AlwaysaFalcon

It took me three times to become accepted into grad school! Don't give up! I would say that to me you have really great GRE scores. Most of my professors said that you should be in at least the 50th percentile or above and that's what you are. I think what's more important is you as an applicant and the whole picture. To me and some schools I applied to it was more important the student as a whole and their experience than anything else. I volunteered the past school year once a week at an integrated preschool. There I assisted the special education teacher with the classroom and got to work with kids with Autism, Down Syndrome and developmental delays. They were also super helpful and let me observe with an slp since I expressed an interest an becoming an slp. I think that really boosted my application since I am going to grad school in the fall and I even had a choice between schools   I would use that experience you've gained and also if you are able apply to schools all over the country. I found that I had a better time not restricting my applications to a certain region of the country. For example as an east coaster I found there was a lot of competition there so I expanded my search but I understand if that's not possible. While I am going to school farther from home than I would have liked I figure it is only 2 years of my life and it will get me the degree I want!  Edfind ASHA was my best friend when researching schools. I became really picky and specific with finding schools that my stats fit with and I think that really helped. I know I couldn't help specifically for those programs!

This was exactly what I wanted to know.  Thanks so much!

How I handled my letter of intent I did a general outline of what I wanted to say and then tailored it individually to each school depending on what they wanted. I said my interest in speech, a background about me and my goals for grad school and what I liked about the grad program. My professors did a general letter of recommendation for each school. CSDCAS is nice because they can just submitt that once. Hope that helps! I know applying to school is stressful!

For the CSDCAS letters each professor I had submitted one letter. So I had 4 people write my letters of recommendation and on CSDCAS I think I applied to 25 schools but they didn't submit it 25 times, just once! For schools not on csdcas I gave my professors a list of those schools and a due date I wanted them to upload the letter by. Most of these applications they could upload electronically and were sent an email explaining the process. I hope that helps!

To add to my previous post, I would also recommend having a stellar letter of intent and be sure to have a good relationship with the professors who will be writing your letter of recommendation. Don't be afraid to talk about you lower scores in your letter (Not GRE though). In my letter I never made excuses for having lower score at my community college, but instead pointed out how and where I improved. For example, I stated how when I started finally learning about the field I was passionate about, my grades soared up. I also pointed out how a became an academic personal trainer to help students who also had a difficult time with the transition from high school to college. I had a great relationships with the people who wrote my letters of recommendation and I am sure those letters had a lot to do with my grad school acceptances. The GRE is such a minuscule part of your overall application. It is important, but shouldn't be your everything. Hope this helps!

It took me four times of applying to finally get in. Working as an SLPA will definitely help...I was working in a different industry, which was part of the problem for me. If you're worried you won't get in next time, I would definitely suggest applying to a wider range of schools, particularly ones in less desirable areas. I really wanted to stay in the Portland/Seattle area, but then, so do a lot of people...which is why all the programs in those places are so competitive! I'm going to Idaho State and I'm not super thrilled about living in such a rural area...but two years is not a very big sacrifice compared to the decades you'll get to work in your desired field! Plus, every SLP I know (plus people in other healthcare professions) tells me that it really doesn't matter (from a career standpoint) where you go to grad school. 

As AlwaysaFalcon mentioned, each of your references submit one letter of rec on CSDCAS. All your schools will use that one submission. Personal statements or Letter of Intents are submit separately for each college on CSDCAS. I, too, also made a general one that targets the obvious questions (Why you chose this field? Why that particular school, etc.) then later tailored it to that specific school.
A HUGE Tip: Try to submit your stuff at least 3-4 weeks in advanced (including your LOR). It takes FOREVER for CSDCAS to receive it, review it and post it in your file as "completed".  Some schools will specifically say it on their site that if CSDCAS did not completed it by the due date, it's considered as an incomplete application. Every school is different, call CSDCAS to see which one of your schools need everything "completed" by the due date and which schools are ok that CSDCAS received documents but have not put "completed" in your file yet. The earlier you start on your submissions, the better. Don't wait till peak time (Dec-Feb) because my GRE scores took 3.5 weeks to be posted in my CSDCAS application. Even the process of paying it needed time to approve. It was such a hassle! 

@KslptobeYou sound so similar to me grade wise! It took me three separate application cycles to become accepted into grad school! It just shows we don't give up and work hard to get where we need to be  I've done the same thing and have tried to write encouraging words to all us fellow applicants that have/have been discouraged by the application process! Congratulations!

@KslptobeYou sound so similar to me grade wise! It took me three separate application cycles to become accepted into grad school! It just shows we don't give up and work hard to get where we need to be  I've done the same thing and have tried to write encouraging words to all us fellow applicants that have/have been discouraged by the application process! Congratulations!

@KslptobeYou sound so similar to me grade wise! It took me three separate application cycles to become accepted into grad school! It just shows we don't give up and work hard to get where we need to be  I've done the same thing and have tried to write encouraging words to all us fellow applicants that have/have been discouraged by the application process! Congratulations!

@KslptobeYou sound so similar to me grade wise! It took me three separate application cycles to become accepted into grad school! It just shows we don't give up and work hard to get where we need to be  I've done the same thing and have tried to write encouraging words to all us fellow applicants that have/have been discouraged by the application process! Congratulations!

Love this thread! Such awesome advice as I am weighing whether to have a roommate or not and whether in the same program or not!

Yes we are  ! No more filling out grad applications! Woo!  But I agree I did not realize how competitive it was until the rejections came in! Professors warned us but did not take it seriously until then.

@lee09 I got the same notification! I would take it as a good sign! You're not out of the running yet!

@SpeechLaedy Congratulations! I remember that feeling! The best in the world  Happened for me this year after trying for three application cycles!
 

Please don't give up! This was my third round completing applications after many rejections and waitlists not getting anywhere. This year I was accepted into two programs. What really helped me improve my applications was retaking the gre and bumping up that writing score from a 3.5 to a 4, having more than most minimums of letters of recommendation (3) and doing 4 and volunteering. I was able to volunteer at an integrated preschool! It shows commitment and I was able to shadow the slp there which definitely helped why I wanted to be in this career.

Has anyone created a group for Governors State University?

Please don't give up! This was my third round completing applications after many rejections and waitlists not getting anywhere. This year I was accepted into two programs. What really helped me improve my applications was retaking the gre and bumping up that writing score from a 3.5 to a 4, having more than most minimums of letters of recommendation (3) and doing 4 and volunteering. I was able to volunteer at an integrated preschool! It shows commitment and I was able to shadow the slp there which definitely helped why I wanted to be in this career.

Please don't give up! This was my third round completing applications after many rejections and waitlists not getting anywhere. This year I was accepted into two programs. What really helped me improve my applications was retaking the gre and bumping up that writing score from a 3.5 to a 4, having more than most minimums of letters of recommendation (3) and doing 4 and volunteering. I was able to volunteer at an integrated preschool! It shows commitment and I was able to shadow the slp there which definitely helped why I wanted to be in this career.