Is anyone willing to share their SOP?

[2020slp]

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in sharing their personal statement/SOP with me so that I have an idea of where to start. Message me!

Thanks!

[mumblejumble]

I'm on the same boat here. Are you looking at fall 2018 term?

[jem802]

I'll post mine... not saying that it is perfect by any means, but I was admitted! I think most people really struggle with this part of the app and I know that I realllllly wanted some more examples to read! It's hard to know where to start if you don't even know what one should look like.

My university also had a class about writing in the SLP field and we worked on our letters in that course (unfortunately I took this class after finishing my applications!). One thing I remember the teacher saying was to try to avoid writing about certain topics that most people write about, two mains one being studying abroad and wanting to work with children. So that info may be of some help to you! Good luck!

Unlike many applicants, I cannot say that I have always wanted to be a speech-language pathologist. When I entered my first year of college, my love for science and problem-solving led me to believe that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. After a painful two semesters and a summer to reflect, I realized that engineering was not the field for me. With that also came the realization that I was completely unsure of what path to pursue.

For the next two years I worked full time and attended community college with the intent to fulfill my general education requirements and transfer to a four year school. When I was accepted as a transfer student to______________, I was elated but still unsure of what to study. During my orientation day, my advisor suggested that I take an introductory class for Communication Disorders as an elective. At the time, I had no knowledge of the field of Communication Disorders, but I still chose to enroll in the course, and I am so glad that I did.

One week into my first semester at________________, I changed my major to Communication Disorders.  For the past three semesters I have been immersed in Communication Disorder courses and I have loved it. I have been enthralled by the process of language acquisition, puzzled by the details of the cranial nerves, and saddened but inspired by the stories of those living with fluency disorders. The courses I have taken have been both challenging and fulfilling and they have awakened a passion for learning that I am excited to expand upon during my time at graduate school.

Of course, my desire to pursue my Master’s degree goes beyond my will to learn more. I want to become a speech-language pathologist so that I can help to better the lives of others. As a speech-language pathologist, I intend to work with elderly patients. The time I have spent visiting my grandfather in the memory-care unit of an assisted living home has shown me the importance of implementing patience and kindness while working with elderly patients. The skills I have learned as an undergraduate student have already helped me to improve upon the approach I take to communicating with my grandfather, and I know that this experience will benefit me when I begin work as a speech-language pathologist.

I have had a very enriching experience studying Communication Disorders and that is why I am applying to the Master’s program at ___________. I am excited to broaden my knowledge about speech and language disorders, to learn about counseling clients and their families, and to receive experience in the field. I cannot wait to become a speech-language pathologist, and I hope that I will be able to take the next step and pursue my graduate degree at the ________________.

 

 

[speech_cadet]

I thought I'd pass along a link to several examples: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/cim/personal-statement They are letters from med school students, not SLP per se - however, when I applied I was referred to these letters as a guide and had success. I think there are some good tips that work for any SOP, regardless of the program. The thing that stood out most to me was not to be afraid to write a slightly unconventional, more creative letter in order to catch the admissions committee's attention. This is why I started my letter with a short but meaningful anecdote (to do with shadowing an SLP) as in some of the sample letters and tried to avoid forgettable formulas. I really made an effort to draw on what makes me unique to explain why I want to be an SLP, why I'd be a good student, and what I plan to do professionally in the future. I specifically mentioned profs/researchers and programs at the school I wanted to be involved with. Anyways, hope that helps you! 

[SpeechGal1234]

This blog helped me tremendously! I even emailed with the blogger and got some more tips and help  She was great!!

https://slpecho.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/letterofintent_slpgradschool/

[ThatSpeechGuy]

I would go against having 1 SOP that you use to apply to all of the schools!

Take the time to research the school while you are writing your SOP and tailor your responses to their message or goals as a university. That doesn't mean change who you are based on the school, but tailor the things you talk about in your short snapshot of why you are an amazing candidate to the school.

Fun bit of advice: I actually knew I didn't want to go to one of the schools I applied to (and ended up getting in, HAH!) because of how I was writing the essay. Through the university's prompt I ended up talking more about how the school was great, not why I was great! Always keep that message in mind, you can talk about how the school is great, but always link it back to why you would be a good fit! 

I had parts of my essay that remained largely unchanged, however I would say half was always tailored toward the school! This is your shot to make a really good impression, so take your time making it!

[pbandj]

I can share with you my personal statement in a PM.  I used basically the same personal statement and tailored only the last paragraph or two for each school, reinforcing why I felt I was a good fit based on experiences I had described and mentioning specific programs or program goals that resonated with me. Pick just two to maybe three experiences and go really in depth about them and what you learned from each. If you find that certain experiences are more relevant for one program than another, definitely change up your personal statement! For me, I felt like the two experiences I highlighted were relevant to each program I chose, so I didn't feel the need to change the bulk of my personal statement between applications. 

[2020slp]

On 7/13/2017 at 4:31 PM, mumblejumble said:

I'm on the same boat here. Are you looking at fall 2018 term?

I am, yes! Nervous but excited to start applications. Such a big step! How about you, how are you feeling?

[2020slp]

Thank you everyone! So helpful!!