Prospective Speech-Language Pathology Grad Student

[Ippy03]

I've been trying to get more involved in extracurricular activities as an undergrad student in speech pathology to be able to accumulate my experiences and talk about them in my personal statement for grad school. I volunteer at a specialized hospital, outpatient center and as a literacy tutor. I also started shadowing SLPs in my area. I will start working as a rehab aide at a rehab center and have another part-time job. I am also a treasurer for a club on campus and will soon be president. Do you guys think these activities are relevant in quality and quantity? 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Ippy03

[jomyers.online]

Honestly, that is a great mix of experiences! The only thing is that you might look at some research experiences if you haven't already. I wouldn't necessarily add anything that would be a large commitment, as that already sounds overwhelming. Maybe an hour or two volunteering on a PhD student's project each week. 

For programs that have more of a holistic admissions process, keep in mind that they’re not necessarily looking to make sure that you’ve had a certain number of shadowing hours or that you have a certain amount of related experience. They’re looking for a well-rounded applicant that can show the admissions committee that they’ve developed the skills and competencies that program is looking for in their applicants. This is a list of skills/competencies that programs typically look for:

• Academic rigor/Academic preparation/Foundational Skills (A good place to highlight this would be your GPA and LORs)
• Analytical and critical thinking skills (A good place to highlight this would be your resume)
• Clear and effective communication with clients, families, professionals, etc. (A good place to highlight this would be your resume or personal statement)
• collaboration skills (A good place to highlight this would be your resume, LORs, or personal statement)
• flexibility and growth mindset (A good place to highlight this would be your personal statement)
• professionalism (A good place to highlight this would be your resume, LORs, or personal statement)
• resourcefulness, innovation, and creativity (A good place to highlight this would be your resume or personal statement)
• self-reflection (A good place to highlight this would be your personal statement)
• clinical competence – knowledge and skills (A good place to highlight this would be your resume, LORs, or personal statement)
• ethical behavior (A good place to highlight this would be your resume or personal statement)
• social and emotional awareness, active listening, compassion, and empathy (A good place to highlight this would be your personal statement)
• cultural intelligence/capability/responsiveness/ dexterity (A good place to highlight this would be your resume or personal statement)

If you think that there’s a certain skill that you might not be able to show in your application yet, then that is what I’d recommend for you to target prior to your next round of applications.