Gab - future SLP

I knew I wanted to go into this field or I would not have applied/accepted admission to graduate school. Pretty simple, right? But once I got there and had a full week of orientations, reading clinic handbooks, and having to write treatment plans for my clients, I started to feel unsure. At the time, I read a lot of other forum posts, mainly SLP reddit, to see if I was the only one who felt this way. I was not, which helped a little bit, but not too much. The feeling I had was referred to as the "Imposter Syndrome." I know many programs are operated differently, but in my program, you are given multiple clients as soon as the clinic opens (the beginning of the semester). So here I was, a brand new graduate student, providing therapy to clients within the first two weeks of school. Trying to write the perfect plans without bombarding my clinical supervisor was tough. The whole process leading up to meeting a client for the first time was tough. I am not going to sugarcoat it, it was hard. But the second I finished my first session with my first client, all the unsure feelings I had disappeared. I never experienced something more rewarding. Fast forward a month and a half later and every week I look forward to seeing my 4 clients. Although it means more paper work, I am looking forward to picking up more clients through this semester and in the spring. The paper work is still stressful and tedious, but I'm getting used to it and it is getting easier. Before you get into the swing of things, you will most likely think it is impossible to balance clients, classes, classwork, clinic work, and your mental health. Completely understandable, but the point I am trying to get across is that it is possible. You will succeed, and often times, you may even exceed your own expectations. Don't give up within the first couple weeks. Grad school is most likely going to be the hardest part of the process of becoming a successful SLP. I hope I was able to help or relate to at least one person. Have a great day

I applied to Salus in mid January and am still on their stand by list to be interviewed. I am pretty positive their class that starts in Fall 2016 is completely is full (which I am okay with because I am already committed to another program) but if you are really interested in going to this school I would apply when the application is available because it is rolling admission and they will review your application as soon as all of the materials are received by them. Good luck!

I agree with most people who commented on this by saying you definitely should focus on getting your GRE score (especially the writing score) higher. Honestly, your verbal and quantitative scores are higher than mine were, but I received a 4.5 on my writing. I had other things on my resume such as experience and GPA plus my letters of recommendation that picked up the slack of my GRE scores. I do honestly think that I did get rejected from some schools because my scores other than the writing were sub par, but I got accepted to a couple programs so that's all that matters now. To study for the GRE I used the Magoosh online program and it was great. Taking the practice tests will help you with the writing for sure. I recommend it just like a few other people who posted on this and honestly think I wouldn't have broke the 130's if I didn't use it (I got mid to high 140 for both quantitive and verbal) . Some experience I had was volunteering in multiple programs with nonverbal children and mentally/physically challenged children. Also, I was involved in the speech & hearing club, health sciences club, and was a NSSLHA member. I believe the hands on experience was very beneficial and strengthened my application. I do not think you should give up. Good luck!

I am starting grad school in the Fall. I haven't heard anything back about a GA or work study, but if I do not get either (although I think I should get at least one) I believe getting adjusted to the course work and schedule is more important than worrying about finding a job. I know it is going to be challenging to not work since I have always worked since I was 15, but I want to focus on school. Good luck!

Hello! There are plenty of schools to apply to. If there is something specific you are looking for in a program than I would apply to those programs, but otherwise any program is acceptable. For example: I knew someone who knew they wanted to be a SLP in a hospital setting so they only applied to programs that had a M.S in speech, although there is not much of a difference between M.S and an M.A. I applied to mostly all programs that were already accredited. I only applied to two that were in candidancy, one because it was where I went to undergrad and knew the program would succeed and the other because it was brand new and I felt I had a good shot of getting in since many of my classmates from undergrad were getting interviews/accepted and I was on the same level as them. When looking at programs, use ASHA's EdFind and look at the each schools website for information. Many schools will highlight the minimum requirements they are looking for, which is helpful because if you have not reached the requirement, you will know not to even try applying to that school. If possible, attend open houses or information sessions, many times you will get an application fee waiver. Also, if a school has rolling admission, apply as soon as possible. That will show them you are interested and if you are a strong candidate, they will consider you. A majority of programs use the CSDCAS application (like the common app in high school) and then there are some schools that have their own application. When you are using CSDCAS, you will send them all of your college transcripts. In your case, that will be helpful because your speech pre reqs GPA of 4.0 from the other university will raise your overall GPA highlighted on the CSDCAS application. Honestly, your undergrad GPA is not awful and do not stress over it. Many schools websites encourage you to apply if you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Also, you have a lot of strong experiences, which is a big plus. If you are applying to any schools that use CSDCAS, do NOT procrastinate. The process to get your documents verified can take a long time, especially if there are issues. STUDY for the GRE. It is obviously impossible to know what questions will be asked, but taking practice tests and studying vocabulary words/math equations will help greatly. To address your question about the 2 vs 3 year program. I am unsure of that since I did my undergraduate in speech, but you already have 5 pre reqs done which is probably half (maybe 3/4) of the pre reqs needed for programs. All programs follow ASHAs requirements, but some have additional classes they want you to take so look into that also before applying. I say try to finish the pre reqs and apply for the 2 year program. If in doubt, contact the schools you want to apply to and address your concerns/ask any questions. I know someone who is in an online program and they like it. She is in a part time program so she does not take as many courses in one semester like in a full time program, but it is three years with only a few weeks for breaks. Also, she had to spend this summer at the school for clinical although the program is an online program. If online grad programs is something you are considering, I would look into all the details. Lastly, if you do not have anything holding you back, do not be afraid to spread your wings and apply to places out of you state/comfort zone. I applied to grad programs all over the country (for the most part). I start in August and am moving 8.5 hours away. I am nervous, but mostly excited for this next chapter of my life and to gain experience! I hope this helped! I know from personal experience how stressful the entire process can be. I am grateful I got accepted my first time around so I did not have to go through it more than once, but if I did not, I would never give up because I know this is what I want to do. I hope my personal experiences and findings as well as the information I shared about other people's experiences have made you feel better about grad school. Good luck!