Advice for a Non-CSD Undergrad

[olivia_batchelor]

Hello! I am an undergraduate student who recently discovered the world of speech pathology and fell in love. It's been quite the winding road, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Having said that, I will be graduating next May with my undergraduate degree in a different field and plan to begin applying for grad school for the fall of 2017. The school I currently attend does not have a CSD/SLP program, so I will be applying to other masters programs in hopes of getting in. I know how competitive the field is, and I just want some advice about how to make myself stand out in the sea of expertly prepared CSD students.

Edited June 8, 2016 by olivia_batchelor

[royffle]

What will your undergrad degree be in?

If you want to start grad school right away without pre-reqs then you need to look into 3 year programs where the CSD undergrad isn't necessary (not every school will have this). 

You need a strong GPA, and good GRE scores. Depending on your major, are/were you involved in anything? Can you make it relate it to SLP? Is there something specific that makes you interested in this field? 

I know a good number of people who got accepted to grad school without any pre-reqs or CSD undergrad, but they were able to convey to the admissions committees why their previous field & experiences would make them a great SLP. 

You can look into volunteer/work opportunities helping people with disabilities, young kids, or the elderly. If your school has research in psychology, language, neuroscience, etc then see if you can get involved in that in any way! You'll learn a lot & it'll make you a strong applicant. 

[wcslp]

roffyle gave you some good advice. What will your degree be in? GPA? Once you've narrowed down what programs you'd like to apply to (Edfind is a great resource for this), I would begin studying for the GRE early. If your scores aren't as great as you'd like them to be, you have time to restudy and retake the test. In addition, because you are out of field, I definitely recommend getting your feet wet either through volunteering, shadowing, or finding work in a related field. It would be great if you can find an SLP to shadow. That will show your interest/dedication to the field, and when admissions comes along, you have someone in field to write you a letter of recommendation. Many girls I know from my undergraduate class (in the SLP major) did some kind of work with young children such as daycare, teaching preschool, or even babysitting. If you do decide to do a post bacc program to get your prereqs done, work as hard as you can to maintain a competitive GPA (3.7+, at least). Keep in mind that many other applicants will have strong (3.9+) GPAs and GREs, so you have to make yourself stand out in your SOP. Write about your unique experiences and how they've impacted your journey into SLP. In my program, we have a couple ladies who come from different major backgrounds, and they contribute very interesting and different perspectives to the field. 

[olivia_batchelor]

Here's a little background about me:

First, I'm a Christian Missions major and Biology minor at a small private school. My GPA is currently 3.89. I went in as Pre-Med initially, but after working last summer as a counselor at a camp for children with a variety of diseases/disabilities, I realized that I'd much rather walk alongside kids and help them live vibrantly over handing out pills. 

At that point, I began looking at the field of rehabilitation and therapy and came across speech language-pathology. I have been shadowing an SLP at a pediatric outpatient facility and I plan to shadow another one who works with the geriatric population very soon. 

Eventually, I want to work as a missionary and advocate for the needs of the disabled in the third world.

[futureSpeechLP]

You're definitely competitive with an undergrad GPA and major like that. There are many Christian Universities and Colleges with CSD programs. Your missionary work and future goals would align with their school missions. 

I know Operation Smile needs qualified SLPs, maybe think about taking workshops or going overseas as a volunteer with them. Also, check out @speechtherapyuganda 

Edited June 12, 2016 by futureSpeechLP

[olivia_batchelor]

Thank you very much @futureSpeechLP for your insights and suggestions! I will definitely check into programs at Christian universities that will maximize my undergraduate degree! 

[jazspeaks]

You can also look into prerequisite/leveling programs.  I took online classes from University of Alaska and University of Montana and that allowed me to apply to all of the schools I was interested in attending.