NatRose

Did undergrad at UCF & am currently enrolled in their grad program; UCF offers their own Aural Rehab class, but at the graduate level. Aural Rehab differs from Hearing Dis in that the latter goes into the science of Hearing Disorders, whereas Aural Rehab actually delves into how to treat clients.

I did something similar to @Jordyn_M463 above! I organized mine by 1. Personal Background (insert distinguishing sob story here) 2. Desired Professional background 3. Work experience 4. Why (school)? Name drop faculty. 5. Why you'll kick ass / change the world or whatever / why (university) or the field would benefit from YOU. Culture shock lent its weight to the frustrations I experienced upon my return tothe United States after a romanticized childhood in the Caribbean. I felt disoriented atthe stark cultural differences between the collectivist island exalting community aboveall, and the nation renowned for emphasizing individual advancement. Alwaysembracing a methodological approach, my twelve-year- old self determined to learn theculture and its customs by analyzing the language and colloquialisms employed by mypeers vocally, and written during the advent of social media. As a simultaneous bilingual,assimilating still took years—this consideration reveals only a glimpse into the extent ofthe difficulties endured by those with communicative difficulties, whether they are non-native speakers, or have special needs. The rise of interest in neurodiversity has led to productive new perspectives,which allowed newfound autonomy and voices to some of the most stigmatized people:namely, those on the autism spectrum. When this often-misconstrued neurodivergencecombines with the additional stigma of originating from a family of non-native speakers(and, potentially, immigration status), the hurdles may seem insurmountable.Unfortunately, finding a bilingual speech-language pathologist who specializes in ASDand bilingual language development proves a difficult task. I hope my clinical pursuitcan ease the gap between demand and practicing specialists: I grew up not just as anative Spanish speaker who often helped my parents navigate between linguistic worlds,but also as the daughter of an autistic father and sister of not one, but three autisticbrothers. Overcoming communication difficulties has defined a significant portion of myown development, fueling my fervor toward helping the disadvantaged accomplish thesame. I am keenly aware that passion alone cannot sustain a career: this is why I wantto continue what I began at UCF, and join the master’s program for speech-languagepathology. As a Fall 2015 graduate, I am already familiar with the UCF community, butat this point in my life, earning the master’s from my alma mater is the best fit for mygoals and interests. I am passionate about bilingualism and interested in eventuallyearning a PhD in this field not simply because of the professional experiences I gainedat UCF, but because of my current career as a speech language pathologist assistant ata private outpatient clinic. Since earning my undergraduate degree, I have had the privilege of working withchildren and watching them learn to express themselves. There is simply no comparablefeeling to witnessing a non-verbal child utter their first word after years of treatment. Ihave had the experience of working with families to see that some of the communicativehurdles my family faced were not unique, and I have applied my experiences to theirspecific needs. It has been humbling, rewarding, and daunting to see appointment requests from parents and children who continue to have a positive response to therapy;in turn, their progress has inspired me to increase my skill set to become a moreresponsive clinician who exceeds their expectations. Determined to expand clinical skillsand contribute to the profession, I am eager to dive into research with renowned expertsin the field. I am particularly eager to work under Dr. Anthony Pah-Hin Kong, as his researchintersects with my interests: he is one of the few experts specializing in both bilingualismand adult neurogenic disorders. His research on the interactions of bilingual Cantonese-speaking brains with a variety of neurogenic disorders inspires me to someday emulatehis work on my own native tongue, and help expand the field’s knowledge on bilingualbrains. Working with someone who can help me hone my ability to research these topicswould be an honor, and although I am comparatively a neophyte in the field, my workand personal experience could help provide additional data and perspectives. The trajectory of my professional life so far has been working with children,particularly with those who are doubly stigmatized due to neurodiversity or due toimmigration and linguistic status. I feel called to work with this population and not justadvocate for them, but to empower them to advocate for themselves. The dominantparadigm for the neurodiverse is to train them to be more “normal,” but I want to find away to help this population use language and build bridges so that people accept andengage with them as they are. In this regard, there are many parallels with bilingualism,since the dominant paradigm for bilingualism is to train people to achieve fluency in theEnglish language and cultural norms, leaving their culture by the wayside. In thisdynamic, I recall my early childhood, when my newly-single mother brought our familyback to her homeland in the Dominican Republic—both growing up there, and upon ourreturn to the United States, the onus was on us to leave behind who we were, and tobecome new people who fully assimilated, leaving behind our linguistic and—in thecases of my brothers—neurological identities. In this dynamic, I wondered if there mightnot be a better way: a way to help people learn to use language without letting go of theiridentities. This goal aligns with the ASHA Code of Ethics, and is a challenge I relish on myprofessional life. I will uphold the aforementioned code diligently: my responsibility to thewelfare and autonomy of my clients comprises an integral facet of my role a speech-language pathologist. I will ensure that my clients are well-informed about the risks andnature of the provided services, and will obtain their full consent to administer evidence-based treatment. I will collaborate with professionals within and outside the field toprovide the most effective treatment within our capabilities and competencies. I vow tonever discriminate against clients or professionals, nor to ever misrepresent my clients,their eligibility, my competence, and my services. Among other roles delineated in theCode of Ethics, these objectives constitute my professional goals, and I would behonored to have the opportunity to rejoin UCF’s communication sciences & disordersprogram in 2018 so that I can pursue it.

Culture shock lent its weight to the frustrations I experienced upon my return tothe United States after a romanticized childhood in the Caribbean. I felt disoriented atthe stark cultural differences between the collectivist island exalting community aboveall, and the nation renowned for emphasizing individual advancement. Alwaysembracing a methodological approach, my twelve-year- old self determined to learn theculture and its customs by analyzing the language and colloquialisms employed by mypeers vocally, and written during the advent of social media. As a simultaneous bilingual,assimilating still took years—this consideration reveals only a glimpse into the extent ofthe difficulties endured by those with communicative difficulties, whether they are non-native speakers, or have special needs. The rise of interest in neurodiversity has led to productive new perspectives,which allowed newfound autonomy and voices to some of the most stigmatized people:namely, those on the autism spectrum. When this often-misconstrued neurodivergencecombines with the additional stigma of originating from a family of non-native speakers(and, potentially, immigration status), the hurdles may seem insurmountable.Unfortunately, finding a bilingual speech-language pathologist who specializes in ASDand bilingual language development proves a difficult task. I hope my clinical pursuitcan ease the gap between demand and practicing specialists: I grew up not just as anative Spanish speaker who often helped my parents navigate between linguistic worlds,but also as the daughter of an autistic father and sister of not one, but three autisticbrothers. Overcoming communication difficulties has defined a significant portion of myown development, fueling my fervor toward helping the disadvantaged accomplish thesame. I am keenly aware that passion alone cannot sustain a career: this is why I wantto continue what I began at UCF, and join the master’s program for speech-languagepathology. As a Fall 2015 graduate, I am already familiar with the UCF community, butat this point in my life, earning the master’s from my alma mater is the best fit for mygoals and interests. I am passionate about bilingualism and interested in eventuallyearning a PhD in this field not simply because of the professional experiences I gainedat UCF, but because of my current career as a speech language pathologist assistant ata private outpatient clinic. Since earning my undergraduate degree, I have had the privilege of working withchildren and watching them learn to express themselves. There is simply no comparablefeeling to witnessing a non-verbal child utter their first word after years of treatment. Ihave had the experience of working with families to see that some of the communicativehurdles my family faced were not unique, and I have applied my experiences to theirspecific needs. It has been humbling, rewarding, and daunting to see appointment requests from parents and children who continue to have a positive response to therapy;in turn, their progress has inspired me to increase my skill set to become a moreresponsive clinician who exceeds their expectations. Determined to expand clinical skillsand contribute to the profession, I am eager to dive into research with renowned expertsin the field. I am particularly eager to work under Dr. Anthony Pah-Hin Kong, as his researchintersects with my interests: he is one of the few experts specializing in both bilingualismand adult neurogenic disorders. His research on the interactions of bilingual Cantonese-speaking brains with a variety of neurogenic disorders inspires me to someday emulatehis work on my own native tongue, and help expand the field’s knowledge on bilingualbrains. Working with someone who can help me hone my ability to research these topicswould be an honor, and although I am comparatively a neophyte in the field, my workand personal experience could help provide additional data and perspectives. The trajectory of my professional life so far has been working with children,particularly with those who are doubly stigmatized due to neurodiversity or due toimmigration and linguistic status. I feel called to work with this population and not justadvocate for them, but to empower them to advocate for themselves. The dominantparadigm for the neurodiverse is to train them to be more “normal,” but I want to find away to help this population use language and build bridges so that people accept andengage with them as they are. In this regard, there are many parallels with bilingualism,since the dominant paradigm for bilingualism is to train people to achieve fluency in theEnglish language and cultural norms, leaving their culture by the wayside. In thisdynamic, I recall my early childhood, when my newly-single mother brought our familyback to her homeland in the Dominican Republic—both growing up there, and upon ourreturn to the United States, the onus was on us to leave behind who we were, and tobecome new people who fully assimilated, leaving behind our linguistic and—in thecases of my brothers—neurological identities. In this dynamic, I wondered if there mightnot be a better way: a way to help people learn to use language without letting go of theiridentities. This goal aligns with the ASHA Code of Ethics, and is a challenge I relish on myprofessional life. I will uphold the aforementioned code diligently: my responsibility to thewelfare and autonomy of my clients comprises an integral facet of my role a speech-language pathologist. I will ensure that my clients are well-informed about the risks andnature of the provided services, and will obtain their full consent to administer evidence-based treatment. I will collaborate with professionals within and outside the field toprovide the most effective treatment within our capabilities and competencies. I vow tonever discriminate against clients or professionals, nor to ever misrepresent my clients,their eligibility, my competence, and my services. Among other roles delineated in theCode of Ethics, these objectives constitute my professional goals, and I would behonored to have the opportunity to rejoin UCF’s communication sciences & disordersprogram in 2018 so that I can pursue it.

My stats are below -- it's totally possible to get in with a mediocre GPA! Take what you can control, and make the most of it: your letter of intent, your GRE scores, and your experience. These are the variables you can control. Write a kickass letter, or even hire someone to write a first draft of what you want, then fine-tune it to your liking. Study incessantly for the GRE, and volunteer wherever! Go to your local state's speech/aud conference! Anything helps

I'm in my second semester, clinic is full swing, and I just got hired as a part-time SLPA at a private practice nearby. I'll likely lose my sanity, but I'll keep you posted lol

University of Central Forida is about $30k for the whole program, and they accept spring summer & fall!

In the program now -- it's more medically-based. Great faculty with experts from several specializations. I highly recommend it!

I worked as an SLPA in an outpatient clinic mostly working in pediatrics, and it was awesome. My grad program is more medical-based, so I'd love to explore adults and geriatrics. Ideally, I'd like to try an acute externship or CF to feel it out, but I see myself eventually returning to private practice.

I'm only a month into grad school, and my boyfriend of 3 years dumped me. I feel awful. How did / do you deal with relationships / breakups during grad school? Did it affect your work?

Off the bat, it's way different from undergrad -- the focus isn't getting an A anymore, but to submerge yourself in the content and absorb everything. Sooooo much reading, and assignments are piling on, but it's AWESOME. It's a lot of work, but it's SO fascinating! You get to really dive into this field; I'm loving it so far, despite being really busy. I'm only a month into the program, so I'm sure it gets harder from here. The work is totally doable -- it's just a lot.

@Hoosier27 @sabrono I calculated the total (in state) tuition to be around ~30k? I agree that out of state looks ridiculous

I got accepted for Spring 2018 back in October, and I started this month! I was going to apply to other florida schools come January, but I took the first acceptance & will finish grad school hopefully two semesters earlier than if I did a fall program. Also, yay on alma mater!

Perhaps we could share programs we know are less competitive? Admission info for my cohort (University of Central Florida , spring 2018) just released, and 26/89 applicants were admitted -- that's a good 30% admittance rate, compared to the usual 12% of fall admission programs! For those of you in Florida, UCF is a good safety school for spring & summer admission -- fall receives 300+ applicants because, I suppose, people don't know about the other admissions cycles? Anywho, share knowledge on less competitive programs!

Started Spring 2018 two weeks ago, and grad school is already brutal. Good luck, everyone! There's a program for everyone. Don't lose hope. You WILL get in!

I absolutely would make it a huge point in your application. I focused my letter of intent on my bilingualism and asked a couple of my letters to emphasize that aspect of mine -- I'm pretty certain I got into grad school because of it.

SLP grad programs are extremely competitive -- it's hard to get in. I felt super excited about getting into my choice school and now, two weeks before class starts & moving away to a different city, I feel anxious about the future. I love this field & am excited to have the opportunity to follow this career, so I'm not certain why I'm getting cold feet all of a sudden! Anyone else felt anxious before going away to grad school?

Today is my last day as a bilingual SLPA since I start grad school January -- it's been so emotional! I'm gonna miss all my kiddos.

Unrelated, but I'd rather eat my own shoe than take statistics again. Argh. Does grad school make you take it again?

I took a magoosh practice test a week before the actual GRE Aug 2017 Magoosh (2 Months before Test): 145Q 155V Magoosh (1 Week before Test) 153Q 156V Actual Score: 154Q 159V 4.0AWA

It's not worth it. It takes about 20-30 mins to do it yourself.

I got you dude

(I didn’t realize I already commented and don’t nkow Khoi to delete my comment )

I started with a short insight into my life growing up in another country with autistic brothers, then went straight into how desperate the field is for bilingual therapists and that my clinical pursuit can easen the necessity for Spanish-speaking therapists. Then I explained how double vulnerable autistic immigrants are, and how I would like to give them autonomy. Then I wanted to return to my alma mater, then I mentioned a professor I wanted to worked with and mentioned his research, and how it intersected with my interests. Then I listed my experience as an SLPA and how I wanted to develop my clinical experience. I'd be happy to send you mine for reference

I also suffer from anxiety and just recently got accepted into a program --- I just about went insane from the agonizing wait, and I only had to wait a month! I can't even imagine waiting until Spring! Only advice I can give is to pick up a hobby or take up exercising or a new tv show to binge (I picked up Grey's Anatomy lol). Best of luck!

I was going to apply to all Florida schools come January if I didn't get into UCF's Spring 2018 program, but, luckily, I did. Whew. First time applying, and it was so stressful! The process is so draining. For those of you who are bilingual, emphasize this repeatedly throughout your application. The field is desperate for bilingual therapists -- you have to let the programs know that you are a valuable asset for the field because of this. Know your worth.