Didn't get into grad school for SLP. Are post bacc programs a good idea?

[amvat]

Hello, I have a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology and did not get accepted into any grad school for my first time applying. I received my degree in Fall 2014 and wanted to get some work experience in a related field (I work in an in-home autism program) before applying for two reasons: I wanted to make some money and could use the experience to add on to my applications. 2 and half years later and rejected from all schools I don't know what to do. One of the schools I applied to told me that my GPA and GRE scores just weren't high enough. I don't want to quit just yet. I want to try again. I've been looking into post bacc programs that I could take to boost up my GPA. However, post bacc programs are designed for out-of-fielders (which I'm not). Is it a good idea to take post bacc programs or will this harm me more than help me? Is there another plan of action that I can take if post bacc programs aren't a good idea? I could really use some advice. Thank you. 

Edited May 2, 2017 by amvat

[thelionking]

Could you ask the school that gave you that feedback on your application what other successful applicants to their program have done who were in a similar situation?

[PlieThenRose]

Yes, post-bacc programs are designed for those who don't have a background. I'm not quite sure how it'll look if you retake speech classes unless you had Cs in them. You could always take classes at a community college or online in like sign language (if you haven't already), special ed, neuro or something to help boost your overall GPA. It sounds like a lot of the schools look at CSDCAS' overall calculated GPA so if it's your overall, that could help bring it up.

How many times have you taken the GRE? and how "low" is your GPA?

this might sound like a lot of work, but if you aren't tied down to your current location, see if there are schools that meet your GPA/GRE requirements. I've seen that people have contacted 200+ schools to find out exactly what they want/see if they are right fit. Doesn't hurt. Don't give up!! But definitely keep gaining experience in different populations!

[amvat]

2 minutes ago, PlieThenRose said:

Yes, post-bacc programs are designed for those who don't have a background. I'm not quite sure how it'll look if you retake speech classes unless you had Cs in them. You could always take classes at a community college or online in like sign language (if you haven't already), special ed, neuro or something to help boost your overall GPA. It sounds like a lot of the schools look at CSDCAS' overall calculated GPA so if it's your overall, that could help bring it up.

How many times have you taken the GRE? and how "low" is your GPA?

this might sound like a lot of work, but if you aren't tied down to your current location, see if there are schools that meet your GPA/GRE requirements. I've seen that people have contacted 200+ schools to find out exactly what they want/see if they are right fit. Doesn't hurt. Don't give up!! But definitely keep gaining experience in different populations!

Hi PlieThenRose, I've taken the GRE only once and my overall GPA is 3.47 (not so competitive, I know). Now that I think about it again I don't think post bacc is something I should be looking into. It doesn't really make sense for me. I think community college or online is a good idea. Thank you so much.

[amvat]

58 minutes ago, thelionking said:

Could you ask the school that gave you that feedback on your application what other successful applicants to their program have done who were in a similar situation?

I never thought about that but that sounds like a good thing to do. Thank you.

[PlieThenRose]

14 minutes ago, amvat said:

Hi PlieThenRose, I've taken the GRE only once and my overall GPA is 3.47 (not so competitive, I know). Now that I think about it again I don't think post bacc is something I should be looking into. It doesn't really make sense for me. I think community college or online is a good idea. Thank you so much.

Of course, anytime! I second the feedback from the school that was also suggested!

Also, one of my post-bacc professors advised not to take the GRE more than twice...I used Magoosh and raised my verbal score 15 points the second time. So taking that a second time wouldn't hurt. But see what these schools say about your score. Maybe they have some advice too!

[Louly]

Since you've already received your degree, the only option is to go back and take a few courses at a community college and raise that GPA up. I was accepted into a few grad programs with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 but my last 60 credits was a 3.8+, proving that Ive changed. I would also recommend finding work relating to the field, if not at least pick up a volunteer position. Something I noticed is the lack of originality in personal statement. I've read a few of my classmates reasons for entering the field and it's the typical, "My passion is to help people" "I love working with kids" ...or "I love this campus, the professors and it's closed to home". Instead of using the word "passion", explain it through life experiences. Let the reader sense your passion without literally reading it. LOR is also something to think about. Most people I've talked to had three professors as their references, which isn't bad if they know you well enough. If they don't, it could also hurt you because their LOR could be vague. Try to finding references that can talk about you from different points like who you are professionally, who you are academically and who you are as a leader. That way, the admissions committee can get an idea of who you are as a whole person. I hope that helped. Good luck!