Kanga

When did you submit your application?

What is your current GPA? Volunteering can't overcome a poor GPA. Also, I'd start GRE prep now! A strong GRE helps your application. In terms of volunteering, I'm not convinced it matters what you have-you should just have done something. Many SLP's don't have "volunteers", so related opportunities are often good (volunteering in special education, a hospital, etc). The reality is, when you write about your experiences, there is really no way of knowing how accurate it is. I personally believe that the "letters of intent" are more a reflection of your writing ability, and the interest you have in the school. Again, as I always say, this is just my personal opinion....take it for what it's worth!

What schools are sending out acceptances?

Good Morning. I'm going to through in a different slant here. I agree with the above posters.....your GPA isn't that strong (overall and in major are quite close) and your GRE's are low. But......you have done something (intentionally, accidentally??) that will help you. That is, you applied to many schools with higher acceptance rates. I am a huge proponent of trying to apply to schools with a higher acceptance rate. That's the best shot at a "safety school" (IMHO) that there is in this process. Given that some schools are in the 7-10%, your percentages are high. I would compare your stats to these schools, and then look at the acceptance rate. The closer you are within range, at the higher acceptance schools-I think that's your best shot. I know a lot of people on this forum put great stock in LOR and essays.....I don't. I think they can hurt you (most definitely), but I'm not convinced they can "up" an applicant too much. Again, that's just MHO!. The stats below are from ASHA Edfind. I noticed that several schools have changed their stats since last year, so I do believe they update, but it's hard to know which cycle they are from. But it's the best info available, unless the school publishes stats on their website (I've seen a couple) California University of PA No info Univ of Delaware I can’t find info Bowling Green 50% Number of Applications Received: 248 Number of Admission Offers: 125 Salus 47% Number of Applications Received: 92 Number of Admission Offers: 44 Midwestern Univ (Illinois) 42% Number of Applications Received: 363 Number of Admission Offers: 154 MGH Institute of Health Prof 42% Number of Applications Received: 431 Number of Admission Offers: 183 Adelphi 35% Number of Applications Received: 271 Number of Admission Offers: 91 Edinboro 33% Number of Applications Received: 271 Number of Admission Offers: 91 College of St Rose 30% Number of Applications Received: 275 Number of Admission Offers: 82 Ithaca 30% Number of Applications Received: 265 Number of Admission Offers: 80 Univ of South Carolina 28% Number of Applications Received: 479 Number of Admission Offers: 162 Jacksonville 21% Number of Applications Received: 294 Number of Admission Offers: 63 East Stroudsberg 17% Number of Applications Received: 257 Number of Admission Offers: 44 Grand Valley State 16% Number of Applications Received: 469 Number of Admission Offers: 79

I wouldn't think it would be a big deal. To receive "pre-accreditation you have to have classes set, professors, etc and you are provisionally accredited by ASHA. Grand Valley has this status as does Saint Mary's. Most schools aren't going to go to all of the effort to establish a program to this point to suddenly let it all fall apart. Students will have the same status in terms of ASHA as any other student in any other program. The danger would be for current students, when that 5 years is up, if their accreditation doesn't occur.

I tend to look not just at scores, but in previous acceptance rates. This is the most recent information from ASHA: UVA 19% Auburn 28% Armstrong 7% Even if you have strong scores, when there is a 7% acceptance rate, I think of the committee throwing darts......how are students chosen from many qualified applicants?? If you don't get in for this fall, I suggest you look at schools that have a higher percentage of accepted students, which is a big factor obviously. There aren't tons of schools, but some do have acceptances more at the 40-50% level. Hopefully though, you won't need my advice at all, and will get in at one of the above schools! If you don't please don't be discouraged-I'm sure there will be a place for you somewhere!

I also recommend Magoosh. Taking a test online can be quite different than the old fashioned bubbling in on paper. Additionally, having the immediate explanation of an answer when you get the problem wrong is very helpful. I also really recommend taking the time to practice for the writing portion. That score does seem to matter for many grad scores and if you've been out of school a while, you need to get back into knowing the writing style required.

How does verification work with updated transcripts? For example, there are a number of schools that require verified applications by 1-15-16. Most transcripts from fall aren't even sent out by universities until after the New Year. There is no way to allow 4 weeks from the time they will be received until the due date.

This is from the ASHA website: Acceptable courses in biological sciences should emphasize a content area related to human or animal sciences (e.g., biology, human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, human genetics, veterinary science). Acceptable courses in physical sciences should include physics or chemistry.

Unfortunately, no one really knows the answer. But, I will say that a 149 isn't horrible. Not strong, but a lot of people post here with lower scores.I think there are a couple of of things to consider.... 1. How strong is your verbal score? A stronger verbal score seems to be more important. It seems that a total score of 300 matters to some schools, and for more competitive schools it may be more like 310. 2. How are your scores in relationship to the average range of previously accepted students? In other words, the more your scores fall in the middle to upper end of the range, I would imagine the better. 3. What is your GPA like? A better GPA shows skills over time. Is it in range, above or below? 4. What is the acceptance rate of the schools you are applying to? I think that this factor is often underestimated. Here are three examples, with info current from EdFind as of today. You can see that a 149 quantitative score is in the range of all of these schools. But, TCU accepted 6%, Dallas 18% and North Dakota 33%. Texas Christian University: GRE: Verbal reasoning: 143 - 155 Quantitative reasoning: 145 - 158 Analytical writing: 4.0 - 5.5 GPA: 3.5 - 4.0 Number of Applications Received: 310 Number of Admission Offers: 20 (6%) University Texas Dallas GRE: Verbal reasoning: 139-170 Quantitative reasoning: 141-161 GPA: 2.30-4.00 Number of Applications Received: 854 Number of Admission Offers: 157 (18%) U of North Dakota GRE: Verbal reasoning: 140-161 Quantitative reasoning: 141-155 Analytical writing: 3.50-5.00 GPA: 3.20-4.00 Number of Applications Received: 151 Number of Admission Offers: 50 (33%) I strongly urge you to look on the websites of schools you are applying to (some post info) or on Edfind. Look at all three factors: GPA, GRE and acceptance rates.

Well, like everything else anyone posts here......it's all speculation and opinion, So, here's my opinion! Here are the stats for Appalachian State: GRE: Verbal reasoning: 143-168 your 157 verbal is solid here. Not high, but solid. Quantitative reasoning: 140-163 your 154 quantitative is solid here. Not high, but solid. Analytical writing: 3.0-5.0 your 4.5 is solid here. GPA: 3.50-4.00 your GPA of 3.11 is below the average. Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 341 Number of Admission Offers: Full time: 144 this school offers a lot of admissions: 42%. This makes it, in my opinion, a less competitive school than some. So, the wild cards are your SOP and recs. I think only one professor isn't as strong as having two (I think a professional reference is fine as one, but two is pushing it) UNC GRE: Verbal reasoning: 30-170 your 157 verbal is solid here. Not high, but solid. Quantitative reasoning: 25-160 your 154 quantitative is solid here. Not high, but solid. GPA: 3.4-4.0 your GPA of 3.11 is below the average. Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 360 Number of Admission Offers: 10% acceptance rate! Full time: 37 As I mentioned above, I have no idea (as would no one else, LOL) about your letter of intent/statement of purpose. I think only one academic reference will matter more here. So, in my humble opinion, I think you have a pretty good chance at Appalachian State, but UNC is a very big stretch.

Congratulations on your great GRE scores! 13 schools......wow!!!!

It seems from reading here (I realize not a large sample), that a lot of people have GRE's for UT Dallas more in the 309 range and up (not that a score like that guarantees your acceptance at all). It also seems that applying early doesn't necessarily help an applicant get it, but rather, applying closer to the deadline can impact acceptance (if they have already offered acceptances to students applying earlier) I can only imagine how frustrated you are.....I'd be upset at the end result as well.....it seems unfair to put students through that.

So, for the most part you are in range. What is the acceptance percentage of your schools?

Lots of people get into graduate school with your stats. It really depends on what schools you are applying to, to evaluate more accurately. Have you looked at the ASHA site?

Either a BA or BS undergraduate degree is fine and you can apply to either MS or MS options. Some schools offer both! Speech pathology, communication sciences and disorders, and speech and hearing sciences are all fine for becoming a speech pathologist and a MA or MS is fine as well. If you want a Ph.D. a MS may be preferred but isn't required.

LOL....I'm sure you are correct....a glitch. Which school?

A school may have 300 applicant, but only offer spots to 50 students, with the expectation of a class of 30. This means their acceptance rate is 16% (50 divided by 300). Schools typically accept a larger number of students than they want in their class, assuming students apply to multiple schools and may decline their offer. In the case of UGA: 261 students applied and they offered admission to 46. What I didn't put in was that their target class size is 25. For students applying, the actual target class size is less important than the number of students who apply and are offered admission. Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 261 Number of Admission Offers: Full time: 46 this means an acceptance rate of 17%

Obviously, you have a strong GPA. I would consider your GRE's to be average, not strong (not saying average is bad ) My suggestion is to go on Edfind on the ASHA site and look for two things: 1. How does your GPA and GRE stack up (above average, in the upper range, in the lower range or below average) 2. What is the acceptance rate? Here's an example, looking at University of Georgia. GRE: Verbal reasoning: 148-170 you are in the bottom of their range Quantitative reasoning: 145-168 again, in the bottom of their range Analytical writing: 3.00-5.50 right in the middle of the range GPA: 3.29-4.00 near the top of the range (most people can't be above the range, because so many schools have at least one 4.0!) Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 261 Part-time Students: 0 Total: 261 Number of Admission Offers: Full time: 46 this means an acceptance rate of 17% Kean University doesn't have stats on ASHA, except their acceptance rates: Number of Applications Received: Full-time Students: 350 Part-time Students: 0 Total: 350 Number of Admission Offers: Full time: 45 Part time: 5 Total: 50 14% acceptance rate There are really no "safety" schools for a SLP masters program. However, I would suggest trying to find a school where your stats are at the top of the range (or above) and that has acceptance rate closer to 30% for a best attempt at a safety school. Obviously, you can't compare recs and letters of intent, so you have to work off what you have. While it's not a perfect comparison, I think about high school grads who apply to very competitive colleges....say Yale, Brown and Harvard. They may have stats for all three schools, but when acceptance rates are lower, anything can happen. It's always good to have a school where you are a stronger candidate, and has a better acceptance rate, if you can do that. Some people can't....they have families and have to stay in one location. Judging by where you are applying, you are open to various locations. ASHA's Edfind isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than nothing! Good Luck!

Caveat to my comments.....I am not from Louisiana, and in fact, have only been there three times. But, your profile indicates you are from San Francisco. On neighborhood scout, the crime index for San Francisco is a 3 (100 is best). Hammond is a 0. (lower than SF, but not by too much). Monroe is a 1. I went to college in a city that had a high crime rate. I lived near the university, and didn't go out in the areas where the crime rate was high (especially at night) and never had an issue. I also never knew anyone who was a victim of a crime. If it were me, I'd go to the city-data.com website and ask about where to live/crime/student life on their forums. They have forums for each state.

I recommend Magoosh for GRE prep. JMHO....While I do believe that some (or many, who really knows for sure??) look past a low GRE score with good grades, recs, letter of intent, etc. I think a 138 in Verbal and a 142 in the math with a 2.5 Writing score is lower than I'd feel comfortable with applying to grad school. When I think of lower scores, I think of those that hover around 290, not below 280. I'd want to bump it up to at least a 290 with a 3 in writing. Have you looked at your schools on ASHA EdFind to see what the range is for the schools you are applying to? That would give you much more info than asking here.

I suggest you look on ASHA's EdFind for your schools you want to apply to, as well as the school themselves (the specific communication disorders page) Look at your stats in relationship to what is reported, as well as the number of applicants and acceptances. Are you in the range, above it or below it? Consider this while you look at the percentage of acceptances. Are you willing to relocate to attend graduate school, or do you have a limitation on where you will apply? For example, East Stroudsberg University has these stats... GRE:Verbal reasoning: 140-159Quantitative reasoning: 137-156Analytical writing: 3.00-5.00GPA:3.31-4.00Number of Applications Received:Full-time Students: 257Number of Admission Offers:Full time: 44So, you fall in the range, but the acceptance rate is 17%. Look on Ed Find, and try to find schools where you fall in the range, with acceptances closer to 20%, rather than 10% and below.