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thespeechblog.com

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  1. Pennsatucky, I see what you're saying, but I guess I just disagree. Waiting to be the "perfect candidate" or even a "strong candidate" is like chasing the wind. There is always a better, stronger candidate. If you meet the minimum requirements, try it. If you don't (obviously do not). One weak component will not disqualify you. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to be better, but if you can pay for the applications - try it! Maybe I say it because of an experience I had. I was told by an undergrad advisor not to apply for a prestigious fellowship (Fulbright) because of my 3.52 GPA which would "essentially disqualify me" (though this was not an official requirement) I applied anyway (with some amazing LOR and a very strong SOP) and I earned the fellowship which has since changed my life.
  2. Pennsatucky, I agree with your "tough love" mentality - we need to be told things as people see them. As long as people know to take everything with a grain of salt (as the saying goes), it´s very good. In the end, none of us can really give accurate advice because we´re not on the admission committee and we don´t know what the competition is. I don´t know why you would advise against applying to several school to increase your chances. What is your rationale?
  3. No problem at all! Also, my last advice is that things might change. Your daughter might love SLP now and it may change later. I KNEW I wanted to be a Spanish teacher all through high school and college... now I´m teaching English in Mexico and working to become an SLP. My sister KNEW she wanted to become a pediatrician, then she got into college and realized she liked chemistry and become a pediatric pharmacist. So... keep your options open. I´m a firm believer in the liberal arts education for just that reason. Also, there are lots of blogs (mind and other) on becoming an SLP. If your daughter does stick with it, those might be good resources for her.
  4. That's a great question about if they'll read the extra LOR's and one I can't answer without guessing. If you're SOP's are strong and your LOR are good then you've got as good a chance as anyone
  5. Another idea for interview tips that I just thought of... Try to talk about experiences / real things you´ve done. I like to use the "STAR" method which stands for Situation: Sort of the background Task: What you had to get done (probably the part most related to their question) Action: What you did (maybe go into why you made that decision as well - advice from a mentor, inspiration, trial and error, etc) Result: Finally, how did it turn out. Were you successful? Did you fail? What did you learn? etc etc
  6. I think you'd be ok. I don't think the difference between the two numbers matters as long as you're in range overall - and it seems like you will be.
  7. I've not done any grad school interviews yet, but I would say... Dress Up - don't make the mistake of not looking completely professional Anticipate questions and practice answering them! Think of what you're interviewing for and what they might ask you. Google practice questions for grad school interviews. Look for weaknesses in your profile and be prepared to talk about them. Same for your strengths Have some questions prepared for them about their program, faculty, etc Be genuine
  8. Dear Hopeful, I´ll be honest with you (not trying to be harsh or anything)... Your GPA is average (right in the middle of the average that I´ve seen at many schools). Mine is almost the same - 3.57. Your GRE´s are a little below average (Have you tried retaking it? I recommend using Magoosh for an online prep course - review on my blog). Now, those things could be average and you could still get in. Remember, average is not the same as minimum - people with higher and lower numbers get in. Why? Because LOR and Personal Statements are important too! How are yours? How much time did you spend on your SOP? Is it compelling? Who wrote your LORs? Are they lukewarm or are they strong? Usually, you can´t know because it is in comparison to other applications. Grad schools like to see improvement so maybe that GPA having gone up will help. I´ve got a blog post on the numbers game if you´d like to look it up, but remember the numbers aren´t everything. You were smart to apply to so many schools! (14, right?) that will DEFINITELY boost your chances. It is also good you have applications in multiple states and regions - that should help too. IN the end, it´s hard to say who has a "decent shot" and who doesn´t. If you meet the minimum standards at each school you´re applying to then YOU HAVE A SHOT and that is the thing to remember and focus on as you wait for responses. Best of luck!
  9. I agree with what cosmicmorgan said. Also, I think they only calculate the last 60 units if you were a SHS/CommDis major.
  10. I think decisions aren´t being made until March or April for most schools.
  11. Do you mean for internal applications or in general? Most programs that I´ve seen seem to leave that up to you - AKA if you want those grades considered, then be sure to send transcripts after those grades have been posted.
  12. I how it doesn't hurt your chances because I'm in the same boat! I talked to a few schools via phone and they assured me there are several students each year in the leveling program. Let's keep our fingers crossed...
  13. Jolie717, thanks so much I really tried to write a good quality post that was helpful! I'd be happy to skim over your essays/SOP if you'd like. My email address is on the about me page in the blog. GOOD LUCK
  14. JennBugg thanks SO much for sharing this wonderful advice! Also, congrats on getting in! I'm looking at UNM too (it's pretty much my top choice actually!). Do you think we could chat? I'm not sure how to email you through here, but my email is michael@thespeechblog.com I'd love to speak with you more about the program please!
  15. Hi! I'm not sure if I understood everything, but if I did... My first though is that instead of applying for and doing a post-bacc, you should consider broadening your grad school options to schools the offer a 3-year leveling program. This means that if you're accepted (and you've got a shot!) you might save some time and money. Because even if you finish X's Post-Bacc it's possible that school's Y and Z require a course that wasn't included and they'll put you to do it anyways. Make sense? With this time you have between application cycles I'd say 1) DON'T Lose touch with those awesome LOR writing professors 2) DO take a GRE prep course so you rock the GRE (I recommend Magoosh!) 3) IF you want to, consider taking a few post-bacc courses that you think would be accepted by most grad schools. That way, if you don't get in, you've at least started that post-bacc option.
  16. amc91, I applied to 6 schools and used more or less the same SOP for each school. Obviously I adjusted each SOP to meet each school's specific requirements (not meeting them is the easiest way to get your application thrown out). Also, I researched the faculty at each school that have similar interests to my own and tried to incorporate that when possible. Just be sure to triple check your essays to make sure you're sending the right one to the right school. I think it makes sense that the SOP's are more or less the same. They are all evaluating the same thing in the end. Good luck!
  17. My advisor told me that each graduate school decided which courses count and which courses don´t - not ASHA itself. So you should check with any grad schools you´re interested in.
  18. Hey SpeechBeach, DEFINITELY still apply! People with stats lower than yours have gotten into grad school. So your GRE´s are below average. They´re only ONE part of your application. Your GPA (which is good!) is much more important.
  19. Hey zsmi0820, You seem to have pretty good stats. But when someone asks "What are my chances based on ____ profile?" The only honest way to answer is, "Well... I need to know what the competition looks like." I know that´s a sucky answer :/ I´m in the same boat of waiting as well. The rest of the answer: 1) Your GRE scores are at the lower end of average from what I´ve seen - but at least they´re still average. So that´s a + 2) Being a male probably helps a liiiittle bit - here´s an article on it from ASHA: http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/asha/publications/cicsd/1999FAComparisonofCharacteristics.pdf 3) 3.8 is a pretty good GPA - was your major SHS/ComdDis? 4) What was the other major? Hispanic Linguistics will add some diversity and help your app stand out. Do you speak Spanish? That would help too. 5) Do you know if that person is a good writer? Is he/she published at all? How often? That will help you determine if he/she can write a good LOR 6) The research experience is great - I hope you emphasized that in your personal statements.
  20. Wow! Sounds like a really tough situation. My first thought - it is definitely worth it to review for the GRE and take it again. I used Magoosh and it really helped me boost my scores (almost 16 pts total!) mostly through doing LOTS of practice questions. Then I would take notes on the types of questions I was missing and then learn about those topics. Second, find out what is up with your GPA. Find out how the school is calculating it vs how you´re calculating it. If you can, retake some classes that you didn´t score well in. I´m sure you´re leveraging your awesome experiences at the Aphasia center, conferences, and LISHA in your personal statements already. Can you find any other awesome experiences? Sometimes being unique enough to stand out and get the committee to think about your application is what it takes to get them to look beyond the numbers. Have you volunteered abroad? Do you speak any other languages? Do you know what populations/disorders you´d like to work with (if so, find research in that area, read it, understand it, and contact the faculty who wrote it). Final note - you said the chair wrote you a LOR. I´m sorry to say this, but some faculty are bad writers. Have you ever read his/her writing? Find faculty who are strong writers and get LOR´s from them. It sounds like you´ve got the right attitude and the support of some people are your university That´s a great place to be in!
  21. Hey Macefave, I think you can do a couple of things to help yourself out... First, study hard for that GRE! Take lots and lots of practice tests. Don´t tell yourself things like, "I can´t do it" because YOU CAN! The GRE can be beat if you learn the material AND learn the tricks behind it. Second, your GPA is not set in stone just because you already have a degree. You´ve got a 3.23 GPA for CSD classes. Can you retake any of those classes? Yes that is a lot of money, but if becoming an SLP is your dream, then retaking those classes is an investment in you and your future clients! If you can´t retake them through your alma mater, consider an online program. I´m an out-of-field candidate taking classes through USU online. If you haven´t filled the ASHA basic science requirements, take those through a local community college (more affordable) and they can boost your overall GPA. Third, you said you have awesome experience... then write some AWESOME personal statements! I´ve been on selection committees before and a really stand out personal statement can make all the difference. There´s a great book called "Graduate Admission Essays" by Don Asher that takes you through the brainstorming process. And don´t stop getting experience! Keep working as an SLPA. Get some volunteer/observation hours with an SLP in a different setting. Learn Spanish. Can you do some SLPA work abroad on a volunteer trip? Finally, my last piece of advice is to apply to a range of programs geographically. Diversification is a great hedge against risk. I hope something in there is useful
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