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Hello, I am new to grad cafe and I plan to apply to graduate school this year for fall of 2021. I'm very interested in applying to SDSU's Masters of Social Work as well as SDSU's M.A. in Autism Specialization. Does anyone know if it is okay for me to apply to two Master's program from the same university? Anyone who are in these programs have any advice for me? Thank you!

Hi! So I'm incredibly disappointed, upset, and stressed right now. I applied to 6 schools, and I was very confident that at least one was going to accept me with an assistantship (because the director had implied so). I have been rejected from all 6.. and I'm not sure what's next. My cumulative GPA is the sole reason (I've been told by directors) of being rejected; it's a 3.1. My last 60 hours and CSD GPA are both a 3.7, my minor GPA (psychology) is a 3.9, and my science GPA is a 3.5. My low cumulative is due to poor grades in math, and I have found out I likely have dyscalculia. During undergrad, I've been really sick, including having surgery. I was also sexually assaulted, which affected some of my prior grades. I explained all of this in my LOI and had a friend on an admissions panel read over it, who affirmed it was well-written and explained the situation well. I also included in the LOI that I'm passionate about CSD and changed to the major because my younger brother is autistic and nonverbal. I had professors I know well write my LORs. GRE scores are 167V, 149Q, and 4AW. The problem is my GPA, but it can't be raised much because I have 160 credit hours, so even straight A's don't make much of a difference. I thought about getting a different master's degree, but I can't seem to find many relevant degrees with deadlines that haven't yet passed. I found out through hands-on observations that M.Ed in SpEd isn't a good option for me because if I don't get in next year, I would not be happy as a SpEd teacher. I've considered dyslexia, psychology, ABA, and child development degrees. I have a background in ABA, but the program deadlines have passed. I have the ABA instructional hours required to be an RBT... but I don't think I like it enough for a career, anyway. Child Life would potentially be a good fit for me, but those jobs appear to be difficult to come by. Ideally, I would be in grad school and none of this would matter. I also looked into spring programs. The following schools offer spring admission: Valdosta State, UT Dallas, UT San Antonio, South Dakota, Central MO, Central Florida, TN State, TAMU Kingsville, Baylor, and Alabama A&M. Any insight here? If applying to spring programs, should I spend the fall semester finishing my second bachelor's degree in psychology (including retaking stats for my CCC) or should I apply to a master's program and potentially leave for an SLP program after a semester? What are your suggestions for 1) reapplying 2) alternate master's programs 3) alternate career paths Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello!! While I will be applying to grad schools for speech, I also just recently applied to Ball State's ABA Masters Program. Would anyone happen to have any insight on the program (reputation, price, etc). Like I'm looking to hear from a personal perspective if anything. Thank you!

Just curious to see if anyone else on here decided to go to UNT for their MS in Behavior Analysis. I just got a couple of emails about registering for classes; I'm really excited!

Hi. So I got a really nice surprise yesterday; I mean that both literally and sarcastically. I got accepted to a very competitive Masters program, which is awesome. What isn't awesome is that I literally have a week to decide if I want to go there (because there is probably a waitlist for other applicants) or to a different program I have already been accepted to. I'm very overwhelmed right now as you can probably imagine. I have applied to four programs, and have been accepted to three of them so far. I will know this Monday if I get accepted to the fourth. One of the ones I got into was a safety that doesn't really have the resources for what I want to specialize in, so I'm not considering it any further. However, I still have three to choose from, and I thought I would have time to visit all of them once I got accepted, but that's not the case now. I know that no one on here or in my life can make this decision for me. I'm not really looking for that necessarily, but for takes on some of my personal pros and cons with each program. I'm mainly concerned about the experience of graduate school when bringing up these points, particularly in pursuing a Masters degree, so if you have one of those and can speak to the experience, I would really appreciate any input you can give me. (And, if you happened to study behavior analysis, that's what I'm planning to study.) So here are the programs: 1. UNT - This is the program I got accepted to yesterday. Very established, tight-knit department, tons of research and clinical opportunities. I can personally say after meeting the faculty in the department, they really are dedicated to the field and investing in the next generation of behavior analysts. They really encourage you "finding your fit" in the field of behavior analysis, and so many students jump around labs to see what they like and don't like. Located in a smaller college town, which I really enjoyed the vibe of when I went there for my interview. Speaking of interviews, of the applications they received, they only invited around 30 people to interview, and only accepted around 15 for the program; in other words, this program is super competitive and I got in first wave, and that probably speaks to the quality of the program. Also located in close proximity to Dallas and Fort Worth, two major cities. Denton is also near a ton of horse farms, and horseback riding is a favorite pastime for me when I can do it. Downsides: The program is three years long. Their rationale for the third year is to allow you to have that first year to adjust to grad school and figure out what area you want to concentrate in; this gives you the next two years to start working on your thesis. As I can get easily stressed and really want to do things to my fullest ability, having the extra year appeals to me; however, I am a little unsure of how I feel graduating with a Masters at 25, because I want to do a PhD as well. Another thing is that they expect you to get Texas residency by your second year in the program. They have offered me a scholarship to give me in-state tuition for the first year, but only for that year. I'm not really partial to where I have residency, but graduate assistantships do not count towards fulfilling the employment requirement (although they can act as a source of income); therefore, I would have to work an extra job, about 20 hours a week probably. I'm just not sure how I could balance that out with classes 4 days a week and a practicum. 2. UMBC - Got accepted off application alone. Located in Baltimore, and the practicum is through the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), which is arguably the best place in the country for neurodevelopmental disability research and treatment. In particular, KKI acts as a very strong practicum for severe problem behavior, which is what I'm interested in. Very close proximity to DC. Option to get tuition reimbursement through full-time employment with KKI, but that isn't a concern for me. My mentor raves about this program being one of the best. Downsides: The two biggest ones for me are that it is an MA program (clinical degree, no thesis) and what is involved in working full-time for KKI (8:30-5pm five days a week, and although they are understanding of classes, any time you miss working there has to be made up. Also, would only be partial tuition reimbursement.). Even though it's an MA, I could do a thesis, but it doesn't seem like something there is already an infrastructure for. I also have the option of not working at KKI and just doing my practicum there. KKI is also located in a dangerous part of the city. (I don't know much about the culture or rigor of the program outside of what I've been told, but I will be visiting this week.) Another downside is that classes are held mostly at KKI, so while it's a UMBC program, I get the impression that it's a UMBC program at KKI. Not sure how I feel about being at the same building all the time for two years. Maybe that's a little stuck-up of me to think, but I know myself well enough that I would probably get sick of it really quick. Also, I hate Maryland. I have been there several times and my sister goes to school there. It's really not my kind of place. Some love it, some hate it, and I fall in the latter category. 3. USC - Have not been accepted there yet, but I will know on Monday, so I want to prepare for the possibility. The SoCal area has perhaps the largest concentration of behavior analysis services in the entire country. USC is a great school from what I'm told. The program is 2 years and there is an option to do a thesis or a capstone project at the end; I was told in my first interview that they encourage students to do the latter. The capstone project is an "independent project, consisting of practical treatment, evaluation, program development, or literature review." The thesis is there if you are interested in a PhD later down the road, so I would probably go for that. Practicum is considered a paid job with wherever I work, but must be pre-approved by the department. I interviewed with the director of the program over Skype and he seemed very knowledgeable and interested in my goals for myself in a Masters program. Also, although I'm not a city person, I do like the beach. Downsides: USC is the only program I applied to that is not ABAI accredited. What that is for those who don't know, is an accreditation that basically says that your program is stellar and exceeds the expectations of the certification board (BACB). Knowing that the thesis isn't something that many of the students there do is a little concerning to me. Also, I've never been to California, but friends who grew up in SoCal tell me that the area around USC is not very safe, which means I would have to live a little ways away and drive there. I hear the traffic is super congested, and public transit is unreliable...that might pose a problem. Not really looking to live in a big city again (did my undergrad in one), but I will if I have to. So, that's all folks. I will be meeting with my mentor next week (hopefully) to also discuss how these programs are received in the professional community, but I know he can only give me one perspective. I would really appreciate any feedback on my concerns, if they're reasonable or not considering the culture or structure of grad school, or if there are other things I should look into thinking about for myself moving forward. Thanks everyone in advance!

Hello! This is my first post here and I'm looking for some feedback, advice, and your experience in the fields of behavior analysis and psychotherapy. I have a career dilemma. Long time ago I got a BS in Animal Bio, then became interested in Psych and behavior. Now I have been working as an RBT (registered behavior technician) for 4 years with children on autism spectrum, and provide in-home services related to problem behaviors, and debating whether I should get a masters in applied behavior analysis (ABA) or get a masters/PsyD and practice as a therapist. ABA is a fast growing and changing field right now, and supposed to pay better than an MFT/MSW for example. I am extremely conflict avoidant, and don't enjoy crisis situations, although I have become more or less accustomed to them, working with kids with autism and at a group home with troubled youth. While I understand all jobs have ups and downs, to be blunt, I want an "easy" job. I like the job of the LPC I see at the daycare who walks around and establishes rapport with kids, and counsels them on as needed basis. She does not do crisis intervention, or discipline them in anyway. I also LOVE the idea of working as a therapist and doing play therapy with kids, who come to my office, so I don't have to make house calls (and deal with the sometimes unstable home environment). The downside of that is that I won't know if the job of a therapist is really for me until I have the actual degree. The therapists that I've interviewed or have seen sometimes seem really burnt out. I don't want an MFT because the couples fighting can get pretty intense. I want to get an MA in Mental Health, but worried about state-to-state licensure, since I do not know where I will live yet (I currently live in Hawaii, but my husband is applying to jobs out of state, so we're not planning to stay here forever). I have a love-hate relationship with the ABA field (applied behavior analysis) because it is akin to animal training, and while effective, I feel it lacks emphasis on empathy and making a connection with the child (sort of what Dr. Laura Markham's blog ahaparenting.com talks about), but I feel it would be unethical for me to suggest this to clients, because it's not really ABA. To me ABA seems that it's lacking depth and is too robotic with it's reinforcement principles and constricted with its application in autism (supposedly it has other applications, but it's really rare to find a job outside of the autism diagnosis). I also don't like the possibility of injury - kids have hit, bit, spat, and swore at me, they may be teenagers and bigger than me - I am a 5'2 female with history of domestic violence, so this scares me. I can't tell you how many times I've come home crying because of these aggressive behaviors I've had to deal with, and I'd blame myself, there's little support within the profession, and it's just a very difficult job. I've had a PsyD therapist tell me my job is so much harder than hers. What I love about ABA is the one-on-one relationship I get to build with my client. I also love working with kids, especially younger ones, making that connection with them, being their coach, seeing them grow and overcome challenges with my help is SO rewarding. I'm also good at this job, I feel like I have a knack for it (I've had supervisors tell me this), and it is an in-demand field. SO I've been sitting on this dilemma for a year or two now, and feel a lot of pressure to make a decision already, I am 29 years old, and desperately wanting to to be financially independent and get on with my life with a permanent job, that I only see for myself after grad school. I know this was long, sorry about that. Really appreciate any help you may have, and feel free to ask questions.

Hello Everyone! Can those of you with ABA experience elaborate on whether or not it helped you to get into a program. Can you share what schools you got into or what schools consider applicants with ABA experience? I understand a lot goes into an application (GPA, GRE score, etc) but I was told by a professor that ABA experience does not matter at all. I have heard otherwise on this forum and would love to get your opinion. Is there anyone who feels ABA experience was a major factor that helped them get into a program?

How do I find out about programs? and what they consist of? My question I've had since 10th grade is why do Republicans and Democrats think differently? ~How can one group of liberals ignore science when it comes to vaccines and critique conservatives for the whole climate change is a myth thing. ~How do these seemingly-neat categories come to be, ~What holds them together, ~How can we educate ourselves to stay as true to ourselves without falling for fallacies that effect the lives of SO many people outside of ourselves. Here's what i'm working with: Sociological honors research project on church member's (of a single church) beliefs 3.774 gpa after transfer at UCLA 3.8-3.9 at SMC (I had one F that I retook) readings, and hundred of hours of podcasts on the subjects of interest listened to 2 years ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) experience working with an autism spectrum population Here are my worries: I did my undergrad in Gender Studies and Sociology I'm missing basic psych classes I have not done research in 2 years I don't have a decent writing sample Haven't touched the GRE yet Advice? tips? Who can I talk to? Which schools should I be looking at? ~ Georgiy P.S. I would love a program that includes the core ABA classes, so I can do them the first two years getting a Master's and continue on with a PhD transferring the classes as part of the same program. Does this even exist?

TLDR; RBT now or wait till I graduate college? I am applying to graduate school this upcoming fall. I do not have a competitive GPA: 3.55. My college doesn't offer in-major classes until we are seniors, so I have no "major" GPA yet. I will take the GRE this summer. I work as a student library assistant on my campus, I do paid research with the College of Communication/Journalism, I do voluntary research for the Speech Pathology graduate department, I volunteer at an Early Intervention pediatric language clinic, and I am a management intern at our cities' new Autism center, where I write posts, send emails, play with children with ASD, and interact with adults with ASD. Still, I know my GPA isn't good enough. It will hopefully be around a 3.6 when I begin applying for grad schools. I am really interested in working with children with ASD if I am able to go to grad school, and I plan to write about this in my statement of purpose. This is where my question comes up: Is it worth it to become a Registered Behavior Technician, or wait until I graduate college and try for a BCABA? I guess what I am asking is if it would be worth the training, time, and money. How much do current RBTs get to do while still in college? Do grad schools consider this a worthwhile certification to pursue? I would love to hear some current RBTs or BCABAs speak on their experiences in school or otherwise. Thank you SO much.

Hi Everyone, Im hoping to find some insight on online programs for ABA. I am graduating with my degree in SLP and was hoping to further that with adding an ABA Masters. I was wondering if anyone knew of any online programs that offered ABA and a clinical psych emphasis? If not, any reliable accredited aba online programs would do. Do you think taking an ABA online program would hinder me, or is there no downfall to this? Thank you!

I am currently 2/5 through Arizona State Universities M.Ed Curriculum and Instruction Applied Behavior Analysis program. i work for an aba therapy company as a senior behavior technician, but am concerned they are not going to promote me (need hours for practicum) and unhappy with the ethical practices of this industry. What are other jobs I can do with this level of education? What are you doing? What can I do with a M.Ed ABA?