I'm choosing not to go this fall!

[nwslp]

I posted a thread a while ago about my decision to or to not invest 100,000 dollars into NYU for grad school (my only option). After a LOT of long conversations with my friends and with my partner I'm not going to go.

I got a job at a speech clinic as a receptionist, i'm going to retake the GRE, continue working in the lab I work in, and give it all another try after one long post-bacc year. Just in case anybody is in the same place or will be in the future, I just wanted to go on record saying people DO do this. Hopefully it'll work out this next time around!!

My parents will be bummed, that will be a hard conversation. Hopefully they'll understand! They weirdly hadn't been concerned about the debt but they also aren't the ones living with it.

Thanks for the help! ❤️ 

[psych-grad]

40 minutes ago, nwslp said:

I posted a thread a while ago about my decision to or to not invest 100,000 dollars into NYU for grad school (my only option). After a LOT of long conversations with my friends and with my partner I'm not going to go.

I got a job at a speech clinic as a receptionist, i'm going to retake the GRE, continue working in the lab I work in, and give it all another try after one long post-bacc year. Just in case anybody is in the same place or will be in the future, I just wanted to go on record saying people DO do this. Hopefully it'll work out this next time around!!

My parents will be bummed, that will be a hard conversation. Hopefully they'll understand! They weirdly hadn't been concerned about the debt but they also aren't the ones living with it.

Thanks for the help! ❤️ 

❤️ Have a great life.  It is expensive. NYU is a good school. Meaning is what really matters in life, considering that I could list a hundred facts like the two I just cited without helping unless they means something to yourself. It sounds like you'll be just fine.

[mimithebellydancer]

congrats! you have to do whats best for you. would you have  been going out of state? that is very expensive. either way good luck to you and next year youll be in a program.

[soontobeslp2018]

16 hours ago, nwslp said:

I posted a thread a while ago about my decision to or to not invest 100,000 dollars into NYU for grad school (my only option). After a LOT of long conversations with my friends and with my partner I'm not going to go.

I got a job at a speech clinic as a receptionist, i'm going to retake the GRE, continue working in the lab I work in, and give it all another try after one long post-bacc year. Just in case anybody is in the same place or will be in the future, I just wanted to go on record saying people DO do this. Hopefully it'll work out this next time around!!

My parents will be bummed, that will be a hard conversation. Hopefully they'll understand! They weirdly hadn't been concerned about the debt but they also aren't the ones living with it.

Thanks for the help! ❤️ 

So glad you have made a decision that makes you happy. I’m sure your parents will understand, even if they may be disappointed at first. In the grand scheme of things, your happiness is more important than the debt you would have accumulated at NYU or your parent’s reactions. Continue to do great things and best of luck during your next round of applications!

[snoves]

My parents also didn't understand why I was so concerned with costs! I feel like a lot of older adults don't understand the debt a lot of younger adults are faced with. I hope they're understanding!!

[Ari127]

I'm facing a similar hard decision. I was all ready to plunge into debt so that I could go to more prestigious schools, but after talking with a friend about how consuming educational debt is, I'm rethinking everything.  Just a few months ago I was ready to drop $100,000 + living costs on University of Iowa's 3 year program, and now I'm reconsidering everything: taking leveling courses, maybe a applying to a state school in California.  I want a great education, but I don't want to be buried in debt up to eyeballs for all of my 30's and perhaps beyond!

[Concordia]

If this is money that needs to be borrowed, it will also need to be paid off. 

No idea what salaries are in this field, but carrying around $100k plus whatever mortgage and car loans you need to get by will put a huge demand on all but the best incomes.

[nwslp]

On 5/27/2018 at 11:48 AM, Ari127 said:

I'm facing a similar hard decision. I was all ready to plunge into debt so that I could go to more prestigious schools, but after talking with a friend about how consuming educational debt is, I'm rethinking everything.  Just a few months ago I was ready to drop $100,000 + living costs on University of Iowa's 3 year program, and now I'm reconsidering everything: taking leveling courses, maybe a applying to a state school in California.  I want a great education, but I don't want to be buried in debt up to eyeballs for all of my 30's and perhaps beyond!

I spoke with a professor who really helped put it into perspective! She said in our field nobody cares where you went to school unless you're applying to super prestigious CFY's, and at that point really it's the research opportunities that make one school better than the others. We're lucky enough to have ASHA as a certifying board so every program is fundamentally the same, it's just research and clinical opportunities and faculty that varies. Which DOES matter and makes considering good schools important. But also we'll be hireable from any school and I think that's important to keep in mind! 

[smarieSLP2b]

On 5/31/2018 at 2:03 AM, nwslp said:

I spoke with a professor who really helped put it into perspective! She said in our field nobody cares where you went to school unless you're applying to super prestigious CFY's, and at that point really it's the research opportunities that make one school better than the others. We're lucky enough to have ASHA as a certifying board so every program is fundamentally the same, it's just research and clinical opportunities and faculty that varies. Which DOES matter and makes considering good schools important. But also we'll be hireable from any school and I think that's important to keep in mind! 

Yay great choice on your decision, I came from your other post looking for an update. Realistically the majority of SLPs are NOT making 6 figures. I'm glad you shared just incase someone in the future is lurking gradcafe and in the same situation about Speech@NYU, NYU or any other overpriced SLP program. A lot of parents/older adults just want to see their kids succeed and "get the show on the road". I've mentioned program costs to my mom and it's not like we are from a well off family whatsoever... she simply says "if that program will let you get employed quicker or start your career sooner than I guess you can just pay it when your done". I stopped asking her for her thoughts because being from an older generation many parents do not understand the huge student loan crisis in America right now. No one should be paying off their degree so many years into their careers and lives. I find it so twisted and hopefully there can be more laws and structure in place in the future to prevent schools from getting away with it because not everyone understands you have to pay loans PLUS interest back. It can be a deep dark hole to crawl out of (if you ever manage to get out). I wish people would boycott overpriced programs.

[thespeechblog.com]

On 5/20/2018 at 3:44 PM, nwslp said:

I posted a thread a while ago about my decision to or to not invest 100,000 dollars into NYU for grad school (my only option). After a LOT of long conversations with my friends and with my partner I'm not going to go.

I got a job at a speech clinic as a receptionist, i'm going to retake the GRE, continue working in the lab I work in, and give it all another try after one long post-bacc year. Just in case anybody is in the same place or will be in the future, I just wanted to go on record saying people DO do this. Hopefully it'll work out this next time around!!

My parents will be bummed, that will be a hard conversation. Hopefully they'll understand! They weirdly hadn't been concerned about the debt but they also aren't the ones living with it.

Thanks for the help! ❤️ 

I think you made the right decision! $100,000 is waaaayyyyy too debt to take on!