sugarmilk

No, I totally understand the quote. It's not a difficult concept. I just see the physical flaw in it and it makes it impossible for me to take it seriously. To each his own.

This quote was on a poster in a classroom back in middle school and I never liked it much. Aren't the stars actually further away from Earth than the moon is? It would be much more inspirational to shoot for a star and land on the moon. ;p

It is good to prepare yourself for the worst, especially because SLP is such a competitive field. I'm currently in progress on my leveling program so if I don't get accepted this time, I'll assume it is because I have not finished taking 4 required courses. Next year, my prerequisities will be complete so I think I'll have a better chance just because of that. I think I would rewrite my SOP too. My opening paragraph is a childhood anecdote and it's feeling too cliche for comfort in retrospect.

care bear

I don't think you need to tell them you applied before and learned from the experience, just to show you are not a quitter. I wouldn't bother with that in my SOP. If you improved your application, it would show on its own. And you are applying to different schools this time, because you couldn't magically improve your GPA. So you cannot really say you really improved.. all you can say to the point is "I applied, and got rejected, but I still applied again!" But I think lots of people do that. Lots of people get rejected and apply in another season. Your perseverance in this case isn't going to help as much as the real meat of your profile - academics, research, etc.. I don't see how mentioning those rejections will give you an edge.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh... It's a meaningful story to your academic development so you should definitely include it in your SOP. I don't think the girl's verification in LOR form is necessary or appropriate. I'm pretty sure adcomms will believe your words in your SOP. And your application is about YOU after all, not her. Use your SOP to talk about how the program changed you, how working with youth was a good experience for you. A letter from the girl might be too sentimental for an admissions committee. But you might want to hold onto it as a keepsake for yourself.

Although I think you should include why you got poor grades (because you have a valid excuse), I don't think you need to narrate your academic history throughout the entire essay. Too many excuses comes off as whiny or sheepish. Consider making the story more about your passion, inspiration or reason for pursuing a degree. It will be a more positive storyline. I was watching Project Runway and a contestant didn't show the judges one of her "wow" designs because she wanted it to be a surprise at the runway show. The judges shared some good advice with her: wow us NOW because you aren't guaranteed to go to the runway show without impressing us now. I think it is a good metaphor for applying to grad school. Wow the judges with your application because you don't know whether you'll have the chance to wow them at a later stage.

As it reads now, the backbone of your SOP is your academic roller coaster of ups and downs. This is unnecessary and doesn't paint the best picture of you. Limit your explanation of poor grades to a brief sentence or two and then do not mention it again. Instead, give specifics examples of the work you did, and the work you wish to do. This SOP makes me want to know more about the campaigns you worked on and what you did for them. Provide those details! Don't be vague when discussing your meaningful work experiences. It will define you as more than an academic roller coaster.

You do need to send all your transcripts, including from the college whose courses you took in high school. Even though the credits transferred to another school, they still need to see the transcript from the original school to confirm your grades. I know this because I'm in the same boat - I took a couple of college courses through a high school program. It seems super silly that they need those but they do, and if you don't send them now they will probably ask you for them later. Better to send them now.

You've done all you can possibly do at this point, so relax. It is normal for some people to feel hyper-critical of work they submitted. You might be over-reacting about the severity of the situation. The best thing is to not dwell on it. Stop editing your SOP after it is submitted. Wouldn't it be silly if you were on an adcomm and had to sift through 4 or 5 "added" versions of the same SOP? If you don't get accepted this round, take comfort in knowing you know how to better approach it next time. You'll be better-suited to "get it right the first time," the second time around.

There is a new Score Select option which allows you to send scores from only one test date.

Haha! Where can I apply for a fully funded prostitute? Joke. ;p

litmus paper

Perhaps something like this: "Although I have selected X area of specialization on my application, I would like to explore other areas of interest before finalizing/confirming this decision." That way, it doesn't look like you made a blatant mistake, and it lets them know that you are open and interested in all the options. I would put it at the end of your SOP or wherever you talk about your fit with the program.

I haven't taken "Article Writing 101" yet, but I am curious and I hope you folks could provide some insight into the process. I've been perusing some academic articles from journals in my field and I often notice that the multiple authors involved are not associated with the same univeristy. For example: Mary Somebody University of State A Thomas Otherguy University of State B on the Other Side of the Country My question is, how do such collaborations happen? Sometimes it seems each author contributes their own individual data to the article, but if they are nowhere near each other physically, how did they put the article together? (The wonders of technology?) How did they find each other to begin with? (Academic networking?) Any elucidating responses would be much appreciated!

Your opening remarks are generalized and not necessarily true. For instance, I keep a handwritten diary. I would eliminate blanket statements. In another instance you mention that international news is consider boring to many. What if the person reading your SOP finds this offensive? Avoid generalizations, they are just silly. Instead, make more specific commentary on your personal experience. Just my opinion.

I believe you asked this elsewhere on the forum. Please don't clog the boards with double posts. Only you can decide if your GPA will go up, by how much effort you put into your remaining semesters. If you are "smart but lazy" and you want better grades, I suggest you ditch the lazy part now.

Write down little notes of points you'd like to share, and listen closely in class for an opportunity to do so. Jumping into conversation will be difficult the first few times, but make it a habit and soon it won't be a problem- you may even find you enjoy discussion when you are active in it. Try not to think too much because hesitation may cause you to miss an ideal opportunity to share a related point. If it helps, listen to how other students talk in class and borrow "scripts" from them. How do they introduce their ideas? Use it as a model for your own. Age and experience don't seem relevant in a seminar. No excuses, get talking!

Speech-language pathology master programs are highly competitive. However, they do not simply compare GPAs to select who gets in, they look at the entire package. Résumé/CV, SOP and LOR all make an impact, as well as GPA and GRE. Don't let one bad semester discourage you from working towards your goal.

I received my official score report student copy 11 business days after the exam (and I live in the US, mind you). Scores were sent out to schools about 8 business days after taking the exam. Keep in mind that it can take admissions offices several days to process incoming mail (digital or not). Some schools will accept a scanned/faxed copy of the student score report while the official score report is pending. I understand that you want to give yourself ample time to study, but like the poster above said, you don't want to cut it too close. If you do miss the deadline, then what was the point?

I think getting feedback is a great step. Discuss your concerns with your professors, find out where the problem lies. I contended several grades in undergrad because I had a suspicion that the professors arbitrarily assigned grades. I went to them with all my stellar assignments in my defense and they said there was a "mistake" and they would adjust my grades. So there is some hope there, and if they still stand by the grade, at least you can find out why and make an improvement next term. I'm sorry this has happened to you and I hope you will feel better in time. Try not to hold a grudge about it.

butterfly kiss

PS- I would not bother re-taking an unrelated art course to boost the GPA. It would be a waste of time/money for very little gain. Focus on your SLP courses now.

Hi there, It seems like you already have an idea of what you can do to improve your application, which is great. It is also great that you will be taking the time to prepare your application for next year. As you know- Study, study, study for the GRE! An impressive GRE score will show that you are capable and serious about committing to academic work. You certainly don't have to discuss it here, but you may want to address the cause of your low grades in your statement of purpose, or better yet, have a professor address it in a letter of recommendation. Is your undergrad degree in SLP/Communication Disorders? If so, you definitely need to address the grades somehow. The coursework will only get more rigorous at the graduate level and you need to show that you have changed and can do well as a grad student. Visit your professors during office hours often, become a face they know so that they will be able to write strong letters that speak to your strengths. Find extracurricular activities that relate to the field. If you plan to work in pediatrics, any experience with children will help. I think your application is definitely salvageable at this point, you just need to follow through with your determination. Best of luck with everything!

take out