slpdreamer

Not necessarily. I had less than 3.8 and did not get waitlisted, but my strength was my experience (more than 200 hours of clinical observation and over 1000 hours of relevant volunteer experience) and references. It depends where you are applying. Feel free to message me if you'd like more tips on your application. It is a definitely competitive but not impossible. If you are worried about your GPA you could also consider applying in the US as some schools are slightly less competitive. You could also consider taking more courses to try to raise your GPA. If this is truly what you want to do, do not give up. Where there is a will there is a way.

I was thinking about preparing as well. To me, it really depends on your background. If you have a degree in communication disorders or linguistics you probably won't need to worry about preparing, if you have a less related degree it may be wise to get comfortable with some of the material. I think the best thing to look over or practice would be basic IPA depending on how familiar you are and maybe some anatomy. I think the rest would be better to study during the year. If you were to study anything beyond 1st semester courses it would probably be a waste of time because you'll forget it by the time you have to study it again. I also looked over the syllabi for the courses for first semester to see if there was any topics I struggled with in the past. I think if you do those things you will feel much more comfortable at the start of the year. But I agree with Inny, don't spend too much time! Enjoy the sunshine and this last little bit of freedom. Hope that helps.

I think you have an awesome resume and a really good chance of getting in! I don't think that your lack of research will hinder your chances. I know UofT focuses heavily on GPA and it looks like you have a strong GPA. Good luck.

I had heard that if you had any prereq grades below a B+ they do not even look at your application at UofT. Not sure how true this is, but would make sense since I had 1 prereq that was a B-. For this reason I was not surprised at all about not getting in to UofT. Having read these threads for a long time, I would encourage everyone applying not to be too hard on yourself. I see people with 3.9s worrying their grades are too low. It is important to realize that this is a ridiculously competitive field and you should be proud of getting the grades you have. Having a mid/high 80s average, it took me a long time to acknowledge that I am not a bad student, I had unattainable expectations for myself because of the high standards of these programs. You do not need a 95% average to get in, you need to demonstrate you are a complete package (at least at Western). It's good to set goals, just don't let your goals stop you from enjoying the journey - life is a journey not a destination.

I was accepted at Western and not UofT as well. I believe I didn't get in to UofT because I had 1 low(er) prerequisite grade. I had over 1000 hours of volunteer experience including multiple leadership positions and direct clinical observation in almost every area (AAC, dysphagia, ASD, dementia, ABI/CVA, developmental language disorders, degenerative disorders, etc.). My GPA was definitely the weakest part of my application. Also, for UofT they required my full year anatomy and physiology mark (which was my lowest mark) whereas at Western they used my half year anatomy of speech class (only require half year) which may have made a significant difference. I have always dreamed of going to Western and I am not disappointed at all about UofT (although who really likes to get a rejection). My interest in Western probably came across clearly in my LOI and at UofT I may not have seemed as knowledgeable about their program. For anyone applying next year, make sure to really research the schools you are applying to and explain how their program really fits your unique perspective (which is what I did with Western). Hope that helps future applicants.

You need to accept the offer through SAM on ORPAS and they will send you 2 emails with confirmation numbers. I do not believe Western sends you a confirmation number although I noticed on the student center that it changed my status to accepted offer. Hope that helps. If you are attending Western join our facebook group.

New group for UWO SLP Class of 2016: https://www.facebook.com/groups/498283726938797/

SLP TT and SLP177, I think I sent you both messages. I'm just getting the hang of gradcafe.

That's great SLP 177! You are the first person I've talked to going to UWO. I'm so excited to start school! We should start a facebook group.

Attending UWO in the fall and could not be happier. This was my second year applying. I'm from Northern Ontario and attended Laurentian University for my undergrad. After getting wait listed last year I moved to St. Catharines to take the certificate program at Brock. If you didn't get in don't give up! If anyone has questions about the certificate program at Brock I'd be happy to chat with you.