SLP/Communication Disorders Masters Applicants

[AudioEnvy]

I can see how the # of apps would increase each year but double???

The King's Speech.

haha, I'm partly kidding, but I'm sure that there were people that got interested in the field as a result of that movie.

But yeah...it does seem that a lot of schools got significantly more applicants this year. I agree that it's scary :

[buttercupracer]

OK, my boyfriend finally called me back with info on Rush--I went to their open house this December and took notes but left them at our apartment. Looks like last year the stats they gave us were 45-50 admits out of 250 applicants. This means 18-20% of students were admitted when they had 250 applicants apply, which means we would all be in (obviously not happening, because they need a wait list).

Northwestern's applicant pool almost doubled this year (225 to 400), so Rush could have had (and probably had) ~425 applicants. (425)(.2) = 85. If 85 were asked to fill out a supplemental application, and 45-50 were admitted, there would be 35-40 on the wait list or rejected. Gah.

thanks for the sleuthing!

[KFKSEA]

Thank you! My top pick seems to change all the time, haha. I visited Washington and Vanderbilt and loved both of them, but would need funding to realistically afford either one of them. Between UMCP and Towson, I have no idea! I'm flying out to Maryland in March to visit both, so hopefully I'll have a better idea then. I've never visited either school, but I'm from MD originally and have tons of family there so that's how the schools wound up on my list

Where are you applying? Do you have a top choice?

I have applied to Towson, University of Maryland and Worcester State in Massachusetts. I have gotten into Towson (so excited) but waiting to hear back from the other 2. I prefer Towson or Maryland. It will come down to money, but I love both schools. I am from Maryland but my grandparents live in Massachusetts so I applied to Worcester in Mass. because they take students with GPA's of 3.3 or above and they are inexpensive . I could of lived with my grandparents. I have a 3.6 GPA.

[kriskros]

I got an invite for an interview today!! Thanks for the words of encouragement. I definitely bottomed out last night with this whole application process. I don't think I was prepared for it to be so stressful! Hang in there, they're still sending out those interview invites!

[SomedaySLP]

I got an invite for an interview today!! Thanks for the words of encouragement. I definitely bottomed out last night with this whole application process. I don't think I was prepared for it to be so stressful! Hang in there, they're still sending out those interview invites!

Congratulations!! Good luck at your interview

[oceania47]

all I know is they typically admit 50-60 for a 22-24 person class. We need to know how many students applied for the 20% to be meaningful. I think I may try to call at the end of the day--unless someone already has an answer?

Called and couldn't get through to the person I needed to speak to. If anyone figures out how many applied to Rush, please let us know.

Way over 400 people applied this year. They are cutting back this time because they like a smaller class.

Edited February 16, 2012 by oceania47

[oceania47]

UGH, I hate this. I start feeling good because I've made some sort of "cut" for Northwestern and Rush, which are probably more selective than most of my other schools. But then I realize I might not get into either, or maybe I'll make the "first cut" at all the other schools but never the final cut. I am really psyching myself out because I did this last year and got in nowhere (without the prerequisites), and in my undergrad applications I got waitlisted at every single one except my "safety school" (where I ended up going and was happy, but still). Actually, I think waitlisting would almost be worse news than rejection. If I have to do the applications again, I will honestly vomit.

RE: Rush, however, my somewhat uneducated opinion is that we're in a group of less than 100 students. I say this because when I called Northwestern to ask similar questions about being invited to the open house, they told me that there were 400 total applicants this year. I would assume way more people apply to Northwestern than Rush, even in a very competitive year. So even if there were also 400 Rush applicants, that leaves us a pretty good chance! I know Rush's current class is in the lower 40s, but at my visit they said it keeps getting bigger than they want. I hope this isn't the year they decide to cut back :/

Nope. Less people tend to apply to Northwestern right off the bat because it's so overpriced.

[Hopeful SLP]

Way over 400 people applied this year. They are cutting back this time because they like a smaller class.

Where did you get the info/do you have a more precise number? I'm just curious how many people are still in the game.

[trina]

Does everyone here think the applicant pool has doubled at most schools this year? I didn't apply to Northwestern, but I'm hoping that school was just a fluke in its significant applicant increase. I can see how the # of apps would increase each year but double??? That's just frightening, especially since schools haven't increased their enrollment. Does anyone know the # of applicants other schools have received compared to the past?

Between 2010 and 2011, I heard that there was a huge increase in applications at many schools. And if now we're doubling the numbers from 2011, that scares me. It feels like I'm applying to med school or something.. everyone who's being accepted seems to have GPAs above 3.8 and equally good GRE scores too. So many applicants, and so little spots. And Rush wants to reduce their intake? Seriously?

Edited February 17, 2012 by trina

[21starbucks]

Those who talked to Cindy Coy at Northwester, if you did not receive an invitation to visit does that meat we have been "cut"? A friend of mine called and they said that is not what it means but maybe they were lying - what did they say to you all about those who didn't receive an invite vs. those who did???

[trina]

Those who talked to Cindy Coy at Northwester, if you did not receive an invitation to visit does that meat we have been "cut"? A friend of mine called and they said that is not what it means but maybe they were lying - what did they say to you all about those who didn't receive an invite vs. those who did???

A friend of mine spoke to Cindy Coy as well. She was told that about half of the applicants were sent invitations. And she was told that it doesn't mean that you won't get accepted if you don't get an invitation. But that just seems like such a politically correct answer to keep the rest interested. Northwestern kept people waiting till May/June last year to send rejections. I'm guessing that if you don't get an invitation, you're probably not going to get accepted -- unless everyone ahead of you declines their acceptances. What are the odds, right? I'm mentally preparing myself for a rejection from Northwestern. My friend also mentioned that the graduate secretary was rather rude to her.. so I didn't bother calling myself.

Edited February 17, 2012 by trina

[Hopeful SLP]

So many applicants, and so little spots. And Rush wants to reduce their intake? Seriously?

this part really kills me.

[21starbucks]

A friend of mine spoke to Cindy Coy as well. She was told that about half of the applicants were sent invitations. And she was told that it doesn't mean that you won't get accepted if you don't get an invitation. But that just seems like such a politically correct answer to keep the rest interested. Northwestern kept people waiting till May/June last year to send rejections. I'm guessing that if you don't get an invitation, you're probably not going to get accepted -- unless everyone ahead of you declines their acceptances. What are the odds, right? I'm mentally preparing myself for a rejection from Northwestern. My friend also mentioned that the graduate secretary was rather rude to her.. so I didn't bother calling myself.

Ya I visited over the summer and wasn't too impressed they seemed very arrogant because they know they are going to have tons of applicants just because of their name I have heard bad things from recent students so I don't know what to think but I do want to know what these invitations really mean!

[jbw2815]

Ughh I really hope all this talk of Rush having millions of applicants and reducing their intake isnt true : /

[oceania47]

Where did you get the info/do you have a more precise number? I'm just curious how many people are still in the game.

From a professor on the adcom: "well over 400 applicants."

[oceania47]

Between 2010 and 2011, I heard that there was a huge increase in applications at many schools. And if now we're doubling the numbers from 2011, that scares me. It feels like I'm applying to med school or something.. everyone who's being accepted seems to have GPAs above 3.8 and equally good GRE scores too. So many applicants, and so little spots. And Rush wants to reduce their intake? Seriously?

Yes, they do. They want an intimate, manageable program. Accepting more than the limit is just absurd. They don't have the resources for that large of a class.

[Hopeful SLP]

Yeah, I will pretty much only go to Northwestern if it's the only school I get into, and that isn't going to happen. (Or if I decide I really want to be in Chicago and both Rush and St. Xavier turn me down.) The lady at my visit acted like every question I asked was a stupid question, and it was about important stuff! (Like if we were in a cohort, how big is the class, stuff about having some but not all of the prerequisites...) What did she think I drove 13 hours for?

On the other hand, this may just be a case of premature sour grapes...

maybe they treat potential v. admitted students very differently, because I have a coworker who recently graduated from Northwestern, and she raves about it.

[oceania47]

Yeah, I will pretty much only go to Northwestern if it's the only school I get into, and that isn't going to happen. (Or if I decide I really want to be in Chicago and both Rush and St. Xavier turn me down.) The lady at my visit acted like every question I asked was a stupid question, and it was about important stuff! (Like if we were in a cohort, how big is the class, stuff about having some but not all of the prerequisites...) What did she think I drove 13 hours for?

On the other hand, this may just be a case of premature sour grapes...

Northwestern should not be considered the be-all end-all. Let's just put it that way.

[Astrid Coleslaw]

Does everyone here think the applicant pool has doubled at most schools this year?

Things are nuts here in California, too. Over the last few years app numbers have climbed and then suddenly doubled LAST year! If they doubled last year, I don't even want to know how many applied this year. ::Shudder::

This is why I'm dropping $250 on a plane ticket to rush up and interview at a safety school I probably won't be able to afford in the end. Don't want to blow the option if it ends up being the only one I've got!

[oceania47]

Maybe you're right, Hopeful SLP, but their coldness was not typical of these programs. I was treated very warmly when I visited Longwood (at a scheduled open house, but even so), UGA, and Rush (so I can't just blame it on the North/Chicago, lol). Furthermore, Rush had MUCH more impressive facilities whereas Northwestern's program is in an avant-garde building stuck in the '70s. If anything, Rush could afford to be more arrogant...

I agree. Rush's facilities are currently state-of-the-art (and I mean literally . . . the new hospital is out of this world).

[SomedaySLP]

I have a friend who applied to Northwestern last year and they never sent any response to her at all. Never responded to her inquiries either, even in April and May. There were similar reports on this board last year, if you look back. When I heard that, I discarded the application I started there early in the fall. Why would I pay to apply to a school (and consider shelling out INSANE amounts of tuition if I were accepted) to be treated so negatively? No thanks, I'll pass.

[mammalian]

This is pure speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised if Northwestern's spike in applications was more dramatic than at other schools. This is the first year that they have combined the MA-SLP and MA-LD programs into a single M.A. in Speech, Language, and Learning, so I wonder if this year's applicants draw on a pool that used to go to two programs. Rush also does not offer teacher certification and does not accept applicants with no prerequisites, so they could be attracting more specialized applicants who have been preparing for a while.

Again, it's pure speculation, but I hope it's encouraging to those interviewing at Rush... For family reasons, NU is is my top choice, but I really just want to get in somewhere, anywhere! Good luck to everyone!

[alicejcw]

A friend of mine spoke to Cindy Coy as well. She was told that about half of the applicants were sent invitations. And she was told that it doesn't mean that you won't get accepted if you don't get an invitation. But that just seems like such a politically correct answer to keep the rest interested. Northwestern kept people waiting till May/June last year to send rejections. I'm guessing that if you don't get an invitation, you're probably not going to get accepted -- unless everyone ahead of you declines their acceptances. What are the odds, right? I'm mentally preparing myself for a rejection from Northwestern. My friend also mentioned that the graduate secretary was rather rude to her.. so I didn't bother calling myself.

I would agree with you on that, those of us who didn't get invitations are probably the back-up back-up waitlist, and they leave us hanging just in case by some crazy turn of events none of the top applicants accept their offer. Anyway, I'm glad to know about the open house invitation because now I'm already prepared for a rejection, and can focus on how excited I would be to go to Vanderbilt or Boulder

Oceania is right, of course, that Northwestern isn't the end all be all, but as someone who may very well go on to do a PhD in the field, Northwestern provides great research opportunities in exactly the area I'm interested in. Despite all that, at this point I'm way more excited about my other schools.

Edited February 17, 2012 by alicejcw

[SomedaySLP]

I would agree with you on that, those of us who didn't get invitations are probably the back-up back-up waitlist, and they leave us hanging just in case by some crazy turn of events none of the top applicants accept their offer. Anyway, I'm glad to know about the open house invitation because now I'm already prepared for a rejection, and can focus on how excited I would be to go to Vanderbilt or Boulder

Oceania is right, of course, that Northwestern isn't the end all be all, but as someone who may very well go on to do a PhD in the field, Northwestern provides great research opportunities in exactly the area I'm interested in. Despite all that, at this point I'm way more excited about my other schools.

I did my undergrad at CU-Boulder and had amazing research experiences there (turned into the full-time research gig I have now, in fact.) Feel free to PM me if you end up going there and I can give you some pointers on the professors, where to live, etc. I'm waiting on Vanderbilt now too, it's one of my top choices but I'd probably need to receive funding in order to accept admissions. Though I heard their application numbers are above 400 this year too, so I'm not getting my hopes up, haha.

[engrdad]

I noticed someone heard from UGA-Athens in the results via post, and I've been racing home from work everyday since only to find an empty mailbox I guess it didn't help that they received a transcript after the deadline.

The admit letter from UGA stated... "We have offered admission at this time to only a few of you, out of the many applications that we received. Most applicants will be hearing from us at approximately the middle of March. The reason we have offered you admission so early, moreover, is that we have forwarded your name to The Graduate School for a university-wide competition for Graduate Assistantship."

So most will get notified from UGA in about a month.