Magpie J

Eastern New Mexico U has a Speech/hearing combined course.

You are most welcome! I'm really glad that you are finding it helpful as well. Its been such a great refresher! Best of luck to everyone in grad school!

Hi everyone, I am starting grad school in the fall, and have been trying to brush up on the core concepts I've learned in the past two years of leveling coursework. I found a great resource for this, and wanted to share. It's a NESPA exam prep book, and it only cost me $10 on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Celeste-Roseberry-Mckibbin-Speech-Language-Preparation-Comprehensive/dp/B008UYL9D0/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433867368&sr=1-8&keywords=advanced+review+speech It's an older version (which is why it's so cheap), but the vast majority of the content will be the same, so it's perfect for review. The chapters are broken up into content areas (Neuro, Artic, Language development / disorders, assessment, etc.) and each chapter includes a content review and some practice questions. It has been very helpful so far! The only disclaimer is that this book is a HUGE hardcover, so not something you can just carry around in a bag/purse. Enjoy!

I also completed prereqs through ENMU. I agree, there was very little support and many classes really just felt like "facilitated studying" as there were no lectures, only reading assignments and tests. This format puts a lot of the learning burden on the students, which is fine, as long as you are self-disciplined and highly motivated. NOT ideal for people who prefer auditory learning. A few classes did provide a comprehensive learning experience, particularly Neuroscience with Dr. Weems. This course, and a few others, actually required critical thinking, problem solving, group work, and synthesis of information instead of just memorization. I also got accepted to graduate programs, and I feel like a have a solid foundation in CSD. The program schedule was flexible and the price was right.

Although I don't have a master's degree, I can relate to your concerns. I earned a BA in communication design 7 years ago with a very weak GPA. At the time, I was unfocused, unmotivated, and immature. I was so scared that I would never be considered anywhere because of this, even though I now have an entirely different outlook on my goals and future. I have spent several years as an ESL teacher, which is what led me toward SLP. I completed the online leveling program at Eastern New Mexico University part-time over two years, and made sure to earn a 4.0! This nudged my overall GPA up slightly, and showed that I was able to succeed in CSD courses, which really seems to be what matters. However, your MS degree is awesome, and should definitely trump your undergrad GPA! I was also terrified of the GRE, since I hadn't taken a math course in 10 years. I bought the Princeton Review book, studied for a few months, and ended up getting a decent quant score on my first try. Don't stress too much, because you can always take it again! The grad program I am attending in the fall did not even require the GRE. I think your academic background, teaching experience, and personal motivation make you a strong applicant and a great fit for the field. Go for it!!

I did an online leveling program through Eastern New Mexico University. You can complete it in 1 or 2 years. After this summer I will have completed 12 courses, including a preclinical observation course. (7 classes sounds like a pretty short list compared to most other leveling programs. I would recommend checking the prereq list any grad programs you are considering to make sure you will have enough credits). I chose the ENMU program and took two years to complete it for a few reasons reasons: Firstly, I wanted to keep working full time. This program allows you to take either 8-week courses or 16-week courses. I preferred to take one 8-week course, then another 8-week course within a semester to really focus on one subject at a time. Secondly, if you take 2 or less courses within a semester (either two 8 week classes or two 16 week classes), you get in-state tuition which brings each course to around $650. This is one of the most affordable leveling programs I could find. Lastly, the scheduling flexibility is very nice -- one semester when I knew I would be moving across the country I took two 8 week courses at once so that I would have a long break to move. Taking two classes at once and working full time was very stressful and ate up all of my free time. Could I have powered through an entire year of that workload? Maybe. But it was critical for me to get a 4.0 to balance my less-than-stellar undergrad GPA, so I didn't want to risk that either. My only complaints about the program are probably common with most online classes. Some courses were much better than others. I missed the classroom interaction and accessibility of professors. They were usually very good about responding to questions, and I even received a letter of rec from one. My other gripe about the program is that many of the classes do not have a lecture component. I prefer auditory learning, so it was challenging to master some of the more scientific concepts strictly through reading. (Hooray for YouTube!) Some courses did have recorded lectures that could be accessed anytime. I think that continuing to teach will really compliment your learning. Congrats on this decision!! Let me know if you have any other questions. J

Hi there, I can totally relate to your situation! I spent two years teaching English to children in Taiwan and two years as an ESL program coordinator for adults in the US. I loved studying and teaching language, and I became fascinated by the human communication system. I considered pursuing graduate education in TESOL, but I was afraid of being pigeonholed into a career without a lot of mobility or earning power. About two years ago, I met an SLP at an ESL teaching conference. She gave a fantastic workshop on accent modification, which she did as part of her work as an SLP. I picked her brain extensively, and we discussed the vast overlap in skills between SLP and ESL professionals. SLP seemed like the a great career for me to use my teaching skills, knowledge of language, and passion for working with multicultural populations, so I enrolled in my first SLP prerequisite course a few weeks later! (post-bac online program). I am beginning a graduate program in the fall, so I can not speak to how the careers compare, but I can say that my ESL teaching experience has been very helpful in the 10 SLP prerequisite courses I have taken. I have been able to relate a lot of the concepts to my real-world experiences with students. Through ESL teaching, you have most likely gained a solid understanding of the phonetic and grammatical structure of English as well as strong skills in teaching pronunciation and language. You undoubtedly have lots of creative tricks up your sleeve to engage students and achieve successful learning outcomes. These skills should help you become a great SLP! Lastly, I can assure you that your experience as an ESL teacher will strengthen your graduate school application. Cultural competence is is a priority within the profession, and there are many SLP grad programs that have a multicultural or bilingual emphasis. Read more about that here: http://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Cultural-Competence/ For me, the transition seemed logical. I was able to complete the prereqs online while working full time, and even after two years of classes, I still love it. I have not regretted this decision and I am looking forward a fulfilling career. Hope this helped:) Good luck to you!

I am strongly considering accepting at East Bay today -- (I know it's my last day) but I am terrified of cost of living in the area!! My BF and I don't need a big place, 1bdrm is fine, but he needs to have a garage, as he builds and restores furniture for his business. Anyone have any insight as to how to make this work for a relatively reasonable amount of money?? I grew up in the bay area but haven't lived there in 12 years, and I really don't know much about neighborhoods / cities in the east bay.

I'm sure this is super disappointing, but don't stress too much!! I was in a similar position as an applicant with an embarrassingly low GPA. My degree was from 8 years ago in an unrelated major. I was able to get a 4.0 in post-bacc SLP courses, but my overall average was still weak. However, I have 4+ years of ESL teaching experience in the US and abroad, and I think this helped strengthen my application tremendously as I was able to speak about my experiences and relevant skills in my SOP. I will be entering a grad program in the fall at the age of 30! I know I will be older than many of my classmates, but my professional and life experiences since college are truly what led me to this career, and I am certain they helped me succeed in being accepted to a program. 24 is not old at all!! You have plenty of time to get some good relevant experience balance out a less-than-impressive GPA / GRE if you did decide to take a year off. Volunteering as an ESL teacher or literacy tutor is a great way to build valuable cultural competence and develop strong teaching skills. Its also very fun and rewarding! Also, get vocab flashcards for the GRE and bring a stack of them with you everywhere you go. Good luck and don't give up!

The best study tip I have is to buy a set of vocab flashcards (I used Kaplan, $15 on Amazon). Commit to learning 10-20 every day. Take them with you in your purse, car, backpack, whatever, and study them during any downtime. I think this helped me tremendously since having a strong vocab can really boost your verbal score. I studied for about 2 months on my own (while working full time), and I ended up with a 165 verbal on my first try. I had been out of college for 5 years, so my test-taking skills were a bit rusty. I also bought a Princeton Review book, which also came with two full-length online practice tests. This helped me learn test strategies, understand how to structure my time, and gave me a much needed math refresher. (I only got a 151 quant score but that was fine for me!) I would say that if you are a self-motivated learner you can get by without paying for an expensive prep course. Taking a full-length practice test may give you a good baseline and help you identify where you need to spend the most time prepping. Good luck!!!

I have taken all of my prerequisites at ENMU. They were all asynchronus. Out of all of the 11 courses I have taken, only 3 instructors have used taped lectures of any kind. Fortunately, Speech Science w/ Wilkerson was one of those. However, you still have quizzes / exams due weekly, but if I remember correctly you get a good several day window to take an exam / turn something in. Other than those three instructors who provided asynchronus recordings of their on-campus classes, none of my other courses provided lectures. As a student with an auditory learning preference, this has been challenging! Mixed reviews about these classes overall (Speech science was a good one) but the program has been convenient and affordable, and I have been accepted to two graduate programs for the fall!

Hi all, It's decision time, and I am looking for any insight about the programs at Portland State and CSU East Bay. I have my personal list of pros and cons about each school involving cost and geographical location, but wondering if anyone else has input about the potential benefits and drawbacks of each program specifically. Any input is greatly appreciated!