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thespeechblog.com
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I don't know about those programs specifically, but the best advice I received (which is the advice I always pass along) is to go to the most affordable, accredited program.
Don't worry about prestige, rankings, 'brand-name' etc. Chose the program that will get you your degree for as little money as possible. The jobs will be pretty much the same when you're done.
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Interviews are so exciting! Congratulations on getting there.
- What are some questions you were asked or what tips/advice can you give the rest of us? I have a download/PDF on my blog with some of the questions I was asked back when I interviewed: http://thespeechblog.com/free-tools-and-resources/ and my advice here: http://thespeechblog.com/interviews/
- If you had a group interview, what was the dynamic or what do professions expect from applicants?: Mine were all 2 on 1. If you're in a group interview, try not to think about "showing off" but rather being sincere and kind. Professors don't want to create a toxic cohort.
- If you had a spontaneous writing sample, what was it about?: I've not done it for admissions interviews, but in multiple job applications (SLP and non-SLP). I'd say the key is addressing the prompt. It is easy to vary from the question and ramble onto other questions. Briefly outline your response and then write it. Know when to stop.
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If you can afford to retake it and know you'll earn a higher grade, do it. If you're not sure, don't.
As for 5 five years vs 4 years for a degree, I'm guessing admissions committees wouldn't care one bit as long as your overall application fits what they're looking for. Everyone's academic path is different, and it doesn't matter how long you took to finish your degree as long as you finished it and learned the material.
Also look holistically at your application: GPA and GRE are important for sure, but you should absolutely spend time writing a killer personal statement, strategically planning letters of rec, and polishing your resume.
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Hey! You can absolutely get in.
My GPA wasn't exactly the same, but it sounds to me like you've got all the right stuff. I wrote about my own experiences here: www.thespeechblog.com I was an out-of-field candidate, no SLP experience, I wasn't even living in the US when I applied to grad school... and now I'm a full-time SLP
To you, and everyone else who might be reading, you can absolutely get into a program if you want to. You're going to have to do some work, spend some time, and maybe change your expectations, but you can do it.
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On 1/15/2020 at 5:25 PM, Einnob said:
Hello!!!
I am starting my post bacc in Speech Pathology soon and I read that for the ASHA physical science requirement is now only accepting Chemistry and Physics. I plan on taking Conceptual Physics at a community college. It is different from Intro to Physics... Conceptual physics apparently has less math ( I guess an easier version of physics?)
Does anybody know if Conceptual Physics is acceptable or how picky ASHA is with the courses??
ALSO do you think grad schools will look at how I took the easier physics course instead of regular physics or chemistry? and judge...
So, unless things have changed drastically, ASHA doesn't actually look at your courses for that requirement, they rely on the accredited program to which you're accepted to make the determination of if it qualifies. It sounds like a much better question for your academic advisor in your SHS/SLP/CommDis department
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On 12/20/2019 at 9:28 AM, speechpathologystudent099 said:
I was wondering if anyone knew if it would be worth applying to a school if I got a 149 Q and a 150 V on my GRE. I took it 3 times and my score didn't improve but I have an overall GPA of a 3.8 and lots of experience. I was interested in applying to Northeastern but their website says they have a GRE requirement of a 150 Q and a 152 V. My scores are close but obviously I still didn't meet the requirement, so I'm just wondering if my application would even be considered or if it would be filtered out. I was considering emailing the department but I didn't want to already start off on the wrong foot by saying I didn't meet the requirements if that makes any sense.
If they list that as a "minimum requirement," I'm guessing your application would be filtered out.
The best way to know for sure if it is a requirement (vs an average or something), would be to contact the program directly.
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I have not been through a similar situation; it sounds tricky. Here's my thoughts...
- In the portal where it asks you to upload the transcript, can you upload a document/pdf explaining what you explained here? I.e., "I enrolled at XYZ University and completed Example Class 101 for noncredit and per XYZ University policy, transcripts are not provided for noncredit classes. I can provide enrollment verification in the form of..." maybe even consider adding that enrollment verification as a second page to whatever you upload.
- Call the school in question and ask a real human there what to do
- If you didn't earn credit for the courses at XYZ and XYZ has no record on file... I would assume the National Student Clearing House has no record either and so... just leave it blank? If the course wasn't for credit, and you're not trying to claim credit, it really shouldn't matter...right? Or am I missing something?
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I just graduated from UNM's program and absolutely loved it. I wasn't there at the time the original poster reported their negative experience, and I don't mean to invalidate it... but it doesn't match my experience at all. Faculty have been wonderful and supportive. They often collaborate with each other on projects; there's opportunities to get involved in every professor's lab; diverse clinical opportunities (multiple hospitals, schools, SNFs, rehab, outpatient, inpatient, private practices, rural/city, even the chance to work in schools in native american pueblos,), there's a program to go do SLP work in Mexico City if you speak at least a bit of Spanish... idk what else to say, but if you have specific questions feel free to reach out!
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I just graduated from UNM and absolutely loved it. I'm happy to answer any specific question
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I think the best experiences are the ones that help you write a better personal statement
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6 hours ago, PomegranateMcGee said:
Hello! I'm nervous about my GRE scores - my combined score is a little over 320, and my AWA score is 5.0. Should I retake it? Are my scores too low? So worried! Thanks!
You're scores look good - probably above average. The only reason to re-take it would be if you felt like you had room for improvement (i.e., you didn't study/prep at all) in which case boosting your score even more through rigorous prep might help earn you funding.
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I see you're finishing undergrad at ENMU. New Mexico is in the process of changing how assistants are licensed. Currently, you can only be an "Apprentice in Speech Lang" if you're in a grad program, but they're creating a true "SLP-Assistant" license. Not sure on the timeline, but that would be a good option when it goes through. There are definitely some agencies that pay well. I've heard anywhere from low 20's to mid 40's.
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It depends. I have heard of schools getting a reputation for grade-inflation, and I'm sure schools can get a reputation for being tough. This is usually a regional thing though where XYZ Univ gets sooooo many applications from neighboring ABC college that they get to know their students fairly well. Does that make sense?
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The SLP program at the University of New Mexico is very LGBTQ friendly, in my experience. I'm gay and totally open about it in my grad program. My husband regularly stops by the department or comes to events with me, classmates/faculty/staff ask about him (the way they would ask about any other spouse/significant other). I feel totally comfortable discussing it if it is relevant to a class discussion (i.e., "oh my husband's cousin is on the autism spectrum and...") There are several "safe zone" flags or stickers on faculty office doors. In our clinic we provide voice feminization services to the transgender community (I heard through the grapevine, but I can't verify this, that a few years ago one student was assigned to work with the voice fem group in clinic and asked not to because it went against "her beliefs"; the department chair explained kindly that she needed to act like a professional and provide quality care to her client or she wouldn't be able to graduate from our program). I have several LGBTQ classmates (some who are as you said, "obviously not straight"). This has been my experience both in my academic department and on the campus as a whole (getting health insurance for us both through my assistantship, student family housing, student health center, campus gym, etc).
I think it is worth mentioning that I find New Mexico very comfortable with diversity in general. Racially/ethnically it is a "minority is the majority" state.
Apart from the academic department and UNM campus, my partner and I feel pretty good about being a gay couple in Albuquerque. My husband is out at his job (mentioned it casually in the interview even); we've not had any issues holding hands, etc in public. Now don't get me wrong and think Albuquerque or all of NM is a paradise - it has issues (drugs, crime, etc), but we've found it to be a very accepting place for us.
As you're looking at schools, you might google the university name and "safe zone" or "LGBTQ Ally list" or something like that. If you can't find it, see if the school has an LGBTQ or multicultural resource center that you can contact about it. Here's the one from my university: http://lgbtqrc.unm.edu/out-and-ally-list.html as an example. Many schools maintain a list like this. If you find it, see if you can search for faculty in your intended department.
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I think @bibliophile222 made some good points. Another thing to consider though is that research can absolutely be clinically informed. Depending on your advisor's interests and yours, you can design a project that will enhance your clinical skills. Need to get language samples as part of your project? Eliciting and then analyzing 20 of them for the thesis will drastically improve your clinical diagnostic abilities. Involved in some sort of thesis related to a treatment approach? You'll likely get more training and experience with that specific approach, time to practice, and probably a ton of feedback from your thesis advisor (i.e. an expert).
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I think @bibliophile222 got it exactly right!
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The University of New Mexico takes students each summer to a multidisciplinary clinic in Mexico City, Mexico to work for a few weeks. It is an AMAZING experience! Usually everyone that goes has some fluency in Spanish. Could you make a difference without speaking the language? It would depend on having great interpreters and your knowing how to work with them (it is a skill!). Also, it would depend on the type of work you're doing: Forget about trying to provide language therapy. How would you without knowing anything about the grammar? But you could train local professionals on strategies. Or if you're working on something more organic or motor-speech-ish you could more easily provide intervention.
Here's the departmental webpage on the trip to Mexico https://shs.unm.edu/programs/master-of-science/comunidad-crecer.html
Last year some donor's helped pay for the trip, and this video is thank you to them as well as showing them what the clinic/trip is like. Maybe it is useful to you to hear from some students who have been
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First, be sure to follow the schools requirement to the letter. 751 words will be disqualified automatically if they ask for 750. Don't do that to yourself. If there is no specific requirement, shoot for about 800 words which should be 1-page, single spaced, 12 point font. If you double space it, two pages is good. I just went back and looked - mine ranged from 450 to 821. The 821 is the one for the school I went to and its 1.5 pages with 1.5 spacing.
I have some writing exercises somewhere on my blog that were helpful for me when I wrote mine, but try writing eeeeevverything first and then keeping that in a separate word doc. When you write each statement for each school, you can copy in pieces and cut it down to size.
And ditto what @LaceySpeechie said about research: "Research experience would certainly be something important to mention, but don't just restate what's in your resume - use the statement to discuss the research in depth and how it will benefit you as a graduate student."
I hope that helps!
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On 11/3/2018 at 5:09 PM, slpcommdis said:
I am currently an undergraduate studying Communication Disorders and was wondering about different experiences in the field of speech pathology. I currently volunteer once a week at a hospital mainly with kids, but I also get exposure to other patients with communication disorders too. I volunteer once a week in a preschool for kids with communication disorders as well. I job shadowed an slp in a hospital once, and I am also a pharmacy technician. Should I get more volunteer/job shadowing/or other experience in the field for grad school?
It depends - are you getting that experience to enrich your perspective on the field, become a better SLP one day, and generally improve yourself while also doing something to help others? Then yes.
If you're doing it because you think it will boost your applications for grad school, it isn't that simple. Most grad schools look at GPA, GRE, Personal Statement, Letters of recommendation, and your resume/CV. If your volunteer experience is meaningful enough that it impacts your personal statement and/or earns you a letter of recommendation than that is huge! If your volunteer experiences appears on your resume as "Volunteered 100 hours at ABC Hospital conducting new born hearing screenings," that is awesome but probably going to get missed in the grand scheme of things. Does that make sense?
So basically, yes! If you have the time, volunteer/shadowing experience is great if you know how to use it right when you apply.
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Hey There, Great questions.
Has anyone else had a C or C's and been accepted into grad programs?
Probably TONS of people. I can say I did! I failed (D) and retook (B) a corporate finance class as part of my business minor. I also had a C in one of my Spanish classes. They're not super relevant so I doubt most schools cared. They look most closely at your CSD coursework, which it sounds like is a plus for you!
What are some tips on strengthening my application that you all have found helpful in getting accepted into programs?
I recommend 3 things: 1) Focus on writing kick-$%@ personal statements. Start early (4-6 months) and consider hiring a writing coach if you need to- you can find people willing to help you out for as little as $100. I've even given people on here a one-time read over of their essays for free. 2) if you have the time/energy/money spend some serious time (6months) on GRE prep - I recommend Magoosh on my blog and you can read there about why I think its great and how it helps me boost my score 16 points 3) Be strategic and intentional about obtaining letters of recommendation
How much does GPA impact acceptance?
I have seen many forums where people get accepted into programs with "lower" GPA's. I know many people with "low" GPA's the got into grad school and are now practicing SLPs. It's one of many factors. On my blog, I use 2 schools as case studies based on info from their website (http://www.thespeechblog.com/how-do-slp-grad-schools-evaluate-applications/). One school has a 35 point scale and GPA is 10 points of it or roughly 29% of your score. Is that big? Yea. Is it everything? No. There's another 71% of your application to care about!
Finally, know why you want to do this - become an SLP that is. Own it and let it motivate you. Be strategic and set clear goals to do things. You won't get through graduate school on dreams and caffeine, you need discipline and a willingness to put in the effort consistently. If you don't get in the first time, it is okay to try again. I know people who didn't get in until the 3rd try and now they're SLP's living their dream.
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On 5/20/2018 at 3:44 PM, nwslp said:
I posted a thread a while ago about my decision to or to not invest 100,000 dollars into NYU for grad school (my only option). After a LOT of long conversations with my friends and with my partner I'm not going to go.
I got a job at a speech clinic as a receptionist, i'm going to retake the GRE, continue working in the lab I work in, and give it all another try after one long post-bacc year. Just in case anybody is in the same place or will be in the future, I just wanted to go on record saying people DO do this. Hopefully it'll work out this next time around!!
My parents will be bummed, that will be a hard conversation. Hopefully they'll understand! They weirdly hadn't been concerned about the debt but they also aren't the ones living with it.
Thanks for the help! ❤️
I think you made the right decision! $100,000 is waaaayyyyy too debt to take on!
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On 8/18/2018 at 5:34 PM, nikki.freetobeme@gmail.com said:
Hi folks, I'm looking for advice. I'm a childcare provider in my thirties looking to change careers to become an SLP. I have worked a lot with nonverbal autistic children, which motivated me to research career paths for helping specifically with communication skills in this population. My dream job would be an AAC specialist. So I have a few questions, for folks more experienced in the CSD field:
~What programs have good offerings on AAC and autism, particularly nonverbal autistic young children?There's some really awesome research going on at UNM with AAC in general with Cathy Binger (NIH funded stuff!) that has huge clinical relevance
~As someone from out of field, how should I prepare to make myself a good candidate? I know there are leveling programs like NYU and Emerson, but I hear they're really competitive, so I am wondering if I should get some further education/experience in CSD before I apply. I'm considering post bacc programs, just taking leveling courses as a non-matriculated student, or possibly starting out as an SLPA and working my way up from there. What are the pros/cons of these different options for someone in my position?GPA and GRE are good first steps; put the time in if you can to rock the GRE. On my blog, I talk about why I used Magoosh in more detail, especially for the Math portion it literally starts at re-teaching addition all the way up to calc and trig. I used it for 6 months everyday to prep are got a good score.
As for classes / post-bacc options: Find what is most affordable and best fit for you. I'm assuming your bachelor's is not in CSD/SHS/etc, so you'll need the classes anyway. Work hard to get good grades, learn your material, and earn solid recommendations (I think in-person classes make this easier if you can make it work with your schedule).
Don't forget to take the time to craft an amazing personal statement. That will make a big difference, and because you're an out-of-fielder with lots of experience, you have more and unique things to write about which will help your essay stand out.
~I am also concerned about if my work history will translate well on my resume or if I should look to volunteer or intern in a more relevant position. If so, what positions are open to people without experience and would still look good on my application?I was a middle school English teacher before, and my experience helped me get in (at least I think it helped - I got in first try). I have classmates coming from the beer industry, other health care, education, publishing, etc. I don't think "more relevant" experience is a must if you know how to market yourself. Definitely spend time on a creating a killer letter of intent - your narrative will be very important to piece together everything.
~Where on earth do older, career-changing students who have been out of school for awhile get academic references? Can I use an academic reference from 5 years ago or is that really frowned upon?Obviously the more recent the better, but I applied in 2015 to start 2016 and used a reference from a class back in 2010 when I was an undergrad (granted, the professor remembered me really well and liked me a lot). The other LORs came from the professor for an online leveling course (whose class I worked REALLY hard to stand out in), and the last was from my departmental supervisor, who though wasn't a professor, had been a public school teacher for 45+ years, had an MA, and was generally a great writer. So, mix and match - just make sure they're people who know/like you and can write well
~Would it be worthwhile for me to look into AT certification? Is that at all marketable?AT Certification can be great, but if you want to be an SLP you need your CCC. And you'll learn more in AAC about different low/no tech solutions to communication difficulties. Also, my personal 2-cents is that you need to be an expert in language development to be good at AAC, not necessarily tech. A lot of people with AAC just think about "the device" and forget about the importance of language/communication being the primary goal.
I hope all that helps! Feel free to reach out in a direct message if you're still not sure what to do or need more advice
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I'd definitely talk to an advisor at your school. Each school has different policies on how re-taken classes affect your GPA. Was your major SHS/SLP etc?
I would check too with the schools you're considering applying too and verify that 3.0 minimum at each school you're interested in. If on the website they list it as a strict "minimum requirement" that applying with less than that would make it super difficult to get in. If 3.0 is their "average" or something, then you'd have a chance.
Also, many programs consider just your last 60 credit hours of coursework when calculating your GPA. How would that make your GPA look?
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8 minutes ago, jmall said:
Hi! Do you mind looking over my personal statement? This is my second round applying to grad schools so I'll just send you my personal statement from my previous round and then go from there
Thanks in advance!
Sure! PM me and we'll exchange emails. Are you applying to SLP programs?
Is Vanderbilt worth the cost?
in Speech-Language Pathology Forum
Posted
You got a full-ride offer from an accredited program? DO IT.
Vanderbilt is not worth the money. In this field (and many others) that 'brand-name' and 'prestige' are only worth it to your ego and have very little impact on your career.