SLPgradstudent

You're right nat22, June 1st for Hampton and May 15th for U of DC. How can they have deadlines after April 15th? I thought SLP grad programs all had to give decisions in time for April 15th replies.

Congratulations @Jolie717 on your early admission!!! It must be such a relief to have that first admission, whether or not it's your top choice. At least you know you'll be able to go somewhere this fall! Good luck with your other schools! Also, you're one of the few people I've seen who applied to 3 or fewer programs. May I ask how you decided to apply to only three schools? I only applied to two schools this year, either of which I would be thrilled to attend. I was originally going to apply to six schools (all within commuting distance), but when I got very, very sick last summer, I decided it would be better to focus my little remaining energy on the most important applications, rather than to still try to apply to all six schools. The latter option seemed to have two possible outcomes: try to apply to six and fail to meet some or all of my deadlines or meet all the deadlines but not do as good of a job on the apps that I cared most about. Of course, now with my two apps in, and decisions forthcoming, I'm scared of not getting into either school. I can always apply again next year, but it's still a little hard to sit with my "two schools is better than none" decision! How did you make that decision to apply to only three schools, and are you glad that you did?

Are you just looking at Fall 2016 admissions? Programs for fall usually have deadlines between December and February, because they have to send out all their decision in time for the April 15th deadline. You could look into programs for Spring 2017 though.

Have you contacted Georgia State to see if they have GRE cutoffs? Some schools won't look at apps with GREs below a certain score. If you're above that, you should be fine. Emailing or calling them might be the best way to get an answer one way or the other! If you're above the cutoffs or they don't have cutoffs, then you should be fine. As you said, the rest of your application is strong, and most schools seem to take a holist view of candidates. Good luck!

Is there a temporary page where the schools could at least see basic content, even if the page isn't pretty right now? Does the under construction website easily link there? If so, I think you're fine, and there's no need to tell schools about it. If the only thing they can access is the under construction screen, you might consider contacting schools with what is normally available on the website. Also, when you mentioned it on your resume, is there any indication there of what it's all about? I don't think it's a big deal either way. There's no guarantee that the schools will even take the time to visit the website in the first place. If they do, and can't access the normal content, I doubt they would hold this against you. It's very cool (and modern) that you have that as part of your experience in the first place!

It wasn't that bad really, I just got excited (or stunned?) over nothing. I'm glad my application is ready to be looked at finally. I submitted that one at the end of December, so I've been waiting a month already. In retrospect my reaction was amusing, but I'm definitely ready for this waiting game to be over!

I hear ya. Although I know they have hundreds of applications they're looking at. I'm trying to be patient, but I just want to know already!

So, I was on the phone just now, and trying to pull up an email to check something for the person I was talking to. Sitting in my inbox is a message with the subject "Your Application Status." I totally had one of those moments where I totally forgot what was going on, where I was, or what I was supposed to be doing. I hear my name a couple times through the phone, which brings me back. As soon as I got off the phone, I open the email, which contains a somewhat disappointing "Thank you for your interest in [our school]. Your application to the Speech-Language Pathology program has been sent to the department for review. Decisions are usually made within four to six weeks. You will receive an email once a decision has been made." At least I know they're starting to look at applications finally. I don't know what it's going to be like when I actually get the decision; I almost lost it just from the subject line, and this isn't even my top choice school (but I would still be thrilled to get in!) Oh well, back to the long wait!

I would say that GPA and GREs are what get you through round 1 (not getting your app thrown out). Then extracurriculars, volunteer experience, a strong statement of purpose, etc. are what get you noticed. They're going to have dozens of applicants with 3.7 (or higher) GPA and great GREs. You have to show schools why they should choose you. Why do you want to go into SLP? What attracts you to that particular school's program? How do they know that you will be a successful, passionate graduate student and then speech pathologist? Since this is a field flooded with applicants, you have to find a way to stand out. There are lots of ways to do this though. Extracurriculars and volunteer experience are just a couple. Find a way to get related experience and show that you are a great fit for this field!

My anxiety has definitely kicked up this week. I'm pretty sure my top schools will be sending out acceptances starting next week. I'm really hoping I hear back in the first two weeks of February, so I don't have to agonize while I'm trying to do my coursework for this semester. I have so much to do! Not only am I trying to do school work, but I'm also in wedding planning full tilt boogie!!!

I agree with mcamp, it's hard to know some of these answers without guessing. However, I can tell you that some schools have cutoffs for GPA, GRE, etc. The schools I'm applying to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 cumulative, but every school is different. You could call or email a couple of your top choice programs to ask if they do have cutoffs, to see if your application will get through the first round of elimination. If you're still in undergrad, have you considered retaking any of the classes you did not do well in? If you can raise a couple of Cs to As, or even Bs, that'll help your GPA a little. I would also plan to retake the GRE before next application cycle, in case you don't get in. That being said, it looks like you applied to a pretty diverse range of schools, with a range of criteria for admission. We're all playing the waiting game now, and no matter what our stats are, we are all nervous about getting in! Best of luck!

Do you mean starting to study, or starting grad school? I don't think there are any graduate programs that start in the summer, mostly fall and a few in the spring. I would start studying as soon as you can. If nothing else, start learning as much vocabulary as you can. That will help your verbal score, which slp programs generally care more about than quant anyway.

I used the Magoosh vocabulary apps, which I liked a lot. I only used the Manhattan Prep books for the Quant section, but I've heard good things about Magoosh for Quant too. Are you trying to raise both Quant & Verbal, or just Quant? What about your writing section? Also, when are you planning to retake the GRE? How much time you have to study can have a big impact on the best approach to take. I would think it's more or less too late to retake for this year's application cycle for SLP programs, but if you are applying for next year and looking to retake before then, you're in good shape.

Are you using a study program (PowerPrep, Magoosh, Manhattan Prep, etc.)? It's hard to recommend something without knowing what you're doing already, but if you are looking for something, I would recommend Manhattan Prep. You can buy individual study books or take a class. The study books come with 6 tests each, and when you take a test, it tells you what kinds of questions you missed (Ex. number properties, positives and negatives, etc). You can then go back to review those specific concepts, which I thought the books cover pretty well. Studying on your own without a prep course can be less expensive in the short term, but you probably won't see the jump in your score that you're looking for. I think Magoosh guarantees a 5 point increase, or your money back. If you really can't afford to invest in a program, check out this forum if you haven't already. There are so many options for studying. Choose one or two and stick with it. Studying for the GRE takes time and effort. Your score won't improve in a week or two. I would say give it at least 3-4 months of solid studying.

This is a highly undervalued skill. When you get thrown a curveball in your interview (or just a question you didn't think to prepare for), and need time to think of a good answer, you have to know how to do it gracefully! It's awkward if you sit there silently, or are obviously unsure how to answer, but generally looks good if you are obviously giving the question thought. It's a mistake to try to answer interview questions without understanding what they are asking you. Much better to take the time to figure it out, either with a direct question, or thinking it through out loud.

I don't know if this is too late for the OP, but maybe someone else will find it helpful. I can't direct you to any programs in particular that are purely PhD/research oriented, but have you checked out ASHA's EdFind? It's a great page for exploring Speech Pathology/Communicative Disorders programs, and there's a function that allows you to search for just PhD programs. You would have to investigate each of these individually to learn more, but here's the link: http://www.asha.org/edfind/results.aspx?area=ALL&degree=RD&location=ALL Given your background, it seems like a PhD program in the field of SLP/Comm Disorders might be a great fit for you. I think programs really like candidates from diverse backgrounds, so it doesn't necessarily hurt you to have studied something other than SLP. Furthermore, it's a field that is short of academics, unlike many other areas of academia. There is a desperate need for more people with PhD's in the field of speech pathology to teach the next generation of students. I think grad schools can't take on more students than they do now in part because of the shortage of qualified teachers (not to mention placement sites for internships/externships). Here's an article from ASHA discussing this and related questions: http://www.asha.org/Students/faq-pursuing-phd/ It's a great field, whatever degree you're interested in. Grad school is extremely competitive, but once you get through school, jobs are everywhere. Best of luck!

In past years at least some schools start sending out acceptances in February, but it takes a long time to go through the (potentially) hundreds of applications schools receive. They continue to send out acceptances though March and April as earlier accepted students decline offers. At least I think that's the way if works.

Or they already did, but hated it? I've seen a couple of people post after graduating, saying they did not like the program and wouldn't recommend it to others.

Also, you can't do anything with just a psychology undergrad. I had to go back to grad school for something if I wanted to make a living!

The longer version is really still a very condensed version. But you get the idea. What's more, I'm one of the lucky ones. Many people with hydrocephalus need dozens of surgeries and shunt revisions. They get infections, have life-long seizures (I've only had one), or are severely physically and/or mentally disabled. And there is no cure. The only treatment is brain surgery. How selfish would I be if I didn't use this incredible gift I've been given of a working brain and a functioning body to give something back to the world? That must sound incredibly sappy, but I just can't believe that my purpose in life is only to find personal fulfillment. Not that I can't do both! I love my life.

I love it, "almost 3 feet of new snow." Here in MD, we are currently all panicking and running around in circles because a nor'easter is about to dump 1-2 feet of snow on us over the weekend. It's not a big deal because it's "a lot" of snow, it's a big deal because the area isn't well equipped to deal with it, and people here (especially when driving) don't know what to do when it snows more than 1/4 inch. I've lived here my whole life, and I personally look forward to the occasional blizzard. That is, as long as I don't have to go anywhere!

It varies by program which part of the GRE is most important. I would recommend calling/emailing your top choice programs to see what they are most interested in, and if they have cutoff scores for any of the sections. That being said, your two scores are so similar, I don't see it hurting you to send both. It might help if any of your programs have a 3.5 AW cutoff score.

I do. Every day. I really should stop until there's a chance of something being updated (Feb), but my anxiety has other ideas!

Short answer: Speech pathology is my dream career. I've been working on my prerequisites for 2 years now (2nd bachelor's). To be a speech pathologist requires at least an MA, thus graduate school. Longer answer: I've always known I've wanted to go into a helping profession. From the time I was 7 until high school, I though that meant med school. But when I was in high school, the subjects I had loved (math and science) because unbelievably difficult for me. Turns out I had something called hydrocephalus, and needed brain surgery. Because of this condition, I had developed a learning disability, among other challenges. I had surgery just before my 18th birthday, but it wasn't as successful as we'd hoped. I continued to struggle academically until my junior year of college, when my neurosurgeon determined that the first surgery had failed (or not been successful in the first place) and I did indeed need another surgery. Although I had been struggling to maintain a C average until this point, the semester after my surgery in December 2008, I managed straight As. I've kept a 4.0 since then, including through my 2nd bachelor's degree. My experience struggling with this medical condition and associated disability has given me compassion for other's struggles. Combined with my strong interest in language development and disorders, fascination with anatomy & physiology and desire to work in a clinical setting, speech-language pathology is the absolute perfect fit for me. It is a career that will not just pay the bills, but give me purpose and fulfillment each day I go to work. I have so enjoyed my prerequisite course work, and know I will continue to enjoy my studies as I enter graduate school. I can't wait to start grad school, and I can't wait to become a practicing SLP!

I think it depends on the school and the timing. I'm sure if the school has fall semester grades available, they take them into consideration when making their decisions. Are you hoping fall grades will help you or concerned they'll hurt your chances? When was the application deadline, when do they start reviewing applications, and when do they start sending out decisions? There are all questions that could potentially affect the answer to your question. There's also always the option of calling programs and asking directly. That's probably your best shot of getting an accurate answer!