TLDR; RBT now or wait till I graduate college?
I am applying to graduate school this upcoming fall. I do not have a competitive GPA: 3.55.
My college doesn't offer in-major classes until we are seniors, so I have no "major" GPA yet. I will take the GRE this summer.
I work as a student library assistant on my campus, I do paid research with the College of Communication/Journalism, I do voluntary research for the Speech Pathology graduate department, I volunteer at an Early Intervention pediatric language clinic, and I am a management intern at our cities' new Autism center, where I write posts, send emails, play with children with ASD, and interact with adults with ASD.
Still, I know my GPA isn't good enough. It will hopefully be around a 3.6 when I begin applying for grad schools. I am really interested in working with children with ASD if I am able to go to grad school, and I plan to write about this in my statement of purpose. This is where my question comes up: Is it worth it to become a Registered Behavior Technician, or wait until I graduate college and try for a BCABA? I guess what I am asking is if it would be worth the training, time, and money. How much do current RBTs get to do while still in college? Do grad schools consider this a worthwhile certification to pursue?
I would love to hear some current RBTs or BCABAs speak on their experiences in school or otherwise. Thank you SO much.