midnight

Was your astronomy course listed as ASTR or PHYS at your school? I still might be a bit worried that it doesn't count for the new requirement if it's only listed as ASTR, but of course I'm not sure how much power each program has to determine what's what when reporting to ASHA. I wonder if I'll get a clear reply if I email ASHA about the new reqs? ETA: I went ahead and emailed ASHA about the specifics of the physical sciences reqs. When I get a response, I'll post it here.

I think that at least for a few years SLP programs would become uber-hyper-selective. (Apparently there's an impending professor shortage, and the clinics are very expensive to run.) But it could lead to growth in the long run!

Yeah, I think if the SLP profession, especially the medical aspect and the job placement numbers, were "marketed" differently, more men would probably consider it. I assume that there have been significant increases in the number of men who go into nursing, PT, OT, and similar professions over the past decade or so; perhaps that will happen with SLP as well (though it's already so competitive that I can't even begin to imagine what will happen if hundreds of men suddenly decide to apply to SLP programs! ).

The new ASHA requirements state that acceptable physical science courses include only physics or chem: http://www.asha.org/Certification/2014-Speech-Language-Pathology-Certification-Standards/#Standard_IV Standard IV-A The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of the biological sciences, physical sciences, statistics, and the social/behavioral sciences. Implementation: Acceptable courses in biological sciences should emphasize a content area related to human or animal sciences (e.g., biology, human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, human genetics, veterinary science). Acceptable courses in physical sciences should include physics or chemistry. Acceptable courses in social/behavioral sciences should include psychology, sociology, anthropology, or public health. A stand-alone course in statistics is required. Research methodology courses in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) may not be used to satisfy the statistics requirement. A course in biological and physical sciences specifically related to CSD may not be applied for certification purposes to this category unless the course fulfills a university requirement in one of these areas. -- The old ASHA standards specified that courses needed to be for-credit: "The applicant must demonstrate through transcript credit (which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or examination of equivalency) for each of the following areas: biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and the social/behavioral sciences." However, the new ASHA standards seem to have omitted that part, which is just weird! I would like some clarification....

I wish I could find a seminar like that. Everything around here seems to be four credits with lab! I think I'll opt for physics since it seems more relevant to SLP (acoustics, waves, sound).

I think 314 is absolutely fine for the GRE! (But I could be biased since I scored 314 as well, haha!) I don't think your score is an issue at all unless perhaps it is extremely lopsided. But even then, I doubt your score is holding you back. The bigger issue is that Vanderbilt is so, so competitive; I have no doubt that they turned away dozens, if not hundreds, of qualified applicants, and I'm sure Auburn, another strong program, received tons of apps this year as well. If you can get experience somehow, I think it's a great idea to do so. And it seems like other activities such as volunteering in a hospital or nursing home, tutoring kids, or any other work that involves common SLP populations could add to your CV as well.

Definitely possible. There have been a number of strange and negative comments about various programs (across various fields) on the results board. I wish the people who left them would clarify here instead of just spewing invective over there. It's hard to take them seriously otherwise, especially from applicants who were denied.

Agreed. Kaplan's good for someone trying to review and practice the basics. If you're trying to push your Q score to the next level, it's not going to help much.

All good advice! I personally recommend retaking the GRE if someone's scores are lower than schools' suggested minimums (assuming it's monetarily possible for someone to take it again, of course). Some programs, especially ones that receive hundreds of applications, are stricter about numbers, e.g., USF allegedly uses numbers to weed out applicants. I scored the equivalent of 143 on the quant during my first GRE attempt, and retaking the test to hit UVA's suggested minimum was really important for me to feel more confident--of course I have no clue if it actually mattered, but since many schools are so competitive, it may have helped.

I agree with fsustar--you didn't do anything wrong! I hope Auburn and Alabama come through for you, but if you do end up needing to reapply, my main suggestion would be applying to more programs. People here can likely recommend other schools for you that have a focus on voice or might otherwise be a good fit. Best of luck!

Yeah, it looks like they will discuss funding options during open house. The itinerary looks very thorough and like it will cover every question that I've had so far about research, curriculum, etc.

Actual lols.

^Such an important thread. I'm so grateful that FertMigMort chose to take the time to illuminate some of this process for us!

That is not cool at all. I hope all of you who are waiting for them hear good news soon.

You know, that has always been an admissions conundrum for me; adcoms tend to have pet peeves, but there's no way to know what they are unless you're somehow intimately familiar with the professors from the program or other people who participate in making the decisions (e.g., when someone's applying to an SLP grad program at her undergrad institution). And even within the same group, there may be disparate viewpoints (there's a great pinned thread about this in the sociology subforum). It's a tough process! I mostly tried to temper my personal story with my academic and professional goals, and I tried to write as clearly and cogently as possible.

Ack, I considered applying to GWU, but I didn't realize that the "re-entry program" was integrated (to the point that I didn't even apply there because I didn't want to reapply ). I would edit the OP if I could. Thanks for the correction!

Yeah, true. Nearly one-third of my essay was devoted to describing my mother-in-law's decline and how it significantly affected our entire family dynamic; I knew it was potentially risky, but I wanted to stress that speech disorders are far-reaching. I went on to cover all of the other important SOP topics. Also, it's possible that I was given a bit more leeway since I'm an out-of-fielder.

Ha, a large part of my SOP was about my mother-in-law's aphasia and acting as her caretaker over the summer! Her struggles with language have absolutely informed my decision to become an SLP. The key is, like you said, to write well and make it personal.

My thoughts: Would you have gone through this crucible if you didn't want it? I really doubt it.

Well, if everything else didn't cinch it, this info does. Take the money!

valkener, honestly I think I'd practice like mad and retake just to up any chances now. Four weeks is enough time to improve, and you'll also have about two or three weeks to address any specific problem areas that show up on the GRE diagnostic service. I only say this because Penn is so competitive, and the GRE Q is a good way to impress them considering your background and the type of program. But if you don't have time to retake, then I say apply and hope it works out. Good luck!

Oh, wonderful! Do you think their degree's M.Ed. designation will be an issue or limiting at all? I'm assuming not, but it seems like most programs offer M.A. or M.S.

If a school says that there are exceptions, I assume that they might consider most apps just under 3.25 as well (possibly to 3.0--but I'm guessing here!). I don't think you need to explain your GPA per se. It will be evident from your transcripts. But you can talk briefly about your transition to history and finding the right academic fit. You will need to balance your GPA with a strong GRE, a great SOP and writing sample, LORs, and POI contact, and of course you should highlight your major GPA on your CV. Good luck! PS I love your username.

I'm definitely leaning toward Boulder. I'm attending their open house on April 5, and I'm excited to see everything in person! However, I want to give the UVA program a closer look, too. I haven't been able to make it out there (and it's only 70 miles from my house ) because of other commitments.

A 4.0 generally won't raise a red flag. 3.0 (maybe 3.5?) or lower would worry me. Your SOP is extremely important, one of the most important components of your app. The GRE AW is sometimes not even on an adcom's radar.