GPA for SLP...

[combustiblecake]

Hi all,

 

I’m new here and I hope I can get some good advice here. I am a Psychology undergrad junior (with a minor in French and soon Linguistics) at UIUC looking into Speech Language Pathology as a career option. Here are my current stats (gah, I feel horrible about them):

 

GPA: 3.34 (this is going to be higher by the end of the semester)

GRE: (to be taken)

Experience: Conversational English Buddy (helping international students coming to my school to improve their english), Research Assistant to two labs during my undergrad years (still am and looking forward to join a program to write and present research in either Language Acquisition/Language Comprehension & Brain Waves), I worked at the Public Library helping translate and participating in activities with bilingual children. This coming summer (2014) I am very excited to apply to program to volunteer as a Spanish Language Assistant that promotes early second language acquisition for children in town. 

Languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese & (slight) Italian.

 

My GPA is so low mainly because of two things: 

 

1. When I started college I was in an emotional abusive relationship that I was finally freed from with some therapy and support (there is an upward trend with my grades that proves that).
2. I am not very awesome at multiple-choice type testing and the Psychology faculty use this method frequently (I’ve had better grades with essay questions, which are common within Linguistics). 

 

I became really interested in SLP because (besides language acquisition) I am also interested in how people lose languages through brain injury as well (such as aphasia) which I learned time again from some of my SHS/LING/PSYC courses. I’m also very dedicated in helping people and I feel language is such a powerful tool that is just so unfortunate to lose or not ever acquire. I fear that with my GPA I have no chance in going anywhere, despite some experience here and there I’ve had during my undergrad years.

 

I also an working towards the pre-reqs and have no idea where to look for supervised hours in clinical supervision =/

 

Should I get a Master’s in something else and then move to SLP? I’ve thought of TESOL/Applied Linguistics, but I’m scared of any job opportunity I may not have if I don’t enter SLP at all (even though teaching abroad is in my agenda before graduate school as well).

 

Should I just apply anyways and see what happens?

 

Any suggestions?

 

Sorry if it is a dumb and overposted question, although I think most cases are pretty different from each other.

Edited November 24, 2013 by waitwhichgaby

[sayjo]

Hi waitwhichgaby,

 

Many people get into graduate school with lower than average GPAs.  However, I think there are a couple of things you can do to boost your chances of getting into graduate school.

 

1. If this is financially feasible, I would complete your undergraduate degree in psychology.  Then, I would complete a second bachelor's program either in person or online.  I currently am taking courses at Utah State University online and find them affordable and appropriately challenging.  When applying to grad school, they will care much more about your GPA for your second in-field bachelor's than your first bachelor's.

 

2. If I read your post correctly, you're at UIUC, so you could still change your major or take classes in communication disorders there.  If you keep your COMD classes as close to a 4.0 as possible, this will also improve your chances to get into graduate school.

 

3. If you do want to teach abroad, I would highly recommend doing that before graduate school.  First, because it will definitely help your application and be a unique experience.  Second, (I write this as a married 26 year old) as you get older, it gets harder and harder to uproot yourself and move to a new country.  After graduate school, you might need to pay off debts, you might be in a serious relationship, etc.  Also, you can combine online SLP classes with living abroad.  I'm friends with girl who is teaching in Ireland right now and taking classes via Utah State.

 

If these ideas won't work for you, then you're just going to have to buckle down and pull up that GPA in your last year and a half of undergrad.  You'll need to find faculty members to write you stellar letters of recommendation, you'll need to put in some serious study hours for the GRE, and you'll need to make the experiences you do have sound AWESOME in a personal statement.  

 

What I WOULDN'T do is "just apply anyways and see what happens."  If you're going to spend your time and money on graduate school apps, you might as well do it right.  You'll be going up against in-field applicants with stellar GPAs and out-of-field applicants with lots of unique experiences and (most of the time) a second bachelor's in the field.  It's difficult for EVERYONE to get into graduate school, so just throwing some applications out there is just like throwing money away.

 

Hope that helps & good luck to you.

[emikate51]

I'm a senior in SLP at UIUC so maybe I can help! I would say finish your psychology degree first. It will take way too long to switch it up and get an SLP degree. I switched from biochemistry to SLP after my first semester at UIUC and was able to graduate in 3 years (2011-2014). What I would did is take SHS 120, SHS 111, SHS 170, and SHS 375 along with your psych classes. SHS 120 and 170 are required classes that you can typically take without being in the major. Try to get a minor in SLP! There are not many classes (like 18 hours) and I think it'd be really helpful if you can fit those classes in!  I would also apply to volunteer at Carle hospital in the CHAOS unit. I am graduating in May with a 3.8 GPA and LORs from top professors, and a pretty decent GRE score and am very nervous that I will likely not get in to many schools. I would apply to grad schools for SLP during your senior year. Also observe SLPs, in the major we need 25 observations to graduate, so getting a start for grad school will help. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!