K8eCastle

Are you superhuman? Lol just kidding, but major props to you! I work a few weeks a semester (during the bookstore’s busy season) and I can’t imagine balancing that and school and clinic.

In terms of good surprises, I was surprised at how much I was able to recall from my undergraduate classes. I had prepared myself to have to look up a ton of things, but for the most part I was able to be pretty independent when it came to determining goals and treatment plans. I don’t know that I had any “bad” surprises, but I did find it interesting to see the different attitudes toward speech pathologists that are out there. Last semester I traveled to several preschools in the area conducting speech and hearing screenings. Some of the teachers were very nice and thankful for us, but I came across a handful that clearly thought we were an inconvenience. I was surprised because you’d think that a teacher of all people would be happy to have their students screened for delays, but according to my supervisor that isn’t uncommon.

I go to the University of Central Oklahoma! On a scale from 1-10 I’d give most classes a rating of 6-8. Some classes are definitely more difficult than others, but that also has to do with the professor as well. Overall I don’t think my grad classes are any more demanding than my undergrad classes (I went to UCO for undergrad as well), but juggling clients on top of the classes can be tough. It varies from person to person, but most everyone has 3-4 clients each semester during the first year. Last semester I had one client but travelled to other cities throughout the week conducting screenings and evaluations, so I spent 3-4 days doing clinic-related things. This semester I have 4 clients in one day (from 9-11:30) which is kind of nice because it feels more like what I’ll be doing in the real world. I have to make sure I have everything ready for all my clients before I start with the first one because there is a pretty quick turnaround!

The title kind of explains it all! Feel free to ask me any questions about grad school, the application process, or anything else you can think of! I know there are several of these threads out there but I figured I would add mine to the list since I am from a different region than a lot of you so my experiences will be different!

Oh, I didn’t know this was for an interview! If that is the case I wouldn’t recommend bringing a guest.

I brought my mom to one open house that I attended and went to another alone. Both times there was about a 50/50 split of students who brought their parents and those who did not. Nobody thought it was weird to bring parents!

I can’t speak for the other schools, but Oklahoma State was very good about communication. They notified me when I was chosen for an interview and then three days after the interview emailed me to let me know that I was waitlisted. I requested to be removed from the waitlist and then sometime in April they emailed me to let me know that all spots had been filled. I was very impressed with the way they kept everyone in the loop! One of the other schools I applied to only gave me a 4 sentence email to let me know that I hadn’t been accepted.

As far as classroom materials go, I would do what works best for you. Don't worry about what your classmates are doing. My professors all recommend taking notes by hand instead of on a computer, but there are still a few who do. Personally I have a binder where I keep powerpoints/outlines, my notes, and assignments. I use a backpack because I have so many things to carry every day that a messenger bag would kill my shoulders.

Echoing what someone else said about Arizona and Texas. I'd look into some smaller schools in states that aren't as "popular." Large schools like Arizona State or UT will get more applicants because of the location and the name recognition. Definitely try to get your GRE up but if you can't there are a few schools that don't require the GRE.

The University of Central Oklahoma does not require the GRE!

This is the Speech Language Pathology forum, so you might not have much luck finding one here

This is so true! When I was given a position as an undergraduate clinician this year I was terrified and felt like I wasn't prepared, but after the first meeting with my supervisor and my first session I felt so much better! Another thing to remember is that nobody expects you to be perfect. You are still learning and your supervisors know that! They are there to help you and teach you, not judge you for making a mistake

The odds are not great, but you have to remember that every part of your application counts, not just your GPA and GRE. Strong letters of recommendation, a good personal statement, and an interview (if the school does interviews) will help boost your chances! I got into three schools with decent, but not great stats, including one where I was specifically told "we weigh cumulative GPA the highest." It is hard, but not impossible!

I chose the University of Central Oklahoma! This is where I'm doing my undergrad so I'm already familiar with all of the faculty and the clinic. At first I was anxious to get out of Oklahoma, but after visiting another school I realized that UCO was the best fit for me. I accepted my offer on Monday and I can't wait to start in two months!!!

People were posting acceptances from Michigan State yesterday and I never heard anything, so I'm assuming I was rejected or waitlisted. This is the last school I have to hear from and I just want to know! So glad this process is almost over.