How to be a stronger candidate?

[futurespeechieinprogress]

Hi all! Unfortunately this round of applications wasn't in my favor, so I plan to take the rest of the year to strengthen my application. One avenue I was thinking of taking would be retaking some CSD courses (mainly neuroscience and phonetics) because they were my weak points in undergrad CSD courses, along with some general requirement courses (physics). I've seen many people highly recommend schools such as ENMU for leveling courses, but I've also noticed that some say they're receiving a second CSD BA. Would anyone who has more knowledge of this be able to enlighten me before I go all in? I'm also curious if you've gone this route to strengthen your app, how did it work out for you? Is it worth doing? Any advice is greatly appreciated! I'll do just about anything to be a stronger candidate! 

[futurespeechpath1]

I would talk to your advisor or someone before retaking classes since sometimes it's frowned upon by programs. But if you got a C or lower it wouldn't hurt!

I would get involved in things related to the field. Maybe get involved in research, work with special needs (I'm a literacy and math tutor at Gigi's Playhouse and work with kids with Down Syndrome), do ABA therapy I know a girl who did that and got in the second round, retake the GRE (I used Magoosh and it was worth the cost!!), apply for a paraprofessional license and work in a school, just do something field related.

I would also revise your personal statement until it's completely flawless!! I would also stay in touch with your CSD professors so they know you're still interested and getting involved to better your application. Consider applying to schools with a more holistic view and if you aren't geographically bound maybe apply out of state??

 

[mcthom30]

I don’t know your stats, but I have a 3.4, 298 on GRE. It took me 3 rounds to get in! Don’t give up!! After graduating, I accepted a job as an SLPA (your state might not use them). I worked under knowledgeable SLPs and gained so much experience. My SLP supervisors gave me great recommendations because they saw me work and they saw that I was a quality clinician! Stay in touch with your school advisors too, especially if you want a letter from them next time. Work as much as you can in the field to prove your passion. Volunteer if you can. Make sure everyone and their mama knows your love for speech therapy! You can do it!!

Edited April 24, 2020 by mcthom30

[Cece93]

I’d say retake the classes if they are below a B- but really focus on experience and those recommendation letters. in the time it took me to complete my leveling courses I made sure I built my resume. My last year of undergrad I started working in a special needs preschool (because they were hiring) and had done so for almost 3yrs. I was a one to one aide then teaching assistant. I also participated in an after school program for older children with special needs and then became a registered behavioral technician. I work with teenagers with severe emotional,mental and behavioral disturbances along with others who aren’t as severe. I also worked with the infants and toddlers at the daycare section of my preschool.  So I have experience with people from infancy to 21.
 

I didn’t have any professors write me recommendations. I wasn’t close to them in undergrad and I didn’t feel like those for my leveling courses truly knew me or I them. I received recommendations from an SLP, a special needs preschool teacher, and a social worker. I'm not sure about others, but I went into this new endeavor of SLP knowing my professional experiences would set me apart from others so I focused on them a lot. I made sure to get certifications and do training classes and work with as many special needs children as I could since that’s the group I want to work with. It also helped me on my personal statement. I came into SLP due to working at my first preschool so my love of speech is tied to the children I’ve had.  I used grammarly to proofread it then got a few people to check over the template that I changed depending on the school. 
 

See if you can develop some type of relationship with some professors at your intended programs. Read their papers and ask questions ( they love that). See if there’s research opportunities with them. I’m not sure about research in general but it’s an option. The more you can put on your resume the better, in my opinion. Good luck!

[SLP☀️]

On 4/23/2020 at 11:31 AM, futurespeechieinprogress said:

Hi all! Unfortunately this round of applications wasn't in my favor, so I plan to take the rest of the year to strengthen my application. One avenue I was thinking of taking would be retaking some CSD courses (mainly neuroscience and phonetics) because they were my weak points in undergrad CSD courses, along with some general requirement courses (physics). I've seen many people highly recommend schools such as ENMU for leveling courses, but I've also noticed that some say they're receiving a second CSD BA. Would anyone who has more knowledge of this be able to enlighten me before I go all in? I'm also curious if you've gone this route to strengthen your app, how did it work out for you? Is it worth doing? Any advice is greatly appreciated! I'll do just about anything to be a stronger candidate! 

Give back to the field! Get involved with conferences and fundraisers. Know the leading trends in the field per ASHA. New applicants should be aware of trends and how you will bridge these gaps as a future SLP. What will you give back to our field regarding research?