SLP/Communication Disorders Masters Applicants

[812920895]

Has anyone accepted at Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio? What about Pacific University in Oregon? I am desperately trying to decide and could use some info!

Thanks!

[safan1985]

Any news about Edinboro Univ waiting list?

[caffeinerd]

Today is a goooood day! I got off of the St. Xavier waitlist. Is anyone here planning on going there?

Are you going to accept?

[katie_h17]

Has anyone tried to apply to bilingual SLP Master's programs?

[springhaze]

Just out of curiousity- Is anybody else still waiting to hear from Texas State?

They haven't said a word to me. I keep checking the "online application status check" page, which is a total joke. It has said "complete ready for review" for months now. No change. It says they have received all my materials, but I have yet to receive an email or letter or anything. I know they have already sent out acceptances and rejections. I'm wondering if I fell through the cracks somehow? I've already accepted at another school but I can't help but be pretty frustrated that I jumped through all these hoops to get my application in to them by their deadline, and they can't even bother to tell me yea or nay.

[caseyr89]

Anyone going to University of the Pacific??

[SomedaySLP]

Anyone going to University of the Pacific??

Just wanted to say congrats on your acceptance!!

[caseyr89]

Thanks!

Just wanted to say congrats on your acceptance!!

[redheadedasian]

For people going to Rush, where are you looking to live? I start apartment-hunting Monday in the Tri-Taylor area...any tips on safety? I would really love to walk or take the L/buses, but I suppose I can commute from Wrigleyville or something to avoid getting murdered...

[NorcalSLP]

something to avoid getting murdered...

haha I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks about that!! When looking at places to live in Boston I am always like "okay, if I live here I could live in this nice building with a great kitchen but....would I get killed on my way home from the T station?...hmmmmmmm" It would be nice to fast forward a few months when we have all of the nitty gritty settled. And I thought the stress would stop after we made our grad school decisions.

[MA-SLP FTW]

For people going to Rush, where are you looking to live? I start apartment-hunting Monday in the Tri-Taylor area...any tips on safety? I would really love to walk or take the L/buses, but I suppose I can commute from Wrigleyville or something to avoid getting murdered...

Hey there! I used to live in Chicago (a couple of years ago) when my S/O was in grad school at Rush. I think the hardest part about finding housing is reconciling how expensive it is to live anywhere nice. If at all possible, go to apartments in-person if for no other reason than to check out the neighborhood. The area immediately surrounding Rush is a little iffy, but there are so many good areas that are close to the eL and Rush has its own stop (Polk off of the Pink Line). You could live in Evanston and still take the eL to Rush (although it would take for.ev.er.).

Don't feel guilty for being judgemental about neighborhoods. Lincoln Park/Wrigleyville are both great spots with easy train access, but there are even parts of Greektown (close to Rush) that would be fine. I used to walk to work (Business District) from Union Station at 5am and never had an issue, but hospitals always attract a wide range of folks.

Good luck hunting - and I'd be happy to answer any more questions you have!

[Andreamia]

I received my first and only SLP graduate program acceptance back in April and am very excited. However, my husband was also accepted to med school so we relocated about an hour from my school. An hour commute (all expressway) there and back sounds dreadful to me, but you gotta do what you gotta do... and it could be worse. At least I was accepted and have a school to go to! For that I am thankful. Anyone else have to sacrifice and do really long commutes in grad school? For those of you who have done it, how much of an impact do you think it will have on my time during the program? Any advice?

[TalkItOut_9]

Who's ready for the next application cycle? Woot! It's my first time applying (and hopefully my last) and I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster--excited, nervous, anxious, etc. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next ten months!

Where are prospective applicants looking to apply? I'm looking at Northwestern, Illinois State, University of Illinois, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rush, Emerson, Boston University, and Northeastern. I'm a city girl, so I'm looking to stay near a big city...but I'm also worried that I'm applying to some very tough programs and I don't have enough "safety" schools in case things don't go my way.

I'm taking the GRE in late August and starting applications in September. Any advice during this tedious application process? Any helpful comments are much appreciated!

[MA-SLP FTW]

Who's ready for the next application cycle? Woot! It's my first time applying (and hopefully my last) and I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster--excited, nervous, anxious, etc. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next ten months!

Where are prospective applicants looking to apply? I'm looking at Northwestern, Illinois State, University of Illinois, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rush, Emerson, Boston University, and Northeastern. I'm a city girl, so I'm looking to stay near a big city...but I'm also worried that I'm applying to some very tough programs and I don't have enough "safety" schools in case things don't go my way.

I'm taking the GRE in late August and starting applications in September. Any advice during this tedious application process? Any helpful comments are much appreciated!

Welcome aboard!

Good luck as you start the process. As you can gather from this thread, there is a lot of stress involved, but you can do it! I'd recommend looking at schools based on their specialty areas, being sure not to ignore smaller (not "name brand") programs. I know of more than one person who applied to schools in just one state (sometimes one city) or who only chose top 20 schools & were disappointed when decisions were mailed. Not all of us are able to move away from where we live now, but if you can I think it's worth a shot!

I applied to 6 schools and spent over $1000 on fees/transcripts/etc. I didn't even make any campus visits, so who knows how much I could have spent before even getting accepted anywhere! I consider that money an investment in my future, but it was pretty painful to look at my bank statements for awhile. I spoke with one of my professors who encouraged me to do my homework (e-mail departments, etc.) before making final decisions on where to apply. This was solid advice. Don't be afraid to reach out to professors at your prospective schools. I think it helps give you a better idea of whether or not the program is a good fit for you and it also gives you some name recognition later.

My biggest piece of advice is to get really solid letters of recommendation (LoRs). Get them from people in the speech and hearing department at your school. You may think TAs of your classes or SLPs you shadowed know you better, but ComD is a small community and if you have the cojones to ask for letters from your professors it shows how badly you want to get in to school. I also talked to my recommenders about my school/life path. I know that sounds corny, but they are essentially where I want to be someday so I was ready to soak up whatever wisdom they were willing to provide. I would ask them point-blank if they thought I would get in to a particular program. I'd rather be dealt the truth early than wait to get the bad news in April.

Enjoy your last few weeks of sanity! You think that you'll feel relieved after your applications are in, but then the waiting game begins!

[sar21leo]

Who's ready for the next application cycle? Woot! It's my first time applying (and hopefully my last) and I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster--excited, nervous, anxious, etc. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next ten months!

Where are prospective applicants looking to apply? I'm looking at Northwestern, Illinois State, University of Illinois, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rush, Emerson, Boston University, and Northeastern. I'm a city girl, so I'm looking to stay near a big city...but I'm also worried that I'm applying to some very tough programs and I don't have enough "safety" schools in case things don't go my way.

I'm taking the GRE in late August and starting applications in September. Any advice during this tedious application process? Any helpful comments are much appreciated!

I am! I'm applying to NYU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, and USF. I had a list of 20 schools when I started and I kept chopping it down because a lot of them weren't the right fit for me. I'm trying to find schools that incorporate some kind of creative elements (like NYU) or have a lot of diversity (one of the things I'm interested in is accent modification). I'm a city girl too and I'd love to get back to NY! I'm also taking the GRE's in late August and I'm observing my first speech pathologist next week. If I don't get in I'll finish all of the classes at USU's online program (I'm halfway through) and get a job as a SLP-A hopefully before I apply again. I've been freaking out for a while now and I think this might be the longest ten months of my life!

[redheadedasian]

I am! I'm applying to NYU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, and USF. I had a list of 20 schools when I started and I kept chopping it down because a lot of them weren't the right fit for me. I'm trying to find schools that incorporate some kind of creative elements (like NYU) or have a lot of diversity (one of the things I'm interested in is accent modification). I'm a city girl too and I'd love to get back to NY! I'm also taking the GRE's in late August and I'm observing my first speech pathologist next week. If I don't get in I'll finish all of the classes at USU's online program (I'm halfway through) and get a job as a SLP-A hopefully before I apply again. I've been freaking out for a while now and I think this might be the longest ten months of my life!

You MIGHT want to add one or two more. Vandy and Chapel Hill are notoriously difficult to get into, and NYU is expensive with very little funding. Sorry if I sound like a downer, but believe me, I wish I'd known all this the first time I applied...

[sar21leo]

You MIGHT want to add one or two more. Vandy and Chapel Hill are notoriously difficult to get into, and NYU is expensive with very little funding. Sorry if I sound like a downer, but believe me, I wish I'd known all this the first time I applied...

Yeah I probably will but I can't seem to find any schools that really interest me. Also, I know it shouldn't matter but location is important to me. I've lived in NYC, Albany (NY), Raleigh (NC), Fort Lauderdale and other parts of south Florida, Scottsdale, and Tucson (AZ) so I really want to be close to a place that I want to settle in. I'm not one of those people who needs to see what's out there because I pretty much know. I know I want to be on the East Coast and I've lived in small towns and know it's not for me. But yeah, I know my list will have to get longer if I want a decent chance of getting in. Thanks for the advice!

[NorcalSLP]

Yeah I probably will but I can't seem to find any schools that really interest me. Also, I know it shouldn't matter but location is important to me. I've lived in NYC, Albany (NY), Raleigh (NC), Fort Lauderdale and other parts of south Florida, Scottsdale, and Tucson (AZ) so I really want to be close to a place that I want to settle in. I'm not one of those people who needs to see what's out there because I pretty much know. I know I want to be on the East Coast and I've lived in small towns and know it's not for me. But yeah, I know my list will have to get longer if I want a decent chance of getting in. Thanks for the advice!

I agree with the above poster that you need to add a school or two. Your stats are good but these days that is not enough. Unless you are willing to gamble you have to cast a wide net. I applied to ten schools and got into three was wait listed at two and was rejected from three (two of which I was rejected from after a wait that was long enough for me to think that I was in the second round of applications). I just turned down an interview for the last school. While my stats are not as good as yours I still only got into 3/10 of the schools I applied to. I think you need to figure out what you are willing to give up in order to add more schools to your list. Would you be willing to live somewhere other than the south/east coast for two years while you do your masters? Would you be willing to live in a smaller city or even small town while you did your masters? Or if there is a specific track/research interest you have are you willing to go to a school that has that track but may not be nationally recognized for it? You say that location is important to you and I can understand that but is it more important than the actual program? You also have a pretty large scope already covered in terms of geography. You can easily find other schools in that general location. Go to ASHA's edfind and select the states you are willing to live in and then go from there. New York for example has a TON of schools in the NYC area and Florida has a ton of schools too. You said you had a list of 20 schools but some of them weren't the right fit. I would advise looking at them again and figure out if they are REALLY not a good fit or if you are being unduly picky. If they are the wrong fit then absolutely don't waist the time or money it takes to apply. But if you are nit-picking than consider adding them back in. No grad school is perfect and you need to figure out what you are willing to deal with. Don't only look at the US World reports rankings because they are very deceiving (the CA schools for example are ranked pretty low but very hard to get into). I personally think that there are not really safety schools in this field, at least not in the same way that there are for undergrad, but there are ones that you may have an easier time getting into. I know that I lecturing you a bit but I honestly think that it will lower your stress level (at least a bit) if you have more schools, especially because the ones you are applying to are really tough tickets. Okay, off my soap box now.

[NorcalSLP]

Who's ready for the next application cycle? Woot! It's my first time applying (and hopefully my last) and I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster--excited, nervous, anxious, etc. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next ten months! Where are prospective applicants looking to apply? I'm looking at Northwestern, Illinois State, University of Illinois, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rush, Emerson, Boston University, and Northeastern. I'm a city girl, so I'm looking to stay near a big city...but I'm also worried that I'm applying to some very tough programs and I don't have enough "safety" schools in case things don't go my way. I'm taking the GRE in late August and starting applications in September. Any advice during this tedious application process? Any helpful comments are much appreciated!

As WannabeSLP said, welcome! This process will feel like it is never ending but will be over before you know it (gosh I hope the same is true with grad school...). I agree with everything WannabeSLP said and have a bit of advise of my own:

In terms of recommenders: YES they are very important. Most schools require that at least two be from professors you have had in your Comm Diss classes. If you have research experience your research supervisor is another great recommender because it will set you apart (so long as your two professors are guaranteed to be strong letters). The same is true for volunteer work. Some professors limit the number of schools they will write recs for so be prepared to have four or five people willing to write you recs, just in case one person says they will only write four. Also ask them ASAP to write the letters. As some professors limit the number of schools per student some also limit the number of students they will write for. If you are taking summer classes or are near/on campus this summer and you are in contact with the professors ask them now. You certainly can't (and shouldn't) expect them to write the letters now but at least they will have a heads up. In addition to everything they needed to write the letters (forms, due dates, addressed stamped envelops if necessary) I also gave my recommenders a copy of my transcript, my resume, and a copy of my personal statement (it was not in it's final draft and no professor expects it to be, but I gave a good overview of what I want to do with a masters). I second asking a trusted professor what your chances are at the schools you have on your list. You could also ask if you are missing any schools as there are a lot of schools out there that you may have never heard of that will be a great fit.

Your resume and personal statement: Milk what you have done for all it is worth. I did not know this the first time around and it looked like I had NO experience. While my experience and background grew a TON during my postbacc year, looking back at my first resume I could have made it look better (without lying). If you volunteer one a month at a pre-school include it. If you work your local special olympics once a year for three days a year include it. As long as your resume is under a page, and you don't have one-time volunteer work (unless it is at something like ASHA convention) include all volunteer work/related paid work/awards on your resume. Your personal statement is similar. While it shouldn't be a list of accomplishments don't underestimate what you may view as trivial. If you went to an observation that really cemented why you want to be an SLP, write about it. If an interaction with a child you use to babysit made you understand the importance of our field and why you want to be a part of it, write about it. The personal statement is really your place to show who YOU are as a person instead of just a bunch of STATS. I also do not recommend writing a separate letter for every school. Unless one of your schools has a specific and different question (most just ask why you want to be and SLP and why you would make a good one), you can use the same basic essay for all of your schools. I added a paragraph at the end of each of mine (no more than 1/3 of a page) about why their school would be a good match for me. If I didn't know enough about the school to do so (and could not find out) I just cut out that paragraph.

Visiting schools: If you have the chance and the finances visit your top 2-3 schools. Generally schools have perspective student days and if you can go to one of those you should. They are usually run by faculty, and sometimes even by the head of the department and/or admissions committee. This is a great chance for them to put a face to a name when they read your application. It is also a good time for you to really learn about the program and to include that in your personal statement. If you can't make (or they don't have) an information session email the head of the department (or whoever is listed as the point person on the departments website) and ask them if you can arrange a time to tour the facilities and speak to someone about they Masters Program. Showing interest is key, especially with CSDCASS (which if you use be prepared to rip your hair out....or just have a bottle of wine in the fridge ). If you can't go visit any schools be sure to get in contact with the point person in some way. If you have questions that are NOT answered on the website email them and ask. If there are professors who you know are doing research in a field you are interested in, email them and ask about what research projects they are currently working on/ have coming up (I am far to shy to do this but I know some people in my postbacc cohort did so and ended up at that school) Also if the graduate school itself has an online open house (many do) go to at least one of them. Sometimes they will have representatives from the departments to answer questions. And if nothing else it will likely raise questions that you can then send to the point person in the department. Basically, I always equate the departments to middle school girls, they want to be wanted.

Most importantly: Try your hardest not to freak out. I know it is hard now and will be hard until March/April when you start to hear but a majority of us on these boards are starting graduate school in the fall. It is a second go-round for some of us (although mostly those of us who didn't have a background in CSD the first time from what I can tell) but we all are gong somewhere. You have a good list of schools (Go Huskies!) and pretty solid stats. Do well on your GRE (the most important thing is to take multiple practice tests and try your hardest not to freak out on test day) get good LORs, give yourself plenty of time to write your personal statement and be done with it. There really is SO little that is actually 100% in your control. The process is exhausting, and stressful but it ends. Once you submit your application it is out of your hands and you just have to hope for the best (I know that sounds scary and it is, but it is also strangely liberating). I would avoid going on the grad cafe results board until you have your first response (or better yet wait until your first acceptance). It will just cause you undo stress. I even blocked it on the internet server I use the most because I was causing myself too much stress. The message boards (here ) seem to be far less troublesome because everyone is commiserating together and offering suggestions instead of posing things like "I have a 4.0, six years of experience, GREs in the 85% V and 92% Q with a 5.0 W and it was rejected from University XYZ WTF? Their loss" It is important to keep in mind that those are just stats and say very little about everything else in their application. Yeah, just avoid the results page until you have good news.

Best of luck! It really will be over sooner than you think.

[NorcalSLP]

For some reason I can't edit the multitude of grammar and spelling mistakes in the above posts. Sorry, I know they are there

[StrawberryYogurt]

I applied to some cheap schools, some expensive schools. Barely had any prereqs and only got accepted to NYU. It's July already, and I really can't seem to make a decision about going there. It's so EXPENSIVE I hyperventilate when I think about the loans I need to take out.

It is really worth it? Does anyone know of any schools that are known to accept transfer students? If I do go, I'm thinking about transferring to a public school (if I can get accepted).

*sigh* It's either going to NYU or giving up my aspirations of becoming a speech pathologist

[NorcalSLP]

I applied to some cheap schools, some expensive schools. Barely had any prereqs and only got accepted to NYU. It's July already, and I really can't seem to make a decision about going there. It's so EXPENSIVE I hyperventilate when I think about the loans I need to take out.

It is really worth it? Does anyone know of any schools that are known to accept transfer students? If I do go, I'm thinking about transferring to a public school (if I can get accepted).

*sigh* It's either going to NYU or giving up my aspirations of becoming a speech pathologist

I really don't understand why it is one or the other. Is there something stopping you from doing more pre-recs through USU or some online/cheaper forum and then re-applying to cheaper schools next year? Transferring is hard and often times a waste of time because most schools will only accept a limited amount of credits. That is not to say you can't try but you may find it frustrating. Is there a legitimate reason why it HAS to be now or never? If NYU is your dream school and you are willing to take out loans than do so. If you want to be an SLP but can't finance NYU than take some time to make your application stronger (pre-recs, volunteer experience, higher GREs), save some money and apply again next year. While SLP schools are hard to get into, applying a second time with a stronger resume is often considered a good thing. Plus the job market for SLPs is going to continue to grow for years to come.

But figure out if this is what you want to do. I am not trying to sound mean, or like a mom/therapist but you seem to have a defeatist attitude about your situation when in reality, you have options. Are you just frustrated about your situation or are you viewing this as a "way out"? Again, not trying to go all shrink-like on you, it is just something I noticed in the tone (as well as one can "read" a tone on a message board) of your post.

[StrawberryYogurt]

Ughh... It is out of frustration LOL. This is my second year of applying, and I'm not getting any younger. I want to get my life started already, and I have been delaying it way too long. By the time I apply next year and get in, I'll be 31 when I graduate, not to mention I want to have kids soon. It sucks that my career is getting in the way of my plans of having a family I suppose that's why I have this defeatist tone. I'm just so frustrated of having to do this application process over again and asking my old professors and managers for the third recommendation letter. It feels very embarrassing having to do this.

[Rose121]

Hey Everyone! I will (finally!) have my undergrad degree from USF this spring. I've got a little bit of time before my application cycle, and will really be able to devote time to my application. My absolute dream school is Vanderbilt. Are there any stories of hope out there? I've really only heard about how difficult it is to get in.. Does anyone have any experience with Vandy, or more information on being an ideal candidate? I almost feel a little disadvantaged being a CSD major.. Any thoughts as to it being worth picking up a minor in French (I'm relatively close to having one)?

I do of course have a few other schools I'd love to go to: LSU New Orleans, University of Tennessee, University of Memphis, University of Georgia, Auburn, University of Florida, and probably USF as well.

Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!

[scharpe1]

I'll be starting Vanderbilt's program this fall. Feel free to send me a pm if you have any questions. I can tell you about my background now, but I will clearly know more about the program once I start in a month. Good luck!