kriskros

Hey everyone! I am a first year grad student now, but decided to check up on this site because I remember how glued I was to my computer screen this time last year. I just wanted to shine a little hope light for all of you that got waitlisted somewhere. I was eventually accepted off of nearly every waitlist I was on over the course of the summer! I even had people call and ask again, just to make sure I didn't want to reconsider! A waitlist isn't a death sentence, just more anxiety as the wait continues!

Tomorrow I pack up my office in preparation for transferring everything to my replacement at my job. She starts on Friday and my last day is next Friday. I can't wait!!! It has been nothing but non stop stress for the past month. I am so excited to start my graduate program in August and this feels like the last barrier in my way. Its finally happening!!

I have been feeling this way as well. I am planning on quitting my day job in the middle of July and for the last month, things have been blowing up left and right. I can not wait until I'm done! Grad school is sounding like a breeze compared to what I've been dealing with at work lately. I'm planning to have about a month off of work for some vacations and time off before school starts. I really need some motivation to make it though the next 8 weeks.

The degree was added on my louie account yesterday, so I assume that means that they got it! I haven't heard anything else though... It would be nice if they sent some sort of confirmation!

Looks like my application season is finally coming to a close. Just received a waitlist from Redlands. They were the last one I was really waiting on. I still haven't heard from Chapman, but I wasn't even interviewed, so I'm pretty sure that will be a rejection, and I haven't heard from Pacific, but I would never be able to afford their program anyways. I'm really happy that I had such great choices, and couldn't be happier with my decision. I don't know what I'm going to do with my time now! I spent so many months obsessing over applications that I feel like something is missing! Guess I better enjoy my last few months of freedom until grad school starts!

Thanks! I definitely just needed the sanity of having a decision made! Good luck with your choices, looks like you've got some great options!

Just received my admittance to Texas Tech via email. I sent in my confirmation to NAU yesterday though. I was pretty surprised! I felt like I bombed the interview with them.

Did anyone else get the email yesterday that they are still actively considering your application and it might be a few more weeks still?? So long!

Eastern New Mexico decided to not even consider my application because they didn't like the titles of my pre-req courses. None of the other programs I applied to seemed to have any issues with them, so I'm not sure why eastern new mexico is being so picky. I took 30 credits, but some of my coursework fell under an SLPA program so they didn't want to count them at all. I even offered to send my syllabus's but they didn't want it and said I should take an additional 15 credits. So frustrating. Thank goodness I was accepted elsewhere! Beware of those pre-req course titles!

Yeah, Flagstaff is a bit more expensive than what I was used to previously as well. It doesn't have to break the bank though. I've seen decent 2 bedroom townhouses for as low as 750 a month. I would just stay away from big apartments and focus on houses and smaller complexes. If you live near campus you really don't even need a car. Everything is so close. Let me know if you want any advice on where to look for cheaper housing. I can definitely see the appeal of cheap living though! It's painful thinking about how much money I'm going to owe when I graduate! If I was unattached I would go to Wyoming in a second, but my boyfriend (We've lived together for over 3 years) is stuck at NAU for a while in the nursing program so I feel like I'm really choosing school over my relationship if I go to Wyoming. The department head at UWyo contacted me yesterday saying that they really wanted me at their program, so I'm going to talk to her tomorrow and hopefully clear some things up. Only 2 more weeks to figure things out!

I did my post bacc at NAU and I love it here. The area is beautiful and there is a lot to do. The program has a good reputation and I have liked all of the professors that I've had classes with. Good luck with your decision! I'm also struggling with making a decision right now. I was set on NAU until I got a funding offer from UWyo.

I can't believe it's almost April and I still haven't heard back from half of the programs I applied to! It's so frustrating that I will have less than 2 weeks to make a fully informed decision...

I spoke to a few of the grad students from the program I was applying to last year and their big advice about applications was to stay in contact with the faculty through out the entire admissions process. You want them to know who you are and be looking for your application in the stack. I also spent a lot of time on my resume, building experience that would translate to the field. It's important to make the admissions committee see what makes you unique and an asset to the field. Find a nitch and figure out a way to sell it. I was accepted to several programs even with a low gpa, due to my experience and ability to sell myself and my strengths. Good luck! Hopefully everyone gets in this year and won't have to deal with the stress of applications again!

I also did a career change, although not quite as drastic. I worked in behavioral health for a few years as a case manager before deciding to go back to school to get my post bacc done for speech. It is definitely a huge financial commitment. I went back full time for a year and had to finance the entire thing with loans. I was accepted to several grad programs, even with a low undergrad gpa, so I doubt you will have any trouble getting accepted somewhere. I knew that I was very unhappy in my behavioral health career and had worked with speech pathologists a lot through the years, so it felt like a very natural path for me. Just be sure that you are committed to the field because it really is a lot of time and money!

Did Xavier actually reject anyone? Looks like the waitlist might be pretty long!

Saw someone posted an acceptance to xavier today, any word on when the rest of us will be hearing?? My status on claws still just says application complete...

Just received an acceptance from the University of Wyoming! They offered an assistantship and scholarship! I'm totally shocked, I never thought that I would be eligible for any kind of financing. I also honestly never thought I would even have options, so now I'm really confused. I was planning on staying at NAU for my grad degree if accepted because of in state tuition and my boyfriends program here, but now I will need to evaluate my other options as well. Anyone else in this position??

http://speechpathology.livejournal.com/ It's on the speech pathology livejournal site. The thread is titled "Left my MS SLP program and now I regret it"

http://speechpathology.livejournal.com/600089.html Not sure if this is where most people have been hearing bad things about Vanderbilt, but thought I'd share.

SLPA certification is different in every state. Some require observation hours, some do not. Some also require specific courses be taken. I'm in Arizona and I believe we need 100 hour of "interaction" plus 20 credits in SST or something along those lines. I had the worst time finding SLPA work though anywhere near where I live. Other plan B options would be to find a research assistant position at a local university or find work in a related field. I've been working in the field of social work for the past several years focusing on helping people with disabilities. Working habilitation with kids with autism is also wonderful experience. Good luck!

I was just accepted to the University of New Mexico! I am most likely going to decline and stay in state, but I am shocked that I actually have choices! Just more proof that GPA isn't everything. I had a 3.0 from my undergrad degree in psychology and an absolutely awful senior year GPA, but I did well in my leveling courses and have been gaining experience for the last 4 years. It can be done!

If you live close enough to campus I really don't think you'll need a car. I needed one because I had to commute to Everette everyday to work (30 miles each way). I'm also the type of person that likes to go exploring a lot, so I really enjoyed having a car to get around the area (and to IKEA!) It would definitely eliminate the whole parking dilemma and the high gas prices up there if you didn't have one though.

I lived in Seattle for a little while right next to the UW campus. Although it was more expensive than what I was used to coming from Arizona, it wasn't completely unaffordable. I payed a little over 500 a month to share a two bedroom apartment with a roommate that was a short walk from campus. The apartment wasn't anything nice, but it was safe, and clean enough. When I first got there I subleased in a basement apartment of a huge house. The rooms were absolutely tiny, and there were 4 people living down there. Again though, it was clean and safe and minimally expensive. If you live that close to campus you won't even have to worry about traffic. My biggest problem was parking! If you plan on living further away though, then definitely beware of the traffic! UW is right next to downtown, so if you need to get in during rush hour it will take you a while. The public transportation there was great though. Busses get to bypass all the traffic, so definitely a smart choice if you are commuting. Beyond that the city is absolutely amazing! And the campus is beautiful. The only reason I moved was because I couldn't stand the weather, but if your already from Portland I'm sure you won't have a problem

I would recommend Oro Valley if you don't mind a half hour commute. It's much nicer and cleaner, but definitely a trek getting to campus. I lived in a nice duplex with 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms that was about 10 minutes from campus with my boyfriend and we paid 700 per month. Cost of living is very reasonable, but there are some more run down areas of town, so it pays to go see places in person. If you are looking for decent apartments at a reasonable price I would look at the area north of campus. Anywhere from Speedway up to Prince is generally safe and affordable. It is mostly populated by other college students. If you would prefer a house or duplex to an apartment I would recommend looking on craigslist. I'm sure you won't have any issues finding housing in a short amount of time, just make sure to go see anything in person before signing up! It's nice to get a good idea of the area because pictures can be deceiving!

Cost varies by how close you are to campus. I think most apartments near campus are around 600-800 for a one bedroom. I would definitely recommend roommates! It's a little bit pricey up here compared to the rest of Arizona. There are a few lower income areas, but I don't think there are really any bad areas of town. If you don't have a vehicle though, it would be much easier to stay closer to campus.