midnight

SLPtoBEweee, I really hope you hear great news from Austin! I know that all of you UT applicants are more than ready for notifications.

I'm rational when I'm talking about other people's situations, not my own! I (and many others here) have unwavering confidence in you.

Then pack your bags for Seattle! I mean, um, good luck with your decision.

jmarti: I think they may have just overlooked your email. I'm sure they've received a huge amount in the last few weeks. But if there's a second round coming up, I firmly believe you're in the running! Bcjami: The GRE definitely doesn't measure someone's range of intellect and talent. The only reason I give it any credence is because schools seem to care about it, but many SLP programs don't require or expect sky-high numbers, so they realize that being a good SLP involves a lot more than how someone did on a standardized test. I do think a higher GRE can be important for an applicant with a lower GPA, though; it seems to act as a balance.

Any clue what happens after the first year at UW? Because I think that sounds like a pretty sweet deal, but I'm not sure what that means for you later.

I just...don't get this process. Like, wouldn't it be advantageous for a program to have an earlier deadline and notification cycle? Do these schools think that most applicants still apply to only one school or something? It makes no sense!

It boggles my mind that some of these schools are taking so long. I think it does a huge disservice to everyone (the applicants *and* the programs). It's also completely bizarre that UVA notified three-year students almost a month ago but hasn't notified in-field students; in-fielders likely apply to more schools, sometimes have more choices, and have more at stake.

If you have it in you, I think you should try for a third time. However, fit seems to be of utmost importance, so perhaps you should only apply to programs where you can establish promising POI interactions before the deadlines. I don't think you need to waste your time or money retaking the GRE given your current scores. Focus on your SOP, CV, and writing sample. Do some serious POI research, and attend more conferences where you can network. Good luck!

Congrats! Do you have a top pick out of all of your schools?

I agree with everyone else: It's important to follow professional standards, but it's also important to protect yourself. I would absolutely not give more than a month's notice.

That's awesome. I think it shows that the admissions process is more holistic than we tend to view it here (not that your scores were "bad"!).

I'm sorry. But OU's program looks pretty awesome!

From UPenn: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/grad/admission-stats.shtml If you do retake, you should aim for as high as you possibly can for quant and 80th+ percentile for verbal. My advice for verbal is to practice with different materials so you can gain exposure to more vocab words, and if you do decide to memorize vocab on its own, lump synonyms together in your mind since many of the GRE verbal questions are synonym-focused now.

I think your acceptance is a testament to your interesting background, experience, and other application elements. You prove more than anything that GPA isn't a be all and end all. (Not that mmarti16 has a low GPA; I just mean in general.)

I'm so happy for you and your family! I think Omaha will be a better all-around experience for all of you.

When I started this process in earnest last year, I had no clue how to craft a strong SLP-specific SOP. It was exceedingly hard for me to find resources and samples since most books and websites for professional programs focus on getting into law, business, or medical schools. I ended up taking some cues from a book on med school SOPs due to SLP's place in the healthcare field; still, it wasn't perfect. I knew I needed a strong SOP that would be memorable, detail my strengths/experiences/professional aspirations, and prove that I could communicate effectively, but I didn't want to write something inappropriate or incomplete. After hastily writing my first draft so one of my former English professors (I’m out-of-field) could get a feel for my academic and professional goals before writing an LOR for me, I just kind of guessed my way through fleshing out and editing my SOP and hoped for the best. I included some unorthodox content that made sense to my professor and me, but I truly had no idea how adcoms would respond to it. I recently stumbled upon a few really solid tips and guidelines for writing a good SOP that I'd like to share. From Emerson College's CD admissions page (any emphasis mine): "Your personal essay is an important part of your application because it allows us to learn more about you. We look at both your writing ability and what you have to say. Tell us things that are not apparent from the rest of your application. Make it interesting." I like how Emerson spells it out: An SOP shouldn't be dry or rehash what's readily apparent from your transcripts and CV. It should be interesting, descriptive, and a chance to show your personality. It has to be well written and professional, but it also has to grab the adcom's attention. From a Bright Hub article titled Improving Chances to Get into a Speech Pathology Grad School (http://www.brighthub.com/education/postgraduate/articles/99050.aspx): "Admissions Essay or Personal Statement You must typically write an admissions essay or personal statement explaining why you want to earn a specific degree and describing your goals for a career with that degree. For instance, ASHA recommends you identify the following professional goals: Determine which clients you prefer: children, adolescents, or adults. Decide what area you desire for your specialization, such as a particular disorder like autism or hearing impairments. Establish if your preference is clinical administration in a health or education setting, or if you may plan to pursue a Ph.D. to conduct research in the field or become an audiologist. The essay or statement is usually included in the application package and therefore should represent your best work. It presents your first chance to impress the grad school professors who read the essays and influence decisions about your acceptance. Check the resources at the end of this article for a thorough tutorial by Education Planner.org about how to create a high quality, professional essay." The above format is in line with the SOP instructions from the schools that I applied to (obviously you should always follow schools' explicit SOP instructions above all else). I made it very clear which populations I wanted to work with and why. I specified my interests (e.g., neurogenic disorders) and potential setting preferences. Perhaps most importantly, I cited specific professors whose research and work match my goals and referenced specific elements of the programs to personalize my essay. Schools appreciate when you’ve done your homework; they want you to tell them why you believe their programs are right for you—don’t hesitate to mention clinic names, unique tracks, appealing course offerings, geographical location, etc. Your SOP should read more like a love letter than a form letter (within reason, of course)! Finally, you should proofread your essay! And then proofread it some more! And then…MORE! Make sure there are no misspellings, typos, or glaring grammatical errors. Have your family and friends read it to double-check, though unless they’re familiar with the field and specifically with admissions, they likely can’t help with much more than the superficial and stylistic aspects of your SOP. For more focused help and advice regarding the meat of your SOP, ask a few professors or your graduate adviser to look it over so that they can offer any suggestions, improvements, edits, or major restructurings. I would love to read more SOP-writing tips and suggestions. I really believe that as programs become more and more competitive, the SOP will only become more important as well. In a sea of applicants with strong GPAs, high GRE scores, and relevant work and volunteer experience, the SOP is a big deal since it’s one part of the application where we have complete control from beginning to end.

I think finding a position as an SLPA or volunteering in an SLP setting are both great ideas. It's also a good idea to look at the components of your application to see what you can improve or refine. (Is your GRE score competitive? Is your SOP error-free and interesting?) I hope you hear good news from your remaining schools!

^Right, Madison is already listed under post-bacc options in the first post.

I'm sorry. I hope you love Columbia, and congrats on all of your other acceptances!

Because you're a gentleman and a scholar, Jeff! Duh.

Not to put words in CO's mouth, but I'm fairly sure he was positively responding to your success in landing interviews for family therapy programs at competitive schools, not saying you should give up on being an SLP. Also, I don't think a 3.3/3.4 GPA is low per se, but I do think a GPA under 3.6 or so these days requires a strong overall application (GRE, SOP, LORs, CV) to boost an applicant's chances. And as much as I loathed preparing for and taking the GRE (and my quant score was low), unfortunately it's a component of the application that can't be minimized since we as applicants don't know just how much it may matter in the admissions process. The GRE tests more than sheer memorization; it's also about synthesis and stamina.

I think you're reading too much into it, but I do stuff like that, too. I don't think anyone in her right mind would be offended by formal and polite communication.

And consider this (somewhat extreme) example from the results page: '1 year of experience as a speech technician in public schools. DO NOT call them with questions until you receive a letter in the mail and DO NOT address a person by their first name when they have their doctorates. I made this mistake and got this response "oh you were the one who addressed me as (first name) and not as (dr. ____) yes I said do not contact me until you have received a letter and obviously you have not received a letter yet." I might have ruined my chances here. But do I really want to go to a program where the people are THAT rude?! Yikes. What are other people's experience with staff here???'

Why does the wording seem strange to you?

I always stick with formal titles unless I'm explicitly told otherwise.