Bookworm111

I don’t want to discount others’ experiences, but I wouldn’t say that THAT many apply 3-4 times before getting admitted. Although not totally applicable to your situation, about 20 out of 30 in my CSD undergrad cohort applied our senior year, and everyone got into at least one school; I applied one round and got into 4/6 schools. Your stats sound good, you’ve got some experience, and schools want to have a variety of applicants and have nothing against out-of-fielders. I really think you’ll be fine, especially if you research schools and apply to ones in your range. And worst case scenario, if you aren’t accepted you can work for a year before trying again.

'Less competitive' is subjective as there are many students who got into their top choice universities which seem to be more competitive but could not get into the schools they perceived to be less competitive. My advice to you would be to apply to your top choice schools but also to apply elsewhere as a backup. I found  the ASHA Edfind average GRE admission statistics to be very useful in figuring out which schools gave me the best chances for admission.

If there is a way for you to use public transport instead of driving, you could use the commute time to study or get things done. I have to spoken students who use their commute time as 'study time' by going through key concepts in their mind or listening to audio recordings of their notes/lectures during driving time. If this is a possibility, it may help in making productive use of that time. If not, it is not uncommon for students to have that kind of commute, especially if you are going to be doing it only 2-3 times a week. I personally would not hesitate to take on that commute.

'Less competitive' is subjective as there are many students who got into their top choice universities which seem to be more competitive but could not get into the schools they perceived to be less competitive. My advice to you would be to apply to your top choice schools but also to apply elsewhere as a backup. I found  the ASHA Edfind average GRE admission statistics to be very useful in figuring out which schools gave me the best chances for admission.

Hey!! For what it's worth, I did the same thing - wasted my undergrad (got a 3.1, yikes) but then did USU's second bachelor's program! I worked super hard in those classes to get A's, and then went out of my way to get experience in the field. Even saddled with that low undergrad GPA, I've been accepted to multiple schools this cycle! So keep at it!

I have noticed that most advice on this board is based on going for the cheaper option. However, I may be part of the minority who disagrees with that. If you are based in a part of the country where there is a lot of competition  (larger cities for example), it is my belief that the name of your university carries weight. Even though we are in a field that is in demand, you would be competing with students from other universities and recruiters definitely base their hiring decisions on university names. It is why students at elite universities like the Ivy Leagues tend to have better job prospects and statistically earn more. Now I don't agree with the system - in fact I think it's unfair as we write common exams at the end of it all so you could be getting an equally good education at a lesser known university. But for me personally, I would go for the higher ranked programs (more debt is not necessarily bad if you earn more money over a lifetime to compensate for it). Having said that, I am not an expert on this - my opinion is based on my perceptions and observations of life as I live in a competitive city. If I lived in a small town, my view may be different.

I have noticed that most advice on this board is based on going for the cheaper option. However, I may be part of the minority who disagrees with that. If you are based in a part of the country where there is a lot of competition  (larger cities for example), it is my belief that the name of your university carries weight. Even though we are in a field that is in demand, you would be competing with students from other universities and recruiters definitely base their hiring decisions on university names. It is why students at elite universities like the Ivy Leagues tend to have better job prospects and statistically earn more. Now I don't agree with the system - in fact I think it's unfair as we write common exams at the end of it all so you could be getting an equally good education at a lesser known university. But for me personally, I would go for the higher ranked programs (more debt is not necessarily bad if you earn more money over a lifetime to compensate for it). Having said that, I am not an expert on this - my opinion is based on my perceptions and observations of life as I live in a competitive city. If I lived in a small town, my view may be different.

If the choice is  just pre-requisites,  I would probably look at the easiest option. Columbia has a reputation for being rigorous as an Ivy league, but if it offers what you are looking for, I am sure it would be totally worth it for the experience and the reputation.
If you are asking about graduate studies, I would consider your long term goals. The choice is less important if you are working for a school than private practice. In private practice, clients are more likely to judge you by the school you went to.

I have noticed that most advice on this board is based on going for the cheaper option. However, I may be part of the minority who disagrees with that. If you are based in a part of the country where there is a lot of competition  (larger cities for example), it is my belief that the name of your university carries weight. Even though we are in a field that is in demand, you would be competing with students from other universities and recruiters definitely base their hiring decisions on university names. It is why students at elite universities like the Ivy Leagues tend to have better job prospects and statistically earn more. Now I don't agree with the system - in fact I think it's unfair as we write common exams at the end of it all so you could be getting an equally good education at a lesser known university. But for me personally, I would go for the higher ranked programs (more debt is not necessarily bad if you earn more money over a lifetime to compensate for it). Having said that, I am not an expert on this - my opinion is based on my perceptions and observations of life as I live in a competitive city. If I lived in a small town, my view may be different.

I have noticed that most advice on this board is based on going for the cheaper option. However, I may be part of the minority who disagrees with that. If you are based in a part of the country where there is a lot of competition  (larger cities for example), it is my belief that the name of your university carries weight. Even though we are in a field that is in demand, you would be competing with students from other universities and recruiters definitely base their hiring decisions on university names. It is why students at elite universities like the Ivy Leagues tend to have better job prospects and statistically earn more. Now I don't agree with the system - in fact I think it's unfair as we write common exams at the end of it all so you could be getting an equally good education at a lesser known university. But for me personally, I would go for the higher ranked programs (more debt is not necessarily bad if you earn more money over a lifetime to compensate for it). Having said that, I am not an expert on this - my opinion is based on my perceptions and observations of life as I live in a competitive city. If I lived in a small town, my view may be different.

I have noticed that most advice on this board is based on going for the cheaper option. However, I may be part of the minority who disagrees with that. If you are based in a part of the country where there is a lot of competition  (larger cities for example), it is my belief that the name of your university carries weight. Even though we are in a field that is in demand, you would be competing with students from other universities and recruiters definitely base their hiring decisions on university names. It is why students at elite universities like the Ivy Leagues tend to have better job prospects and statistically earn more. Now I don't agree with the system - in fact I think it's unfair as we write common exams at the end of it all so you could be getting an equally good education at a lesser known university. But for me personally, I would go for the higher ranked programs (more debt is not necessarily bad if you earn more money over a lifetime to compensate for it). Having said that, I am not an expert on this - my opinion is based on my perceptions and observations of life as I live in a competitive city. If I lived in a small town, my view may be different.