Choosing the right fit School for me

[dkolton]

HIII everyone! So a bit of me.... I graduated a year ago and got rejected from 8 schools, so I decided to get my SLP-A license and I've been working for a year in Texas. I have a overall GPA of 3.1, CSD 3.2, upper CSD 3.46, last 60 3.4 and upper division gen is 3.5. MY gre scores are 150V and 145Q and I'm retaking it in a month, cause I know they are terrible!! I have a list of schools that I may potentially fit in their ranges and I need advise! or even suggestions

[Spondee]

Hey! I got in with just slightly higher stats, so I'll level with you. It's going to be harder for you than it is for most people. Accept that, agree to work hard. You need to apply all over the country, and not to programs like Vanderbilt that just clearly aren't going to happen. Use Edfind, but also research schools, and apply to schools that fit your strengths. If you can, apply to schools that hold interviews. Work your butt off on the GRE, because a school needs numbers that are good in order to justify looking at the rest of your app closely. Then, the rest of your app needs to be perfect. Write your SOP, then have three people smarter than you edit it. Don't give up, it's possible, it's just hard. 

[Daniel998]

On 7/26/2017 at 11:01 AM, Spondee said:

Hey! I got in with just slightly higher stats, so I'll level with you. It's going to be harder for you than it is for most people. Accept that, agree to work hard. You need to apply all over the country, and not to programs like Vanderbilt that just clearly aren't going to happen. Use Edfind, but also research schools, and apply to schools that fit your strengths. If you can, apply to schools that hold interviews. Work your butt off on the GRE, because a school needs numbers that are good in order to justify looking at the rest of your app closely. Then, the rest of your app needs to be perfect. Write your SOP, then have three people smarter than you edit it. Don't give up, it's possible, it's just hard. 

What were your GRE scores,  if I may ask? I have about two months to study and plan on taking neuroanatomy this fall so idk if I will do well in it. I don't plan on applying to uber-competitive programs so I am hoping my GPA will compensate for less than stellar GRE scores.

[thespeechblog.com]

On 7/26/2017 at 11:33 AM, dkolton said:

HIII everyone! So a bit of me.... I graduated a year ago and got rejected from 8 schools, so I decided to get my SLP-A license and I've been working for a year in Texas. I have a overall GPA of 3.1, CSD 3.2, upper CSD 3.46, last 60 3.4 and upper division gen is 3.5. MY gre scores are 150V and 145Q and I'm retaking it in a month, cause I know they are terrible!! I have a list of schools that I may potentially fit in their ranges and I need advise! or even suggestions

I think @Spondee gave the perfect advice. Follow it! 

[Spondee]

On 7/27/2017 at 0:03 PM, Daniel998 said:

What were your GRE scores,  if I may ask? I have about two months to study and plan on taking neuroanatomy this fall so idk if I will do well in it. I don't plan on applying to uber-competitive programs so I am hoping my GPA will compensate for less than stellar GRE scores.

Oh man, let me think. I'll be honest, your GPA isn't doing you any favors. 3.5 is good in the normal world, but here, it's not enough to make up for a low point in the application. So I knew my GRE had to be good. I think I got a combined 322, I don't remember exactly what the breakdown was. My writing score was like...4.5?

[ainsworthk7259]

So it seems that there are two pathways from reading about your stats: the first, is to take some post-baccalaureate courses and retake your GRE(as you said), to vie for some more competitive schools. The second, is to work on your experience and qualifications for the field. This could take the form of working with children, internships, volunteering etc: if you gain enough experience, this can offset your GPA and put you in a more competitive position. Being an SLP-A is great, but I would shoot for some other experiences as well. If you have a broad range of skill sets(such as taking ASL classes, or gaining some other certifications), this would only serve to help you in the professional field.

Best of luck to you! 

[AlwaysaFalcon]

I would have to agree with @Spondee. You have to be extremely picky about the schools you apply too. It took me three application cycles before I got into grad school, but then I was accepted into 3 programs  I couldn't have dreamed of that result! Apply to schools all over the country and schools with less applicants applying to them so you have a better chance of standing out. Use that experience as a SLPA to help you! That's awesome experience you can use as a letter of intent.