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As a graduate advisor, I am concerned about how schools set deadlines for prospective graduate student applicants to complete their applications for admission. Some schools can accept students into their programs before others because they set earlier application deadlines. It does not seem equitable that prospective students may have to decide to accept a position at one university program simply because they have not heard back from all of the schools to which they applied. Dr. Vic S. Gladstone, liaison to Academic Affairs, Accreditation, Certification, and Ethics Units, stated, "ASHA does not have a policy regarding this issue, nor does the CAA." The authors of The Council of Graduate Schools Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants (2004) wrote, "Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15" (p. 1).
This resolution does not, however, pertain to students who were accepted into programs without obtaining financial assistance. Richard Hurtig, the current President of CAPCSD said that "while the Grad School rule pertains to financial offers, the CAPCSD supported all admissions offers."
It makes sense to me that ASHA should endorse a "National Signing Day" similar to the ones that exist for collegiate and professional athletics. A recommended signing day might help to alleviate the pressures that are placed on students applying for graduate school study, and it would level the playing field for the universities thatwant these students in their programs.
Steven J. Cloud
Hattiesburg, MS
Steven.Cloud@usm.edu
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