sabrono

My tip is to find a niche and dive deep through research (do a thesis project) and extra certifications. "Medical" is a pretty wide term that includes the entire lifespan and scope of disorders SLP's cover.  If you're willing to do a thesis project under a professor, 1) you'll probably make tons of connections on your own. I've had classmates do thesis projects related to aphasia and dysphagia in adults and they end up doing heavy recruiting and spending lots of time in hospitals. It is a great way to make connections. 2) That professor may be willing to "show you the ropes" on how to break into those areas. 3) You'll become quite an expert on the topic and sort of "prove yourself" as committed to that area. Finally, don't feel like you HAVE to be an expert when you interview. One of my SLP mentors told me she worked several years in schools and clinics before landing a great job at a hospital. She said that in her interview they asked about her variety of experience and she was honest, "I need to brush up on ____" but she still got the job. 
Other advice, listen to the professors and clinical instructors who are advising you. Many of them had (or still have!) long and varied careers before working at the university level. 
Finally, I'd say remember that it takes a bit of time. You're not going to land your dream job right out of school. It may take a few years to work your way up. Start in a SNF to get some good hard skills and experience. Be willing to move or have a long commute if it means you're learning invaluable skills. 
 

First time applying!
Which programs are you applying to? Temple University, NYU, Elmhurst College, Teacher's College, SFSU, CUNY Brooklyn, and Portland State (all over the damn country, I know)
Where are you from? I'm from New York and did my undergrad at Temple
What are your biggest concerns about applications? I feel like my stats and experience are all pretty standard. I also haven't taken the GRE yet because I'm an animal who loves to wait until the last minute to do everything
 

My backup plan was to teach English abroad (S Korea or Thailand) or to volunteer with CityYear! I actually was applying to both of those programs at the same time I applied to grad schools so I wouldn't have to scramble if I didn't get in anywhere. I also really didn't want a long stretch of doing nothing because I know I would drive myself crazy in the spare time. Teaching abroad especially in East Asia is a pretty good back up plan since a lot of the countries over there have amazing packages for incoming teachers. I have a friend who managed to put away almost $10k in savings while she was in Japan for 2 years and her school paid for her flight and housing (furnished!)

Since the people asking are well-meaning, I find that it's usually best to just be honest: "I don't have anything new to report yet, but I promise to tell you as soon as I do." And if it's appropriate: "I know people mean well when they ask this question, but it's hard for me to handle right now. I promise I'll let everyone know as soon as I do, but for now it'd be great if everyone would just stop asking." They're excited for themselves and not thinking through what it must be like for you, but since the intention is good, explaining the situation might be all you need to do. 

Both are amazing, congrats!! Honestly, since they're both pretty similar I say go to whichever one gives you more funding. 

I'll be there! Feel free to message me if you want details/impressions.

One thing that someone at my school's career center told me was to have specific career goals and to relate them back to the program, and it really helped me structure my entire essay (and figure out which programs to apply to!). It shows that you're passionate about the profession and organized enough to have a plan. Basically everyone becomes an SLP because they love language and helping people, so just listing that as a reason for wanting to go to grad school isn't really enough. If you're super interested in a specific area of SLP like aphasia or pediatrics then definitely write about it, connect it to your past experience, and to the school's program or research from some of the professors in the program. For me, I knew I wanted to work with underserved populations or bilingual communities (or, ideally, both), so I connected it with my past volunteer/activism experiences and the multicultural emphasis that the schools I applied to had. 

Cost is the #1 deciding factor IMO. As long as the program is fully accredited who cares if it's less highly ranked. Employers don't look at rankings.

Oh yeah, I have another one: ask for LORs about three months earlier. Waiting for responses and repeatedly emailing was almost as agonizing as waiting for admissions results. I also should have started researching programs and the application process much earlier. I put it off until November and was scrambling.

Save hundreds of dollars and apply to way less schools lol (applied to 10, got into 5 and waitlisted at 4)... but better safe than sorry right?

Great post. My advice is to start early, ask different types of people for constructive feedback (I asked a nitpicky editor friend and a college professor friend), and revise, revise, revise. 

Also, be absolutely certain that you follow any formatting information that they have outlined in the requirements. 

One of the hardest parts about grad school applications is writing your statement of purpose (SOP). When I was working on mine last year, I had no idea where to start. So, instead of Googling it and ending up with a generic SOP, I attended three different open houses and asked a lot of questions to find out what schools really look for. In the end, the answer was pretty simple: Schools want to know that you can be successful academically, even when faced with obstacles.
With that in mind, I made a list of the challenges I faced throughout graduate studies and picked the ones I thought would best show the qualities that SLP programs seek: persistence, dedication, confidence, and a passion for helping others. I wrote about how I worked full time and studied at night, and how I still managed to make the dean's list. I wrote about how I did not initially qualify for any graduate programs, but found out what I needed to do and persisted in meeting those requirements.
"GRAD SCHOOL IS HARD!" This is what everyone tells us. Admissions committees just want to know that you are a candidate who will not give up when things get tough, and that you are a person who will go above and beyond to become a well-rounded clinician.
So before you write your SOP, make an outline:
What made you want to become an SLP? What challenges did you face while working on the academic requirements, and how did you overcome those challenges? What qualities do you have that helped you face those challenges? (Focus on qualities important for SLPs) What are the things the school is most proud of? (Have a unique paragraph for each school, describing what specific things made you want to go there) Why is that school the best option to help you reach your goal of becoming an SLP? When you have the answers to these questions, it will be a lot easier to start working on writing your essay.
Please add any additional tips below! I know I would have loved a thread like this last year when I started working on applications!
 

I think I got it soon after accepting the offer but I accepted in April and started in June so they kind of had to do mine quickly. I’ve never heard of not being offered enough to cover tuition and some expenses to live on. It really depends on your financial situation. My friend is married and her husband makes over 100k and she wasn’t offered much. But someone that doesn’t have assets or much income (like me) should get enough to cover the costs. Anything over the 20k FAFSA loan will be a PLUS loans which have higher interest rates.
Plus, I’m sure it depends on the school too. Some schools offer additional funding so I’m sure those schools will offer funding around the time they offer a spot into the program. 

So when I applied for FAFSA, I got an estimated amount of financial aid after I submitted the application. It was around 20,000. This information will be sent to your school (when you fill out your FAFSA application, you select the schools you want the info. sent to). Your school will process it, and they will tell you how much you qualify for in both unsubsidized loans and PLUS loans. Then you will have to accept the amounts...you can indicate the dollar amount you want to accept. Some people need more, some need less. 
When I applied it was estimated that I would get around $20,000. When my school processed my financial aid, I was told I could accept up to 20,000 in unsubsidized loans and up to 10,000 in PLUS loans. I chose to accept only 20,000 in unsubsidized loans and 0 in PLUS loans because that 20,000 would easily cover my tuition and expenses. I work full time as a SLPA so I won’t need the 10k PLUS loan. 

Hi everyone!
Over the last two years, I have been asked by so many about where to take ASHA prerequisites like biology, physics/chemistry, sociology, psychology, and statistics courses. If you are pressed for time and missing these courses, there is an alternative to enrolling in courses. Most schools will accept examination credit from CLEP and DSST exams. I personally tested out of 49 credit hours in undergrad and I can tell you that most of the exams are pretty easy to prepare for. Each exam costs $80 plus a small proctor fee. It is SO much cheaper, easier, and faster than taking a full-length course. You only need to PASS an exam, and it will not show as a grade on your transcripts. It will could toward your total credit hours though, and ASHA accepts test credits.
You have to be enrolled in a program in order for your school to accept your exam credit and indicate this on your transcripts. You can easily check on your school's policy by Googling "[School Name] CLEP". Alternatively, you could give your registrar a call to ask about it.
CLEP Exams: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Sociology
DSST Exams: Statistics  
*** I would not recommend the biology and chemistry exams because they are very difficult. I studied for 2 months and only barely passed the biology exam. All the others are very easy and doable though! In addition, there are dozens of other DSST and CLEP exams you can use to fill your elective and gen. ed requirements in undergrad studies.
I am starting this thread for anyone who has questions about going this route. I would be happy to help you all out!

What in the world. Those aren’t good stats? So what would be considered “good stats”?

https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=speech*&t=a&o=&pp=25
Here you go 

I also didn't include my leadership, my thesis/research experience, and other things.  But glad to give people hope. 

Their website says mid to late march so I'm sure this upcoming week we should hear from them!

It is my understanding that in order to receive their CCC's, one must complete a master's program in SLP, complete their CF (Clinical Fellowship) within 2 years of earning their degree, ensuring that they have earned a total of 400 clinical clock hours under the supervision of a licensed SLP, and earn a passing score on the Praxis exam.  The process of applying for state certification varies by state.
There is a lot of detailed information about certification on the ASHA website: https://www.asha.org/Certification/2014-Speech-Language-Pathology-Certification-Standards/
Hope this helps!

I am a first year graduate student and I know of many many people who got in off wait lists, in fact I think more than half of my class was put on the waitlist at first! Most people apply to around 5-8 schools, so everyone that gets accepted first round has until April 15th to decide, and then they have to turn down all the other offers at the other schools they applied to which opens many more spots after April 15th. So usually they send out a lot more acceptances after April 15th, and then then they keep sending out more and more acceptances until all the spots are filled. I know a girl who got waitlisted at all 5 schools she applied to, and ended up getting into all 5 after April 15th. I've heard of people getting off the waitlist as late as July. Good luck! 

I think this sums it up well (I just found it on a random website):
"2. Be prepared to do some good-faith negotiating on the financial aid offers you receive. I saw a number of admitted students do this the wrong way. They would contact me, and say, "I've just received your financial aid offer. Another school has offered me twice as much — will you match or exceed that amount?" This is not the way to handle things.
You can negotiate offers by contacting the person who signed your admission letter. Start by thanking him or her for admitting you and for the generous financial aid the school has already offered. This is such a simple gesture, but it goes a long way. Let them know you are considering some other options — which they expect — but do not indicate how much you have been offered elsewhere unless you are asked.
Finally, ask if the school has a policy that enables staff to re-evaluate a financial aid package. The answer to this question will most likely be yes. Then ask, "Would you consider re-evaluating my offer, and can I provide any information to assist with that?"
  [Learn strategies to help pay for grad school.]
Your request may not result in additional funding, but it will be met with a much more positive response about re-evaluating your award."

I disagree, I do not think you will lose any chance of being admitted... I think you would have to do a lot more than that for them to take back an offer. I am not sure how frequent this happens in this field, but I know it is common to contact your top choice about funding in other fields. As long as you are tactful I think it is fine. They understand that funding is very important in your decision, and may be motivated to offer you something if you express they are your first choice. I only have one example, but my ex did this for law school and was not offered any extra funding. However, another law student suggested he try because he had done the same and the program matched the scholarship he was offered from another program.

My interview for Brooklyn is tomorrow! I'll let you guys know how it went. It's my first interview and I'm genuinely terrified. 

Dear prospective graduate students, congratulations! Now here's a word of warning as you decide which offer to accept and which to turn down.
Programs may go out of their way in order to make their offers look more competitive than they are. One way they may do this is by describing the highest possible level of funding available and allowing prospective students to interpret this level of funding as "normal".
A real-life example, vaguely described: At one ("top ten") program last year, official financial offers - in which the reality of the funding situation was finally brought to light - were not distributed until well after the deadline of April 15. In this case, some of the prospective students asked for the official offer before committing and were told that there was no need to pursue that formality. The students were told that everything discussed in person and by unofficial email was "binding". When  this cohort finally got its letters they learned they were actually going to make $5k less per year than they had thought, since they hadn't been alert to what was effectively a loophole in what was discussed in person and by email. And since these letters weren't distributed until well into May, it was too late for anyone to change his or her decision.
So in short, get your OFFICIAL financial offers in writing before committing anywhere and then read through them carefully. Programs are competing for the top students, and some are willing to go so far as to mislead prospectives in order to get them to commit.