2015 Canadian SLP Thread!

[sweaterweather]

Hello everyone! Hope y'all had a good summer! I thought I'd start a new thread for next year's application. Where are y'all planning to apply? Is anyone already starting to freak out like I am? :S

[VanTech]

Yes! It'll be third time applying for me (applied first time after undergrad, was accepted to one school in New York but did not attend, gained work experience, applied last year with zero acceptances) so I am getting old and would love to accomplish this already! I'm taking my GRE at the end of September so I can apply to more programs....eeek!

[Persis]

Yes, Second time applying.  I am getting old and would love to get this done as well.  I am also taking the GRE middle of October, and i am terrified. ah.

[westerngalgrad]

I'm applying to Western audiology and potentially Dal audiology but thought I'd join in on the fun Definitely getting stressed all ready & applications haven't even opened yet! 

[kats]

This is my second time applying! I am freaking out too haha. I applied to SLP last year to Mcgill, U of T, and Western. I am writing the GRE in four days (eek!) and then teaching English abroad this year while working on my applications! I am reapplying to the same schools as well as applying to U of A and Dal  now that I will have the GRE.

 

Best of luck to all!

[ImHis]

It's interesting we're all going to have our GRE's. The biggest challenge is juggling personal statement revisions, keeping up grades and budgeting. Add the fees to get transcripts assessed by WES. It's going to put a dent in my wallet.

 

I finished mine in 2011 before they switched to the new test and it's good for another 2 years. Looking back, I think it was one of the most stressful test I have taken in my entire life after my driving test 

 

Sadly, my grades aren't that high for Ontario schools and Dal and I won't be able to finish the neuroscience prerequisite in time for UofA.

 

Van Tech, where did you apply in New York?

[kumapanda]

How much does McGill and Western look into GRE?  Do you think my current GRE score is good enough?  Is there a difference on writing personal statements for American and Canadian schools? 

[Persis]

How much does McGill and Western look into GRE?  Do you think my current GRE score is good enough?  Is there a difference on writing personal statements for American and Canadian schools? 

McGill and Western do not require the GRE, and they would not look at it at all.   Only two schools in Canada require the GRE and that is Dalhousie University and University of Alberta.

[Persis]

Anyone knows where i can take a statistics course?  I need to re-take it as i did not do well when i took it duringmy undergrad.  I need to take a full-year course.  Any help would be appreciated.

[sweaterweather]

It'll be my third time applying (yikes), and I'm planning to re-write the GRE as well. I'm currently aiming for late October/early November, so hopefully I will get my scores in time before the January deadlines. It's been tough trying to find more volunteering opportunities to boost my application!

 

@Articklish: what is this transcripts assessment that you speak of? I've never heard of the WES!

 

@kats: good luck on the GRE! You've got this. also I love your pusheen cat display picture, haha.

 

@Persis: I vaguely recall reading that Athabasca University (a distance learning university based in Alberta) has an online statistics course, so you could try looking into that!

[Persis]

It'll be my third time applying (yikes), and I'm planning to re-write the GRE as well. I'm currently aiming for late October/early November, so hopefully I will get my scores in time before the January deadlines. It's been tough trying to find more volunteering opportunities to boost my application!

 

@Articklish: what is this transcripts assessment that you speak of? I've never heard of the WES!

 

@kats: good luck on the GRE! You've got this. also I love your pusheen cat display picture, haha.

 

@Persis: I vaguely recall reading that Athabasca University (a distance learning university based in Alberta) has an online statistics course, so you could try looking into that!

Thanks, but i really do not want to take an online class.  WES is the World Education Services.  A lot of the US schools wants a course by course evaluation to make sure that international students have the equivalent education.  Some schools do not require it as they will do it themselves, but majority of them wants this.

[SLP333]

I'm applying for the second time! I'm currently wailisted at Dalhousie but I'd say at this point I'm not getting off the waitlist.... I'll be reapplying to Dal, McGill (maybe), and UofA. I'm also considering applying to Western and UofT this time around. I'll be re-writing the GRE on Tuesday  . I'll be doing some more volunteering this year and taking a few more courses as well to try to improve my application! I'm already getting anxious to start filling out applications!! 

[nins]

Hi everyone,

I also have been freaking out about the application for almost one year now. I applied right after my undergrad two years ago and didn't get any acceptances. I have since been working full time and just trying to make my application as competitive as possible. I plan on applying to U of T and Western, with U of T being my top choice. Over the past two years, I have gotten as much volunteer experience as possible, working with adults, children, in private settings, in hospitals, in outpatient settings and in community settings. I updated several of my marks and boosted my cGPA to around 3.8 and pre-req GPA to around 3.88. I am super anxious about the application as I would really like to get in for next year. I have dedicated two years of hard work to getting in, and I would really like to make my dream come true. Good luck everyone  

[nins]

@ Persis: I actually just updated one of my statistics marks with Athabasca. It is PSYC304, called Research Methods in Psychology. It actually doesn't have any mathematical component in it, just theoretical about how to conduct experiments and that sort of thing. I definitely would recommend it as I got a 95% in it, with a regular amount of effort.

[Persis]

@ Persis: I actually just updated one of my statistics marks with Athabasca. It is PSYC304, called Research Methods in Psychology. It actually doesn't have any mathematical component in it, just theoretical about how to conduct experiments and that sort of thing. I definitely would recommend it as I got a 95% in it, with a regular amount of effort.

Hi nins, But is it a Full-year Statistic course or just a half-credit course?  Also, i have to make sure that it will be accepted by all the Canadian Schools.  Thanks.

[nins]

Hi Persis,

 

It is a half year course.. there is another course listed that could fulfill the other stats pre-requisite. I believe MATH215?

 

Athabasca courses are accepted by all Canadian schools as it is an accredited university. However, I think that U of T is the only one that accepts PSYC304 as a second statistics credit 

 

Take a look for more info about pre-reqs:

http://www.slp.utoronto.ca/admissions/prerequisites/athabasca/

https://rehabilitation.ualberta.ca/departments/communication-sciences-and-disorders/msc-in-speech-language-pathology/admissions/admission-requirements/pre-requisite-courses/athabasca-university

http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/csd/programs/files/prereq_courses_slp.pdf

[Persis]

Hi Persis,

 

It is a half year course.. there is another course listed that could fulfill the other stats pre-requisite. I believe MATH215?

 

Athabasca courses are accepted by all Canadian schools as it is an accredited university. However, I think that U of T is the only one that accepts PSYC304 as a second statistics credit 

 

Take a look for more info about pre-reqs:

http://www.slp.utoronto.ca/admissions/prerequisites/athabasca/

https://rehabilitation.ualberta.ca/departments/communication-sciences-and-disorders/msc-in-speech-language-pathology/admissions/admission-requirements/pre-requisite-courses/athabasca-university

http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/csd/programs/files/prereq_courses_slp.pdf

Thank you nins.  This is very helpful.

[ImHis]

Thanks, but i really do not want to take an online class.  WES is the World Education Services.  A lot of the US schools wants a course by course evaluation to make sure that international students have the equivalent education.  Some schools do not require it as they will do it themselves, but majority of them wants this. sweaterweather, on 21 Aug 2014 - 3:59 PM, said:

 

It'll be my third time applying (yikes), and I'm planning to re-write the GRE as well. I'm currently aiming for late October/early November, so hopefully I will get my scores in time before the January deadlines. It's been tough trying to find more volunteering opportunities to boost my application!

 

@Articklish: what is this transcripts assessment that you speak of? I've never heard of the WES!

 

I had to verify with admissions officers what they specifically wanted. For some schools, not only do they want the WES assessment BUT they also require you to send a separate transcript from your university. This is why it adds up and I personally find it very redundant.

 

A WES assessment costs around $210 which calculates your GPA as well and each school is $30 plus courier fee of $12.  Fortunately, the assessment is only one time fee and you'll have your record saved in their system.  If you are requesting for additional schools to receive the assessment, you'd still have to pay another $30 plus the courier fee.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Articklish

[Persis]

This whole process is extremely stressful.  Did everyone take all the different prerequisites required for each school?  Like taking prerequisites from all the different schools doesn't guarantee acceptance.  I am getting depressed over this whole process.  I feel like i have to take all the prerequisites from all the different schools because focusing on one school isn't a guarantee.  I really do not want to take all of these courses.  Any insights? HELP!

[speechies]

Hi all,

Good luck to everyone applying. I just wanted to speak about job prospects. It's starting to freak me out, after talking to a couple of SLP's. 

 

I would assume, since it is so competitive and hard to get in, that it is because it is a highly valued job, and has a great job outlook. However, after talking to a couple of SLP's, they said they enjoy their job but it is hard to find jobs now and it's all contract based. They also mentioned not getting an actual stable salary every year, and their income being based upon the number of clients they have. These SLP's have worked in private therapy, and hospital settings. Not sure if that matters.

 

But has anyone heard anything similiar? Im scared I am freaking out and generally spending a extra year's tuition specifically for pre-req's, only to not even be able to find a stable job in the end. Has anyone spoken to SLP's about these matters? 

[ImHis]

Hi all,

Good luck to everyone applying. I just wanted to speak about job prospects. It's starting to freak me out, after talking to a couple of SLP's. 

 

I would assume, since it is so competitive and hard to get in, that it is because it is a highly valued job, and has a great job outlook. However, after talking to a couple of SLP's, they said they enjoy their job but it is hard to find jobs now and it's all contract based. They also mentioned not getting an actual stable salary every year, and their income being based upon the number of clients they have. These SLP's have worked in private therapy, and hospital settings. Not sure if that matters.

 

But has anyone heard anything similiar? Im scared I am freaking out and generally spending a extra year's tuition specifically for pre-req's, only to not even be able to find a stable job in the end. Has anyone spoken to SLP's about these matters? 

 

The job market in the big cities like Toronto, in the public sector (hospital, school districts) after speaking to UfT graduates, is poor at this time due to oversaturation. The hospital jobs (even for permanent PT) are also hard to come by since they are very stable and have a lot of variety. The number of available jobs in the hospitals are also determined by how much the patients need the services. Most nursing, lab and doctor services are needed 24/7 whereas the allied health are mostly during the day and so there's not a lot of staff that can be rotated. That could also contribute to the hospitals hiring smaller staff. Now, I've spoken to a few who graduated from the US and are working out west, up north and in the territories that they said there are jobs there. For me, I'm willing to make a sacrifice and move where the jobs are which is why I'd like to study in the US so I can get my CCC's easier and expand my job options.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Articklish

[atrochemoche]

I'm applying to Toronto and McGill in Canada. I hope to work as a bilingual SLP and both them seem to have a number of academics working in that area, albeit largely with French (if anyone knows otherwise, do tell).

 

I'm going to be contacting the universities with this question, but just in case anyone here knows the answer: How is GPA from postgraduate degrees  considered in the equation (in my case, MA and law school)? Is your GPA calculated cumulatively from studies at every level? Is the grad school one weighted more heavily...or less? Or not at all? Surely recent postgrad marks are more telling of ability to succeed in grad school than some class I studied 11 years ago as a teenager.

[VanTech]

It's interesting we're all going to have our GRE's. The biggest challenge is juggling personal statement revisions, keeping up grades and budgeting. Add the fees to get transcripts assessed by WES. It's going to put a dent in my wallet.

 

I finished mine in 2011 before they switched to the new test and it's good for another 2 years. Looking back, I think it was one of the most stressful test I have taken in my entire life after my driving test 

 

Sadly, my grades aren't that high for Ontario schools and Dal and I won't be able to finish the neuroscience prerequisite in time for UofA.

 

Van Tech, where did you apply in New York?

 

The College of Saint Rose, Albany New York

[ImHis]

The College of Saint Rose, Albany New York

 

Cool! I've been eyeing it for a while. Do you mind sharing your stats? What they look for?

Edited August 25, 2014 by Articklish

[sweaterweather]

I'm applying to Toronto and McGill in Canada. I hope to work as a bilingual SLP and both them seem to have a number of academics working in that area, albeit largely with French (if anyone knows otherwise, do tell).

 

I'm going to be contacting the universities with this question, but just in case anyone here knows the answer: How is GPA from postgraduate degrees  considered in the equation (in my case, MA and law school)? Is your GPA calculated cumulatively from studies at every level? Is the grad school one weighted more heavily...or less? Or not at all? Surely recent postgrad marks are more telling of ability to succeed in grad school than some class I studied 11 years ago as a teenager.

I was looking on the ORPAS website today, and according to this: http://www.ouac.on.ca/docs/orpas/b_orpas_e.pdf , Western doesn't look at graduate courses in their GPA calculation, but it doesn't say anything about that for Toronto. I'm not sure if it's the same, so I think your best bet would be to call/email the school!

 

I'm quite frustrated because according to Western's academic requirements on the ORPAS PDF, they don't count Bachelor of Education courses in their GPA calculation. :/ If that's the case, it looks like I won't be able to apply. I'll be calling the school, but does anyone know any additional information regarding that?