speechie1122

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

It sounds like you’re in a wonderful program. Congratulations to you. Yes this post was opinion based from close friends who have attended top tier schools. I do not have the experience to be able to speak from my own experience. I was trying more to encourage people to not stress over where they decide and have peace in choosing a program that’s not too ranked. All SLP programs meet standards set by ASHA. I personally wanted a client centered program versus research centered because my main focus in my career are the clients I will be working with. 
Thanks for the feedback 

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

I agree with the above post - the original poster doesn't seem to be hating on top-rated programs, rather saying that it's okay to go to programs that are less well-known or popular. And I think that's a really important idea to spread! Of course you should be proud of yourself regardless of where you get in, no matter where it is or how highly-ranked it is, and it's alright if you don't go to the most competitive, expensive, famous programs. As long as your program is accredited (or on track for accreditation) you'll get your CCC's, and know what you need to know to do your job. I think regardless of major, it can be easy for us to gravitate towards schools that are high-rated and often-mentioned, but as has been said, all programs have their pros and cons and it's less about what program is "the best" vs. what program is the best for you. That's not a bad message to be sharing at all!

Doesn’t EBP extend outside of these top schools? I would say it’s as a lot of what OP said; the only defining way to be a better (or the best possible) SLP is to continuously engage with and learn from the field.

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!

It's true. You definitely read that right. 
Top-rated schools are fabulous, competitive, and honestly overrated. 
I am not trying to bash them, I'm here to say why its OKAY to go to a small, underrated graduate program. 
We are all learning the same material. We are all completing clinic hours. Your performance in school will not make you a good working SLP. What I mean by that is, you can not learn compassion through a test. You can not learn interpersonal skill through a test. You can not learn what makes an amazing SLP through tests. Yes, the information is important. The way you apply that information means even more. What matters the most, is being able to give the clients, families, and loved ones the support needed from you. That is not learned through textbook material.   
Top-rated schools are harsh. The testing is difficult, its rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all have to meet ASHA standards. We are not learning different information at different schools, yes it is applied differently. I can honestly say I feel prepared for my internship/internship experiences because I am equipped with what I need to know. Some of the best schools that create the best SLP's are from smaller - underrated - schools that care about their graduate students, and do not only focus on research and being a "top-rated" school. They pour information into us. They make sure we understand, they teach us their ways. I have so many wonderful professors, and I love my program and the experience I am receiving.    
Yes I will admit, I do not go to a top-rated school, I am completely happy where I am. I am LEARNING through professionals active in ASHA and the SLP community. One of my professors is on an ASHA board and has a ton of useful connections. My dysphagia and aphasia professor still works as an SLP at the local hospital and as a PRN SLP - her medical kits are AMAZING. Most of my professors are working SLP's because they love their jobs.   
What I am saying here is: 
Don't discourage yourself if you think you can not handle a top-tier school. It's OKAY! You will be an SLP!   
My smaller school allows me to work a Graduate Assistant job to avoid so many student loans. My graduate degree will cost me less than $15,000. I am not worried about finding a job that I want. I am confident in my education, and you should be too, NO MATTER where you go.   
WE ROCK! Underrated programs and top-rated programs ROCK! SLP's ROCK! We change lives. We are AMAZING no matter what school we go to. BE confident in your abilities! You chose this career for a reason!