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Hi Everyone, I'm working on a blog post on SLP Grad School interviews. I know it won't be super useful for us in this cycle, but I'm hoping it'll be helpful for future #SLP2B's. SO, I'm hoping that you all might like to help out and share any interview questions you've had thrown at you (or heard of being used) or any you think would be good to include in a practice list. If you'd prefer, you can always private message me too. Here are some questions I've been asked and others I think might be useful... Tell us about yourself. Why are you interested in SLP? How do you think you'll handle the challenge/stress of a graduate program? Do you have any special skills / certifications / experiences? What do you think makes an effective SLP? Tell us about any clinical experiences you have had. Are you interested in any particular populations? Thanks for the help, and best of luck to everyone waiting on applications.

So, I've received notice that I'm on the "first tier waitlist" for a school. In the letter, they said that they often accept students off of this waitlist. I'm wondering what you all have heard or know. How common is it to get accepted off the waitlist?

I think those things matter as much as they improve your personal statements or earn you strong LOR's. If any of those experiences have affected you enough to help you write a convincing personal statement - then they're valuable. If not, then the chance of a professor noticing them is pretty slim. I wrote a blog post on how grad schools evaluate applications, and I looked at a few schools and their review process. One school has "Resume" listed and I'm assuming that listing "NSSLHA" and volunteer work would help a little bit there, but they're probably not big components. Think about it - when a professor sits to read an application a list of one-liners like "NSSLHA Member" or "Volunteered at _____" are not going to have nearly as much impact as a 750 word personal statement. One takes 5 minutes to read, one takes a cursory glance. SO, unless a school specifically asks for those things then I don't think they're going to move the needle.

Yeah, I'm in that boat. I'm applying for the 3year leveling program. I asked about the Comunidad Crecer program here in Mexico City - it would be so cool to work with it. Is UNM among your top choices?

I didn't talk much about that with them, but I've read about it on their website. It sounds great! I've got lots of experience in school settings (I'm an English teacher), but I'm looking to expand and try out other settings. Plus I like their bilingual program, which is one of the key parts for me since I speak Spanish and work in Mexico at the moment.

We got through about 6 questions I think. It felt rushed :/ It was by design though; they started off saying it was only supposed to last about 10 min. I really just appreciate that they even did interviews! Most programs I've applied to don't even interview at all. It's a really nice personal touch. I for one am glad for your use of free time I just can't wait to hear back!

EdFind would be a good place to look. Also, of the schools in my signature only UNM has required an interview so far. Since you have time before the next cycle, why not try practicing a bit? Start off by video recording yourself answering questions - you don't even have to watch them. Then maybe see if your university career center has mock interviews? Or maybe explain the situation to a SHS professor and see if they'd practice a few times with you. It seems like if you've got the time, it would be worth it to conquer the fear! You can do anything you set your mind to! Good luck!

Yeah, I had mine on Monday as well! We talked about similar things. The professors were nice and I felt things went well. I just wish I'd had more time. I felt very rushed to get through it all in the suggested ten minutes. Did they mention anything about a decision date?

I think it would probably be a much better idea to talk to professionals in the field. Try and find someone in the niche you want to get into (or someone close to it). Try speaking with faculty at universities with programs you´re interested in, can you go to a hospital and speak with people working in the area? I think they´d have the best advice for you.

Have you though about briefly addressing your GPA in your personal statement? It can be a good way to explain things (as long as you do it in an explanatory no excuses/whining kind of way)

You can definitely do it! I would advise getting some experience in an educational or health care setting (depending on what you're more interested in). Even just volunteering in any capacity will be helpful to your application (both in your SOP and making your resume more relevant). Definitely find a way to get some observation hours with SLP's in various settings. Also, have you looked into 3-year leveling programs? You typically don't need any pre-reqs for these (although some require 1 or 2 to prove your interest in the field). I've been looking at faculty pages on lots of Univ websites and I've seen professors in SLP that started with an undergrad in anthropology, history, french, etc. I think the analytical skills from an Econ degree would be great PLUS you'll be able to get a great Math GRE.

J, you´ve got decent GRE numbers. Your GPA is a little low. It sounds like you´ve had some good experiences that will hopefully have helped you to write a strong personal statement / letter of intent. As for the chances - it just depends on the competition that year. Look at the numbers from each of those school you applied to and compare your numbers. Also think critically / fairly about factors like LOR & Personal Statements. I interviewed an SLP for my blog and she had similar numbers to yours and it took her 3 application cycles to get in. On the other hand, I´ve seen cases of people with numbers lower than yours get in on the first round. Try not to stress and remember the fact that you´ve got a chance Good luck!

j-rae, it is definitely scary! I interviewed an SLP named Tresyri (pronounced treasure) for my blog and she applied in 3 different cycles to get in. But she got in! I found her story very encouraging. So much of success (in anything) depends on persistence. As the saying goes, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a know and hold on!"

Hi Everyone, I've just received an email invitation to a phone interview at The University of New Mexico (UNM). I'm really excited because this sounds like a fantastic program and this will be a great way for them to get to know me and me them. Anywho - I was wondering if anyone knows anything about their interviews, how they run, what they tend to ask about, etc. Thanks!

Talking Cake, I got the exact same letters with the exact same reactions. My fingers are crossed that our next emails will have good news!

I used Magoosh as well and it helped me boost my score by 15 points overall. I didn't use the Magoosh study plans though (they were too cumbersome). I just focused on areas that I needed to and did lots and lots of practice questions. If you're not sure about it, there's a full review on my blog.

I'm not sure if it made it into the post, but it is probably on her blog somewhere - thespeechmentor.

I've heard this is pretty true across grad programs. Unfortunately, it seems that schools consider you not visiting for an interview to be a sign of "lack of serious commitment." If you can scrape together the money for the visit, it is probably worth it.

Hey Dazree, I just spoke with a now SLP Treasyri and how she got into grad school with a 3.2 - it took her several application cycles and a LOT of work, but she did it. There's a post about it on my blog or you can google her blog: TheSpeechMentor

I reeallly liked using Magoosh for my prep - and I think it helped a lot too. I'm planning a blog post on how I think you can get the most out of it - I'll try to share when I'm finished Happy studying!

Nathan Nathan, Personally, I would apply to 3-year masters programs. There are several schools (but not a lot unfortunately) that offer to include any leveling coursework in your masters degree (typically extending your degree from 2 years to 3). I think this is the best option because you take exactly the classes you need. For example, you might pay for 12 post-bacc classes at X university and Y Uni only requires 10. OR even with a post-bacc, you might still need leveling coursework (it happens to SHS majors often that they need 1 or 2 specific classes). The challenge is getting accepted into a 3year program- you´ll need a great application. Being multilingual will help. If you don´t / can´t do this option, then yes there are numerous post-bacc options. BUT they don´t guarantee you entry into a masters program. I would recommend getting some observation hours in of SLP´s in various settings. This will do a lot to confirm your interest and might even give you some good experiences to include in your statement of purpose. If you´re only a junior, you have time to strengthen your application. Focus on keeping a strong GPA and prepping hard for the GRE. Also, if you have time in your schedule try to take a few SHS courses (Intro to Speech Hearing Lang Development, Phonological Development, etc) courses that will demonstrate/prove your interest in SLP. SLP is a great career in terms of job security (HUGE demand). Salary depends on many factors: years of experience, placement within the field, geographics, etc. Generally though - SLP´s make a fair wage. Check this Bureau of Labor Stats page: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm Keep in mind those are median salaries not entry salaries. I´d be happy to give you more ideas or chat with you more about it. Feel free to PM me.

Hi! So, this is a little bit late... But I thought I'd respond anyway. I didn't apply to Truman for my masters, but I did my undergrad there. My major was Spanish, with minors in Linguistics, Education, and Business. Socially, I LOVED my experience. It is a school of nerds (top 10% of students from the tri-state area). Location isn't the best, but the university compensates for it well enough with lots of cultural events, concerts, shows, etc. I was never really bored. Academically, I can't speak to the Speech dept because I didnt take classes there. I liked most of the other faculty though, so I think in general they've got good people. Something to look into would be the type of clinical placements available. Hope that helps!

Hey Speechie, I applied to TC Columbia. I'm worried about the same. NYC would be an amazing place to live - but also super expensive. I would have to get some serious funding. Have you looked into the New York DOE grant? Two years of work for the DOE in exchange for a year of graduate funding...

Long story short, I have a lot of experience teaching ESL. Two of my former ESL co-teachers and I got together and formed Student Planet. An online, ESL teaching/tutoring service. Then, we got in touch with an SLP friend of mine to offer accent modification services. All of this seems to be related to SLP to me. So, I mentioned it on my resume that I submitted with my apps and I linked to our company's website (studentplanet.us). Currently, we're rebuilding the website and that link just shows a picture. You can see the under construction version with a special URL (staging.studentplanet.us) Do you think there is anyway to let schools know about this small change? Do you think it is even worth it?

Pennsa, I see what you're saying. I just assumed everyone applying is making sure they at least meet minimum posted requirements for a school- if one applies and does not meet those minimum requirements - then I 100% agree - it is a waste of money and a silly endeavor. If you don't meet the minimum applying to 9 (or even 100) schools won't make any difference. If you meet the minimum, then there's a chance and a better chance if you apply to more.