SoaringSLP
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Posts posted by SoaringSLP
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14 hours ago, somethingcleveraboutspeech said:
Repeat and first time applicants applying to Ontario universities... Do you suggest writing two different letters of intent for each school? They each write something a bit different about what they're looking for in it. Last year I submitted identical letters, essentially only changing the names of the schools.
Very interested in hearing your thoughts...
Hi there, first time applicant here! In terms of what I did, I wrote slightly different versions of my personal statement for the schools I'm applying to. This was mainly because I know Western wants us to focus more on demonstrating to them what our experiences and skillset is. I talked less about ambitions and got straight to the point about the unique experiences and skills I have. The body of the statements were pretty much the same but the way I went into the letter in explaining my reasoning for picking SLP was a bit different since Western was clear that they want to read less about our ambitions. The very ends of the letters were completely different as they also want us to write about why we want to attend that specific school. I've known people last cycle whose letters for different schools were completely identical except for that very last part. I decided to write slightly different versions because I know Western changed up their prompt this year and were more vehement about what they're looking for (previously, it was the same exact prompt as UofT's). When in doubt, I think it's better to rely on the instructions in the prompt and cater it as much as you can to the specific school you're applying to. It for sure is extra work but better to be as polished as you can.
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On 12/17/2021 at 11:19 AM, slp2020ab said:
Hey! Did anyone from last year write down what the sGPA cut off was to get an interview at McMaster? I managed to get my sGPA to 3.83 (3rd time applying, first time it was 3.3 ?) and I'm wondering if it's worth trying...
As someone who has a very similar sGPA I decided not to apply to Mac but also for other reasons besides their GPA cutoff. The program there isn't fully accredited and I like the way the curriculum is laid out at other schools better. For the last cycle I know people who had a 3.84 and above were getting interviews. If you really want to get into McMaster, I'd still say to go for it. However, in staying realistic there may be a chance that the cutoff will be higher this year. So do with this information what you will.
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3 hours ago, Natalie SLP said:
Hi everyone!
Does anyone have any idea how the personal reference should be structured if we're applying to multiple schools? My personal reference should mention what school I'm applying to in the letter but it only allows us to do 3 referees (2 academic, 1 personal) so we can't really get 2 personal letters catered to different schools if that makes sense.
Any ideas?
I don't think they need to specify the specific school when writing the personal/professional reference. In this case, they would just have to write about you and your potential for working in a professional environment and vouch for your character in a more general way? If that makes sense.
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Has anyone looked into the Ontario graduate scholarship? I remember it being discussed at UofT's info session and I'm looking into it now but I've very confused on the application process for it.
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1 hour ago, damaei said:
does anyone know what Janet means by professional/personal standpoint not a student/clinicial viewpoint for the reference letters? How should I describe this to the Audiologist writing the ref letter for me?
I think you could describe it exactly that way - that it needs to be a professional reference like you would get a reference from someone for a job. Generally the reference before covid hit would be more about you as a student and your potential for clinical practice, how much you've learned within that specific environment pertaining to Audiology. Because the suggestions they gave for a personal/professional reference were individuals like a coach, clergy member, manager etc., I assume they just want evidence of your ability to work well in a professional environment and that someone can vouch for you on that.
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On 10/31/2021 at 12:03 PM, Loly694 said:
Hi Everyone?,
This is my fourth year applying to SLP, so I am a bit of a pro at this now, haha. Here are my stats if you find that helpful. I'm an open book so let me know if you have questions.
1st Application: Applied to UWO for SLP
- 3.3sGPA
- 160 volunteer hours
- Honours psychology degree
- Waitlisted
2nd Application: Applied to UWO and McMaster for SLP.
- 3.4sGPA
- 266 volunteer hours
- Waitlisted at UWO, rejected from McMaster without interview.
3rd Application: Applied to UWO, McMaster, McGill, Dalhousie for SLP and UWO, Dalhousie, and Queens for OT.
- 3.5sGPA
- 550 volunteer hours
- Post-graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Sciences.
- Rejected from UWO, McGill, Queens for all programs, and waitlisted at Dalhousie for SLP and OT.
4th Application: Applying to UWO for SLP and Applied Behaviour Analysis.
- 3.6sGPA
- 686 volunteer hours
- Hons. psych degree and post-grad certificate in autism
- Full-time instructor therapist (someone who does therapy with people who have autism)
My tips from experience
- Apply to as many schools as possible. Don't put all your eggs in one basket like I did originally.
- The biggest thing I have learned is DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. I am 110% confident in my ability to succeed as an SLP. I have no doubts. And I am sure many of you would also be fantastic SLPs. But unfortunately, there are hundreds of other applicants that look even more fabulous on paper (Which is all the school sees) and they can only choose a handful of them. The school doesn't get to follow you around and see how amazing you are. I know my sGPA is not as competitive as others, but there are factors that go into that, that I could write a whole book about explaining. But my sGPA does not reflect my work ethic or intelligence. A rejection does not mean that you aren't good enough. Genuinely. It is a problem with the system, not with you. I hope you take that to heart and stay positive??
Thank you for being so open about your experiences. Myself and I'm sure others on this forum find your tips incredibly helpful
Honestly, there's so much that goes into how they assess applications and who gets admitted. I know it isn't the same but I remember talking to a friend about her applications to med school, and sometimes it's also just about luck and the specific cohort that applied that year. At times, it may not even be something wrong with one's application itself. It takes a lot of perseverance and tenacity to continue to strive for one's goals, especially when it comes to SLP. We'll all get there, even if it isn't at the pace we initially thought we would.
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1 hour ago, 2022slpplease said:
I emailed Janet about this and she said that SLP's are allowed to fill out the professional/personal reference form as long as its from a professional/personal stand point and not a student clinician standpoint.
yep, this is also what she told me too!
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1 hour ago, 2022slpplease said:
Im a first time applicant so i'm not 100% sure but I think the referees get emailed all the information they need to fill out those forms/input the required information, letter, etc once you send the email through ORPAS. There is also a sample academic reference and confidential assessment form on Western's website: https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/csd/programs/files/ORPAS_sample_reference.pdf
I emailed Janet and she told me that under the referees section in the drop down menu you can add 3 references. I'm assuming the first two you add are your academic ones and the third is your personal/professional one. I wasn't sure if the referees section was just for the academic ones and there was a different section for professional/personal but not the case!
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So western states that we need to provide a personal/professional reference using a third academic form provided in the application but I can't find it anywhere. Is it on the ORPAS portal and I'm just not seeing it?
The organization I volunteer at wants reference form requests by Nov so I'm trying to figure this out asap. I also emailed Janet asking if the SLP or volunteer coordinator there can write me a reference from a professional standpoint rather than a clinical one. I know previous applicants who were still able to submit a reference from an SLP. I'll keep you posted on what she says.
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2 hours ago, SLPEventually said:
Where are you finding these stats? I can't seem to see info about applicant number/acceptances from Western or UofT.
right here: https://www.ouac.on.ca/guide/orpas-program-requirements/
Here you can find the amount of applications they received and how many students they accepted. Western SLP received 534 applications and they accepted 50. So acceptance rate is around 9% if I did the math right
Edit: I just realized it says that they're accepting 50 students for 2022. Not sure how many they accepted for the previous cycle but its probably around the same
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2 minutes ago, SpeechieAlly said:
Honestly me too! I was really hoping to just reuse my statement from last year but it looks like I’ll have to make some serious amendments.
I wonder if this is a way for them to hopefully weed people out since last year they have at least 100 more applicants than previous years
Yeah, their acceptance rate was somewhere around 9% after I did the math? I'm not good at math so don't take my word on that but my friend did tell me that western slp at this point was harder to get into than med school. My friend got in last year but just by a hair since she was first quadrant on the waitlist, which is so interesting and shocking since I feel like in the past a lot of people viewed western as the school that was easier to get into.
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1 hour ago, SpeechieAlly said:
Have the Western personal statement requirements changed this year? I can’t remember what the questions were last year but they feel different.
It definitely has. It used to be just like UofT's prompt which is still the same now but Western's is this currently:
Your statement should include the following components: An explanation of why you have chosen SLP as a career, demonstrating your knowledge of the profession and its scope of practice. A description of what you will bring to the SLP profession (e.g., strengths, experiences, attributes, leadership skills and/or abilities). A brief explanation of why you have chosen to apply to the SLP program at Western University. Your applicant's statement should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities, experiences, and circumstances rather than solely on your aspirations to become a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Seems they want us to be able to better demonstrate our knowledge of the field and emphasize why we're a good fit. Almost feels like they're putting a lot of weight into the letter and weeding people out this way since those with more experiences may have responses that have greater depth. I dunno about you guys but I'm already feeling the pressure.
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10 hours ago, 2022slpplease said:
For those who have applied in the past: Is it okay to use your statement of intent for one school for another? Of course I would make some changes to match the different requirements but I'm wondering if ORPAS has some sort of plagiarism system and if this would make it ding.
I've talked to students currently in the program and have read their personal statements. For instance, their statements for both UofT and Western were identical except for the part where they talk about why they want to attend that particular school. So you should be fine
- 2022slpplease and SpeechieAlly
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Does anyone here have a solid understanding of how ORPAS calculates the subGPA or would be willing to DM me to help me calculate mine? I'm kinda confused as to when they end up needing to average out a semester or year
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The ORPAS application portal opens up on October 14th - just a few days away! I am im(patiently) waiting lol
- SpeechieAlly and 2022slpplease
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14 hours ago, SpeechieAlly said:
Does anyone know how a course withdrawal looks on your application and how it factors into GPA calculation? Specifically formORPAS and Western.
I'm not entirely sure how it looks for slp programs but generally, a W isn't factored into GPA calculation as far as I know. The general consensus is that it's best not to have more than 2 W's on one's transcript. I've known others who have said that they've got into graduate school despite having W's on their transcript.
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Hi! This will be my first time applying
feeling both nervous and excited. Surprised at the fact that September is already here and apps will open up next month.
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On 7/5/2021 at 8:38 PM, SLPabc said:
Hello! When looking for shadowing experience is it better to directly contact speech clinics or individual SLP's?
I can only speak towards my own experiences since others may vary but I found it quite difficult when reaching out to speech clinics and individual SLPs. Obviously I feel like an important factor to consider is where you're located, as I live in the greater toronto area I've found it's quite hard to find clinics and individual SLPs that are open to volunteers and students shadowing them. I've had better luck reaching out to organizations that provide programs and services for individuals with communicative disorders such as march of dimes, aphasia institute, babbling babies etc. These programs are often in need of volunteers and are used to prospective slp students reaching out to them. Probably not exactly the answer you were looking for but hopefully you have better luck than I did when reaching out.
- SLPabc and SpeechieAlly
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11 hours ago, SLP--2021 said:
Hi Everyone! I'm going to email each school but thought I would ask here just in case anyone knew.
I am applying this Jan and have taken a few years off to work and build up my application, while taking a few courses as well. My prereqs (Ling and Development Psych) was taken in 2015 and my phonetics was 2016, is this OK or do pre reqs have to be completed within 5 years? I can't believe how fast time flies and I just realized now that this may an issue.
Thanks in advance!
I'm not sure if the different universities vary but uoft states that pre reqs should be completed within the last ten years: https://slp.utoronto.ca/admissions/prerequisites/ so I think you should be fine for them. I'm also applying this Jan
2022 Canada Admissions SLP thread
in Speech-Language Pathology Forum
Posted
On ORPAS, are we required to attach screenshots of course descriptions to SAM? I know we provide links when we add in the pre reqs but I wasn't sure if we're also supposed to do this. I know I cleared courses that weren't originally on the approved lists with the universities but should I upload course descriptions for those courses just in case?