MA-SLP FTW

HI!! I remember you too! It does seem like forever ago. Which is incredible considering that I was refreshing my e-mail every 15 seconds for at least a month and a half at one point. And for the folks worrying about finances: it's hard to keep things in perspective because it costs so much to go to grad school (I sure feel like it's all Monopoly money). Financial institutions still view student loan debt differently than they did even 10 years ago, but it is still the lowest interest rate on a loan you're likely to get. Be mindful that private student loans play by totally different rules that make them a little "Wild West." More than one friend of mine has had his/her credit totally screwed by a private lender. Thankfully everyone applying to grad school in this field is very detail-oriented and tends to over-research things. I encourage all of you to put those skills to good use if you decide you need extra help. Soon enough you'll be looking back on this part of your journey and wondering how you managed to survive But you will! P.S. I've missed these emoticons.

Just laughed out loud. I recently moved out of Dublin - my commute was anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on traffic. The area is really (really) nice, but the drive, not so much.

Hi there! I'm a first year MA-SLP student and was just reminiscing about the graying experience that is application season (take heart - it's almost over!). It is very common for people to change specializations or areas of interest once they get into the program and are exposed to more of the many facets of an SLP's scope of practice (which is GINORMOUS). You are certainly not restricted to the foci you listed in your letter of intent (LOI). Essentially, every program has areas in which they can provide the best resources and experience. They may use your LOI to determine if they can offer you clinical hours in your desired field. As an example, Ohio State has good opportunities in language acquisition and school-aged children (as a population), but doesn't have a lot of professors/staff that could help you out with a bilingual emphasis. You can certainly reach out to professors at your potential programs and ask them if they know you'll be able to get some clinical hours with peds dysphagia clients. Hope that helps

This is hilarious! I really, truly, LOLed at this. I think that ComD is kind of a well-kept secret at this point, probably because most folks only identify SLPs as school-based clinicians. My husband was the only dude in his undergrad nursing program (over a decade ago), and I don't think it ever worked against him. Couldn't tell you if it ever gave him an edge, but I doubt it. I hadn't even started my pre-reqs when I applied the first time (oops). So to have anything under your belt will certainly help you. This site is a good resource too (until people start posting on the Status Updates page, at which point you'll hate it). Enjoy it while you can!

Starting school at 28, will finish at 30 (unless I decide to go for the PhD). I couldn't get a decent job with my BA and was disgusted by my lack of career options. Getting my master's is my road to self-fulfillment. I am "strongly discouraged" from working during my program, but student loan debt isn't real anyway, just add it to my tab. Many of my friends have finished master's programs, and I have another about to wrap up her PhD. I also graduated with some folks who are working part-time at Outback Steakhouse. It's all about what you want for yourself and your life. A shoe for every foot, as they say. I'm more than willing to put home ownership on the back burner to get the career I want. No sense in buying a house if you're going to be unhappy in it. If this is what you want to do, go for it, no matter what your age. Good luck!

Hello there and welcome! You're definitely not too late for the party in SLP. I got my BA in English 6 years ago. I made the mistake of not doing enough homework about speech pathology programs before applying the first time around. What I wish I would have realized then is that the interactions that you will have with programs during your fact-finding expeditions are critical to determining which one is for you. I asked many programs directly if they were open to "non-traditional" students, how they weighed application materials, what they were looking for in their applicants. If you're still looking at programs, do your homework: look at what they're researching - are there professors who are distinguished in the areas you find interesting? Reach out to them. ComD is a small field and if you can't get letters of recommendation from department professors it will help to have already communicated with people at your desired schools. Some programs will allow you to take pre-requisite courses up to the summer before you begin your full-time graduate enrollment. I can't speak for all schools, but Ohio State offers all required undergrad courses over the summer (online). While you couldn't enroll in all of them (too many hours), you could certainly finish up pre-reqs before starting the program. Other schools offer a limited number of classes over the summer online or on-campus to help you finish things up. Best of luck - as scharpe1 said, you sound like you have a strong application! Also, there's a professor at Ohio State with a background very similar to yours. If you haven't already found her, you're welcome to PM me and I'll give you her e-mail address.

Welcome aboard! Good luck as you start the process. As you can gather from this thread, there is a lot of stress involved, but you can do it! I'd recommend looking at schools based on their specialty areas, being sure not to ignore smaller (not "name brand") programs. I know of more than one person who applied to schools in just one state (sometimes one city) or who only chose top 20 schools & were disappointed when decisions were mailed. Not all of us are able to move away from where we live now, but if you can I think it's worth a shot! I applied to 6 schools and spent over $1000 on fees/transcripts/etc. I didn't even make any campus visits, so who knows how much I could have spent before even getting accepted anywhere! I consider that money an investment in my future, but it was pretty painful to look at my bank statements for awhile. I spoke with one of my professors who encouraged me to do my homework (e-mail departments, etc.) before making final decisions on where to apply. This was solid advice. Don't be afraid to reach out to professors at your prospective schools. I think it helps give you a better idea of whether or not the program is a good fit for you and it also gives you some name recognition later. My biggest piece of advice is to get really solid letters of recommendation (LoRs). Get them from people in the speech and hearing department at your school. You may think TAs of your classes or SLPs you shadowed know you better, but ComD is a small community and if you have the cojones to ask for letters from your professors it shows how badly you want to get in to school. I also talked to my recommenders about my school/life path. I know that sounds corny, but they are essentially where I want to be someday so I was ready to soak up whatever wisdom they were willing to provide. I would ask them point-blank if they thought I would get in to a particular program. I'd rather be dealt the truth early than wait to get the bad news in April. Enjoy your last few weeks of sanity! You think that you'll feel relieved after your applications are in, but then the waiting game begins!

Hey there! I used to live in Chicago (a couple of years ago) when my S/O was in grad school at Rush. I think the hardest part about finding housing is reconciling how expensive it is to live anywhere nice. If at all possible, go to apartments in-person if for no other reason than to check out the neighborhood. The area immediately surrounding Rush is a little iffy, but there are so many good areas that are close to the eL and Rush has its own stop (Polk off of the Pink Line). You could live in Evanston and still take the eL to Rush (although it would take for.ev.er.). Don't feel guilty for being judgemental about neighborhoods. Lincoln Park/Wrigleyville are both great spots with easy train access, but there are even parts of Greektown (close to Rush) that would be fine. I used to walk to work (Business District) from Union Station at 5am and never had an issue, but hospitals always attract a wide range of folks. Good luck hunting - and I'd be happy to answer any more questions you have!

Yeesh! What a hassle! But, I think that you are likely spot-on in your assessment of these landlords, although it's possible that they may be used to apartment hunters who are not as serious as you are. They're prefer you to visit so that any deposit funds would be on-hand and they'd rather lose out on a (perhaps superior) tenant than conduct a business transaction online. I would suggest getting the phone number of the landlord as a back-up when looking at listings on-line. This way, when you find the unit you want, you can contact him/her directly to express your interest should they stop responding to e-mails. My husband and I are moving closer to campus from the greater Columbus area and were able to put a deposit on a unit by credit card over the telephone. Granted, we had already met with the Leasing Manager and had toured the facility in-person, but this saved us an additional trip. Best of luck to you in your search. It may be for the best that you are "missing out" on some of these apartments. If the landlords are not responsive to your e-mails now, it may be an indication of how easy they would be to contact once you've moved in. On a side note, I promise that more mannerly people exist in Columbus!

As seen in an SLP's office: Speech Pathologists: We have ways of making you talk.

ME! HI! I'm going to PM you.

Congratulations to everyone who has made decisions on programs! It is really awkward to write some of those e-mails declining spots, but schools have to understand that we're being forced into some tough decisions. Moving to a new place is always a little scary, but I also think it's a lot of fun. I like a good adventure! Is anyone else joining me in Columbus this fall? I would really love to find a way to meet some folks in my class before the semester starts. Best of luck to all those still deciding. Sending positive vibes your way!

Does anyone have any suggestions re: laserjet printers? Somewhat overwhelmed by the options and am suffering slight sticker shock (alliteration rules!).

Hey there! I also decided on a career change after spending several miserable years out of undergrad wondering what I wanted to do with my life. I think the other folks here have been spot-on in their recommendations. I was lucky enough to complete my pre-reqs on a campus with a master's program, where I made it my full-time job to meet with as many professors as possible. I wanted to know more about the field, more about their areas of study, more about what my chances were of getting accepted in to ANY graduate program. It became my mission to develop relationships that would yield solid advice as well as solid recommendations. If you're used to working a "real" job then jumping through these hoops shouldn't be a problem for you. It's perfectly reasonable for you to ask potential schools the major factors in accepting candidates. Some schools go straight by the numbers and others weigh elements of the application equally. Your MBA will be an asset as you apply. Keep in mind that almost every program has been receiving a record number of applications. So if you're gonna go, go all out!

I love my 13" Air with all of my heart. But if my spouse didn't have a separate laptop (none of this "what's mine is yours" garbage!) I'd definitely miss a CD/DVD drive. When I hold other laptops they feel like cinderblocks!

A lot of deciding on where you're going to live depends on how comfortable you are in city settings in general. Having spent 2 years working in downtown Chicago, there's nothing that really scares me about Italian Village. That being said, I wouldn't live just anywhere in IV without taking a look at the immediate surrounding area first. I've also heard (from folks presently living in the area) that if you're looking for a place to live in Short North, you may miss out on opportunities because many apartments will open for immediate occupancy. If you're going to live alone and/or have some flexibility (no kids, pets, etc.) you might be OK with waiting it out.

We must be related. My MIL heard the list of schools to which I applied and immediately responded: "But you don't actually want to move, do you?" Of course not! I just wanted to spend $900 on those applications/fees because I hate money (allergic, actually). When she found out I had been accepted at Ohio State, she was the first to say "I just knew you'd get in there." Well, that makes one of us. I have since insisted that my husband have a talk with her about boundaries. She's great, but she has to understand that the decision was not about her. Don't push me, lady! I'll move to Oregon Neptune!

5 pre-reqs sound like a lot, but it certainly depends on which ones you're taking. I heard good things about Utah State's online classes after asking around on this board awhile back (I think we were on something like 106 pages then? That seems like so long ago). Best of luck!

O, SNAP!

Sorry ukulele11. Hope the next news you get is good news... you too, Theasaurus.

Hi there! I'm starting OSU's speech path program in the fall. Just a heads up for anyone moving into the area: I've heard several recommendations to start looking for housing now, as this is when many current students are looking at leaving/renewing leases.

Have you suggested that your boss pursue another degree? Perhaps he could apply to Cambridge?

An e-mail can't hurt!! I am all about some thank-yous

I told them 'no,' too. There was just something about requiring a response before the start of April that really rubbed me the wrong way. They told me I could come visit campus on May 29th, I think? A Tuesday after a holiday? Sorry USC, not possible. Still working on updating other schools about my decision. These e-mails are so awkward!

I've got a meet-and-greet for accepted students in April, and I'll probably wear slacks and a shirt. Nothing too formal (it's not an interview), but not jeans either. I always feel like I'd rather be over-dressed than under-dressed. If it's warm enough, I may wear a dress w/a cardigan or something along those lines.