CU Boulder

[Elska]

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit the campus when I was in Denver a few months back, so....can anyone give me some insight into CU Boulder's program or their impressions of it? Pros, cons? Who else is applying there??? All the forum threads that I've found are at least a couple years old, so I thought I'd make a fresh thread. Bonus points on any insight into how many accepted WICHE WRGP applicants actually get in-state tuition (admissions wasn't too helpful in their response to that)! I'm not too sure about my chances, but I'd still love to learn more about the program. 

TIA!

 

[plume]

Hello again @Elska I live in Boulder and will be applying to CU as well. It is my total reach school, but it is my only chance at in-state tuition so I had to apply! I attended one of their open houses.

I found the professors to be very helpful and enthusiastic about their program. The program is housed in one building on the edge of campus. Both SLP and audiology graduate students share this building, so they were proud to talk about the collaboration amongst the departments. I also thought it was nice that the programs had their own building. They talked about their professors' varied backgrounds and areas of interests. CU has a gorgeous campus and they generally keep up with updating their facilities, but the Comm. Dis. building is an exception - the building is very old and the classrooms I saw were not updated at all. It had a bit of a run-down feel. I remember them talking a lot about their clinical program and their in-house clinic. I remember that the clinical opportunities sounded great, and that they encouraged students to do their clinicals in other parts of the country if they wanted to, but I would have to look back at my notes at home to give you specifics on that!

In terms of WRGP, I was not under the impression that this was a competitive process at CU but I do not know much about it. The professors said that about half of their students come from WICHE states, and that they are more likely to accept top applicants from these states than states where in-state tuition is not offered (because they know those students will probably turn down the offer because of the cost). So it sounded like students from WICHE states are actually given preference.

Also, if you have any questions on the area, let me know! I have lived in the area (mostly Boulder) on-and-off.

[Elska]

Hi @plume! 

Thanks so much for the info! CU Boulder is the only out of state school I'm applying to because my boyfriend recently moved to Denver. It's encouraging to hear that they may prefer applicants from WICHE states! California is just so competitive and I'm scared about not getting in anywhere! 

I'd love the specifics if you have the time! Would you say they're pretty balanced as far as school and medical setting prep goes? I know sometimes schools have better connections for one setting over another. 

You're so lucky to be in the area! What would you say your favorite part of living there is?

[plume]

@Elska I can definitely send some specifics! I am at work today and then I have a 3-hour statistics final after work (blech) so I probably won't be able to search for those notes and post anything until tomorrow - but I will do that!

When I asked CU about a medical/school focus, they were adamant that their program provided a well-balanced format between the two. Their in-house clinic is a pediatric clinic, but they made it sound like class electives and clinical opportunities were well-balanced. It also sounded like professors' research interests were pretty well-balanced.

Hm, my favorite part of living here... well, I am truly a Colorado girl at heart and I love the mountains! I am an avid skier/hiker/backpacker so I guess my favorite part is access to mountains (although the front range is very busy, and so are the trails... and it actually takes at least an hour to go skiing, but that's okay!). The culture in Boulder is also really cool and there are so many great restaurants and things to do. There are negatives, of course, like how busy it is getting here, and a lot of people hate the uppity Boulder "yuppie" culture, but overall it is a very cool place to be! In terms of grad school, I think access to Denver and the beautiful campus are a plus, too!

My parents live in southern California now so I will be applying to a couple of Cali schools as my other reach schools. It's too bad the best states are the most competitive, but I understand why!

[Elska]

@plume Thanks! No rush, whenever you have time! I just got done with work and am waiting for class now. 

That's interesting to know. I'm definitely more interested in the pediatric side of SLP, so their clinic's focus is a plus for me. 

Yes! Mountains for the win! When I was out there, I fell in love with the Rockies...my boyfriend is so lucky to be able to see them every day! I felt a pretty relaxed vibe as well, which would be a nice change from the go-go-go of California. 

Hey, that's where I am! For sure! Every class I've had has always reiterated how competitive it is here, and that just to apply to CSUF, you need to have a minimum 3.7 GPA, and even then, you should be aiming for that 4.0! It's pretty stressful for sure, but I've worked hard as far as trying to get experience and getting to know key professors on the grad committee! What schools are you looking at?

[Jolie717]

You probably already know this, but I was a bit scattered when selecting schools and somehow I missed that Boulder wanted 4 letters of rec rather than the standard 3.  By the time I realized my mistake I decided it would be rude to try to bug an additional professor for a letter of rec, so I dropped them from my already short list of schools.  Looks like a fantastic program and area, though!

[Elska]

4 minutes ago, Jolie717 said:

You probably already know this, but I was a bit scattered when selecting schools and somehow I missed that Boulder wanted 4 letters of rec rather than the standard 3.  By the time I realized my mistake I decided it would be rude to try to bug an additional professor for a letter of rec, so I dropped them from my already short list of schools.  Looks like a fantastic program and area, though!

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I saw the requirement, and I emailed the coordinator about it...he told me that he recommended that at least two of the letters be from professors. It wasn't too difficult to get an additional letter from the preschool I work at, so it worked out alright for me. 

[jamielee23]

I've seen a few other people on here accepted to CU Boulder.  Unfortunately I won't be able to make the open house - I'm visiting a couple weeks after instead but I won't be able to tour the CSD department, meet faculty, etc.  Will anyone be at the open house who can report back?  I would love any and all information I can get!  

Boulder sounds like an AMAZING place to live and the school seems great, but the out of state price tag is intimidating to say the least (they don't make it easy to figure out the costs -- but from my calculations, it's over $40,000/year!!).  Does anyone know if they provide any funding opportunities at all (even just for second year students)?

[SLPihope2B]

Hi!

My top choice is Boulder. I am currently working on my application, and I was wondering if anyone who attends CU, went to an open house, or got into CU could message me to answer a couple of questions. 

Thanks!!