DDolores

My graduate school does not have graduate assistantships or TA ships. I was able to snag a small scholarship (and hopefully I can grab a few more). I do not have a job, and I do not plan on getting one. This was a really hard decision for me because I worked for most of undergrad, and I have not been completely without income in years. Our program director stressed over and over again that we should not work unless we have to, which really discouraged me taking on a serious job. I looked for smaller jobs like work study or tutoring, but nothing allowed me to make enough money for me to feel like it was worth my time. Realistically I could probably only make a few thousand dollars during the 20 months I am in graduate school. I had to ask myself, is a few thousand dollars worth losing sleep, study time, prep time or time spent on other other educational programming, and for me the answer was no. I do have a roommate (who is great), and I do go to a public school where I get in-state tuition. I got accepted to school in November and then started  class at the beginning of January so I did not have much time to think about finances or find a good job. I am not saying that someone should not get a job, or that it isn't necessary. I just thought I should explain my thought process of deciding to use loans for everything. Loans are unfortunate, but they are we are essentially making an investment in ourselves, and they allow me to put all my energy into learning.

I started this thread and just got off a waitlist today!!!!!! I am freaking out...never thought this day would come for me! Good luck everyone, it IS possible! 

I’m either waitlisted or rejected from all the programs I applied to. Does anyone have advice for surviving the wait? It’s so hard knowing that essentially starting April 15th (20 days from now) I could start getting final answers. For anyone who was waitlisted, how soon after the April 15th deadline did you start hearing back (acceptances or rejections). Neither school I’m waitlisted at will tell me about where I stand on the list or how many people are on the list. I’m trying to remain hopeful, especially since the grad students at my top choice told me that last year half their cohort was accepted off the waitlist. But I also am trying to be realistic that I may not get accepted off the waitlist. I would just appreciate any advice.

No one I know has heard from Texas State either. A lot of my cohort applied there. Hopefully we both get good news!

I live in NW Austin right now. Round Rock is definitely not a college town. I think there's plenty to do there, but it's not somewhere to go bar hopping. While it's more conservative and religious than Austin, it's starting to expand its art and craft beer scene. I'm from Houston and IMO Round Rock is more like the Clear Lake area than downtown. I think you could live in north Austin and commute if you wanted. Most programs have class a few days a week.

Since you graduated recently, is there any way you could contact career services? I still had full support for 12 months after graduating. They may have more resources and advice. 

Anytime love! If I get into grad school, I hope to inspire others with lower GPA's. Sometimes, it can feel like a loosing battle, but I truly believe that if you can turn your negative into a positive your time will come.

Hi amf18!
My first piece of advice is to not get discouraged. I know this can be hard when everyone around you has a high GPA. It can feel like there is no hope and lot of disappointment, but the truth is all of those 4.0/ high GPA students do not have the same story as you. As someone that also has a lower undergraduate GPA, I can personally understand the uphill battle of getting into grad school. This is my second round of applying. I first applied in 2014 after one year of related work experience (SLP-A) and was rejected to every school I applied too. Now, here I am 4 years later and just finished reapplying to schools. I was offered an interview to one of the schools I applied to and I am over the moon about it! Proof, that I still have not given up after 5 years. I found at the age of 24 that I have a learning disability, which gave clarity to my low GPA. I contacted student disability services (DSS) at the school where I completed my undergrad and I was granted accommodations (i.e. extended test times). I made the decision to back to school and retake  all of my CSD classes, even the ones I got a B's in. I went from a 2.68 GPA to exactly a 3.0 (my post-bac GPA 3.98 and last 60 GPA is 3.65). While in school, I continued to work as full-time SLP-A while managing a caseload of 45 students. To me this is important, because it will show that I can balance both the high demands of homework in graduate schools, as well as, planning and preparing for clinicals.
If I were you, I would try to look for an SLP-A job, even if you have to move to do so. Maybe call the local school district and ask if they have  SLP-A positions or other para-educator positions available. If you are unable to find a job as an SLP-A, I would look in into jobs that will give you similar experience (behavior specialist, para-educator, etc.). Maybe even possibly looking into volunteering or do some job shadowing at school or hospital within your community. Through the DSS at the school I attended both test anxiety and depression were considered to be disabilities, which could be worth looking into if you decide to retake classes. One other thing I did was made contact with a professor from my undergraduate studies and asked if I could do some research under him for the experience. I was able to help publish a paper and present poster at both ASHA and my state's local speech and language conference. Finally, when you feel that you are ready to apply, I would look at schools that look at the last 60 credits (as you mentioned) and schools that holistically look at your application. I would also address the reason behind your low GPA in your personal statement. Look at your low GPA as a positive, not a negative. Prove to the school that you are applying to how hard you have worked to overcome a low GPA and how the experience  helped you to grow as a person. I personally feel overcoming my lower GPA is a strength, because SLPs provide their clients with the right tools and strategies to make their client's successful.
Oh one more thing (sorry this is so long), when I decided to re-take the GRE, I studied through Magoosh.com. Magoosh offers a 5 point score guarantee (in both sections) as long as you complete all lessons and practice problems. I would recommend the 6-month study plan vs. the one month study plan.
But, do not give up. Your time will come and keep your head high! If you want make it happen, you will find a way to do so! I hope these tips helped. Best of luck my friend!

Personal life plans/hopes/dreams in general are way too tangential to discuss in an interview, but if you go on campus visits, either because you have already been accepted or because you are a very promising applicant, please do ask whether the department is family-friendly, how many students have children while in the program, what their experiences have been like, and if you can speak with them.
I don't think you (or I, or any woman, or any human) would want to attend a program that would penalize you for asking such questions in 2018.

USU offers it online! 

I went through this when I was initially applying, and because I'm a type-A supernerd and I love me some data, I made a spreadsheet.  In that spreadsheet, I evaluated based on:
- 15%: Proximity to Friends/Family
- 15% - Cost of Living
- 20% - One ranking of program quality (NCA)
- 15% - A different ranking of program quality (QS)
- 15% - How closely the state politics match my own
- 20% - Hours to graduation
 
Fortunately, I was able to quantify all those rankings.  That created a custom ranking for me, based on the things that are important, and  from there Spouse and I talked about where he would like to live, and where I didn't want to live.  If I could go back, I'd've tried to find some information about average funding amounts, number of academic placements in the last 5 years, etc.
 
Here's a link to that sheet.  I took out all my info so you can just look at the formulae and whatnot.  You're welcome to duplicate a copy of it if it would be useful for you:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EBayVkXRcYS4ECviOkApehEO_oEedMKM5P7K9UNmYhM/edit?usp=sharing

Just in case anyone around this time is worried about verification. I submitted my transcripts and official gre a few months before my first deadline of 1/1. I submitted my first app ON 1/1 because it was an orange "complete" deadline. I submitted at 9pm and it said "received" then at 11:25pm it said "complete". This morning, 1/4 CSDCAS verified my application. Perhaps it helped that while I was inputting my coursework, I circled all my questions on the official (3) transcripts I was using, then called CSDCAS and had someone pull up my transcript on their side, and asked them very specific questions (for some questions I even called a couple of times to confirm information, CSDCAS has been on speed dial for months). So definitely not 4 weeks for me, and even less than 4 days. DON'T BE AN IDIOT LIKE ME AND SUBMIT THINGS LATE (but also if you are, maybe things won't go terribly, irreversibly wrong?) Just thought I'd offer my experience in the ongoing survey of CSDCAS turnover time.

I did! I was put in touch with the principal of the school and we had a little meeting beforehand and then she introduced me to the slp. I would contact either the principal or assistant principal of the school!

Just need to talk to the SLP.  They of course need their CCC's if you want your observation hours to count or if you just want to observe in general you can do the anytime.  Just ask any school SLP.

I mean this in the most polite, sincere, and kind-hearted place I physically can. However you have a relatively low GPA for this field. Your verbal GRE score is the 37th percentile; math 8th and writing 38th. Having a lower GPA and GRE scores really damages your application. You have great extra curriculars, but that also never enough to balance both lower GPA and GRE scores.
In this field most schools look for a percentile score of 50th across all sections. Anything under 40th is concerning, while I've been told anything under 30th is a red flag. I don't know if programs like Magoosh will be enough to raise your score enough, and you might want to bite the bullet and pay for a professional prep class. Also, the ETS websites has all of the verbal and quanitative concepts covered. Here are the links to those PDFs/sites:
Math: https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_math_review.pdf
Verbal: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/verbal_reasoning/
Here are a list of all of the possible essays:
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool
 
I think that boosting your GREs and making sure your personal statement is drop dead amazing! Also, if you find the GRE isn't a test that you are comparable with check out the Millers Analogy Test or MAT. It's another test that I did significantly better on. There is a chance you could too! There are several programs that accept MAT scores in place of the GRE. Gallaudet, Wichita State, and the University of Rhode Island are just a few schools that take the MAT. I'm sure there are more. I'm sure adding more to your resume will help, but I have a feeling it's the GRE scores that are killing you. Best of luck! 

Hi. I am going to be honest with you, you are going to have a difficult time getting accepted based on your GPA alone. While in general 3.6 is strong, in this competitive field it's not that strong, especially coupled with your very low undergraduate gpa. It also sounds like the GRE has been difficult for you. So, I have heard triumphant stories about people who apply and apply and after 3-5 time are accepted, so it's possible, but takes a lot of time and money. So I'm being honest in case you have another interest or field you'd like to pursue that isn't as competitive at the moment. Not telling you to give-up, just want to level with you so you don't have false hopes. 
However, if you are adamant about becoming a SLP, and have the time and means to wait it out, here are some ideas:
1) Take more post-bac courses but aim for closer to a 4.0
2)  Cast a wide net of schools you apply to the have stats closer to yours (however even schools that accept lower stats may still be challenging as all schools have a larger pool of students to select from then spots, but there is always a chance with the waitlist)
3) See if you can enroll as a non-matriculated student, get good grades, and transition to a Masters or matriculated student
4) Ensure other areas of your application are strong, polished, and present you as a strong candidate who, despite a less the stellar performance on/in X area, has turned it around or grown from those experiences (& provide examples). Have people read and provide constructive feedback on your statement of purpose and edit and refine your resume.
 
It's unfortunate that the competitiveness of this field has made it a numbers game. I've seen many, many people who would make great SLPs stopped due to the competitiveness (either because of their stats or just becoming jaded by this part of the profession), so don't think for a minute you 'can't' do it, but be realistic with where you see yourself in a few years and what path will best get you there.

Firstly, I'm glad to hear you are doing well academically! But speech-language pathology is quite a different field from yours. While some people do pursue a PhD in speech-language pathology, most posters here (including the OP) are talking about pursuing their master's unless they have specified otherwise. A master's degree in speech-language pathology is necessary to become a licensed speech-language pathologist. Getting into a master's program is extremely competitive because of this, and can actually be seen as more competitive than the PhD level because there are just so many students and even a lot of career changers fighting for limited spots. If the poster wants to now pursue a master's in a less competitive field and think about a different career, I agree that that could potentially be a good idea; however, if he or she wants to become a speech-language pathologist, the only way is to pursue a master's in speech-language pathology, which is the current dilemma. 
@slpaneedzhelp Have you had other experiences besides being an SLPA? Are you applying to a variety of programs? Are you applying to the same programs every year? If you are applying to the same programs, you can ask for feedback on how you can strengthen your application. I also notice you're from CA (like me!) and I know basically all the CA programs are super competitive. If you have not already done so, apply outside of the state. There are a lot of great threads here discussing programs that are more relaxed with GPA/GRE. 

I can't open your file but based on my experience when I applied, you should be fine for the middle-tier NYC schools. You may need higher for TC. Your may also need higher GPA for the CUNY schools. NYU said their minimum to be considered when I spoke to admissions is 3.5 so you're on track. NYMC and Adelphi needs around 3.6. LIU Post accepted people with sub 3.0 overall in the past but may need to have good application profile like good SOP, interview and related experience to balance it out. Yeshiva U cares about grades in the prequisited and also look at the big picture. 

I'm also in CA and have looked into SLP-A as a back up for if I don't get into grad school. It really depends on where you're located--some counties have a ton of openings, since they're having trouble getting SLPs to stay, and some are totally barren. I know you said that you can't really move around so I would really search on job listing sites to see if your area actually has a fair amount of job openings. From what I've looked at salary is usually $20-25/hour depending on experience, the school district, etc.
I wouldn't say you're giving up too easily! This is unfortunately a stupidly competitive field, especially in California. There are so many people, on and off these forums, who would probably make great clinicians but can't get accepted to a program because of a low GPA that doesn't even reflect who they are anymore. I would think that doing well in an associate's program would at least show that you have grown since your years in undergrad and are willing to put in the work to do well in a program, although I don't know if it would count towards your last 60 units GPA. Best of luck to you!

I did both emails and calls! I found a lot of slps were open for observation and I got observations in hospitals, small clinics, nursing homes and group homes. I had some places that never returned my calls but I had mostly success. I completed my hours during undergrad and some hours on my own at a preschool just as a refresher. I didn't record the hours but it was nice to get to talk with an slp.

I'm also out of field and am in the process of wrapping up my observation hours now. Asking in your advising appointment if UT Austin has any connections for hours is definitely a good place to start. I did a mix of cold calling and emailing for mine. Briefly explain that you are starting a leveling program in the fall and are trying to get some observation hours in because you are out of field and ask if they allow that. I started out by searching for speech language pathologists in my area and when I didn't have much luck that way I started searching by type of disorder + my area. The latter method is how I found the aphasia group I'm using for some of my hours.
I would also suggest looking at private practices and nonprofits. I did the bulk of my hours at a nonprofit that runs events and therapy sessions for kids who stutter. I've found smaller organizations are more open to shadowing than some of the hospitals I reached out to who said no due to HIPAA restrictions. Not sure if your undergrad university has a speech program but, if so, you could try reaching out to the alumni network there.
Also, this probably varies by school, but the graduate program I'll be starting in the fall requires me to fill out a report listing the session goals, techniques/materials/strategies used, and general observations about the session. I had previously been using a basic template that I found online which only documented the date, length of session, location and the SLP's signature and ASHA number. I think the level of detail my program requires is uncommon, but I'm having to backtrack a bit now (and kicking myself for it!) to fill out the report so I would suggest jotting down some notes on the sessions you observe to be safe.

FYI, observation hours may need to be done through a formal academic course in order to count towards the 25 hour ASHA requirement. It really depends on the particular grad school. So if you do them on your own, you may find that they don't "count" towards those 25 required hours.
I did 10 of my hours with my daughter's SLP since I always observe them through a 1-way mirror. I just don't normally write up a formal observation report. The reports I had to write for my observation class list the things mentioned by the PP (session goals, activities done, materials used, etc.)
I did 5 other in-person hours at a local oral school for the deaf. I contacted the head of the SLP department (listed on the school website) and arranged it through her.
The remaining 10 hours I used videotaped sessions posted by the professor. For my observation course, I was required to have observations in a variety of different clinical areas. So I used the videotaped sessions for those. 

I called my local hospital's speech department and they told me how to go about it. I have to apply as a volunteer first. 

Four score and seven years ago.....