slptobe!

Hi everyone,  I am accepting my offer at NAU (turning in my documents within the week) and now I am looking for housing. I have found out a lot of valuable info about housing/apts etc. and think a summer lease apt ( if possible) would be more reasonable. Other than what I found on the internet I have no experience with looking for housing because I stayed local for undergrad. Anyway, if you're going to NAU, let me know what you're doing for summer! Maybe we can be roommates. 

why in the heck do these schools not send out all of the emails on one day?!?! Like they know we all check things or know other people who applied. I think that's my biggest issue with this process. LET US KNOW!

It was definitely frustrating because I was born in California and grew up there, hadn't lived anywhere else until I went to college. But because I went out of state for undergrad, it changed things in terms of being an obvious resident I suppose. 

I am in the same boat. I applied to eight (most of which are competitive) and have been rejected by one as well. It's very easy to become overwhelmed with anticipation and concern. The important thing to remember is that even if you didn't get into a school you believed was a safety, it might not be because you weren't a good candidate. It may be because they feel that their program just isn't the right fit for you. I'm not the kind of person who believes in fate but this process has really forced me to believe in having faith. The right school for you will choose you in return. And if you don't get in this year, you'll grow from that experience and have a better understanding of applying the following year. The waiting period is tough and I know this sounds cheesy but the best thing you can do is believe in yourself and your ability to be successful in this field. Good luck!

Hey all! I just graduated from the undergraduate program at Boulder, if you have any questions about anything considering the area or anything, maybe I can answer any questions! 

It isvery reasonable to have the fear that you might not get anywhere. It’s hard especially since you naturally compare yourself to others in your class or on grad cafe. What I didn’t realize through this process it is so dependent on the applicants a school recieves. Just because you do not get an acceptance does not make you unworthy. I recieved so many rejections my first 2 cycles of applying. I took it so personally but it’s hard for them to make decisions just like us to apply. If you don’t get an make a back up plan and keep trying! ?

you are not alone this has been my biggest fear throughout the whole process I’ve just been trying to stay positive and distract myself by focusing on other things as hard as it is. 

Don't lose hope! I definitely agree with the parent support, I had the same problem. Even if you feel that maybe your schools were out of reach, you never know! There's no perfect equation that gets you into schools. Also, you had two interviews! That says something! 

I couldn't agree more with the posters above. Even if you just get waitlisted to one, there's people who also applied to 8 schools and have to choose one. Lots of people have to deny acceptances which allow you for you to get off the waitlist. I know some one at University of Nevada, Reno, who where taken off the waitlist in early August but they're still in grad school and at the end of the day is getting a degree. Another thing to think about it is, a paper, gre scores, and gpa don't tell the whole story about how you will be as a clinician. If you don't get in, you can be an SPLA which looks great on applications too. You can bulk up your application in that time.  So, you've got this. Stay positive and don't let grad cafe or Reddit make you go crazy. I know I have let it do that to me and it doesn't help anything. 

Thank you!!!! I have a feeling good news is coming for you! 

I'm from so cal! I applied to 12 schools, I applied to 5 in state and the rest out of state. I went to my undergrad at CU Boulder, so a lot of the so cal grad programs have way more pre-reqs that I would have to take so I didn't apply to all the ones I intended to originally. I would prefer to move back, but I have had to prove my residency several times for tuition purposes which was a hassle. If anyone has any questions about schools, I might be able to help! 

Hey there! Waiting is the worst, sometimes I have to turn my phone on airplane mode so I don't constantly check my email. Try to distract yourself in the mean time, give yourself some me time! The news will come, no matter what it is. I applied to a few of the same programs as you, so I am in the same boat! I think good news is coming, it only takes one! 

Hey there! Waiting is the worst, sometimes I have to turn my phone on airplane mode so I don't constantly check my email. Try to distract yourself in the mean time, give yourself some me time! The news will come, no matter what it is. I applied to a few of the same programs as you, so I am in the same boat! I think good news is coming, it only takes one! 

Hey all, I am nervously awaiting notifications for the Fall 19 cycle and am looking for self care tips. Though it's still early, I find myself on gradcafe results, on school websites, and generally being a nervous wreck daily through this process. What have you done to get your mind off things and practice good self care? Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone! 
I know I'm super late to the game on this one, but the waiting is killing me already so here it goes at a distraction. 
- Where are you from? 
I'm from southern California, but also live in Colorado because I went to CU Boulder for undergrad. 
- Which programs are you applying to?
I'm applying to the schools listed on my sign off, so no reason listing them again I guess. 
- What are your biggest concerns about applications?
I have several large concerns about applications. The first one is that I do not feel I am competitive enough and I just want to get into one school, I have a lot of experience, but my gpa is set off because my first year at uni was a tough one to get used to. I also wish my gre scores were higher. 
My second concern is forgetting something and getting disqualified, I am extremely organized and did the best I could with all the apps, but it did happen! I accidentally sent transcripts to the wrong place for one school and didn't get any reminder emails until after the deadline, so I'm not being considered anymore   
My third biggest concern contains a lot of "what if's", if I do get into somewhere, and if I can afford it, I'm afraid it will be so difficult for me to attend. If it's not in the location I am hoping for (close to home), it might be too difficult. My father is very sick and my hope is that I can be there for both my parents being closer to home. 
Good luck to everyone! I believe in you, it only takes one.

Since you won't even give us a list of the prereqs you've already taken or any other information that can help us give helpful advice, all I can say is to make a list of schools you may be interested in, then go to their websites and one by one check their lists of prereqs. If you're going to be this vague, you may just have to bite the bullet and figure it out yourself. Unfortunately we are not omniscient, and we can't really tell what you need other than a supportive program (which can be subjective based on individual needs) and a small amount of required prereqs (which may not even matter since you've already taken a year of prereqs).
Sorry if I sounded frustrated, but it's a common occurrence on Grad Cafe for someone to ask us to recommend a program (or offer a thesis topic, research proposal, etc) without giving any helpful details or having done any research on their own, and I guess I've read too many of those posts. We're willing to help, but we're not being nosy, we actually have to know, and figuring things out on your own is also an important life skill! 
That being said, maybe try to find another 3-year program, since you may be able to just take one or two more classes before starting your grad level courses and can graduate sooner. Or narrow down a list of 2-year programs that only require an additional one or two classes and take those through ENMU, Utah State, or another relatively cheap online program. The whole positive environment piece may just have to come from your experience visiting and talking to current students to feel the vibe.
 

Listen guys, I spent there last 4 years trying to get in to a program.. This discussion board can be disheartening, and you may feel like you'll never get in because everyone else is so impressive.. But there is hope!
 
 I have loved this field for the last 6 years. I had a tough undergrad (2.8) GPA, took the GRE's 3 times never did well despite numerous classes (V145 Q 144 W 3.5). However my experiences as an SLP-A and LOR'S were amazing! Last year was going to be my last year applying.. I'm glad I didn't give up. You shouldn't either. IT'LL HAPPEN.
 

My question is really straight forward. I think you're being nosy.

CONGRATS!!!!!! 
Where was the school you got into? It can be done, thank you! Time to celebrate!!!

My plan B is somewhat fuzzy, I'm hoping to get in somewhere! I'm applying to a lot of schools because I'm nervous I won't. Right now, I'm taking a gap year so if I do not get in anywhere, I think I will try to become an SLPA. Where I did my undergrad offers a really good program, and then I can work while I keep applying. 

If this helps answer your question two programs I interviewed with I had not taken Neuroscience as this was a requirement for their programs. During the interview process I was told that I could complete this course in the beginning of my program to fulfill this requirement. So this personally did not hurt my chances as I was accepted into both these programs mentioned. You would have to check the program though. Some programs might not let you complete undergraduate courses with their grad classes. Hope that helps! 

Neuroscience/neuroanatomy is a very common prereq. This would be definitely be worth taking if you are planning on applying to a bunch of schools. It may be much easier to get the prereq out of the way before beginning a program--trust me when I say the workload in grad school is not light! 
None of my programs required ASL or ASD (ASD would typically be a grad-level course). If you're really interested in the school that requires them then maybe take them early, but it doesn't seem worth it if you end up going to another program that doesn't need them.

What school do you go to right now? Every internship or volunteering opportunity I found related to SLP was through my advisor, she regularly sends out emails about opportunities to the students in the department. This led me to the opportunities that got me more experience to start off and then after that I could find them on my own just be emailing around and mentioning my previous experience. A lot of NSSLHA programs also have connections to opportunities like these. Good luck! Message me if you want to know more, always happy to help! 

I liked Magoosh for verbal, and I wish I'd known about it earlier. I studied all of their more common words, and all of Kaplan's 500. I relied solely on Kaplan for quant and AW. And I did ETS an powerprep exam.
I took a Kaplan course- tbh, most of the material was in the book, so the class wasn't strictly necessary to get the info, but it was great for me and kept me motivated. To me the best perk was that they let me do a mock exam at my testing center through Kaplan, and look at the results at home. I got invaluable advice from Kaplan about strategy- for all of the sections, but esp verbal and AW. That alone bumped up my score by a lot. Overall, I think Kaplan's prep is tougher than the real deal, but it makes you super prepared! And it's somewhat adaptive. So I do recommend them, if you want a class. Their online recorded classes that you can watch are pretty good too.
It seems great to use ETS. Just make sure to consider whether the exams are adaptive at all- their online powerprep is not. Remember, everything will get harder if you do well on the first exam!! I think it really helps take an online adaptive exam at some point in your prep, so you know what it feels like.
My main tips:
1) Verbal: Know the vocab. Be able to answer the question FAST so you have extra time for reading comp questions. I really recommend finding mnemonics or silly associations for each word, or, if you can't, read about its etymology and practice using it (anything that makes you spend a few minutes with the word is more helpful than getting it wrong five times with flash cards, IMO).Anyway, know them well, and don't spent too much time on vocab questions! Read the question without looking at the answers initially, and try to fill in a simple word in your head. E.g., if the sentence says something like, "She was usually talkative, but today, she seemed ___" you should immediately think "not talkative". Then, a word like "laconic" will pop right out at you--and you won't get bogged down trying to think about whether "enervated" also makes sense in context. And always re-read with the words quickly to make sure you picked right. As for reading comp, the answers are always in the text, so it's all a matter of time to pour over the details. The more time you have, the better you'll do.
2) Quant: I don't like math, so for me this was a confidence game. There are strategies- know your pythagorean triples, eliminate strategically, work backwards, etc.- you'll find them everywhere. My main tip if you're also not a math-person is to skip questions if you're not going to get it fast. Mark them, and come back to them later! Each question is worth the same- and you can review all your answers later easily. Make sure you get the easy questions. It really helped me feel confident about the tough one's I'd skipped to get to them at the end with extra time and a lot of easy questions already solved. Also, make sure to practice a LOT of different kinds of questions.
3) AW: Any guide will tell you this- but for the issue, pick your side, and for the analyze an argument one, don't! I think some basic essay advice is solid here- spend 5-10 min on prep, and do a quick outline so you know where you're going. Do all the nice touches- open each paragraph with a nice transitional word, and make it easy for them to see structure. Your conclusion matters more than another body paragraph does! The grader will give you 2 minutes of his or her time. Make it easy for them to give you that high score. It's all about structure!
Good luck!

I have noticed a lot of people struggle with writing their personal statement / letter of intent. It is a weird piece of writing that most people have never done before. One thing I've heard multiple people say is, "I've never even read one before..." To help I'm putting together some example personal statements to share as a download on my blog. Is anyone willing to share theirs so I can include it in the download? It would really help because writing lots of examples myself is a slow process, haha. 
I am a little worried about people taking them and using them as their own (although I hope no one is stupid enough to do that). I think part of the answer to that worry is that just because a personal statement was part of one person's successful application doesn't mean it will work elsewhere. Each set of circumstances is unique. 
Anyway, I hope I can count on a few people to help out! Send me a private message and I'll share my email