2024 Canada Prep & Admissions SLP Thread

[BrocasArea]

7 minutes ago, jazzyslp said:

OHHH, this makes sense. thank you for clearing that up. yikes my second year grades were not the greatest, if i were to take extra courses (lets say 5 to cover the first semester) they wouldnt count my second year first sem?

Also if you're comfortable answering how did you find the application process last year, anything you learned, what you're doing different ect.

No problem! No matter if you take extra courses, in subGPA calculations they won’t ever cut a semester in half for their calculation. So if you apply next fall (for sept 2025) and don’t take extra courses, they will average your entire second year. If you take 5 extra classes through summer school or some other means, then I believe they’ll only count your third year plus the extra 5 classes (so long as they’re more recent than your second year) and your fourth year first semester.

In terms of how I found the application process, I was really intimidated at first about not being qualified enough, but I was waitlisted at the two schools I applied to, so I now know I wasn’t far off from what they’re looking for. I think generally it seems scarier than it is. I just plan on gaining more experience with my gap year and I am also taking 5 classes to knock out a term  and take pre reqs for other schools!

[hopefulslpp]

hey guys! im entering into my first year at uOttawa SLP this September. Last round was my first time applying. I know how anxious and scary this process is. If anyone has any questions about applications, SOI, references etc. please feel free to message me and I will be more than happy to help !  

[jazzyslp]

On 8/12/2023 at 12:32 PM, hopefulslpp said:

hey guys! im entering into my first year at uOttawa SLP this September. Last round was my first time applying. I know how anxious and scary this process is. If anyone has any questions about applications, SOI, references etc. please feel free to message me and I will be more than happy to help !  

Hii!! I was just wondering what other schools you applied to with what sgpa. Also what kind of experiences did you have and what do you think helped your chance of getting accepted? Sorry if that was a lot of questions!

[hopefulslpp]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:17 AM, jazzyslp said:

Hii!! I was just wondering what other schools you applied to with what sgpa. Also what kind of experiences did you have and what do you think helped your chance of getting accepted? Sorry if that was a lot of questions!

no problem! so I applied to Alberta, McGill, UofT, Western, McMaster, Ottawa and Laurentian. I got waitlisted (then accepted) at Alberta, waitlisted (then accepted and committed) at Ottawa and directly into Laurentian. I ended up choosing Ottawa because of its location (I wanted to stay in Ontario, and I am bilingual so the French was not an issue for me) and the resources available though the university. My major is Linguistics. I had a 3.6 sGPA, ~600 hours of volunteering, an SLPA job, a RA position and a research internship. My cGPA was a 7.35/9 so around a 3.45? I think experience is really gonna count this round of applications. I'm not sure if theyre making shadowing hours mandatory this round, but I really think its important. It can make you stand out from the other applicants. I also think research is a good addition to applications. 

 

If you are sure you want to pursue SLP, I think it is totally worth it. It is not impossible to get into - it just takes time and hard work. It wont come easy, I know many people who had to apply 2 or 3 times. I think I got in with such a low sGPA because of my experiences. I started thinking about grad school and planning my route in first year. It takes a while to ensure you have everything sorted. Also, I know it is hard but do not compare yourself to your peers. I was terrified and convinced I wasnt getting in, but I did! If your sGPA is lower I would strongly suggest looking into CDA programs. Also, look into applying to the States and Australia! Many new SLPs come back to Canada from abroad. 

 

If anyone has specific questions, shoot me a PM ! 

[MajorTom10]

Hi guys! I'm attending University of Alberta this year! I'm willing to help out with any questions anyone might have! I highly recommend you consider attending the OASIS virtual conference, where there's always a section on the application process. I found it super helpful! 

I got in on the first time applying with

3.89 GPA in my undergrad in Speech and Hearing Sciences (I also have a certificate in Special Education)
4th quartile CASPER
Recommendation letters from Head of my department, a professor of a class, and my boss.
Resume done by SLPResume, who I highly recommend.

I come with no research background but a passion for adult neurological communication, a capstone project in aphasia, 25 observation hours. I worked for a software company so this is a change of career for me.

If anyone has questions about the U of A process, I'll still be checking this site every once and a while, or you can private message me since I'll get an email about it. Good luck! 

[MajorTom10]

Also! Big news for 2024 for U of A! They’re opening a 15 seat satellite cohort at the U of A Augustana campus. So if you’re willing to live in Camrose (about an hour south of Edmonton), there is another option! Also still offering specific Saskatchewan spots, so the cohort is much bigger overall! 
 

https://www.ualberta.ca/communications-sciences-and-disorders/programs/msc-in-speech-language-pathology/admissions/index.html

[MajorTom10]

Also! Big news for 2024 for U of A! They’re opening a 15 seat satellite cohort at the U of A Augustana campus. So if you’re willing to live in Camrose (about an hour south of Edmonton), there is another option! Also still offering specific Saskatchewan spots, so the cohort is much bigger overall!
 

feel free to look at the U of A website, under the masters program and then ‘admissions’. My link is getting my comments blocked 

[slp2024hopeful]

Hi all! 

This will be my first time applying to the SLP program this year! Excited and nervous 😅

When is everyone planning on writing the CASPer? And for those who have already taken it, how did you find it? I'm going to be writing on September 14th!

[cornpop15]

On 8/30/2023 at 5:55 PM, slp2024hopeful said:

Hi all! 

This will be my first time applying to the SLP program this year! Excited and nervous 😅

When is everyone planning on writing the CASPer? And for those who have already taken it, how did you find it? I'm going to be writing on September 14th!

Hi! My first time applying too!! I think I’ll write the Casper in October, and I’m planning to prep with some free online resources. Good luck with your applications  

[cornpop15]

Does anyone have advice for getting more experience (shadowing/volunteering) before applications? I’ve been emailing SLPs for months with either no replies or “no sorry”  I’d love to be able to observe some sessions but nobody seems to be taking any students right now in my area!!

[enthousiasticSLPapplicant]

Hi! 

I'm so happy to finally post in a canadian SLP admission thread! I am a first time applicant for fall 2024 and I've been reading those threads for a LONG time. I'm looking to apply to all the university in Quebec (I know they have their own thread), but also to UOttawa (I did the open house last year and fell in love with the people, the campus and the vision of the school), UMcGill (the program seems really intense and focus on the growth of the students and I love it!!) and UDalhousie (not sure yet).

I am really not sure how strong my application is, I have a lot of experience in education, a GPA of 3.9 out of 4.3 (in Quebec). I also have my own company (of tutoring, special ed and language developpement), 4 years of experience as a special ed (or remedial?) teacher (in french, they call it orthopédagogie) in the private field (one on one) and in the public system.

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience of volunteering/shadowing with an SLP and I have only 40 hours of experience as an assistant in research, in education, but I do have all kinds of experiences in volunteering as a passion. Also, I have failed one internship and my bachelor degree is a combined one, with a major in education and a certificate in langage sciences (which I think for uottawa is not enough? If you know if it is or not, let me know!).

I have read OBSESSIVLY all of the criteria, been to all of the informations meetings and I know A LOT of informations (almost by heart at this point lol). From what I have read, it really depends on the year (so the pool of applicants) and the CASPER and some year, the same application can be a great one or a mediocre one.

If you have read up to this point, thank you very much for your patience. Do I need to strengthen my application further more? What would you recommend?

Thank you so much in advance and it will be a pleasure getting to know all of you in these Hunger Games of the grad applications.
 

[SocialCommSLP]

Hi everyone! Hope you're doing well as the application season begins. I'm slightly confused about ORPAS sgpa's if anyone could help!

So I've been taking spring/summer courses since after my first year. Below are my semesters and how many courses

Spring/Summer 2021 (2)

2nd year Fall 2021 (5) + 2nd year Winter 2022 (5)

Spring/Summer 2022 (2)

3rd year Fall 2022 (4) + 3rd year Winter 2023 (5)

Spring/Summer 2023 (4) + 4th year Fall 2023 (3)

Now my confusion comes here: ORPAS says when they have to go into a semester to make up the full 20 orpas lengths they'll average the year and use it for how many units are missing. They also say that in the case where full time, supplementary and semester exist in a year they'll use supplementary first and etc. Based on my courses they'll either take the average of my 2nd year OR just use my spring/summer 2021 grades.

Does anyone know which one they'd use? Because it makes a huge difference in my gpa and plays a role in deciding what schools to apply to. idk if this even makes any sense but any help would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone also know how to contact orpas? Cuz it'd be easier to ask them LOL

[speechiegal]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:08 PM, SocialCommSLP said:

Hi everyone! Hope you're doing well as the application season begins. I'm slightly confused about ORPAS sgpa's if anyone could help!

So I've been taking spring/summer courses since after my first year. Below are my semesters and how many courses

Spring/Summer 2021 (2)

2nd year Fall 2021 (5) + 2nd year Winter 2022 (5)

Spring/Summer 2022 (2)

3rd year Fall 2022 (4) + 3rd year Winter 2023 (5)

Spring/Summer 2023 (4) + 4th year Fall 2023 (3)

Now my confusion comes here: ORPAS says when they have to go into a semester to make up the full 20 orpas lengths they'll average the year and use it for how many units are missing. They also say that in the case where full time, supplementary and semester exist in a year they'll use supplementary first and etc. Based on my courses they'll either take the average of my 2nd year OR just use my spring/summer 2021 grades.

Does anyone know which one they'd use? Because it makes a huge difference in my gpa and plays a role in deciding what schools to apply to. idk if this even makes any sense but any help would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone also know how to contact orpas? Cuz it'd be easier to ask them LOL

Hi! I think you should email orpas to be certain (orpas@ouac.on.ca) but I had a similar breakdown for courses when I applied last year (I took 2 spring courses in my third year into fourth) and based on my calculation, they took my 4th year first sem grades, my two spring course grades, my entire third year grades, and then averaged my entire second year to be “4 credits worth” (4+2+10+4 = 20). Hopefully you find that ORPAS will compute the subGPA in your favour!

[SocialCommSLP]

Has anyone heard of or knows anyone who received an offer from UofT without having a minimum B+ in a pre req?

[Fia]

Hey everyone! Hope your all doing well. I have a question about calculating our 20 most recent courses and pre-reqs. I have completed some pre-reqs in my first and second year. So, will those averages in those classes be implemented in the 20 classes for our average? 

[tayslp]

17 hours ago, Fia said:

Hey everyone! Hope your all doing well. I have a question about calculating our 20 most recent courses and pre-reqs. I have completed some pre-reqs in my first and second year. So, will those averages in those classes be implemented in the 20 classes for our average? 

Hi! From what I understand, the pre-reqs will not be included in your subGPA calculation, it is still only the most recent 20 courses. The schools will still look at those prerequisites to make sure they are completed and have the required grade. 

[SquidSLP]

On 6/7/2023 at 11:48 PM, BrandyJ said:

Does anyone know any previous year's stats. I just want to know a general ballpark of what's competitive right now. 

I know 3 people got into UofT with the following grades 3.8, 3.95, 3.99 GPA (not sub-GPA). These are form the last 1-3 years.

[SquidSLP]

On 8/30/2023 at 5:55 PM, slp2024hopeful said:

Hi all! 

This will be my first time applying to the SLP program this year! Excited and nervous 😅

When is everyone planning on writing the CASPer? And for those who have already taken it, how did you find it? I'm going to be writing on September 14th!

How did it go? I scheduled mine for January 10th

[slp2024hopeful]

@SquidSLP It wasn't too bad! Doing the practice exams was the best preparation for me and helped me prep for what kind of questions I might get. Good luck on yours!

[slpgirl0613]

Hi all!

This is my second time applying! I applied this past cycle and was waitlisted at Western.

My GPA is on the lower end (3.63/4) but thankfully I started working as an SLPA earlier this year when I graduated from undergrad. I'm hoping this experience will help me this time around

Feeling super nervous, does anyone who is in the program have advice for writing the statements for UofT and Western? Any advice will help:) thanks and good luck to everyone this round!

[tommissimo]

Hi! I am applying to SLP grad schools in Canada this year, could you add me to the SLP applicants group on Facebook? My name is Tommy.

Thanks : )

[SquidSLP]

On 10/6/2023 at 11:31 AM, slpgirl0613 said:

Hi all!

This is my second time applying! I applied this past cycle and was waitlisted at Western.

My GPA is on the lower end (3.63/4) but thankfully I started working as an SLPA earlier this year when I graduated from undergrad. I'm hoping this experience will help me this time around

Feeling super nervous, does anyone who is in the program have advice for writing the statements for UofT and Western? Any advice will help:) thanks and good luck to everyone this round!

How did you get into this position?

[speechforthestars]

Hi all! Does anyone know if the second section (volunteer experience) of UofT's statement of intent has been waived or if it is still required? 

[tayslp]

4 hours ago, speechforthestars said:

Hi all! Does anyone know if the second section (volunteer experience) of UofT's statement of intent has been waived or if it is still required? 

I was wondering the same thing! I don't see it in the requirements for the statement of intent, but we still had to input volunteer experience in our personal submissions so I'm not sure. 

[SocialCommSLP]

Is anyone applying to Westerns combined PhD and SLP program? or the PhD and Audiology one?