smarieSLP2b

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

I feel insane, but I only applied to 1 program... UCF. I was originally planning to apply to FSU and USF, but I knew I needed to save money and stay home for my masters. I could have done FSU distance learning, but online learning is just not my thing. Anyone else out there put all their eggs in one basket? This is such a long and scary wait for me! I hope I am not alone!
 
Also.... anyone out there apply for UCF Summer with me?? I'm rooting for us all!

They've posted on a few forums talking about their grad school acceptances so I'm under the impression they are currently applying to grad school. 
Additionally, there are many ways you can find people who bully others on this forum. The idea of "anonymity online" doesn't exactly exist and regardless of the fact I never said you aren't anonymous on here. I said imagine if the admissions committee saw the comment you made to put it into the perspective of how inappropriate that is. It's important to note that they were not asking a question or offering advice on this forum. They were putting OP down.
Regardless, nobody should be putting anyone down whether they are in school, going through the admissions process, or currently employed as a licensed SLP. The comments I made the other day still stand and I stand by them.

You don't have to belittle someone's negative experiences. Just because they aren't fond of a program that you like doesn't make their experiences any less. As a future SLP you should be more empathetic to another person's experience even if it doesn't coincide with what you believe. Imagine if the admissions committee saw you making such hurtful comments to another person.

https://news.chapman.edu/2021/02/12/chapman-alumna-and-speech-language-pathologist-fights-for-underserved-students/
? 

I got $5000 total, have amazing GPA and a bunch of volunteer hours, etc. $5000 total for a school that costs $82,000... BS

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

In the future, this is a much better response to someone who is in the position of the OP. 

I am very interested in the SLP Vermont program and hope to get accepted. I am anxiously awaiting a "yes" or "no". I am a native Vermonter so I am not entirely sure if that will help knowing I would most likely accept the admission offer. 
 
Fingers crossed! I am not entirely sure when I should be hearing back and how I should hear a decision (mail, email, or phone call). 
 
 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

I'm happy that @roseyelephantis seeking additional answers as well! You can't believe everything you read online, which is where my comment was stemming from. I still stand by what I said, it would be childish for anyone to take one statement from one person on the internet and run with it as truth. It's mature to look at all aspects such as the fact that not all SLPs will end up on food stamps and struggling to make ends meet.
Also, it is not out of touch for me to suggest that the particular struggling SLP in question seek financial advice. Free resources can be found online if you look up keywords regarding budgeting and personal finance. I was referencing the free info anyone can find online, not the $400/hr financial advisors you are mentioning that typically work with wealthy folks seeking guidance with their investment portfolios.
I was also concerned about the low pay in this field when I worked as a Bachelor-level clinician in the schools earning $40K on the teacher pay scale. I was turned off by this field for years based off of what I read on Reddit from SLPs regretting their career choice due to the low pay. I have since taken the time to compare what I've read online, to what I have heard from SLPs I personally know and have worked with in real life. I won't waste my time throwing out numbers and figures since we all live in different areas with different standards of living. At the end of the day, everyone knows the pay in the schools can royally suck depending on which school district you end up working for and in what area of the country if thats the path you choose. However, I don't believe that should entirely deter anyone away from this field! Especially if they feel passionate about this career. As a Latina immigrant, I know what it's like having to send money to your motherland, however it's smart to be aware that there are other options in this field if you are willing to be open to it and that this particular struggling SLP's scenario is not always the case for everyone. 
Also, anyone reading this should know that the stylized "medSLP" is not a term used in this field in normal conversation. It is only used by Washington State University in reference to their two track master degree program. Any licensed SLP, with a masters degree from any accredited university can work in the variety of settings this field offers. The terms regularly used in the field would be "school based" and "medical based". 

Yes, I've done quite a bit of research since this posting and have found the same thing about the salaries and competitiveness of the field. I have taken this test and many others and the suggestions are nursing, OT, rec therapy, and similar fields.  I have been trying to find more encouraging posts and people who love the field, which has been helping my anxieties. And you are so right about the job security!! Thank you for the additional comment, and apologies if my other one came off a rude in any way. I appreciate your advice. 

I just got an offer for Summer! They'll come in soon! Good luck everyone!

Can I ask, what area do you live in and where would you be interested in working? 
Direct hires (those that are employed by the district) at the schools tend to work more stable positions with better benefits and consistent raises than contract hires (those that are working for contract companies) in the schools.
Direct hires are usually placed on the teacher salary schedule. You can look up school districts that you would be interested in working at, and their salary schedules are almost always available online. You can usually just look up "so and so school district salary schedule." These salaries are usually based on a regular school year, and you will often find options for additional pay working an Extended School Year (ESY; or what non-SLPs would call summer school). For example, if you were to live in Denver and work for Denver Public School District on the regular teacher salary schedule, you would start your first year at $50,343 and cap out after 20 years at around $82,174. For this specific school district, you could also use their salary finder, which puts that initial salary at closer to $57,091. If you were to go for your SLP-D, you could start at $65,335 and cap out at $106,000 after 20 years. I'd love to help you find salary stats for where you plan on working - just PM me!
In any care profession, you often sacrifice 6 figure salaries for meaningful work. That being said, there are other tracks for SLPs that will usually command higher salaries: acute care, Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), inpatient, outpatient, etc. If you are worried about how to secure these sorts of positions, there are ways to make your application more competitive, especially if you start early on while you're still in grad school. Actually, you can even start to think about this before grad school: if you want to go the medSLP route, make sure you're applying to programs that have contracts with hospitals or that promise their students medical placements. Even if you choose to start your career working in the schools, you can take CEUs and become certified in areas that would catch the eye of employers in the healthcare sector. You can work your way up from there. 
When you make decisions about your future career, you have to be honest with yourself. How much debt do you have, how much will you incur by the time you graduate, and what will the monthly payments look like? When you look at places that you would like to live, go on apartments.com or zillow and figure out what you'll be spending on a house or apartment. Look up the prices of food in the area and budget in your preferred leisure activities. How much do you want to save each month for retirement? What's your car payment? Do you have any dependents? Do you want pets, or frequent vacations? Do you have a significant other? Really take a look at what your preferred standard of living would require of you, make a mock budget, and then make your decisions based on which careers in that pay range have the potential to make you happy long term. The key here is to be honest and make a truly informed decision: a master's degree is a huge investment and you don't want to feel stuck in 15 years because you didn't do your research.
The last (and most important) thing: Don't look for career advice on reddit! While you'll only hear about the good things from grad schools, insta, and pinterest, you can expect the exact opposite from reddit. Everyone on that site is venting; and the anonymous nature makes it safe to do so. If you want real advice, salary figures, and info on job satisfaction, shadow practicing SLPs in your area. Again, for the people in the back: shadow practicing SLPs in your area. Ask questions, ask for honest answers, and remember: the grass is always greener on the other side. Even if you don't end up choosing SLP; your career is what you make of it. If you want to complain and feel stuck, you will. If you want to improve and work your way up the ladder to the position you really want; don't get discouraged and continue to look for ways to make that happen for yourself. You got this!

Thank you for sharing your experience with the Chapman program. I am currently a first year in the program and I have had nothing but an amazing experience so far. I started my first semester online and I will not say the first semester was perfect but any means but you can tell the professors were really trying. Whenever I needed help all of my professors were there for me. The department has gone out of their way to help students be in person for learning because the department knows all students learn differently.
I have accommodations through the disability services and every single professor has gone out of their way to ensure I have everything I need in their class to be successful. My professors always check in with me after the first quiz or exam to ensure I had enough time and if they needed to do anything different to ensure I am having the best opportunity to learn. 
Chapman was my top school and I was over the moon to be accepted. I think Chapman has given me opportunities that I will be forever grateful for. No school is perfect and the department is always trying to improve to make the experience for their students better. I feel my experience does not reflects yours but I would suggest reaching out to the department. Maybe you can have a productive discussion to see if your concerns can be heard and changes could be made. Not everyone's experience is the same and I am sorry you have not had the best experience. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

? How easy is it to sit behind a keyboard and anonymously tear someone down who is clearly overwhelmed and hurting? You must feel so great about yourself, congratulations on being a bully, just what our field needs! Another miserable SLP I see, I've met quite a few like you. 

i will disagree with you and say that there are many reasons why this program jumped in rankings from 130 to 92 in less than two years. Chapman offered me so many opportunities to get a wide range of experience to the best of their abilities. They took care of me at my lowest of lows and celebrated my success. The biggest impact on your education that isn't just affecting you at the moment is Covid. You have to figure out how to adjust your lifestyle to best fit how you learn and get your education during these difficult times. Maybe you lack ability to advocate for yourself and seek classmates or professors that you connect with for support? You're not a kid and dont need to be babied. Graduate programs are still trying to figure out how to best serve their students and I am sorry you got the short end of the stick during these difficult times, but instead of coming on here and shaming this graduate program. Figure out how to get the most of your education during challenging times that we are currently in. and sprinkle a little bit of empathy and perspective while you're at it.
 
CHAPMAN's CSD program is such a great program and I would highly recommend it to people.
 
Love,
a person who is not white