UT Dallas

[CBG321]

19 hours ago, BamaBelle said:

Yeah I did. Mizzou seems like a good program but everything they have is pretty outdated, and the clinic is really small. All the students I talked to at Mizzou love it though. The size is a little intimidating, but I feel better after visiting. It seems like they've got a good support system, and there will always be someone around to answer questions or help. For me, the auditorium they have doesn't feel much bigger than my undergrad classes, so I don't think it would be too hard to adjust to that, and only the 6 core classes are really that big. They said some of the more popular electives might be in the auditoriums too, but then you might have another elective with 7 students. Ultimately I think the size of the program is mostly beneficial. It means they have more resources and support from the university. 

I looked at a couple apartments in Oak Lawn that were nice and not too expensive. Also looked at one in Irving that I liked a lot. And then the Residence at Midtown. Those were the best ones I looked at, but I will definitely need to do some more investigating. I might be in the market for a roommate if I end up at Dallas, because it's so much more expensive than I'm used to. 

I'm looking in the exact same areas for apartments.  Uptown sounded too noisy for me.  We should exchange apartment lists, it would be awesome if you had seen one I had "favorited" and could give a first hand review   I'll PM you about it!  Maybe I should go for another visit, I just wanted to save the money for grad school but who knows might be worth it for me to go apartment hunting first hand and I'd love to see the auditorium for the bigger classes.  

The Autism clinic you mentioned sounds awesome, that is the only downside to Irving it would be extra far from the Richardson campus I'd imagine.

[BamaBelle]

4 hours ago, gradgirl2016 said:

Hello @Bamabelle, the program sounds great! I spoke to Dr. Stillman via email and he sounds very kind too.

Could you tell me something more about the places to live that you looked at? Which places did you like? What is the rent like?

Thank you for all the information in advance  Hope to see you there this Fall! If you land up choosing UT Dallas, I'd be looking for a roommate.. So, let me know if you are interested!

So I only looked at 1 bedrooms this time around, because I'm stubborn, but since Dallas is looking more real, I'm starting to open up more to the idea of a roommate haha. Anyway all the info I have right now is just for the 1 bedrooms that I saw. The one in Irving that I liked was Surrey Oaks. It was a pretty decent sized apartment with a fireplace and balcony 15 minutes away from Callier. Rent was quoted at about $750/month. CGB321 makes a good point, though, that Irving is a pretty hefty commute from the Richardson campus. The Residence at Midtown is about 15 minutes north of Callier and is also pretty close to Richardson. I liked this one a lot too. $675 for a studio. The rooms are pretty small, but it's all been recently renovated and is pretty nice. In Oak Lawn, I looked at the Villas on Gilbert and Bailiwick Apartments. I didn't get to tour either of these, but they both looked pretty nice from the outside. Bailiwick is pretty much always full, and the woman there said I'd just have to call every month to see if there's an opening.  The Villas were nothing special from the outside, but the pictures online look pretty nice, and I think it's about $600. Oak Lawn is a nice area with a lot going on, so that's pretty appealing. If I do end up finding a roommate, I'd probably focus on areas like the Village and Oak Lawn.

13 minutes ago, CBG321 said:

I'm looking in the exact same areas for apartments.  Uptown sounded too noisy for me.  We should exchange apartment lists, it would be awesome if you had seen one I had "favorited" and could give a first hand review   I'll PM you about it!  Maybe I should go for another visit, I just wanted to save the money for grad school but who knows might be worth it for me to go apartment hunting first hand and I'd love to see the auditorium for the bigger classes.  

The Autism clinic you mentioned sounds awesome, that is the only downside to Irving it would be extra far from the Richardson campus I'd imagine.

That's a good point; I never considered the distance between Irving and Richardson. It definitely helped to see the apartments in person. Some of the ones that looked really nice online weren't as good in person, and some that I didn't think I'd like very much ended up being my favorites. I would love to compare lists!

[hopefulspeechie16]

@CBG321@BamaBelle it seems that the village apartments have frequent cockroach problems. Just wanted to inform anyone thinking of moving there! You can check the reviews.

[BamaBelle]

Just now, hopefulspeechie16 said:

@CBG321@BamaBelle it seems that the village apartments have frequent cockroach problems. Just wanted to inform anyone thinking of moving there! You can check the reviews.

 good to know. Thanks for the heads up!

[CBG321]

4 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

@CBG321@BamaBelle it seems that the village apartments have frequent cockroach problems. Just wanted to inform anyone thinking of moving there! You can check the reviews.

Yeah I crossed them off my list because of that.  I'm not going to pay that much money to live in an infested apartment complex haha.  Apparently a lot of apartments with dogs seem to have really immature owners who don't pick up after them too, so I'm considering non-animal friendly apartments as well to avoid that.  I have not heard of that much in my area so idk if it is a city thing or unique to Dallas haha.

[Kanga]

For those considering Dallas, here are two Facebook pages to join after you accept the offer and receive a UT Dallas email account. The first could be helpful for furnishing an apartment! The second one I obviously don't know a lot about, but you could probably ask questions about apartments, locations, etc.

UT Dallas Free & For Sale 2.0

1. Send an email from your *UTD email* to utdffs@gmail.com. The title of the email should be your Facebook name, *exactly* as it appears on Facebook.

2. Request to join this group.

 

UT Dallas

Requires @student.utdallas.edu/utdallas.edu email address to join

https://www.facebook.com/groups/groupsatutdallas/?from=506036266127251

[hopefulspeechie16]

22 hours ago, CBG321 said:

Yeah I crossed them off my list because of that.  I'm not going to pay that much money to live in an infested apartment complex haha.  Apparently a lot of apartments with dogs seem to have really immature owners who don't pick up after them too, so I'm considering non-animal friendly apartments as well to avoid that.  I have not heard of that much in my area so idk if it is a city thing or unique to Dallas haha.

I'm also curious about crime in Dallas. I heard there are aggressive homeless people and random people talking to you and asking for money in return? Obviously, there's the whole Texas and guns issue, which is something to get used to coming from the East coast...

[BamaBelle]

8 minutes ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

I'm also curious about crime in Dallas. I heard there are aggressive homeless people and random people talking to you and asking for money in return? Obviously, there's the whole Texas and guns issue, which is something to get used to coming from the East coast...

Oh weird I've never heard of any of that or seen it any of the times I've visited, which is strange to me bc my boyfriend is usually like a magnet for the aggressive homeless people! (Once he bought a guy Rockefeller oysters in NOLA! ) If that is an issue though, I'd also like to know more about it and about what areas to avoid! 

[CBG321]

14 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

I'm also curious about crime in Dallas. I heard there are aggressive homeless people and random people talking to you and asking for money in return? Obviously, there's the whole Texas and guns issue, which is something to get used to coming from the East coast...

I wish there was a quiet little country town closer to the callier center haha.  I'd love a peaceful little neighborhood to go home to without any of this randomness.  I can always drive to the fun stuff i'm used to that where I live haha.  Might be fun to not have to for once though!

[hopefulspeechie16]

It's actually hard for me to pick schools now since my friends tell me Arizona has scorpions and snakes, Texas has cockroaches and snakes, and New York has rats. I know I'm overreacting and every place has something but creepy bugs and animals FREAK ME OUT. 

[KLSLP]

1 hour ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

It's actually hard for me to pick schools now since my friends tell me Arizona has scorpions and snakes, Texas has cockroaches and snakes, and New York has rats. I know I'm overreacting and every place has something but creepy bugs and animals FREAK ME OUT. 

On the creatures of Dallas:

Cockroaches-yes

Snakes-very rare in the city

Scorpions-saw only a few (and they were very small)

But by far the strangest thing I ever found in my Dallas-area apartment was a flying squirrel.  I have no idea how it got there.  At first I thought it was adorable, but then it started climbing the walls and launching itself off of cupboards and high ledges.  I didn't sleep for 48 hours because I was paranoid about it nesting in my hair.  Eventually I opened both doors and chased it around, waving my arms and yelling "NO SQUIRRELS NO SQUIRRELS NO SQUIRRELS" until the poor thing fled in terror.  It was an unhappy experience for both of us.

[BamaBelle]

I'd really like to make a facebook group for Dallas. Any of you kids wanna be my friend and help make it happen?

[BamaBelle]

Lol I couldn't wait so I made one anyway

https://www.facebook.com/groups/697037763770584/

[Kanga]

We flew in to Dallas yesterday. Landed at 3:30, in our rental car by 4:15 and toured two apartment complexes before they closed. Today we visited 6 and were at Callier Center, getting specifics on the course of study, work study and clinical hours. A quick dinner at Spiral Diner (super cute, tasty vegetarian restaurant), a visit to Sam Moon and back to the hotel to crsh. Tomorrow more apartment hunting, hopefully a trip to Richardson and a flight out at 5:30. I will try and report on every apartment and area we saw, but it will probably take me a few days!

Visiting the university was very helpful. We were told the reason the course of study is not online is due to how complex it is. Three specific comments:

1. there are tons of course that fulfill the 9 required units in adult/child language. You take 3 courses, either 2 focusing on child language and 1 on adults, or two on adults and 1 on child. You can totally personalize those courses. There are 8 courses that fulfill the requirement for child language, plus two others (basically special topics). Then there are 6 that can fulfill for adult language (again, with 2 that are basically special topics).

2. There are a bunch of online courses, all 1 unit each, and all pass/fail. These targeted a very specific area that are of specific interest. These cannot be taken until the third semester. You can on;y count 3 units towards the required 39 units. 

3. There are 6 required courses totalling 16 units four are three units each and two are two units each, and three required language courses (9 units). Since ASHA requires a minimum of 39 course units, this allows for at least 14 units of electives. 

The summer program is 8 weeks (UT Dallas actually has 3 summer schedules, for 5, 8 and 11 weeks). 

We were told that if you quailfy for work study, thr department can typically offer you some kid of job (professor assistant, research assistant, clinic assistant. The pay is $10.50 per hour.

I will start another post on housing.

 

[Kanga]

We visited three aeas near Callier. These areas were Uptown, the Village and the Medical District. A couple of commets.

Uptown looks fun and really didn't seem noisy. But, many of the apartments are pricey. The two that are most reasonable that we found are The Villas at Katy Trail and Carlisle on the Katy Trail. 

The Village has 16 properties in the area. We talked to both students and staff at Callier and none had heard of bug problems. They were actually surprised i mentioned it. We were told that many students live in the village. The Bend is probably the cheapest of the 16 and at the other end, The Upper East Side is most expensive. West Side, Dakota, Northridge and The Lakes are also on the more expensive end. The Chase, The Park and The Meadow are in the lower trange and are similiarly priced. 

The Village has a main Village Relocation Center, where you can get ifo on all the properties and hear all of the availability at the same time. 

The Medical District is closest to Callier. It is generally not cosidered the best area, but we really thought it was nice. It's definiteky an area going through urbaln renewal, but we thought it was lovely. Lots of people who work in the area, students, residents, interns, nurses, etc. All the apartments are gated. Most of these apartments host events for residents 1-3 times per month that sounded really fun. 

After acceptances happen, if you are looking for roommates, the departmen will collect names and share information (if you allow them to).

I will post specific about each apartment we visisted, but it will take me a couple of days.

[Kanga]

I searched Trulia maps for theiir crime maps. Gnerally, the area in the medical district were green, the Villages and Residence in Midtown yellow (middle).

The Residence at Midtown: about 9.3 miles from Callier. The apartments have been renovated. No washer hook-ups, ut there is a laundry facility on site. Rooms are pretty small. A studio runs about $675, 1 bedroom $755 and 2 bedroom $975. Initially 12 month leases, then can be extended in increments.  Water/gas/trash is $10 and pest control $4. There is a free after school program for kids. Not our fvorite.

The Southwestern: about 1.1 miles away from Callier in the medical district. Pricier. One bedrooms run from about $1000-$1500, 2 bedrooms from $500-$1900. Valet trash is $25 per month. Elecricity runs about $50, water about $25. Includes a washer/dryer. It has a 24 hour athletic club, and a beautiful resort like pool and a club house. They offer events for residents 2 times a month. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and walk in closets. It was gated.  It was amazing. 

5225 Maple: 1.1 miles, in Medical district. Gated. A lovely pool area. The apartments are not as updated as the Southwestern. white painted cabinets but I think others have been upgraded. Lots of storage in the apartment. Washer/dryer hookups but you have to rent or buy. There is a 24 hour courtesy officer. Free parking or $25 per month for assigned in garage? Can't remember what the extra payment gives you. Has about 4 events per month for residents. A nice place. I think it has a grassy fenced in area for pets.

[hopefulspeechie16]

@Kanga how was the weather while you were there?

[Kanga]

5 hours ago, hopefulspeechie16 said:

@Kanga how was the weather while you were there?

It's been beautiful!!! A high of low 70's. Comfortable in jeans and shirt during the day with a light sweater later in the day. 

We were told it's the nicest weather so far this spring.

[racoomelon]

I was looking at the UTD website to try and find a rough curriculum outline for the program. If anyone knows where this might be found (if it exists), would you mind posting the link?

[EESpeechie]

3 minutes ago, racoomelon said:

I was looking at the UTD website to try and find a rough curriculum outline for the program. If anyone knows where this might be found (if it exists), would you mind posting the link?

We got to see it this weekend when we visited but they do not post it. It's super confusing since there's only 6 core classes. Once you accept, you'll meet with an advisor (in person or via phone) and go over a plan for the next two years. You also meet with your academic advisor and clinical advisor (2 different people) each semester! 

[racoomelon]

3 minutes ago, EESpeechie said:

We got to see it this weekend when we visited but they do not post it. It's super confusing since there's only 6 core classes. Once you accept, you'll meet with an advisor (in person or via phone) and go over a plan for the next two years. You also meet with your academic advisor and clinical advisor (2 different people) each semester! 

Oh, that explains why I was having so much trouble finding it haha! Thank you!  

Do you also happen to have a cost estimate? I think I've figured out graduate tuition for in-state, sans the program fees, but I'm not sure if it's accurate.

[EESpeechie]

3 minutes ago, racoomelon said:

Oh, that explains why I was having so much trouble finding it haha! Thank you!  

Do you also happen to have a cost estimate? I think I've figured out graduate tuition for in-state, sans the program fees, but I'm not sure if it's accurate.

It's about $7500 a semester I think for in state (for 15 or more units). I'm not sure about summer though. They told me most only take 2 classes and clinical so it could be a little less. 

[racoomelon]

2 minutes ago, EESpeechie said:

It's about $7500 a semester I think for in state (for 15 or more units). I'm not sure about summer though. They told me most only take 2 classes and clinical so it could be a little less. 

That's a little over what I figured, but not horrible. Again, thanks!

[Kanga]

6 hours ago, racoomelon said:

Oh, that explains why I was having so much trouble finding it haha! Thank you!  

Do you also happen to have a cost estimate? I think I've figured out graduate tuition for in-state, sans the program fees, but I'm not sure if it's accurate.

It's hard to know for sure, because the tuition varies based on how many units you take. Plus, there is an extra $40 per unit fee for speech path classes. I think the quantity of classes taken each semester varies as well. If you figure 39 units of coursework (minimum), plus 9 units of clinical, gives you 48 units. Over 5 semesters (with summer carrying less) that's about 11 units per semester, plus about 6 for summer (give or take). 11 units is $6646 for this spring + 440 ($40 per unit) which is $7086. 6 units in summer $4151 + $240 = $4391. I assume fall 2016 tuition will be a little more, and of course books, which puts you right at $7500 for the 4 semesters, plus maybe $4500 for summer. I am guessing that maybe $35,000 for all five semesters is a good, realistic estimate unless you plan on taking more the normal class load.

[CBG321]

46 minutes ago, Kanga said:

It's hard to know for sure, because the tuition varies based on how many units you take. Plus, there is an extra $40 per unit fee for speech path classes. I think the quantity of classes taken each semester varies as well. If you figure 39 units of coursework (minimum), plus 9 units of clinical, gives you 48 units. Over 5 semesters (with summer carrying less) that's about 11 units per semester, plus about 6 for summer (give or take). 11 units is $6646 for this spring + 440 ($40 per unit) which is $7086. 6 units in summer $4151 + $240 = $4391. I assume fall 2016 tuition will be a little more, and of course books, which puts you right at $7500 for the 4 semesters, plus maybe $4500 for summer. I am guessing that maybe $35,000 for all five semesters is a good, realistic estimate unless you plan on taking more the normal class load.

Has anyone gotten this confirmed 100% with the department because awhile ago I was given the estimate of 44K.  Now that I think of it i'm not sure if that was without in-state pricing but i'm just worried there are some hidden fees that they included in that estimate.  

I would be really excited if the cost came closer to 35K bc that's a savings of about 10K I wasn't anticipating!   I've bombarded the department with too many emails already so am hesitant to send yet another one but if anyone had that information concrete that would be so great.  Thank you for the estimate Kanga I hope your number is more accurate than the one I got!