sunjinro

Hi wam23! Congrats! I also received an acceptance from UOP earlier this week - AGH! I have been experiencing some anxiety about financial cost, 15-month load, commuting, etc. I'll be applying for financial aid and accepting the fact that I'll be paying this debt off for the rest of my life. Good luck to your decision, and hopefully I'll see you there! (Also, wouldn't worry about your numbers because I've read somewhere that UOP is an "A+ school for B+ students" - that's me.)

Hi whippersnapper, That's great! Congratulations on getting admitted into grad school! Which school have you decided to go to? And can you tell me a little about what kind of background or work experience you had that helped you get in? I don't want to seem nosy but I feel the process has been a little nebulous... I have been so far rejected from local state schools (SJSU, CSUEB) and accepted into SDSU (extended masters) and UW (just post-bac). Puzzled...

Hi NorcalSLP! Yay, so glad to hear from someone that is product of UW's postbac program! I have a few questions for you: What has been the outcome for you from that program? (Did you feel that it has helped you to get into a preferred 2 year grad program?) How was the postbac program itself? Were you able to work part-time while maintaining a decent GPA? Or was it difficult to maintain a decent GPA at all? How was life in Seattle for you? Were you able to enjoy Seattle during the program? I would love to hear more about your time there!

What are everyone's thoughts on UW's post-baccalaureate SLP program? How much does it increase your chances of getting into a preferred school, especially in California, for masters? (And why doesn't USU's 2nd degree have a good reputation? Has anyone been accepted by completing all the pre-reqs/leveling coursework form USU into a CA school?)

WORD. Given the overall benefits of investing in a career we are passionate about will make us better partners and people. I'm currently a SDC teacher (moderate/severe), and it's not that I don't enjoy helping my students. I feel that the job description is unsustainable - behavior management, limited resources for teachers, school politics, providing for the mental, physical, social/emotional, behavioral AND academic well-being of all students. I initially went into SPED teaching to become a speech therapist (in schools). This has all been great experience and gained some wonderful insight, however, I completely understand why teachers (maybe GE too) have such high burnout rates. Besides, I think that if I give up the opportunity to go to SDSU or UW Postbac, I will become a miserable, overweight, and resentful alcoholic. Thanks, SpeechBanana!

Yes, I also received a voicemail message from Professor Ignatius Nip from SDSU. I'm very excited about this opportunity! Was wondering if anyone had thoughts on: -hearing back from other Cal State schools -why is this process so competitive? -leaving a significant other (10 year relationship) to attend a 3 year long program on the other side of the state (i know, who wouldn't want to live in SD with great weather and surfing??)

I have finally heard from some of the schools. The process is intriguing. I was wondering if anyone else has heard back from their schools and notices if there is any rhyme or reason?

I have finally heard from some of the schools. The process is intriguing. I was wondering if anyone else has heard back from their schools and notices if there is any rhyme or reason? And how important (do you think) are the ratings (according to U.S. News)?

Hi Carina25, I attended the open house/info. session at UOP last December. One of the assistant profs presented some useful information about the 15 and 24 month accelerated programs. She said that they accept approx. 20 applicants for the 15-month, 10 applicants for the 24-month. It's a small program with 25-30 students in class. They have 2 different clinics on campus - one for children, one for adults. Last year's average GRE scores were 149 Verbal, 154 Quantitative, 4.2 Writing. Average GPA was 3.56. They received around 195 applicants. I would say there were about 3-4 attendees who are already undergraduate students at UOP. Applicants for the 15-month long program will most likely be competing with these students. Says you can contact them if you have any specific questions about the application process. At the end, she gave us a tour of the facility. They have a nicely stocked supply room where you can borrow assessments, materials, toys, games, etc. 5 hours is a long drive for this, but if you're going on your way up to UW, you can stop by the open house. It's nice to see their face, have them see your face, ask questions in person, let them know you're serious about grad school and slp. The assist prof definitely stayed later to answer some questions and have a chit chat.

What kind of SPED experience does your husband have? SPED Teacher? Paraprofessional? Counseling? I have three years in SPED as a credentialed teacher (moderate/severe) - 1 year non-public school for adolescents on the spectrum, 2 years as SDC teacher for a large urban district. I'm still worried that I won't get into any Cal. state schools (i.e., SJSU, SDSU, CSUEB) because they have over 200 applicants and about 30-40 people they can afford to accept. EEEK! I'm also considering the UW Postbac program, which I've also heard is very competitive. SLP is simply not an easy field to transition into.

I just attended an info. night at SJSU's CS&D Program for Extended Master (EM) and MA. The EM is a three year program for applicants with other backgrounds. The dept. chair was telling us how they have about 200 applications each year, they can only accept 40. 20 people are straight from their undergrad, and they accept the other 20 as EM or MA. They also don't accept anyone under a 3.0 GPA. They look at letters of recommendations and your statement of purpose. The statistics are pretty grim for SJSU.

Irisdf, I'm also looking into CA state schools. Along the ones you listed above, I believe SJSU ("Extended Masters", 3 yeas) and CSUEB (3.4-5 years) also accept people with other backgrounds. Hope this helps!

I am also trying to transition from being a special education teacher to slp. I love my students, but so much politics concerning the district, budget constraints involving general vs. special education teachers, and dealing with lying parents has pushed me over the edge. From what I've observed (having worked with slp's in a school setting), slp's still have to attend a lot of meetings and write reports (lots of paperwork!), but honestly, I think for my own sanity's sake I would be a lot happier going to work if I didn't have to do the job of 5 people. Being a special education teacher involves not only teaching but also being an ABA therapist, social worker, paraprofessional manager, case manager, paperwork junky, and sometimes parent. SLP as a career seems much more sustainable. Therapists I've worked with manage their own schedule, working with students individually or small groups in sessions of 20-30 minutes. I understand that their schedules and caseloads can get hectic, but most slp's say they're very happy doing what they do - helping the same population of kids but in a different way.

I'm new to this thread and would like more information on Cal State programs - SJSU, SFSU, CSUEB - and pre-req programs in Oregon. My undergrad major was not in SLP or CSD, but I have 2 years of teaching moderate/severe students in special education (both public and non-public schools) in a special day class setting. My experience has included working with children/adolescents with autism, emotionally disturbed, hard of hearing, non-verbal. I also have a master's degree in special education. Are there any good/affordable online programs for completing the pre-reqs? Or is it better to get into a leveling program? What are programs looking for - experience? grades/scores? pre-reqs completed? Are most Cal State programs for school based SLP? U. of Pacific is expensive, but is it worth it? Interested in applying to: SJSU, SFSU, CSEUB, PDX, U.Oregon Stats: UG GPA overall: 3.12 UG Major GPA: 3.7 (Art, Studio) Grad GPA: 3.98 (Special Education, M.Ed.) GRE: 1260 (V: 550, Q: 710, Analytical: 5.5)