SLPsara Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Should I fill out an application for the post bacc program at CSULA to try to start this fall, or should I wait until I'm more prepared and apply for it next year? Would there be any negatives to getting denied and trying to apply again in a year? I really don't want to wait a whole year to start, but of course I would use that time to take the GRE, and gain experience in SLP. Right now, I'm a nanny. I received my bachelors degree in liberal studies. I have observation hours in elementary schools. My employer is a speech pathologist so I could probably get a LOR from her and do some observation of her or something else. My GPA is probably about a 3.7 at this point, give or take a little bit.
lefuseau Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 I don't know about the application for that program but the post bacc application for mine was very easy. And they let anyone in who fit the requirements, first come first serve. If I were you, I'd do it. You can always say no if they let you in. SLPsara 1
anslpaday Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 I would absolutely try! There is no penalty in applying a second time, and you have great credentials. You even already have some experience! SLPsara 1
SLPsara Posted March 23, 2015 Author Posted March 23, 2015 Thank you so much! The deadline is 3/31 so I better do it tonight haha. It seems very simple. Idk how in depth my statement of intent needs to be here. I think I did the same application when I went to CSUN for undergrad and I realize now I gave it no thought.
lefuseau Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 I went and looked back at mine, I'm not sure exactly what the prompt was, but I wrote why I chose that program, what I want to do as an SLP, what I was doing at the time (finishing up bachelor's degree) and what I had done in the past that would make me a good candidate (research, volunteering). I made it very straightforward, I didn't try to make it interesting or well written like a statement of purpose. SLPsara 1
SLPsara Posted March 23, 2015 Author Posted March 23, 2015 I went and looked back at mine, I'm not sure exactly what the prompt was, but I wrote why I chose that program, what I want to do as an SLP, what I was doing at the time (finishing up bachelor's degree) and what I had done in the past that would make me a good candidate (research, volunteering). I made it very straightforward, I didn't try to make it interesting or well written like a statement of purpose. Thank you, that's very helpful. CSULA says this: "Write a brief statement (500 words/3500 characters or less including punctuation, but not spaces) describing your reason(s) for pursuing graduate or postbaccalaureate study. Include any additional information concerning your preparation that is pertinent to the objective specified" So I'll probably do the same
lefuseau Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Thank you, that's very helpful. CSULA says this: "Write a brief statement (500 words/3500 characters or less including punctuation, but not spaces) describing your reason(s) for pursuing graduate or postbaccalaureate study. Include any additional information concerning your preparation that is pertinent to the objective specified"So I'll probably do the same Good luck! You'll be so happy you did it done rather than later. :-) SLPsara 1
Chandru1 Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 From what I know, CSULA highly values GPA, so you have good chances of admission. But why specifically CSULA? Have you looked into Fullerton (if you're tied to the LA area)?
SLPsara Posted March 24, 2015 Author Posted March 24, 2015 From what I know, CSULA highly values GPA, so you have good chances of admission. But why specifically CSULA? Have you looked into Fullerton (if you're tied to the LA area)? My grandparents live ALL THE WAY in Santa Clarita, and I would like to not have to take out a loan for rent and save a bit of money for even a year. It will still be a huge commute (like an hour) to CSULA, but the commute to Fullerton would be impossible lol. I have a car loan I have to pay so I'll need to figure out how I'm going to do this.
Chandru1 Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Makes sense. Another option is CSU Dominguez Hills. It's apparently a bit longer, but designed for working students, so maybe they'd offer classes fewer times a week and on evenings/weekends to save on commuting? I'm just concerned that CSULA is competitive, so it's good to have backups.
SLPFall2015applicant Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) CSULA doesn't require an essay for the post bacc program, last I heard. They say to just write in the box that it's not required by the department. Even if you wrote one, I don't think they would read it. They also don't accept letters of rec. They literally only care about GPA. The department will tell you that. I don't think you'll have a problem getting in with a 3.7. I think they just admit the highest 60 GPAs or so. I think they usually admit people below 3.2. Edited March 24, 2015 by SLPFall2015applicant
Jlawren6 Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Should I fill out an application for the post bacc program at CSULA to try to start this fall, or should I wait until I'm more prepared and apply for it next year? Would there be any negatives to getting denied and trying to apply again in a year? I really don't want to wait a whole year to start, but of course I would use that time to take the GRE, and gain experience in SLP. Right now, I'm a nanny. I received my bachelors degree in liberal studies. I have observation hours in elementary schools. My employer is a speech pathologist so I could probably get a LOR from her and do some observation of her or something else. My GPA is probably about a 3.7 at this point, give or take a little bit. Hi, I am currently attending the post bacc at CSULA and I'll fill you in a little. It is super competitive. GPA is super important but your statement is valued, as well. They only let in 60 students out of around 300 applicants. Your 3.7 is just below what I had so you should be OK in terms of being accepted. Now....on to the program itself. This program is super organized and allows for some flexibility. HOWEVER, several of the professors are AWFUL....and i mean that. There are 2 professors in particular that are the worst...one you only have to take once...and another you have to take...AT LEAST 3 out of your 4 quarters. He's kind of easy in terms of grading, but he doesn't teach you anything. I actually do not like the school, coming from my undergrad at SJSU. I am from LA, but CSULA is lame. lol. The professors are all pretty nice for the most part, it's just those two that kind of ruin the experience. You have 4 classes per quarter for full time and 2 for part time. Full time finishes in a year, part time in two years. I'm doing full time and it is really tough. That being said, I have learned a lot. I'm glad I chose CSULA only because the program is over in a year. I encourage you to apply, but be prepared for some annoying professors. Our NSSLHA chapter is very active and I suggest you get involved with that, too. I hope this helped and did not scare you away.
anslpaday Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 If you are worried about getting in and location isn't an issue, I don't believe that you have to apply to Portland State's postbac program: http://www.pdx.edu/sphr/post-baccalaureate-program
SLPsara Posted March 24, 2015 Author Posted March 24, 2015 Hi, I am currently attending the post bacc at CSULA and I'll fill you in a little. It is super competitive. GPA is super important but your statement is valued, as well. They only let in 60 students out of around 300 applicants. Your 3.7 is just below what I had so you should be OK in terms of being accepted. Now....on to the program itself. This program is super organized and allows for some flexibility. HOWEVER, several of the professors are AWFUL....and i mean that. There are 2 professors in particular that are the worst...one you only have to take once...and another you have to take...AT LEAST 3 out of your 4 quarters. He's kind of easy in terms of grading, but he doesn't teach you anything. I actually do not like the school, coming from my undergrad at SJSU. I am from LA, but CSULA is lame. lol. The professors are all pretty nice for the most part, it's just those two that kind of ruin the experience. You have 4 classes per quarter for full time and 2 for part time. Full time finishes in a year, part time in two years. I'm doing full time and it is really tough. That being said, I have learned a lot. I'm glad I chose CSULA only because the program is over in a year. I encourage you to apply, but be prepared for some annoying professors. Our NSSLHA chapter is very active and I suggest you get involved with that, too. I hope this helped and did not scare you away. Thank you! I went to CSUN and was originally in a program to become a teacher, so I know what you mean about some of the professors at CSU's being friendly and stuff but just not helpful and a waste of time. Would you mind answering a few questions? What times are your classes? What time does the latest class usually end? I called and got conflicting information. I'm trying to see if I could just take the metro from Santa Clarita instead of driving. Did you already take the GRE before starting the program, or are you planning on taking it during the post-bacc. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, so what's your idea of "really tough" lol. Like is it possible to get a 4.0, or is it just too much at one time?
Jlawren6 Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Thank you! I went to CSUN and was originally in a program to become a teacher, so I know what you mean about some of the professors at CSU's being friendly and stuff but just not helpful and a waste of time. Would you mind answering a few questions? What times are your classes? What time does the latest class usually end? I called and got conflicting information. I'm trying to see if I could just take the metro from Santa Clarita instead of driving. Did you already take the GRE before starting the program, or are you planning on taking it during the post-bacc. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, so what's your idea of "really tough" lol. Like is it possible to get a 4.0, or is it just too much at one time? So you know the struggle, lol. Sure...Classes start anywhere from 1:30 to 7:20 p.m. There are zero classes offered before that. Most days you will start at 1:30 on at least mon/wed or tues/thurs. For example...last quarter i had mon/wed at 1:30-3:10 then from 7:20-9:00 p.m. FOUR hour break. Tuesday/thursday i had 3:55-6:00 and then 6:20-8:00 p.m. This Spring quarter i will be starting at 1:30 Mon-Thurs. It would be brutal to figure out the metro schedule with school's schedule, but I'm sure it's possible. I had not taken the GRE before admission. I took it in October after I had started the program. P.S. the GRE sucks. haha. Really tough means a lot of information in the one hour and forty minute classes. Tests are brutal and most teachers DO NOT give study guides...they say, "know everything" and then test you on 3 things. Classic. To me, this is a definition for bad teaching. Students need guidance. IT IS POSSIBLE to get a 4.0. I would suggest keeping your employment to a minimum. You also need to talk to professors before tests so you can MAYBE get a clue on what's on the test. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
SLPFall2015applicant Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 Hi, I am currently attending the post bacc at CSULA and I'll fill you in a little. It is super competitive. GPA is super important but your statement is valued, as well. They only let in 60 students out of around 300 applicants. Your 3.7 is just below what I had so you should be OK in terms of being accepted. Now....on to the program itself. This program is super organized and allows for some flexibility. HOWEVER, several of the professors are AWFUL....and i mean that. There are 2 professors in particular that are the worst...one you only have to take once...and another you have to take...AT LEAST 3 out of your 4 quarters. He's kind of easy in terms of grading, but he doesn't teach you anything. I actually do not like the school, coming from my undergrad at SJSU. I am from LA, but CSULA is lame. lol. The professors are all pretty nice for the most part, it's just those two that kind of ruin the experience. You have 4 classes per quarter for full time and 2 for part time. Full time finishes in a year, part time in two years. I'm doing full time and it is really tough. That being said, I have learned a lot. I'm glad I chose CSULA only because the program is over in a year. I encourage you to apply, but be prepared for some annoying professors. Our NSSLHA chapter is very active and I suggest you get involved with that, too. I hope this helped and did not scare you away. If I were you, SLPsara, I would call the department to ask if a statement of purpose is required for application to the post bacc program. I didn't write one and got in. Some of my professors in undergrad highly recommended that program to me. One of them told me that in her opinion, it's the best SLP post bacc program in California.
SLPsara Posted March 25, 2015 Author Posted March 25, 2015 So you know the struggle, lol. Sure...Classes start anywhere from 1:30 to 7:20 p.m. There are zero classes offered before that. Most days you will start at 1:30 on at least mon/wed or tues/thurs. For example...last quarter i had mon/wed at 1:30-3:10 then from 7:20-9:00 p.m. FOUR hour break. Tuesday/thursday i had 3:55-6:00 and then 6:20-8:00 p.m. This Spring quarter i will be starting at 1:30 Mon-Thurs. It would be brutal to figure out the metro schedule with school's schedule, but I'm sure it's possible. I had not taken the GRE before admission. I took it in October after I had started the program. P.S. the GRE sucks. haha. Really tough means a lot of information in the one hour and forty minute classes. Tests are brutal and most teachers DO NOT give study guides...they say, "know everything" and then test you on 3 things. Classic. To me, this is a definition for bad teaching. Students need guidance. IT IS POSSIBLE to get a 4.0. I would suggest keeping your employment to a minimum. You also need to talk to professors before tests so you can MAYBE get a clue on what's on the test. Please let me know if you have any more questions. That does seem like it'd be hard to work around with the metro. By the way, the metro is so expensive! It's like 240 a month. I am sure gas for driving is equally bad, but jeez. That's incredible compared to other major cities. If I were you, SLPsara, I would call the department to ask if a statement of purpose is required for application to the post bacc program. I didn't write one and got in. Some of my professors in undergrad highly recommended that program to me. One of them told me that in her opinion, it's the best SLP post bacc program in California. You got into the post bacc program there or the masters program? Congrats! Hopefully I get in. I submitted my application already and it's the only place I've applied. If I don't get in, I'll just spend a year working and saving up more money, taking the physical science class, and taking the GRE and will apply to other post baccs for the next year. If you got in to their post bacc with a 3.61 then I feel pretty confident. I'm also considering if it WOULD be a good idea to put it off another year and work so I can save some more money. I don't really want to take out a ton in loans.
Jolie717 Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Out of curiosity - why not CSUN for post-bacc? It's so much closer to you - but you know that already as you went there I suppose!
Chandru1 Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Out of curiosity - why not CSUN for post-bacc? It's so much closer to you - but you know that already as you went there I suppose! Isn't CSUN online? With the discontinuation of Long Beach's postbac, the only postbacs in LA County are CSULA and Dominguez. There is also Redlands' 2.5 year masters, Chapman's postbac (OC), and CSUSM (SD County), but they're all very far away.
Jolie717 Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 Isn't CSUN online? With the discontinuation of Long Beach's postbac, the only postbacs in LA County are CSULA and Dominguez. There is also Redlands' 2.5 year masters, Chapman's postbac (OC), and CSUSM (SD County), but they're all very far away. I'm not very savvy with post-bacc specifics, as I don't need one, but I have two classmates with previous out-of-field Bachelors' degrees who completed the Fall semester with me (I am a transfer junior for reference) and they were able to apply for admission to the upcoming Fall 2015 graduate program. They are of course taking the Spring semester with me as well, and might take summer classes too - not sure. But at any rate even if CSUN doesn't have an "official" post-bacc program they certainly have an unofficial one. And I've heard there is an online post-bacc here as well. I heard (but didn't verify) that if you get a 4.0 in the online post-bacc at CSUN you automatically get grad school acceptance.
SLPsara Posted March 31, 2015 Author Posted March 31, 2015 I'm not very savvy with post-bacc specifics, as I don't need one, but I have two classmates with previous out-of-field Bachelors' degrees who completed the Fall semester with me (I am a transfer junior for reference) and they were able to apply for admission to the upcoming Fall 2015 graduate program. They are of course taking the Spring semester with me as well, and might take summer classes too - not sure. But at any rate even if CSUN doesn't have an "official" post-bacc program they certainly have an unofficial one. And I've heard there is an online post-bacc here as well. I heard (but didn't verify) that if you get a 4.0 in the online post-bacc at CSUN you automatically get grad school acceptance. I've heard that as well about their online post-bacc. I think if you don't do an official post-bacc program you are the last to get to register for classes. I went to CSUN for undergrad and had a hard time getting classes. I wish this wasn't the case because it is so much closer and would make my life a lot easier!!!
Michelle_Mabelle Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 I'm currently in the post-bacc program at CSULA. Someone said it earlier, GPA is probably the most looked at credential. You should be fine with a 3.7, though. Best of luck! I really did love the master's prep program at CSULA. Also, word of advice if you get into the program: Aim for that 4.0, join NSSLHA and get to know as many people in the department as possible. The CSULA grad program is sooo hard to get into and GPA is the main thing they look at (avg gpa 3.9 to be admitted), but if you know the people in the department, they can pull for you.
Crimson Wife Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 Out of curiosity, is there a reason you're not looking into the SLP Assistant programs at the community colleges like Orange Coast, Pasadena, and Santa Ana? Doing a SLPA program rather than a post-bacc seems to me like a much more cost-effective way of completing many of the master's pre-reqs plus then you could legally work as a SLPA during grad school (probably only PT but $20-$25/hr. is not bad). I've obviously never been a SLP hiring manager for a hospital/clinic/school but in my previous business career an applicant with directly relevant work experience (even at a lower level) always had a distinct advantage over someone who was brand-new out of school with nothing but extracurriculars & volunteer experience.
Jolie717 Posted April 1, 2015 Posted April 1, 2015 Out of curiosity, is there a reason you're not looking into the SLP Assistant programs at the community colleges like Orange Coast, Pasadena, and Santa Ana? Doing a SLPA program rather than a post-bacc seems to me like a much more cost-effective way of completing many of the master's pre-reqs plus then you could legally work as a SLPA during grad school (probably only PT but $20-$25/hr. is not bad). I've obviously never been a SLP hiring manager for a hospital/clinic/school but in my previous business career an applicant with directly relevant work experience (even at a lower level) always had a distinct advantage over someone who was brand-new out of school with nothing but extracurriculars & volunteer experience. I think that yours is a much longer route, so many will avoid it to save time and money. I know of two classmates that chose that path and they are still having to take pretty much all of the same classes the regular undergraduates take. This is because most schools (if not all) will not allow transfer credit for any community college classes as a substitution for upper-division CD classes. I transferred in as a junior and the majority of the coursework I have to complete consists of upper-division CD classes. Are you planning to continue homeschooling your kids when you are back in school? I was homeschooled by my mom for junior high as she didn't like the junior high schools in our area but loved the elementary school and high school. I wish I could homeschool my older son, as he is really struggling in elementary school.
Crimson Wife Posted April 1, 2015 Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) I think that yours is a much longer route, so many will avoid it to save time and money. I know of two classmates that chose that path and they are still having to take pretty much all of the same classes the regular undergraduates take. This is because most schools (if not all) will not allow transfer credit for any community college classes as a substitution for upper-division CD classes. I transferred in as a junior and the majority of the coursework I have to complete consists of upper-division CD classes. Are you planning to continue homeschooling your kids when you are back in school? I was homeschooled by my mom for junior high as she didn't like the junior high schools in our area but loved the elementary school and high school. I wish I could homeschool my older son, as he is really struggling in elementary school. I would like to continue homeschooling my older kids (currently in 7th and 3rd grades) through the end of jr. high if possible but it remains TBD how well I'll be able to juggle that with going back to school myself. I've never had an interest in homeschooling high school and the fact that my oldest is rapidly approaching it is one impetus for getting my backside in gear to figure out the next phase of my life. For grad school, I haven't yet decided whether to try for a FT program or a PT/hybrid one like Northern AZ or Eastern NM. I don't think I want to do an online-only program like CSU Northridge but that may be my age showing Edited April 1, 2015 by Crimson Wife
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