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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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!

I just graduated from UNM and absolutely loved it. I'm happy to answer any specific question

I think the best experiences are the ones that help you write a better personal statement

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.

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.

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?