Help! My chances for SLP grad school?

[soschocking]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if you could help me get a better understanding of my chances of getting into a grad program for SLP and if there is anything you think I can do to boost my chances before I apply this coming year. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology with a 3.71 overall GPA and a major GPA of 3.74. I then completed a prerequisite program so I currently have a 4.0 from the 8 SLP courses I took. I played volleyball for 4 years in college, worked at a residential mental health care facility for kids, and have a little volunteer experience. My GRE scores might be a little low with a verbal score of 153, quantitative reasoning score of 148, and my analytical writing score of 4. I think what hurts me the most is my lack of research experience or experience in the field. Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated!!!

[Apogeee]

The sport has little to no impact on your application. Your writing score is a little low. The lack of experience and research is somewhat problematic, but not unusually so. Overall, your portfolio sounds reasonable. Ask your advisor; perhaps there is some work you can do now to bolster your portfolio. Good luck. 

[Crimson Wife]

I would focus on getting your GRE scores up and maybe doing some shadowing. I don't get the impression that research matters unless you are aiming for a PhD.

[soschocking]

On 7/2/2016 at 4:51 AM, Apogeee said:

The sport has little to no impact on your application. Your writing score is a little low. The lack of experience and research is somewhat problematic, but not unusually so. Overall, your portfolio sounds reasonable. Ask your advisor; perhaps there is some work you can do now to bolster your portfolio. Good luck. 

Unfortunately because of my situation I do not have an advisor, which makes things a little more difficult. However, I will continue to look for work experience that might be helpful. I mostly just wanted to hear that I had a chance of getting in somewhere, so I'm glad my portfolio is at least reasonable so far. Thanks!

[soschocking]

15 hours ago, Crimson Wife said:

I would focus on getting your GRE scores up and maybe doing some shadowing. I don't get the impression that research matters unless you are aiming for a PhD.

That is good to hear! I knew research was really important in my previous field, so I wasn't sure how much it would matter. Definitely plan on shadowing soon. Thank you for your thoughts!

[Apogeee]

2 hours ago, soschocking said:

Unfortunately because of my situation I do not have an advisor, which makes things a little more difficult.

See if there is someone from your time in college who will advise you. You're going to need LOR.

[charlemagne88]

5 minutes ago, Apogeee said:

See if there is someone from your time in college who will advise you. You're going to need LOR.

I agree, your scores are probably fine (most programs don't really care about the quant score anyways), plus you have a pretty high GPA. I'd say as long as your statement of purpose and LOR's are outstanding, you'll have a pretty good shot at getting in somewhere. Apply to a lot of places though. I applied to 8 programs this year and only got accepted into 2. 

[charlemagne88]

18 hours ago, Crimson Wife said:

I would focus on getting your GRE scores up and maybe doing some shadowing. I don't get the impression that research matters unless you are aiming for a PhD.

I wouldn't worry too much about the GRE scores. They are mostly only used to supplement the rest of your application and maybe be used to distinguish applicants in a "tie breaker" scenario. Your total score is already above the magic "300." This semester, your main goal should be securing awesome LORs and writing a great personal statement/statement of purpose

[Jolie717]

5 hours ago, charlemagne88 said:

I wouldn't worry too much about the GRE scores. They are mostly only used to supplement the rest of your application and maybe be used to distinguish applicants in a "tie breaker" scenario. Your total score is already above the magic "300." This semester, your main goal should be securing awesome LORs and writing a great personal statement/statement of purpose

I'm going to have to disagree here.  300 does tend to be acceptable to many programs, but due to the competitive nature of SLP grad school, I personally would advise you study hard and retake for a more competitive score.  I also disagree that most schools disregard the quant score - certainly the top schools do not disregard it.  It seems you have extra time, so as long as retaking doesn't break the bank I would do so.  What is your overall cumulative GPA now after having taken 8 SLP pre-reqs?  Are your letter of rec writers really strong?  How about your SOP?  If you haven't already, start working on it now, and have qualified people who aren't afraid to give honest critique read it.  (Think PhDs, English majors, SLP professors, etc).  What schools are you applying to?  As far as experience in the field, try to get some!  ABA, literacy tutoring, hospital newborn hearing screening, volunteering for an SLP or autism program, etc etc are all viable options that will give you some more "real world" experience and will add depth and dimension to your SOP.  

Sorry to bombard you with questions, but the answers will help the SLP students who have been through the application process give better-informed answers.  

[plume]

I am mostly reiterating what others have said, but you look like a competitive applicant to me! Yes, your GRE scores could be higher, and I do not have the answer as to if that is key to getting into school (and I imagine the importance of GRE scores varies a little by school, but I'm not positive on this.) If you are deciding between spending your time studying or volunteering/getting experience, go for the experience! 

I will be in the same applicant pool as you, so keep us updated on how everything goes!

[palabracrush]

I think your GRE scores are simply too low. 148 on the quant is below the 50th percentile which will be a red flag to many schools. Even two points at 150 would make a huge difference. If you did your prereqs online, some schools may think it was not rigorous enough, so you need to prove yourself a little bit with the GRE. Yes, it sucks, but I would hate for you to not get in this coming cycle just because your GRE score was a little too low. 

I feel you on the math component. I got a score lower than yours. I am retaking and aiming for 150-155 on the quant. 

[soschocking]

On 7/3/2016 at 4:32 PM, Apogeee said:

See if there is someone from your time in college who will advise you. You're going to need LOR.

I recently tried asking questions to one of my previous professors, and she told my to contact the graduate programs directly (which I admit might be helpful, just time-consuming). With my situation as a prerequisite student, I have a different professor for each course, never having a professor more than once. Hoping I can make more of an impression in the speech science course I'm taking this summer. Do you think there is any benefit to getting one of my LOR from the school I graduated from- one of my psychology professors? Many of them know me better since I had them for more than one course.

[soschocking]

On 7/3/2016 at 4:39 PM, charlemagne88 said:

I agree, your scores are probably fine (most programs don't really care about the quant score anyways), plus you have a pretty high GPA. I'd say as long as your statement of purpose and LOR's are outstanding, you'll have a pretty good shot at getting in somewhere. Apply to a lot of places though. I applied to 8 programs this year and only got accepted into 2. 

I'm hoping you're right- I already took the GRE twice, so I would rather not take it again unless absolutely necessary... If you don't mind my asking, which schools did you get accepted into? 

[soschocking]

On 7/3/2016 at 10:42 PM, Jolie717 said:

I'm going to have to disagree here.  300 does tend to be acceptable to many programs, but due to the competitive nature of SLP grad school, I personally would advise you study hard and retake for a more competitive score.  I also disagree that most schools disregard the quant score - certainly the top schools do not disregard it.  It seems you have extra time, so as long as retaking doesn't break the bank I would do so.  What is your overall cumulative GPA now after having taken 8 SLP pre-reqs?  Are your letter of rec writers really strong?  How about your SOP?  If you haven't already, start working on it now, and have qualified people who aren't afraid to give honest critique read it.  (Think PhDs, English majors, SLP professors, etc).  What schools are you applying to?  As far as experience in the field, try to get some!  ABA, literacy tutoring, hospital newborn hearing screening, volunteering for an SLP or autism program, etc etc are all viable options that will give you some more "real world" experience and will add depth and dimension to your SOP.  

Sorry to bombard you with questions, but the answers will help the SLP students who have been through the application process give better-informed answers.  

Do you think it's worth taking again if I've already taken the GRE twice? Will schools see that as a bad thing? I agree that it would be better to have a higher quantitative score. Now on to your questions... If I've calculated it correctly, I currently have a 3.759 (not including the three courses that I still have to take this summer). I have not yet determined my LOR, but if I ask one of my professors from my original major (psychology) then I should have at least one strong letter. I have written a SOP, which I feel is pretty strong but I definitely plan on having people revise it to be sure. 

Honestly, I just want to get in somewhere and not have to wait an entire year to reapply. I currently have a long list of schools that I am trying to narrow down to the most realistic options. I also have to make sure that I have all of the prerequisite courses that the program requires in order to apply. I have taken Intro to Audiology, Phonetics, Intro to Language and Communication, Articulation and Fluency Disorders, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism, Language Development, Intro to Communication Disorders, and Speech Science. I am willing to relocate if necessary- I am currently in Pennsylvania but I have heard that some of the more competitive schools are on the east coast. If you or anyone else has any suggestions as to where I should look to apply, that would be very helpful!!!

Also, thank you for the experience suggestions! I'm thinking that might be the best thing I can do right now to improve my chances!! 

[soschocking]

On 7/4/2016 at 0:42 AM, plume said:

I am mostly reiterating what others have said, but you look like a competitive applicant to me! Yes, your GRE scores could be higher, and I do not have the answer as to if that is key to getting into school (and I imagine the importance of GRE scores varies a little by school, but I'm not positive on this.) If you are deciding between spending your time studying or volunteering/getting experience, go for the experience! 

I will be in the same applicant pool as you, so keep us updated on how everything goes!

That is good to hear!! I agree, I think the most important thing for me to do right now is figure out a way to get more experience. Fingers crossed that I find something!! And good luck with everything!! I will definitely keep you updated-you do the same!

[soschocking]

On 7/4/2016 at 7:38 PM, palabracrush said:

I think your GRE scores are simply too low. 148 on the quant is below the 50th percentile which will be a red flag to many schools. Even two points at 150 would make a huge difference. If you did your prereqs online, some schools may think it was not rigorous enough, so you need to prove yourself a little bit with the GRE. Yes, it sucks, but I would hate for you to not get in this coming cycle just because your GRE score was a little too low. 

I feel you on the math component. I got a score lower than yours. I am retaking and aiming for 150-155 on the quant. 

I appreciate your honesty- my problem is that I have already taken the GRE twice, so I don't know if schools will frown upon seeing that I've taken it 3 times. I can only blame myself- I really think I could have studied harder the second time around. Math has never been my thing!  Any thoughts?

[plume]

I also want to say - I do not think taking the GRE three times reflects badly on you. You do not have to send schools all of your scores, and if anything it would show that you're willing to put in the time to improve your scores. However, I still do not think it is a necessity since you met 300 for your cumulative score, especially if there are other areas you would like to improve (like getting experience)! And honestly, I think you could even work with just the experience you already have working in a mental health facility and volunteering to make a great personal statement (which it sounds like you have already done.)

It sounds like you really do not want to take the GRE again, which is completely understandable. And I still think there are other areas that would boost your application that would not require you to take it a third time.

[charlemagne88]

3 hours ago, soschocking said:

I appreciate your honesty- my problem is that I have already taken the GRE twice, so I don't know if schools will frown upon seeing that I've taken it 3 times. I can only blame myself- I really think I could have studied harder the second time around. Math has never been my thing!  Any thoughts?

Math has never been my forte either. I know most schools (unless the program specifically relies on Math skills) don't put to much weight into quant scores anyways. As I said above, they are mostly concerned with verbal and writing scores, since that's what you'll be doing in SLP anyways. That being said, I don't think the schools will see that you've taken it twice (or three times) -they only receive the scores you decide to send. I only took it once, and didn't want to go through that again, plus it costs $200 each time and that's a lot of money. 

 

3 hours ago, soschocking said:

Do you think it's worth taking again if I've already taken the GRE twice? Will schools see that as a bad thing? I agree that it would be better to have a higher quantitative score. Now on to your questions... If I've calculated it correctly, I currently have a 3.759 (not including the three courses that I still have to take this summer). I have not yet determined my LOR, but if I ask one of my professors from my original major (psychology) then I should have at least one strong letter. I have written a SOP, which I feel is pretty strong but I definitely plan on having people revise it to be sure. 

Honestly, I just want to get in somewhere and not have to wait an entire year to reapply. I currently have a long list of schools that I am trying to narrow down to the most realistic options. I also have to make sure that I have all of the prerequisite courses that the program requires in order to apply. I have taken Intro to Audiology, Phonetics, Intro to Language and Communication, Articulation and Fluency Disorders, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism, Language Development, Intro to Communication Disorders, and Speech Science. I am willing to relocate if necessary- I am currently in Pennsylvania but I have heard that some of the more competitive schools are on the east coast. If you or anyone else has any suggestions as to where I should look to apply, that would be very helpful!!!

Also, thank you for the experience suggestions! I'm thinking that might be the best thing I can do right now to improve my chances!! 

I truly think your best option at this point is trying to get the best LORs you possibly can. Outstanding letters from faculty (especially if they are well known in the academic world) will say a lot about you -way more than a silly test because they can provide information about your personality and dedication to the program. A standardized test simply cannot do that. For me, securing those letters meant spending A LOT of time in my professors' offices during office hours. I was lucky that my department was fairly small, so the professors knew me from previous classes and were really able to focus on mentoring me. I would suggest trying to get at least one good letter from an SLP professor. That shouldn't be a problem since you've taken all of those classes. Maybe take another one this semester with one of the same professors, and go in to office hours the first week and explain your interest in continuing your education in SLP in grad school, and if they would be willing to share their insights on how they did it. If you're good, they'll become invested in your success and that will lead to an excellent LOR when the time comes to ask. 

As far as school suggestions go, I'm sorry I don't know that much about SLP, except that it's been growing exponentially the last few years. Most schools will likely have programs in SLP. Personally, anything "university of [insert state here]" is probably a solid bet -but I'm sure you already know that.

 

Good Luck! 

[Jolie717]

4 hours ago, soschocking said:

Do you think it's worth taking again if I've already taken the GRE twice? Will schools see that as a bad thing? I agree that it would be better to have a higher quantitative score. Now on to your questions... If I've calculated it correctly, I currently have a 3.759 (not including the three courses that I still have to take this summer). I have not yet determined my LOR, but if I ask one of my professors from my original major (psychology) then I should have at least one strong letter. I have written a SOP, which I feel is pretty strong but I definitely plan on having people revise it to be sure. 

Honestly, I just want to get in somewhere and not have to wait an entire year to reapply. I currently have a long list of schools that I am trying to narrow down to the most realistic options. I also have to make sure that I have all of the prerequisite courses that the program requires in order to apply. I have taken Intro to Audiology, Phonetics, Intro to Language and Communication, Articulation and Fluency Disorders, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism, Language Development, Intro to Communication Disorders, and Speech Science. I am willing to relocate if necessary- I am currently in Pennsylvania but I have heard that some of the more competitive schools are on the east coast. If you or anyone else has any suggestions as to where I should look to apply, that would be very helpful!!!

Also, thank you for the experience suggestions! I'm thinking that might be the best thing I can do right now to improve my chances!! 

The schools won't know how many times you've taken it unless you've already sent scores to them, which I assume you haven't yet?  I would retake it only if you thought you could improve your score (as reflected by improving scores on practice tests).

[palabracrush]

Many schools get so many applications that honestly it can be a pure numbers game. Get the highest GRE/GPA you can afford.