SLP/Communication Disorders Masters Applicants

[fibi]

I emailed them yesterday and they replied that the admissions committee will have their decisions by April 15th (when most schools want to know if you are coming or not)... looks like I might have to ask for some extensions.

Wow they sure are taking their time. I'm almost definitely going to MGH though, so extensions won't be a problem, but I'd still like to know. I hope it all works out for you!

[slushlily]

I applied to Syracuse. I haven't heard anything about funding or merit awards... One of my other schools also told me they would have info about funding "soon," but that was when I got my letter on 2/9. So, yeah. I'm honestly not expecting to get any information about funding before we have to send in our decisions.

Are you by chance going to the open house tomorrow for Syracuse? I am!

I am too! My train from Toronto leaves bright and early in the morning (ew). I'm really hoping that I like what we see tomorrow-- I have it narrowed down to either Syracuse or MGH, and since I'm originally from CNY, there are many aspects of SU that make a lot of sense for me, but then again, I'm also originally from CNY, you know? I'd really appreciate some, like, tipping point bit of information-- whether a financial offer or a really good experience tomorrow or whatever-- that hints at what the right decision might be. How are you finding this whole process?

[tayfray]

I was accepted at U of O but didn't hear about an open house. I haven't told them whether I'm accepting their offer yet as I am still not fully decided. Maybe that's why I didn't get information about the open house or maybe I lost some part of the letters they sent me? I went to an information session for the CDS program back in the fall. I liked what I saw for the most part. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was almost all the faculty have expertise in neurogenic/TBI/medical and I'm interested in working in the schools. I'm a little worried about getting a too narrowly-focused education there, although they did say they balance your externships equally in both schools and medical settings. Also, I used to live in Eugene and think it is so boring. Oregon rules, Eugene is a little too much of a small college town for my liking. I will say that the clinical facilities at U of O are beautiful (I'm at Portland State now and our clinic is in the basement of a hideous, very dated building). Do share your campus visit experiences!

I'm no expert, but I am currently a postbacc at UO. I can tell you that it's not an especially medically-based program. You'll actually have much more exposure to the schools. The U of O doesn't have a hospital affiliated with it, so getting students medical externships is a challenge. They often send students out of town or even out of state (I've heard of students going to Idaho!). My advisor recommended that I not apply there if I wanted to do medical, especially since I was not open to traveling for my externship.

[ingolstadt]

Just got my decision from loyola, the last school I was waiting on. Got rejected! Straight up! To any of you still waiting on them, the letter I received was pretty rough. "Your qualifications were not sufficiently competitive when compared to the entire pool of applicants"

Dang, what d-bags! I'm sorry. I've got serious doubts about the quality of a program that treats its applicants that way!

[messybrownhair]

Well I officially declined emerson yesterday. Dang it was hard! I keep getting those "what if I made the wrong choice?" moments. But I guess at this point I just can't look back and instead just focus what's in store for me at my chosen program. In the end it just all boiled down to logistics coz even though I have no undergraduate loans I was looking at about 70-80k for two years in emerson including living expenses while bloomsburg would be around 40 including living expenses. Also, my husband works in PA and so we would have had to be apart for the time that he's still here (he's deploying soon)

There are even moments where I get paranoid like omg what if bloomsburg decides they don't want me but I already turned emerson down. Lol. I don't think it will happen coz I already paid the deposit it took me a while to get the courage to send that email but hopefully someone out there will gladly take my spot

[Daniela]

I think you made a very smart choice! Good luck at Bloomsburg and I hope your husband stays safe!

Well I officially declined emerson yesterday. Dang it was hard! I keep getting those "what if I made the wrong choice?" moments. But I guess at this point I just can't look back and instead just focus what's in store for me at my chosen program. In the end it just all boiled down to logistics coz even though I have no undergraduate loans I was looking at about 70-80k for two years in emerson including living expenses while bloomsburg would be around 40 including living expenses. Also, my husband works in PA and so we would have had to be apart for the time that he's still here (he's deploying soon)

There are even moments where I get paranoid like omg what if bloomsburg decides they don't want me but I already turned emerson down. Lol. I don't think it will happen coz I already paid the deposit it took me a while to get the courage to send that email but hopefully someone out there will gladly take my spot

[slp24]

Congrats on making your decision! I had a tough time too after I made mine. I kept wondering if I should email them back and try to make it work. However, it all came down to money for me and I am excited /nervous to start in the fall! I think my summer will be spent reviewing just so I can make sure I'm somewhat prepared.

Well I officially declined emerson yesterday. Dang it was hard! I keep getting those "what if I made the wrong choice?" moments. But I guess at this point I just can't look back and instead just focus what's in store for me at my chosen program. In the end it just all boiled down to logistics coz even though I have no undergraduate loans I was looking at about 70-80k for two years in emerson including living expenses while bloomsburg would be around 40 including living expenses. Also, my husband works in PA and so we would have had to be apart for the time that he's still here (he's deploying soon)

There are even moments where I get paranoid like omg what if bloomsburg decides they don't want me but I already turned emerson down. Lol. I don't think it will happen coz I already paid the deposit it took me a while to get the courage to send that email but hopefully someone out there will gladly take my spot

[gretel]

Once again some comments on the results board are making my skin crawl. [Cue the after school special music.]

These decisions are complicated. Admissions departments look at more than just GRE scores and GPAs, and often people have certain qualifications that can't be quantified numerically. Often real-life experience trumps book smarts. That's just the way it is. If you're slandering other people who were accepted, it probably means you should take a step back from this process. Also, if you're stating that something is a "pretty crappy school," I would question why you spent the time and money to apply there in the first place. Don't let this process make you bitter and unkind. Those are not qualities that will help you when you are an SLP.

Okay! I just had to get that off my chest.

Edited April 1, 2011 by gretel

[stephpop]

ew....yeah, i agree with the above poster, don't go someplace where they're so rude!

Thanks all of you! I mean I have nothing against Loyola. I actually really like the school...but don't talk about my qualifications not being strong enough unless you can provide me with any grounds for that statement. Where was I deficient? What doesn't make me good enough for your school? That's what I want to know.

[gretel]

Thanks all of you! I mean I have nothing against Loyola. I actually really like the school...but don't talk about my qualifications not being strong enough unless you can provide me with any grounds for that statement. Where was I deficient? What doesn't make me good enough for your school? That's what I want to know.

I completely agree. If you're curious, I would contact the department and ask them for specifics. If they're going to send a letter like that they should be prepared to be asked about it.

Edited April 1, 2011 by gretel

[dogfishing]

I completely agree. If you're curious, I would contact the department and ask them for specifics. If they're going to send a letter like that they should be prepared to be asked about it.

I agree, actually. If they're going to make it sound like admission decisions are based on really black-and-white criterion, I would force them to explicitly state what those actually are!

[stephpop]

Once again some comments on the results board are making my skin crawl. [Cue the after school special music.]

These decisions are complicated. Admissions departments look at more than just GRE scores and GPAs, and often people have certain qualifications that can't be quantified numerically. Often real-life experience trumps book smarts. That's just the way it is. If you're slandering other people who were accepted, it probably means you should take a step back from this process. Also, if you're stating that something is a "pretty crappy school," I would question why you spent the time and money to apply there in the first place. Don't let this process make you bitter and unkind. Those are not qualities that will help you when you are an SLP.

Okay! I just had to get that off my chest.

Hi Gretel.

Thanks for the reply to my post. I will contact them. I saw the Columbia TC posts on the results page and I think it is completely f-ed up that those people said that. I have a 3.41 undergrad GPA in animal science. I have a better GPA in my slp pre-reqs and a 1390 GRE, but I thought that my undergrad GPA could possibly hold me back... I thought and still think that my experiences are above average. I don't think I am better than anyone else but how many people have actually worked with Dr. Greenspan and had their own clients for 6 years? I had a letter from Dr. Greenspan (written before he died) and one from an SLP i worked with, in addition to 2 from professors. Although I only got into one school, I would be disgusted if someone made a remark about my 3.41 GPA.

You are right, qualifications cannot be quantified, but how do admissions boards determine which experiences are deemed to be qualified and which are just not cutting the mustard? In my case, I think that if my experiences were impressive enough to the board, they would have overlooked my 3.41 GPA....but clearly they did not.

I, also, just wanted to vent

[stephpop]

I agree, actually. If they're going to make it sound like admission decisions are based on really black-and-white criterion, I would force them to explicitly state what those actually are!

I just emailed Loyola, asking them to please "inform me as to which of my qualifications were not competitive enough. I spent a lot of time preparing my application and attended an open house where Janet Preis expressed that she gives every application the attention and consideration it deserves. Therefore, I would appreciate a little bit more information, besides the fact that there were many more applicants, as to why I was not quite good enough to get accepted to your program."

I will let you all know what they say.

[gretel]

Hi Gretel.

Thanks for the reply to my post. I will contact them. I saw the Columbia TC posts on the results page and I think it is completely f-ed up that those people said that. I have a 3.41 undergrad GPA in animal science. I have a better GPA in my slp pre-reqs and a 1390 GRE, but I thought that my undergrad GPA could possibly hold me back... I thought and still think that my experiences are above average. I don't think I am better than anyone else but how many people have actually worked with Dr. Greenspan and had their own clients for 6 years? I had a letter from Dr. Greenspan (written before he died) and one from an SLP i worked with, in addition to 2 from professors. Although I only got into one school, I would be disgusted if someone made a remark about my 3.41 GPA.

You are right, qualifications cannot be quantified, but how do admissions boards determine which experiences are deemed to be qualified and which are just not cutting the mustard? In my case, I think that if my experiences were impressive enough to the board, they would have overlooked my 3.41 GPA....but clearly they did not.

I, also, just wanted to vent

Vent away. This process is a very difficult one. It is hard to see yourself reduced to a a GPA or a GRE score, when that is antithetical to everything I believe should happen in education.

I hope they respond to your query with some constructive comments/explanations! Oh to be a fly on the wall of the admissions offices of these schools . . .

[crlynchn]

I just emailed Loyola, asking them to please "inform me as to which of my qualifications were not competitive enough. I spent a lot of time preparing my application and attended an open house where Janet Preis expressed that she gives every application the attention and consideration it deserves. Therefore, I would appreciate a little bit more information, besides the fact that there were many more applicants, as to why I was not quite good enough to get accepted to your program."

I will let you all know what they say.

It will be interesting to know for sure. To me though, it may be like my undergrad application experience. Perhaps they felt that if you were accepted, you would not attend. Your qualifications are stellar, and it may just be that they felt you were overqualified?

[tayfray]

Once again some comments on the results board are making my skin crawl. [Cue the after school special music.]

These decisions are complicated. Admissions departments look at more than just GRE scores and GPAs, and often people have certain qualifications that can't be quantified numerically. Often real-life experience trumps book smarts. That's just the way it is. If you're slandering other people who were accepted, it probably means you should take a step back from this process. Also, if you're stating that something is a "pretty crappy school," I would question why you spent the time and money to apply there in the first place. Don't let this process make you bitter and unkind. Those are not qualities that will help you when you are an SLP.

Okay! I just had to get that off my chest.

I think there are a lot of very anxious people out there right now and it's making them bitter. I understand that it can be upsetting when it looks like people are being selected unfairly, but I think they're missing the whole picture. We all know it's not all about grades and GRE. I really do think the essay and the letters have a lot of weight. How boring would the class be if they just chose the 4.0 students?

Hell, I didn't even have a real GPA. My undergrad didn't have grades, so all I had was a kind of fake postbacc GPA. My CSDCAS application looked ridiculous, because they made me enter all of my credits that didn't have letter/number grades as 0.00. Oh, and I flubbed the AW section of the GRE. But I think I was a good all-around package. There was a lot more to my applications than just the numbers.

So don't let anyone make you feel bad just because they had ever-so-slightly higher GPA. It probably just comes down to a few B's. No biggie-- some schools have so much grade inflation that you almost can't even compare an A at one school to an A at another, and admissions committees surely know that.

[gretel]

I think there are a lot of very anxious people out there right now and it's making them bitter. I understand that it can be upsetting when it looks like people are being selected unfairly, but I think they're missing the whole picture. We all know it's not all about grades and GRE. I really do think the essay and the letters have a lot of weight. How boring would the class be if they just chose the 4.0 students?

Hell, I didn't even have a real GPA. My undergrad didn't have grades, so all I had was a kind of fake postbacc GPA. My CSDCAS application looked ridiculous, because they made me enter all of my credits that didn't have letter/number grades as 0.00. Oh, and I flubbed the AW section of the GRE. But I think I was a good all-around package. There was a lot more to my applications than just the numbers.

So don't let anyone make you feel bad just because they had ever-so-slightly higher GPA. It probably just comes down to a few B's. No biggie-- some schools have so much grade inflation that you almost can't even compare an A at one school to an A at another, and admissions committees surely know that.

Thanks, Tayfray. I didn't have to use CSDCAS, and everything I have heard about it this year makes me realize how lucky I was.

My boyfriend's college didn't have grades, either. So when he applied to grad school he had to send each school a huge packet of all his professors' reports. What a nightmare!

[tayfray]

Thanks, Tayfray. I didn't have to use CSDCAS, and everything I have heard about it this year makes me realize how lucky I was.

My boyfriend's college didn't have grades, either. So when he applied to grad school he had to send each school a huge packet of all his professors' reports. What a nightmare!

Oh yeah, my undergrad transcript is 13 pages long. It was a mess to deal with, especially since most of my schools used CSDCAS. I had to jump through lots of hoops to even get my transcript added to my files, since CSDCAS wouldn't touch it.

[dogfishing]

I think there are a lot of very anxious people out there right now and it's making them bitter. I understand that it can be upsetting when it looks like people are being selected unfairly, but I think they're missing the whole picture. We all know it's not all about grades and GRE. I really do think the essay and the letters have a lot of weight. How boring would the class be if they just chose the 4.0 students?

Hell, I didn't even have a real GPA. My undergrad didn't have grades, so all I had was a kind of fake postbacc GPA. My CSDCAS application looked ridiculous, because they made me enter all of my credits that didn't have letter/number grades as 0.00. Oh, and I flubbed the AW section of the GRE. But I think I was a good all-around package. There was a lot more to my applications than just the numbers.

So don't let anyone make you feel bad just because they had ever-so-slightly higher GPA. It probably just comes down to a few B's. No biggie-- some schools have so much grade inflation that you almost can't even compare an A at one school to an A at another, and admissions committees surely know that.

Completely agreed. I think people also lose sight of the fact that, when you’re looking at programs that have 25-30 students enrolled, the adcoms are looking for people who are just a good “fit”, if that makes sense. It goes beyond numbers.

On the other hand, I don’t think people with “low” (let’s be honest, this major can make us have unrealistic GPA expectations – we’re all winners, haha ) should let those comments make them too defensive. It shows ignorance, definitely, but it’s also good to remember that these people are just venting too, and that this is a super-stressful process that can make anyone upset and angry. I think they all probably know deep down that it’s about way more than grades, but who hasn’t thought some crazy things during this whole thing? I sure know I have.

[ingolstadt]

I got pretty angry last night when I was looking on the results page and someone just flat out dissed Columbia TC because they got rejected. Sour grapes much? Not all programs base their decisions solely on GPA and GRE -- and I really commend them for that. Grades definitely aren't everything and I've seen booksmart grad students at my school who struggle when it comes to the clinical, non-academic portion (which, in the end, is that part that matters most). I really think LoRs and personal statements are much stronger indicators of an applicant's potential than the other two measures.

I'm really cross about admissions committees using GPA to compare applicants because conditions are not the same in every undergrad/postbacc program. Some programs offer just the basics like phonetics, A&P, language development and audio while other programs require that undergrads take neuro, dysphagia and motor speech as well. And of course, there is variation among programs when it comes to how feasible it is to get straight As. Let's not forget applicants who switched over from a tough major like engineering or chem and fought an uphill battle to improve a lackluster GPA.The GRE is really the only quantitative measure they should use for comparison.

[gradstudent84]

I'm really cross about admissions committees using GPA to compare applicants because conditions are not the same in every undergrad/postbacc program. Some programs offer just the basics like phonetics, A&P, language development and audio while other programs require that undergrads take neuro, dysphagia and motor speech as well. And of course, there is variation among programs when it comes to how feasible it is to get straight As. Let's not forget applicants who switched over from a tough major like engineering or chem and fought an uphill battle to improve a lackluster GPA.The GRE is really the only quantitative measure they should use for comparison.

Unfortunately most (if not all) state schools really do judge based solely on GPA and GRE. It's completely unfair, but I've had letter writers warn me that LORs don't count for much, as many would not even consider reading them if GPA was subpar. I don't believe this to be true.

I've also had some professors tell me I have absolutely no chance of getting in at a state school, not even some well known private schools. One instructor told me I should wait until the next year to apply, as she believed I wouldn't be in competition with stellar GPAs. I've had many naysayers have very little faith in me and I am happy not only because I got into a couple of my top choice schools, but also because I proved a lot of people wrong with my hard work. Anyone who has something negative to say to me (IF there are any negative words at all) will fall on deaf ears because I proved to myself, friends, and family that I AM capable of going this far, and I WILL continue to succeed.

Edited April 1, 2011 by gradstudent84

[ingolstadt]

Unfortunately most (if not all) state schools really do judge based solely on GPA and GRE. It's completely unfair, but I've had letter writers warn me that LORs don't count for much, as many would not even consider reading them if GPA was subpar. I don't believe this to be true.

I've also had some professors tell me I have absolutely no chance of getting in at a state school, not even some well known private schools. One instructor told me I should wait until the next year to apply, as she believed I wouldn't be in competition with stellar GPAs. I've had many naysayers have very little faith in me and I am happy not only because I got into a couple of my top choice schools, but also because I proved a lot of people wrong with my hard work. Anyone who has something negative to say to me (IF there are any negative words at all) will fall on deaf ears because I proved to myself, friends, and family that I AM capable of going this far, and I WILL continue to succeed.

I'm glad you proved them wrong and best of luck to you in grad school! I love it when the underdogs get to shove it in a pompous instructor's face. I go to a state school in California and our department chair flat out told a couple of students (who didn't have stellar GPAs) that were asking for grad school application advice "Don't even bother." Our program apparently didn't take anyone below a 3.8 last year and I'd venture to say it was just as high (if not worse!) this year. I can understand the volume of applications can be overwhelming but, you know what? Suck it up. It's your job. Do a thorough evaluation rather than this half-assed process of eliminating everyone below your ridiculously high minimum. If we pay these insane application fees and put time and effort into our personal statements, filling out applications and collecting LoRs, they should consider each application equally, even if they need to stay after hours for a couple of weeks. This process was costly and time-consuming for us (especially those who used CSDCAS!!!) and they should at least give us that much respect.

[gradstudent84]

I'm glad you proved them wrong and best of luck to you in grad school! I love it when the underdogs get to shove it in a pompous instructor's face. I go to a state school in California and our department chair flat out told a couple of students (who didn't have stellar GPAs) that were asking for grad school application advice "Don't even bother." Our program apparently didn't take anyone below a 3.8 last year and I'd venture to say it was just as high (if not worse!) this year. I can understand the volume of applications can be overwhelming but, you know what? Suck it up. It's your job. Do a thorough evaluation rather than this half-assed process of eliminating everyone below your ridiculously high minimum. If we pay these insane application fees and put time and effort into our personal statements, filling out applications and collecting LoRs, they should consider each application equally, even if they need to stay after hours for a couple of weeks. This process was costly and time-consuming for us (especially those who used CSDCAS!!!) and they should at least give us that much respect.

I too felt at times that applicants were treated quite disrespectfully. I think the administrative assistants (and even some instructors) forget the fact that WE are the ones paying the money, putting in the time, effort, and dedication JUST to be considered, and putting our sanity on the line. We are the ones putting ourselves under the microscope to get picked apart and judged.

It baffles me even more when our fellow applicants respond to acceptances with bitterness when we have all been through the same thing and gone through the same anxieties. I admit I felt a pang of envy when I saw that there were many, MANY acceptances on the gradcafe results page before I got my acceptances, which is why I largely AVOIDED gradcafe and fought the urge to check it from time to time. So it's better just to let things alone and wait, without getting ideas and making ourselves more nervous by checking gradcafe. Personally, it didn't help me at all.

Edited April 1, 2011 by gradstudent84

[dogfishing]

Unfortunately most (if not all) state schools really do judge based solely on GPA and GRE. It's completely unfair, but I've had letter writers warn me that LORs don't count for much, as many would not even consider reading them if GPA was subpar. I don't believe this to be true.

I've also had some professors tell me I have absolutely no chance of getting in at a state school, not even some well known private schools. One instructor told me I should wait until the next year to apply, as she believed I wouldn't be in competition with stellar GPAs. I've had many naysayers have very little faith in me and I am happy not only because I got into a couple of my top choice schools, but also because I proved a lot of people wrong with my hard work. Anyone who has something negative to say to me (IF there are any negative words at all) will fall on deaf ears because I proved to myself, friends, and family that I AM capable of going this far, and I WILL continue to succeed.

Yay for proving jerks wrong! I can't believe some of these stories though. I feel like I've really taken for granted how supportive my undergrad department has been now. Sheesh.

[mscongeniality1]

I admit I felt a pang of envy when I saw that there were many, MANY acceptances on the gradcafe results page before I got my acceptances, which is why I largely AVOIDED gradcafe and fought the urge to check it from time to time. So it's better just to let things alone and wait, without getting ideas and making ourselves more nervous by checking gradcafe. Personally, it didn't help me at all.

I was the exact same. One week I was driving myself to tears because acceptances were being doled out via phone to a school I loved and I wasn't getting called. I checked my phone AND the results board like a crazy person. And then someone told me "You'll be accepted/rejected/waitlisted just the same whether or not you've been checking Gradcafe, AND if you wouldn't check every 5 minutes you'd be half as stressed." So I stopped and it was true, and I ended up getting in, and it turns out I ended up not liking their program that much anyway. SO. All this worrying and stress and fretting turned out to be for no good reason. Silly mscongeniality!

I'm telling all the kids in the classes below me to stay OFF the results board until at least after spring break.