AlwaysaFalcon

Personally for mine I did a paragraph of background information: where I completed my undergraduate, why I wanted to be an SLP, etc. Then I discussed my strengths, career goals & personally experience to the field! Make sure to personalize it to each school you are applying to. Tell them why you would be a good fit for their program and what you like about their program! If you have other questions feel free to PM me

Ironically for me the school I ended up going to did not require the GRE so for me not very important! Personally I think there is more than an applicant than standardized test scores and luckily the programs I was accepted into recognized that since I've never been great at standardized tests!

I agree with @WesttoEast18! An addition to that come up with questions you would have for the program! I was asked what questions I had for them so have something prepared.

Governors State University did not require the GRE when I applied!

Personally I could not afford to go visit the schools but if you can afford it I recommend visiting! I am happy where I am so not visiting did not affect me in my decision!

Hi @Becky G. Hi! I applied three different application cycles and for me third time was the charm! I was accepted into three schools! My gpa from undergrad was a total of a 3.34, not sure what just the communication disorders classes were. I think my GRE scores were 142 for Verbal and 144 for Math and 4.0 for writing. Funny thing is the school I ended up attending did not need GRE scores. I think the thing that helped me this last time around was: 1. I applied all of the country and tried to apply to schools with a lower amount of applicants so I could stand out. 2. I submitted more than the minimum requirement of letters of recommendation (2-3) and instead submitted 4. 3. I gained experience in the field that I could use in my letter of intent. I volunteered at an integrated preschool and was able to observe with an slp and also work with kids. It was so much fun and I was able to confirm my interest in the field. Good luck and know we are all in this together!

I know for me I worked two years after I graduated from undergrad and before grad school so I was able to start paying down student loans. Not a huge dent but still is better than nothing but I agree with @Jordyn_M463 about getting the masters degree to start making money to pay down the debt! To make up for cost I chose a graduate program that was cheaper to save myself money so this will definitely help and have a federal student worker job on campus to help with bills.

I would also encourage a white dry erase board! It's great for studying especially practicing ipa!

Personally because I am on a budget I usually try and rent textbooks from Chegg. If the cheapest option is to buy from the bookstore or amazon then I will do that. I figure I can buy the textbooks later on if I want them once I graduate and have more money. That's why I keep my syllabi since it lists the textbooks on there.

I go to Governors State University!

A school I was accepted into called Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT had a concentration you could do in Autism.

Hi! I applied three different application cycles and for me third time was the charm! I was accepted into three schools! My gpa from undergrad was a total of a 3.34, not sure what just the communication disorders classes were. I think my GRE scores were 142 for Verbal and 144 for Math and 4.0 for writing. Funny thing is the school I ended up attending did not need GRE scores. I think the thing that me this last time around was: 1. I applied all of the country and tried to apply to schools with a lower amount of applicants so I could stand out. 2. I submitted more than the minimum requirement of letters of recommendation (2-3) and instead submitted 4. 3. I gained experience in the field that I could use in my letter of intent. I volunteered at an integrated preschool and was able to observe with an slp and also work with kids. It was so much fun and I was able to confirm my interest in the field. Good luck and know we are all in this together!

@AVSchilling1995 I had very similar gre scores to you/you had some higher schools than me. I took the gre 3 times and only raised my score maybe by 2 points and went from a 3.5 to 4. I know myself that I am not a good standardized test taker so I tried to improve my application in other ways. I would advice widen the schools you are applying to (area, public vs private, etc). What really helped me was widening my search and applying to schools all over and schools that had a fewer number of applicants applying. This gives you a chance to stand out. You could also try applying to schools that don't require the GRE. There is a forum on here where people were listing schools that didn't require the gre. Also beef up your letters of recommendation. I went from 3 to 4 to help stand out and give the professors an idea of who I am personally. Hope this helps!

You can try and submit them and see what they say, however I know that some programs might count hours only if it's during the school year (during undergraduate) so just a warning! But either way that's going to be a great experience for you that you can talk about in your letter of intent!

For me it depends on the class. I know some professors didn't want you to bring your laptop to class so for those I would print out the power-point slides and then make any additional notes directly on the slides. However these past two semesters I have taken notes directly on my laptop.

I work part time on campus in one of the offices and work about 15 hours a week as part of my federal work study. Right now it is definitely manageable. My program you do all of your coursework first and then complete your practicum. So I won't be able to work once I start my practicum, but right now it is definitely manageable. Most girls in my program work part time if this helps.

I agree with @andreadls22! Really depends on your stats and how confident you feel. Personally if it were me I wouldn't want to go through the application process again and the risk of not getting in the next application cycle. But ultimately it's up to you! I had the choice between an expensive private school and a cheap state school and I went with the cheaper school. However, If I were just accepted into the private school I would have gone there because of the reasons I mentioned.

Governors State University is one of the cheapest school in Illinois! It's $353/credit hour. If you are an out of state resident you have to live here for 6 months before you can apply as an instate resident which is a nice option! It's about an hour south of Chicago so it's nice to have the option to travel into the city!

I agree with @Jordyn_M463 and @pbandj. Apply to schools that have fewer applicants applying and a higher ratio of those that they interview. I tried to stick to schools with 250 or less applicants. Like others have said if you can apply to schools from all over. Good luck!

@hopefulsp Your stats were better than mine and I had my undergraduate degree in CDIS! Below are my tips from applying for grads school that I think worked for me. It took me 3 different times to get into grad school so like @StressedSLPHopeful said it's nothing to be ashamed of. I wish someone had told me that when I first applied because you feel so embarrassed and ashamed when in fact the average person takes 2-3 cycles to get in. 1. Ask for more than the standard 2-3 letters of recommendation For my last application cycle I ended up getting 4 letters of recommendation, 2 that were from professors and 2 that were past supervisors of mine. I think this helped me to stand out and also gave the committee an opportunity to not only see my academically, but also personally. It also is going above and beyond to prove to them why you are worthy. 2. If you can, apply to a wide range of programs (states, cities, etc) My last cycle I applied to 25 different states across the U.S. Now, I'm not saying you have to do as many as me haha but I was very selective with the schools I chose. I chose programs from all over and based this on asha edfind and each school's stats regarding gpa, gre range and the ratio of applicants to the new interviewed and the percentage accepted. I chose programs well fewer applicants so there was less competition. Personally I looked at it as this is two years of my life and then I can have my degree and be done! That was why I was so open to moving for grad school, but I understand not everyone can do this for family or money reasons. I just feel this gives you more variety of programs and how they can best suit you. 3. Gain experience One of the biggest factors that I think helped me between the second and third cycle applying was I gained experience. I volunteered an a integrated preschool that had typically developing children and those with speech and language delays and disorders. From this experience, I was able to observe an slp and gain experience working with kids. I really enjoyed this and was able to talk about this in my letter of intent. It also shows to the committee the experience and reasoning why you want to be an slp. I hope this helps you! Your stats were better than mine so I believe you can do this! Feel free to personal message me if you have other questions One of my favorite drinks is a Raspberry Whiskey Sour !

I applied to Sacred Heart University twice. The first time I applied I was waitlisted and then rejected while the second time I applied and was accepted so I have more experience with this school! Honestly it's really hard to tell someone their chances of getting in because there are so many factors considered for an acceptance such as gpa, gre, extra activities, job/volunteer experience and how well you do in the interview. I liked Sacred Heart! Ultimately I decided on another institution but I liked Sacred Heart's program. 1. Ask for more than the standard 2-3 letters of recommendation For my last application cycle I ended up getting 4 letters of recommendation, 2 that were from professors and 2 that were past supervisors of mine. I think this helped me to stand out and also gave the committee an opportunity to not only see my academically, but also personally. It also is going above and beyond to prove to them why you are worthy. 2. If you can, apply to a wide range of programs (states, cities, etc) My last cycle I applied to 25 different states across the U.S. Now, I'm not saying you have to do as many as me haha but I was very selective with the schools I chose. I chose programs from all over and based this on asha edfind and each school's stats regarding gpa, gre range and the ratio of applicants to the new interviewed and the percentage accepted. I chose programs well fewer applicants so there was less competition. Personally I looked at it as this is two years of my life and then I can have my degree and be done! That was why I was so open to moving for grad school, but I understand not everyone can do this for family or money reasons. I just feel this gives you more variety of programs and how they can best suit you. 3. Gain experience One of the biggest factors that I think helped me between the second and third cycle applying was I gained experience. I volunteered an a integrated preschool that had typically developing children and those with speech and language delays and disorders. From this experience, I was able to observe an slp and gain experience working with kids. I really enjoyed this and was able to talk about this in my letter of intent. It also shows to the committee the experience and reasoning why you want to be an slp. I hope this helps you! Feel free to personal message me if you have other questions

@slptobe! After applying three different application cycles here is the best advice I can give based on my experience: 1. Ask for more than the standard 2-3 letters of recommendation For my last application cycle I ended up getting 4 letters of recommendation, 2 that were from professors and 2 that were past supervisors of mine. I think this helped me to stand out and also gave the committee an opportunity to not only see my academically, but also personally. It also is going above and beyond to prove to them why you are worthy. 2. If you can, apply to a wide range of programs (states, cities, etc) My last cycle I applied to 25 different states across the U.S. Now, I'm not saying you have to do as many as me haha but I was very selective with the schools I chose. I chose programs from all over and based this on asha edfind and each school's stats regarding gpa, gre range and the ratio of applicants to the new interviewed and the percentage accepted. I chose programs well fewer applicants so there was less competition. Personally I looked at it as this is two years of my life and then I can have my degree and be done! That was why I was so open to moving for grad school, but I understand not everyone can do this for family or money reasons. I just feel this gives you more variety of programs and how they can best suit you. 3. Gain experience One of the biggest factors that I think helped me between the second and third cycle applying was I gained experience. I volunteered an a integrated preschool that had typically developing children and those with speech and language delays and disorders. From this experience, I was able to observe an slp and gain experience working with kids. I really enjoyed this and was able to talk about this in my letter of intent. It also shows to the committee the experience and reasoning why you want to be an slp. I hope this helps you! Your stats were better than mine so I believe you can do this! Feel free to personal message me if you have other questions

Sacred Heart University has an Autism track you can select if you want to specialize in that.

@mountaingirl135 After applying three different application cycles here is the best advice I can give based on my experience: 1. Ask for more than the standard 2-3 letters of recommendation For my last application cycle I ended up getting 4 letters of recommendation, 2 that were from professors and 2 that were past supervisors of mine. I think this helped me to stand out and also gave the committee an opportunity to not only see my academically, but also personally. It also is going above and beyond to prove to them why you are worthy. 2. If you can, apply to a wide range of programs (states, cities, etc) My last cycle I applied to 25 different states across the U.S. Now, I'm not saying you have to do as many as me haha but I was very selective with the schools I chose. I chose programs from all over and based this on asha edfind and each school's stats regarding gpa, gre range and the ratio of applicants to the new interviewed and the percentage accepted. I chose programs well fewer applicants so there was less competition. Personally I looked at it as this is two years of my life and then I can have my degree and be done! That was why I was so open to moving for grad school, but I understand not everyone can do this for family or money reasons. I just feel this gives you more variety of programs and how they can best suit you. 3. Gain experience One of the biggest factors that I think helped me between the second and third cycle applying was I gained experience. I volunteered an a integrated preschool that had typically developing children and those with speech and language delays and disorders. From this experience, I was able to observe an slp and gain experience working with kids. I really enjoyed this and was able to talk about this in my letter of intent. It also shows to the committee the experience and reasoning why you want to be an slp. I hope this helps you! Your stats were better than mine so I believe you can do this! Feel free to personal message me if you have other questions

I would go with the cheaper school. That for me was personally a decision I made because I wanted to save and set myself up for a better future with less debt. The two schools I was deciding between had a difference of $25,000, not even including the cost of living. Candidate schools just mean that they are new programs so asha puts this status on programs that are brand new the first five years they are open to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. You will get your degree and a candidate status does not mean it isn't a quality program. Hope that helps!