Am I a good candidate for these programs?/thoughts on these schools?

[Kelsey888]

Hi there! 

I am a senior in undergrad and will be applying to graduate programs this fall, for admission for the Fall 2018 term. I am compiling list of programs, but I'm nervous about my chances, as most of my schools seem to be quite high-powered. Can anyone comment on how I stack up against my target programs? I'm interested in a more medical track, and would like to incorporate my Spanish skills into my career path as well. Here are my stats:

GRE: 166 Verbal, 154 Quant, 5.0 AW

GPA: 3.97

Double major (B.A. Communication Sci & Disorders, B.A. Spanish)

I spent my junior year spring semester abroad in a Spanish immersion program in South America, and am now decently proficient in Spanish

3 years of undergraduate research assistant work in a bilingualism and language acquisition lab

NSSLHA member

One summer's worth of experience working with individuals with cerebral palsy who use AAC devices

 

Here are the schools:

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

University of Colorado, Boulder

UW Seattle (both MedSLP and CoreSLP)

Portland State University

MGH Institue of Health Professions 

Boston University

Emerson College

 

I would also TRULY appreciate feedback if anyone is familiar with any of these programs. Pros and cons? I am a bit overwhelmed by this process and I'm not sure if I'm off to a good start with my selections! Am I a good candidate? 

 

 

[Pjeak]

I can't speak for all the schools, but I can speak for MGH. A friend of mine was accepted into MGH, she had a 3.8 GPA and much lower GRE. She also had a lot of volunteer experience, was a NSSHLA officer, and had a very inviting, humble personality. To me it looks like you are a perfect candidate for this school.

 

[Kelsey888]

1 hour ago, Pjeak said:

I can't speak for all the schools, but I can speak for MGH. A friend of mine was accepted into MGH, she had a 3.8 GPA and much lower GRE. She also had a lot of volunteer experience, was a NSSHLA officer, and had a very inviting, humble personality. To me it looks like you are a perfect candidate for this school.

 

Thank you so much for your insight! MGH looks like such a wonderful program, so that's quite encouraging to hear!

[ElKel87]

Personally, I think your stats and experience are great and you'd be a perfect candidate for all of the schools you listed. Because this field is so competitive, I think it's important to find a way in your SOP to set yourself apart from other applicants with similarly high stats and similar experiences. At one of the open houses I attended, someone asked if there was anything specific they were looking for in applications. The department chair said everyone has a relative or a friend or someone they know who has a communication disorder and they're sick of reading essays about that. They want to know what makes you special, what makes you uniquely qualified to be an SLP. Kind of cliche advice I guess but I don't think anything needs improving in your stats so just thought I'd throw it out there.

Also, I know I'm biased since it's the school I'll be attending this fall, but since you said you're looking for a medical focus another school you might want to consider is New York Medical College.

 

Edited to add: I just remembered that a girl that I took some pre-reqs with is at MGH now and, last I heard, she loves it.

Edited August 3, 2017 by ElKel87

[Kelsey888]

54 minutes ago, ElKel87 said:

Personally, I think your stats and experience are great and you'd be a perfect candidate for all of the schools you listed. Because this field is so competitive, I think it's important to find a way in your SOP to set yourself apart from other applicants with similarly high stats and similar experiences. At one of the open houses I attended, someone asked if there was anything specific they were looking for in applications. The department chair said everyone has a relative or a friend or someone they know who has a communication disorder and they're sick of reading essays about that. They want to know what makes you special, what makes you uniquely qualified to be an SLP. Kind of cliche advice I guess but I don't think anything needs improving in your stats so just thought I'd throw it out there.

Also, I know I'm biased since it's the school I'll be attending this fall, but since you said you're looking for a medical focus another school you might want to consider is New York Medical College.

 

Edited to add: I just remembered that a girl that I took some pre-reqs with is at MGH now and, last I heard, she loves it.

Thank you so much for your advice! Particularly for what you recommend about SOPs...I'll definitely try to think outside the box a bit and be a tad more creative on that component.

[buckeyeslp]

You seem to be in a very good place right now to get in to many great schools. Something that I think you should look into is fellowships. Your GRE score being so high will play a large role in your eligibility. Graduate school is so expensive, but I know a few people who looked around early enough and found opportunities where they have gotten large amounts paid for because of their competitive scores!

Good luck in the admissions process!