Which school are you attending in the fall & why?

[kbell]

The title says it all. Although it's a bit too early for most people to know where they'll be attending in the fall, I thought it would be good to get this started anyway. I imagine it will be interesting/useful/insightful/etc to share where we're going and why!

 

I'll start. I'm 99% sure I'll be attending UVA (haven't officially accepted my offer yet, but aiming to do so this week). I chose UVA for a few key reasons:

1) It's a pretty solid program. Not the best ranked program that I was accepted to, but a very good choice (academically) nonetheless.

2) I've met a good number of the faculty already since I'm an undergrad here, and they're all incredibly nice and capable.

3) I've shadowed in the clinic and interacted with some current grad students, so I can tell it's a warm, welcoming environment with ample support.

4) I already love UVA & Charlottesville!

5) I would save money going here by paying in-state tuition and living with my significant other (who works & lives in Charlottesville).

 

Anyway, I'm interested in hearing where you all are going and how you decided on the program/school of your choice!

[tchris]

Great thread!  UVA sounds like a good fit for you.

 

I have no idea where I'm going to go.  I'm deciding between University of Georgia, University of Memphis, La Salle, and Portland State.  Every time I think I have a clear front runner, I change my mind the next day.  I'm going to visit UGA this week, so that may provide some clarity.  I didn't anticipate being in this position because I was quite nervous about getting an acceptance in the first place.  Today, I'm leaning towards Portland State, but yesterday I was thinking La Salle.  I find myself feeling anxious about making the wrong decision, but I don't think I would regret picking any of the schools.  I look forward to hearing others' reasons for choosing the programs they are!

Edited March 18, 2014 by tchris

[MaxSLP]

I'll be attending the Med SLP program at the U of Washington, because I love moving across a continent and amassing large amounts of debt.  

 

Seriously though, it's a great program, with everything I could want in terms of research, facilities and faculty and I know I would've ended up specializing in MedSLP eventually, so I might as well get started early.  It's also a city I love from my visits.   My wife and I are looking at Grad school as an opportunity to find a permanent home and we're hoping Seattle will be the one. 

[Julie722]

I'll be attending UT Dallas this summer! I'm starting my leveling classes in May. There are so many reasons I chose Dallas, including:

 

1) They have an incredibly strong program that allows students to have experiences in a wide variety clinical settings.

2) Dr. Stillman is probably the most warm, helpful person I talked to throughout this entire process.

3) I received a scholarship for in-state tuition, which makes the overall cost so much less than I anticipated.

4) I am out-of-field but can still receive my degree after two full years, while I thought it would take at least 2.5 and probably 3.

5) My boyfriend can move with me to Dallas and transfer to the same school (different location) for his culinary program there.

6) I think I will LOVE the city of Dallas and being in Texas!

 

SO EXCITED! Two months until I move! And I'm going in a month to do some apartment hunting with my mom

[TerapistaRae]

Hey everyone! I'll be attending Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas in the fall. I"m so excited for a change of scenery! I chose Texas Christian University (and they chose me!) for several important reasons:

 

1. Bilingual program (I speak Spanish and my passion is working with clients from diverse backgrounds);

2. Faculty: Dr. Irmgard Payne's research is on accent modification and speech and language disorders in bilingual populations;

3. Funding: I'm being funded 80%, making it even more affordable than any public school that has offered me admission!;

4. Opportunities: TCU has a study abroad program that's going to China next summer! They also have access to Denton, Fort Worth, and Dallas, three very distinct areas with their own unique opportunities to explore;

5. Small class size: My whole cohort is only 20 people! Coming from a public university with the largest undergraduate population in the nation, this was very important to me.

 

I'm so excited to meet my classmates! Can't wait to start my research, courses, and grad assistantship

[autismadvocate]

I chose Florida State. My reasons are many, but here are the top ones, listed in order of importance:

 

1. They have an awesome autism program - which I REALLY hope I get into! (I find out next Tuesday - oh, goodness, I'm so nervous!)

2. They have a great program overall.

3. They're near(ish) family.

4. They're inexpensive, comparatively speaking.

5. They're in Florida, meaning it won't get too cold!

 

It's so unbelievable that I'll be going there in the Fall. It was just everything I was looking for in a school. Now I'm just REALLY hoping to get into the autism program - if I do, this will have been a dream come true application season!

[Papaya91]

I've finally made my decision. After visiting the University of Arizona yesterday, I'm 99.99% sure that's where I'm going. I can't really foresee any circumstances that would change my mind at this point, so I'm sending in my acceptance letter sometime this week! I was waitlisted at my former top choice, the UW MedSLP program, but I've realized that the UofA has a program that is just as good, and I'll be able to get the medical training and placements that I want. They're both top 5 schools (which may or may not really matter), and the UofA is more affordable, even if I don't get any funding. And there's so much sunshine in Tucson! The research opportunities they have are amaaaaaaazing (and a great fit for some of my interests), the faculty seems very friendly and supportive, and the first year grad students (who will be second years next year, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other) were very nice. Also, none of the students seemed as stressed out as I've seen in other programs - the UofA has a very manageable feel to it, although I'm sure it'll still be very intense. The campus is beautiful, they have an olympic size pool for swimming (my favorite way to work out), I'll be able to continue studying the harp (for free, I might add), and it's warm year-round. I also plan to end up back in SoCal again eventually, and it'll be a much easier move from Tucson than it will be from Seattle. Everything just seems to be falling into place.

 

Did I mention sunshine?! I need some (read: a lot) of that in my life. I'm so glad to finally have my decision made. Now I just have to take physics or chemistry, lol. Best of luck to everyone still waiting on schools or making decisions - it's almost over!

[tchris]

Congrats on making your decision, Papaya! 

[MaxSLP]

Congratulations Papaya! Enjoy the sun.

[PsycD]

I just got back from spending the last week visiting my top two choices...McGill University it is!

 

Why McGill? Well...

 

1) I couldn't have asked for a better fit.

2) My PI and the students on my future research team are beyond awesome.

3) Montreal is one of the coolest cities on the planet.

4) Getting to experience francophone culture and finally speaking the French my mom made me learn.

5) It has two things a girl needs to get through life...great food and men with accents.

6) I get to live in another country for at least 4 years.

7) Umm...it's McGill University.

[tchris]

I'll be going to the University of Georgia.  I initially planned on getting as far away from Georgia as possible, but UGA ended up being the best choice for me.

 

1. In-state tuition

2. Local program so my boyfriend and I won't have to move

3. Great opportunities for clinical placement in Athens & Atlanta

4. Small program size

5. I got a great feeling from the faculty and students when I went to visit

[MaxSLP]

Rock on, tchris. Sounds like you found the perfect fit of quality and cost. If you decide you want to leave Georgia afterwards, you'll have no problem. Isn't it nice knowing we'll likely be in demand wherever we go?

[tchris]

Thanks, MaxSLP.  I am relieved to have made the decision.  I look forward to the job opportunities and hope that when my boyfriend and I do move, one of our jobs will be paying for it!

[flnjslp]

I'm going to East Stroudsburg University!

 

1. Their course offerings are exactly what I want. I love how all of the courses are required too so I don't have to choose from a set of electives - I want to take them all.

2. I loved their clinic when I visited. Their current graduate students and professors really made me feel welcome.

3. I love the small cohort size.

4. It's close where I will be living in New Jersey and has the best commute even though it's in another state. My fiance is excited that we don't have to move!

[PsycD]

I'll be attending the Med SLP program at the U of Washington, because I love moving across a continent and amassing large amounts of debt.  

 

lol Ooooh Max, I am so with you on this. I'm grateful to have received funding, but the funding is not enough to cover all of my expenses until the 2nd year, and the amount of money it is costing me to move to another country makes me want to cry...every day.

[argslp]

I will be attending Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey!

 

1) I completed my first two years of undergrad there and absolutely loved the school

2) I am already familiar with the local area, where I would like to live and practice one day

3) It is one of the most reputable programs in the state

4) In-state tuition won't break my bank

5) Their clinic is absolutely beautiful and conducive to experiential learning

6) The current graduate students and faculty have been more than welcoming and supportive

7) I really enjoy the small cohort style of the program

8) I've been offered an interview for a Graduate Assistantship

9) Their course offerings focus on all settings and populations, and will give me a well-rounded education

10) I have the opportunity to complete my externships at local facilities where I have already begun to develop relationships with clinicians

 

It feels great to be a Red Hawk again!

[BiancaNicole21]

I will be attending the University of South Florida this Fall!

They had an Open House last week and I fell in love with the clinic. Probably the best that I visited.

The faculty seemed very involved and made me feel like they cared about my decision.

Plus two of the professors I spoke with are conducting research that I am interested in.Emergent literacy and RTI are my passions so when they spoke about their projects and what they needed help with, I knew I wanted to join. I asked for more info and they told me they would love if I could help. I felt like I would be more involved at USF than any other school I applied. One of the professors was developing a test that would measure reading in nonverbal children!

I just had this overwhelming feeling that USF was the right choice for me!

Plus we get clients the first semester and the grad students told me that it was scary, but that it really helped them develop their skills and boosted their confidence. I am SO excited to start!!!

CONGRATS to everyone accepted!!! I'm sure no matter what school you go to, you will succeed!

[sayjo]

I just made my big decision!  I will be attending Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville in the fall.  It was a really hard decision to make and I kept going back and forth (and back and forth and back and forth) between SIUE and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, but I feel that I've made the best possible choice for my husband and me.  

 

Here's my reasoning (most of which is financial, because I'm practical like that):

 

1. It will be much easier for my husband to get a job in the Edwardsville/ St. Louis area.  I feel that he would have been able to find a job in Urbana-Champaign too, but it might have taken a lot longer and he probably just would have had to take the first job offered to him.

2. I have family in the Edwardsville area that I can live with if it takes my husband longer than expected to find a job.

3. SIUE seems to offer a greater chance of earning a tuition waiver and living stipend through a GA.

4. SIUE's tuition is cheaper and they have one fewer semester than UIUC.

5. SIUE is located near a big city (St. Louis), so I have somewhere I can go when I'm missing Chicago.

6. SIUE's faculty is smaller, and I do well in close-knit environments.

7. SIUE's campus is BEAUTIFUL! (I would be lying if I said this didn't matter to me...haha...)

 

While I realize that I didn't write much about the content of the programs, I found them both to be quite similar, so I'm not worried about one program being better suited for my interests.  Interestingly enough, when I sent in my applications, I almost didn't apply to SIUE.  But now I'm glad I did!!  I'm so relieved and excited to have made my decision!

[sarahsahara]

I'll be attending CU Boulder in the fall! It took awhile to make this decision but after going to the open house on Friday, I realized that Boulder was the perfect fit for me because of the following reasons:

1. I really like the EI program they have at their Child Learning Center, in particular the work they do with children with autism (autism is one area of interest for me)

2. There's a lot of research collaborations with the psychology department, in particular a lot of neurology research.

3. I got my BA in psychology and I was impressed by how supportive and welcoming they are to people of all kinds of fascinating backgrounds.

4. They offer a dual PhD program in neuroscience and speech-language pathology, which I hope to pursue one day!

5. I'm from New Mexico, so I'm eligible for WRGP out-of-state tuition waiver

I'm so excited to be moving up there in the fall! Go buffs!!