Help! Columbia Teachers College vs. NYU

[newyorkslp]

I'm trying to decide between these two schools for a masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. I visited Teachers College and was very impressed by their overall program curriculum, their strong commitment to multiculturalism/bilingualism, and how smoothly they integrate the necessary prerequisites into their grad program (I'm an out-of-field applicant). However, it seems that their facilities were slightly outdated, and their research focus may not be as strong or as broad as NYU's?

I wasn't able to attend NYU's admitted students day, so I haven't gotten to speak with any current grad students or faculty members, tour their facilities, or get a sense of the overall "vibe" of the program. I'm also concerned that NYU might not be the best choice for an out-of-field applicant such as myself... this is the first year they're integrating the prerequisites into their grad program, and all of those prereqs will be offered as online courses instead of in-person.

Anybody else in a similar situation? Or has anybody visited both schools... in your opinion, what were the pros/cons of each?
Thanks in advance!

[zurako]

Congrats! I was accepted to both as well and will be going to TC most likely. For me, the multicultural focus is a big draw because I intend to get the bilingual certification.

I have talked to students at the NYU program and they said they liked it, but I didn't ask for much details. There are some posts on this forum that goes into more details with regards to the program at NYU so you can try to look into that.

For people who never had any CSD classes, the program at TC takes 2.5 years and I think NYU takes 3 years. Not counting the undergrad level classes, TC requires more grad credits in order to graduate (around 60?) than NYU (48 I believe) so NYU might end up being cheaper even though it would take longer. Both schools offer abroad experiences but in different countries so you may have a preference. It does seem that NYU has more variety when it comes to research labs but personally I am not concerned because I have no interest in going into research.

I don't like the way that NYU is doing prerequisites. First of all, they are just launching the whole online program so there is no guarantee things will work smoothly. I can pay way less money to do prerequisites elsewhere online that has already established a good system. I have already taken some prerequisites elsewhere, and looking at the requirements of the NYU program I would have to retake some classes because the requirements are 2-3 classes built into one.

I don't think that you could really go wrong with either program, but just need to figure out which program fits your goals more. Good luck with your decision and maybe we can be future classmates! 

[Alyspeechie]

11 hours ago, newyorkslp said:

I'm trying to decide between these two schools for a masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. I visited Teachers College and was very impressed by their overall program curriculum, their strong commitment to multiculturalism/bilingualism, and how smoothly they integrate the necessary prerequisites into their grad program (I'm an out-of-field applicant). However, it seems that their facilities were slightly outdated, and their research focus may not be as strong or as broad as NYU's?

I wasn't able to attend NYU's admitted students day, so I haven't gotten to speak with any current grad students or faculty members, tour their facilities, or get a sense of the overall "vibe" of the program. I'm also concerned that NYU might not be the best choice for an out-of-field applicant such as myself... this is the first year they're integrating the prerequisites into their grad program, and all of those prereqs will be offered as online courses instead of in-person.

Anybody else in a similar situation? Or has anybody visited both schools... in your opinion, what were the pros/cons of each?
Thanks in advance!

I know students in both schools and it seems that TC is more organized and has better support from faculty especially when it comes to completing prereqs and being on track with the rest of the cohort. I vote for TC but it's up to you!

[languagegirl]

On 4/9/2017 at 0:24 PM, newyorkslp said:

I'm trying to decide between these two schools for a masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. I visited Teachers College and was very impressed by their overall program curriculum, their strong commitment to multiculturalism/bilingualism, and how smoothly they integrate the necessary prerequisites into their grad program (I'm an out-of-field applicant). However, it seems that their facilities were slightly outdated, and their research focus may not be as strong or as broad as NYU's?

I wasn't able to attend NYU's admitted students day, so I haven't gotten to speak with any current grad students or faculty members, tour their facilities, or get a sense of the overall "vibe" of the program. I'm also concerned that NYU might not be the best choice for an out-of-field applicant such as myself... this is the first year they're integrating the prerequisites into their grad program, and all of those prereqs will be offered as online courses instead of in-person.

Anybody else in a similar situation? Or has anybody visited both schools... in your opinion, what were the pros/cons of each?
Thanks in advance!

Hi! I applied to both TC and NYU. The reason I chose NYU was for the variety of research opportunities and other amazing opportunities in general (study abroad, faculty, placements). I went to the open house and it was amazing, to be honest. They provided a lot of information their program: being able to choose a schedule that works best for you, working prerequisites into your program and many of the connections they have with treatment centers and schools in the area.

The faculty and directors of the program formed a panel and they really had amazing chemistry. I even got to meet students who were coming from the CSD undergraduate department and the connection and the way they spoke about the faculty,even as undergraduates, really helped me get a good feel for the closeness of the department. They even had faculty and staff sit at each table with prospective students and everyone was so kind and welcoming. After the open house, they held a very informal happy hour where the professors and current students really connected with us and I think everyone who was there felt included and a good feeling from the program. Many other students said they were convinced if not at least conflicted that NYU was amazing and a program to definitely consider. The clinic is quite beautiful and well organized. The faculty even gave up a space designated for professors during the remodel so that the CSD students could have a lounge at the clinic. 

They certainly do have a bilingual extension, but it is true that TC has a more established bilingual program. If that is your main focus, you probably cant go wrong. I personally felt that in terms of faculty and experiences, NYU just had a lot more to offer for me. I only have one prerequisite that I am missing, so I wasn't necessarily concerned about taking it online. I definitely understand however that taking these classes in person for the first time might be better for someone who is out of field. It really depends on the experience you are looking for. If for the bilingual extension and focusing on multicultural issues alone, maybe TC would be best. But I personally found that NYU seemed to provide a very well rounded experience. You can literally get anything you want out of it: your prereqs, research, a variety of placement, a flexible schedule, an amazing clinic, travel, and a lot of support from the whole department.

If you feel as strongly about TC as I currently feel about NYU (lol) then maybe TC is definitely be the place for you. Its all about what school you feel will be a better fit.  

Here is a link to the video and Q&A of the open house! They filmed it for people who couldn't attend. 

http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/site/csd/2017/03/admitted-students-luncheon/

Edited April 10, 2017 by languagegirl