Crossroads

[Momspeech]

Hi

I have recently finished csd prerequisites fromm USU with a 3.4 GPA. I was advised by the USU admissions counselor I will not be able to get into USU grad school with this GPA.

 I know it is low, but sifting through a couple breakthrough cases here on the forum. I don't want to give up on speech just yet. I am working on ASHA . Prerequisites now, biology, physics, psychology and statistics. Should be done by December 2022. And this will cost me additional $10,000. Without any certainty if i will even get into a graduate school program or not.

Can anyone advise me, if at this point, I should start looking into another career or stick with speech. Teaching and Masters in ABA are a few options I was considering. 

Any advice would be helpful.

[Arcanelady27]

Hi, 

 You may not get into USU's grad school, but you certainly can get into another grad school. Many schools look at students holistically and look at other factors (e.g., personal statement, GRE, volunteering within the field. Please do not count yourself out because you can't get into one school. I am an older student and it took years for me to get in after several attempts. You can do this! 

 

[meadymalarkey]

Hey @Momspeech, That's really rough to hear. A 3.4 is by no means the end of the world. Are you able to relocate for graduate school? If so, I would suggest looking into programs that don't have such strict GPA cutoffs. If not, you might want to consider online programs. If you have developed positive relationships with people in the faculty at USU, I would also suggest talking with them about how you might be able to flesh out your experience by getting involved in labs they might have. Like @Arcanelady27said, many programs look more holistically at applicants, even ones that generally have hard GPA cutoffs. Cultivating relationships and showcasing your abilities in other ways can go a long way. 

As far as switching career tracks, it depends on where you see ultimately yourself thriving. Teaching is amazing if you enjoy kids, working with groups, and you feel the pay would be enough for you to live the life you envision for yourself. You can look up what teachers get paid in your area by googling the district name + pay schedule. They typically post PDFs on their HR sites.

That said, I would suggest researching ABA more thoroughly. As pervasive as it is, it has an extremely problematic history and many Autistic people, having lived through it, regard it as abusive. Increasing evidence indicates that autism is one of many forms of neurodivergence. Here are some resources, if you're interested:

https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/controversy-autisms-common-therapy/

https://autisticmama.com/even-new-aba-is-problematic/

https://www.amazon.com/Were-Not-Broken-Changing-Conversation/dp/1328587843

In my years of experience working with Autistic individuals, there are genuinely more effective and respectful ways of helping people thrive into adulthood. 

[Momspeech]

@meadymalarkey relocation is not an option for me. I can look into online schools. Most online schools have strict rules about covering ASHA prerequisites. So I cannot even apply until another year.

@Arcanelady27

Which graduate school might not be strict about cutoffs. Because they all say 3.0 is minimum but eventually, they close enrolment  at 3.75 I feel. 

[SpeechieK]

Hi there,

I will say, I recently got accepted into 4 SLP master's program and 1 wait list offer with a 3.4 GPA including a few C's on my TRX. I am now finishing my first semester in grad school and am thriving. A low GPA is not the end of the world as long as you do your research and apply to realistic programs. You should be able to get into Emerson online or Baylor online, although online programs tend to be more expensive (70K+). Unfortunately, one thing about the field of SLP is high financial debt is likely. You don't really have time to work during a full time program, it is highly discouraged and for good reason. If finances are a worry especially after taking out 10K for ASHA courses, consider applying for part-time 3 year SLP programs that allow you to work on the side.

Overall, SLP is amazing and definitely worth the time, money, and stress. But, if admissions and finances are a huge stresser, you could consider working as an SLPA for a few years or forever. Then, you at least have good experience in the field if you decide to apply later on.

 

[meadymalarkey]

17 hours ago, Momspeech said:

@meadymalarkey relocation is not an option for me. I can look into online schools. Most online schools have strict rules about covering ASHA prerequisites. So I cannot even apply until another year.

@Arcanelady27

Which graduate school might not be strict about cutoffs. Because they all say 3.0 is minimum but eventually, they close enrolment  at 3.75 I feel. 

If you use ASHA EdFind, you can search to look at the admit stats profiles of different programs. Typically they include a GPA range in those profiles. Lower GPAs may be an exception but that doesn't mean they don't get considered. In your case you're more to the left side of the average range. There's definitely options. 

As far as pre-reqs, most community colleges offer something in each of the 4 areas, and these can be online courses. I don't know your situation or location, but if you go part-time that could be done in 2 terms. Full time (usually 4 classes on the semester system) can be done in 1, if the topics don't feel like they're going to require all of your focus. I don't see how it will cost 10k unless you're very committed to a particular institution. If you do your courses via ENMU it would be <4k tops (typically about ~800-900 per online class), and it's very likely to be less if you do it at a CC. 

Also, bear in mind that online programs for public schools in your state may be cheaper than out of state programs. And many online programs have rolling admissions. You may not need to wait an entire year to get started if you go that route.