Jump to content

BiancaNicole21

Members
  • Posts

    17
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About BiancaNicole21

  • Birthday 11/25/1992

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    http://biancaslp.wordpress.com

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Florida
  • Interests
    Bianca's SLP Odyssey
  • Application Season
    2014 Fall
  • Program
    Speech Language Pathology MA

Recent Profile Visitors

993 profile views

BiancaNicole21's Achievements

Decaf

Decaf (2/10)

8

Reputation

  1. I would recommend looking at the websites of the programs you'd like to apply! If you see that a program has courses and research geared towards your interest, it would be advantageous to mention that in your letter! These admissions councils recieve hundreds of applications and anything you can do to set yourself apart would be in your favor! I wrote a blog post about the LoI/SoP! biancaslp.wordpress.com or search Bianca's SLP Odyssey GOOD LUCK!
  2. WARNING: shameless plug ahead! I am beginning my grad program in less than 2 weeks and wanted to start a blog! I've noticed many blogs have started after completion of a grad program and I wanted to start a blog that focuses on the application process as well as the journey through the program! It is very new and I am making efforts to post at least twice a week I actually wrote a post about the Letter of Intent which may be helpful in your case! Feel free to check it out! biancaslp.wordpress.com or search Bianca's SLP Odyssey Good luck to everyone during this application process
  3. Most programs have minimum requirements. From what schools have told me, they automatically declined or waitlisted applicants who did not reach their minimum requirements for all areas. However, having a strong GPA, great letters, etc will help you if a program has a high volume of qualified applicants or if you are waitlisted. The GRE is terrible! Several people who would be amazing clinicians and students are held back because of a single test. I wish you the best of luck when you retake the GRE! Take this time to study and strengthen skills you are lacking! (Personal Note: I took the GRE 4 times to get the score I wanted! This helped me get into my first choice school!) Don't let a test stand between you and your dreams!
  4. I have to agree with all the statements above. If your main concern is getting into a grad program, I would recommend applying to multiple schools! Just make sure the schools you plan to apply to are schools you'd actually attend. I have several friends who applied to 10+ schools and ended up waiting to apply for another semester because they did not get into a school they would want to attend. What a waste! Also, I do not believe "safety" schools exist when it comes to grad school. Once again, I know several people who boasted all semester about having a perfect GPA, amazing GRE scores, etc. They applied to Florida State (rank: 21) and U of Florida (rank: 15) believing they were guaranteed acceptance. Not to frighten anyone who is applying, but guarantee does not exist when it comes to admissions. It is highly competitive and different schools look for different things. Some of these people were shocked when they were not admitted while others with lower GPAs and GRE scores did. You can search the results on this website and see people saying they were denied by University of Central Florida (rank: 73) but accepted into one of the above programs. The only thing you can do is research what each program specializes in and what research they conduct. See what they specialize in and see if that matches what you'd like to be involved in. This will also add to a well written Letter of Intent. Remember: Nothing is guaranteed! It would be in anyone's best interest to thoroughly research schools, apply to only schools you'd actually attend, perfect your application, submit and possibly think of a back up plan! You seem very intuitive and forward thinking so I am sure any grad program would be lucky to have you! Best of luck to everyone applying in upcoming semesters
  5. My only regret was worrying so much! I think the number of schools you apply to is a personal decision. I started out filling out applications to every school in Florida (which is where I live) and soon realized, if I got into some of these programs, I wouldn't want to move there. I ended up applying to 2 schools and got into my first choice. I would also recommend giving yourself plenty of time to ask for letters of rec, write your Letter of Intent, and perfect your resume. I know a few people I went to undergrad with who asked professors 2 weeks before a deadline for letters of rec! The professors weren't too happy. Give yourself enough time to make sure you are happy with what you will be submitting. Take the time to do research on what your specific programs specialize in and what research they contribute to! This always looks good in a Letter of Intent! By the end of application season, I was happy with what I accomplished and what I submitted! If you are still in school, try to ignore what all your other classmates are doing or what they say about their applications! I regret comparing myself and not thinking I was as "good" or competitive as some people who also applied. You can only do the best you can! Be proud of what you submit and leave the rest behind I wish you and everyone else applying the best of luck!
  6. I am really glad you guys like the Praxis Review suggestion! It's comforting to read and recall certain terms or facts that I may have learned 2 years ago in A&P or language development. I would recommend waiting to purchase the book that includes the 4 tests just to save money down the road. I assume you will want them before taking the Praxis. I also love blogs! I saw speechymusings was already recommended! It has been my favorite as well. Shannon created a site that offers advice, frrebies, reviews, organizational tips (which I need desperately), and helpful resources! The blog has by-far been the most helpful! Home Sweet Speech Room, Sublime Speech, Hanna B Grad Student SLP, and SLP Echo have also been recommended by many and I have found them informative. OliviaSLP is a YouTube blogger who I adore! She is exremely relatable and has blogged her grad experience from the months before she started, until her last day as a grad student! I have been told several times to relax and not worry too much about not knowing stuff. I know that our minds will be stuffed with knowledge and experience in the next two years! It will require hard work but remidn yourself, the program you were accpeted to thought you were capable so why shouldn't you believe the same thing?
  7. I've been reading several SLP grad student blogs and one thing that seems to be a recurring theme is An Advanced Review of Speech-Language Pathology: Preperation for PRAXIS and Comprehensive Exam (it's purple and yellow). I put it on my wishlist for graduation and have been reading it ever since! It contains basically everything we learned in undergrad with more detail as it is used to prepare for the PRAXIS. Every grad blog mentions it and how they wish they had purchased it before starting grad school so they could have used it to reference and better understand material in their courses. I love it so far! It is a great tool to refresh your memory on topics you may have forgotten or need practice with! Plus, you'll likely purchase it down the road to help practice so might as well buy it now Oh, and you are not the only nervous one!! This is all so exciting but the wait makes me nervous. I want to start already lol GOOD LUCK!!!
  8. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I still am not completely sure. I switched my major from Psychology to Social Work to Communication Disorders! In that time, I shadowed different settings and volunteered a lot. I've been in a hospital, preschool, elementary school, high school, private practice, foster homes, etc. In doing so, I realized how much I love Response to intervention and Emergent Literacy. Both are paramount to a child's future success. If professionals can catch and treat a potential problem ASAP, the child has a greater chance of developing typically. I also saw that in every setting with a child, the teachers and caregivers told me that the children who struggle most are the ones who did not have a solid foundation in reading, spelling, and language. Literacy is such a problem and it can be easily remedied with therapy in most cases. It is an important aspect of EVERY part of life. Try shadowing! Also, different courses made me realize what I LOVE (kids, literacy, and special needs) and what I did not have a passion for (cleft palate, dementia). The more experience the better!
  9. For those who want to go to USF, I went to their Open House for admitted students and Ruth Bahr said they accepted everyone who surpassed the minimum requirements: 150 V, 145 Q, 4 Writing. Also over a 3.6 GPA. They accepted about 90 people and waitlisted all of those who met the minimums.
  10. I thought the coursework was easy only because (like stated above) I applied it to what I was learning in other courses instead of just memorizing. I can honestly say that the students who just memorized and did the bare minimum in my graduating class did not get into grad programs. If you go in willing to really learn, you can't go wrong. Each class builds on one another. I am not sure about other programs but at the University of Central Florida, we had a Capstone course which was a review of every class in our major. It was a great refresher and I realized how much I really retained! It is such an amazing field and you will probably find your niche! You might even find the population you are really interested in working with and that always makes for a great addition to a letter of intent I just graduated this Thursday and start grad school at the University of South Florida in August! I am SO excited! I too started in a different major (Psychology and then Social Work) but found my passion in CSD! Go in with a desire to learn and you will GOOD LUCK!!!
  11. It really depends on the program (as stated above) At the University of South Florida, we start the first semester with clients as well as 3/4 classes depending on their credit hours. I know at other universities, some wait until the 2nd or 3rd semester to start in the clinic and the first two semesters have a heavier course load.
  12. I will be attending the University of South Florida this Fall! They had an Open House last week and I fell in love with the clinic. Probably the best that I visited. The faculty seemed very involved and made me feel like they cared about my decision. Plus two of the professors I spoke with are conducting research that I am interested in.Emergent literacy and RTI are my passions so when they spoke about their projects and what they needed help with, I knew I wanted to join. I asked for more info and they told me they would love if I could help. I felt like I would be more involved at USF than any other school I applied. One of the professors was developing a test that would measure reading in nonverbal children! I just had this overwhelming feeling that USF was the right choice for me! Plus we get clients the first semester and the grad students told me that it was scary, but that it really helped them develop their skills and boosted their confidence. I am SO excited to start!!! CONGRATS to everyone accepted!!! I'm sure no matter what school you go to, you will succeed!
  13. Accepted my offer to the University of South Florida for Fall 2014!!!
  14. I am stuck between the University of South Florida and University of Central Florida... I currently go to UCF and love my school! However, I've heard great things about USF! I'm attending th open house at USF next week so hopefully that will make my decision easier Congrats on your acceptances!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use