Louly

I'm going through the same thing. I was worried about it and decided to talk to both my mentors whom reassured me that it's not a big problem...that there's probably a lot of letters to sign and they haven't got to it yet. I also called the graduate admissions office to double check on the status & she said it doesn't affect my acceptance, they just need to do some administrative work and that's it. As for the TA offer, as long as you already said you'll accept it, it shouldn't be an issue.

I'll be attending UofUtah and I'm from the midwest. So do not worry! =)

I did an interview with U of Missouri a few weeks back and they specifically stated that they do a holistic application process. During the interview, they gave me the opportunity to explain what contributed to my bad grades. Do try them in the future. Good luck!

My research interest is in bilingualism and neurological disorders. My current studies has been in speech science, though! I'm sure it is about funding and who's welling to take you on. Good luck! Hope to see your name in research

I'm in the process of looking for a place, too. Prior to this, I moved a lot---every two years to be exact. What I'm currently doing right now is going on every apt search website, see what's available...if I like it, I go onto Google Earth to check out the exterior of the building and the surrounding neighborhood. I sometimes "drive" through the neighborhood by using google map satellite. Sounds extreme but it helps you visualize the place and the area it's in. Since I won't have to start graduate school till mid August, I won't be apt searching till June or July. Also! If your new school is in a college town, try apt searching in May/June and secure a place for September. Most college town's apt contracts runs exactly like the school year; September to September....and landlords already know who is moving out some time in April/May. It's also harder to find housing in college towns, start early!

I got accepted into FSU with around your same GRE scores. I had very strong LORs, 3 years of research, and an excellent personal statement (stated by an admissions committee member). If you can't raise the GRE scores---which, I don't recommend retaking it over and over again UNLESS you are absolutely sure you'll do better the next time around because if you keep getting the same scores, you're only proving to the admissions committee that that's as good as you get--- maybe offset it with research or some volunteering. Your experience in special education could be a strength if you know how to get creative with it. Find an SLP in your school system and shadow/volunteer with them...or get to know them well enough to have them write a strong LOR for you and talk about your hands on experience as a sped teacher and how great you'll be as an SLP. I see a lot of potential in you so I hope you don't give up. Good luck!

I've applied to MS/PhD programs. Some programs are evaluating me as a masters applicant and some are evaluating me as a phd applicant, others as a combination of both. I noticed that the programs who are evaluating me as a masters applicant are responding back a lot faster than the Ph.D cycle. I'm assuming because PhD applicants requires more time being matched with their mentor and getting their approval on the decision as well. What's your research interest?

Alice, I'll try answering your questions from above, being that I am bilingual and were accepted to a few bilingual programs/research labs. 1. Is this GPA really just hopeless? I have seen so many people who have their GPAs around 3.3 and do not get any offer. Would it be a better option if I just delay my graduation for another year, and re-take more classes and get more experience? (that will not help my GPA by too much though. My school does not take out my former grades after I re-take courses) I had a GPA lower than a 1.0 when I first started college .... I took a break for 5years, gain some experiences in the medical field and came back swinging. I eventually earned a 3.8 in the major, 3.8 in my last 100 credits, and re-did about 6-8 courses that would jeopardize my chance of getting into grad school. Some classes were so old that they could not be redone and they're still sitting on my transcript. It eventually took me 7years to graduate from my undergrad but ...good news, I got into grad school on my first try! =) As I was reading your post, you stressed the fact that you are "not the hardest worker" and a "school person" ---to be honest, the people that make it into grad school are. I have friends in grad school that had a near perfect GPA, were some of the smartest classmates I know ....who literally cries in the hallway because its that hard. I'm not discouraging you in anyway but I do suggest rethinking a few things over because one of the reasons why this field is so competitive is because grad school IS extremely tough, like, mentally and physically draining tough. My grad friends describes our undergrad studies as a "kiddie playground".2. I know bilingual SLPs are kind of in-demand in the United States now. how can I maximized this advantage/counter my disadvantage on my GPA when I'm applying? I suggest doing some research to show that you're making an effort in helping bilingual populations. Mandarin and Spanish speaking SLPs are in high demand both in the workforce and in research. During my interviews, every faculty member asked me if I knew how to speak Mandarin or Spanish, sadly, it's a no WHICH cost me a few rejections. If you can somehow make use of your talents, do it! because they need more bilingual speakers to help recruit and interpret data.3. Are there any schools that I can specifically look at that provide bilingual research or clinical opportunities? Bilingual labs are very popular in our field... I suggest looking down south where there are a higher populations of bilingual speakers. Some schools like Arizona and Texas are top schools for research in bilingual speakers.4. What cities or states should I be aiming for to have contact with a bigger population of bilingual clients? The state I am in right now does NOT have a lot of diversity. (read above)5. I am debating if I want to get my permanent resident identity (the US green card) right now. If I do so I will lose my international student status. I know every school has a quota for international students. Does anybody have any idea or similar experiences on which identity I should be applying under to have a better chance to get in? I'm not an international student or know any, I'm unable to answer this question.6. What are some of the other things I can do to help counter my low GPA? I knew my low GPA in the past was going to hurt my chances of getting into grad school so I did three years of research, got an article published and presented at 5 conferences (one of them being ASHA). I looked for volunteer opportunities everywhere! I volunteered at inclusion schools (working with children with special needs), volunteered at a rehabilitation center (working with AAC devices), became active on campus to build good rapport with faculty members so that I can have strong LOR. Also, by volunteering, I made sure I stayed there long enough so I can get a speech language pathologist to write a LOR for me. When you apply to graduate school, they typically want two letters from someone who knows your academic strive (so like, professors) and one from a clinical perspective (someone who knows your hands on experience). I hope that helps! Good luck in whatever decision you make =)

Waiting on UofArizona, UT-Austin, UofGeorgia, & UofNMex.

I attended college a decade ago and was not successful. I had a GPA below a 1.0! Yes, you can get a GPA that low. I finally took a break for 5 years, started working for hospitals and clinics around the metropolitan area. After realizing that I needed a career and a higher income, I returned back to school. I knew my old stats were going to hurt my chances of getting into grad school so I retook some classes over (some were so old, the college no longer offered it and were stuck on my transcript). I started getting involved on and off campus. I found volunteer positions working as a paraprofessional and an augmentative and alternative device assistant WHILE maintaining my full-time position at the hospital. I also got involved in research for three years, published an article and presented at ASHA. As busy as I was, I made sure I maintained a good bond with faculty members who I felt would be great letter writers. One of the most crucial part about students are that they don't realize how important it is to network with their professors. HELLLLLO! they know at least ONE faculty member from each school in the U.S....because most likely, they went to grad school with them OR they've probably worked on a research together. Networking was the MOST important part towards gaining access into graduate school for me. By the time application period rolled around, I've had three years of research, 13 years of medical experiences, 2 years of paraprofessional work, a published research, and 5 research conferences done. I contacted professors who I felt were a good match for me, completed a few interviews before submitting my applications. I wanted them to know me prior to looking at my stats... I felt that # tends to distract people from seeing the whole package. I'm happy to say, it took me 6 years to complete my undergraduate studies but I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL ON THE FIRST TRY!! Anything is possible as long as you put in that extra work.