AngelSpeechie

I am also a non traditional/out of fielder! I applied this year to a transitional program for SLP and was accepted. My GRE scores were very close to yours, my undergrad was in Business Admin with a 3.8 GPA. Keep up with your current classes and maintain that GPA you’ve got, it will help. I was fortunate enough to find a mentor (while observing) in the field who was happy to send me information on conferences I could attend or contact for observing. I actually had very few hours of observation on my application but attended many conferences and support groups. For my LOR’s I had 2 from work (boss and bosses boss) and 1 from my mentor. It had been so long since I graduated I didn’t think it was a good idea to ask an old professor to write one for me. Every SLP I’ve met has been beyond willing to give advice, when you go to your observations talk with the SLP’s there, ask for ideas or other places to shadow, show them your passion and tell them you are having difficulty with gaining experience. You WILL find someone willing to go the extra mile for you. Try to observe at hospitals, therapy centers and schools to get a variety on your application. Check with local support groups for TBI, laryngectomee or autism to see if they’ll let you observe sessions as a student. I sometimes worry that being an out of fielder and different than whats “typical” for an SLP grad (i.e. older) will mean I’ll fail, but your genuine interest and passion will help push you in the direction you are meant to take!

Hi! I had two LOR’s from work, 1 from my boss who is an excellent writer and 1 from another high up individual. The person who wasn’t my boss asked me to write the letter myself so that everything I wanted to be in it would be covered and then he signed it and sent it in! It worked for me. Depends on the person that you ask and their preferences and time availability.

Hello! I am an out of fielder myself. Due to life circumstances I have to stay in the Southern California area (I own a home, silly me!) so my options were reduced to: Transitional Masters Programs- of which there are two in SoCal: LLU and U of R, or go the post-bacc route. I know that for post-bacc there is Utah State University as an online program, and a lot of out of fielders I know went that route to get the degree or to raise there GPA's. I was accepted at Redlands, and I do also share with you a great deal of anxiety when it comes to the finance aspect. As a grad PLUS at U of R I calculated I would need about $86k in loans JUST FOR TUITION. Since I am currently a working adult with bills, I would also need to have a cost of living loan, our circumstances may be different here on how much loans you would need. (Side note: I just calculated the online USU post-bacc would cost about $12k if you can complete it in 3 semesters and the five extra pre req courses through U of R as grad PLUS should add about $15k to the regular grad program tuition) To me, I felt that if I could get in as a Transitional student, the extra cost for the one quarter, finishing in 2.5 years AND attending my top pick school would be worth it over adding another year of college courses. Loans and being cost effective after graduation are big issues that you should very carefully think over and talk about with loved ones. My husband and I discussed the loans and finances CONSTANTLY and he is on board with me pursuing my dream. Consider what you can afford, what your comfortable with committing to, and keep your focus on your goals! Hope this is helpful in some way...

Piggybacking here! I've seen some suggestions to get a digital voice recorder. What do you all think? I could use my phone to record, but would it be more beneficial to have a recorder? Thanks!