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You got a full-ride offer from an accredited program? DO IT. Vanderbilt is not worth the money. In this field (and many others) that 'brand-name' and 'prestige' are only worth it to your ego and have very little impact on your career.

I don't know about those programs specifically, but the best advice I received (which is the advice I always pass along) is to go to the most affordable, accredited program. Don't worry about prestige, rankings, 'brand-name' etc. Chose the program that will get you your degree for as little money as possible. The jobs will be pretty much the same when you're done.

Interviews are so exciting! Congratulations on getting there. What are some questions you were asked or what tips/advice can you give the rest of us? I have a download/PDF on my blog with some of the questions I was asked back when I interviewed: http://thespeechblog.com/free-tools-and-resources/ and my advice here: http://thespeechblog.com/interviews/ If you had a group interview, what was the dynamic or what do professions expect from applicants?: Mine were all 2 on 1. If you're in a group interview, try not to think about "showing off" but rather being sincere and kind. Professors don't want to create a toxic cohort. If you had a spontaneous writing sample, what was it about?: I've not done it for admissions interviews, but in multiple job applications (SLP and non-SLP). I'd say the key is addressing the prompt. It is easy to vary from the question and ramble onto other questions. Briefly outline your response and then write it. Know when to stop.

If you can afford to retake it and know you'll earn a higher grade, do it. If you're not sure, don't. As for 5 five years vs 4 years for a degree, I'm guessing admissions committees wouldn't care one bit as long as your overall application fits what they're looking for. Everyone's academic path is different, and it doesn't matter how long you took to finish your degree as long as you finished it and learned the material. Also look holistically at your application: GPA and GRE are important for sure, but you should absolutely spend time writing a killer personal statement, strategically planning letters of rec, and polishing your resume.

Hey! You can absolutely get in. My GPA wasn't exactly the same, but it sounds to me like you've got all the right stuff. I wrote about my own experiences here: www.thespeechblog.com I was an out-of-field candidate, no SLP experience, I wasn't even living in the US when I applied to grad school... and now I'm a full-time SLP To you, and everyone else who might be reading, you can absolutely get into a program if you want to. You're going to have to do some work, spend some time, and maybe change your expectations, but you can do it.

So, unless things have changed drastically, ASHA doesn't actually look at your courses for that requirement, they rely on the accredited program to which you're accepted to make the determination of if it qualifies. It sounds like a much better question for your academic advisor in your SHS/SLP/CommDis department

If they list that as a "minimum requirement," I'm guessing your application would be filtered out. The best way to know for sure if it is a requirement (vs an average or something), would be to contact the program directly.

I have not been through a similar situation; it sounds tricky. Here's my thoughts... In the portal where it asks you to upload the transcript, can you upload a document/pdf explaining what you explained here? I.e., "I enrolled at XYZ University and completed Example Class 101 for noncredit and per XYZ University policy, transcripts are not provided for noncredit classes. I can provide enrollment verification in the form of..." maybe even consider adding that enrollment verification as a second page to whatever you upload. Call the school in question and ask a real human there what to do If you didn't earn credit for the courses at XYZ and XYZ has no record on file... I would assume the National Student Clearing House has no record either and so... just leave it blank? If the course wasn't for credit, and you're not trying to claim credit, it really shouldn't matter...right? Or am I missing something?

I just graduated from UNM's program and absolutely loved it. I wasn't there at the time the original poster reported their negative experience, and I don't mean to invalidate it... but it doesn't match my experience at all. Faculty have been wonderful and supportive. They often collaborate with each other on projects; there's opportunities to get involved in every professor's lab; diverse clinical opportunities (multiple hospitals, schools, SNFs, rehab, outpatient, inpatient, private practices, rural/city, even the chance to work in schools in native american pueblos,), there's a program to go do SLP work in Mexico City if you speak at least a bit of Spanish... idk what else to say, but if you have specific questions feel free to reach out!

I just graduated from UNM and absolutely loved it. I'm happy to answer any specific question

I think the best experiences are the ones that help you write a better personal statement

You're scores look good - probably above average. The only reason to re-take it would be if you felt like you had room for improvement (i.e., you didn't study/prep at all) in which case boosting your score even more through rigorous prep might help earn you funding.

I see you're finishing undergrad at ENMU. New Mexico is in the process of changing how assistants are licensed. Currently, you can only be an "Apprentice in Speech Lang" if you're in a grad program, but they're creating a true "SLP-Assistant" license. Not sure on the timeline, but that would be a good option when it goes through. There are definitely some agencies that pay well. I've heard anywhere from low 20's to mid 40's.

It depends. I have heard of schools getting a reputation for grade-inflation, and I'm sure schools can get a reputation for being tough. This is usually a regional thing though where XYZ Univ gets sooooo many applications from neighboring ABC college that they get to know their students fairly well. Does that make sense?

The SLP program at the University of New Mexico is very LGBTQ friendly, in my experience. I'm gay and totally open about it in my grad program. My husband regularly stops by the department or comes to events with me, classmates/faculty/staff ask about him (the way they would ask about any other spouse/significant other). I feel totally comfortable discussing it if it is relevant to a class discussion (i.e., "oh my husband's cousin is on the autism spectrum and...") There are several "safe zone" flags or stickers on faculty office doors. In our clinic we provide voice feminization services to the transgender community (I heard through the grapevine, but I can't verify this, that a few years ago one student was assigned to work with the voice fem group in clinic and asked not to because it went against "her beliefs"; the department chair explained kindly that she needed to act like a professional and provide quality care to her client or she wouldn't be able to graduate from our program). I have several LGBTQ classmates (some who are as you said, "obviously not straight"). This has been my experience both in my academic department and on the campus as a whole (getting health insurance for us both through my assistantship, student family housing, student health center, campus gym, etc). I think it is worth mentioning that I find New Mexico very comfortable with diversity in general. Racially/ethnically it is a "minority is the majority" state. Apart from the academic department and UNM campus, my partner and I feel pretty good about being a gay couple in Albuquerque. My husband is out at his job (mentioned it casually in the interview even); we've not had any issues holding hands, etc in public. Now don't get me wrong and think Albuquerque or all of NM is a paradise - it has issues (drugs, crime, etc), but we've found it to be a very accepting place for us. As you're looking at schools, you might google the university name and "safe zone" or "LGBTQ Ally list" or something like that. If you can't find it, see if the school has an LGBTQ or multicultural resource center that you can contact about it. Here's the one from my university: http://lgbtqrc.unm.edu/out-and-ally-list.html as an example. Many schools maintain a list like this. If you find it, see if you can search for faculty in your intended department.

I think @bibliophile222 made some good points. Another thing to consider though is that research can absolutely be clinically informed. Depending on your advisor's interests and yours, you can design a project that will enhance your clinical skills. Need to get language samples as part of your project? Eliciting and then analyzing 20 of them for the thesis will drastically improve your clinical diagnostic abilities. Involved in some sort of thesis related to a treatment approach? You'll likely get more training and experience with that specific approach, time to practice, and probably a ton of feedback from your thesis advisor (i.e. an expert).

I think @bibliophile222 got it exactly right!

The University of New Mexico takes students each summer to a multidisciplinary clinic in Mexico City, Mexico to work for a few weeks. It is an AMAZING experience! Usually everyone that goes has some fluency in Spanish. Could you make a difference without speaking the language? It would depend on having great interpreters and your knowing how to work with them (it is a skill!). Also, it would depend on the type of work you're doing: Forget about trying to provide language therapy. How would you without knowing anything about the grammar? But you could train local professionals on strategies. Or if you're working on something more organic or motor-speech-ish you could more easily provide intervention. Here's the departmental webpage on the trip to Mexico https://shs.unm.edu/programs/master-of-science/comunidad-crecer.html Last year some donor's helped pay for the trip, and this video is thank you to them as well as showing them what the clinic/trip is like. Maybe it is useful to you to hear from some students who have been

First, be sure to follow the schools requirement to the letter. 751 words will be disqualified automatically if they ask for 750. Don't do that to yourself. If there is no specific requirement, shoot for about 800 words which should be 1-page, single spaced, 12 point font. If you double space it, two pages is good. I just went back and looked - mine ranged from 450 to 821. The 821 is the one for the school I went to and its 1.5 pages with 1.5 spacing. I have some writing exercises somewhere on my blog that were helpful for me when I wrote mine, but try writing eeeeevverything first and then keeping that in a separate word doc. When you write each statement for each school, you can copy in pieces and cut it down to size. And ditto what @LaceySpeechie said about research: "Research experience would certainly be something important to mention, but don't just restate what's in your resume - use the statement to discuss the research in depth and how it will benefit you as a graduate student." I hope that helps!

It depends - are you getting that experience to enrich your perspective on the field, become a better SLP one day, and generally improve yourself while also doing something to help others? Then yes. If you're doing it because you think it will boost your applications for grad school, it isn't that simple. Most grad schools look at GPA, GRE, Personal Statement, Letters of recommendation, and your resume/CV. If your volunteer experience is meaningful enough that it impacts your personal statement and/or earns you a letter of recommendation than that is huge! If your volunteer experiences appears on your resume as "Volunteered 100 hours at ABC Hospital conducting new born hearing screenings," that is awesome but probably going to get missed in the grand scheme of things. Does that make sense? So basically, yes! If you have the time, volunteer/shadowing experience is great if you know how to use it right when you apply.

Hey There, Great questions. Has anyone else had a C or C's and been accepted into grad programs? Probably TONS of people. I can say I did! I failed (D) and retook (B) a corporate finance class as part of my business minor. I also had a C in one of my Spanish classes. They're not super relevant so I doubt most schools cared. They look most closely at your CSD coursework, which it sounds like is a plus for you! What are some tips on strengthening my application that you all have found helpful in getting accepted into programs? I recommend 3 things: 1) Focus on writing kick-$%@ personal statements. Start early (4-6 months) and consider hiring a writing coach if you need to- you can find people willing to help you out for as little as $100. I've even given people on here a one-time read over of their essays for free. 2) if you have the time/energy/money spend some serious time (6months) on GRE prep - I recommend Magoosh on my blog and you can read there about why I think its great and how it helps me boost my score 16 points 3) Be strategic and intentional about obtaining letters of recommendation How much does GPA impact acceptance? I have seen many forums where people get accepted into programs with "lower" GPA's. I know many people with "low" GPA's the got into grad school and are now practicing SLPs. It's one of many factors. On my blog, I use 2 schools as case studies based on info from their website (http://www.thespeechblog.com/how-do-slp-grad-schools-evaluate-applications/). One school has a 35 point scale and GPA is 10 points of it or roughly 29% of your score. Is that big? Yea. Is it everything? No. There's another 71% of your application to care about! Finally, know why you want to do this - become an SLP that is. Own it and let it motivate you. Be strategic and set clear goals to do things. You won't get through graduate school on dreams and caffeine, you need discipline and a willingness to put in the effort consistently. If you don't get in the first time, it is okay to try again. I know people who didn't get in until the 3rd try and now they're SLP's living their dream.

I think you made the right decision! $100,000 is waaaayyyyy too debt to take on!

I hope all that helps! Feel free to reach out in a direct message if you're still not sure what to do or need more advice

I'd definitely talk to an advisor at your school. Each school has different policies on how re-taken classes affect your GPA. Was your major SHS/SLP etc? I would check too with the schools you're considering applying too and verify that 3.0 minimum at each school you're interested in. If on the website they list it as a strict "minimum requirement" that applying with less than that would make it super difficult to get in. If 3.0 is their "average" or something, then you'd have a chance. Also, many programs consider just your last 60 credit hours of coursework when calculating your GPA. How would that make your GPA look?

Sure! PM me and we'll exchange emails. Are you applying to SLP programs?