Getting in after a Post-Bacc

[SLPFaith]

Hi!
I've seen quite a few posts like this...so I thought I'd give it a shot for any kind soul that would like to drop in a word of advice

I'm currently finishing up a Post-Bacc program that also comes with an option to get licensed as a SLPA at the end (August 2016). I am planning to apply for grad school this winter in order to get in by Fall 2017, but my undergrad GPA has been haunting me! I majored in Global Studies with 2 minors and received a 3.3, cumulative. I am getting a 4.0 for my post-bacc program, have plenty of internship/volunteer experience in SLP, worked in private/public school settings after college, and grew up working with special needs students under my parents, who taught in a special needs classroom for Sunday School. I've yet to take my GRE's, but am studying through Magoosh for 3 months before I take it in July/August.

What must I aim for? How can I improve my chances of getting in? What do you look for when you research schools? I've been researching many other schools, but so far I've looked into applying to NYU-Steinhardt, TC Columbia, Boston U, Cal State Fullerton/LA/Northridge, Chapman U, and Loma Linda U. I've chosen them mostly out of location preferences, since personal commitments keep me with a few options, although this may change within the year. 

Edited May 31, 2016 by SLPFaith

[Crimson Wife]

There are a bunch more NYC and Boston schools than the ones you've listed. Might want to look at how your stats compare after you get your GRE.

Are you open to online or hybrid programs?

[futureSpeechLP]

I'm a current Post-Bacc at CSULA and I know they look at the last 60 credits - so if you did a post bacc, they will mostly use your post-bacc GPA when looking at your file. They use CSDCAS they get your undergrad GPA, but since it's in a completely different field, they don't have as much consideration for it as your COMD classes. I'm in the same position. My undergrad GPA is 3.4. The advice I got from the grad students here is to get great GRE scores, and make a personal statement that really shows who I am and what I will bring to this career. Also, they look at % for GRE not the raw score. Last year they had an informational meeting about grad school acceptance. This was the person with the lowest scores they accepted in 2015 - COMD GPA is 3.8 - 84%V/64%Q on the GRE. 4-5 in writing is good. 

You're applying to great schools and you have good experience. Just keep studying for the GRE!  Where did you get your post bacc? You have a better chance of getting in there because they already know you. Would you ever consider online programs??

 

[SLPFaith]

12 hours ago, Crimson Wife said:

There are a bunch more NYC and Boston schools than the ones you've listed. Might want to look at how your stats compare after you get your GRE.

Are you open to online or hybrid programs?

Thanks so much for your reply!

I've seen ASHA's list of schools in those areas and I'm definitely researching more up on it. I know of grad students who completed their MA in Columbia, NYU and Boston U, so they were able to personally share their experiences with me, which seemed pretty awesome. I'm studying through Magoosh right now, but am not feeling too confident about it...have you used any techniques to study for your GRE's? I see that you've got great stats!! Congrats  and I've taken online classes in undergrad before, and felt less motivated/focused without a set schedule for classes and less face-to-face time with peers/professors. Although I've seen Speech@NYU's program and they seem to offer live classes? But it's way too expensive.. I guess right now, I'm just lacking a lot of research and knowledge. I'm just beginning to read up on these forums and learn the world of getting ready for grad school! Every/any input is a gem!

[SLPFaith]

12 hours ago, futureSpeechLP said:

I'm a current Post-Bacc at CSULA and I know they look at the last 60 credits - so if you did a post bacc, they will mostly use your post-bacc GPA when looking at your file. They use CSDCAS they get your undergrad GPA, but since it's in a completely different field, they don't have as much consideration for it as your COMD classes. I'm in the same position. My undergrad GPA is 3.4. The advice I got from the grad students here is to get great GRE scores, and make a personal statement that really shows who I am and what I will bring to this career. Also, they look at % for GRE not the raw score. Last year they had an informational meeting about grad school acceptance. This was the person with the lowest scores they accepted in 2015 - COMD GPA is 3.8 - 84%V/64%Q on the GRE. 4-5 in writing is good. 

You're applying to great schools and you have good experience. Just keep studying for the GRE!  Where did you get your post bacc? You have a better chance of getting in there because they already know you. Would you ever consider online programs??

 

Thanks for your reply! I should look more into schools that accept the last 60! I'm planning my personal statement and am trying to include an "explanation" for my undergrad GPA. I guess I'm trying to draw the fine line between making it sound like an excuse from it being such a crucial time in my educational career. 

Do you know how they're calculating it into percentages? Just dividing your score over the total for the section? I'm currently in Chapman's post-bacc program. I know they've already accepted one of my peers at the beginning of our program, which is awesome! I'm definitely applying there, but I do hear it's quite competitive especially because it's in CA. Online programs aren't preferred, but I guess if I had to, I just gotta do it!  

Edited June 1, 2016 by SLPFaith

[futureSpeechLP]

11 hours ago, SLPFaith said:

Thanks for your reply! I should look more into schools that accept the last 60! I'm planning my personal statement and am trying to include an "explanation" for my undergrad GPA. I guess I'm trying to draw the fine line between making it sound like an excuse from it being such a crucial time in my educational career. 

Do you know how they're calculating it into percentages? Just dividing your score over the total for the section? I'm currently in Chapman's post-bacc program. I know they've already accepted one of my peers at the beginning of our program, which is awesome! I'm definitely applying there, but I do hear it's quite competitive especially because it's in CA. Online programs aren't preferred, but I guess if I had to, I just gotta do it!  

 

 

 

 

I may not get this exactly right, but from what I understand, the GRE percentages are based on everyone taking the GRE this year. To be safe, I'm studying my butt off to get into the 160s for Verbal and over 150 for Quantitative. 

So-Cal is not an easy place to get into a grad program! Chapman is a good school - I was thinking of applying, but I don't want to make that drive from LA. There are a couple people from my program who are going to grad school there next year. 

I'm also looking at programs in NY because my family is out there. PM me if you want a list of NY schools and their ranking. There are a lot more schools in the tri-state area. BUT it seems like the competition is just at fierce in NYC as in SoCal. 

[Crimson Wife]

12 hours ago, SLPFaith said:

 I'm studying through Magoosh right now, but am not feeling too confident about it...have you used any techniques to study for your GRE's? I see that you've got great stats!! Congrats  

I only prepped the verbal because I knew that SLP programs tend to weight that more heavily. I was taking A&P of Hearing at the time and figured that studying for that course was a better use of my time than trying to squeeze a few more points out of my quant score. I used the Magoosh vocab and the Manhattan Prep 5 lb. book to study.

I wasn't able to get my apps together in time to apply for fall 2016 so I'm considering retaking the GRE after prepping for the quant and the AW sections. Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill are on my target schools list since they offer training opportunities in my field of interest, and my quant is on the lowish side for them.

[Jolie717]

18 hours ago, SLPFaith said:

Thanks for your reply! I should look more into schools that accept the last 60! I'm planning my personal statement and am trying to include an "explanation" for my undergrad GPA. I guess I'm trying to draw the fine line between making it sound like an excuse from it being such a crucial time in my educational career. 

Do you know how they're calculating it into percentages? Just dividing your score over the total for the section? I'm currently in Chapman's post-bacc program. I know they've already accepted one of my peers at the beginning of our program, which is awesome! I'm definitely applying there, but I do hear it's quite competitive especially because it's in CA. Online programs aren't preferred, but I guess if I had to, I just gotta do it!  

The GRE gives percentile scoring - not percentages.  So for example, my verbal was in the 96th percentile, which meant I did the same or better than 96% of the test takers in my particular grouping, from what I understand.

Percentiles - RegentsPrep

www.regentsprep.org › algebra › quartiles

A percentile rank is the percentage of scores that fall at or below a given score. Definition 2: A percentile is a measure that tells us what percent of the total frequency scored below that measure. A percentile rank is the percentage of scores that fall below a given score.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Jolie717