Fall 2014 Newbie Talk

[lululuna]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to start a new thread for all of "us" who are new to the site and wanted to get acquainted. I am a junior in the Speech and Hearing Sciences department at Portland State University.

Where are you from? Any specific interests or schools you are looking to apply to?

I look forward to meting some of you!

Cheers,

L. 

[caterpillar]

Hi there. My husband is the SLP grad school applicant, but he's not much for message boards so I'm mostly here on his behalf. He also attended Portland State, though he finished the pre-reqs in winter term of this year. He was rejected from the three schools he applied to this year so I guess I'll be seeing you around here once falls rolls back around.

[lorenzojojo]

Hi! I've been lurking on the boards the last couple of weeks and have found them to be incredibly helpful. I'm currently a second grade teacher in my sixth year of teaching. I have a BA in Psychology as well as a Master of Education, both from UC San Diego. I've been interested in SLP for a while and have finally decided to apply to programs for Fall 2014! I'm a little nervous about going back to school after teaching for a while, but I've seen some other career changers on here which is really reassuring. I'm planning to volunteer/shadow this summer for more experience specifically with SLP. I'm also currently studying for the GRE (yuck) and plan to take it (again) this summer. Right now I'm narrowing the list of schools to apply to. I'm trying to focus on schools that have 3 year programs for out of field applicants. SDSU, UofM-Twin Cities, Colorado-Boulder, Loma Linda, Redlands, and UofT-Austin are on the list. I'm looking forward to talking with others preparing to apply for 2014

[R0XY21]

Hello! I have been lurking on these boards for the last couple of weeks as well. I graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Psychology. I applied to SDSU's program as well as CSULA's Master's Prep Certificate Program for Fall of 2013. I didn't get accepted into SDSU, but I just received an email stating I was accepted to CSULA's prep program. I haven't replied yet. Can anyone give details about this program? I'm figuring that it would be much easier to navigate pre reqs this way (since I don't have a CSD degree) instead of trying to do it on my own. Just wanted to see if anyone else out there had more info about it.

[lululuna]

@Caterpillar -- welcome! I am hopeful for your husband! Keep us updated!

 

@lorenzojojo -- Thanks for the reply. It sounds like you have a great background which may certainly help out you, especially if you plan on getting into school-SLP. Is that the plan? 

 

I am currently looking at: Vanderbilt, Ut-Austin, U of Cincinnati, University of Washington-Seattle, and CU-Boulder. From what I can tell, all pretty tough programs. I am hope that studying the GRE every day for two hours for the next two months will help my chances! 

[rks2010]

Hello I'm a senior CSD major applying this fall. I am Applying to pretty much all te schools in michigan and a few in Ohio. Just took the GRE..need to take it again! Good luck to all of you.

[lululuna]

@RKS-- it's really great that you've given yourself enough time to take the GRE again. I wish I would have planned like that!

Which schools in Ohio are you looking at? I've been in contact with a faculty member at University of Cincinnati. That whole department has been nothing but kind in our contact.

[lorenzojojo]

@lululuna-- I'm actually not sure if I want to be a school SLP, although that is an environment I'm quite familiar with. Working in a hospital really appeals to me right now. I'm also not sure which population I want to work with yet. I've been working with children for so many years, and am good at it, but would love to help babies/toddlers, adults, and special needs populations as well. I definitely want to keep my options open

[rks2010]

@lululana I'm thinking university of Toledo, Miami university, and either cinci or bowling green!

[lululuna]

@ lorenzojojo That is the beauty of this field. It is so multi-dimensional! You really can work in a variety of settings, with a variety of populations, etc. as an SLP.

 

@rks2010  Nice! I am kind of in the same boat, in terms of applying to places all over the country. It's all about what program works best for you, right? =)

[SLPH2b]

I'm a postbacc at PSU! I'm enjoying the classes so far, though I did just get a B+ in one of my classes I'm hoping to apply to UW- Med track, PSU, Pacific, CSU- East Bay, Midwestern, Rush. I hope that with my B+, I won't be ruled out of the running. I have already taken the GRE and did ok, have had experience working in rehab and doing some research, and I'm not volunteering in a research group on campus. I hope I can get great LORs to offset everything else. 

[lululuna]

@ARF: Mind me asking which class you got a B in? Some classes are just harder than others. It sounds by all of your experience, you're on a great track! Also, you have a lot of variety in the schools you are applying to. What is your research experience look like? I am still narrowing down my prospective schools...talk about a chore! ;-)

[sarahsahara]

Hi all! I graduated from UNM in the fall of 2011 with a BA in psychology. I took the GRE last year and did okay-wish my score had been higher. I'm taking the necessary pre-req courses at UNM and have a GPA of 4.1 so I hope that balances out my GRE scores. I also did a lot of research as an undergrad and wrote my undergraduate thesis on autism. I currently work with children who have autism. I am looking at UW-Seattle, UC-Boulder, and UNM. In a few weeks, I'm going to check out the campuses at UW and UC Boulder, something I'm very much looking forward to. Anyone have any suggestions for checking out the campuses? I've never been to Seattle or Boulder before...

[sayjo]

Hi everyone!  I am also planning on applying for the 2014-2015 school year.  I am an out-of-field applicant and have spent my past four years teaching language arts in an inner-city school.  I've also recently earned my Master's in education from Northwestern, so I'm hoping my previous life experience & degrees will give me a good shot to get into school.

 

I saw someone on this thread mentioned they were planning to apply to Rush.  A family member of mine recently completed the program at Rush and HATED it.  Rush is on the quarter system and my family member thought that they tried to jam too many classes into their program which made it difficult to retain information.  I think Rush requires a lot more credit hours than "normal" programs.  This family member is a VERY strong student (who I know got good grades during grad school) so I was surprised to hear them complain.  That said, I'm sure that every university has former students who disliked their program.

 

At the moment, I've only got a loose idea on where I'd like to apply.  I'd like to attend Northwestern, but their tuition is outrageous (I earned my previous Master's on scholarship).  I'm also intrigued by Vanderbilt's program; however, I'm unsure whether my husband would be willing to move that far.  I might need to stick to schools in the Illinois & Wisconsin area.  

 

How many schools is everyone planning to apply to? One seems like too few where as upwards of five seems too many...

 

Maybe I'm a dork, but I'm excited to begin this whole process!  Can't wait to follow everyone on their journeys to grad school!

[lululuna]

Hey there, Sayjo! That is really surprising to hear about Rush. It seems like such a great school, you'd think people would want to go there because it has a good program (and not just because of the name.) I do not know anyone who has gone there personally, so it seems nice to have someone close to you that can give you an insiders perspective. 

If you recall, what were the reasons for the bad review? My current school follows the quarter system, which I have heard many complaints about. However, I have only ever attended schools (Chemeketa community college and PSU) on the quarter system, so I guess I can't personally compare it to the semester system! =)

I was actually looking into Rush as a prospective grad school...along with UT, UW, Med-SLP, U of Cincinnati MA/PhD Program, Vanderbilt, Pitt, U of Arizona, San Diego State, and MGH. So, on my "grad school info" excel worksheet, I have nine schools that I am pretty serious about. It may seem like an outrageous number to some, but I have been constantly researching programs, seeking advice from professors, among other things that have brought me to the conclusion that no matter how stellar my application, it is still a very competitive field. Also, I am kind of anxious to get out of Portland for the first time in my life and grad school seems like a great reason to do so!

-L.

[sayjo]

Hi lululuna,

 

Unfortunately, I can't remember any other reasons for the bad review.  My family member mostly spoke about the number of credit hours.  I looked it up today and Rush requires 108 hours which does sound like a lot, especially considering the fact that my family member did clinical placements every quarter (I think) on top of the full course load.  It sounds like the program just wasn't a good fit for them, although it might be for someone else.

 

They did say that they are happy to have Rush's "name" on their resume since they are looking for hospital jobs that can be quite competitive to get.  Having a degree from Rush definitely is a bonus in that way.  Also, they scored in the 90th percentile on the Praxis exam, which I would attribute to Rush as well.  

 

I think they also weren't happy that they spent so much $$ on Rush and could have had just as good of an experience (if not better) at another nearby school.  They've got a TON of debt now even though they received a large scholarship.  It definitely makes me think twice about going to a big name school unless I'm offered funding.  

 

Hope that helps!  I've been blessed to have two family members complete SLP grad school before me so I've been hounding them for advice!

 

On a different topic, your list of schools is quite extensive; however, I'm starting to lean toward applying to a large number of schools too! As an out-of-field applicant, I know I need to cover all my bases to make sure I am able to keep up with the stellar in-field applicants.  I've got some observation hours in with a local SLP in an attempt to beef up my application and learn more about the profession.  I've also been studying non-stop for the GRE this summer and am hoping to take it in August.  Has anyone else here taken it yet?

Edited July 1, 2013 by sayjo

[lululuna]

Hey there Sayjo,

Although I am an in-field applicant, it seems you have a nice advantage with the other Masters AND work experience! It seems logical that some schools would prefer to see that kind of experience over a decent GPA! I am pretty stressed about the GRE's and also plan on taking them in August, to have time to retake if necessary. Are you following a book or study guide? I find that the free GRE materials provided online through the ETS website are pretty comprehensive. I am working through the Quantitative workbook and let's just say...Boy, have I forgotten a lot since high school! 

Also, a quick note about the observation hours...many schools require 25 observation hours before beginning a masters program. However, I heard somewhere that some schools require them before you even apply, though I have yet to come across one (of the latter).

Edited July 1, 2013 by lululuna

[sayjo]

That info about observation hours is helpful, thanks!  I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to the number of hours I was putting in but I sure will now!  That's what I think must be nice about having your undergrad in CSD - you seem to know a lot more about what to expect for grad school and the application process!  Super jealous!

 

This is actually my second time taking the GRE.  I took the old version back when I was in undergrad - but just my luck, I hit the five year mark where I can no longer use my old scores.  I've been studying using CliffsNotes Math Review for Standardized Tests (it's been so long since I've done any kind of math and I've found this book to be really easy to follow), Barron's Essential Words for the GRE, and Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE 2013.  I remember there being a lot of really difficult vocabulary on the test the last time I took it, so I'm trying to memorize a bunch of vocabulary words.  After I go through my prep books, I'm planning to work through the ETS stuff.  As a teacher, I'm very fortunate to have the summer off and I'm trying to study between 2-3 hours a day - although that doesn't work out so well when my fellow teacher friends want to go out and have fun.  Haha.

[yumangous]

Hi everyone! I'm a prospective international student from the Philippines and I'm going to apply for 2014 admissions. It's just nice to be able to read threads like this. It helps a lot to know I'm not the only one going through this tough process. I'm currently studying for the GRE as well and I'm planning to take it in August. I'm going to apply to only 3 schools--WSU Spokane, U of Nebraska-Lincoln, and U of Northern Iowa--so I'm really crossing my fingers. Has anyone here heard anything about these school's SLP program?

 

Anyway, I'm actually already a practising SLP here in the Philippines where the entry level for the profession is a bachelor's degree. But I want to have the option of working in English-speaking countries so I want to do my grad studies already. I already got accepted in Macquarie University in Australia. Still, I want to have lots of options for my grad studies so like all of you, I'm also preparing for 2014 admissions.

 

Best of luck to all of us!       

[SLPeechHopeful]

Hey all! I'm currently a junior at Pitt. Although I'm not 100% certain, I'll most likely be working with children, but I'm not sure of what setting. Currently the medical/outpatient setting is looking interesting, but I know I'll eventually work in the schools for at least some time. I guess it's good there are so many options in this field!Since I'm interested in the medical side, I'm sort of learning towards mroe medically based programs as it might be better for finding jobs later (I've heard its easier switching medical to educational). I'm also looking into schools on the eastern side of the US... Pitt, PSU, LaSalle, Univ. of Memphis, UNC, USF, NYMC, Vanderbilt and maybe MGH or even Univ. of Toronto! The last one is a new idea... still looking at programs but these ones seem the top! Not sure if I was to do a thesis or not... or do Pitt's MScD program. So many options ayy!

Oh, I alo have an undergraduate SLP blog! (Haven't seen many of those, so I wanted to start one to help others and just give info) http://speechbubbleslp.wordpress.com

If anyone has ideas for posts, feel free to let me know, I'll give credit! Or if you're interested in guest posting, I've been thinking about having a few. Just send me what you might write about and we can talk!

Edited July 10, 2013 by vintagexshortie

[lorenzojojo]

Hey guys It's been great to read about your experiences and feels nice that we're all in a similar boat, so to speak. Anyway, a couple things that have come up since I last posted which may be helpful:

 

1.) I've been using magoosh.com for GRE prep and it has helped tremendously! I paid for the whole thing, but they have a lot of free resources as well. They have free vocabulary, math, and GRE overview e-books and post frequently on their blog. I really needed to brush up on my math and the videos are excellent! The practice questions also have helped with my pacing. I swear I don't work for them or anything, it's just been a great resource for me. I take the GRE in two days (!) so wish me luck

 

2.) I met with one of the admissions people for SDSU this week to ask about the program and he was very helpful. My take-aways were:

A) Overall, schools are very competitive right now as there have been an increase in applications in the last few years.

3 year programs (the ones I was planning on applying to) are even more competitive and the number of applicants have especially shot up, so they admit only a small fraction of the already small fraction of applicants and really looking at good numbers (for SDSU he said the average GPA for the 3 year program was 3.7, GRE scores averaged 70% and above on each of the 3 sections, and they accepted 7 out of 200 applicants last year!)

C) He suggested looking into online post-bac's to open up more options for someone coming from out-of-field. With a post-bac I may be able to apply to 2 year programs, increasing my odds a bit as well as having more options. As an added bonus, I would only need to spend 2 years in school instead of 3

 

So, although I think my chances are still pretty good that I can get into a 3 year program, I do think it makes sense to try to do the online post-bac route to give me more options and save time and money in the long run. I didn't even consider this option before, so I'm scrambling a bit to apply to programs for this fall. I've applied to La Salle, SUNY, University of Vermont, and Keans online programs and hopefully I'll be able to do one of these while I'm teaching this year.

 

Is anyone else doing the post-bac thing? How do I make sure I'm meeting the requirements for the schools I'm applying to? 

[sayjo]

Hi lorenzojojo!

 

Good luck on your GRE! I'll be crossing my fingers for you.

 

I'm doing post-bacc this year.  Originally the plan was for me to quit my job and go full time; however, my husband and I have had some recent changes in our lives that have made it nearly impossible to do so.  So my new plan is to take online courses from USU while working full time (I'm totally bummed about this but - hey, what can you do?  Being an adult stinks sometimes).  I've made a giant spreadsheet to help me decide what classes to take.  On my spreadsheet, I've listed my possible schools and then I've marked which pre-reqs each school requires.  I've found that every school lists their required pre-reqs on their website.  I'm currently trying to decide which classes I want to start with at USU.

 

If you want to make sure that you're meeting the requirements of the school you're applying to, you should really try to obtain a second bachelor's in communication disorders.  That is what I was originally going to do, but it would take me a lot longer to complete all the classes instead of just fulfilling the pre-reqs.  Hope this helps!

 

Edited to add: I just noticed you're a teacher.  I am too!  Are you worried about taking classes while teaching this year?  Since getting into grad school is so competitive, I want to get really good grades, but I'm scared I won't be able to do my best in my classes since I will be working full time and teaching is EXHAUSTING.  How many classes are you planning to take per semester?  I'm thinking two but I'm not sure...

Edited July 17, 2013 by sayjo

[SLPeechHopeful]

@lorenzojojo, I hope the GRE went well for you yesterday! Thanks for the pointers from the admissions guy. Does anyone know of some online post bacc options? Someone asked me about those and I only know of USU and have heard of others but forget them

[lululuna]

Phew! I have been (kind of) keeping track of admission stats on ASHA's Ed Find website, but it seems their information is mostly outdated. I swear, I keep hearing higher and higher numbers of applicants. I guess those of us planning to apply just need to keep that in mind, without letting us drive us too crazy ;-)

 

@ lorenzojojo: So, how'd the GRE go? Well, I hope! It is such as task prepping for them (I plan to take them late August for the first time). There is just so many details to recall from high school math. I don't know about you folks, but I haven't taken a math course in almost seven years...ouch, it hurts to say that! haha.

[sayjo]

@SLPeechHopeful

 

I found an old thread on this forum that has some great info about post-bacc options both online and in-person.  Here is the link:   Scroll down to Midnight's post.

 

Hope that helps!