What are my chances???

[wizardponchos]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on applying to grad school for speech pathology next fall and I'm starting to worry about my stats and the general competitiveness of grad schools in our major. I have an overall GPA of 3.78 and a major GPA of 3.74. I have not taken my GRE yet but I'm thinking maybe anything over 145 and a 4 would be feasible for me. As for extracurriculars, I am conducting research on children with autism, I have translated for grad students for 3 semesters, volunteering for a communication recovery group for aphasic patients, volunteered at a school for disabled people,  volunteered under a SLP at a hospital, member of NSSLHA, and was a peer mentor for a semester. What do you think my chances are like???

Thanks!!

 

[plume]

I have been accepted to 3 schools so far as an out-of-field applicant with no CSD prerequisites and a cumulative GPA of 3.3. However, it is hard to compare applicants because the numbers aren't the only story of our applications (for example, I am a career changer, have obtained solid experience in the field over the last 2 years, and had a medical issue that affected my GPA). It will be impossible to tell you what your chances are but hopefully we can offer some advice!

Your GPA is solid. Your experience is solid. The general advice is to aim for at least a 300 on the GRE, although higher is better. I only received a 149 on the quant section, but I think my verbal score helped me. 

How flexible are you on location? The midwest and south are generally less competitive. Your stats look worthy of more competitive programs, though!

All in all, YES, you are absolutely competitive. Just apply to 5-10 schools (some do more, some do less) of varying levels of competitiveness. Keep in mind that "competitiveness" ranges because some schools accept a tighter range of average stats while others accept a wider range; also pay attention to % acceptance rates. It's hard to say, too, because my friend was accepted to one of the top programs in the country and did not get into some of the less competitive programs he applied to. It's hard to know what committees are looking for, but you can be smart about your application and where you apply. YOUR LETTERS OF REC AND PERSONAL STATEMENT MATTER so make sure to spend time on your essays.

I know the application process is SO stressful, including the anticipation of applying. It's good you are planning early. I would start looking at where you might want to apply and studying for the GRE.

Best of luck!

 

 

[VitaSineLitterisMorsEst]

27 minutes ago, wizardponchos said:

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on applying to grad school for speech pathology next fall and I'm starting to worry about my stats and the general competitiveness of grad schools in our major. I have an overall GPA of 3.78 and a major GPA of 3.74. I have not taken my GRE yet but I'm thinking maybe anything over 145 and a 4 would be feasible for me. As for extracurriculars, I am conducting research on children with autism, I have translated for grad students for 3 semesters, volunteering for a communication recovery group for aphasic patients, volunteered at a school for disabled people,  volunteered under a SLP at a hospital, member of NSSLHA, and was a peer mentor for a semester. What do you think my chances are like???

Thanks!!

 

 

 

I think you have very nice chances. To give your a reference point, your cumulative GPA is higher than mine (3.76) but I did have a higher last-60 GPA (3.88) A lot of schools (at least east coast) look at the last 60 units or so primarily, but many calculate it differently from each other. Mine came out to about 3.78 at one school. 3.8 is the number that most people will say to aim for to be "safe" but that is also subject to which schools you apply.

Your extracurricular activities sound awesome. Volunteering was a weakness in my application (I did it, but I didn't consider the amount of time I spent on each "thing" very good, and I couldn't get many positions directly related to speech therapy) I mostly did a nice amount of research, include a research assistantship, and I also studied abroad for a week. Not a member of NSSLHA plus only the 25 required hours of observation. My GRE score was 166 Verbal 158 Quant 5 Writing. I've applied to eight schools and been admitted to three so far, still waiting on five. One is fairly competitive so I feel good about my other chances. I was very flexible about location, and I've applied to schools in Florida, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and Tennessee - a mixture of top and very low ranked, with most in the middle.

My advice to you would be to work on your relationships with professors to get really strong letters of recommendation. I knew all the profs I asked through research, thesis, or study abroad. I am terrible at going to office hours so I had to become acquainted with them through other things. I would also aim much higher for the GRE. I studied for it most of the summer before taking it, and I really consider it the part of my application that sets me apart. Which is sad, because other things I have done are more valuable, but that's the way it is.

[tvl]

My stats aren't the best but got wait listed last year and finally accepted to a program. I recommend doing research on what schools you want to attend and emailing/calling asking them if your stats are similar to the average student they accept. Some schools kindly told me no (even though I met their minimum requirements) and others said yes. It doesn't hurt to ask and get the truth so you don't waste your time applying to schools that won't give you a chance. At least in my situation I appreciated not wasting money the 2nd time around. 

[isabellyaoyao]

I think it really depends on what schools you are applying to too. I have been following the results page and seen many getting into the program with GRE scores between 145-150 (Verbal or quant) but with more popular schools I will say you need to score at least 155 to just be safe (stay on their list). It never hurts to have good scores so if you can and have the time to study more and retake GRE, definitely do so.

My stats: V-155, Q-161, AW-4.5 wt cumulative GPA 3.94 and CDS GPA 3.95. I am an out of field applicant who did post-bac last year but still have 2 audiology classes left which I intend to finish this summer online. My stats are not stunningly good (applied to Top 30 schools and 2 other Oregon schools ranked between 50 to 75 because I'd like to have the options) but I think my background with international development really helped me leave an impression to the committee. I did an assistatship (assisting graduate student clinician) for one term helping with AAC sessions, no research experiences. I graduated back in 2011 with a BA in sociology and have been working full time in development/fundraising since. It is definitely a whole package but I consider scores are your smile and sharp looking suits that make your interviewer want to prioritize you as their first interviewee.  

Edited March 9, 2017 by isabellyaoyao

[CameronR]

I honestly think you just never know with this field. I was accepted at MGH but rejected at Baylor and UTEP which surprised me for multiple reasons. My GRE was okay (V: 154 A: 153 W: 4.0) but I had a lower end GPA for this field, so I didn't think it helped to offset that much. I did have amazing professors write my letters, though, and I only assume they were wonderful. I also had a year of research experience with children with Autism and also helped out with the same professors camp for young adults with Autism, as well as a camp for Deaf and HOH children. I had also volunteered with aphasic adults and as a reading buddy at an "at-risk" elementary school, and I was assistant director for my school's Dance Marathon. So I'm not saying I'm a horrible candidate, but it definitely wasn't my numbers that got me in. 

Literally, ALL of your stats look incredible to me and I think you'll have no problem getting in to school. I almost didn't apply to MGH because I thought my numbers weren't good enough and one of my professors told me that there are always students who they think are a shoe-in to xyz school who end up getting denied and those who you would think have no chance who end up getting in, so to just apply to schools I wanted to go to and the right one will like me as a candidate just as I am and weirdly I got into the one school I thought I was delusional to apply to. 

I think you have great chances to get in and I wish you luck with your top choice!