bibliophile222

From what I've read on this forum, for many people the CSDCAS GPA is lower than how they calculated it, me included. It might be something to do with how they count, say, an A- versus an A (?). I think I read the reason somewhere, just can't remember. I had a few pass/no pass classes, so I have no idea how they counted those. Of course, I also had a couple Fs (whoops!) from a million years ago at my first botched attempt at higher education, which I hadn't included in my calculations--I guess I blocked them out of my memory!

I second this! Some of my essays weren't customized enough to the specific program, but for the one I ended up attending I wrote about how beautiful and scenic the school, town, and surrounding area are. At the time I wasn't sure if they would just think it was weird to talk about the area instead of the school specifically, but it looks like they liked it!

I'm a Linguistics major myself, so you're in good company! There's a reason Psych and Linguistics are the two most common majors of non-CSD applicants, since there's a lot of overlap between subjects. Make sure you stress in your apps how your additional knowledge base will serve you well in your future career.

On paper, yes. Your GPA is excellent and you have some great experiences. It's hard to tell for sure until you take the GRE, and of course the content of your LORs and SOP is hugely important. People post threads here all the time asking if they're competitive, but there's no easy answer. It depends on the schools you apply to and how all the pieces of your application come together as a whole package. Your fit within the program is important. You could have great stats but not mention a school in your SOP and get rejected because they feel slighted. Or you could be competitive at a higher-ranked school but get rejected at a lower-ranked school because they're in a good location and get deluged with applications (NY/NJ schools are notorious for this). As many others have said on here, check out ASHA EdFind to get at least a rough idea of the average accepted student. And relax! You're doing great so far. Keep up the good work and do lots of research on potential programs!

You don't specify, so I'm hoping the CSD coursework you've taken is more than one or two courses and is equivalent to all the prereqs you would need to get in (which can vary by program). There are also courses in the sciences which are mandated by ASHA. Try to get all of these done before grad school! If your school does not have many CSD courses, you may need to take others either piecemeal or as part of a post-bacc, or you can try a three-year program that includes any prereqs you haven't had. On a side note, does your school not offer a CSD degree? If they do, it might be easier to just change minors and get all your prereqs done that way.

Last day of the semester, huzzah! Four beautiful weeks to binge watch and read for pleasure. I'm so excited. The last time I had four weeks without school or work was over 13 years ago.

Thank you! I think you kind of confirmed what I was thinking, which is what I was really looking for, of course. ? Thinking about it more, because it isn't a Ph.D. I don't think fit matters as much. If anything it will make me a more well-rounded clinician with greater flexibility for job openings in the future.

Another thing you can do is to really ace the SOP. It's a great opportunity to highlight what makes you special and an asset to the program, showcase your writing abilities, and maybe explain the reason for your lower GPA, challenges you may have overcome, etc. Start writing it early and have as many people look it over as you can. Make sure each one is customized for the program you are applying to. Proofread carefully!!! The SOP can make or break even a competitive applicant, and you can really use it to your benefit if you do it right.

I agree. Some programs may be strict and require them to be all be CSD, but all of my LORs were Linguistics professors (actually, one was an SLP who taught communication disorders courses, but it was all part of the Linguistics department). Granted, that was my major, but if you have professors who taught related coursework that might still be fine. When are you planning to apply? It also might be worthwhile to wait until you are done with your prereqs and see if any of those professors will help out.

So first things first: I am in a Master's program for Speech-Language Pathology, which as some of you may know is a professional program. There are Ph.D.s but most leave with the Master's, so research is not highly stressed unless you plan on a Ph.D. (which I don't). However, there are a couple non-thesis options for our capstone projects. The standard is a systematic lit review done in small groups, but there is also the option to do a non-thesis research project with faculty. I am interested in the research project because I think it would be fascinating and incredibly informative to work with a faculty member in this way (and let's not deceive ourselves, a presentation/publication opportunity would be pretty cool). Anyways, Dr. X has said that there are 2 slots open in her lab. I'm interested in her area of research, but it's not my primary interest and not really where I want to end up specializing (I think--I haven't done any placements yet so this could change). I also really love her teaching style and think she's crazy smart. She thinks highly of my writing and class participation. On the other hand, Dr. Y is doing work more closely related to my interests (again, so far, could change) but I haven't had him as a professor yet and don't know what opportunities, if any, are available. Or I could be practical but boring and do the lit review like everyone else. To summarize, I think working with Dr. X would be pretty awesome and we have a good rapport. I might be a better fit with Dr. Y but there are too many unknowns. My gut says to try it out with Dr. X, but I'm just not sure if the subject matter is what I want to end up doing once I graduate. Is broadening my horizons and range of experience worth the slight mismatch in interest?

Whoops. Looks like my focus only lasted a day and a half. Oh well, back to mindless browsing.

If you do a little digging (very little, actually) on this forum you will see 50+ threads about having a low GPA, with many people giving reassurances that they got in somewhere with a lower GPA. You will also see threads on schools that only look at the last 60 credits or only the major GPA. Granted, if your GPA is too low you may have to apply multiple years in a row, retake classes you did poorly in, and/or aim for killer GRE scores and LORs, but it can be done. If you're trying for a highly-ranked program then yeah, you may need a 3.8 or higher to be competitive, but it's a known fact in this field that program ranking has little to no significance once you get out into the real world. You can do it! Don't let the naysayers get you down, especially when you still have so much more time in your undergrad to improve your GPA if you need to.

There's a period in January-ish (sorry, can't remember exactly when) where they reopen the transcripts section and you can update your grades with fall courses. You should be able to submit without them receiving your transcript, but it is risky waiting to send it since it could take time to verify. I'm not sure if the extra 10 or so days is worth sending out two transcripts, but if you think it will bring you peace of mind you could submit the current transcript and then resubmit on the 20th.

Now that the end of the semester is almost in sight and I only have to finish up a few things, I am filled with a fresh supply of motivation and laser beam focus. It's nice that I'm getting this now when I need it, but I wish I had this focus the whole time. I would have had so much more free time!

My semester has been crazy busy! Lots of assignments and reading in addition to clinic paperwork. I definitely spend 50 hours a week on school. I know you won't have clinic placements at first (I applied to NYU online) but depending on the program you may have a lot of homework. Again, heavily program-dependent, I know some are more test-centered and thus have fewer things due each week. If they haven't provided this already, I would ask for the email address of a current student to get a sense of the workload and for any other questions you might have!

Did you get your giant proposal/paper thingy done yet? If so, congratulations, if not, it's awful but it's coming to an end. Hang in there!

Holy moley! You sound pretty competitive to me. Your verbal GRE is fine, and your AW score is awesome. You also have some great experiences! Don't sweat it, you'll get in somewhere as long as you didn't bomb the personal statement. I also got my undergrad in Linguistics and I got in without a tenth of your experience!

The purpose of these courses is just because ASHA requires them. ? Actually, the main reason for the stats class is because you have to be at least a little familiar with standard deviations, a bell curve, and other statistical data that you will see on standardized speech and language assessments. While you won't have to do the calculations yourself, you at least need to know what this stuff means, and there may not be time in your grad classes to go super in-depth. I'm not as sure why a physical science course is necessary. My guess is that it can help with some other prereqs and a basic understanding of the concepts involved, such as how physics relates to sound waves or how chemistry relates to neurotransmitters. Because it is more of a science-ish degree, I guess they want us to be well-rounded in different types of science. I'm in my first semester of grad school and still haven't taken my physical science requirement. I'm kind of annoyed that I have to take a course that will have no real purpose, especially since I've taken the rest of the prereqs already. But such is life. On the plus side you don't have to take a lab for the physical science, and you don't need to get a fantastic grade--just try for a C or better.

My clinic supervisor loved my roasted garlic spinach dip and asked for the recipe! I rarely have the motivation to cook, but when I have to I think I do a pretty nice job.

Hello! i can't speak to your questions myself, but if you check out the SLP forum you'll find plenty of people who can help you--or you can just read the numerous past threads on the same topic! In the main menu, scroll down to Professional Programs to find the SLP forum.

Same, I've been procrastinating like crazy today despite the knowledge that I have a mountain of stuff to do the next couple days. I checked out about three weeks ago and it's been so damn hard to keep working.

I also am straight and therefore cannot speak personally on this, but I think if you go to programs that are in pretty liberal areas it might not be much of an issue. For instance, I lived in western Massachusetts near UMass Amherst. I can't speak as to the specific makeup/viewpoint of the CSD program there, but the Amherst/Northampton area is outrageously liberal, and Northampton is the lesbian capital of the Northeast (or country?). If anyone in that area, especially professors, were not LGBTQ friendly they would get read the riot act! I'm now at UVM--again, an incredibly liberal area--and it is a pretty welcoming environment. I grew up in Vermont; during high school three of my friends came out and no one batted an eye. Again, though, I cannot speak personally, so if anyone has experienced any differently feel free to correct me!

Another consideration is cost/time required. Our thesis option is 3 more credits than the research project/systematic review options and requires significantly more time and cognitive resources! Only one girl in my cohort of 18 is going for a thesis. I am pondering doing a non-thesis research project because I think it would be interesting and challenging to do research with a professor, but it is much less intensive than a thesis would be.

I stayed up late last night doing work, and now I have a 13-hour day on campus. I could have not signed up for an audiology observation at 9 am and instead come in at 1:00 like everyone else, but no. I guess it's a good thing though, because I'm loaded with work that I put off and have to finish today, and I wouldn't get it done if I were lollygagging at home. I feel like most of the time I vent on this thread, it's over something that's completely self-inflicted. Sigh.

I think it would depend on how far below average, combined of course with all the other pieces of your application. If everything else is strong then forget it, they don't really care about your quant score and the 4.5 shows that you know how to write. However, if your GPA is weak then it might be worth it to retake it. It also depends hugely on the programs you are applying to. Obviously, less competitive programs will be more forgiving than the higher-ranked programs. P. S.--If you haven't stumbled across it yet, the SLP forum (look on the home screen for the Professional Programs section) is where most of the SLP action is on Grad Cafe, with plenty of people to answer all your questions. The SLP grad school application process and program definitely have their own idiosyncrasies that people who are doing a Ph.D. program might not know about.