Concerned Fall 2016 hopeful

[saravet]

Hey guys! Just joined this today after a recommendation from a girl I know in a graduate program. I'm a senior right now pursuing my undergraduate degree in health sciences with a concentration in communication disorders. I'm graduating in the upcoming Spring semester. I'm basically done with all of my applications, and the waiting game is killing me. I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out my chances of getting into the programs I'm applying to.

I have a 3.836 overall GPA with a 3.79 CD GPA (developmental psych killed me here). I just retook the GREs, I scored 152 VR 149 QR and 4.5 AW (I am noooot a good standardized test taker). I've worked in a hospital's dietary department from Fall 2013 through the present. I've shadowed at a nursing home twice, and ever since June I volunteer and shadow with a speech therapist at the hospital I work at once a week. I've also babysat and I put that on my resume just to show I've worked with kids too (not really my thing though, I want to work with adults). My first letter of recommendation was from a professor I've had multiple semesters, always got As in, and she rated my final treatment plan as one of the best in her recent semesters. My second letter was from an adjunct professor I had for one semester, I got an A in her class (could not find another professor for the life of me). My last letter came from the speech therapist that I volunteer with. My personal statements are strong and I sent them all to my writing professor to critique. 

I'm applying to Stockton University, Kean University, University of South Florida, University of South Carolina, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Western Carolina University, and University of Delaware. If anyone could think of a last minute school or two that might be a soft option for me with my stats that I could add through CSDCAS I would appreciate it. 

EDIT: Forgot to add, member of the Golden Key International Honor Society (which means I'm top 15% of my graduating class) and I've gotten Dean's List every single semester.

Edited November 4, 2015 by saravet

[slptobe92]

You have great stats and no reason to be worried, trust me. You will get in somewhere. 

My biggest piece of advice would actually be to avoid this website at all costs. It can be a great resource but it can also stress you out to no end. Like you said, all of your applications are done so you can't change anything now or do anything "extra."

Just enjoy the rest of your undergrad career! It goes by super fast.

[Kanga]

Obviously, you have a strong GPA. I would consider your GRE's to be average, not strong (not saying average is bad )

My suggestion is to go on Edfind on the ASHA site and look for two things:

1. How does your GPA and GRE stack up (above average, in the upper range, in the lower range or below average)

2. What is the acceptance rate?

Here's an example, looking at University of Georgia.

GRE:

Verbal reasoning: 148-170        you are in the bottom of their range

Quantitative reasoning: 145-168    again, in the bottom of their range

Analytical writing: 3.00-5.50      right in the middle of the range

GPA:

3.29-4.00      near the top of the range (most people can't be above the range, because so many schools have at least one 4.0!)

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 261

Part-time Students: 0

Total: 261

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 46    this means an acceptance rate of 17%

 

Kean University doesn't have stats on ASHA, except their acceptance rates:

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 350

Part-time Students: 0

Total: 350

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 45

Part time: 5

Total: 50   14% acceptance rate

 

There are really no "safety" schools for a SLP masters program. However, I would suggest trying to find a school where your stats are at the top of the range (or above) and that has acceptance rate closer to 30% for a best attempt at a safety school. Obviously, you can't compare recs and letters of intent, so you have to work off what you have.

While it's not a perfect comparison, I think about high school grads who apply to very competitive colleges....say Yale, Brown and Harvard. They may have stats for all three schools, but when acceptance rates are lower, anything can happen. It's always good to have a school where you are a stronger candidate, and has a better acceptance rate, if you can do that. Some people can't....they have families and have to stay in one location. Judging by where you are applying, you are open to various locations. ASHA's Edfind isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than nothing!

 

Good Luck!

 

[lgros003]

47 minutes ago, Kanga said:

Obviously, you have a strong GPA. I would consider your GRE's to be average, not strong (not saying average is bad )

My suggestion is to go on Edfind on the ASHA site and look for two things:

1. How does your GPA and GRE stack up (above average, in the upper range, in the lower range or below average)

2. What is the acceptance rate?

Here's an example, looking at University of Georgia.

GRE:

Verbal reasoning: 148-170        you are in the bottom of their range

Quantitative reasoning: 145-168    again, in the bottom of their range

Analytical writing: 3.00-5.50      right in the middle of the range

GPA:

3.29-4.00      near the top of the range (most people can't be above the range, because so many schools have at least one 4.0!)

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 261

Part-time Students: 0

Total: 261

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 46    this means an acceptance rate of 17%

 

Kean University doesn't have stats on ASHA, except their acceptance rates:

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 350

Part-time Students: 0

Total: 350

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 45

Part time: 5

Total: 50   14% acceptance rate

 

There are really no "safety" schools for a SLP masters program. However, I would suggest trying to find a school where your stats are at the top of the range (or above) and that has acceptance rate closer to 30% for a best attempt at a safety school. Obviously, you can't compare recs and letters of intent, so you have to work off what you have.

While it's not a perfect comparison, I think about high school grads who apply to very competitive colleges....say Yale, Brown and Harvard. They may have stats for all three schools, but when acceptance rates are lower, anything can happen. It's always good to have a school where you are a stronger candidate, and has a better acceptance rate, if you can do that. Some people can't....they have families and have to stay in one location. Judging by where you are applying, you are open to various locations. ASHA's Edfind isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than nothing!

 

Good Luck!

Sorry to hijack the thread, I was just wondering in regards to the acceptance rate on the ASHA website why some of the schools I'm looking into actually have more "applications received" than "admission offers."  I'm not OP but I have a similar issue and this was very helpful for me too, so thank you for posting it.

[Kanga]

1 hour ago, lgros003 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread, I was just wondering in regards to the acceptance rate on the ASHA website why some of the schools I'm looking into actually have more "applications received" than "admission offers."  I'm not OP but I have a similar issue and this was very helpful for me too, so thank you for posting it.

A school may have 300 applicant, but only offer spots to 50 students, with the expectation of a class of 30. This means their acceptance rate is 16% (50 divided by 300). Schools typically accept a larger number of students than they want in their class, assuming students apply to multiple schools and may decline their offer.

In the case of UGA: 261 students applied and they offered admission to 46. What I didn't put in was that their target class size is 25. For students applying, the actual target class size is less important than the number of students who apply and are offered admission.

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 261

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 46    this means an acceptance rate of 17%

 

[lgros003]

Just now, Kanga said:

A school may have 300 applicant, but only offer spots to 50 students, with the expectation of a class of 30. This means their acceptance rate is 16% (50 divided by 300). Schools typically accept a larger number of students than they want in their class, assuming students apply to multiple schools and may decline their offer.

In the case of UGA: 261 students applied and they offered admission to 46. What I didn't put in was that their target class size is 25. For students applying, the actual target class size is less important than the number of students who apply and are offered admission.

Number of Applications Received:

Full-time Students: 261

Number of Admission Offers:

Full time: 46    this means an acceptance rate of 17%

 

Oh, I get that part!  There was one school where it was the reverse though.  I'm guessing it was a glitch or their data was wrong, but the site showed 3 applicants and more than 3 admission offers.

[Kanga]

5 minutes ago, lgros003 said:

Oh, I get that part!  There was one school where it was the reverse though.  I'm guessing it was a glitch or their data was wrong, but the site showed 3 applicants and more than 3 admission offers.

LOL....I'm sure you are correct....a glitch. Which school?

[lgros003]

4 minutes ago, Kanga said:

LOL....I'm sure you are correct....a glitch. Which school?

You know, I'm not seeing it now.  I was probably reading it wrong.  Sorry!