FutureSLP2019

I work with developmentally disabled adults. I have worked in a couple of different positions within the agency. I first worked as an Activity Therapist Assistant in a workshop setting. I mostly worked within the kitchen area which was great experience for me because I helped prepare meals for almost all of the clients. There are quite a few clients with dysphagia that are on ground or pureed diets and also need Thick-it added to their drinks. As a result, I became very familiar with all of the clients' feeding guidelines and all of the adaptive equipment they use. I also feed at least a couple of clients a day so if I ever decide to do any work with swallowing disorders, I am quite comfortable working with that population. The day program I currently work at is more educational. All of the clients have daily learning goals, and we do more games and activities with them throughout the day.
I have worked in workshops, group homes, and long-term care facilities, and I have worked with clients on all ends of the spectrum. Many of the clients are grouped together based on personal experiences and need so some locations I work in have more behavioral clients, while other locations serve clients that require more medical care. I do a lot of direct care at my job (i.e., feeding, changing, bathing) and the pay is not the greatest, but I really enjoy working with the clients and believe my experiences will serve me well in grad school.
I didn't do any volunteer work after graduating. My job was not always the most flexible, and I often got stuck working extra hours unexpectedly. I also was still taking a few post-bacc classes and preparing for the GRE when I first started at my job. I still pick up a couple of extra shifts a week since we are so short staffed so I try to enjoy any free time I have. If you want to work with adults, I would recommend at least volunteering with this population. I always love when volunteers come in to help. It makes the day so much easier, and most of the clients love interacting with new people too.

I believe that many schools value experience. I completed my undergrad about 3 years ago and put off applying to grad school. I think I just got comfortable working after a couple of years and the thought of applying to grad school seemed very overwhelming, but this fall I felt I was ready to take the next step so I can advance in my professional career. I have a high GPA, but my GREs are nothing to brag about (V:153; Q:144). I truly believe that my personal and professional experiences are what made me stand out, along with strong LORs and SOPs.
I started off my undergrad career as an Acting major, but after taking a Speech for the Stage course I fell in love with speech and using IPA. I then became a Linguistics major to further my studies in speech and language, while doing quite a bit of volunteer work with adult English language learners. Since graduating, I have been working full time with developmentally disabled adults.
I applied to 5 schools and have so far been accepted to 3, waitlisted at 1, and still waiting to hear back from the last one. I didn't think I stood a chance at a couple of the programs I applied to due to my GRE scores, but thankfully the admissions committees looked at the whole picture. I put a lot of time and effort into my SOPs, highlighting all of the important skills and characteristics I have developed over the past few years. Just make sure to be yourself and highlight the qualities that will make you stand out from the average applicant.