Should I even be trying?

[ashny]

I am almost 43 years old and would like to change my career to speech pathology (I am a stay at home mom who worked in the corporate world before). I studied abroad so when I had my GPA converted, the scores were:

Cumulative GPA for 125 semester credits of undergraduate level study 2.76

Cumulative GPA for 51 semester credits of graduate level study 3.42

I was shocked at the 2.76 as I used to get the highest marks in my class so I'm not sure if its just the conversion to the American system that is causing the low GPA.

The next problem is that I cannot fathom the GRE math section. It has been over 25 years since I finished school and I have never been exposed to American high school maths before which is many ways different from what I learnt in my country.  I burst into tears yesterday when I attempted to read the Princeton review. I am aware of the online prep courses but I am really scared whether all this effort would pay off.

I am not sure where to start. Or am I crazy to even try?  Does anyone have any advice for me? 

 

 

 

[unitstructures]

If a change of career is what you really want, you'd be crazy not to try. The worst thing that can happen is that you fail. How bad is that compared to not even trying? Personally, I knew I'd be bitter for the rest of my life if I didn't have the guts to go for what I wanted. I decided I'd rather fail and move on with my life than to not try at all. Besides, there are worst things in life than not getting into a PhD program. Have courage, dear friend!

[jessie_lee]

Are you thinking about doing a levelling/post-bac program? If you do, and get a high GPA, most admissions would look more at that than an undergrad GPA from 20 years ago. Having some experience/volunteering in the field would also be a plus.

The fact that you've travelled and have life experience is in your favor, too!

I feel your pain on the quantitative section of the GRE; I hadn't had a math class in almost a decade, and ended up getting a 142 (28th percentile!). Luckily, though, my verbal and writing scores were high, and that seems to be looked at more than the Quantitative scores (at least, it was the case for the programs I got into).

As you mentioned, there are some online prep courses that can be helpful in getting ready for the GRE; Magoosh and Khan Academy are two that come to mind. Or, honestly, just signing up for a basic math course at a community college in your area might be helpful in getting you more comfortable with the material. 

It definitely is a difficult, competitive field to get into, but it isn't impossible. You'll have to decide if it's worth the time and effort (and money!) that goes into it. Best of luck to you, whatever you choose!

 

 

[Afternoonprogram]

I am 42!! I just did 4 post-bacc classes and took my GRE's -it's been 20 years since I went to undergrad.  I'm going for it -I'm applying to some of the smaller schools near me for a master's program and looking into on-line programs.  You should go for it!  I studied for the GRE's using Magoosh which really did help.  I only got a 150 on quantitive section but my verbal was 157 (and I didn't study for that part).  

[Crimson Wife]

Some grad schools will accept the Miller Analogies Test and that has no math. I have heard of people scoring MUCH higher on the MAT than the GRE.

[WannabSLP124]

Of course you should. If you are passionate about it, you will be successful. I really liked Magoosh for prep. As others have said do well in post-bacc courses. Depending on what your work/home life is like, I would just make sure to give yourself enough time! I overloaded myself by working full time, prepping for the GRE and taking some pre-req courses. Not a good idea especially when you are out of practice of being a student. My advice is to ease into it :-) 

[lexical_gap]

In my program, there were 3-4 grad students in their 40s who were career changers.  There were another 3-4 of us in our 30s who were career changers and another 7 who were in their mid-late 20s as career changers.

I did a post-bacc to improve my overall GPA and familiarize with myself with the field before applying.  I could've applied right away because I had elementary education and linguistics, but I would've had to make up all the pre-requisites anyway.  Why pay graduate tuition to make up undergraduate level courses?  Without a strong showing in the leveling coursework, the relationships I built with the professors there, and the knowledge I gained about the field, I highly doubt I would've gotten into graduate school.  Even if I had, I would've been so overwhelmed and felt even more out of my league.

As for math, if you take leveling courses (including statistics), could you fit in a math course into your schedule to help you?  Or at the very least, audit a math course?

[ashny]

On 12/29/2016 at 9:25 PM, Crimson Wife said:

Some grad schools will accept the Miller Analogies Test and that has no math. I have heard of people scoring MUCH higher on the MAT than the GRE.

Yes, thanks - I saw that and tried some of the sample questions on the MAT test some time back and was flumoxed by the questions. I felt stupid. Having said that, doing the MAT does not require study time so it might be worth the try even with a poor score.

[Crimson Wife]

All analogies questions are variations on a handful of different relationships. Back in the dark ages the SAT used to have an analogies section and there was a list of the analogies types in Kaplan and other test prep books. Even you didn't know one or more of the words, if you could figure out the type of relationship, you could often determine the correct answer. Here's a brief overview: http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/gre/chapter10section3.rhtml

[ashny]

19 hours ago, Crimson Wife said:

All analogies questions are variations on a handful of different relationships. Back in the dark ages the SAT used to have an analogies section and there was a list of the analogies types in Kaplan and other test prep books. Even you didn't know one or more of the words, if you could figure out the type of relationship, you could often determine the correct answer. Here's a brief overview: http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/gre/chapter10section3.rhtml

That's a great link. I read it and tried taking a few online MAT tests this morning - I scored below average. I looked for universities that would take the MAT but those I've come across so far need a CSD degree (I don't have that) or require very high MAT scores.  I'm trying to keep up hope though and see if there is some way I can conquer this.

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by ashny
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[ashny]

On 12/29/2016 at 9:21 AM, Afternoonprogram said:

I am 42!! I just did 4 post-bacc classes and took my GRE's -it's been 20 years since I went to undergrad.  I'm going for it -I'm applying to some of the smaller schools near me for a master's program and looking into on-line programs.  You should go for it!  I studied for the GRE's using Magoosh which really did help.  I only got a 150 on quantitive section but my verbal was 157 (and I didn't study for that part).  

Great score, congratulations. We are the same age so you give me hope!