As an undergrad a semester away from applying, what else can I do to strengthen my app?

[ehemingway]

Hey guys, 

 

Just scouring these forums and feeling a little worried. I'm sure the title of this topic can apply to a TON of folks.

 

By the time of my application (post-fall 2013 sem), I should have somewhere around a:

 

Cum GPA of 3.47

CDS GPA of 3.7X

My last 60 credits should be around 3.9X.

I'll be taking my GRE's in October.

Minor in linguistics.

 

I've 225 logged hours working under an SLP in a public school under the title of Jr. Speech Language-Pathologist Student Teacher (never knew that title existed). 45+ hours volunteering combined from an acute patient rehab, a nursing home and most recently, my area's speech and hearing center dealing with autistic and coch imp. cases and 25 observation. I've also research in the linguistics/classics dep., biomedical engineering dep. and for a longitudinal TBI study at my local children's hospital.

 

I've experience as an AmeriCorps member, sang in the university choir, certified in leadership through my university; not sure what else I could possibly do outside of retake a course that isn't offered until the summer. I'm also a bilingual minority male (because demographics matter somewhere, right?).

 

Is it worth applying this winter to programs, or should I retake some courses to raise my cum. GPA?

 

It may seem like I'm overachieving, but I'm a NY-state resident, and I'd like to attend a school in downstate NY, likely one of the most competitive regions, if not the most in all America.

 

What else can I do, volunteering or otherwise?

 

Thanks, can't say how much this forum has helped over these last few months.

 

I'd have posted this in the SLP 2014 thread, but I feel like some valuable advice will be posted here and it'd suck for it to get lost under the dozens of pages that'll ensue in that thread, but if a mod disagrees, they should definitely merge the threads!

Edited August 28, 2013 by ehemingway

[danieleWrites]

A lot of schools sponsor some kind of in-house research colloquium or competition, others have conferences aimed at students and welcome undergrads. Do a research project and present it somewhere. I never asked my undergrad adviser about grad school because she wasn't particularly helpful. I did go to two of my professors that were familiar with my work and talk to them about my plans and ideas. They were full of advice. If you've got or have had a prof that's working in the stuff you're interested in, he/she's the one to go ask questions of. You can join your major's and/or interest's association, which offer student discounts and may offer methods for you to publish, present, or other types of research. Find one of you profs that's doing research and see if you can help with the project. You probably won't get any publication credit, but you can list it on your CV and have that prof write a letter of recommendation that mentions what you did.

[SLPamy]

You look like a strong candidate to me, but I do understand that you're applying to some competitive programs. I would say that you should definitely prepare for the GRE as much as you can. I say this in like every post but Magoosh (http://gre.magoosh.com) was amazing for me. I think a very strong GRE score would balance out an OK GPA. Would you be able to get in the upper 150's or 60's in either section? 

You seem to have a lot of strong research/volunteer experience. The fact that you are bilingual and male is significant in my opinion as well. If you have the resources/time to retake maybe a class you got the lowest grade in, I guess that could be worth it. But like I said, I think studying for the GRE should be your priority for the next month or two.

[SLPjmar]

While you have a lot of impressive experiences (AmeriCorps, choir, etc.), I think it is important to tie all of these experiences together in your LoR. Even though schools do look at these things, why is it important to being a future SLP? Your grades and test scores matter, but so does what you say about it all. Good luck. 

[SLPjmar]

Sorry, I meant SoP and not LoR. It's been a busy, mind-numbing week

[ehemingway]

You look like a strong candidate to me, but I do understand that you're applying to some competitive programs. I would say that you should definitely prepare for the GRE as much as you can. I say this in like every post but Magoosh (http://gre.magoosh.com) was amazing for me. I think a very strong GRE score would balance out an OK GPA. Would you be able to get in the upper 150's or 60's in either section? 

You seem to have a lot of strong research/volunteer experience. The fact that you are bilingual and male is significant in my opinion as well. If you have the resources/time to retake maybe a class you got the lowest grade in, I guess that could be worth it. But like I said, I think studying for the GRE should be your priority for the next month or two.

 

I'm certainly capable of doing well on the GRE's, IMO. It'll be a struggle, but worth it. Did you try anything else before going through Magoosh (like the Princeton books, ETS prep guides, etc.)?

 

Thanks for the excellent advice @ all. Good reminder to everyone applying to tie in as many experiences as you can into your SoP. I'd imagine a program looks for a candidate who hasn't JUST done SLP-related activities for 4 years - they want something to set them apart.