Should I change my major and give up on SLP

[Penelopepie]

So to start I am a second year in undergrad and I am having horrible anxiety over if I will get into grad school. So my first year of school I was pre med and didn’t adjust to first year well at all. After my first year, my gpa was a 2.75. I switched to CSD and I have been LOVING IT!! Well I’m worried that after my first year, I’m not going to get into SLP grad schools... I’m doing much better this semester and I think I’m getting a 3.4-3.5 which will bring my overall up to a 3.0. I’m hoping by the time I graduate I’ll have a 3.4... I just am scared and stressed.

and another question, I heard a lot of SLP grad schools look at the last 60 credit hours I took, does anyone have a list of those schools?

Edited December 1, 2018 by Penelopepie

[Teaching Faculty Wannabe]

@Penelopepie I think you will have a better chance at getting advice from SLP peeps if you post your questions at https://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/95-speech-language-pathology/

Good luck!

[E-P]

Grad schools in general take multiple factors into consideration.  For example, your essays, when you apply, will indicate that you found your home in CSD/SLP, which will explain your poor first year performance.  Furthermore, you can always retake some of the classes you didn't do well in your first year, which will boost your GPA.

So I agree with Moods' advice to talk to SLP people specifically, but it's been my experience that grad schools "get" that one's college experience may be varied.   You might not get into the best of the best school, but you'll get into a perfectly good school all the same.

[KelsHud]

Do not give up on your dream of being an SLP! I was in the same situation and currently still am because I am applying to graduate programs with a 2.83 GPA. My first two years I was a engineering major and decided that it was not what I wanted to do. I switched majors and fell in love with the major. I didn't think about graduate school until it was actually my senior year then I looked at the odds and freaked. Last year I was applying with a 2.75 gpa and I applied to around 12-15 schools and I spent soooo much money. I was waitlisted at 2 or 3 schools actually which is better than I thought. I have a CSD gpa of 3.5 and my now new gpa is 2.83 because I retook two csd classes I received C's in. However, I made sure that I did not only have good grades they look at your experience and everything you've done on campus. I recommend join NSSHLA, National Stuttering Association, and getting involved in research, and shadowing a local slp or volunterring at the clinic. Try to stand out and no do the norm because I think me being trilingual will help me in the end. Good Luck love! We can sometimes be our biggest critics.

Edited December 11, 2018 by KelsHud

[Penelopepie]

5 hours ago, KelsHud said:

Do not give up on your dream of being an SLP! I was in the same situation and currently still am because I am applying to graduate programs with a 2.83 GPA. My first two years I was a engineering major and decided that it was not what I wanted to do. I switched majors and fell in love with the major. I didn't think about graduate school until it was actually my senior year then I looked at the odds and freaked. Last year I was applying with a 2.75 gpa and I applied to around 12-15 schools and I spent soooo much money. I was waitlisted at 2 or 3 schools actually which is better than I thought. I have a CSD gpa of 3.5 and my now new gpa is 2.83 because I retook two csd classes I received C's in. However, I made sure that I did not only have good grades they look at your experience and everything you've done on campus. I recommend join NSSHLA, National Stuttering Association, and getting involved in research, and shadowing a local slp or volunterring at the clinic. Try to stand out and no do the norm because I think me being trilingual will help me in the end. Good Luck love! We can sometimes be our biggest critics.

Best of luck and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!! Thank you for the kind words I just stress over so much. I’m going to start volunteering over winter break!

[YousufHaq]

Your worries are small. Always look at people struggling more than you and you will feel better. I made the intention to attend SLP grad school back in 2010. Its taken me 8 years on and off. I failed out of a grad program over seas. I took a a two year break and worked in Special Ed. I've just recently started applying again. I've lost count how many times I've applied. 

SO your situation is much better than me. Further more I'm married and support a family. You have two years paid of education and free rent to think about what you want to do. 

 

[hopefulfuturespeechie]

I came from a similar background. I was originally a pharmacy major. My first semester I ended up getting  2.3 GPA before second grade option and 2.5 after. I have worked really hard in my classes and have done a lot better since finding CMD. I will graduate in May with a 3.4 GPA that is not super higher, but when coming from a 2.5 GPA that is huge leap. I also did a lot of shadowing and just jump on as many opportunities in the field as you can. I am applying this year with a 3.4 overall and a 3.5 major. Also a big thing I have found in the process is if you had to take Intro to Chemistry and intro to Biology most schools want at least a B in those classes so you may have to retake them.