of terrific professors who care about their students and want them to succeed to be the best clinicians they can be; lovely campus overall; tuition is LOW Cons: this is a very egotistical faculty with too much tenure and not enough desire to teach; the main focus appears to be to tell students how competitive the field is and "best of luck" for succeeding (I have never met so many incredibly smart and talented undergrads in a single program that suffer from ridiculously high anxiety because they are repeatedly told that the field is competitive and they better hope they get into grad school); the clinic facility is sorely outdated by decades; the CSD dept. is structurally TINY and there are no windows in any part that you will learn/treat; there is only one classroom; materials for student use during sessions are few; there are no study rooms other than the small computer lab and a tiny room where you can eat that also houses the majority of the materials for clinic. Also, anyone reading this, please feel free to message me directly with specific questions or concerns. I tried to keep personal bias out as I feel it would be out of place in a public forum. Hope this helps!

I don't think that sounds silly at all - cities are a bit nuts in general! And in my opinion, DC craziness ranks right up there with NYC, LA, & San Fran. It's good to start looking now just to get an idea of what's around. I know there are facebook groups regarding housing where people post searching for roommate/apartment stuff. Would be worth checking into!

Aha! I just went back into my email and sorted it out. I did get the admitted students email, I don't know how I missed it. Thank you for posting the screenshot! As for the open house, I emailed them asking if it was possible to visit in early March. Dr. Hancock suggested attending the March 29th open house (see below): "https://speechhearing.columbian.gwu.edu/ (see the right side of our webpage) for our program's open house. This is the best opportunity to hear about our program and talk to professors and students in small groups, as well as see the department."

Absolutely! Also, I didn't know about the Accepted Students day - where is that info? Unfortunately, I'm not going to be make it either way. So I will also need the low-down! I am doing the open house on March 29. Are either of you going to that?

Hello folks! I am thrilled to have been accepted to GWU for speech. I am going to the open house at the end of March, but I would love to get some feedback from current or graduate students. Or even hear from other folks who know of the program! Any "insider info" would be terrific. It's time to start thinking of making a decision, and frankly, it's stressing me out. Thanks in advance!

Hey there! I am in the same boat as well as having George Washington University in the mix. I have no idea what to choose and have yet to come across anyone who can provide "inside" info. Unfortunately, the GWU and TU open houses are on the same day. I don't know about Loyola - maybe the Monday email will have more info about this. I did get to visit Towson for a meet and greet in October and was blown away by their program just from that little introduction. The clinic facility is state of the art (and I feel that's still putting it mildly), Dr. Fallon, the program director, is AMAZING. She is incredibly authentic, kind, energetic, humorous, and clearly CARES about her students - all of them. The faculty are combo teachers and clinicians, rather than a heavier focus on research vs teaching. Not that they don't do research! I've just been learning more about these kinds of differences in program focuses. I talked extensively with two of the grad students after the session (well over an hour), and they sold me completely. We talked about other programs, and one of the girls even went to the school where I am finishing my post-bacc. Being able to compare Towson and my current school program detail to detail was incredibly helpful (and lucky)! Two things that are holding me back from just signing on the dotted line immediately: my love of DC and wanting to be there as well as wanting more of a medical focus track with some other specifics that it appears GWU offers/specializes in. Towson gives a well-rounded and terrific education (so I believe/feel), but it appears to be more pediatric/school focused. If this is your main interest, I can't encourage you enough to attend the open house and see what you think. As for Loyola, I'm in the dark, but the program seems great from the website!

I highly discourage you from WCU of PA, if this is the school you're referencing. I'm happy to provide more info if you're interested from my own experience in their post-bacc program plus the information I've learned from both current and graduated/practicing CSD undergraduates and grads. Please know I'm all about positivity and finding the best in any situation. But I also believe in gaining all information to make an informed decision. You may agree or disagree with the info, and that's ok!!

Actually, Towson University and University of Maryland superscore. However, they do not use CSDCAS for the application process. Hope this helps!