Jolie717

It's "only" 18.5%? Are you kidding me??? I would kill for that acceptance rate in my area!!! Which appears to be about 8-9%. Gotta love California...

Cal State Long Beach also has an online cohort. ?

Wow - for that I am sorry. It (my comment) was meant to be funny and "lighthearted." We are obviously on different pages - so I apologize if I have offended you regarding mind altering substances. Damn Liberal Californians, lol!!! And like I mentioned previously, I think we could have a *real* conversation that would be interesting and meaningful, but a forum chat is not the place. As I've learned, 60-70% of communication is non-verbal. I honestly don't have time to dissect everything you and I have said on this thread - so I will just let it go at this point. Best of luck to you - and hopefully one or hopefully more readers will gain some insight when reading through this thread.

My bad - I probably should have put this first, a post or two ago, when I mentioned the areas I consider flawed in the grad application process: 3) The applicant "bio" page should be completely separate from the rest of the application. Meaning the page with name, race, gender, age etc should not be visible and a part of the application packet that is being reviewed by the admissions committee. Instead, the "bio" page should be removed and a random number should be assigned to the portion viewed and judged by the committee in order to truly make admissions "blind," so to speak. Fortunately some schools already do this, but many do not.

When I said I hadn't done much research on higher education - I meant *critiquing* the system, LOL, not what it will take me (or others) to get into my major! This is too funny - in person I think we would have a good convo, but seriously, our majors are so different that I'm beginning to think that further discussion on this particular forum is a bit of a lost cause at this juncture. If you want to educate yourself further, look into the shortage of SLP programs due to the shortage of PhDs in our field, and then look into grad school acceptance rates overall for SLP. Compare it to other fields. That *might* put things into perspective. I would hope. I am applying to grad school this fall, and trust me I have done more research than I probably should have at this point! In my program, the head of the graduate admission committee has pretty much stated what they consider to be important, and this has been backed by other advisors on the committee as well. Interviews are far and few between (where I am) - I can think of only one program in my area where an interview is required. (And don't even get me started on the validity of interviews either - that's another can of worms altogether, with studies to back it up). SOPs and LORs are very important I'm sure - but are much more subjective and probably very difficult to "rank" in importance. And again, if one doesn't qualify with a certain minimum GPA and GRE, do you honestly think the admissions committee is going to be poring over all of the SOPs and LORs of applicants that happen to fall below a given standard? Please - send me some of the good stuff that you have apparently been taking!!! ????????

I never said it was flawed because it takes your background into account. I haven't really put much effort into analyzing higher education in our country (yet) as my two children are elementary-aged. I am far more interested in and invested in how and why we are failing our young children in the US education system at this point. But since you brought it up, here are two things in the admissions process that I find "flawed," right off the top of my head. I know there are likely many more but I don't have time to delve into any further research at this moment. 1) GREs have been shown to not be indicative of a grad student's potential for success in grad school. And yet these scores are highly emphasized and serve as a cut-off point in the admissions process. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/study-graduate-record-exam-shows-it-does-little-predict-graduate-school-success I realize this reference is pretty old - but if you dig a bit I'm sure you could find more recent research. Both Yale and Berkeley have done studies along these lines as well, if I remember correctly. I believe there have also been studies showing that the GRE is biased against women, people of color and those with lower socio-economic backgrounds. 2) As mentioned by the previous poster, I think there should be a limit as to how far back a prospective student is required to go when reporting grades - similar to a resume. I haven't looked up any research along these lines, it just seems like common sense to me. I also find it funny that grades and test scores are the gold standard and yet in the "ultimate" challenge, gaining employment post-graduation, they fall by the wayside. Have you or anyone you know ever been asked to provide transcripts at a job interview? At any rate, the OPs situation is different than that of my friend's. In his/her case I am imagining they will have to somehow work to prove that they are "worthy" again, and re-apply to less rigorous programs if still interested in SLP. In an ideal world, it would be great if institutions took it into account whenever a student who had a rough time managed to flip it around. But please don't tell me you are so naive as to believe that (many if not most) universities don't already have certain cut-offs in place that would automatically disqualify many of these applicants from ever having their applications see the light of day? It's a potentially life-altering gamble for some.

There is no such thing as an even field. Chemistry is probably pretty different from SLP, from what I've seen. And if you're correct, much more forgiving. I am not saying people *should* lie, merely that he did. Mostly I am saying the system is flawed. I'm not sure how it is done better in other countries - thoughts, Pennsatucky??? I do know some countries are much more restrictive than ours, where students are weeded out of further education even earlier on (high school age). Which I find appalling. And I agree - you are absolutely right that anyone choosing to omit information risks being discovered and kicked out of the program.

Ian - I'm sorry, but "Jared from Subway" who is facing criminal charges is so far removed from "an SLP student that had a tough year" that I am truly struggling to think as to why you would have ever brought that into this discussion. I could not possibly have thought of a worse analogy if I had tried.

I'm ex-military myself - welcome! Not sure if veteran experience helps but I'm sure it doesn't hurt as at the very least it shows strong commitment to something that is pretty tough, not to mention long-term. Our dept head (in the process of retiring) is ex-military and he seemed excited and wanted to chat when I mentioned my vet status. So you never know! That being said, your stats seem in line with the schools you've mentioned - in fact your GREs are on the high side. I would only bother retaking (and investing the time and money) if you were truly worried you weren't a competitive applicant AND you thought somehow you would blow your old scores out of the water. Instead, if I were you I would concentrate on getting a 4.0 in your post-bacc SLP work. Get some experience in the field that is relevant to what you think you want to pursue, if it doesn't get in the way of your GPA that is. Research is great, but if you aren't interested in it long term then it won't lend much to your statement of purpose / letter of intent or any potential interviews. Find something you are passionate about! Also really make yourself stand out to your post-bacc professors. It seems difficult but it can be done, even in an online format classroom.

I completely agree that the system needs to be changed. I have a friend who had a rough childhood, disfunctional family, drugs, cut classes, crashed a car and the list goes on. Applied to a university only because his father said he was kicked out of the house if he didn't. So he purposefully applied to an aeronautical program knowing his "stats" from high school wouldn't suffice. To his surprise he got in, with honors, thanks to his stellar SATs (he's a brilliant guy - just hated and was bored with school.) He hated the major and flunked out. When he was actually ready to go back to school, he breezed through a local community college, got into a prestigious university, worked his ass off and went on to earn his PhD at Harvard in Organic Chemistry. And yes, the university he flunked out of was left off of his apps. I have a hard hard time swallowing the notion that when someone messes up, doors should be slammed in their faces for life. It's ridiculous, really.

One of the professors at CSUN told a classmate of mine that they really only look at the verbal score, and aren't as interested in the quantitative or written essay portions. But I'm sure it varies a lot by school.

For some reason ever since the recent forum updates/changes I no longer see anyone's stats either, including my own. This is when using my iPad - not sure if it's different on a desktop.

Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach

In my program there is an advisor whom I have heard (in person) tell a prospective student that they need to prepare to live like a Tibetan Monk, lol. Sleep, eat, breathe and dream SLP apparently. I'm a mom of two, I worked part time, volunteered at both of my boys' schools, babysat a friend's 4-month old four hours per week and enrolled in a CD course load that they highly discouraged plus an additional non-CD class (Physics) on top of that. Honestly all programs want to see their students succeed - it makes them look better after all!!! But if you are HIGHLY disciplined and work really hard, you can probably make it work. You know yourself better than any of the professors do. I would imagine many programs discourage working, not just mine and yours.

We have it a lot better here in the US than many other countries who weed people out and don't allow certain higher education based on testing done at the high school level. Americans have the luxury of being able to go back to school to pursue a new career even much later in life. The way I see it, schools need to have a certain graduation rate in order to maintain their status and credibility. In SLP: the graduation rate, Praxis passing rate, etc all come into play. I am guessing there is a correlation between GPA & testing scores and graduation rates. In addition the lack of spaces in programs due to lack of PhDs in the field needs to be taken into consideration. GPA and test scores offer a quick, inexpensive and simple way to rank applicants. Whether right or wrong. I myself, in studying for the GRE, am finding the questions so far removed from what likely determines a good SLP from a bad SLP that I do truly feel your pain.

Interesting - as an RT I have never heard of this type of position nor have I ever worked with or met a RespIratory Assistant. I found one job listing in the state of California though, and it appeared it was more of a respiratory equipment tech type of job. At any rate, to the OP I would be wary of "career college" type programs as they are typically very expensive when compared to community colleges and their coursework often will not transfer to a four year college/university. Also it's important that you look at whether there is a demand for whichever career you end up choosing - there is nothing worse than getting a degree only to find you can't use it.

It's actually Respiratory Therapist (not assistant) and this major has all the same pre-reqs as nursing - as do several of the others mentioned above. So the OP would still have to get through some of the tougher science classes. In addition, working in the medical field can be very stressful and because of reimbursement cuts it will likely get worse. I would make an appointment with one of the counsellors at your school to try to figure out where your skills and passion would best serve you in considering a new major. Especially if you are determined to finish at your current school. Otherwise you could save a lot of money if you could get into an SLPA community college program. I'm sure it's still a lot of work so you would have to make some changes in how you study, but it might give you the experience and confidence you seem to be lacking and ease your transition back into a 4 yr college and grad school down the line.

Last I checked, the GPA you need for automatic entry into the Master's program at CSUN is 4.0. This is no joke, based on the online courses I have taken thus far at CSUN - I managed a 4.0 in my regular and online classes, but it wasn't easy. For reference, I was a 4.0 Biology major with a Physics minor in my previous life. The GPA requirement is tough not necessarily bcz the information is difficult to learn but because the way you submit your assignments and have to follow every rule to the "t" makes it challenging. My classmates and I used to joke about who had read the instructions for each online assignment the most - ten times or more was not uncommon. Ridiculous, right??? Best of luck to you!

I don't think it will kill you - there are many here who have had worse GPAs that were accepted into grad school. That being said, make sure you research your preferred schools (and some non-preferred "safety" schools) and their expectations for their grad students. Use ASHA's EdFind to narrow in on schools of interest and then make contact with these schools, give your stats and ask if you would be considered a competitive applicant for their program. That being said, it is an extremely competitive major, and if I were you I would get into the mindset that you will get all As from here on out - don't settle for less, and best of luck to you!

I have one classmate that attended CSUN's post bacc that was accepted into the Masters program after just one semester of the four core CD classes and another who was initially wait-listed and then accepted a month or so later. So it is possible, but probably difficult. Do your best to make yourself known to your professors and be a very vocal participant in class. Go to office hours, participate in extra activities and stand out from the crowd! Best of luck to you!

Big congrats to you - you must be so psyched!!!

This is what it says on the ASHA site under EdFind: GRE: Verbal reasoning: 148-157 Quantitative reasoning: 143-162 Analytical writing: 3.5-5.5 GPA: 3.29-3.94

I go to CSUN too and would love to know who said that - bcz she is dead wrong, lol. SLPAs in my son's school district (LAUSD) are hired at about $25/hr. That being said if I get hired as an SLPA while in grad school I plan to keep it quiet as I have heard that there are many SLPs and professors out there who seem to take issue with both SLPAs as well as CD grads who work as an SLP while in a Master's program (with some restrictions of course) using a waiver. The fact that they might look down on it is completely understandable if you think about it. I plan on trying to get some ABA experience myself this summer as I know it will provide me with both a valuable training/learning opportunity and should help boost my apps. But I'm certainly not doing it for the money! I guess those interested might want to look at the cost of going through an SLPA program and time it would take vs simply gaining experience as an ABA. You can get your SLPA without going through an SLPA program if you already have your BA/BS in Communication Disorders AND you can secure your own additional clinical experience hours (either 70 or 100 hours if I remember right). This is true in California at least - I would assume it would be the same in other states as well. Edited to add: Oops - just realized phinale123 covered what I mentioned in my last two sentences - sorry for the repeat!

Do your homework if you end up considering Respiratory Therapy. The field is pretty over saturated right now as there are too many grads and too many programs. It's exactly the opposite with SLP.

CSUN (Cal State University Northridge) has an online post-bacc / leveling type program that offers automatic acceptance to the Masters program provided you maintain a 4.0 GPA in all of the classes. http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/cdsp