GandalfTheGrey

Just Alice, by Lisa Genova Left Neglected, by Lisa Genova anything by John Elder Robison The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby What's that Pig Outdoors?, by Henry Kisor Wonder, by R. J. Palacio If you have not seen the documentary Babies, it will show you child development in the first year of life and is ADORABLE. Watch the Big Bang Theory and take notes on the negative stereotypes they promote about people with communication disorders and count the number of times someone with a communication disorder gets made fun of. The following are powerful and short, but not light reading: Avery's Bucket List: a blog about the life of a baby girl with spinal muscular atrophy: http://averycan.blogspot.com/ The Aquarium: A child's isolating illness: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/06/13/110613fa_fact_hemon I also like going to the stroke/TBI section of the library (just look up the call number of a book about stroke, like Jill Bolte Taylor's "My Stroke of Insight", and that will get you to the right section), and just reading bits and pieces of the books I find there.

Northwestern is more like $55,000 per year - don't forget that there are four quarters in the year, one for each season.

All caps are obnoxious, so I will resist the temptation, but please pretend that the following message is in all caps: I second, third, and fourth what the above posters have said about getting advance clearance for your pre-reqs. The school I'm at now (not going to name names, but there's another thread wondering what's wrong with my school) seriously screwed a lot of people in this regard. I was told a week before the decision deadline that none of my prereqs would count, and after lots of arguing I got in writing that they all would. Then I arrived on campus, and was told they changed their minds about one of my classes, but since I had it in writing they are just making me sit in on the lectures. Many of my classmates were forced to take an extra year on campus to do all their prereqs again. Please, please, please make sure in advance that your school will accept all your prerequisite coursework before you pay any money. *steps off soapbox*

Congrats on your acceptance! Those are important questions to ask. Make sure to pull a student aside while you are visiting to get answers! Many people might be less honest over email or if asked during an info session Q&A. I'll also advise you against equating "harder" with "more stress" - there's certainly some causation, but faculty support, quality of advising, and student culture also play a huge role in stress level. Good luck with your decision.

I was in a similar situation last year, and ended up choosing a different school that offered me a surprise scholarship a week before the decision deadline, but I wouldn't discount Emerson just yet. The faculty there care deeply about making sure students get the experiences they want/need, so if you express an interest in adult neuro, it might not get you out of hours and hours working with preschoolers, but they will do their best to get you an adult neuro placement so that you graduate with an experience on par with an MGH grad. You might not be in a medically-oriented environment at Emerson, but it could still mean significantly less debt and the same job prospects. This is obviously just my opinion, but definitely approach the info sessions with an open mind! Congrats on your acceptances, and good luck with your decisions!

$0.02 from a math GRE tutor: I'll second what was said above about not sweating one area of weakness when your application has many other strengths, and the advantages to taking a class/getting a tutor. When you do review, try to go the extra step of understanding WHY things work the way they do rather than just memorizing formulas for the test. The reason I'm suggesting that is that in grad school for SLP, you will need to take several math-based classes, such as statistics, research methods, acoustic phonetics, etc. Try to take advantage of your GRE prep as an opportunity for math review that will also leave you more prepared for these courses in grad school so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you encounter a course that uses math. That said, professors understand that math is difficult for many students and are usually willing to work with you to help you understand the material, but viewing GRE prep as an activity that will make grad school easier might make studying more palatable. I also have a hypothesis (based on experience, not quite EBP) that many people who struggle with math struggle because they were poorly taught, not because they are "bad at math". So find a friend who is good at math but needs help with the verbal section and teach each other!

Any time you are thinking about rankings, it's also worth considering where the rankings come from: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2012/03/12/methodology-graduate-health-rankings Basically, departments are sent surveys that consist of a list of SLP grad programs, and they rate each grad program on a scale of 1 to 5. These ratings are averaged, and voila, rankings!

Here's info on scholarships from ASHA: http://www.asha.org/students/financial-aid/

Going on to do research is more about what you do with where you are than it is about where you are. I would suggest taking the funding. Congrats on both acceptances!

I don't agree completely. Obviously, there are jobs that would be better for your application than a job in sales, but considering where the economy stands right now and the fact that SLP-A jobs are few and far between, consider what having a job shows admissions committees. It means that you can show up on time, follow through on commitments, and work well with all kinds of people - a skill set that, sadly, is not as common as you'd think. And especially if your sales job is one that you are doing on top of a heavy volunteer commitment and maybe even an evening class to show your dedication to the field - that tells someone that you manage your time well and work hard, which would make you an asset to a graduate program and future SLP employers. Of course, I am hoping that you will get into graduate school this cycle, but if you don't, know that any work experience (well, I can think of a few exceptions one might not tell grad schools about...) is valuable on an application. This is just my opinion and I'm not on an admissions committee, but I have reviewed employment applications for non-retail jobs and we did value retail experience!

You can use federal loan money to cover the cost of living expenses and books whether or not you live on campus. I'm in SLP, not audiology, but I definitely think it's possible to hold a part-time job while going to school, as long as you accept that you might not be able to go out on weekends or have much of a social life. I've been tutoring on the side while in grad school, and I find it works well because I can charge a lot per hour, and not have to work as many hours to reach my target income in a month. Many of my classmates babysit, which can be a great way to make money especially at night since you can get homework done while the kids are sleeping - when I was doing my post-bacc, I was able to earn all my living expenses and savings by babysitting. If you are a decent writer, another potential source of income can be applying to writing jobs since you can do the work on your own time as long as you make deadlines.

I heard from MGH in early March. They started by making phone calls to everyone who was accepted with a scholarship, then calling everyone who was accepted with no funding, and then a few days later they sent out hard copy decision letters to everyone who had applied.

JaimeB: It sounds like you have a good plan in place. In terms of work for the upcoming year while you are applying, tutoring is definitely great but so is any job that shows responsibility and initiative. I think that the more hours you can be committed to things, the better - so if you can handle a full-time job, plus tutoring and volunteering on the side, that will show an ability to manage your time and follow through on lots of commitments, and could help make up for your GPA. I think you are wise not to post the details of your personal life/the stories behind your grades on the internet, but it is important that schools receiving your application know why your grades are lower than those of most successful applicants AND what you have done and will do to correct that. For example, don't just say "My junior year grades were low because I watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy every single day", but instead say something like "My junior year grades were low because I watched the LotR trilogy every day, but I realized this was causing problems so my senior spring, I made a rule that I could only watch television or movies on Saturdays and I got much better grades, and I will continue to manage my time better in grad school". You may have the option to attach a statement separate from your personal statement to explain your grades, in which case that will leave you free to focus your personal statement on other aspects of your life. I hope you will feel comfortable sharing your academic difficulties with at least one of your recommenders, so they can back you up by discussing it in their letters, as well. And since you're asking spring professors for letters and plan to get better grades in the spring, I'm sure those recommenders will also be able to discuss how much you've improved. Another suggestion I have is to take one or two SLP-related courses over the summer or next fall (online or in person) if it is at all possible. That will give you a chance to show yet again what you are capable of in the classroom. Second what the person above said about getting the highest GRE score you can. and retaking an art class seems silly - focus on classes in your major. Good luck with everything!

Start here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/1/ I would be wary about reading too many other personal statements. There are many threads of advice on this topic already, and someone pointed out that if you read too many other personal statements, it becomes tempting to make your SoP a mash-up of the ones you have read. I can understanding wanting to get a sense of what other people write, and there are a few samples on the website I gave you. This is your chance to show schools why you want to be an SLP, and why they should want you in their program. Show that you have researched their program and you know why you will be a good fit for them. A good rule for length if they don't specify is about 500 words, or about two pages double-spaced. I found it helpful to write several different drafts, and then edit them and combine them into a final draft, which I then gave to my sister, a professor, and a classmate to read over. I found it helpful to get all that feedback, but was glad I had done the preliminary work by myself to make sure the statement was mine and written in my voice. Some other resources: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/caps2/pdfs/CAPS_Personal_Statement.pdf

Sar21Leo: I think you answered the question for yourself when you said that the SLP's letter is a really good one. The best letters of recommendation come from people who know you well and can speak to your abilities, work ethic, and professionalism. If multiculturalism is a major interest for you, then mention that in your personal statement and make sure that your ESL volunteer experience is on your resume, which will also be part of your application. I don't think schools expect applicants to have LORs in the field that you want to work in as an SLP, especially since so many applicants are changing careers and/or fields. Good luck!

My two cents: That does seem like a wacky question... my guess is that they want to see that you have interests and a personality outside of wanting to be an SLP. If they are asking you to address it in your statement, then I would do just that rather than attaching a separate paper. My instinct says to answer genuinely, and since communication happened at all points in human history, it seems like you would at least have a partial link back to the rest of your SOP. On the other hand, they could be looking for students whose interest in SLP spills over to other aspects of their life, in which case you would want to choose a historical period that relates to speech but is also one you are genuinely interested in. A good starting point might be to make a list of five or ten time periods you would most like to visit and why. Then look at your list to see which of those points could be best related to your interest in SLP, which would provide a transition in your essay between your time travel bit and the rest of your SOP. Good luck! I'm interested to see what others might say about this.

The latter. I think mentioning your language skills is definitely important, but no point in mentioning what you did in high school. It's so long ago that it doesn't really speak to your abilities/skills now. It sounds like you have some great experience in related work. Good luck with everything!

I remember finding that the CSDCAS help desk was often overworked, and it was easier to contact schools directly. I would ask each school what they'd like you to do, and then follow through. For schools that don't want study abroad transcripts, I would imagine that you would just upload your transcript as is, but it never hurts to check.

I would go with option (1), if only because it's the most honest way to go. I was a little worried about that question at first, but then I realized that almost everyone applies to more than one school, and it's not exactly a secret. When admissions committees read applications, they are looking to select the applicants that are a best fit for their school - regardless of which other schools those applicants applied to. They are not going to say, "oh, look, Sally's a decent applicant, and only applied here, so we should accept her to make sure her dream of becoming an SLP comes true". If that school is your first choice, make it clear in your personal statement how much you want to go there, and more importantly, why they should want you. Attend info sessions, email a professor with a legitimate question that is not answered on their website, find ways to show that you are serious about going to their school. The application process is stressful, but remember that it will be over soon. Unsolicited advice: I found it really helpful to read books that gave insight into the lives of people with disorders who seek SLP services - this helped me stay passionate about the profession in spite of the stress it was causing me at the time, and also helped me keep my focus on my long term goals rather than the OMGAPPLICATIONSDEADLINESCRAPIHATECSDCASAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I think it really depends on the school's application process. It sounds like kcald716's schools wanted her leveling courses listed in their resume (I believe they mentioned that in another thread) but the schools I applied to had a separate section of the application where we listed our leveling courses, and it would specify if we needed to attach a syllabus or description. Personally, I wouldn't mention leveling courses in your SOP unless they are relevant - for example, if you weren't sure you wanted to be an SLP until you took Intro to Clinical Procedures and became so fascinated with craniofacial anomalies that you knew you just had to go to grad school so you could help people with cleft palate communicate better.

There are definitely students in my SLP program who already have a master's in something. A general pattern I noticed with funding was that public universities tended to offer more than private universities, but it really varies on a school-by school basis. There's some threads about SLP in the Life Sciences section, and I know we've talked about the linguistics-to-SLP transition there so check it out! My undergrad was in Linguistics and I'm now in grad school for SLP, so feel free to message me if you have more specific questions.

Many factors go into admissions decisions, so I don't think I can answer your topic question. But here are some things to think about: in general, admissions committees do consider all parts of your application. Which means that unless they state a specific GPA cutoff, they will read your application. so wow them with your essay and LORs. If you are still an undergrad, do not sacrifice your grades this semester for the sake of studying for the GRE - you'll be much better off with strong senior year grades than with an extra 100 points on your GRE. many schools care about your "last 60" GPA in addition to your total GPA (ie the GPA from your last 60 credits). it sounds like your "last 60" GPA should be pretty good since most of your poor grades come from your first two years. The reason schools care about GPAs is not that they happen to like the number four. They know that grad school courses are harder than undergrad courses, and want to know that their accepted applicants will do well in grad school. with that in mind, your grades in courses related to grad school and your grades in more advanced courses will be considered more strongly. applying to grad school is a crapshoot. You may be accepted to a school you thought you had no chance at. you may get rejected by a school where the average accepted GRE score is far below yours. In terms of whether or not to apply to top 20 schools, ask yourself why you are asking this question. If you are wondering because you have researched the MedSLP program at UW-Seattle and think it would be an amazing place for you given your interests, then by all means apply. If you are wondering because you want the prestige, remember that unemployment for SLPs is almost zero and grad school is very stressful so you should apply to a program that is a good fit for you. ASHA accreditation guidelines are so strict that no matter where you go you will learn what you need to be a great SLP.

An admissions director at an info session I went to last year said that there is no hard-and-fast cut-off, but that "three years is fine, and ten years is too long". Definitely check with the schools you are considering, but your leveling courses should definitely cover you for the next few years. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but maybe someone else on the forum can offer more specific advice.

Formatting note on the above: the dates of graduation/program completion should be on the far right side of the page.....

I also did a leveling year. I am not an authority on resumes, but here's what my resume looks like: GANDALF THE GREY Full address email address and phone number EDUCATION Name of University Where I Completed My Leveling Year GPA X.XX May 2012 Post-Baccalaureate Program in Communication Disorders Name of University Where I Got My Undergrad Degree GPA X.XX May 2011 brief description of honors, major, and minor; a few words about summer programs attended. EXPERIENCE here I list my job experience... but I think you only wanted help with the education bit so I'll stop here. If you did your leveling coursework over the course of several years, I would list the range of dates rather than the year you completed the coursework (so where I wrote "May 2012", write "Sept 2010-May 2013 (expected)"). Other descriptions for the leveling year (rather than "post-baccalaureate program in communication disorders") could include "undergraduate coursework in communication disorders" "undergraduate coursework in speech-language pathology" "undergraduate coursework in speech, language, and hearing sciences to fulfill prerequisite requirements for graduate programs in SLP", depending on the terminology used at the school where you are doing your leveling year. Just remember that short and simple is the way to go. I hope this helps! If I misunderstood your question, please let me know.