mammalian

I finally made my decision: Indiana University (STEPS Program)! I visited Indiana and Temple last week and I really liked both of them, but I think Indiana will be the best fit for me. I just turned down my other offers, and I hope the spots go to some of the people on this forum. I'm not sure how I would have survived February and March if it hadn't been for the company and support of the other applicants in this group--thanks, everyone!

Thank you! I'd love to hear what you thought. It is so hard to tell from a website what the clinical training would be like, or how important the M.A. students are to the professors...

I am dying to go to the open house, but I have a work commitment that is impossible to reschedule. I'll be visiting in early April, though. Are you going? If you (or anyone) goes, I'd love to hear your reactions. I'm also curious about Bloomington--I've heard great things, but I've never lived in a city that small... Btw, I hope it's not rude to bring it up, but I see in your signature that you didn't get in to Eastern Illinois, and I am shocked! Another weird twist to your application season. Maybe it has to do with the ideas about "safety" schools floated on this thread a few days ago, that schools will reject you if they know you have better options and would turn them down.

Yes, I'm also in Illinois and would like to stay here, but the money is a huge issue, so I'm relieved to hear you say that you're convinced you'll get a good job after finishing almost any program. I think I'm going to have to dedicate a few weeks to feeling happy about getting accepted to some great programs, and then pretty much eliminate NU and TC from my list because of cost. I also liked U of I when I visited, but I am leaning towards Indiana because the STEPS program is specifically for Spanish-English bilinguals and includes enough funding to compensate for the out-of-state tuition, but I'd like to get my aid package from Temple's bilingual program and visit both schools before deciding. I'm trying to strike a balance between cost, program focus, and location. It's tough to make a decision, but I feel a lot better than when I was waiting for decisions! I bet you will get a free ride from a smaller school! Northern Illinois would be a nice place to go...

Congratulations! I agree that your invitation must have been the victim of the USPS or administrative error. We have some of the same schools on our list--any idea how you are going to make your decision?

I didn't get an e-mail--I just happened to log into the same website where I submitted the application, and my status had changed to from "Complete Ready for Review" to "University Acceptance." Okay, maybe I didn't "just happen" to log in, maybe it was more like I've been checking it every day... I'm really interested in their bilingual track and I'm thinking of visiting the school, especially if we hear about funding. Send me a PM if you find out anything!

You've already been accepted, so I can understand why previous posters said that it probably wouldn't matter much. Personally, however, I think you have more to lose than gain from bringing your mother, since you could potentially be making a first impression on the people who will have an important influence over your life for the next few years. I'm sure that the people at the university will be friendly and suspect that they have encountered this before, but they might also think that you are immature or need hand-holding (which I'm sure is not true). When I went to the Northwestern open house, a few students' mothers came on the tours with them. At the social event after the open house, a lot of people mentioned that they thought it sent a bad impression. Afterwards, I mentioned the situation to my parents (a teacher and a professor) and they agreed that they would not look favorably upon a graduate student who brought their parents to anything except an event along the lines of a move-in day or social reception. Though we rely on our parents for advice and support throughout our lives (I am in my mid-30s and have been consulting my parents throughout this process), graduate students are fully-independent adults. We should be able to interact with university educators without our parents present, and we should also be able to synthesize and analyze the information from a school visit after we have left, so that our parents and other important people in our lives can give us advice. That's my two cents...

That was great advice, and an incredible story! Thanks for sharing.

I got an e-mail to check the application portal, and there was a link to an acceptance letter there. The e-mail came at around 6:15 EST--after work hours... Wow! Congratulations! I am glad you got in, and glad that it didn't take too long for them to figure out their mistake. I guess this is what happens when a school's applications double and their support staff doesn't?

Don't give up home, slpbk! I was recently freaking out on this forum about not hearing from Indiana after other people had heard almost two weeks earlier, and I ended up getting accepted. I don't think that we mere mortals can understand the logic of admissions offices. My acceptance from TC came this evening (yay!) and I turned my application in at the last minute, and my last name is in the middle of the alphabet. It could be the programs we applied to (mine was Bilingual Option: Initial Cert - Dual Certification), but I am inclined to believe that there is no rhyme or reason to it. Hang in there!

I think a lot of schools are getting stricter about residency criteria for both grad and undergrad, unfortunately. Cost is a huge factor for me, since I will do three years of grad school and I am in my 30s and don't want to be repaying loans into my 50s! I think the funding is one of the most appealing parts of the STEPS program--with the fee remission and the stipend, the price tag is much lower. Are you considering STEPS, Klsr2thedge? Also, I got a FAFSA report via e-mail about two days after I submitted the form online, which was in early February. I found it fascinating that I have an Expected Family Contribution based on my taxes from 2011, in which I was single and employed full-time. How exactly do they think I'm going to continue to make that contribution once I'm in graduate school?! My understanding is that the FAFSA is automatically sent to every school we listed when we submitted the form, and that it is up to the school to offer the final package once, including determining our eligibility for federal loans. I obviously have a lot to learn about this process, though, so I'm going to make an appointment at the financial aid office at every school I visit. If anyone on this forum can share some insights, I'd be grateful.

Thanks for passing on the information! I'm crossing my fingers for you and all the rest of us that applied. It was good news!! You were right not to worry--thank you The letter (dated Feb 23 and postmarked Feb 29) arrived today at my current (not permanent) address and I am ecstatic. The STEPS program looks great and the funding makes it easier to stomach the debt, which is a big concern for me as an older student. I'm going to wait to hear back from other schools and to get some questions answered about STEPS before I commit, but this is definitely high on my list. To those who felt that they wouldn't get in anywhere, I hope it means something when I tell you that I felt the same way (my stats might look good, but I have zero background in the field)--I was even having a hard time sleeping. If I got in, you will, too, so I'm going to stay tuned to this forum to hear the news of your acceptances.

Was it sent to your permanent address or your current address? I should have put the same address in both spots... I know my application was complete, and I am crossing my fingers that the delay is just because I applied to STEPS. I am planning on stopping by because I'll already be in Champaign for a different reason and I can probably find some free time. I can't decide what is the best part of the day to visit, though--any ideas? I'd like to talk to some current grad students, but there didn't seem to be an obvious time slot for that.

I haven't heard back either--I logged onto this site after bringing in yet another day's worth of junk mail. I live in Chicago and my last name is in the middle of the alphabet, so I can only guess that the delay has something to do with my application... I'm crossing my fingers for all of us!

I just got an e-mail notifying me that I was accepted to the University of Illinois!! I'm so excited. Thanks for all the good vibes, everyone!

Thanks for the info on Utah State, everyone. If I don't get in anywhere this year, I am probably going to do a second B.A./B.S. next year and try again for fall 2013. I hope I get in somewhere, though! This waiting is torture... If anyone needs a ride to this Friday's Northwestern open house from a train station or somewhere else on the north side, send me a personal message. I'll be arriving in Evanston on Thursday night and I'm familiar with area, so I'd be happy to pick somebody up.

This is pure speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised if Northwestern's spike in applications was more dramatic than at other schools. This is the first year that they have combined the MA-SLP and MA-LD programs into a single M.A. in Speech, Language, and Learning, so I wonder if this year's applicants draw on a pool that used to go to two programs. Rush also does not offer teacher certification and does not accept applicants with no prerequisites, so they could be attracting more specialized applicants who have been preparing for a while. Again, it's pure speculation, but I hope it's encouraging to those interviewing at Rush... For family reasons, NU is is my top choice, but I really just want to get in somewhere, anywhere! Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for posting that info, redheadedasian! I was wondering how many people had gotten this invitation. I am going to the open house, and I hope the invitation was a good sign for my application. Nonetheless, I can't imagine that they would accept 180 people... I went to an information session at NU this summer, and their handout stated that they generally accept 45-50% of 200-225 applicants. It looks like they had a significant increase in their number of applicants--gulp!