Masters SLP narrowing down the list

[futurechicagoSLP]

I am a senior currently applying to Masters programs for Speech-Language Pathology. I am having a hard time narrowing down my list of graduate schools. I am from Illinois, and would like to stay local. However, I have heard a lot that the midwest is a very competitive area for Masters programs. Because of this, I am applying to mostly midwest schools but also some random other locations. I think I am a competitive applicant with lots of relevant work/research/volunteering experiences, 157V, 161Q, 4.5W for the GRE, great letters of rec, good resume/personal statement. I think the worst thing I'm offering is my GPA of 3.5 since it's pretty average (I am hoping everything else will help balance me into being a good candidate). How do I narrow down from 11-12 schools to 7 or 8? I do not want to spend all the time and money to apply to so many programs. 

[smileyslp]

Do any of the universities accept applicants at other points in the year too? If so, you could apply to a set of universities for fall and then some others in the spring or summer instead if you weren't happy with the first round of letters. Most likely, that would mean a later state date though. As far the applications fees are concerned, you could check each of the universities to see if they offer waivers.

[smarieSLP2b]

On 11/7/2018 at 4:23 PM, futurechicagoSLP said:

I am a senior currently applying to Masters programs for Speech-Language Pathology. I am having a hard time narrowing down my list of graduate schools. I am from Illinois, and would like to stay local. However, I have heard a lot that the midwest is a very competitive area for Masters programs. Because of this, I am applying to mostly midwest schools but also some random other locations. I think I am a competitive applicant with lots of relevant work/research/volunteering experiences, 157V, 161Q, 4.5W for the GRE, great letters of rec, good resume/personal statement. I think the worst thing I'm offering is my GPA of 3.5 since it's pretty average (I am hoping everything else will help balance me into being a good candidate). How do I narrow down from 11-12 schools to 7 or 8? I do not want to spend all the time and money to apply to so many programs. 

I was going to apply to a large amount of schools but when I saw how much CSDCAS charges I honestly am looking to narrow my list down to about 3-4 programs. Make sure you look on the program's websites to see what stats they accept and if they are similar to yours. This ensures you actually have a good chance of getting admitted and is the best way to narrow down your choices. Your GPA is totally fine, I have a friend who got in with a 3.4. Your GPA is only one part of your application and your GRE scores really make up for it. Also, I recommend not applying to schools that are ranked high on those "top 20 slp program" lists. There is a huge chunk of applicants that flock to send their applications to those schools. I personally am not applying to the programs that get 400+ applications and only accept 20 students for example lol.