CSDCAS

[MonicaSLP]

Will someone puhl-EASE explain to me this horrible, horrible system???

 

Does anyone actually like it?? I was frustrated with it during the application process, but they are still haunting me and telling me they didn't receive things, long after the deadline. I have spent more time and money on that thing than I care to calculate. I had never even heard of it before January, and only one of my schools was on there. Are there ANY advantages to it?

 

(rant over - I should be studying....)

[pmarie]

No, I hate it!!! I only used it to apply to my safeties, thank god. But I'm pretty sure they lost my transcripts for one of the schools... Bleh. Oh well, I'm thinking it won't come down to that. But still, what a waste of time and money!

[OkTxSLP]

It's very time consuming, but overall, the customer service responded quickly when I did have problems.  Even when they said they wouldn't be in the office due to weather, they responded to my email much sooner than I was told I would receive a response.  I started mine back in November and submitted before December, so mine ran fairly smoothly.  Academic update was a little later than I had hoped, but I've got my fingers crossed the programs I applied to look at that. It is a lot of information, but as my undergrad program limits the amount of recommendation letters I can request from a single professor, it was great because I could apply to 6 schools without trying to find 6 different professor to write letters.

[ImHis]

Although I do agree that it's nowhere yet at the level of efficiency as AMCAS or the National Clearinghouse, they are very responsive and processed materials very quickly if you submit your docs early. Mine took 1.5 weeks for GPA to be verified and mailed to the department. Make sure you submit your feedback to csdcasinfo@csdcas.org with ATTN: Manager/Feedback on the subject.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Articklish

[neucool]

I did it all back in November to submit by Dec 1st, and had no issues. I think I was one of the lucky ones though. For me, it definitely made it easier because I had 3 schools that used it, so I saved a lot of time.

[onedayslp]

I also submitted my first app in early December, and everything was verified within 2 weeks. So it went very smoothly for me. Also, similarly to a PP-it was nice to be able to ask recommenders to submit 1 thing rather than 4. I was overall happy with the experience but it seems like a lot of people did have issues (particularly in January which I'm sure is their busiest time). 

[laurenbslp]

I was extremely disappointed with CSDCAS. Obviously, fill out the CSDCAS survey, but I would also recommend sharing your experience with schools after the application process is over. I do not believe CSDCAS followed their Admissions Code of Cooperation, and I believe that schools need to know that. I am waiting to share with schools my experience until after all decisions have been made. I plan on contacting the director of admissions for each school, including any schools where I have been rejected, not to fight the admissions decision, but to inform them of CSDCAS problems in hopes that they reconsider their affiliation with CSDCAS. 

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

My schools gave the option of applying directly to the graduate programs or doing CSDCAS. I started CSDCAS and quit soon after. I had a headache in the short amount of time that I used CSDCAS. Although I had to fill out six different applications, I felt like they were still less of a headache than dealing with CSDCAS.

[koukla19]

I was extremely disappointed with CSDCAS. Obviously, fill out the CSDCAS survey, but I would also recommend sharing your experience with schools after the application process is over. I do not believe CSDCAS followed their Admissions Code of Cooperation, and I believe that schools need to know that. I am waiting to share with schools my experience until after all decisions have been made. I plan on contacting the director of admissions for each school, including any schools where I have been rejected, not to fight the admissions decision, but to inform them of CSDCAS problems in hopes that they reconsider their affiliation with CSDCAS. 

 

I will be doing the same thing. They took a very long time to "verify" my grades. Why does it need to be verified if the schools have your transcripts. I believe that the portal itself is a great idea, but the verification needs to go. I definetly voiced this opinion in my CSDCAS survey.

[selbstverteidigung]

This is what I wrote to the schools I applied to through CSDCAS. I'm brave, or maybe you'd call it suicidal. Lol.

"To whom it may concern:

I am writing in regards to my application through CSDCAS. I would like to express my serious doubts as to the accuracy of their verification process.

My BA was in Linguistics, and because of this, CSDCAS has included any course with the LIN prefix under the course subject "Basic Communication Processes (CSD courses)." This includes courses such as "American Indian Languages," "Field Methods," and "Historical Linguistics," courses which have little to nothing in common with CSD courses. Ironically, they included "Historical Linguistics" but did not include "Old English" in this category. This conveys ignorance as to the content of both courses and suggests that their assessment is somewhat arbitrary.

All in all, my evaluation of CSDCAS is that they only complicate what they are meant to simplify. The application process through CSDCAS was not a very pleasant experience at all. Their GPA calculations are erroneous, and therefore, I think each institution should scrutinize their results and, if needed, conduct their own calculations.

I hope you will take my experience into consideration for future application cycles."

One school actually replied to me that their admissions committee feels much the same and is recalculating GAPs!

[rubyslp23]

I didn't have any problems, but I made sure to send in my transcripts SUPER early (like, September/October) especially because I had four schools worth of materials to keep track of - I then had my final transcripts immediately sent after the fall semester ended. Since my fall transcripts arrived before my application was even verified, they went ahead and added in those grades for me without having to use the academic update which sped up the process. I think the key is to get materials in before the mad dash season starts - it seemed to get crazy as soon as January hit!! I do think the GPA/course designation process is ridiculous, although it ended up helping my overall GPA in the long run. 

 

My main gripe with CSDCAS is how hard it is to individualize the application. Also, I'd love the option to just upload a resume - the activities/honors/whatever portion was awful.

[lakegirl92]

I actually had no problems and thought CSDCAS was such an easy and helpful application. I compared it to the common app since you can send it to so many other schools. If you enter the information in ahead of time and submit it well before the deadline (it says online you should submit 4 weeks before) you shouldn't have a problem. This is my second time applying and second time using it and liked that for schools I didn't need to send out 3 different applications and could just use the CSDCAS for all three.

[Allegro8032]

My BA was in Linguistics, and because of this, CSDCAS has included any course with the LIN prefix under the course subject "Basic Communication Processes (CSD courses)." This includes courses such as "American Indian Languages," "Field Methods," and "Historical Linguistics," courses which have little to nothing in common with CSD courses. Ironically, they included "Historical Linguistics" but did not include "Old English" in this category. This conveys ignorance as to the content of both courses and suggests that their assessment is somewhat arbitrary.

 

 

I think this is well written, but what might backfire on you here is if you look at the CSDCAS course subjects list, "Linguistics" is under Basic Communication Sciences, so these courses were verified correctly. On that same page, the instructions state that the CSD program advisory council got together and decided what they wanted CSDCAS to categorize as what: "The list below has been created in conjunction with the Council on Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD)" and so that is why Linguistics is on there - the administrative CSD program body wanted it that way. It also says they have to base the categorization on the dept prefix and the course title, so anything that had LIN as a prefix or "Linguistics" in the title would arguably be up for grabs.You could argue they should reconsider what category that's under, however.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Allegro8032

[selbstverteidigung]

I think this is well written, but what might backfire on you here is if you look at the CSDCAS course subjects list, "Linguistics" is under Basic Communication Sciences, so these courses were verified correctly. On that same page, the instructions state that the CSD program advisory council got together and decided what they wanted CSDCAS to categorize as what: "The list below has been created in conjunction with the Council on Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD)" and so that is why Linguistics is on there - the administrative CSD program body wanted it that way. It also says they have to base the categorization on the dept prefix and the course title, so anything that had LIN as a prefix or "Linguistics" in the title would arguably be up for grabs.You could argue they should reconsider what category that's under, however.

I know they are under that heading. But that is crazy. Linguistics courses that have to do with brain and language are understandable, but not the ones I and many others have taken. I have a theory that whoever verified my courses judged that "Old English" was a language class like Latin, which would be incorrect. This course, however, was accurately designated as "Other", even though it has the LIN prefix. They informed me that they take both course prefix and title into consideration. Well, they should have done that with more than just Old English!

Edited February 25, 2015 by selbstverteidigung