The Myth of the Safety School

[CarmM23]

Can any seasoned applicants share what "safety schools" they applied to? I'm starting to believe that there's no such thing. All SLP programs seem to be extremely competitive. 

[SLPjmar]

Can any seasoned applicants share what "safety schools" they applied to? I'm starting to believe that there's no such thing. All SLP programs seem to be extremely competitive. 

 

I also do not believe that a "safety school" exists for SLP. All programs are competitive, receive a high volume of applications, and look for different qualities in applicants. When I was applying, I was rejected from my "safety" school and accepted to my reach schools.

 

Each adcom has a different method, and they all want different things. I think the best thing to do is maintain a high GPA, have reasonable GRE scores, and make sure the program fits your future goals. 

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

I had a similar experience, accepted to UC Boulder (reach) and wait listed at Northern Colorado and Wyoming (both of which I thought of as high probability). Also, I applied for a social work program at Colorado State as an absolute safety (I started out this track in school wanting to go into social work, then fell more in love with language along the way) and was flat out rejected there. However, I do want to note that I put a lot more time into my reach applications, and used better recommenders, so I wonder if this phenomenon is perhaps (even subconsciously) of our own making where we make a better impression at the reach school and let things slide a little on the "safer" schools?

 

Just my thoughts 

[Quantum Buckyball]

Yeah there is no such thing. I think some people made it up based on school's ranking or program's ranking and think that the higher the GPA and GRE score the higher chance you'll get in. I think the admission process takes into account for other factors such as in-state or out-of-state residency, the alumni association, your portfolio against other applicants during that cycle, recommendations, number and the quality of publications, relevant experiences..

Edited May 23, 2013 by Quantum Buckyball

[katieliz456]

Several friends and I have discussed this problem ( the lack of true safety schools), and it seems like there are at least a couple things to look for.

1- Tuition cost.  Cheap/state schools may have a greater appeal because of the cost, while private/pricier schools may not be as popular or may have more active waitlists (people get into a cheap school, so they decline the offer from the private school).  

 

2- Diversity.  We have this theory that schools try to build diverse & balanced cohorts.  I still believe the reason I was accepted to some competitive programs is that i expressed my interest in language/literacy, while many other applicants focused on the medical side of things.  Even if the school has a strong medical program, they still need students who are passionate about preK and school-aged kids Some schools also seem to prefer a nice mix of new graduates and older career-changers.  Basically, swimming upstream might work out to your advantage.

 

Obviously, none of these are hard-and-fast rules for your application experience.  Just some things to keep in mind.  Good luck!!

[orangesoda6789]

apply where you can afford.

[SLPSteph]

Agreed. Most programs are quite small, which makes them ALL very competitive. I only applied to four schools, and thankfully that worked out okay for me, but I would recommend applying to more. Every school seems to have its own way of evaluating applicants. Apply to a wide range of schools, whether or not you see them as a "safety" or a "reach". Hopefully that will ensure that your strengths line up with a program's values! And I agree with katieliz456 - emphasize anything that makes you different! Good luck!