"Open Minded" SLP Grad Programs

[butteryles]

Hello all -- looking forward to learning from you about the SLP graduate school process! It's daunting, exciting, competitive, and intimidating, but is ultimately worth the struggle.

Like a lot of folks pursuing this master's degree and career path, I've got a varied background with what I think are a quality skills set, but making myself appealing to a slew of grad schools seems rough.

Has anyone explored or gone to school in master's programs who really appreciate applicants with non-traditional paths and backgrounds? MGH is competitive but seems wholly into a diversified student. Trying to explore similarly minded schools maybe on the lower end of the competitive scale to be safe. I would love to apply to schools that require an interview as a part of the process, but with the heavy amount of applications grad schools are getting in the field, I've done research and it doesn't seem like interviews are a standard part of the process these days...

I applied and was subsequently wait listed and rejected to IU's speech and hearing department for fall 2016. Loved the opportunities they offered and love Bloomington, but I feel like there was a lot of type A thinking going on there for me to be completely happy with the program overall.

Here are my stats for reference:

Undergrad degree: French and Communication; GPA 3.3 (like a lot of folks, college was a killer experience for me, but I wasn't focused on academic rigor ?) ; studied abroad in France for a year with a focus on linguistics 

Comm. Sciences Coursework (done after quitting my full-time marketing job): 36 hours; GPA 4.0  

GRE score: 300 total (157 verbal, 143 math)

I have teaching experience, both domestic and international in Japanese schools.

Currently, I'm seeking job opportunities in developmental therapy and SLPA gigs and have a few offers. Planning on taking one of these jobs to further boost my chances of getting accepted and getting dirty in the field I'm really passionate about.

Would love to hear from a few folks who have a diversified and strong skills set about how their application processes were. Some days I feel qualified to attend a dream school, other days I just want to get IN anywhere! 

Thanks for all the sage advice in advance,

Leslie

 

 

 

[royffle]

Check out Temple in Philly. They make it a point to accept people with different backgrounds. From my time there, grad students included people with degrees in journalism, business, acting, spanish, linguistics, plus many others fields. 

They love people who have worked abroad especially teaching. I met multiple grad students there with this background. 

Also, every school will be competitive so don't worry about only looking at ones on the "lower" end. Honestly what I thought would be the least competitive school (my safety!) I got rejected from, but I got into "more competitive" schools. 

[twinguy7]

Grand Valley State University.

[kuuipo]

5 hours ago, twinguy7 said:

Grand Valley State University.

Just curious, is GVSU still considered a less competitive program even with 469 applicants (according to ASHA EdFind)?

[butteryles]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll read a bit more about these places you're all mentioning. Appreciate it.

From what I've read of U of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, they seem to be pretty into folks with unique work experiences. 

Nearly 500 applicants? Sweet LAWD. I've got no issue with rocking a personal statement to try and set myself apart, but often I'm hearing from profs that lots of grad programs simply take the top half of the GPA stack and discard all other applicants below a certain grade point average. Blows my mind! 

 

[twinguy7]

On June 9, 2016 at 3:55 PM, kuuipo said:

Just curious, is GVSU still considered a less competitive program even with 469 applicants (according to ASHA EdFind)?

Yes, but other newer programs would probably be even less competitive.  It all depends on how you define competitive.  In the SLP grad program world, I;d say less competitive is where you don't have to have the highest GPA's, GRE's, etc.  GVSU looks more at the experiences you have and the person you are.