mystiqueSLP

I've sent you a PM

My GPA was a 3.28 and I managed to get in somewhere Don't let your GPA hold you back! Focus on other parts of your application, like your experience, LoRs, and essays. It does help if your GRE scores are decent for the numerical aspect though.

It might, depending on what your GPA is like and what experiences you have. But you still have time to prepare again and retake the test before fall deadlines.

It seems like you'll be prepared for the numbers portion of the application but do you have SLP-related experience? I think passion and experience play a big part, especially for students who have embarrassing GPAs or are coming in without a background in SLP.

It's up to you. Your verbal is good but your math is a tiny bit low (148 isn't bad though). Not low enough that you absolutely need to take it again. But I would consider other parts of your application - like if you have a low GPA and need a good GRE score to balance it out.

I was accepted by two programs with none of the pre-reqs completed so it's definitely not impossible.

I just emailed Erin Embry and she CCed my email to the appropriate officials.

matrixgrl09, I agree with this advice. I know it's hard to appreciate it right now (especially since you're still waiting on a school) but you really should start looking into the weak parts of your application and see what you can start fixing ASAP. Summer is the perfect time for extra classes, more volunteering experience, etc. Are you out-of-field? You mention having pre-reqs done for the SLP major, did you do a post-bacc already?

ballerina18: What you wrote feels very list-like, basically expanding on your resume. My advice is (basically what I followed as a guideline for my own SOP): - Stay away from 'flowery' words and being wordy, just state what you want to say so you can make more room for real content. Just keep it simple. Don't define too many things and don't be too obvious (You're speaking to academics and professional SLPs, I would assume they would know that everyone's goal is to obtain their CCCs and state licensure. The stuff about IBCLC is awesome though.). - You should definitely go into why you're interested in oral-facial development more (personal experience, learned about the subject in a class, etc) - Try making the paragraphs flow together, like a narrative. You're writing about your life - it's not meant to be chopped up into sections like you're being introduced in a beauty pageant. That being said, I wouldn't emphasize the crocheting and other personal activities too much or mention them at all. You're trying to get into an SLP grad program so tailor your essay to show your enthusiasm/interest in SLP and as a student. Mention your academic experiences and focus on your SLP experiences (You mentioned volunteering with an SLP in a previous post but it's not even mentioned in your essay!). You "name-drop" a lot of places that have nothing to do with SLP and you're not going to grad school to organize ballet shows or crochet. I understand why you included them but grad schools generally don't care about these extracurriculars as much as undergrad adcoms. They want your passion and drive in the field and the ability to learn and gain experience in their classrooms. Explain the difference between your GPA in undergrad and in post-bacc. Spin it in a way that shows that you can struggle and overcome difficulties, that you want and can do well in SLP classes. The first paragraph is about your interest in SLP but the rest isn't and that's not good. I would reorganize the last paragraph (mention undergrad education in an earlier paragraph) and I would rewrite the 2 middle paragraphs completely. I would devote an entire paragraph to your time volunteering with an SLP and any personal experience working with a client. Some of the lines in your first paragraph are very "final" and could be part of the conclusion as well. I sound overly critical and harsh but I really don't mean it to be and I'm very sorry :/ I am no expert and my SOPs might be completely terrible. But if someone read them, I would want them to be honest and point out any flaws so I could fix them. My GPA is 3.28 (without any pos-bacc classes to prove otherwise) so I know how hard it is to compete with all those 4.0 applicants and stand out. As your said, your undergrad GPA and GRE scores aren't great and those are so hard/expensive to fix. Your essay is completely controlled by you (for free!) so make it the best you can and show that your stats don't define you Good luck!!!

I was accepted by two programs with a 3.28 GPA and didn't have any pre-reqs or post-bacc courses completed. It is definitely possible, especially with good letters, SOP, and experience It definitely helps if you get a great GRE score too. But I would suggest you should maybe apply to more than just a few schools in your location if possible though...just in case.

I think getting letters from professors is useful since they can vouch for what kind of student you are. But getting letters from someone who knows you and your work well would be better than a mediocre letter from a professor. I wouldn't mind reading your statement but I am no expert on what is and isn't a good statement so don't expect too much from me When I was writing mine, I just tried to not make it sound too cliche/dull but still send the message on why I want to be a pediatric SLP, how my experiences led me to this field, and why this particular program would be a great fit for me. I have a low cumulative GPA (3.28) so I addressed that in my statement too, but sort of in a way that made it seem like a strength rather than a weakness. My letter writers also addressed this issue as well.

Montclair State University Congrats everyone - we did it!

Do you have in-field experience? How were your letters and essays? It's difficult to predict whether anyone will get into a program or not - there are so many variables involved. Everyone has decent stats so there are a lot of other things (letters, essays, experiences) that are used to determine who will be accepted. It also depends on how competitive the programs you applied to were.

Out-of-field applicant - 159V/157Q/4.5AW I volunteered at a hospital for many years and interned at a software development company for a summer. I've been teaching children at a tutoring center (including a girl with a fluency disorder) for nearly a year and working at the psycholinguistics lab on campus for almost 2 years. I was lacking a lot of in-field exposure but I think it just depends on how you frame your experiences in your SoP and what led you to your passion in SLP.

Why? Don't say that, I declined NYU too D:

Is there any reason why you applied to just two programs even though this is your second time applying? A lot of re-applicants usually apply to a lot more programs to ensure they get in somewhere.. I don't think not having the pre-reqs is an issue but taking them could increase your chances.

Thursday of this week and it's due the 22nd :/ I live about 20 mins away so it's not too bad. I considered handing it in person but I was worried that might mess up the process and I also had to get back to school for classes. I also RSVPed on their decisions website with the code enclosed in the letter so hope that makes up for my deposit possibly arriving late.

I sent an email declining my offer at NYU even though I sent my deposit already and afterwards, my mom was like, "why did you decline already?? What if Montclair doesn't receive your deposit in time??" so now I'm really worried that might happen now :/ I sent it through overnight mail on Thursday so I hope it gets there on time!

Do you know if the cost of pre-reqs is considered the same as graduate credit even though they're usually undergrad courses?

That would be pretty generous..Montclair's tuition is so cheap already that I'm not really concerned at all! I was preparing myself financially for NYU before and this is just the complete opposite of that situation

Are you asking this because you plan to go to grad school afterwards? I think where you go for undergrad doesn't matter to grad programs as long as you do well. Keep your GPA and GREs high, get lots of experience, etc. For undergrad, you should just pick the school you're most comfortable with.

Not even work-study though?

Ahh, thanks! Have you received any word about your financial aid package for Montclair?

Thank you! I'm really excited! and matrixgrl09: Don't worry! It looks like you're still waiting on 2 schools and waitlisted at 2 others so you might get in somewhere in the end

Well, it can't hurt your chances though. You should try sending one, it's not like they'll rank you lower for doing so.