SLP☀️

I’m in my third semester of grad school and still have imposter syndrome. Instead of fake it til you make it I read something that said “act as if” which I thought was pretty positive and cool. Act as if. Who the hell is to say you’re an imposter girl. You’re a future SLP - solid definition of it way to go!

New Paltz is a nice area, my friend went to undergrad there, the town is overcrowded and filled with a wanna be hippie vibe...the mountains are breathtaking. But the program seems out of touch. Their application process was the most annoying out of all the schools and they didn’t seem very up to date and definitely did not seem like a supportive/flexible program.

I would definitely apply to FASFA ASAP quicker you apply the better to receive more funds.

Give back to the field! Get involved with conferences and fundraisers. Know the leading trends in the field per ASHA. New applicants should be aware of trends and how you will bridge these gaps as a future SLP. What will you give back to our field regarding research?

You got this! We will be reading in the near future how well it goes! Pick out some schools beforehand so they send the grade for free

You are enough. You will get in. For years I applied and was denied and couldn’t figure it out, when close friends and family start to tell you to choose another path or move on then that’s when you really want to stick your head in the sand. I went on multiple grad school interviews and found many of the girls in the program to fit such a type of girl - I was still not getting beyond the point of interviews and was super discouraged bc I was so close - forget about it the field is changing. The demand is high and programs are changing, less are caring about the GRE, online SLP programs are emerging...don’t give up. Be on board with ASHA, know what topics are huge right now. SLPs being able to serve diverse communities is huge right now to the point where many of our research needs to be focused on bilingual children and helping a diversity of individuals. Teach in diverse neighbors know dialect vs disorder and walk in to the interviews with that knowledge and it can really help you.

Hey girl don’t give up! I graduated undergrad in 2016 and actively applied for years and didn’t get in until 2019! Realizing your weaknesses is a great start. I had the same problem with the GRE, I just could not do well on it so I only applied to universities where the GRE wasn’t high on the list or wasn’t even considered. Also, there’s many tools out there to strengthen your GRE skills. Dedicate your time! You owe it to yourself and it will be a great distraction to focus on yourself a little from the other personal stuff going on. Strengthen your application every year so the universities see growth, work in schools or as an SLPA for experience and give back to our field! So many fundraising and benefits go on, and getting involved is great! Don’t be discouraged, I found the hardest part was getting in but you have to keep trying!

Congrats on getting in! That’s great news! I’m in the second semester and so far things have been going pretty well. It seems to heat up a little next semester according to my plan of study but the program gives you more than enough time to get acclimated. Classes start off twice a week and of course some professors are better than others but nothing too bad as of yet! I heard next semester is a little more tough though! Also, I love how for example classes will be from Jan 7- April 15, then you get a three week break in between before the next round of classes. I like the trimester system compared to most universities that are just two semesters a year. It’s super easy to work full time and be in this program for at least the first two years. There’s not many programs where you can work full time and do well.

So I had in interview with Nova the first week of February and I heard from them in early March. Word through the grapevine though is if you got an interview you will be admitted ? now I can’t say if this is true but it sure does bring positive vibes! And good vibes bring good things!

Experience is great when you feel your GPA is less competitive. Right now, staying relevant and knowing the direction the field is growing is huge. So familiarize yourself with our continued growth and demand in evidence based practice, familiarize yourself with ASHA, attend conferences they are actually pretty fun! Take your slp friends to a far away conference and make a weekend of it! Get involved in research if you work in a clinic or have that opportunity available. These things are important!

I noticed the data fluctuated a lot as I was applying over the years! As if they change it based on how many applications they are receiving, or the competitive level of that graduating class. Don’t base your decisions too hard on those cut offs because I’ve had friends get in with killer applications just below the cut offs! The application process is a huge business for colleges...and lucky for them they can just reject us in email form now...So check back in a few weeks you may find their credentials continue to fluctuate!

Utilize as many resources as you can to vamp up that application! I was in the same boat with the GRE...I continued to use magoosh (the shortest module I could find for studying) and try to set a date to take the test. It took me three application cycles to get in and each year I made my application stronger by attending conferences, volunteering, working in related fields...and knowing ASHA like the back of your hand really sticks out to schools! Don’t get discouraged because you can do it! Motivation is key and the more you apply the higher your chances! Look for schools that don’t have the GRE high on their list for credentials. Some schools care more about what you have to offer our field rather than how well you did on the GRE.

Hey! Welcome to the Nova fam! I’m currently a grad student here. There’s so many groups on Facebook for Nova. I bet you can find one started for your class and make some friends before orientation!