<p>After five years of teaching, daughter is returning to university to study speech language pathology. She has been working with low income students in an urban elementary school and hopes to continue working with high needs students after earning her SLP masters.</p>
<p>She has been accepted at three top ten SLP programs and another three ranked significantly lower. Cost is a consideration, but so are program placements and location.</p>
<p>Are there serious reasons for attending a top program? At this time she is not interested in research or earning a PhD.</p>
<p>I’m a speech pathologist. The MOST important thing is that she attend a grad program that is accredited by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She wants this because she WANTS her Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA. Another thing, if she plans to work in the public schools, she would be wise to attend a university in the state in which she intends to practice. That way, she will have all the necessary coursework requirements for certification and licensure in that state.</p>
<p>In my opinion, going to a “top school” isn’t necessary, going to a school where you are sure you are going to be able to meet certification and licensing criteria IS necessary.</p>
<p>I got my MA quite some time ago, but I followed the money. I had a fellowship at Western Illinois University, which is NOT a top program. But it was accredited. I graduated, and had fulfilled all of the course requirements for ASHA CCC. That is what mattered to me!</p>
<p>I had a very successful career in the field…working in the public schools. </p>
<p>There are a couple of other SLPs who post on this forum. Hopefully they will weigh in.</p>
<p>Oh…one more thing…as a beginning post masters SLP, your daughter isn’t going to be earning BIG money. I would suggest she keep her debt to a minimum.</p>
<p>Another SLP here! As mentioned above, having your “Cs” (Certificate of Clinical Competence), the certification from ASHA and a credential for the state in which you want to work are the keys. Where you get them does not really matter (except that the program is in the state in which you wish to work). I also chose to follow the money and attended an accredited program, but definitely not the top program in my state or even my geographic area - it was the program that paid my way . When applying for jobs, no one asks where you went to school, they ask, “Do you have your Cs?” SLPs are in great demand across the country, so once you have your MA or MS and your CCC - you are SET.</p>
<p>One thing I would caution you is that smaller programs ranked much lower are more at risk of being disrupted significantly if they just lose one or two professors or a dept. head. Skilled speech pathology instructors are hard to replace because experienced speech pathologists can usually get paid much more outside academia.</p>
<p>The OP says the programs are lower ranked. We don’t KNOW if they are “smaller”. Plus some smaller programs in speech pathology are very well established, and even though small, draw applicants because of the program itself. Of course YMMV on this.</p>
<p>In my experience, PhD SLPs, are not making a mass exodus to the public schools. Most have chosen to be in academia. But that is MY experience. </p>
<p>In many years of interviewing folks for SLP openings, I only interviewed ONE PhD for a school job. The administration was wowed and offered her the job. I was the on,y one who voted NO. Guess what, she accepted the job, but then a couple of weeks later she took a job teaching at a small college program. I know…sample of one. </p>
<p>Anyway…congratulations to the OPs daughter on her acceptances. The field is competitive for grad school admissions, and NOT all applicants get accepted to even one school. It’s nice she has choices.</p>
<p>I just want to say thank you to all speech pathologists on behalf of Spykid whose speech was about 17% intelligible. We were fortunate enough to find a fabulous woman who changed his life. You all are unsung heroes!</p>
<p>Honestly, daughter is 27 and will make her own decision. It was more my curiosity that was asking the question.</p>
<p>Daughter did lots of research on programs before she applied to any schools. I’m sure she is up on the importance of ASHA accreditation. Location is important as preference is somewhere her husband will have career opportunities. (He is also a SLP, but works in a hospital setting.) Cost is also a consideration, though my husband and I will help with tuition if needed. </p>
<p>Interesting side note about her applications and acceptances. She was concerned about how competitive SLP program admissions are, especially for out of field applicants, so she applied to nine programs. She predicted — correctly – that she may have better luck with higher ranked programs. Her theory is that those programs looked at her whole application package, rather than just how many prerequisite classes she had completed at time of application.</p>
<p>I was 27 when I finished my masters program. I think what your daughter saw was that some programs want students with a variety of experiences that are NOT just going to school. Because the entry level credential for working as a speech pathologist is the masters, many students go directly from undergrad to grad school now, and therefore have no experience working. Your daughter has some real world experience, and this probably added to her application strength at ALL the schools to which she applied. </p>
<p>So Daughter narrowed choices down to one top SLP program and a lower rated program… and then debated between them until decisions were just about due. She visited both campuses and met with professors. She felt both would provide a solid education and clinical placements in her interest areas. Her decision – made mainly on finances and the potential for her husband to find a job in the same location – is to attend the lower rated program. It is also in an area where we have extended family and near the general location where she and her husband someday hope to live.</p>
<p>So I tried to raise children who could think things through and make decisions based on their own values. Then when daughter didn’t make the decision I would have, I’m surprised? (but proud too :-* )</p>
. When applying for jobs, no one asks where you went to school, they ask, “Do you have your Cs?” SLPs are in great demand across the country, so once you have your MA or MS and your CCC - you are SET.</p>