2013 SLP Admissions Thread!

[midnight]

I agree 100%! I truly believe that these graduate programs need to wake up. The numbers and acceptance statistics just do not make sense. From my undergrad experience there were about 125 that graduated in CSD. When you break everything down the numbers don't add up. Sure, you have to take into account that some students do not go on into a master's degree, but the majority do...and I'm not much of a math person but if I think about my undergrad school alone--125 graduated in my class alone and 25 got in. Hello, earth to graduate schools....there are so many exceptional students ready to be audiologists and speech-language pathologists and the projection of this field is growing and needed throughout the country. So how about accepting more students into graduate programs....this 25-30 number blows my mind. 

 

Sorry for the rant, I'm just soooooooo tired of this!

 

I read somewhere that while some schools would love to expand their programs, ASHA won't allow for it (can't remember the specific reasoning, but it made sense when I read it, haha). I also heard that school clinics and SLP programs are very expensive to run, so many schools' budgets can't accommodate bigger programs.

 

Now neither of those things explains not putting a cap on undergrad CD majors or changing the entire process, but I think it's probably leading up to that. I totally get current and recent CD majors' frustrations.

[katieliz456]

I read somewhere that while some schools would love to expand their programs, ASHA won't allow for it (can't remember the specific reasoning, but it made sense when I read it, haha). I also heard that school clinics and SLP programs are very expensive to run, so many schools' budgets can't accommodate bigger programs.

 

Now neither of those things explains not putting a cap on undergrad CD majors or changing the entire process, but I think it's probably leading up to that. I totally get current and recent CD majors' frustrations.

Yeah, I definitely think they should limit undergrad programs. It seems like there are two (relatively simple) options:

1- Restrict acceptances to the CD major when high school students apply to the university. If they specify "CD" as their major, the school will only accept, say, the top 30 applicants. The other "qualified" people still attend the university, but must choose another major.

2- Require undergrads to take a year of prereqs (A&P, stats, physics, English, pre-calc, psych), then have them apply to the CD program. This is how the nursing program works at my school, and it seems to be an effective system.

[midnight]

Yeah, I definitely think they should limit undergrad programs. It seems like there are two (relatively simple) options:

1- Restrict acceptances to the CD major when high school students apply to the university. If they specify "CD" as their major, the school will only accept, say, the top 30 applicants. The other "qualified" people still attend the university, but must choose another major.

2- Require undergrads to take a year of prereqs (A&P, stats, physics, English, pre-calc, psych), then have them apply to the CD program. This is how the nursing program works at my school, and it seems to be an effective system.

 

Agreed, though I think either scenario would create similar complaints about competitiveness, basing students' worth on GPA, who discovered the field first, etc.

 

I think we need to be realistic and understand that admissions to any program are tough and often cutthroat. It's like that in nearly every other field; SLP has just recently become so. I know what OT and PT folks go through, and it is trial by fire compared to SLP admissions (e.g., hundreds of required volunteer hours just to apply with no guarantee of entrance).

[kd0110]

Yeah, I definitely think they should limit undergrad programs. It seems like there are two (relatively simple) options:

1- Restrict acceptances to the CD major when high school students apply to the university. If they specify "CD" as their major, the school will only accept, say, the top 30 applicants. The other "qualified" people still attend the university, but must choose another major.

2- Require undergrads to take a year of prereqs (A&P, stats, physics, English, pre-calc, psych), then have them apply to the CD program. This is how the nursing program works at my school, and it seems to be an effective system.

My undergrad started doing that. When I was a sophomore I had to apply to the CD department and if I was not accepted I would have had to wait (which the school did not want to happen) transfer to another school, or change my major. Luckily I was accepted, but so were 124 others. I just really think these programs need to sit down and make some serious adjustments...and make sure that seniors really understand how competitive this is. 

[mystiqueSLP]

Just to throw my little opinion in on the in vs out of field... I love that people from other fields are passionate enough about SLP to make a switch. As stated before by someone, we all want the field to grow with passionate people. As an in fielder, my only frustration is that I have this degree that is USELESS without a masters. I am often envious of the out of fielders. If they don't get in, they have a plan B already with their first degree. I have no plan B. I have a useless piece of paper. I have no idea where I would get a job or who would hire me at ALL. It keeps me up at night. Its such a hopeless desperation that I think many in fielders share.

 

Does anyone know someone that didn't make the cut for SLP grad school and successfully went another route? What did they do? Where did they start? Please share

 

 

 

(^^ congrats on ECU!)

 

To be fair, my Psychology/French degree is pretty useless (my mother said to me, "What are you going to do with that? Become a french psychologist?"). Almost all undergrad degrees are. All Psych majors don't become psychologists, all History majors don't become historians, and all Philosophy majors don't become philosophers. Almost any undergrad degree needs further education to be worthwhile.

 

And congrats kcald716!!! I'm happy to hear that personal factors outweigh the stats, gives me some hope 

[miscarthur]

I JUST GOT INTO ECU!!!!!!!!

 

I actually have a seat in both campus and DE programs right now, so as soon as I decide which program I want, I will let them know.  I still want to wait to hear what USC says, but HOLY FREAKING COW!!!!!!!!!!

 

I AM GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!!! 

 

Just checked the acceptances board and saw what I knew was your post (masters teaching, Longwood, etc.), and came directly here to congratulate you.  Congratulations!  Your patience has paid off, and you still have a bunch of schools to hear from!

[katieliz456]

My undergrad started doing that. When I was a sophomore I had to apply to the CD department and if I was not accepted I would have had to wait (which the school did not want to happen) transfer to another school, or change my major. Luckily I was accepted, but so were 124 others. I just really think these programs need to sit down and make some serious adjustments...and make sure that seniors really understand how competitive this is. 

I think undergrads at my school are generally super unprepared and uninformed.  We get a really solid academic background, and lots of research/clinical opportunities, and they tell us the very basic things like "apply to 5-8 schools" and "ask for letters of rec far in advance!", but we really have to go independently to seek out mentorship or information about applying to grad school.  :/

[midnight]

To be fair, my Psychology/French degree is pretty useless (my mother said to me, "What are you going to do with that? Become a french psychologist?"). Almost all undergrad degrees are. All Psych majors don't become psychologists, all History majors don't become historians, and all Philosophy majors don't become philosophers. Almost any undergrad degree needs further education to be worthwhile.

 

And congrats kcald716!!! I'm happy to hear that personal factors outweigh the stats, gives me some hope 

 

Good points, mystique (and OMG, sorry, but I laughed at your mother's comment--my dad would've said the same thing).

 

I considered majoring in French or Spanish, but that was with the express purpose of becoming a teacher. My alma mater even says "we do not recommend majoring in Spanish by itself" on the department website.

[mystiqueSLP]

I think undergrads at my school are generally super unprepared and uninformed.  We get a really solid academic background, and lots of research/clinical opportunities, and they tell us the very basic things like "apply to 5-8 schools" and "ask for letters of rec far in advance!", but we really have to go independently to seek out mentorship or information about applying to grad school.  :/

 

My academic advisors said the same thing (but with a twist: "You should take summer classes here to bring up your GPA!") but my lab director really helped me out. He told me how SLP would be the perfect fit for me based on all of my experience and that I would have a better chance applying outside of my own state.

[RN2SLP]

RN2SLP: Did you get any further notification from UVA? I'm still waiting.

Nope. No mail yet. I'm assuming since neither of us has gotten anything and we both live pretty close to the school they are just late sending them out. Maybe they are waiting till in-field decisions are made before sending letters. If I haven't gotten anything by Wednesday I'm going to email the professor who sent the unofficial acceptance. I wish they would at least update the website so I could stop being paranoid. I'm working on this whole "patience" thing... :-)

[mystiqueSLP]

Good points, mystique (and OMG, sorry, but I laughed at your mother's comment--my dad would've said the same thing).

 

I considered majoring in French or Spanish, but that was with the express purpose of becoming a teacher. My alma mater even says "we do not recommend majoring in Spanish by itself" on the department website.

 

I get those comments a lot when I tell people what I'm majoring in. My dentist thinks it's the funniest joke in the world 

 

And a lot of us double major here. Most French students double major in art history or history and some major with another language. One of my classmates wants to work in the UN or in translation and he majored in French and Spanish with a minor in Polish. I majored in French because I loved it and I've been taking it since middle school so I went through my freshman year thinking "I took it for 6 years, what's one more?" and it just got harder to get out of. I was going to minor but then I thought, "only 3 more classes to make it a major, what's a few more?".

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

Two totally un-related points...

Isn't it "help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ASK for it?" Doesn't change the general (good!) point you made but I too am a Harry Potter fan haha. Granted I haven't re-read it in a while so you may be right. Read the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman if you get through the thousands of HP pages and are still waiting

 

 

Congrats on you Boston school acceptances. I'm in my first year of one of the Boston school grad programs. PM me if you'd like to chat. 

 

It's both, he changes it at the end-ish of the last book. I've read the Pullman series, loved the fist two books, but I thought the third was kind of a dud   

 

I was really hoping to hear back from Northern Colorado today... kinda bummed not to get anything so... time to predend to do something productive  

[mystiqueSLP]

Quick question - does anyone know how someone can get a GPA higher than 4.0? I've seen it twice now on the results page. Is it a GPA from a college in another country?

[ESLtoSLP]

I was really hoping to hear back from Northern Colorado today... kinda bummed not to get anything so... time to predend to do something productive

I thought the same thing! I've been waiting so patiently, expecting to get my first response today... and nothing. They notified on this Friday for the past two years; it's the most predictable notification I have seen. But, of course, this year they don't. However I did notice that it's typically the Friday before their spring break, and their spring break is a week later this year, so I guess we'll have to wait until next week, boo!

 

I did get an email from U of Wyoming saying they would notify by March 22, so I guess that's some(miniscule)thing.

[katieliz456]

Quick question - does anyone know how someone can get a GPA higher than 4.0? I've seen it twice now on the results page. Is it a GPA from a college in another country?

I know some schools with a +/- system award a 4.33 for an A+, so that could bring the GPA higher. I didn't think those were usually factored into cumulative GPAs, though.

[midnight]

I did get an email from U of Wyoming saying they would notify by March 22, so I guess that's some(miniscule)thing.

 

Judging from past years, I assume we'll hear from Boulder around March 19 or so as well.

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

I thought the same thing! I've been waiting so patiently, expecting to get my first response today... and nothing. They notified on this Friday for the past two years; it's the most predictable notification I have seen. But, of course, this year they don't. However I did notice that it's typically the Friday before their spring break, and their spring break is a week later this year, so I guess we'll have to wait until next week, boo!

 

I did get an email from U of Wyoming saying they would notify by March 22, so I guess that's some(miniscule)thing.

 

Ah, that makes a little more sense (the spring break bit.) I got the same email from Wyoming... kind of a complete psych-out... 

 

It's somewhat interesting that we pretty much applied to the exact same set of schools. I almost went for Idaho, but had to draw the line at 6 programs... at some point I ran up against the question of how many times I could ask people I respect to write novel and nice things about me

 

-here's to the waiting! 

Edited March 9, 2013 by cahurt

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

Judging from past years, I assume we'll hear from Boulder around March 19 or so as well.

yup... I really wish they would move it up a week! Even though CU is such a long shot for me, it's still far and away my top choice so it's nerve wracking. At least it's nice to have an approximate timeline.  

[midnight]

yup... I really wish they would move it up a week! Even though CU is such a long shot for me, it's still far and away my top choice so it's nerve wracking. At least it's nice to have an approximate timeline.  

 

Yeah, I'm taking an unrelated trip out to Colorado later this month, so I hope acceptances are out by then. I really want to visit the campus, and it would be so sad to check it out, fall in love, and then receive a rejection letter.

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

Yeah, I'm taking an unrelated trip out to Colorado later this month, so I hope acceptances are out by then. I really want to visit the campus, and it would be so sad to check it out, fall in love, and then receive a rejection letter.

 

I live in Boulder and have been to the campus a number of times, and drive by it all the time. It's a beautiful place. Having started out more in the east (U of Pitt) I have sort of developed an odd schema of colleges as these very intimidating places with 200 year old buildings and long wooden benches next to stone fireplaces that practically ooze generations of study and angst. UC Boulder is just fundamentally different and feels like more of a community. Of course, it's known as a big party school, but it's big enough where you can find something for everyone. 

[SLP1990]

FYI to any UCF applicants-- I'm just sitting on the couch mindlessly checking my applications and my UCF portal randomly changed to "admitted". I was waiting for an email but I'm glad I checked!

[midnight]

I live in Boulder and have been to the campus a number of times, and drive by it all the time. It's a beautiful place. Having started out more in the east (U of Pitt) I have sort of developed an odd schema of colleges as these very intimidating places with 200 year old buildings and long wooden benches next to stone fireplaces that practically ooze generations of study and angst. UC Boulder is just fundamentally different and feels like more of a community. Of course, it's known as a big party school, but it's big enough where you can find something for everyone. 

 

Oh yeah, I've been to Boulder before; my husband went to high school in Littleton, and we have friends and family out there. I've just never been there as a prospective student, so it feels new and anxiety-inducing! Haha.

 

And that's funny, I get what you're saying about colleges as intimidating places. I've been to the Princeton, Harvard (the American Hogwarts!), and William and Mary campuses, and they seem almost hallowed and have so much history.

[slpf13]

Congratulations SLP1990!

[SLP1990]

Congratulations SLP1990!

Thanks! Great way to ease the depression of coming home from a beach vacation 

[slpdream]

I think undergrads at my school are generally super unprepared and uninformed.  We get a really solid academic background, and lots of research/clinical opportunities, and they tell us the very basic things like "apply to 5-8 schools" and "ask for letters of rec far in advance!", but we really have to go independently to seek out mentorship or information about applying to grad school.  :/

 

This seems to be a common theme. My school had an undergrad club that would have an info session every year. Current grad students would come and speak about their experiences and offer advice. A few of the professors would also come and go over things like what you could do with an undergrad degree, and so on. It was something that I found very helpful...but even now I wish there had been even more discussion, or maybe I should have asked more questions.

 

 

And just because I feel like being grumbly...I wish grad school decisions came with tracking numbers.

I've been ordering things online lately...this way I know I'll get something fun in the mail while I keep waiting .