Against all odds but still have hope

[ludenaa]

Alright guys this may be a bit far fetched but I'm determined to make it work. I have recently completed after being in school for over ten years on an off a Bachelors of Science with a concentration in Finance. I have an embarrassing 2.5 gpa which I understand does not come close to making me eligible for many masters programs let alone a SLP program. I've worked in the business environment for over a decade and quiet honestly was miserable during all this time. I've worked as an interpreter a few years ago through the early intervention program and enjoyed very much the interaction with practitioners and families as well. I've worked very closely with many SLPs and always contemplated the thought of making a career change to speech pathology.

 

I am now determined to pursuit this career although I'm fully aware that I'm at the starting point of a long road ahead. Since my gpa is so low and virtually NO college will even bother with me what I've done is the following: Although I have completed all the courses for the degree in Finance I have extended my graduation date which still allows me to take more courses at my current College. The objective of this is to clearly improve my gpa. My plan is to start taking prerequisites and successfully complete them with As. Simultaneously, I plan on contacting a few SLP friends to inquiry about the possibility of volunteer work or other extra curriculum activities that will in turn make me more competitive and marketable. I've also contemplated (and this will be when I'm ready to apply) to ask these friends to write me LORs. I will also need to start preparing for the GREs which as I understand my score on this test is imperative in deciding whether I'm admitted or not.   

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but the idea of taking the prerequisites will only help me down the road as I will improve my gpa and simultaneously work towards the SLP program correct?  I regret wasting a decade of my life to eventually understand the importance of education. I am 31 years old now and with God's help and if all goes well, I project to finish the program at the age of 35. I will like to know what you guys think, any guidance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Erack]

Hi! Im new to all if this and like you had some struggles early in college. I graduated when i was 35 so i know what its like. Dont get discouraged(that's what everyone keeps telling me). If you're still in school, taking a few communication disorders classes to show your intent as well as increase your GPA is a great idea! That would also give you good networks for LOR's that are in field. Good luck!

[sayjo]

Hi ludenaa,

 

If you look through this forum, you'll notice that many have similar backgrounds to you.  What you need to do is to either take pre-reqs or complete a second bachelor's program (Utah State has a great and affordable online program) and make sure that you get as close to a 4.0 as possible.  Most schools will only care about your GPA for your SLP pre-req work.  You also need to get a good GRE score and find people who can write you amazing letters of recommendation.  

 

If you are bilingual (it sounds like you are), you might want to consider applying for a bilingual SLP program.  Bilingual SLPs are in VERY high demand as few people are qualified for this field.

 

Also - just a note - you will find that many (though not all) SLP programs REQUIRE a degree in communication disorders or a certain amount of pre-req classes in order to even be CONSIDERED for the program.  I would suggest looking at schools that you are interested in and finding out what they require for admission.

 

Hope that helps!