Didnt get accepted now what?

[jenniferelise]

I am so happy to see this forum. My second round of applications... I made the very big mistake of only applying to 2 schools (when you support yourself, it's easy to tell yourself you don't need to spend that $50 on a school you don't really want to go to). I am an SLPA in Lubbock, Tx. I graduated cum laude from Texas Tech. I am currently on the wait list for Tech (2nd time) and Texas State. I do not feel very hopeful. I was just told today that I'd need to take chemistry to get my certification after grad school. Apparently ASHA changed the physical science pre-req requirement in fall 2014. So I guess I will be taking that class at a local communitty college... As well as prepping to retake the GRE. I have spent the last hour researching other options... But my heart is in speech therapy. I feel like if I had been interviewed, I would have been accepted. It is disheartening. I was suppose to be done by now!

[Ahsee]

I am also an older student (aged 45) and have been accepted to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's part-time online graduate program starting this summer.  Have you considered applying to online Master's programs?  The UW-EC program is 3 years long and only requires 3 one week-long residencies in Eau Claire each summer.  I know this program is not biased against older students as the majority of my fellow cohort members are non-traditional and located all across the country.  Wishing you all the best!!  

Hi,

Can you please share your stats? I'm going to only apply to UWEC for the 2016 cohort. I'd appreciate you sharing your experience thus far!

Thank you in advance.

[smslp]

Hi Ahsee,

I would be happy to share my stats:  GPA - 3.8, GRE - V: 161/ Qu: 146/ Wr: 4.  I absolutely LOVE UWEC's online graduate program!!  The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and helpful.  They have all been fabulous to learn from thus far.  We spent an exciting week on campus in June and it was great to have that time with all of my cohort members (there are 20 of us in total).  I believe their applications for the 2016 cohort are due on November 1.  Wishing you the best of luck!  UWEC has an amazing program!

[Suelli5]

I know this is an old thread, but I recently met someone who told me this year was her third time applying to grad school. She is an excellent special ed preschool teacher & I believe she majored in CSD, so I was really surprised. 

I know SLP programs are competitive overall and very competitive in certain regions. I think the key is not to limit yourself to applying to one or two or even three schools. You’ve got to cast a wide net & apply to a lot of schools. Yes, applications themselves are expensive, but casting a wide net gets you into school then it’s worth it.  Also, if you start the process early enough you can apply for financial assistance with application fees.

For those of you who feel like you can’t move because of family, then I’d recommend scoping out online options - the numberof online programs is growing - or sitting down with your spouse and having a heart to heart. If you are really passionate about being an SLP, then perhaps it’s worth getting your family on board with a 2 year temporary relocation. SLPs, after all,  make decent money and you could end up helping your family’s finances in the long run. There are a lot of decent programs  in smaller cities with lower costs of living that do a great job training their students to be good clinicians but aren’t highly ranked because they’re not research powerhouses. Just my two cents.