For those who got in after their first try - what made the difference and how many years did it take?

[cn2016]

I am a recent SLP undergrad and I was rejected by all the schools I applied to last year. I am finding out that it is actually pretty common for people to get in on their 2nd or 3rd try but I'm wondering how much time it took to gain the experience that made the difference in their application. Some people I know who got in last year worked as SLPas or TA's/personal tutors for special needs children, but they were in those jobs for 3-5 years. 

[Speechster]

I worked as an SLPA for 2 years and i got a masters in special education. i really do think what it came down to though was applying to smaller schools that look at the whole applicant vs just scores.

[lindzzz]

I agree with the poster above. I was a SLPA for five years, as well as volunteer and research experience.. what it really came down to was grades However, I'm in Canada and there's a lot less options here. It seems that the US actually DOES have programs that look at the whole package.

[jpiccolo]

I got in on my second try which was the next cycle after getting rejected. So I graduated/got denied in 2014 and was accepted in 2015. I increased my gre scores and was lucky to get a job in technology for speech therapy. The other difference was choosing the right schools to apply to because I had several offers that cycle. I also applied to 10 schools to have a better chance because I really didn't want to try a third year. 

[ccran]

I got in on the second round after being rejected by way too many schools - I think the difference for me was a much higher GRE score (Magoosh was a life saver), as I needed a high GRE score to cancel out my low overall GPA. I also think reaching out to the schools personally helped... I visited program directors in person, or when I was applying to a school out of my state, I emailed various people in the department who worked there and let them know how much I wanted to attend their school, and why that school interested me in particular. 

[missmae]

to @ccran, how exactly did you go about visiting the program directors in person? I am Canadian and am currently working on my applications for this year.

[ccran]

@missmae, I sent you a private message! Most emails for program directors are on their program website, I just contacted them directly and asked if they allowed visits to the program!

[smt24]

Hey! I got in my first round without getting my undergrad in SLP. Though grades, experience, and GRE are crucial, I think putting a lot of effort in the statement of purpose is SO IMPORTANT. I can't stress it enough. If you think about how many applicants they get, most who are serious about SLP are going to be competitive applicants with high scores and years of experience. I volunteered for one summer at a speech therapy camp and I didn't have a high GPA nor high GRE scores and I got into a top program. I think all the effort and thought I put into my SOP really paid off. 

The SOP gives you a chance to let the committee know who you are as a person: Are you a leader? Are you curious to learn more about the field of SLP? What kind of goals do you have for yourself? It also gives you the chance to tell them specifically what got you interested in pursuing SLP: how did your experiences lead you to now (please stay away from the cliche family member who has a stuttering problem)? What about dysphasia makes you excited? It also gives you the opportunity to let them know why you're interested in THEIR specific program: Which professors would you like to conduct research with and why? What is it about their program that sets them apart from the hundreds of others out there? How are you going to positively impact their program? I think these questions are important to consider when drafting out a SOP. 

All in all, the SOP allows the committee to set aside the numbers and to really qualify your application. They're really looking for people who are goal oriented, go-getters, and who they think will succeed in their program as well as in the field. If you think you can, verbally tell them through your experiences, leadership, and dedication!! I hope this helps 

[k_kismet]

When people say  high GPA to cancel out low GRE or vice versa, what are you considering low. I have pretty high GPA, and I consider my GRE scores to be decent. I want to have high scores for both, but I really don't want to spend another $200 to take the GRE again and only raise it by a few points. Plus its getting into busy holiday seasons and I probably don't have time to retake it at this point.

Just curious stats wise what seems to be the top importance.
Also.. is it true that schools really only look at your major GPA/last 60. That would be awesome cause I went through a few major changes that reflect in my cumulative GPA...

Thanks in advanced!

[Arcanelady27]

I had to leave the CUNY's alone to get into a school. 

[flowerbloom]

Hi there! It's obviously been said that a good GPA and GRE scores are really crucial for getting into schools. I got in on my first try and here are some non-GPA test scores-related things that I think really helped my application: 

(1) LoRs-I had three LoRs from CSD professors that I knew fairly well and vice versa. It really helped to form relationships with my profs in advance so that when LoR writing time came around, my letters were more personal because they actually knew me pretty well. I had lots of friends who asked profs for letters of rec even though they'd never spoken before. It also helped that all three of mine came from people who are well-known in the field, sometimes name recognition can be helpful. Committees can really tell a good LoR from a bad one....they read so many of them after all  

(2) SOP- I spent a lot of time writing my SOP and tried really hard to make sure it was different. I thankfully had a really great story as to why I wanted to be an SLP and I think that made a really big difference. It's hard to write a really unique SOP.  A lot of them end up sounding similar because people learn about the profession through experiences like a  family member that maybe needed therapy as a child or from an SLP that helped a grandparent after a stroke. These are totally legitimate experiences but make it hard to stand out from the crowd. If possible, try to take a different angle or examine other reasons for wanting to be an SLP. This is the only time where the committee gets to hear your voice and not just the numbers on your application

I hope some of this helps. This is what I think helped me the most in terms of getting into my first choice school the first time around. If you have other questions feel free to PM me! Good luck! 

[amsullivan]

I applied to 7 schools last cycle and got rejected everywhere. I only applied  to NYU's online track this cycle and got admitted. I had 2 different LORs than I did last cycle, have been working as an SLPA for six months and was able to submit my capstone paper as part of my application which I really think helped. 

 

Good luck!!

[thespeechblog.com]

On 10/28/2016 at 2:14 PM, cn2016 said:

I am a recent SLP undergrad and I was rejected by all the schools I applied to last year. I am finding out that it is actually pretty common for people to get in on their 2nd or 3rd try but I'm wondering how much time it took to gain the experience that made the difference in their application. Some people I know who got in last year worked as SLPas or TA's/personal tutors for special needs children, but they were in those jobs for 3-5 years. 

I did a whole interview with an SLP on just this topic for my blog. I'll send you the link in a private message (don't want to get marked for spam). 

In general though, I'd say 1) talk to the schools that rejected you to find out your weaknesses. 2) Address those weaknesses 3) Show the schools you're a new / better / stronger applicant who has grown since the first round of applications.