How do I give myself the best chance to get in for Fall 2016

[macefave]

As most of you know, the speech language pathology programs are extremely competitive. I applied to 8 schools in Texas, and got rejected from all 8 of them. I am needing any and all advice from those that may have been in my same situation, and got accepted. I went to The University of Texas at Austin, one of the best schools in Texas. I had a 2.96 overall GPA, a 3.23 CSD GPA, and a 3.4 GPA for my last 60 hours. Not the best. I scored a 148 on Math and 150 for verbal on my GRE. Obviously, very mediocre GRE scores and GPA. I knew my grades would be an issue, but I had hoped that my experience working at a speech therapy pre-school, in ABA, and special education would look good. 

 

So where do I go from here? I can't change my GPA, and I'll be studying my butt off for the GRE this time to get rocking scores. But what can I do to make up for my mediocre grades? I have an awesome experience working in pediatrics, and I have my SLPA license. But, so do many others.. How can I make myself stand out? 

 

If anyone else has ever been in this situation, what did you do that may have helped you get accepted? Visited schools and talked to advisors or deans? Are there any programs that may be less competitive that you applied to? What about Distance Programs? 

 

It was very heart breaking to be rejected and not able to begin fulfilling my goal of becoming an SLP, and I don't want it to happen again. Any advice is appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[litesneeze]

Unfortunately, many schools depend on a relatively high GPA in order to consider prospective students especially since it has gotten so competitive to get in. They do look at the other qualifications but they place a considerable amount of attention on high grades as that gives schools an idea of whether or not this student will be able to keep up with their grades at the graduate level. Getting even a B+ in grad school is even questionable. It is good that you are going to retake the GREs again. Even showing a slight improvement to schools you have previously applied to will demonstrate your determination, which is great!

I went to a competitive high school that looked at your middle school grades and I just made the cut because I had the minimum grades to even qualify. Unfortunately, the work was much more than I could have handled at times and I realized that the school was a not a perfect fit for me. Schools which look for high GPA requirements may not be the best to suit your needs and when finding a grad school, it is not all about rankings. Try to find out more about programs, visit the campuses, or even maintain correspondence with an SLP professor to get an idea about their research. Even if you are not planning to do a master's thesis, finding a research subject you are passionate about that you would like to explore in the future in your practice is very helpful. Plus, it will help you pick topics on your personal statement which will directly address your specific interest for a program.

I was a postbac so my experience with SLP was rather different from yours: I was a bio and linguistics double major, worked in a behavioral lab with lab rats, ran an on campus club that promoted girls's education abroad, tutored students and volunteered weekends at a school under a NPO. I did not do anything directly SLP related, but on my resume and personal statement I managed to word my experience in the lab in such a way that it tied into the foundations of speech pathology. That is the great thing about speech therapy. Are there any activities you are involved with or were involved with that may seem irrelevant? Engagement in extracurricular activities, community events or even sports may help show schools that you are a multifaceted, creative and hardworking individual.

I hope that helps!

[motorpeach]

I completely understand what you are going through! I was in your shoes a year ago, as a postbac.

Have you considered applying to schools outside of TX? I was rejected from every school in the state that I lived in until I applied out of state and was ultimately wait listed. One week later, the school emailed me and now I am two semesters away from graduating.

I would suggest that you get your GRE scores up and apply to out of state schools. It has been my experience that programs like to have a nice mix of students from all over the country in their program. Also, see if you can add any volunteer experience to your curriculum vitae. The school that I completed my postbac work required us to have at least 10 hours of volunteer work, which included conducting hearing screenings at the local schools.

Also, think about schools that offer a new SLP graduate program that is accredited. Jacksonville University in Florida has a new, accredited program that I considered before being accepted to another school that has a newer program. Newer programs usually have limited, set requirements so your chances of getting admitted are pretty good.

Best of luck to you and don't give up!

[JustJay]

Definitely consider applying to schools out of state. Texas and California are 2 of the most competitive states for SLP schools from what I've heard. I graduated from Texas Tech with similar stats to yours (actually, my GPA was lower!), and I got accepted into grad school on my first application cycle. I also worked at a preschool and substituted which may have helped my application. I didn't apply to 12 or 20 schools, I applied to 4 and I was very strategic in where I applied. I looked at how many students were selected, and also looked at whether the school offered conditional admission or not (which is what I was accepted under). I believe it helped that I took a year off to give myself the time to do my research into programs and gain work experience.

Edited July 26, 2015 by JaimeSLP

[twinguy7]

I agree with JaimeSLP....   email schools and find schools that will take a chance on you.  Your stats and experiences are similar to mine and I emailed hundreds of schools to narrow down the list of schools I'd apply to.  There are schools out there that look at experiences as well as GPA.  So email away!  I'd recommend Jackson State and Grand Valley State University as well as Eastern New Mexico University.  Good luck!  

[BNorth]

Maceface I went to UT Austin.  Did you graduate 2015?  I'm in the process of reapplying for schools.  Last year I applied to 2 and needless to say I didn't get in.  Where are you applying this time?

[thespeechblog.com]

Hey Macefave, 

I think you can do a couple of things to help yourself out...

First, study hard for that GRE! Take lots and lots of practice tests. Don´t tell yourself things like, "I can´t do it" because YOU CAN! The GRE can be beat if you learn the material AND learn the tricks behind it. 

Second, your GPA is not set in stone just because you already have a degree. You´ve got a 3.23 GPA for CSD classes. Can you retake any of those classes? Yes that is a lot of money, but if becoming an SLP is your dream, then retaking those classes is an investment in you and your future clients! If you can´t retake them through your alma mater, consider an online program. I´m an out-of-field candidate taking classes through USU online. If you haven´t filled the ASHA basic science requirements, take those through a local community college (more affordable) and they can boost your overall GPA. 

Third, you said you have awesome experience... then write some AWESOME personal statements! I´ve been on selection committees before and a really stand out personal statement can make all the difference. There´s a great book called "Graduate Admission Essays" by Don Asher that takes you through the brainstorming process. And don´t stop getting experience! Keep working as an SLPA. Get some volunteer/observation hours with an SLP in a different setting. Learn Spanish. Can you do some SLPA work abroad on a volunteer trip?

Finally, my last piece of advice is to apply to a range of programs geographically. Diversification is a great hedge against risk. 

I hope something in there is useful  

Edited December 30, 2015 by fuzzylogician
Edited to remove advertisement and links