Northwestern University

[languagegirl]

Is anyone here considering Northwestern? Or has already decided on Northwestern? I'm visiting during one of the open houses and wanted to know people's thoughts on this program!

[ENFPslp]

I am considering it! I know tuition would come around $106,330 (not including living costs! ahh!) which scares me since I also got into University of Illinois which is only $36,108 for me with in-state tuition. What made you interested in the program? For me, it was mostly location because I grew up in the area.

[languagegirl]

I'm actually from New Jersey but I really wanted to go away from grad school and settled on the Chicago area! I knew Northwestern was one of the best programs and I'm really excited I got in! The price tag is a bit daunting and I also got into Rush (which is cheaper) so I'm trying to make a good decision! Although I did talk to a current student at Northwestern and they said the money was worth it. 

[ENFPslp]

Are you interested in working in the hospitals? 

[languagegirl]

Honestly I would be happy in a hospital setting or a school setting. I currently work with children with learning disabilities and I really love it and I know that Northwestern really puts a focus on that. Plus they different placements (1 school, 1 clinic, and 1 hospital) and allow you to choose a concentration. So at the moment, while I really like Rush's program, I am leaning towards Northwestern. 

[ENFPslp]

I'm the opposite, I really wanted to work in schools with children but recently found an interest in the hospital setting. So I'd also enjoy NU's placements. Have you been to Chicago before? 

[languagegirl]

Thats great! I'm actually visiting Chicago for the first time for the Northwestern open house! So I'm really excited. Have you?? 

[ENFPslp]

I grew up in Chicago! 10 minutes from NU. It's a great school  a little apprehensive about the acceptance rate but I've been hearing more good things 

[languagegirl]

Oh wow! You were always close then! Why were you apprehensive about the acceptance rate? 

[ENFPslp]

They have like a 40% acceptance rate? Because tuition is so high most people don't end up going, so they admit a lot of students. So I questioned whether their program was actually prestigious or not. 

[languagegirl]

Yes! I have heard that from other sites. But I talked to some current students and they really love it and feel it's top notch. And while it is possible that they accept a lot of people, I don't think it takes away from the program being good - I mean it has to be the #5 rated program for a reason? If anything I think it would just make me feel less special lol but it could still be an amazing program. 

[ENFPslp]

@SLPCeli hi! noticed you decided on northwestern! what from the visit drew you the most?  

[languagegirl]

@ENFPslpI actually decided before my visit which is tomorrow! (Maybe that's a bit premeditated but I'm very excited and I wanted to make a decision already.) I mainly decided on Northwestern because I felt they had a well rounded program with all kinds of opportunities - new clinic, highly trained staff, research opportunities (particularly in neurological issues that I'm interested in) and I got the feeling that it didn't necessarily only focus on schools or only on the medical aspects of SLP but kind of a mix of two and you could personalize. I will really be making my absolute final decision this weekend and hopefully my visit to their program does not prove me wrong! *crosses fingers* While I am here I am also visiting Rush. Because while I decided on NU, I'm already here in Chicago, so I feel like I should check it out just in case. 

Have you gone to visit NU yet?? 

[ENFPslp]

14 minutes ago, SLPCeli said:

@ENFPslpI actually decided before my visit which is tomorrow! (Maybe that's a bit premeditated but I'm very excited and I wanted to make a decision already.) I mainly decided on Northwestern because I felt they had a well rounded program with all kinds of opportunities - new clinic, highly trained staff, research opportunities (particularly in neurological issues that I'm interested in) and I got the feeling that it didn't necessarily only focus on schools or only on the medical aspects of SLP but kind of a mix of two and you could personalize. I will really be making my absolute final decision this weekend and hopefully my visit to their program does not prove me wrong! *crosses fingers* While I am here I am also visiting Rush. Because while I decided on NU, I'm already here in Chicago, so I feel like I should check it out just in case. 

Have you gone to visit NU yet?? 

No I'm visiting Purdue tomorrow and can't make it to NU. Could you please update me after your visit and tell me the pros and cons you noticed! That would be so helpful!!!

[languagegirl]

Yes for sure!! I'll make a good list. Is there anything in particular you are interested in or want me to ask about? @ENFPslp

Edited March 24, 2016 by SLPCeli

[ENFPslp]

7 minutes ago, SLPCeli said:

Yes for sure!! I'll make a good list. Is there anything in particular you are interested in or want me to ask about? @ENFPslp

Thank you so much !!! My biggest concern is how Northwestern is worth $106,330 in tuition... How do they set themselves apart from other graduate programs? I realize this is an extremely abstract question, so any answers that pertain to it would be great. I'm also very interested in getting experience in the medical setting, so any information on that would be helpful. 

Edited March 24, 2016 by ENFPslp
wording

[languagegirl]

Ok! I'll definitely ask, cause those are some of my questions too!! @ENFPslp

[ENFPslp]

Is there a FB group?

[languagegirl]

I don't think there is! I've been thinking about starting one! 

[MHans]

Hi there!

I'm also considering Northwestern, but was unable to attend either of the Preview Days. Can anyone share any high level take-aways from the Preview Day? I have a phone call scheduled with the program director for next week, but am having a hard time making the decision without having actually visited the school. 

I'm also planning to visit Rush's Preview Day next week, so I'm looking forward to that, but its hard to compare without seeing NU's facilities. Any insight that you can share would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

[ENFPslp]

3 minutes ago, MHans said:

Hi there!

I'm also considering Northwestern, but was unable to attend either of the Preview Days. Can anyone share any high level take-aways from the Preview Day? I have a phone call scheduled with the program director for next week, but am having a hard time making the decision without having actually visited the school. 

I'm also planning to visit Rush's Preview Day next week, so I'm looking forward to that, but its hard to compare without seeing NU's facilities. Any insight that you can share would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

@SLPCeli has been monstrously helpful in my NU decision making process. So she can probably copy paste the message she sent me to you!

A big bummer is that we aren't allowed to tour the clinic anymore because of patient privacy and stuff. But I think just seeing the lobby and exterior of the building would give a good idea of it.

[MHans]

3 hours ago, ENFPslp said:

@SLPCeli has been monstrously helpful in my NU decision making process. So she can probably copy paste the message she sent me to you!

A big bummer is that we aren't allowed to tour the clinic anymore because of patient privacy and stuff. But I think just seeing the lobby and exterior of the building would give a good idea of it.

Thank you so much @ENFPslp! Since I'm local, I might just take a trip to check out the lobby and exterior of the building as you recommended. 

@SLPCeli - I see on the other threads that you committed to Northwestern. Congrats! Anything you can share about your research between Northwestern and Rush?

Thanks in advance!
Maya

[languagegirl]

Hi @MHans! I was able to go to Rush and NU's open house and this is what I sent to @ENFPslp about what made me decide on NU and how the open houses went. I went to Rush and NU in the same day since I was flying in from New Jersey and couldn't come back

"Hey! So I was able to go to NU's open house and I must say that I LOVED IT. Everyone was kind and excited about the program. They really showed how many opportunities were available at NU - included research, medical, school and rehab placements, and opportunities for specializations. 

I was able to talk to other students & staff members and they all had high energy levels about their program. I asked about the tuition and whether the price was justified. The response was that the opportunities and resources available at NU were unparalleled by other schools. One student told me that her placement manager said that when they receive internship applications from different universities, NU applicants go to the top of the pile. 

While this may not be true for every placement (who knows) I noticed that the environment was very supportive and the faculty and staff very proud of the NU program they have - but it didn't come off as snooty. Which was nice! 

I will also say that I've had three Uber drivers and all said they would rather by attended by someone at Northwestern in comparison to other clinics and hospitals. That also made me feel good about the school and the program. 

The admitted students were all very diverse and excited to be where they were. I went to Rush's open house and for some reason it didn't feel the same. (I'll add that this is not to take away from Rush's program. I thought they were very enthusiastic with their demonstration of the program, especially in terms of all the medical experience they offer. I know it's a fantastic program for those who know they want to work in the medical field. I however found that I could get similar opportunities plus more at NU in a style and environment where I learn best. I felt Rush wasn't a good fit for me as they imediately put you with clients from the hospital (with supervision of course) and while a difficult courseload doesn't scare me, I would like to take my foundational courses first and then start my clinical experience.)

In any case, the building where the program is housed is very comfortable and the clinic building was clean, brand new, and pretty damn awesome. The technology available to us as students is so great. I was definitely impressed.

That is all basically to say, that I have decided to attend Northwestern over my other schools. After everything I saw, I think it is definitely worth the cost. I know a lot of people don't think so, but the experience that they can offer is unlike other schools I have seen!"

So, I was then asked by @ENFPslp about opportunities for paid teacher's assistant and research assistant opportunities, to which I responded:

"I know they currently are not offering assistantship positions at the moment, although you can of course participate in all types of research regardless. I know money is a big factor so I had a big conversation with a current student and some prospective students like us. One prospective student basically said something similar to you in that he had received better financial offers from another school but he really wanted to go to NU. The current student (Meghan) said that she was also in a similar position when deciding between schools in 2014. However, she spoke to the director of NU's SLP program (who I believe is Kaplan) and she explained her situation and they were able to work something out (although she did not give specifics about what kind of aid she received). Additionally she said that NU is very conscious about the fact that their price is high, so they are constantly providing assistance in looking for scholarships for their students and providing information for any scholarships that come up, even after you've already enrolled in the program. So I thought that that showed they were very interested in helping their students.

I know this doesn't necessarily provide the same opportunities as Purdue since you said that they have a lot of opportunities for financial aid. But overall there were a lot of people deciding between schools that have more money and the experience that could be offered at NU! So you're not alone, I also considered this before making my decision. If you can make it on campus and just walk around the Frances Searle building (which is the communications building) and the new clinic across the street, I think it would be good! Even if you can just arrange to talk to a current student because that's what really made me choose NU since all of the current students seemed to have such a wonderful experience. I even got to talk to some prospective students who had taken some of NU's online speech classes for the prerequisites and they said even online they loved their classes and their professors."

If either of you would like to get the contact information of one of the current students, feel free to send me a private message! The school just emailed us with student contacts where we can ask more questions over email. Speaking to the current students is what really helped me make my decision.  

I wish you all the best in your decision making! @MHansand thanks for mentioning me @ENFPslp

 

[languagegirl]

Hi guys! Just created a group for NU's class of 2018! Feel free to join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/236741376677398/ 

 

[MHans]

@SLPCeli This has been amazingly helpful! Thank you so much!!! I'll keep you posted on my decision!