Senior in undergrad SLP program

[AvanSh]

Hey everyone! So I need opinions from people who know about certain SLP graduate programs or go there. First off, let me say that I'm very interested in the medical aspect of speech pathology. With that being said, I'm trying to get in somewhere that focuses more on that. I live in Indiana, so I'm also not trying to go far from home because money issues and other things. My top 3 graduate programs I want to get into are: 1) Rush University Medical Center, 2)Midwestern University, and 3) Northwestern University.

 

I know these 3 schools aren't easy to get into but I'm trying my hardest to get in. My current GPA is a 3.9 and I taking the GRE for the first time next month. Now for those of you who know anything about these graduate programs or are in any of them, can you please tell me how you feel about them and if they are as great as they appear?

 

Thank you, replies are very greatly appreciated!

[jpiccolo]

I don't know much about them, but here's what I can tell you. I applied to Northwestern last year and thought it was a really good program. Midwestern is fairly new I think but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Rush would be great for medical if that's your ultimate goal because of the access to hospital setting. I'm not sure if NW or MW are as medically oriented. However if you are worried about money, Northwestern (and also Rush I've heard) is known for being extremely expensive. I think you can find out more in other threads about people who got in but couldn't decide if it was worth the money. That will be the hardest - if you get in but feel like you can't afford it. So keep that in mind ahead of time - it's easy to ignore the tuition side while you're applying but when you get in, it all becomes very real, especially the concept of possibly years and years of debt. Many people who have 2+ offers often have to choose between the 'Dream School' which costs $$$/lots of debt and 'Really good school' for less $/hardly any debt. Definitely check out tuition rates on the schools' websites. Even with financial aid and GAs, they can still be a lot of money. 

 

You have a really good GPA so I'm sure you can get into lots of great schools. If you want to look elsewhere from your top 3 but still go medical, check out what externship possibilities places have and then work hard towards getting your ideal hospital placement. I know my program said you have to interview for most medical externships (which you'll have to have at least one), but just prepare well for the one you want. Good luck! 

[SLP9207]

Hey everyone! So I need opinions from people who know about certain SLP graduate programs or go there. First off, let me say that I'm very interested in the medical aspect of speech pathology. With that being said, I'm trying to get in somewhere that focuses more on that. I live in Indiana, so I'm also not trying to go far from home because money issues and other things. My top 3 graduate programs I want to get into are: 1) Rush University Medical Center, 2)Midwestern University, and 3) Northwestern University.

 

I know these 3 schools aren't easy to get into but I'm trying my hardest to get in. My current GPA is a 3.9 and I taking the GRE for the first time next month. Now for those of you who know anything about these graduate programs or are in any of them, can you please tell me how you feel about them and if they are as great as they appear?

 

Thank you, replies are very greatly appreciated!

 

I am also very interested in the medical aspects of SLP which is why I applied to both Northwestern and Rush. First off let me tell you that both programs are excellent choices. I did not apply to Midwestern, but I did apply and get accepted to both Rush and NU and toured both programs. (I had a 3.9 GPA)

 

My visit to Rush university was extremely impressive. Rush appeared to be medical based. The classes and most of the program take place at the hospital so if you are looking for more medical experience/exposure you would for sure get that at Rush. During the visit day they discussed the logistics of the program and they did mention that they have school placements, but to me it didn't seem like this was a huge emphasis for the program as a whole. I think a lot of people who apply to Rush aren't necessarily looking for school placements anyway since it does come off as such a medical centered program. Rush also gives you six clinical placements during the grad program which is a lot compared to some other programs. To me it seemed as if I could get a lot of different experiences. Also, being in Chicago allows for a lot of off-site clinical opportunities, and with Rush being a well known program in the area, a lot of the students do placements in different Chicago facilities including hospitals, clinics, schools, rehab centers, etc.

 

I went to visit Northwestern a week after visiting Rush which was great for me to compare the two programs. Again, I was extremely impressed with the program at Northwestern. Aside from the beautiful campus, the SLP facilities are brand new and high-tech. Northwestern is ranked in the top 5 SLP masters programs and after attending the visit day I completely understand why. The faculty members are extremely skilled and diverse in their SLP backgrounds. They seem to be very passionate about their work and research which was important for me because I am interested in continuing research. Northwestern has a lot of connections within the city of Chicago as well as the surrounding suburbs.  The clinical opportunities provided by NU seem to be top-notch. The program seems to be well organized but also allows for personalization (ex: if you want to pursue a more medical based SLP career). 

 

Northwestern and Rush are both expensive schools, with Rush being somewhat less expensive. However, I received a scholarship from Northwestern and not from Rush. I think either school would be a great option if you are interested in pursuing the medical side of SLP. I chose Northwestern because I found it to be a better fit for me in terms of what it offers both on and off campus. Good luck with your application process!