please help! (just started undergrad)

[slaaande]

Hi there! I'm currently finishing my senior year of high school (too young to be on these forums? ) and I've never felt more confused. Only after I submitted my statement of intent to register for college did I find out about speech language pathology, and ever since then I've been researching a career whose major isn't even offered. 

 

It's a tiny liberal arts college with none of the prerequisites offered. My degree will be a BA in liberal arts, with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences. And my college's unique curriculum makes it difficult, I think, to transfer out (eg a mandated study abroad junior yr). I'm in love with my school, but I definitely put myself in a disadvantage...

 

I was planning on applying to 3 yr leveling masters programs, but after all this googling, it just seems kind of silly to pursue a pathway knowing from the start that I'll be an out of field applicant...is it too difficult to apply to only leveling schools, with no prerequisites? 

 

I feel like slp suits me so well. I don't want to give up so soon. Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help! 

 

PS congrats on all your acceptances & hard work!!! (-: 

[mr479]

Yikes. I really don't have any ideas for how you could stay at your current school and still pursue SLP. Your current school doesn't seem like a good match. I personally think you should maybe take a year off and then reconsider where you go for undergrad. I'm sure you will love another institution just as much, especially when they have the major you need. One thing you could do is take all the necessary Gen Ed classes for a Bachelors of Health Science. Once you've done that, you might look into CSD programs online. The University of Florida has one. For this you must already have an AS degree with a solid background in your sciences. At the moment, as long as you've taken all the required Gen Ed courses and meet the minimum GPA requirements, admission is automatic into the program. In addition, there is a flat fee for this program, so no in-state/out-of-state tuition. Everyone in the program has the same rate.

 

I think it's an advantage that you know you would like to pursue SLP at your age. That way you can begin to do well in your classes from the beginning, and hopefully you won't have the problems many have who didn't know they wanted to go into such a competitive field until it was too late to raise their GPA. If you do a major that postpones your goal just so you can stay at this one school, you may not do as well as you need to to get accepted into grad school.

Edited May 10, 2015 by bettercallsaul

[jmk]

I would stay at your current school for two years. It seems like a good fit for you, and you seem to be excited about attending. If you still want to pursue SLP after two years, I would definitely transfer to an institution that offers an undergrad Comdis major. Check your state to see if any state schools offer the program- most state schools take on large amounts of transfer students that are upcoming juniors each year. Most state schools only offer ComDis classes to juniors and seniors in a sequence order, and most only accept junior transfers (at least what I've seen on the West Coast.) 

 

Personally, I would not delay your education by taking a year off. You can get your GE classes anywhere- whether you opt for a community college or your current institution. 

 

You have endless possibilities at this point. You could even graduate from your current institution, then pursue a post-bac and do a gap year shadowing and working. Meanwhile, I would not stress about such right now. Enjoy the college experience, shadow SLP, get your GE classes done, then reevaluate and see what path you want to take. 

[JFFA]

Don't stress, I know it's easier said than done, but really as long as you keep your grades up you will be fine. It is not hard to be an out of field applicant (out of field applicant speaking, will be starting grad school in the fall, hadn't completed all prereqs prior to applying). Many slp departments have three year programs that they do not advertise, so look into that. Also be aware that you do not need to finish all your prereqs by the time your undergrad degree is done. Only before you start grad school (consider the summer after you graduate college). Some even allow one or two outstanding that you can take during your first grad school semester. This forum is a great place to start but also try asking the departments directly for a better idea on your chances and what they want if you are concerned. Do not be intimidated by faculty, it's part of their job. For a few, (not many) with big three year programs, it can actually be an advantage to come without any background because the department needs their prereq classes to run so need students (montclair state is an example) You could also take prereqs during the summer through an online programs as a non matriculated student. Honestly, I completely disagree about taking time off from undergrad. Get it done, study very had, and have fun being in college! Super high grades in any major will make you a highly competitive applicant. Far better to get high grades with a different major, than low grades in comm dis. Consider shadowing an SLP. You are young with plenty of time to gain even more passion for the field or perhaps even decide you want to pursue a different career. Many many students apply with out of field majors and many of those without any prereqs at the time of their application. My roommate was just accepted to a top 5 school and is completing the prereqs over the summer. She had none when applying. Honestly, I think it is a huge misconception that you being out of field puts you at a disadvantage. Maybe it is true for a handful of schools, but in general, it is not. It is a huge advantage that you know you want to pursue SLP now just in terms of motivation and direction. My advice, for what it is worth, is go to the school you are happy with and will do well at. Just focus on keeping those grades as high as humanly possible. Above all (major, passion, volunteer, infield experience), this will get you into slp grad school. The huge plus to majoring out of field is that you will gain a rounded education and if you decide slp is not for you, you have other options. Honestly, those who do have a comm dis major and do not go to grad school have limited employment prospects compared to other majors. Take time to look deeper into the field to be sure you really want to pursue it (talk to/shadow an SLPs in multiple setting). Finally, look at grad schools that might be a good fit, contact them to find out about their requirements, and look into ways you can complete the prereqs prior to the start of your first grad school semester.Absolutely no need to take time off from school, nor give up on the career. You will be fine!

[kburton2]

Very similar to what JFFA stated above...

 

There is no need to stress. I just graduated from a small private liberal arts college that does not offer any pre-reqs for Speech Language Pathology and I was accepted to Eastern Michigan University's SLP program.  It is a three year leveling master's program. My major was Psychology and was accepted as an out of field applicant to two of the programs I applied to. Here is my advice....

 

1. Do some research. Find out what schools interest you that have three year leveling programs; there are a lot more than you think. Michigan has two programs who accept out of field applicants.

 

2. Email advisors from all of the schools you are interested in and find out what types of out of field majors they prefer.  I emailed about 6 different schools (some 3 year and some 2 year programs) to get a better idea of what type of major I should pursue.

       - Most of the responses I received from schools included: Psychology, Behavioral Science, and Linguistics

       - Although when I went for an SLP program interview I met many applicants who had majors in: Biology, Foreign Language, and Education

* Personally, I think schools consider GPA more than they consider what your major was. 

 

3. Be sure to do something extra to show SLP grad programs that even though you did not major in CSD, you still have a passion for becoming an SLP.  For example, volunteer with or job shadow an SLP. 

 

4. There is also the option of doing a post-bachelor's year to receive all of your pre-reqs before applying to grad programs. 

 

Please feel free to ask me any questions! I have been in your shoes before and know exactly what you are going through. 

[CBG321]

I say transfer.  Figure out what you need to do now and even if it is complicated see which year is best to transfer.  Why waste the money if you already know you want to pursue something else? 

 

3 Year master's programs are more expensive than a typical graduate program (even just paying for an extra year of school in general).  You also will have way less options in terms of where you can apply.  Speaking as a returning student who is currently getting a post-bacc degree I recommend not wasting the time and money to get a 4 year degree you already aren't interested in. 

 

Try to talk to a counselor now since you mention you don't know for sure about how difficult it is.  It might be easier than they make it out to be.  Also the mandated study abroad thing is the junior year which shouldn't be relevant if you transferred b/c a typical student begins at their new school their junior year so you'd already be gone. 

 

Good luck with whatever you decide you're lucky to have so many options

[dc2bslp]

I applied to 3 year programs, programs with 5 prereqs due before matriculation, and programs that just add an extra semester (with the latter two options you can often take everythin you need the summer before. Just FYI there are plenty of options! I got into UMD, my top choice, with no prereqs. Now I'm deferring a year and doing prereqs online while working and saving a lot of money. I would never trade my small liberal arts education and study abroad experience for anything!! Some schools really prefer diversity in their applicants. Do what feels right!

[MangoSmoothie]

It seems utterly financially irresponsible to not transfer after a year or two to a school that has a com dis major if you know this early it's what you want. This is not an uncommon situation, in and out of this field. These are courses you will have to complete regardless of what path you choose. You will be extending your time in school to 7 years instead of 6 by not transferring. Not only is that one more year of loans (and at the graduate level) that you'll have to take out, it's a year of lost income. Aside from this, if you know it's what you want to do, going to a school with the major will afford you more opportunities for involvement before grad school so you can better prepare yourself, such as NSSLHA or research/student employment opportunities. You'll be better connected, with better letters of reference, with more relevant experiences, and you can't underestimate how important these are in applying.

 

I don't think it's as hard to transfer out as you think it is. As long as a school will accept your courses (and if you're going to an accredited university, they likely will), you'll be fine. You don't even have to wait 2 years. I know people who transferred their freshmen year of college to come in as sophomores for the same reason. And transferring because a school doesn't offer your intended major is a good reason to transfer, and I imagine it's looked favorably upon. If you are rejected for a transfer, then yes, consider three year programs, or a post-bacc and a master's, but why take the path of greater resistance when you can avoid it?

 

It is more difficult to get in to a 3 years master's program because there are fewer of them. There are options. There are indeed more than you think. There are still not as many as traditional graduate programs and you will be limited where you can apply. Your personal options also are far more limited than someone with a major because while some schools will take students with absolutely no background, many more won't, so you might not even be able to apply to schools that would suit you and that you like. Even students with post-baccs are limited in places they can apply. Schools are also just getting more and more competitive, and you won't be applying until 4 years from now. Even for those who applied 4 years ago, it was less competitive than it was today, and 8 years ago was an entirely different story. And really... why would you want to pay for a whole extra year of schooling? I can't emphasize this enough. Especially if you end up going out of state. Sometimes this extra year is unavoidable, as with people who discover the field their senior year of college or after, but you're a senior in high school. Unless you have a full ride scholarship to your current school and you don't want to lose that (which is a good reason to stay), it just seems really financial irresponsible to choose the path that will cost you more money and time when you know now what you want.

 

Also, if you know now that you want to do this, and you relay your long-time interest to grad programs when you do apply, you might find them wondering why you didn't go somewhere with the major, since you found out in time to do so. You can still study abroad if you transfer (especially if you transfer for your sophomore year), and you can still double major and find ways to diversify your application.

 

I'm saying this as someone who did come from out of field, and I had awesome experiences after graduating that made me a great applicant. Luckily, I was able to finish my undergrad in three years, so doing a postbacc year a few years after graduating didn't feel like this horrific additional expense I could have avoided. But I really believe those who have the major and did well in the major as an undergrad have an advantage. 

 

If you're worried about this not really being the field for you, do a year at your school. Then reevaluate your feelings after a year, and see if transferring is right for you, or if you value finishing your education at that school more, regardless of the increase in cost to you.

[mr479]

The reason I said to take a year off is because you said it would be difficult to transfer from the college you are currently planning to attend. You may not have enough time to plan to attend another school right away. A small liberal arts college sounds expensive. Maybe start out at a community college. Instructors at CC are often better than professors with tenure at a four-year institution. I wish that someone had told me when I was just starting out that Community College is a viable, worthy option and can even be the wisest choice. You will have a great time taking interesting classes, meeting and interacting with a diverse range of people (not just freshman college students) and also save yourself or someone else a lot of $. It's just a suggestion, but one you shouldn't be afraid to make no matter what anyone says. Follow your own heart.

 

The sad thing is I think this is an unnecessarily competitive field, and unless things change, it will only be more competitive by the time you are ready to apply to grad school. These days, you need close to a 3.8 to even stand a chance. That's why I say it's best to start doing your best in the field you want to pursue as early as possible. But also give yourself time to have fun, make mistakes, and learn. And remember, there's no rush! Best of luck.

Edited May 11, 2015 by bettercallsaul

[mr479]

Another recommendation I have is to take the GRE as close to your last math class as possible. I say this, because if you're anything like me, when you don't use something you lose it. The math on the GRE isn't frightening, but I know I was at a disadvantage because I'm an older applicant and it had been eons since my last math class.

[slaaande]

oh, wow, thank you all so much for your input. i greatly needed all the different perspectives and i'm definitely more at ease. as for my current college, paying definitely isn't a strain and one of the (many) reasons i chose to attend the school. i'll be sure to talk more with my counselor about the prospective paths i can take, but i think i just might stay put, at least for the next two years, and figure out the rest as it comes. 

 

really glad to consider a field where so many people are willing to help :-) much, much thanks for all the thorough advice!! 

[dc2bslp]

I would also like to say - take all these experiences an opinions with a grain of salt. None of it is really objective, and you need to do what's best for you. If you have a good financial package at your school, it's not financially irresponsible to choose it! And there are plenty of schools that reserve spots for out of field students, to the point where it may be less competitive. I would wager that was true at some of the schools I applied to, because I got in with worse stats than many other in fielders and they like to fill these quotas. The extra time is not necessarily "wasted" either. It can help you stand out as unique rather than the hundreds of comm dis majors with similar experiences, and at least for me taking time off to work and do prereqs online was awesome since now I have a lot of savings and I won't need to take out loans for my masters. The opinions here are polarized, but I just wanted to push back on the "it would be dumb for you to not do a comm dis major" opinion! I don't think thts necessarily true! Good luck either way

[neucool]

Wow do not worry!

 

I didn't figure out I wanted to do SLP until my junior year of college. I'm also at a liberal arts school, no CSD major offered, although I'm in a relevant field. I think my varied academic experiences made me a great applicant for grad school! You've really gotta sell your liberal arts degree. Don't see it as a disadvantage- really, it's not! In fact, it's many people with undergrad majors in CSD who then do not get into grad school for a year or two that are at more of a disadvantage.

 

There are multiple paths you can take. One is a postpac, which is somewhat expensive, BUT if you chose an undergrad that saved you $$ it won't be that big of a difference. Another is a 3 year program where you take the leveling year (these can be more expensive because you can't take the cheapest prereqs, such online at USU). Another is programs that are 2 year but have spots for out of fielders, and you complete the pre-reqs the summer before starting. This is what I'm doing- I'll only graduate a summer after the in-field people in my cohort, and that last summer is just a placement without classes (because out-of-fielders are matched with in-fielders in classes, just start clinic one semester later).

 

Don't doubt your college choice so soon- you're spending four years there, go somewhere that is a great fit, even if you don't end up with a CSD degree. Seriously. 

[LillyZebras]

I would apply to schools that have a csd major asap! I'm not sure what your stats are, but you should still have time. I applied to a school in NY(city) the end of April my senior year and still got in. Didn't end up going but I could have. You can also start undergrad programs in the spring. If you look at other schools and feel like they don't compare to your current choice, then postbac or leveling are options but they will take an extra two years. Transferring is another option but will break up your opportunities for extracurriculars (ex. it's hard to be president of a club you haven't been a member of because you just transferred). Each side has its pros and cons, but don't pick your current school just because it feels "safe" you still have options (I almost switched colleges two weeks before my semester started and one week before their's, they allowed it but I changed my mind again. I was clearly undecided with my college choice but point is you can switch colleges).

[JFFA]

"Even students with post-baccs are limited in places they can apply." Must strongly disagree with this based on personal experience. Didn't find a school I wanted to apply to that I could not. I was in the process of completing a post bacc when I applied. I applied to eleven schools all across the country, well known and not well known at all, from #1 to #154. Got into 9/11 including #1 and #154. FYI both also had three year programs. Pros and cons to whatever you decide, but to say it is absolutely a waste and a no brainier to transfer I do not agree with, especially if finance at your current school is not a problem. Being happy and successful at your school is invaluable to both your application and simply your personal growth. Wouldn't change my college major for anything and I honestly don't think I would have gotten as good an education if I had been a com dis major. College is also a time to simple broaden your educational and personal development not just a path to getting into grad school. Do not sell yourself short of a wonderful experience just because someone says you must have a comm dis major. Again not saying you shouldn't transfer and decide to pursue a com dis major, but just that all paths have pros and cons and it's not at all a cut and dry. Many many paths will get you were you want to go! Choose a path were you will be happy and successful and grow as a person. You will be a better clinician for it too! 

[MangoSmoothie]

"Even students with post-baccs are limited in places they can apply." Must strongly disagree with this based on personal experience. Didn't find a school I wanted to apply to that I could not.

 

You can disagree with it all you want, but just because you personally didn't experience it doesn't mean it's not true. I also didn't experience it, but there's a number of places friends in my post-bacc program couldn't apply to because the schools they wanted to apply to required more com dis credits (only com dis; physics, stats, etc didn't count) than our post-bacc awarded, and this was a requirement on which the schools wouldn't budge. Other post-baccs award more, some less, so it depends on your post-bacc as well. It's a simple fact; not having the undergrad major or the prereqs before applying will limit you in where you can apply. This might not actually affect you and you might still be able to schools you're interested in, but you might not. As evidenced above, for some people, things still work out great. This is a viable path. But elsewhere on this forum, even, you can see how this didn't work out.

 

I was out of field, and I wouldn't have changed my experience. I loved my undergrad major and the experiences after graduation it afforded me, though I knew I didn't want to go to grad school right after undergard. But I have two other friends who knew as sophomores (5 years ago for them) they wanted to do this field, could have done the major and switched but didn't, and that's something they're still regretting.

 

Regardless of what you choose, OP, the most important thing is to maintain a very good GPA from the start. I have no hard proof, but I think people would generally agree that a 3.8 cumulative and with an out-of-field major is going to put you in a much more competitive position than a 3.0 with a com dis major, for example. If you end up not transferring, that's fine. You have many options and paths to choose. But make sure you don't let your GPA slide. An amazing GPA will put you in a great position and make you a competitive applicant, regardless of the major. But good luck and enjoy the first years of undergrad! You have time before you need to really commit, so just enjoy the new experience you'll be having.

Edited May 12, 2015 by MangoSmoothie

[JFFA]

You can disagree with it all you want, but just because you personally didn't experience it doesn't mean it's not true. I also didn't experience it, but there's a number of places friends in my post-bacc program couldn't apply to because the schools they wanted to apply to required more com dis credits (only com dis; physics, stats, etc didn't count) than our post-bacc awarded, and this was a requirement on which the schools wouldn't budge. Other post-baccs award more, some less, so it depends on your post-bacc as well. It's a simple fact; not having the undergrad major or the prereqs before applying will limit you in where you can apply. This might not actually affect you and you might still be able to schools you're interested in, but you might not. As evidenced above, for some people, things still work out great. This is a viable path. But elsewhere on this forum, even, you can see how this didn't work out.

 

I was out of field, and I wouldn't have changed my experience. I loved my undergrad major and the experiences after graduation it afforded me, though I knew I didn't want to go to grad school right after undergard. But I have two other friends who knew as sophomores (5 years ago for them) they wanted to do this field, could have done the major and switched but didn't, and that's something they're still regretting.

 

Regardless of what you choose, OP, the most important thing is to maintain a very good GPA from the start. I have no hard proof, but I think people would generally agree that a 3.8 cumulative and with an out-of-field major is going to put you in a much more competitive position than a 3.0 with a com dis major, for example. If you end up not transferring, that's fine. You have many options and paths to choose. But make sure you don't let your GPA slide. An amazing GPA will put you in a great position and make you a competitive applicant, regardless of the major. But good luck and enjoy the first years of undergrad! You have time before you need to really commit, so just enjoy the new experience you'll be having.

I'm glad you gave your perspective, I realize people have different experiences. My personal one completely causes me to disagree, but I respect that others have different opinions. I think the poster should just have all different perspectives. Go ahead and disagree with my disagreement, all perspectives show something : )  

[scisl006]

I started out college thinking I was going to go into engineering, didn't like it and transferred to a small liberal arts college after one semester. While I was there I decided to do speech and so I ended up transferring again. It might seem hard at the time but I feel like if after a year of general classes (which you will need at any university) you still feel SLP is the field for you, a transfer might be your best bet. It is not impossible to get in as an out of field applicant, but considering how competitive it is in general to get into grad school, I would say if this is your passion, it is worth switching schools for.

[scisl006]

But I would wait to make any major decisions until you have been in school for at least a semester of two. If you transfer after only a year you will very likely be able to graduate on time with few problems. As I said, I transferred twice and graduated in 4 years with a double major. You can do it! Feel free to message me if you have any more questions. and good luck!! speech is a great field!