Advice appreciated!

[lauraashley]

I am graduating this semester from a good research university with my bachelor's in Speech Pathology. I will have a minor in Spanish as well.

I'm planning on applying to SLP schools, but the further I research into things, the more worried I get.

My overall GPA is only 3.47 and my major GPA is 3.6. My overall is low because I was taking intensive science courses like organic chemistry because I thought I wanted to be a dentist for awhile.

I am currently doing research with a professor who has a PhD in audiology and I have a lot of volunteering experience (in all kinds of health care settings). I'm a member of the national NSSHLA. I am employed as a newborn hearing screener, which I feel is related to the field as well.

I'm taking the GRE in November.

Considering it's Oct. 4th, do you think I'm too late on everything? How much notice should I give for a LOR from somebody? I feel like I'm way late on things.

Thanks!!

[TakeruK]

I don't think it's too late. I'd say that anytime now is a good time to initially ask your LOR writers for an LOR, and you should definitely get all of your details (list of schools, deadlines, your CV, your GPA, GRE scores, etc.) about ~4 weeks before the first deadline. The profs will likely not write the LORs until closer to the deadlines anyways. However, it's good to give them the heads up now because if they are going to be away in the next few months or something, they might want to start writing now to get it out of the way!

At this time last year, I was mostly working on fellowship applications (they were due in mid October) and I had already asked for LORs for these so I just let my profs know that I would be needing many more LORs in Dec/Jan. I took my GRE early but my subject GRE was in November too. I started writing my SOP around 2 weeks before the deadlines. So I don't think you are too late!

[lauraashley]

Thanks!

[queenleblanc]

Agree with above post -- now is PRIME time to ask for LOR's. In fact, I'd tell your recommenders a deadline of December or January if the app deadline is February 1 -- according to one school I visited, even if it's a day late, if the whole application is not packaged together, it is NOT considered at ALL. Scary thought - even a recommender could delay that if it's a mailed LOR or if they fail to complete some little check box on an online LOR. If you give yourself at least a few weeks ahead of time on the LOR deadline, it will give you time to call and make sure your application package is complete.