NYU and NYC/NJ area schools

[MBF89]

Hi everyone! I  too have been lurking around grad cafe (and obsessively checking these boards during lunch breaks at work hah) since February!  Just received an acceptance to Kean and will definitely be attending!  I finished up my post bac coursework here at Kean and really love the faculty and the beautiful new clinic located on campus. Good luck to everyone else still waiting to hear back from schools.  (Trust me, I know easier said than done - stay positive!!!)   

[mystiqueSLP]

I've been talk to a lot of people lately (mainly parents and advisors talking sense into me) and now I don't know if I want to choose NYU or Montclair!

 

My list so far:

 

NYU:

Pros

- Big program (~ 40-50 students for incoming class)

- Curriculum is at your own pace

- Friendly faculty and students

- Study abroad program

- NYC

Cons

- Tuition expenses

- Travel time on train

 

Montclair:

Pros

- Newly updated clinic with state of the art tech

- Conveniently near my home (15-20 min drive)

- Extremely cheap tuition

Cons

- Smaller program at a smaller school

- Too close to home

(*Limited info since I haven't visited yet, apparently someone told me that "something will be arranged soon" so hopefully before Monday...I will seriously be impressed if their event is better than NYU's)

 

Both programs have high rates of getting hired upon graduation so I'm not worried about that but does it matter if I went to NYU (has a "name" in the world) or Montclair (somewhat unknown to people who aren't in the tri-state area)?

 

If it was a perfect world, I would have automatically accepted NYU...but my parents, my advisor, and my friends are so worried about the financial issues that comes with it and it's making me extremely worried now I also have a friend who said that choosing a grad school for financial reasons will make you regretful and very unhappy in the future.

 

Can anyone give me any advice on what to do?

[SLPjmar]

I've been talk to a lot of people lately (mainly parents and advisors talking sense into me) and now I don't know if I want to choose NYU or Montclair!

 

My list so far:

 

NYU:

Pros

- Big program (~ 40-50 students for incoming class)

- Curriculum is at your own pace

- Friendly faculty and students

- Study abroad program

- NYC

Cons

- Tuition expenses

- Travel time on train

 

Montclair:

Pros

- Newly updated clinic with state of the art tech

- Conveniently near my home (15-20 min drive)

- Extremely cheap tuition

Cons

- Smaller program at a smaller school

- Too close to home

(*Limited info since I haven't visited yet, apparently someone told me that "something will be arranged soon" so hopefully before Monday...I will seriously be impressed if their event is better than NYU's)

 

Both programs have high rates of getting hired upon graduation so I'm not worried about that but does it matter if I went to NYU (has a "name" in the world) or Montclair (somewhat unknown to people who aren't in the tri-state area)?

 

If it was a perfect world, I would have automatically accepted NYU...but my parents, my advisor, and my friends are so worried about the financial issues that comes with it and it's making me extremely worried now I also have a friend who said that choosing a grad school for financial reasons will make you regretful and very unhappy in the future.

 

Can anyone give me any advice on what to do?

 

I think that last bit is important if you are ONLY choosing a school based on financial reasons. If Montclair will make you just as happy, and you feel that you will get the same experiences/quality of education, then the lowered tuition is a bonus! Tuition shouldn't be your main deciding factor, but it doesn't hurt. 

 

Good luck with your decision. I know you'll make the one that's best for you

[katieliz456]

NYU:

Pros

- Big program (~ 40-50 students for incoming class)

- Curriculum is at your own pace

 

Mystique, if you don't mind me asking, why do you consider the larger program size and the self-guided curriculum to be solid "pros"? From what I've heard, lots of people say a smaller program is better because you get to build closer relationships with your peers & profs.  Also, I know I'd want to be in classes with my cohort so that we could study together/commiserate  I'm just curious if these things are really that important to you?

[mystiqueSLP]

Mystique, if you don't mind me asking, why do you consider the larger program size and the self-guided curriculum to be solid "pros"? From what I've heard, lots of people say a smaller program is better because you get to build closer relationships with your peers & profs.  Also, I know I'd want to be in classes with my cohort so that we could study together/commiserate  I'm just curious if these things are really that important to you?

 

I come from large undergrad school and like having the chance to meet different people in each of my small classes. I know it sounds strange since so many people want a smaller program . I'm also worried that I might be stuck with a cohort I don't like or that doesn't like me for the next 2+ years so I just figure there's less of a chance of that happening in a larger program. I've been in classes with people I absolutely hated for a semester - I just can't imagine myself dealing with that for 2 years.

 

As for the self-guided curriculum, I would like to choose my own electives and finish, let's say, Set A of classes with labs in the Spring instead of the Fall. I don't know if this happens in Montclair or anywhere else, but I've heard of programs that schedule you for certain classes without allowing to choose when to take them which would bother me a bit.

 

Apparently, the deposit for Montclair is due April 15th (despite notifying us so late) and I haven't even received the official acceptance letter in the mail yet! I emailed someone about visiting but they seemed honestly surprised that people would actually want to visit before sending in their deposit and mentioned that there was an open house in February that I should have gone to...so right now, I'm not a big fan of Montclair.

 

 

I think that last bit is important if you are ONLY choosing a school based on financial reasons. If Montclair will make you just as happy, and you feel that you will get the same experiences/quality of education, then the lowered tuition is a bonus! Tuition shouldn't be your main deciding factor, but it doesn't hurt. 

 

Good luck with your decision. I know you'll make the one that's best for you

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I hope you're right, I feel like I'll either let my parents down or let myself down with whatever I choose.

[slpgal123]

mystique, who did you contact at Montclair about visiting that wasn't very receptive? I'm honestly surprised, everyone I've been in touch with has been really nice and Ms. Verderosa has been trying to set up a time where I can visit and a GA can show me around. Unfortunately the time she suggested was the exact same time that I'm visiting UConn today, but none the less her efforts have been there haha.

 

It sounds to me like you really should visit before making your decision. It's clear you really like NYU, so now you have to determine just how much you like Montclair. If you clear cut hate Montclair and loved NYU, well then I think you're going to have a hard time not going to NYU. But hypothetically if you like Montclair a lot, just a teeny bit less than NYU, you'll get to think about whether the amount more you like NYU is worth the debt. I really think you need to visit before trying to make this difficult decision though. Maybe you'll go and it'll be a clear cut decision, who knows!

 

Off to Connecticut now for me! One of these days we'll all be decided and the stress of this process will be over .

[CaramelLatte]

I still have not heard from Adelphi, I don't know if that is a good or bad sign!!!

[mystiqueSLP]

mystique, who did you contact at Montclair about visiting that wasn't very receptive? I'm honestly surprised, everyone I've been in touch with has been really nice and Ms. Verderosa has been trying to set up a time where I can visit and a GA can show me around. Unfortunately the time she suggested was the exact same time that I'm visiting UConn today, but none the less her efforts have been there haha.   It sounds to me like you really should visit before making your decision. It's clear you really like NYU, so now you have to determine just how much you like Montclair. If you clear cut hate Montclair and loved NYU, well then I think you're going to have a hard time not going to NYU. But hypothetically if you like Montclair a lot, just a teeny bit less than NYU, you'll get to think about whether the amount more you like NYU is worth the debt. I really think you need to visit before trying to make this difficult decision though. Maybe you'll go and it'll be a clear cut decision, who knows!   Off to Connecticut now for me! One of these days we'll all be decided and the stress of this process will be over .

I've been in touch with Ms. Verderosa who told me that she's trying to work on something for accepted students but has not suggested a time or that I visit on my own while being guided by a GA. I appreciate the effort but I just don't have time to wait around for her to organize an event when I don't mind visiting on my own. It bothers me to also know that some students have been able to visit on their own or set up a time to do so when I can't. Now I'm feeling really edgy that the deposit is due on Monday for Montclair too, I wasn't expecting it to be so soon! Have fun at Connecticut!

[thirdchild012]

Montclair is trying to set up something on Monday for accepted students. I believe the reason we may have experienced some difficulty with visiting has to do with the fact that they have clients in the facility, but that's just my guess. I was not very sure about my decision at first, but after visiting I feel very excited that I will likely attend in the fall! I'm pretty sure the letter said the deposit is due April 16th if that helps, although it is definitely short notice to make such a big decision!

[ald360]

thirdchild012 thank you for the information!!! i'm so glad you had a great visit! i haven't been able to get in touch with someone to set up a visit - they never answered my email from a few days ago but i can't imagine how crazy busy they are. i can't wait to visit and am almost 100% sure that i'm going to be going there now! if you don't mind me asking, did they give you any information about how the clinical aspect of the program is run?! thank you SOOO much!!!

[mystiqueSLP]

Montclair is trying to set up something on Monday for accepted students. I believe the reason we may have experienced some difficulty with visiting has to do with the fact that they have clients in the facility, but that's just my guess. I was not very sure about my decision at first, but after visiting I feel very excited that I will likely attend in the fall! I'm pretty sure the letter said the deposit is due April 16th if that helps, although it is definitely short notice to make such a big decision!

 

That sounds great! I'll be visiting on the 15th for the mini open house thing.

 

And I just called them to clarify a few things, my deposit is due April 22nd so I'm much more relieved

[ald360]

Made the decision to enroll at Montclair this fall! I have declined my acceptance to NYU and will be declining Seton Hall and New York Medical College - I hope this helps some people out!

[BlarneyStone87]

Hi everyone, new to this thread! Wanted to share that I got my official acceptance letter in the mail from Montclair today after I received my email on Friday. You have to send in a $200 deposit and signature of your acceptance by April 19th, not the 15th, so hopefully that gives some people a few extra days to make a decision. It was a one page letter with another copy of it to keep on file. There's also a link to their website to either accept or decline their offer with a code to enter. I've read on the forum that they're having an accepted students day April 15th but I haven't gotten any email confirmation of that yet. I was a psych and cognitive science major as an undergrad and am taking online courses at Utah State University to fulfill prereqs. I emailed Montclair's grad advisor who said they will accept USU's credits so it looks like I'll be taking a few more classes this summer and be all caught up. I will be rejecting my offer to Syracuse so hope that helps someone on the waitlist! Also, ald360 and I started a facebook group for accepted Montclair SLP students for those who'd like to join =) I'm still waiting to hear back from Temple and Seton Hall, but I am about 99% I will be attending Montclair!

 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/130556483797805/#!/groups/130556483797805/

Edited April 10, 2013 by BlarneyStone87

[thirdchild012]

thirdchild012 thank you for the information!!! i'm so glad you had a great visit! i haven't been able to get in touch with someone to set up a visit - they never answered my email from a few days ago but i can't imagine how crazy busy they are. i can't wait to visit and am almost 100% sure that i'm going to be going there now! if you don't mind me asking, did they give you any information about how the clinical aspect of the program is run?! thank you SOOO much!!!

I PM'd you!

[ald360]

I PM'd you!

thank you so much!!!

[BlarneyStone87]

To those who received the Montclair email about the open house, did it seem strange how many people were included in that email? Were over 90 people accepted for an expected class of 30? That seems very high! Just kind of scratching my head about that. Not that I don't want them to accept people, but I don't want to have a class of 90!

[mystiqueSLP]

To those who received the Montclair email about the open house, did it seem strange how many people were included in that email? Were over 90 people accepted for an expected class of 30? That seems very high! Just kind of scratching my head about that. Not that I don't want them to accept people, but I don't want to have a class of 90!

 

They're probably expecting a lot of people to not accept rather than have a class of 90 students

[slpgal123]

Edited April 11, 2013 by slpgal123

[mystiqueSLP]

Anyone accepted by Montclair know where to look at their financial aid package or know when it'll be posted? I'm looking at my WESS account and it only states the cost of attendance right now...

[BlarneyStone87]

They're probably expecting a lot of people to not accept rather than have a class of 90 students

I realize that, but you would think they would accept maybe 60 and waitlist the rest. According to EdFind last year they accepted 38 for a class of 30. If a lot of people accepted the offer, they'd have a big crisis on their hands. I have a friend who is on the waitlist but with that many accepted, I don't know how likely it is she'll get off of the waitlist. Montclair is a top choice for many NJ residents because it has a great reputation and is more affordable than most schools.

Edited April 11, 2013 by BlarneyStone87

[mystiqueSLP]

I realize that, but you would think they would accept maybe 60 and waitlist the rest. According to EdFind last year they accepted 38 for a class of 30. If a lot of people accepted the offer, they'd have a big crisis on their hands. I have a friend who is on the waitlist but with that many accepted, I don't know how likely it is she'll get off of the waitlist. Montclair is a top choice for many NJ residents because it has a great reputation and is more affordable than most schools.

I know. I'm just saying that it doesn't seem like the program expects people to accept, probably based on past statistics when the economy didn't affect decision-making. I'm worried that a lot of people will accept and that the program wouldn't be able to handle it (stretch resources) or eventually maybe reject some students later on (is that possible? Maybe defer them?). They also might be trying to expand the program, in which case, it won't be as "small" as it once was (and probably have a very different feel).

Either way, I have a feeling Montclair won't have a very active waitlist this year :/

[BlarneyStone87]

I know. I'm just saying that it doesn't seem like the program expects people to accept, probably based on past statistics when the economy didn't affect decision-making. I'm worried that a lot of people will accept and that the program wouldn't be able to handle it (stretch resources) or eventually maybe reject some students later on (is that possible? Maybe defer them?). They also might be trying to expand the program, in which case, it won't be as "small" as it once was (and probably have a very different feel). Either way, I have a feeling Montclair won't have a very active waitlist this year :/

Yeah, I hope for our sake that most people don't accept and that the class is on the smaller side. I don't know if there are 38 people in the class this year and EdFind didn't include the 90 people that they accepted...? I was just really surprised to see so many people included in that email. I hope they can't reject accepted students, can you imagine?! I'll be going to the open house on Wednesday, hopefully they can explain the situation

[mystiqueSLP]

Oh, I'm definitely asking on Monday when I go. I don't think they can reject but they might defer, I'm not sure.. Have you received anything about financial aid?

[mystiqueSLP]

Oh, do you think the email was sent to people on the waitlist..?

[BlarneyStone87]

Syracuse accepted 83 for 32 spots, Seton Hall offered 104 for 38. I guess these grad programs have it under control. I just assumed that most schools sent out 30 or so spots, waited to hear back, then accepted more when people rejected the offer, and that's what inflated the numbers. I didn't think they accepted so many all at once. don't think they included people on the waitlist only because I didn't notice my friend's email included, but you could be right. Haven't received anything about financial aid yet, but I'd like to know soon!

Edited April 11, 2013 by BlarneyStone87