EGL0722

So, one of the professors I've asked to write my letter of recommendation for graduate school (M.S. in SLP) is giving me an interesting assignment: He wants me to write my own recommendation letter (from his perspective) emphasizing all of my strengths; he will then base his letter of recommendation off of that. The only problem is, I have no idea what to write. Obviously, I've never written a letter like this before. What is included? Here's what I know off the top of my head (that he knows too): I received an A+ in his history of Afghanistan class last semester (and I expect nothing less in another class with him this semester -- he's also VERY highly regarded in his field and has worked for several government agencies). I'm a strong overall student (3.46 GPA at my first school, 3.98 GPA at my second school -- and I'm back at my first school due to a concussion). I'm a hard worker. I've had eight surgeries due to a heart valve defect (though I've addressed this in my personal statements briefly) and I know what it's like to struggle in rehab, so I can connect with patients. That's what I know immediately. What else should I include? I want to make sure this letter is amazing (even though I know this professor will write an amazing letter anyway). Help would be appreciated!!

Hi guys, So I'm applying for my Masters in SLP this Fall, and I'm wondering if I'll have a decent shot of getting in. My educational background is a little complicated, but to sum it up: I started out as a political science major at UMass in Fall of 2008, but I decided I wanted to pursue rehab studies so I transferred to Temple University in the Spring of 2010. However, in August 2011, I suffered a major concussion that forced me to withdraw from Temple for the semester. Also, due to issues with my academic plan after that (because my major was so small), Temple was going to require that I stay 2 extra years to finish my undergrad degree; instead, I decided to finish out my studies at UMass (returning to poli sci) so that I would only graduate 1 year behind schedule. I've addressed this in my personal statements. My GPA at UMass is currently 3.46, GPA at Temple was 3.98 (and I've had straight As for the last 60+ hours of coursework). I know I will be getting excellent recommendations, and if schools take the best of my GRE scores, I'll have V = 160, Q = 150, and AW = 5.5. I'm also taking the GRE again on Thursday to see if I can bring up the Quantitative section just a little bit more. I've also had several people read my personal statements (completely updated, not what was posted on this site before) -- one of whom received an M.D. and a PhD from Harvard -- and everyone seems to think my personal statements are very, very strong. Here's the schools I'll be applying to: Boston University Northeastern University Emerson College MGH Institute of Health Professions University of Rhode Island Temple University Southern Connecticut State University Montclair State University Loyola Maryland Baylor University UT Dallas Western Carolina University I think I have a pretty decent selection of reach schools and seemingly "safety" schools -- though that seems impossible given how popular SLP is now -- so I'm hoping I'll be okay. Based on these stats, do you think I stand a chance of getting in anywhere? Thanks so much for the help!!

I'm looking into applying to grad schools this fall, and I want to go for SLP. Long story short, I started out as a poll sci major at UMass, transferred to Temple in my sophomore year to start a career in health sciences (i.e. SLP), but had to withdraw from Temple in August 2011 (the beginning of my senior year) due to a major concussion. I have since returned to UMass to finish up my poll sci degree, and I will take the pre-reqs necessary for speech therapy. Here are my stats: GPA at UMass: 3.5 (GPA at Temple: 3.98) Top GRE scores from each section: V = 160, Q = 150, A = 5.5 I had volunteer experience at Shriners Hospital of Philadelphia (Sept. 2010-Sept. 2011), an internship on the TBI unit at Magee Rehab in Philadelphia (Summer 2011), and an internship at a non-profit dealing with lead poisoning prevention (May-Sept. 2012) I also have a personal background of 8 surgeries (ankle, open heart) and the aforementioned concussion. I'm working on my personal statements now, and I know I will have 2 phenomenal letters of recommendation and one very, very good one from professors that know me well. Here are the schools I'm applying to for SLP: BU, Northeastern, Emerson, MGH Institute of Health Professions, UMass, Temple, URI, Baylor, and NYU. However, I know that SLP programs are very, very difficult to get into. I'm wondering if anyone thinks it would be wise for me to pick a backup plan, such as in social work or special education, just in case. I don't need a job that makes me a lot of money (this is honestly not meant to sound pretentious, but I do have a trust fund). I just genuinely want to help people and be involved in the medical field in some way. I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks!!

I would love some constructive criticism in regards to my BU personal statement for the M.S. in SLP. BU is my top school. I've already edited this SOP a little bit, but I'm still stuck on my opening sentence. I can't come up with a really catchy opening line to captivate the audience's attention (at least that's how I feel). Nothing I try seems to work well enough for me. I'd love some suggestions and, of course, that criticism. Thank you! Prompt: "State your career goal(s) and briefly summarize your major educational and vocational interests and achievements. Indicate the areas in which you expect graduate education at Boston University to have the greatest value for your future plans and goals. Include academic and/or practical reasons that you wish to attend our University. There is a 5,500 character limit on this essay." Essay: Grandma is definitely the storyteller in my family. Growing up, she told me countless stories about her life: she told me about the house she was born and raised in – the house I live in now; her life as a young girl, being raised on a dairy farm in a small town in Massachusetts; her time as a nurse in the Red Cross during World War II and the Korean War, and how she met my grandfather in Seoul, South Korea while he was on a tour with the Army; and, most importantly, about her family – our family – and our great history. I thought that Grandma would always be able to effortlessly tell me stories – that is, until she had a mini-stroke in 1999. Transient Ischemic Attack, or TIA. That’s what Grandma had, according to the doctors. I was only nine years old at the time, so I didn’t understand the significance of this episode. It wasn’t until years later, as Grandma increasingly had difficulty with word finding and expressing her thoughts, that I began to comprehend what the doctors had been saying about her all along: Grandma has expressive aphasia. Grandma often keeps to herself these days. At parties and family functions, she prefers to sit in the corner of the room and carry on a conversation with one or two people, while politely smiling at others as they walk past. Although speech therapy has always been available to my grandmother, she adamantly refuses it as only a supremely stubborn 91-year-old woman could. Still, we have made our own adaptations: I have become particularly adept at deciphering what Grandma is trying to say, and I can usually finish her sentences for her. Grandma still tells me stories – but at her own pace, on her own time. Stories close to my heart – stories like my Grandma’s – inspire me to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. I came from a difficult medical background myself, as I was diagnosed with a mild form of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and a mitral valve defect in my heart; I also suffered a concussion in August 2011 that forced me to withdraw from Temple University for the Fall semester and return to UMass Dartmouth in January 2012. Although there have been a few bumps in the road and my college career has not gone as smoothly as planned, I feel that my experiences thus far in life have enabled me to empathize with others that have endured some kind of medical hardship. My concussion, in particular, has given me perspective about some of the difficulties faced by individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) on a daily basis. This is where my major educational and vocational interests lie. I first became interested in TBIs during my recreational therapy internship at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in 2011. Up until that point, my primary experience had been with individuals that had Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs), so I was nervous to take on this new role. Nevertheless, I began to immerse myself in information about TBIs and their potential side effects – especially aphasia. The most rewarding aspect of my internship occurred during my co-treatment sessions with speech therapy, as I observed patients progress from speaking as little as one word to communicating in full sentences; I saw smiles of recognition flash across my patients’ faces as they slowly recalled once-forgotten words. I can honestly say that I enjoyed my internship more than I ever thought possible, and it is an experience I will not soon forget. I am confident that graduate education at Boston University will be tremendously valuable as I seek to accomplish my goal of working with TBI patients in my future career as a speech-language pathologist. From a practical standpoint, Boston University is the perfect place for me to further my education. I will be less than an hour away from my family -- my main support system -- and I will be located minutes away from my world-class doctors and surgeons. BU’s prime location will also ensure that I will have no shortage of options when considering clinical placement sites. Academically, the BU Aphasia Resource Center will be an excellent resource for me as I seek to expand my knowledge of TBIs and aphasia in particular. As I watch my grandmother cope with expressive aphasia and I recall the many patients at Magee with some form of aphasia, I am struck at how devastating this condition can be. BU’s “Life Participation Approach,” which helps individuals with aphasia reconnect with the community, strikes a particularly poignant note with me. I do not want individuals with aphasia to end up like my grandmother, who essentially isolates herself because she is too embarrassed about the way she has to carry on a conversation. I want individuals – my future patients – to have a resource at their disposal that not only offers therapy, but social support, education, and advocacy. I want to be a part of the institution that others look to when seeking effective intervention techniques on behalf of individuals with aphasia. With this application to Boston University’s Speech-Language Pathology program, I am taking the first step towards realizing my potential as a future clinician for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

Hi everyone, I'm just starting to write some of my personal statements/essays for the first time. I'm applying to M.S. programs in SLP in the Fall; I've been working on some of these essays for a few weeks while I was away in Ireland, but I'm not sure if I like some of my attempts, especially to Emerson College (listed below). I've never applied to graduate school before, but of course -- like many other students -- I would like to "stand out." I would really appreciate some constructive criticism on this Emerson essay -- I seem to be a little stuck on this one. I want to describe my medical background, but I don't want to sound like I'm whining AT ALL; in fact, I want the admissions committee to see that I'm actually really grateful for what I've had to go through because it's given me a great deal of perspective. Thanks so much! Prompt: "Reflecting on your work, life, and educational experience, describe how you arrived at the decision to pursue a career in communication disorders/speech-language pathology. As we are unable to interview all applicants for our program, we like to use your essay as a way to get to know you. As you consider your response, do let your personality shine through so that we are able to get a good sense of who you are." Essay: “I can’t do this any more,” I declared to my surgeon as I emerged from the haze of general anesthesia. At age sixteen, this was my fifth surgery; I was born with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and a mitral valve defect, a form of congenital heart disease. At the time, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to get as far away from the medical field as possible. I didn’t want to deal with any more doctors or hospitals or seemingly endless physical therapy sessions – for once, I wanted to be “normal.” From my perspective, college provided the perfect opportunity to form a new identity, one completely separate from my complicated medical past. For over a year, my plan seemed to work. I certainly looked perfectly healthy – perfectly “normal” – and I was able to start my new life as a college student pretty easily. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I began to miss something I once viewed as tortuous. After stepping away from the medical field for a while, I realized I could no longer try to deny that my medical history is part of what has shaped me as a person – and what will continue to shape me as a future speech-language pathologist. I made the decision to transfer to Temple University in my sophomore year to pursue a career in the medical field. My desire to pursue a career in speech-language pathology is twofold. On a professional level, my internship at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia, PA had a profound impact on my future career outlook. As a recreational therapy intern on the Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) unit, I was able to orchestrate co-treatment sessions with speech therapy on a regular basis. I observed patients progress from speaking as little as one word to communicating in full sentences; I watched as smiles of recognition flashed across my patients’ faces as they were able to recall once-forgotten words; and, just as touching, I saw joy on family members’ faces as my patients slowly regained a sense of normalcy following their injuries. The entire experience was rewarding and heartwarming, and one I will not soon forget. On a personal level, I am motivated to pursue a career in speech-language pathology – and, ideally, specialize in TBIs – because of the experiences I have had with my grandmother, who suffers from expressive aphasia status post a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) in 1999. Although my grandmother has always refused speech therapy, as only a supremely stubborn 91-year-old woman could, my family and I have made adaptations as word finding and expressing her thoughts have become increasingly difficult for her. I have become particularly adept at finishing my grandmother’s sentences for her when she needs help; this certainly isn’t an ideal situation, but we make this process work. Emerson College is the best place to begin my career as a future speech therapist. From a practical standpoint, enrolling at Emerson will ensure that I am less than an hour away from my family – my main support system – and minutes away from my world-class doctors and surgeons. Emerson’s prime location will also provide me with a multitude of options when considering clinical placement sites. Academically, The Robbins Center’s Program for Acquired Communication Disorders will be an excellent resource for me as I seek to expand my knowledge of TBIs. Emerson’s emphasis on aphasia, apraxia of speech, dysarthria, and various cognitive deficits will ensure that I am well prepared to confidently confront a number of difficulties faced by individuals with TBIs. By enrolling at Emerson, I will be part of a program that practices functional and supportive therapy through the combination of individual and group treatment sessions, field trips, and education for patients and their families. Emerson will give me the critical edge I will need in order to be an effective and experienced clinician with my future patients. Even though my medical past is what originally motivated me to seek another career, that same medical past has helped me realize that the medical field is where I can make the greatest impact. I have had three additional surgeries since the age of sixteen, and I suffered a concussion in August 2011 that forced me to withdraw from Temple University for a semester and return to my studies at UMass Dartmouth. Although my journey to this point has not always been smooth, I believe my professional and personal experiences will make me a stronger candidate for Emerson’s Speech-Language Pathology program. I can empathize with patients that must endure long medical procedures and taxing rehabilitation sessions; I understand the desire to give up -- to quit – when “getting better” seems nothing short of impossible. I also know what it is like to make progress and accomplish goals, to be given amazing opportunities to learn new things and to discover my interests in my own way. With this application to Emerson College’s Speech-Language Pathology program, I am taking the first step towards realizing my potential as a future speech therapist.

Hi everyone, I'm new to these boards, and I'm looking to apply for an M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology in the Fall. I'm trying to get a jump start on some of my personal statements/essays, and since this is my first time applying to graduate school, I would REALLY appreciate it if someone could give me some constructive criticism/feedback on the first draft of my essay for Boston University. If anyone's interested, PM me! Thanks so much!