Average gpa for MS Slp?

[rsteubs]

Hey all! I'm actually not even in college yet! (just graduated hs in california) and plan on majoring in CD then hopefully getting into a masters in Slp.  What would be a good gpa/gre score for someone wanting to go to a masters program here?  Say csulb?  What would you say the average gpa of admissions is there, and also any advice on schools around the cali area that I should apply to when the time comes would be great help too.

 

[GandalfTheGrey]

That's great that you're interested in SLP. My two cents:

Grad school admissions are very competitive, so the most important thing is to focus on doing as well you as can in college. Take the electives that interest you, and study hard and learn as much as you can. If you do poorly on a test, meet with the professor or TA to figure out how you can bring up your grade. The average GPA for accepted students will be different in four years, so rather than focusing on a specific number my advice is to make the most of your time in college (as in, learn as much as you can, not party as much as you can =) ). Make sure you take a math class, a stats class, a physics class, and a biology class, but I'll recommend that you take more than one of each of those - challenge yourself! Learn a language, take some psych, neuro, linguistics, or public health/policy courses - SLP is a very multidisciplinary field, so anything you learn in the related fields will make you more attractive to grad schools and probably help you in grad school as well. Find a club or two that you're genuinely passionate about, and be involved.

You're right to be concerned about your GPA, but if you spend your four years in college focused solely on that, then congratulations, you just spent four years of your life worrying about a number. You should certainly strive for high grades in all of your classes, but keep in mind that you'll enjoy it and learn much more if you focus on learning, exploring, questioning, and discovering, too.

Also, check out asha.org for lots of information about becoming an SLP. Good luck!

[sayjo]

I agree with everything GandalfTheGrey said.  Additionally, I would recommend finding meaningful volunteer experiences that you can participate in.  If you intend to work in the schools as an SLP someday, you might want to find volunteer work at nearby schools (such as being a reading tutor).  If you're more interested in the medical side of things, you may want to volunteer at a hospital.  Not only can these types of volunteer experiences help your resume, they can also be fun, rewarding, and give you insight into your future career.  Just my $0.02.