NJ Programs Pros and Cons

[5678jg]

I got accepted to Montclair, Monmouth, Seton Hall and William Paterson. Waitlisted at Stockton and have not heard back from Kean yet. Of course Stockton and Kean are my two top choices. Does anyone have any pros or cons of any NJ program they would like to share? I am having such a hard time choosing where to put a deposit down if everything is the same on April 15th. 

[sarahslp2020]

4 hours ago, 5678jg said:

I got accepted to Montclair, Monmouth, Seton Hall and William Paterson. Waitlisted at Stockton and have not heard back from Kean yet. Of course Stockton and Kean are my two top choices. Does anyone have any pros or cons of any NJ program they would like to share? I am having such a hard time choosing where to put a deposit down if everything is the same on April 15th. 

I am struggling with making a decision myself. I got into Kean (summer), Monmouth and Montclair, waitlisted at Stockton. I live 10 minutes away from Monmouth so I would love to go there but private school costs are outrageous and they don't offer scholarships :/. Kean is the second closest to me but still would put me at a 45 min commute each way and tuition is 66K so its not exactly affordable. I liked this program a lot because the faculty seemed very knowledgeable and friendly. Also a big pro is that they offer a ton of electives which the other schools do not. However, I am having a really hard time rationalizing spending an extra 15K to go there since I got into Montclair which total cost is below 50K. I visited Montclair and really liked it, my con is that its furthest away and is 7 semesters long so I would be done later than the other programs. Lastly, Stockton is also affordable but I am waitlisted so I can't rely on that. My con is that it is last ranked on US News & World Report in New Jersey. I am sooooo torn, it sucks that the two schools closest to me are the most expensive because for me it really all comes down to money and distance. I just wish they would tell us about Graduate Assistantship positions now because that would make my decision.

I'd love to hear your pro and con list and why Stockton and Kean are your top choices!

Edited April 8, 2020 by sarahslp2020

[5678jg]

Today I got rejected from Kean so unfortunately that ship has sailed. I also liked the variety and amount of electives. I went there for undergrad (minored in speech) and the professors I encountered seemed knowledgeable as well as the ones I met at my interview. Length of program is also a factor for me. While I like Montclair's program I don't like how long it is. I'm not sure how I feel about William Paterson's program and unfortunately for them I would have to take 2 additional pre reqs, which I'm assuming means I could not start grad classes in the Fall. That then makes that program 6 or 7 seven semesters for me (going off of their website saying students with all pre reqs complete the program in 5 or 6 semesters). I like Kean and Stockton's locations because I live right in the middle making my commute an hour one way for either school, and the rest of them except Monmouth are even farther away which is a downside. Monmouth is 35 minutes away which is a positive and the program ends in the spring rather than the fall like Montclair and potentially William Paterson for me, shaving 6 months off of the time until I graduate. Price has always been important to me but I was willing to spend a little more if I got into Kean because I liked the program more than others, except Stockton which I feel is a great program too. The drive to Stockton is also easier than commuting north.  I'm really hoping to get off the waitlist for Stockton but as of now I think I'll commit to Monmouth. It is more expensive which really makes me cringe BUT I would finish a lot earlier and could start earning SLP money potentially 6 months earlier which could help offset that price difference. I will be living with my parents until I am done and I'm ready to get out but can't due to financial reasons and a longer program is not ideal for that reason. Seton Hall seems like a great program but there is no clinic on campus and the $$$ is ridiculous and can't be justified. At least for Monmouth I have less of a commute and get a shorter program than some others. If I get off the wait list for Stockton I would definitely go there for the cheaper tuition and the fact that it's only 5 semesters and the commute is not as bad as others. I like their electives too but they're not as extensive as Kean's. Monmouth's program does not have electives but seems very comprehensive. A graduate assistantship would seriously be a dream come true but I have to go into it expecting to pay for it all myself. Monmouth is likely the best choice for me as of now but thinking of the loans I'll have to take out and the interest I'll have to pay on them gets me upset. Really hoping for Stockton to come through but We'll see. Writing this huge paragraph definitely helped me organize my thoughts and be more sure about my decisions so thanks for asking!

[5678jg]

7 hours ago, sarahslp2020 said:

I am struggling with making a decision myself. I got into Kean (summer), Monmouth and Montclair, waitlisted at Stockton. I live 10 minutes away from Monmouth so I would love to go there but private school costs are outrageous and they don't offer scholarships :/. Kean is the second closest to me but still would put me at a 45 min commute each way and tuition is 66K so its not exactly affordable. I liked this program a lot because the faculty seemed very knowledgeable and friendly. Also a big pro is that they offer a ton of electives which the other schools do not. However, I am having a really hard time rationalizing spending an extra 15K to go there since I got into Montclair which total cost is below 50K. I visited Montclair and really liked it, my con is that its furthest away and is 7 semesters long so I would be done later than the other programs. Lastly, Stockton is also affordable but I am waitlisted so I can't rely on that. My con is that it is last ranked on US News & World Report in New Jersey. I am sooooo torn, it sucks that the two schools closest to me are the most expensive because for me it really all comes down to money and distance. I just wish they would tell us about Graduate Assistantship positions now because that would make my decision.

I'd love to hear your pro and con list and why Stockton and Kean are your top choices!

I didn't realize there was a quote option so my response is below!

[njfutureslp]

On 4/8/2020 at 12:02 PM, 5678jg said:

I got accepted to Montclair, Monmouth, Seton Hall and William Paterson. Waitlisted at Stockton and have not heard back from Kean yet. Of course Stockton and Kean are my two top choices. Does anyone have any pros or cons of any NJ program they would like to share? I am having such a hard time choosing where to put a deposit down if everything is the same on April 15th. 

For me, my decision came down mostly to the money. Everything i've heard from my undergrad profs that got fancy expensive educations (teachers college, nyu etc.) is that they are still paying off their loans and regret it, lol.

Seton hall is a great program, but it very expensive per credit and it is also more credits than most of the NJ programs--so it gets extremely expensive. However, if money isn't a concern for you, they are a great option. Since they don't have a clinic, you experience 3 externships instead of 2 like most other NJ schools. Personally, I like the idea of an on campus clinic, because you get more hands-on experience in more of a controlled university environment, but that is preference. There is also opportunity for study abroad, which is super unique. 

Montclair State is also great and has some high-profile research staff. if you are interested in research, they take it really seriously there and there is a lot of opportunity for that. Their classes/clinic are all in the same building and it is not on the main campus, so that could be a plus or negative based on your individual situation. I believe they don't really have room for electives in their program, because everyone takes the same classes at the same time (they split the grade into 3 cohorts and you stick with that cohort the whole time). This could also be a positive or negative depending on the person. 

William Paterson is the program I chose to commit to, mostly based off of the fact that I was offered an assistantship and I was not about to pass up free tuition. I also went to visit and got a really warm feeling from the head of the department and the clinic directer. The clinic and most of the classes are all in a brand new building on WPU's campus, so it is super nice, clean, and new. They also mentioned that the cases they get in their clinic are really diverse and theres a lot of variation to experience basically anything. I know with this program, you jump right into clinic with clients on your first semester, which is exciting to me, but could be a negative if you're not quite ready. Ranking wise, it is not the most impressive, but from everything i've heard, no one really cares about that. Luckily, SLPs don't really ever have problems getting jobs out of grad school, because there is such high demand everywhere. 

Kean I don't know much about, except hearsay, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt. I have heard that have a great program for speech, good graduation stats etc. and a nice campus. However, their administration seems a little disorganized and I think they are experiencing a high turnover of staff right now and the Univ president is leaving. This could definitely explain their late admissions decisions for fall compared to everyone else.

I am a North Jersey person, so I don't know much about Monmouth or Stockton. 

Hope that helped, at least a little! 

[sarahslp2020]

20 hours ago, 5678jg said:

Today I got rejected from Kean so unfortunately that ship has sailed. I also liked the variety and amount of electives. I went there for undergrad (minored in speech) and the professors I encountered seemed knowledgeable as well as the ones I met at my interview. Length of program is also a factor for me. While I like Montclair's program I don't like how long it is. I'm not sure how I feel about William Paterson's program and unfortunately for them I would have to take 2 additional pre reqs, which I'm assuming means I could not start grad classes in the Fall. That then makes that program 6 or 7 seven semesters for me (going off of their website saying students with all pre reqs complete the program in 5 or 6 semesters). I like Kean and Stockton's locations because I live right in the middle making my commute an hour one way for either school, and the rest of them except Monmouth are even farther away which is a downside. Monmouth is 35 minutes away which is a positive and the program ends in the spring rather than the fall like Montclair and potentially William Paterson for me, shaving 6 months off of the time until I graduate. Price has always been important to me but I was willing to spend a little more if I got into Kean because I liked the program more than others, except Stockton which I feel is a great program too. The drive to Stockton is also easier than commuting north.  I'm really hoping to get off the waitlist for Stockton but as of now I think I'll commit to Monmouth. It is more expensive which really makes me cringe BUT I would finish a lot earlier and could start earning SLP money potentially 6 months earlier which could help offset that price difference. I will be living with my parents until I am done and I'm ready to get out but can't due to financial reasons and a longer program is not ideal for that reason. Seton Hall seems like a great program but there is no clinic on campus and the $$$ is ridiculous and can't be justified. At least for Monmouth I have less of a commute and get a shorter program than some others. If I get off the wait list for Stockton I would definitely go there for the cheaper tuition and the fact that it's only 5 semesters and the commute is not as bad as others. I like their electives too but they're not as extensive as Kean's. Monmouth's program does not have electives but seems very comprehensive. A graduate assistantship would seriously be a dream come true but I have to go into it expecting to pay for it all myself. Monmouth is likely the best choice for me as of now but thinking of the loans I'll have to take out and the interest I'll have to pay on them gets me upset. Really hoping for Stockton to come through but We'll see. Writing this huge paragraph definitely helped me organize my thoughts and be more sure about my decisions so thanks for asking!

I am so glad it helped you organize your thoughts. Monmouth is a great decision! Like I said, I am trying to convince myself that I can afford going there! It's honestly so ideal for me. It's just hard when you put it side by side with Montclair, 25K difference. I keep flip flopping but I know whatever decision I make will be a good one, I think all the NJ schools have excellent programs  Good luck and I hope you get into Stockton!

[5678jg]

On 4/9/2020 at 1:58 PM, njfutureslp said:

For me, my decision came down mostly to the money. Everything i've heard from my undergrad profs that got fancy expensive educations (teachers college, nyu etc.) is that they are still paying off their loans and regret it, lol.

Seton hall is a great program, but it very expensive per credit and it is also more credits than most of the NJ programs--so it gets extremely expensive. However, if money isn't a concern for you, they are a great option. Since they don't have a clinic, you experience 3 externships instead of 2 like most other NJ schools. Personally, I like the idea of an on campus clinic, because you get more hands-on experience in more of a controlled university environment, but that is preference. There is also opportunity for study abroad, which is super unique. 

Montclair State is also great and has some high-profile research staff. if you are interested in research, they take it really seriously there and there is a lot of opportunity for that. Their classes/clinic are all in the same building and it is not on the main campus, so that could be a plus or negative based on your individual situation. I believe they don't really have room for electives in their program, because everyone takes the same classes at the same time (they split the grade into 3 cohorts and you stick with that cohort the whole time). This could also be a positive or negative depending on the person. 

William Paterson is the program I chose to commit to, mostly based off of the fact that I was offered an assistantship and I was not about to pass up free tuition. I also went to visit and got a really warm feeling from the head of the department and the clinic directer. The clinic and most of the classes are all in a brand new building on WPU's campus, so it is super nice, clean, and new. They also mentioned that the cases they get in their clinic are really diverse and theres a lot of variation to experience basically anything. I know with this program, you jump right into clinic with clients on your first semester, which is exciting to me, but could be a negative if you're not quite ready. Ranking wise, it is not the most impressive, but from everything i've heard, no one really cares about that. Luckily, SLPs don't really ever have problems getting jobs out of grad school, because there is such high demand everywhere. 

Kean I don't know much about, except hearsay, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt. I have heard that have a great program for speech, good graduation stats etc. and a nice campus. However, their administration seems a little disorganized and I think they are experiencing a high turnover of staff right now and the Univ president is leaving. This could definitely explain their late admissions decisions for fall compared to everyone else.

I am a North Jersey person, so I don't know much about Monmouth or Stockton. 

Hope that helped, at least a little! 

Thanks for the insight! I didn't know all that.