Back at it

I decided to rekindle this blog since,even though I will be finally starting grad school in 2011, I do feel the journey began in 2010 when I first got the crazy idea in my head to do a 180 degree change of my career goals.

I should probably do a short recap, since I have not posted since my rejection last year.

My first foray in college was a meandering journey through pre-med, theater, sociology, pre-law and finally Business Management. I ended up with a "safe" degree, one that could get me a job. I was fairly successful in my career, even if it was mainly carved out of independent learning and on-the-job skill development more than my business degree. My special needs son and his inability to tolerate any and all daycare arrangements (and trust me, we tried many) led me to eventually stay home to care for him and our additional 2 children who came along later. My husband's career blossomed since we were no longer trying to juggle two jobs and a sick kid, closed daycares and school holidays. But I never felt like I would be one of *those* Stay At Home Moms who was screwed if something happened to her husband (illness, job loss, him going crazy and deciding to trade me in for a younger model) because I had that degree and that job experience under my belt.

But alas, a couple years ago, I tried to re-enter the workforce and lo and behold...I was completely unemployable. My 4 yrs out of the workforce apparently made me a pariah. Good references, a great resume and only slightly outdated database skills aside...I did not get one call. Not one nibble. Nothing.

Bla bla, long story short, I considered a lot of possible future careers and settled on becoming a Speech Language Pathologist. After last year's Grad School rejection, I pursued an online 2nd bachelors degree in Communication Disorders at Utah State University. I found I love the online format. While it has some challenges (like being on my own to seek out and coordinate observations, since I dont have a school-affiliated clinic right there), it has its advantages for a busy mom of 3 with a husband who travels every week.

So I am have now been accepted into Western Kentucky University's Distance Education Master of Science in Communication Disorders program. I have 3 pre-requistites to take this summer at Utah State:

Diagnostic Proceedures
Articulation Disorders
Language Disorders

All three of which are considered three of the most intensive workloads in the USU lineup. Eep. All three kids will be home for 9 of the 12 weeks of the summer semester and my husband is only home 8 days per month. Eep. I'm nervous, but the silver lining is that I should be able to allow myself to get B's since I am already accepted into Grad School.

Once I get through the craziness of summer semester, I will post more about the adventures of balancing grad school with parenthood while still maintaining just a bit of my sanity. Should be fun!

Down but not out

As I ponder my rejection, I find I agree more and more with their decision. I did call the Dept head about taking some pre-reqs at GSU and she left me a message, also telling me to get out and observe SLPs in a variety of settings. I can see now that while I focused on the academics and the nuts and bolts of the application, I definitely didnt focus enough on the career of an SLP as a whole. I know I want to work in a school setting, I know I want to work with kids and I do have a variety of experiences with SLPs in that setting due to my own children's needs. But I dont have first hand knowledge of what SLPs do with adults, in hospitals, with newborns, etc.

That said, I am totally stoked about the online second bachelors I am embarking on. I will be taking the first 2 classes this summer as a non-degree seeking student - basically an intro to SLP class and an anatomy class. In the fall, I will hopefully get into the degree program and will take 4 classes. One of which is specifically designed to help with the grad school application, as it requires you to (weekly?) observe a SLPs in a variety of clinical settings and write summery reports. I really think that, plus the committment exhibited by the pursuing the 2nd bachelors will make my application look great next year!

Plus the idea of easing back into academia gradually and online is very appealing to my otherwise chaotic life.

Down, but not out!

Not this year

Online status was still showing "No decision at this time" so I finally called again. Had to call several depts and nag a bit just to get my own rejection from the receptionist. How anti-climactic. They couldnt even waste a sheet of letterhead on me. [/pity party]

I'm ok. I had my funk and fleeting feelings of worthlessness. But as I analyze and prepare my plan B, I am more pragmatic.

My interview wasnt great. I had a lack of current up to date knowledge of the field. For all they knew, despite my good GRE and GPA, I was just a bored SAHM who decided on a whim that speech therapy would be fun! Whee!

So the plan B that is formulating in my head is an online 2nd bachelors in SLP through Utah State that I can complete in 3 semesters (if I kick butt) and reapply next year. I will not have to take the pre-reqs so I will enter as a 2yr student (as opposed to 3) so I will not have lost any time. Doing it online cuts down on the daycare costs. Geting the 2nd degree will give me recent academic references and experience and will also show that I am committed and not just trying grad school on a whim.

I think it will help. Even if I will only have fall 2010 under my belt by the time I apply. And if I dont get in next year? With the 2nd bachelors, I can work as an SLP asst and get even more current experience and make my app look even better.

So I am down, but not out. I may keep up with this blog still since going back to school as a FT online student will have its own ups and downs, I imagine.

I called

According to GSU's site, they will update the online status first then mail you a letter. So I guess as long as mine doesnt say "declined" then there is still hope, right?

Just for good measure, I called the admissions office. She said they are still processing them and will be updating them individually as decisions are reached.

So at least I know which medium to stalk. I no longer have to jump every time a number I dont recognize comes up on my phone and I dont have to assault the mail carrier every afternoon. I just have to limber up my itchy refresh finger.

F5F5F5F5F5F5

Still waiting

OK, its officially late march. Let's get on this already. Yes or no. Yes or no. Just pick one!

But on the plus side

As I sit here and try to assuage my anxiety....

I am technically not competing against those recent grads. They apparently admit X number of 2 yr programs (those with an SLP undergrad) and X number of 3 yr programs (those like me with a different backgroun). So I am competing against the current teachers or others with undergrads outside of the SLP programs. Maybe my chances are more like 5 of 12, if the other 63 are all going for the 2 yr program.

As one grad student said, dont stress the interview too much. Your overall app is still considered and I do have strong transcripts, a good GRE and (I think) strong LORs.

If I dont get in, I will see if I can take some of the SLP pre-reqs as a post-baccalaureate and maybe get to where I can apply as a 2yr app next year. Which could mean I wont loose any time?

But I just want an answer so I can move on and decide which way I am heading this fall!

Interview for GSU

I think my GSU interview was so traumatizing, I decided not to even blog about it. (It was on 2/26) I went, I saw, I sooo did not conquer. I felt unprepared for the essay, I felt like I stumbled through my answers and felt very inadequate compared to my competition - all the young, current, recent SLP grads. My analogy is that I was the old broad on Survivor - you know, the one with the great work ethic and the one everyone loves, but she gets voted out first.

The numbers are this: 130ish applicants, 75 were called for interviews, approximately 20 will be accepted.

Faced with those sobering stats, we went to meet the current grad students. I was told great news - anyone in this program who wants a graduate assistanceship can get one. So now that I feel like I totally blew the interview, I just figured out how to pay for grad school. Wonderful!

Now we wait. Mid to late March they said. Once March 15th passed, I find myself stressing every time the phone rings. Its worse than being on call for a doula client. Heck, I am on call for a doula client right now, but this is stressing me more.

And the last thing to note, I kept waiting to hear from West GA and struggling to get back into their online app status system. I finally called today and found they didnt have my transcripts or 2 letters of rec. Grrr on the letters, I certainly nagged my letter writers enough. But the transcripts? Sure they were in my maiden name, but I also included a copy of my app with both names on it. It should not have been hard to match them up. So that option is out. All my eggs are now in the GSU basket. I wasnt thrilled about the distance to West GA anyway, but I did like having 2 chances.

Interview

OK, not for me. But my good friend who is applying for a masters at Emory got her call for an interview this Tuesday. I am thrilled for her.

But I am just a tiny bit anxious that I have not heard anything but crickets chirping from my GSU app that was due at the same time as her Emory app.

Done, done, done!

Now the waiting begins. Last app submitted and paid for last night. Now I just hold my breath, hope the other two letter writers get theirs in today and then the waiting game begins.

Or in my case, the "OMG how on earth am I going to pay for this and childcare and manage 3 kids and grad school and a house and a part time job and...." game.

Must complete last app today

Must complete last app today. Must.Must.Must.

No more slacking!

Complete!

Yay, my GSU application is complete! Hopefully the next time I screen cap this, it will show "Accepted".



Goal is to submit WGU app by tomorrow.

Letters are in!

Today they updated receipt of my Letters of Recommendation. At least the 2 that were submitted online. One was mailed. So the only things showing as incomplete are my resume and SOP which were submitted with the application, online. And my transcripts, which were hand delivered last week.

I will be happy when the whole app shows "complete".

And yes, I really need to get a move on the other app. Been slacking on that one.

Checking app status

So I have to talk myself down every time I log into the application status page and see a large red INCOMPLETE next to things like my SOP, resume, transcripts, letters. I know the first 3 are in their hands. I just want proof that they really, really are. Logically I tell myself...they show the money was received. At least the resume and the SOP were received with the $$. Not to mention, it does say "it takes 2 weeks to update our system bla bla bla"

But I still panic.

LOR writer #1 was supposed to mail letter yesterday. Letter writer #2 promised to submit online tonight. Letter writer #3 will be getting her reminder before I head to bed tonight.

I only need 2 for this app, so if one flakes, I'm cool.

I just wish I could get rid of those INCOMPLETEs so I can move onto the next app.

Application Update

I submitted my app for GSU. I nagged all my Letter of Recommendation writers about submitting before the deadline. I don't know how to check it online since I submitted the app, so I will have to just take a deep breath and trust that they follow through.

[note, I'm a bit of a control freak, so needless to say, this part is not setting well with me]

I have my transcripts and the copy of my GRE scores in an envelope, waiting delivery to the admissions office on Tues. Or heck, maybe tomorrow since the kids' school and dance were cancelled and the ice should be off the interstates. I have the admissions office programmed into my GPS and everything. Yay, blogging just gave me my idea for warding off cabin fever with 3 unruly children tomorrow!

So once this app is 100% complete, I will focus my efforts on app #2. Deadline for that one is Feb 5th.

A little fun

Saw this on the Grad Cafe Forums. Had a little fun making a "Wordle" of my Statement of Purpose. Interesting what gets highlighted.

Submitting...

I lost a week or so of productivity dealing with work stuff, kid stuff, holiday stuff and event hostings (ie: house cleanings). Today, my son is back at school, both girls are napping and I can finally hear myself think for 30-60 mins. I will review my resume, SOP and app one more time this afternoon. I will email my LOR writers to remind them of the deadline. I will call the admissions office to ask about submitting my supplemental documents (transcripts) and tonight after bedtime, I will pay the $50 and push the button!

And then lather, rinse, repeat for the other school. But I have until Feb 5th for that one.

Ha, the universe mocks me. As I finish typing this, I hear the 4yo still singing in her room, minutes after my last "all clear" nap check. I guess I can't hear myself think.

Application is on holiday break

My original plan was to submit on Dec 15th but decided that finding the extra $50 and the added stress right before Christmas was too much. So the new plan is to submit the GSU app on or around Dec 31st (deadline 1/15). Then the WGU app in late Jan (deadline 2/5).

Over that hump

I asked my boss today to write me a Letter of Recommendation. Crossed that hurdle, so I entered her email as well as my two others into the online app. I dont have any professors to recommend me. I have my sons' special ed teacher, my current boss and a former boss. It will have to do. Hopefully the rest of my app is strong enough to make up for my lack of recent academic references.

Resume and SOP are probably as good as they are going to get. Now its just a matter of uploading them for finality, coughing up the $$ and hitting submit.

Has anybody seen my motivation?

I'm reasonably satisfied with a few small changes to my SOP, but I still plan to sleep on it for awhile and see if I am visited by a muse for more inspiration. The rest of what I have to do, that I find myself procrastinating on:

*Update my resume
*Finalize the 3 people to write Letters of Reference (LOR) and enter their names online app
*Dig up employment history for app
*Find an extra $50 laying around
*Hit submit

I want to ask my new boss for a LOR but I have only been there since Sept and I dont want her to think I am on my way out the door already. I also wanted to have a little more experience under my belt but I know I cant wait forever either.

Regardless, there is no reason why my motivation should have gone *poof* right now. I need to find a way to get my head back in the game. I guess studying for the GRE was very focused energy and the rest of the app is just more self directed and therefore...procrastinatable. (Wont find that word on the GRE)

Or it could just be that this is an area I dont feel as confident in compared to other applicants. Transcripts, GRE scores, essay - I can rock those. Relevent work experience and academic letters of reference? Not so much.

Statement of Purpose - Second attempt

Feel free to critique, edit and/or shred to bits...

Parenting a special needs child was not one of the things I factored in when deciding on a final undergraduate major. At the time, I chose Business Management due to the flexibility and seemingly open-ended career prospects it offered. I did thrive for several years after graduation, working in both the private and government sector as a database report specialist. My sons’ special needs were apparent early on and by the time he was officially diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at age 4, I choose to leave full time work to support him as he navigated the world of school, therapies and social relationships. As he has grown, I am now in the position to re-evaluate my priorities and pick, for a second time, what I want to be when I grow up.

I have always had an interest in science and biology, which is why I started my college career as a Biological Sciences major. Communication Disorders, as a path to becoming a Speech Language Pathologist, offers me the opportunity to study the physiology of communication while also building on my desire to help children maximize their potential. Having sat on the other side of the table at IEP meetings, speech evaluations and therapy sessions, I bring compassion and understanding to the arena that will only benefit my work with future clients and their families.

My primary interest is working in a school setting, but I value the Georgia State Communications Disorders program because of its well rounded emphasis on all facets of clinical SLP experience, which will allow me to make a fully informed career choice upon graduation. Regardless of the location of my future career (school, hospital or private practice) I do feel a particular calling to working within the autism community, specifically with social skills development. My son and I were fortunate enough to be involved with a camp that teamed special needs children with neurotypical high school aged “buddies” and it was an amazing, life changing event for both sets of young people. I envision that the knowledge and experience gained from completing my Masters in Communication Disorders, built upon my business background, will allow me to help establish additional camps like this and make them accessible to more families in need.

While it’s been many years since I have enrolled in an academic program, I am sure you will find that my work and volunteer experience demonstrates my willingness to learn new things, jump in where needed and successfully complete the project at hand. I thank you for reviewing my application and look forward to the opportunity to meet the admission committee in person.

It's currently 440 words, limit is 500. The guidelines are: A 300-500 word statement of your professional/career goals completed on the online application. This is your opportunity to explain how your career and educational goals are compatible with those of the program to which you are applying.