Are my stats enough to get me in?

[Kreggs87]

I have a list of about 7 schools but I'm worried that's not enough . I just keep hearing about people who applied 10 places and didn't get in! Especially in California, where I live. It's really daunting.

1st Bach. GPA: 3.74

Usu 2nd Bach gpa: 4.0 so far but I still have to take the 3 hardest courses

GRE: 165V/153Q/4.5AW

Really no field experience--but I do have a music background, and about 10 years of singing training and a year of volunteering that involved kids.

Should I retake the GRE to try and raise my quant score or writing score?

Or should I scramble to try and add more in field experience (which will be hard because I'm a stay at home mom with no childcare but if I have to I'll do it!)?

Applying mostly to schools in California and Texas because that's where I have family and of course they are the most competitive states it seems! I have a list of about 7 schools, should I add more?

[JFFA]

Your stats are pretty impressive. Of course competition is high, but I wouldn't myself stress out too much especially when, in my opinion, taking the GREs and getting more in field experience would only marginally improve your already good looking profile. My main focus would be on just doing well in those last three courses and starting your graduate applications early (it's a really long and stressful process). My personal opinion (and I sure some will disagree with me) is that you really don't need a lot, if any, in field experience to be accepted. I didn't have any aside from observations (which I did through USU too!). Don't get me wrong, in field experience can't hurt you, and, especially for those with significant deficits in some other application aspects (ie GPA), I'm sure it can be very helpful in some cases. However, a strong academic record, which you appear to have, really seems to trump all the other components. I just don't think it would be worth putting yourself through trying to find and schedule opportunities if it is that case that it would cause you a lot of stress because the hardship just doesn't seem like it's proportional to the benefit it would give your application. If you want to take the GREs again, I wound't say you're crazy, but, again, it seems to me like you already have very strong scores for speech. Your verbal score is great and your quantitative and writing scores are both above average. If it helps, I had a 4.0 from USU, GREs scores of 166 verbal, 156 qaunt, 4.5 writing (pretty close to yours), and a 3.5 first BA (English major, math minor) and got into the majority of schools I applied to (some of them being considered at the top in terms of competitiveness). Not sure what you majored in or how competitive the range of schools is that you applied to, but it seems to me from the info you have given that you have a very good chance of being accepted. Wishing you the best of luck.

[Kreggs87]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! It's good to hear someone with similar stats/background got into a lot of schools. I think your reasoning is spot on too--probably best to just really focus in on my statement of intent at this point as that's most likely to add the most value to my application. Thanks again! You've really helped me to stop stressing so much.

[Yancey]

I wouldn't bother retaking the GRE. If you are able to get some sort of field experience I would recommend it. Even if it's a few days a month shadowing a school SLP or volunteering once in a while at a hospital or SNF etc. I Think it's helpful because you can use volunteer experience to draw on why you'd make a good graduate candidate. Maybe even drawing on your past experience volunteering with kids or how your music background relates to SLP (voice Tx) could be helpful in your SOP. I am from California and the graduate programs are very competitive. The state schools tend to have small programs that have about 20 students (great for learning but makes it harder to get a spot) and a lot of the students often come from their undergraduate programs. So although there will be spots, it will be less than the 20 or so spots going to students from other schools including out of state and out of major. My last recommendation would be to either get to know professor at your current school, which may be difficult but it's online. Or try and visit and meet professors from your top choices. I think it helps the professors see you as a whole person and not just your stats or your paper. Additionally you can share your interests and see if you 'click with' any of the professors, which can help during admission time when there are so many really great potential students.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Yancey

[mr479]

You can use ASHA EdFind to compare your stats to the various schools you are interested in's admission statistics. For the most part, I found this a very useful tool in determining where my application would be most competitive. For the GRE, word on the street is that programs mostly look at your verbal scores. In my own experience, I was admitted to only 3 of the 8 programs I applied to with excellent verbal scores and below average math scores. Therefore, it seems possible that significantly lower quant than verbal scores can reflect badly on you in some cases. For example, the department head of Western Washington called me personally to tell me that my references and personal statement were excellent but that my GRE held me back; on the other hand, the University of Louisville admitted me solely based on my numbers as they do not accept a statement of purpose as a part of their application. But my quant was 148 to your 153, and the rest of your numbers look great!

 

In addition, I have a whopping 25 W's on my transcript and still managed to get admitted to at least one school. So acceptance is possible with weaknesses in your application as long as your strengths outweigh those weaknesses. Which, in your case, is exactly how it is. Good luck in your next set of classes.

[Kreggs87]

Okay thanks for your response--good to know! Sounds like I should hopefully get into at least 1 school!  Which is all I want haha!  Wish you all the best in grad school!