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First off, congrats!!! So awesome that you got into two great programs! Next up, deciding, which is really a nice problem to have. Will you be notified of a scholarship before accepting, or is consideration for a scholarship only made after accepting? If it’s unclear, clarify and maybe that will help you know if it’s worth a gamble. Otherwise, deciding will be based on whatever is most important for you, whether that’s costs, coursework, etc. It might help to reach out and see if you can get in touch with a current online student of both programs and see what they say? Good luck!  

I think you certainly have a shot at an American university. Your GRE scores look good, and while your GPAs may look like they're on the "lower" end, I wonder if having a previous Masters in another field can help you stand out from other applicants! If you haven't already, you should consider applying to programs in more rural areas in America. It will still be relocating, but at least it's still in the country. Schools that are in more rural areas tend to get less applicants, and they generally look at the applicant more holistically so it may be easier to get accepted. Best of luck!

Grow a thick skin. --Your supervisors will critique you in every way possible, suck it up. It's a learning experience...even if they hurt your feelings, their opinions do not define who you are. Your laptop is your lifeline. Connect your school email to every technology you own especially your phone. Phonetics and speech-language development is worth knowing. Get used to not being "perfect" in graduate school. You won't get kicked out for getting a B ? Graduate school is not hard, it's just time consuming.  Prepping for an articulation session takes longer than two hours (until you know your kiddo quite well and/or perfected a few habits). Your classmates/professors/staff members are your colleagues. You do not have to like them but be respectful. Do not burn bridges. Treat this experience like a job because it is. Do not gossip. Research is so important in graduate school. Learn how to read articles. Be flexible. Everything you planned for in your session will most likely by altered by that little 5-year-old in front of you. Another clinician is currently using an item you needed? Find a different toy/activity that can still elicit what you want. Your client is having a bad day? you might end up tossing your lessons away and doing whatever to get them back on track. You will find yourself doing the most silliest things ever just for that speech production.  Even after a month of therapy, you'll still be nervous to see your clients and have NO clue what you are doing. LOL. That two minutes you have until your session starts is still a lot of time. You'll adjust to working under pressure. You're a natural, trust me. You know more than you think you do.  GOOD LUCK! 

Ask questions that show that you're interested in your clients and being as evidence-based as possible. Everyone has something that you can learn from them. One of my absolute favorite parts of my clinicals is having people to ask questions to all of the time and discuss my ideas with. I'm a curious person, and it works for my learning style. It seems that's not the case for you, but you've been told that you need to improve in this area. When you're in grad school, you get a lot of feedback, and it's a time to work on addressing it. 

Good questions show you want to collaborate and grow as a clinician like "I felt X was a little frustrated during that activity, is there something else you would have tried" or "I was reading about (tx intervention) last night, and I'm thinking about trying it out with Y. What do you think?" not ones that can be found in textbooks. If I was someone's supervisor, I would expect and want them to ask me questions because it's a lot easier to discuss this stuff on a daily basis and brainstorm as it's happening. 

You mentioned Audiology, and I'm not sure if you were just talking about a single course if you're looking at aud programs - sorry! The following advice is for speech path, I'm not sure of audiology stuff! If you're willing to go out-of-state, try to check out schools in more rural areas. Less people apply to these more remote schools, so it may be "less competitive." If the cost of living is low enough, attending OOS schools can sometimes be comparable to attending school in-state in CA.
I would also consider taking a year off to build more experiences in the field. Some jobs include being a para, behavior interventionist, etc. Since you're in CA being an SLPA for a while is also an option. That would give you extra time to focus on your grades next year and study for a higher GRE score to offset your GPA. The application process can be daunting and competitive, so it may be beneficial to save yourself the stress and money if you take some time off to build up your application. Seriously, there's no rush to get into grad school right after undergrad! 
Best of luck to you! ❤️ 

I don’t think it’s crazy to rescind your offer, especially if there’s nothing particularly special pulling you toward the program. Debt is very real, and if you don’t think it’s worth it, that’s totally valid and reasonable (though if you do think the program is worth it, then that’s valid too!) Personally, I would hesitate about that much debt and would rather improve my application for reapplying to more affordable programs.

Honestly? If I felt like I couldn't afford a program, I wouldn't go! It's important to consider how long it's going to take you to pay this degree off. Unless the program is offering you something specialized that you wouldn't get anywhere else I would rescind or see if I could defer my acceptance.

@imunsterThanks! I'm in the postbac this year, so I'm already there... sort of. ? Whole new level of UW, coming this September! 

I have a Surface and use OneNote. If you have the means to get one, I highly recommend it! I upload PDFs of the PowerPoints and am able to physically write notes using the Surface pen, but I can switch to typing if information is coming at me too quickly - best of both worlds, plus no printing ahead of time! Used to type all my notes until I found that they were ineffective for certain classes, so it can depend on both you and the class

I don't think it's unethical or unprofessional if you politely withdraw a decision. Waitlists mean that these things are bound to happen, and programs certainly wouldn't keep a blacklist. The worst that would happen is you would lose that deposit, but no bridges will be burned

dude...  do what you gotta do...  all this frowned upon stuff is BS lol .. im sure it happens all the time and they expect it to happen hence the waitlist

I don't think it's unethical or unprofessional if you politely withdraw a decision. Waitlists mean that these things are bound to happen, and programs certainly wouldn't keep a blacklist. The worst that would happen is you would lose that deposit, but no bridges will be burned

I don't think it's unethical or unprofessional if you politely withdraw a decision. Waitlists mean that these things are bound to happen, and programs certainly wouldn't keep a blacklist. The worst that would happen is you would lose that deposit, but no bridges will be burned

I don't think it's unethical or unprofessional if you politely withdraw a decision. Waitlists mean that these things are bound to happen, and programs certainly wouldn't keep a blacklist. The worst that would happen is you would lose that deposit, but no bridges will be burned

Some questions I asked that were really helpful: How does a typical day or week look like in terms of didactic courses and practicum (for example, are classes held on certain days and clinical assignments on other days)? What does progression through the program look like? What are some additional clinical and/or research opportunities available, and how can I participate? How diverse are the clients who come to the clinic? Feel free to share your specific interests and ask about opportunities they offer in those areas.
I'll also throw in that if possible, try to get a sense of the work-life balance or "culture" of the program. I really appreciate my program's emphasis on self-care and a work-life balance now, but it was something I didn't think about before. Ask as many students as possible how supported they feel. If you can't ask students, you can try to get the information from faculty by asking about the workload and what resources are available to students to healthily manage their work. Grad school is intense no matter where you go, but I feel supported by both my cohort and the faculty and it makes it feel so much more manageable! 
Enjoy your open house and congratulations on your acceptance!  

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 wouldn't go through the trouble of retaking the GRE for three points. From what I've heard, programs mostly just check if your GRE is above 150 for both sections (and I believe at least 3.5 or 4.0 for writing). After that, it doesn't really matter what your GRE scores are, especially when other aspects of your application are solid and your GPA is high. Save yourself the stress, time, and money! 

Look around this forum and online to find programs that will take applicants without prereqs. I agree with the above that EdFind would be a good way to browse the stats of accepted students and determine your chances, but definitely take the reported stats with a grain of salt. They may not always be accurate. Once you know which programs you're interested in, you can also check their website for more accurate stats or send them an email asking about the information. I personally don't think you necessarily have to add any "leadership" positions or any more experiences in general. Your experiences look great to me, just focus on your SOP and the GRE! 
As for LORs, I actually only had one LOR from an SLP professor familiar with my academic work. My other two LORs came from a speech and hearing sciences professor I did research with (but I did not take an academic course with her), and my BCBA supervisor from work where I was providing ABA services. Sometimes the former was even replaced with a Latin professor when I needed physical copies of LORs. Point being, a personalized LOR from a non-speech and hearing sciences professor (or work supervisor, research supervisor, etc.) will beat a basic LOR from a speech and hearing sciences professor. Think about who knows you best and will talk you up the most!
Good luck with your applications  

As far as LOR goes, getting some at least two professors who can talk about your academic strengths will probably be best, as well as the SLP you are shadowing! It will show that you have an interest in the field and are academically prepared to handle graduate studies. It's really up to you on who to ask though. I've heard it's better to pick a professor who you know personally over a professor that will just give a generic, template LOR.
I agree with @edardi1 to look at ASHA's EdFind search to find a program! Just take the stats with a grain of salt though, since 1) they are not the end all be all of getting accepted and 2) they are not always very accurate.
It sounds like you will have a solid resume to me, the only thing I would suggest is to work hard on your statement of purpose (mentioning how your skills apply to the field, why you're interested, etc.) and making sure that you get decent GRE scores. Most programs look for a combined score of 300, with your quant score hitting above 50% (I think that's like a 152-153?) and an AW score of at least a 4.0  Best of luck!

I wanna say they don't give too much information because it's mostly their own undergrads who apply, but that does make it pretty difficult for other students trying to get more information! I had the same issues with other CSUs that didn't give too much information about their program lol... Anyway, I'm glad I can help! There are definitely programs out there that can offer quite substantial grants/scholarships, but imo they tend to be in areas I personally would not want to study and the costs to some of those programs are already high. In the end, it might just even out anyway lol. I see you're a Spanish double major so I know Fresno would be a great place for you to study given its population! It really is such a diverse city! Feel free to contact me for more info down the line. Good luck with applications!

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. 

The most important thing about LOR is how much the person knows you. The grade only comes into factor in regards to their opinion of you. I have heard from multiple PIs, the lack of a LOR is better than a generic bland one that shows the person who wrote it knows nothing about you. Grades can represent many things, and don't necessarily mean you are a bad student. So if you got a B in someones class, but the professor saw you were hard working or really dedicated, than the grade doesn't matter and the professor might not even mention it in their letter. Say if you started rough from an F and brought yourself up to a B, then they might bring it up but only to say you have the ability to improve and are a determined individual. Regardless, LOR are supposed to demonstrate the type of person you are from other peoples point of view, so you really only want to ask people who remember you and like you/have a positive opinion about you. So to answer your questions: screw the grade and ask the person who knows you better. If the person you had a B with knows you better, ask them. If the person who you took a class outside of your major knows you best, ask them. If the people who you got A's with know you better, ask them. Point being, a detailed LOR that demonstrates the type of person you are based on the professors anecdotal evidence of you, is better than a generic LOR saying you got a good grade in their class or did well in their class. 

I had a year between my undergrad and my grad year and I managed to get a job in my field during my gap year. It was part-time and low pay, but that was still a step up from an unpaid internship. I got in after being out of school for a year, and I think that if you use time during your gap year to pursue or keep up with relevant interests, there's really no harm in it.
Also, with the letters of recommendation, some professors will still write them after a year if you were in contact with them a bit. I asked an art history professors I had to write me a letter of recommendation for the Fall 2018 application cycle, and I took her class in Fall 2014, but we still kept in touch. Usually, they'll ask for your CV and statement of purpose to know what you've been up to since you left. My advice would be to keep in touch with professors over the gap year; it helps.

I found out about the field early in my senior year and didn't feel prepared to apply to the 3 year programs directly, so I took a gap year to do pre-reqs. Ended up with plenty of acceptances so it is definitely doable! 
The above poster already offered really good advice, and I just want to emphasize that whatever you do in your gap year should add value to you as an applicant. So you could do something related to speech that you can talk about in your SOP.

Thanks! And not terribly close because I went to a large university and my graduating shs cohort had around 100 students in it. I'm mostly just sending these emails now so that I can try and get confirmations from them before the current seniors start asking them in the fall. But I have some drafts typed up so hopefully those will work!