SlpHopeful1234

Hello everyone! 
I've been reading the threads for a few years now but I just saw this post and wanted to create an account and share my experience! I applied to both McMaster and Western last year with a 3.75 GPA, 150+ hours of volunteer with SLPs, and lots of volunteer experience with CDAs, OTs and with the Brain Injury Association. I had a B in my anatomy prerequisite, but the rest were all A/A+s. I didn't get an interview with McMaster and I got waitlisted at Western (3rd quadrant).
I emailed Janet to ask how to improve my application and she said to think about upgrading my anatomy/physiology prerequisite and to "look at my application as a whole" - so my references and my letter of intent. She said I didn't need any more volunteer hours. 
My grades of my last term of 4th year bumped up my GPA but then I also took a phonetics course and another anatomy prerequisite during my year off and did well in both of them - 4.0. I also volunteered with 2 Psychology labs online at University of Waterloo (where I did my undergrad) and that allowed me to have a better reference letter as well. I worked as an Educational Assistant for my year in between as well. Lastly, I sent my letter of intent to about 10 people and asked for feedback to make it better. My GPA this year ended up being an 3.85 and I got accepted to Western and Toronto and waitlisted at McMaster. I'm not sure what made the biggest difference in getting in or if it was a little bit of everything, but just thought I'd share what I did in case that helps. You got this!!! Don't give up hope!
I accepted my offer at Western - so that will open up a spot for someone who is waitlisted at Toronto!

So I received an email from Janet saying I'm on the 4th quadrant of the waitlist. Safe to say I am feeling really down and discouraged as this is my 2nd time applying. I did everything I could in the last year considering the pandemic to boost my application (got research experience, maintained online volunteer hours working with people with Aphasia, and redid a few courses to bring my gpa up by 0.3), and it still wasn't enough
I am thinking about my application next year and wanted to see if anyone who got in this year (multiple time applicant or first time applicant) had any advice for anyone applying again. 
I am stuck between going back to school again full-time or just taking a few courses and working/volunteering more in S-LP related positions. I feel so lost and stuck - especially with this pandemic and how its so hard to physically balance a bunch of things.... let alone finding volunteer positions at all. Not to mention how mentally draining this whole process is combined with covid anxiety. 

Its my third time applying this year and I am currently in the CDA program at St Lawrence so I told myself this is going to be the last time I try applying so I can focus on being a CDA if I don't get in. After getting rejected from UofT and getting the waitlist email from Western last week I basically gave up on the SLP program but I am feeling more hopeful today as I got an email back from Janet letting me know I am in the 1st quadrant of the waitlist!
For anyone interested in my stats I have a 3.61 subGPA, over 400 volunteer hours supervised by an SLP (about 3 years of volunteering), and I have a lot of related knowledge from the CDA program. 

Hi everyone,
I got rejected from everywhere I applied to (3 schools) for my first time applying and am so thankful to have had this forum to read throughout the application process. You can try to explain the competitive nature to family and friends but I have found so much comfort and validity to my stress reading through everyone's comments -- and the positivity and encouragement makes it impossible to be bitter knowing that so many people have tried 2-3 times to get in, acceptances are so well deserved.  To be honest, I have felt a little isolated in my stress and having to keep picking myself up because no one around me has gone through the same thing, so thank you to those who have shared stories and experiences. 
I wrote this yesterday to help process my rejections and instantly felt a little lighter, I hope those of you who didn't get accepted this year can find some light in it too. 
For months,
I awoke mid-sleep
My subconscious 
alight
Having dreamt
Of delight, 
acceptance
Finally, 
what I so deeply wished for
validity 
to all that I’d worked for. 
 
Rejected, 
Denied, 
Yet --
I am proud 
Of what grace
And self-
compassion
I have found, 
 
The push-pull
Of crippling 
self doubt 
And unwavering 
self belief; 
The balance
Of ambition 
And patience 
 
When the weight 
of uncertainty 
Felt too heavy to share, 
gratitude, 
made-up mantras 
aligned
to reset my mind. 
A testament 
To growth,
The reality -
Of 
Resiliency. 
 
Surrendering to defeat
Is not weak, 
if brief.
Fuelled by 
Fierce vision
And my why, 
I will rise, 
to honour
All that i’ve tried for, 
All that I have to give,
All that I can be. 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Good for you for deciding to take more courses to improve!! That will definitely help for sure :) I didn't think about taking more courses to improve since I reapplied with a 3.62 (last yr was a 3.28), which isn't terrible but it could be better and improving it could increase my chances for sure but I'm not sure how I feel about taking more courses since I mentally have moved on from undergrad. 
And I feel like I always knew that it was super competitive, which is why I've gone through phases where I lost sight of my goal and felt like giving up because I kept thinking "only overachievers can get into this program and I'm just average" (e.g. especially if my grades didn't seem good enough and getting super duper grades isn't that easy). But I am similar to you in the sense that I invested so much time and energy into it that giving all of that up completely would've also felt like a waste. But I think a helpful way to think is knowing that if I spend all my time focusing on one thing, I won't be able to explore other things that may be of interest to me. 
I think they say that the min gpa is a 3.0 to give everyone a chance, and it also means more money for them if more people pay to apply (the sad but unfortunate truth). Anyways, best of luck to you in finding volunteer and research experience, I hope that goes well for you :) 

100% agree. I think my biggest mistake was underestimating how competitive the applications are, I was so naïve that last year I applied to McMaster with a 3.3 subgpa, among other Ontario universities. I know it is not the universities' responsibility to hold your hand through the process, but I do think they are a bit at fault for saying stuff like "minimum gpa is 3.3". I feel they should have some sort of pre-screening where you are told that you do not stand a chance. It would save them work and spare us some suffering.
I reapplied this year with a much better subgpa and got waitlisted at Western, but I'm not being too hopeful. I'm lucky enough that my worst grades are further back in my subgpa so I can improve it to low 3.80s by taking a couple of courses. So I'll do that and try to get some volunteer/research experience although I think that opportunities won't be easy to find. 
Similarly to you, I do have regrets as I have invested several years of my life into what I consider my calling but I am unable to get in, and one of the only reasons I do not give up is that I have invested so much in it. I'm not so sure I'd make the same choices if I could go back.

I have absolutely 0 plans at the moment, although this was my first time applying, with finishing school during covid I cant see myself redoing classes next year to reapply without making my mental health worse and maybe burning out. I have gotten comments that if I truly want this, which I have since grade 6,  then I will reapply until I get in which is harder said than done. I think I might just go out and find some sort of internship and just work for a bit see if theres something else that interests me, let myself breath, and then after a year break get back into getting pre-reqs done again and more volunteering. 

Waitlisted at Western and rejected from UofT (second time applicant). I only applied to one school last year (Western) and this year I applied to UofT, Mac & Western. Feeling surprisingly relieved after getting closure and not feeling nervous awaiting the responses anymore (at least for the time being). I’m curious to ask people who were not accepted/waitlisted this year, what are your plans? I was heavily considering doing the CDA program but I’m honestly not sure if I should do that or just take a year off to work, and get more volunteer experience in the field to reapply again (though options to volunteer may be limited due to Covid). Honestly, it is getting pretty defeating and sometimes I feel like it would be easier to move on and find a different career or path. I know this isn’t a great mindset to have, but I’m just trying to keep my options open. I understand the whole “if you really want something it’ll work out eventually and you just have to keep trying” but I’m trying to find the balance between that and my own mental health (reapplying over and over again is just defeating, exhausting, and stressful). I’m sorry if you disagree, but that is just my own opinion/perspective. Anyone else on the same boat as me? Lmk

Congratulations to everyone on their acceptances! I am waitlisted at Western and thought I’d share my stats incase it’s helpful for anyone else
I have a 3.47 sgpa according to opras. 93 hours volunteering in research at CHEO, 63 hours volunteering at a private speech clinic, and 1300+ hours as the administrative assistant at a private speech clinic (my current job). My professional reference is my boss who is the owner of the speech clinic and an SLP so I’m sure that looked good. This is my second time applying!
 
I’m trying to stay hopeful! & again, congratulations to everyone on their acceptances and waitlist offers!

I got into UofT!!!!!! Congrats to everyone!!

I just got into UofT after applying for the third time. Don't give up guys, what's for you will come to you!

I just got into Western! I am in utter disbelief right now. Congrats to everybody! 

No note from UofT, so likely a rejection. Pretty bummed. But, glad to see people succeed and support each other here. I was glad to have a place where people understood the arduous and tense process of waiting for this result. Good luck to everyone who is still waiting.

Congrats everyone who has been admitted! 
To those of you who have been waitlisted, keep your chins up! Looking at the responses and people's signatures here, it looks like many people who've been admitted to a school have been admitted to many, so I anticipate a lot of people will be declining some of their offers so there's likely to be a lot of waitlist movement a few weeks from now when it's closer to the initial deadline! 
To those of you not admitted or waiting to hear back, please try not to be too hard on yourself. This is an incredibly difficult process and you've worked super hard to even get here, so please allow yourself the time to be proud of all you've accomplished. If you apply again next year, I wish you the best of luck, and if I can remember I'll try to stick around on the forums to offer any insight about this process/wherever I end up   If you'd like to know stats or anything from me, or to perhaps have someone to talk to about this or anything else in the world my inbox is open.