SLP/Communication Disorders Masters Applicants

[GandalfTheGrey]

I'm torn. I wanted to get into a research school. I didn't make it into the three research schools I applied to. Well, San Diego is a maybe but I don't hold out hope on that one. That leaves me with Northridge, which does not do research. Do I take what I can get or do I roll the dice and wait until next year and try all over again? Northridge wants an answer by noon tomorrow. What if it doesn't happen for me next year either? My brains feel scrambled right now!

If you were to wait another year, do you know what you would do to improve your chances? Grad school admissions are not going to get any less competitive (unfortunately), so if you don't have a solid plan in place for strengthening your application, it's probably not worth applying again just to get similar results. If what you really want to do is research, would you consider getting a research job or volunteer position in a lab to show graduate schools that you are serious about research?

Before you make your final decision, though, I wouldn't lose hope on the waitlists especially if CSUN doesn't require a deposit. Good luck!

[tspeechie]

If you were to wait another year, do you know what you would do to improve your chances? Grad school admissions are not going to get any less competitive (unfortunately), so if you don't have a solid plan in place for strengthening your application, it's probably not worth applying again just to get similar results. If what you really want to do is research, would you consider getting a research job or volunteer position in a lab to show graduate schools that you are serious about research?

Before you make your final decision, though, I wouldn't lose hope on the waitlists especially if CSUN doesn't require a deposit. Good luck!

I could probably improve my GRE math score and rewrite my LORs, I guess. Other than that, if I don't know why I didn't get accepted in the first place I'm kinda in the dark. I have a 4.0 in my COMD classes and I am working in the field. Something about my apps just wasn't what they were looking for. I think I'll accept at CSUN and see what happens with San Diego. I honestly don't know if I can get any research experience at Northridge. I'll have to look into it. Thanks for your supportive posts, Gandalf and NorcalSLP!

[glamclam]

I'm torn. I wanted to get into a research school. I didn't make it into the three research schools I applied to. Well, San Diego is a maybe but I don't hold out hope on that one. That leaves me with Northridge, which does not do research. Do I take what I can get or do I roll the dice and wait until next year and try all over again? Northridge wants an answer by noon tomorrow. What if it doesn't happen for me next year either? My brains feel scrambled right now!

Hey tspeechie, have you found out if doing research is possible at CSUN? That is also a huge concern of mine-

[tspeechie]

Hey tspeechie, have you found out if doing research is possible at CSUN? That is also a huge concern of mine-

Hi glamclam,

From all of the searching I've done on the CSUN website, I doubt there are research opportunities comparable to a school like SDSU or UW. I have looked all over and there aren't any areas on the website that speak of work professors are doing for research. I know CSUN gives you the option of doing a master's thesis, so I suppose that would be the closest thing to research you could do. I could be all wrong about this since I haven't talked to anyone at the school yet. This is just my best guess....

P.S. I wish the department had a better website!

P.P.S. I noticed we are waitlisted at the same schools. Still hoping for word on those? Dr. Love at SDSU said she couldn't give me any information until Friday. I wonder if that is the deadline for the first round of waitlisters?

Edited April 20, 2012 by tspeechie

[FutureSLP8]

Did anyone apply or hear back from the special cohort program at Cal State Long Beach? I interviewed with them last week and was told they would be making decisions really quickly, as soon as this week!!

[caseyr89]

Does anyone have any advise on getting research experience outside of their undergraduate university? I wasn't interested in doing research until it was too late to get an undergraduate research position. I'm graduating in two weeks and moving home since I didn't get in to grad school. I want to find a research job and possibly a job in the field to strengthen my application. Any suggestions as to how I should go about doing this??? I need all the help I can get!

Edited April 20, 2012 by caseyr89

[SomedaySLP]

Does anyone have any advise on getting research experience outside of their undergraduate university? I wasn't interested in doing research until it was too late to get an undergraduate research position. I'm graduating in two weeks and moving home since I didn't get in to grad school. I want to find a research job and possibly a job in the field to strengthen my application. Any suggestions as to how I should go about doing this??? I need all the help I can get!

Will you be moving back to an area that has a university nearby? You could contact that university and see if they have any positions available to non-students. Otherwise, I work in a research facility that is affiliated with a university within my state, but is in a different city and not run by university faculty members and they hire non-students all the time...maybe you can look for something like that? I don't know how common that actually is though...

[caseyr89]

Thanks!! That's kind of what I was thinking of doing, and wondering if there were other avenues as well.. I'll be moving to the San Jose area in CA. So I could definitely get in contact with SJSU and CSU East Bay, I guess I could always ask them to point me in the direction of some research facilities if they don't have positions for non-students.

Will you be moving back to an area that has a university nearby? You could contact that university and see if they have any positions available to non-students. Otherwise, I work in a research facility that is affiliated with a university within my state, but is in a different city and not run by university faculty members and they hire non-students all the time...maybe you can look for something like that? I don't know how common that actually is though...

[NorcalSLP]

Thanks!! That's kind of what I was thinking of doing, and wondering if there were other avenues as well.. I'll be moving to the San Jose area in CA. So I could definitely get in contact with SJSU and CSU East Bay, I guess I could always ask them to point me in the direction of some research facilities if they don't have positions for non-students.

Don't forget Stanford and Santa Clara. Just because a school does not have a SLP program does not mean they won't have useful research opportunities. My research is Autism related (at UW not a local school sorry) and it seemed to have helped. I don't know of any research opportunities around here off the top of my head but with so many big schools there are bound to be some.

[lizmeyers2]

All of these people getting accepted off of waitlists is depressing me. Anyone else still waiting to hear? I called NYU and they said "one to two weeks". I thought I would have everything figured out by now.

[AudioEnvy]

I'm still waiting too...the original waitlist letter that I got said "after April 20", sooo I guess that I will hopefully know pretty soon.

[megfrost]

I'm still waiting on two schools (coincidentally, the only two I applied to). Keep heart! Hang in there!

[caseyr89]

Thanks for the tip!!

Don't forget Stanford and Santa Clara. Just because a school does not have a SLP program does not mean they won't have useful research opportunities. My research is Autism related (at UW not a local school sorry) and it seemed to have helped. I don't know of any research opportunities around here off the top of my head but with so many big schools there are bound to be some.

[tspeechie]

Hey NorcalSLP.......

Why did you not stay at UW for grad studies? Thanks.

[NorcalSLP]

Hey NorcalSLP.......

Why did you not stay at UW for grad studies? Thanks.

I didn't apply for a number of reasons. I, unlike you, was not looking for a major research institution. I wanted to attend a more clinically based program. I don't see myself getting a PhD so didn't see the lure of a major research school. I also really dislike the quarter system and didn't really want to apply to any schools that used it (although I can't tell by looking at NEU's calendar if the grad schools uses a semester or a psudo-quarter system so I may have to deal with it again...). UW students tend to be....intense and very type A while I am more of an A-/B+ personality (that sounded odd haha). I know that wherever I go to grad school it will be intense and hard but, in the UW postbacc program a 93 on a test was the END OF THE WORLD. Being around that was just far too stressful for me (it may be different in the grad school as they are no longer trying to get into grad school). I also hated the weather in Seattle. I thought I would be able to deal with it but when it was still dark, dreary and wet (it does not pour rain all that much in Seattle but it will easily drizzle all day) in May I started to go a little crazy. I apparently moved there during the "wettest winter on record" but I have a sneaky feeling most winters are the "wettest on record". Granted I am moving to Boston where it will be far colder than my weather weak CA blood is used to but I'll deal with that then

All that being said I really did enjoy my time at UW. The way i always describe it (and this is totally cheesy/embarrassing) is that it is like on the bachelor (or I guess any real life non-scripted relationship) where the girl who is not getting the rose/getting dumped is told "I really wanted to like you because you are for so many people perfect, but I just don't see us working out in the long term". Basically it is a wonderful program with very nice, intelligent people who truly want the best for you. It provides a fantastic education and wonderful connections not only in Seattle but all over the country. The professors are kind and helpful and the students, while type a, are very willing to form study groups and help each other out. Seattle is a great city (I think you said you were from the PNW right?) and if the weather was better would probably be as expensive as the bay area (if not more). UW is a really great program for some people, it just was not right for me.

Hope that was helpful! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[redheadedasian]

For people going to Rush, I vaguely remember them saying something at the open house about another event in June (I think?). Does anyone know about when that will be? I'm trying to plan a trip with my boyfriend so we can look for apartments and so he can job hunt, but flights are going up every day and we'd really like to just get it planned (and ask for time off work, etc.).

[buttercupracer]

For people going to Rush, I vaguely remember them saying something at the open house about another event in June (I think?). Does anyone know about when that will be? I'm trying to plan a trip with my boyfriend so we can look for apartments and so he can job hunt, but flights are going up every day and we'd really like to just get it planned (and ask for time off work, etc.).

Edited for total reading comprehension/month confusion. I don't remember them saying anything about June, sorry!

Edited April 23, 2012 by buttercupracer

[Chrysanthemum]

Yay, I have officially heard back from all of my schools! Accepted to 2 and wait-listed at 1. I'm very happy overall; this season seemed super competitive. Now to make a decision...

[winnie_ruth]

Has anyone heard from CSU East Bay? Or declined an admission offer? Thanks!

[FutureSLP8]

Anyone apply to Cal State Long Beach Special Cohort program? Did you hear back? Are you accepting or declining?

[tpatoatl]

Time to lighten the mood a bit...

[MA-SLP FTW]

As seen in an SLP's office:

Speech Pathologists:

We have ways of making you talk.

[Delete Account]

Still haven't heard from CSU Northridge, feeling like the only one.....anyone else out there still waiting for a reply?

[leesta]

Heard back from SDSU yesterday, got off the waitlist! And now I'm going crazy because I'm rethinking my decision and I have one day to reply with my answer.

UW - Awesome school, would love to study in the MedSLP program, great city, offered one in four scholarships (albeit very small) and a possible TA position

SDSU - A fraction of the UW cost, best school in CA, great location as well, being with the boyfriend and being able to get married sooner.

I know this is a very general outline of my situation, but any thoughts? I'm not too interested in research, but I understand the value of a highly ranked school, especially one like UW. I spoke with Dr. Barlow earlier this morning and got some more info about the program since I barely knew anything about it... based on what she said, it looks like a solid program as well.

Thought all the worrying/anxiety was over, but I guess not

[AudioEnvy]

That is a hard one, leesta. You probably couldn't go wrong either way! I don't know that much about either school...but just based on what you said about them, I would probably lean towards SDSU if it was me...significantly cheaper, closer to your boyfriend (I think that is what you meant?), and still a really good program...

On another note, is there anyone else on here who is still hoping to hear about the St. Xavier waitlist? The waitlist letter said "after April 20th"...I know that it has only been 5 days, but I am starting to lose any hope that I had about it.