Anxiety about reapplying

[Blue J]

Am I the only one feeling some anxiety about reapplying? This will be my second application cycle.  I'm not one of those 4.5 cumulative GPA students with 3,000 hours of volunteering/shadowing hours. ol Not bashing anyone who is, but I just want to see if there is anyone who is the " above 3.5 but not 4.0 club and okay GRE scores" club.  3.67 cumulative... CSD GPA roughly the same give or take a point or two with CSDCAS calculations. 153 Verbal 144 Q; AWA 4.0 taken it twice and advised not to take again  since I am currently in the process of gaining more experience. Served as NSSLHA officer, volunteered overseas at an autism camp , shadowed SLPs treating clients with dysphagia, dysphonia, autism, aphasia, cochlear implants, apraxia, other forms of developmental delay. I speak spanish and can communicate in sign language. I currently work with the special needs population where building social communication skills is a significant part of my daily tasks. I just feel as if no matter how much I do, I still go to sleep wondering if there is something I'm not doing. I was placed on my alma mater's wait list, and of all years this year they didn't use the wait list. lol  I was told that it was really close and a difficult decision,  I was a strong candidate, and that there have been many students who have gotten into  their program after applying multiple times. If people with the perfect stats and experience have to go through this and worse face outright rejections, it just makes me wonder how much of a chance I have. This is my passion, and as much as I would like to tell myself that if it's meant to be it will be, spending hundreds each cycle is ... scary and discouraging. I'm still going to try my best , though. I'm happy for those who have gotten in. I just hope that the steps I am taking to improve, not just get in, [but improve] my skillset are not in vain and the committees can see that. Also, I think a big factor was in the number of schools I naively applied to. Don't ask. lol I'm applying to 7 schools this cycle.  I already have my letters of reccs. lined up, applications 75% complete, and I'm working on my personal statement. Any advice or success stories? 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Blue J

[Chai Tea Latte]

I'm in that "average" range group. As you can see form my sig, I had a 3.61, and was accepted into 10 schools. You just gotta be realistic with your expectations and apply smart as in, don't apply to any top 10 schools for obvious reasons.

[AlwaysaFalcon]

It took me three different application cycles to get into grad school! Don't give up! The process is quite frustrating, believe me I understand. You sound like a strong candidate and have a lot going for you. Focus on that experience. It shows that you are truly interested. I know you said you're almost done with your applications but try and find schools that have a good ratio between class size and those they accept. I was almost done with my applications when I applied to a school at the last minute because I thought it would be a good fit for me. That's where I ended up going! I went for schools all over the country that accepted a wide range of applicants with gpa and looked at your experience. While interviews are scary I believe they help you get in if you're invited to one. I was invited to interview at 3 schools and ended up accepted at 2 of those! You will get there. Like @Chai Tea Latte said you have to apply smart! I learned the hard way that lesson. 

[Blue J]

Thanks, ya'll. I appreciate the advice. I just took the GRE today for the THIRD time just to see if I could move my GRE verbal score above the 61% as well as my writing score from 4.0 to 5.0>. Well, I scored two points below my original score for verbal. Made a 151. Won't even mention math because I focused on verbal. I don't know what to do at this point. It's like why bother? I'm already stressed out , and I feel like my life is at a standstill.  I'm not  applying to the top 10 schools, but I'm still nervous. Should I retake it? If so, I would have to take it before November 1st. I just don't want to waste more money cramming or an exam with under a month just to meet my first deadline ( Dec. 1st) when the others are in January and February. The fact that the standard for what's competitive changes each applicant cycle is my man stressor. HELP!! Please.

Programs:

Western Carolina

Georgia State University 

University of South Carolina

University of West Georgia 

Nova Southeastern-- Distance program

Eastern New Mexico

Idaho State ( Pocatello -- Distance Program)

 

 

[Blue J]

On 9/28/2017 at 2:50 PM, AlwaysaFalcon said:

It took me three different application cycles to get into grad school! Don't give up! The process is quite frustrating, believe me I understand. You sound like a strong candidate and have a lot going for you. Focus on that experience. It shows that you are truly interested. I know you said you're almost done with your applications but try and find schools that have a good ratio between class size and those they accept. I was almost done with my applications when I applied to a school at the last minute because I thought it would be a good fit for me. That's where I ended up going! I went for schools all over the country that accepted a wide range of applicants with gpa and looked at your experience. While interviews are scary I believe they help you get in if you're invited to one. I was invited to interview at 3 schools and ended up accepted at 2 of those! You will get there. Like @Chai Tea Latte said you have to apply smart! I learned the hard way that lesson. 

I notice you applied to Armstrong State University. Do you have to have all of the CSD pre-reqs. completed prior to applying to Armstrong? I have the majority except for Speech Science and Normal Speech & Lang. Development. My university didn't offer it for undergrad. Can you still apply and just take it in grad school, or do you have to have those courses completed by the time you submit your application?

Edited October 1, 2017 by Blue J

[Daniel998]

1 hour ago, Blue J said:

Thanks, ya'll. I appreciate the advice. I just took the GRE today for the THIRD time just to see if I could move my GRE verbal score above the 61% as well as my writing score from 4.0 to 5.0>. Well, I scored two points below my original score for verbal. Made a 151. Won't even mention math because I focused on verbal. I don't know what to do at this point. It's like why bother? I'm already stressed out , and I feel like my life is at a standstill.  I'm not  applying to the top 10 schools, but I'm still nervous. Should I retake it? If so, I would have to take it before November 1st. I just don't want to waste more money cramming or an exam with under a month just to meet my first deadline ( Dec. 1st) when the others are in January and February. The fact that the standard for what's competitive changes each applicant cycle is my man stressor. HELP!! Please.

Programs:

Western Carolina

Georgia State University 

University of South Carolina

University of West Georgia 

Nova Southeastern-- Distance program

Eastern New Mexico

Idaho State ( Pocatello -- Distance Program)

 

 

Do you reside in the South? Schools in MS and AL tend to be easier to get into. Valdosta State, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Central Arkansas, and University of Southern Alabama comes to mind. I would totally apply to these schools but I am in California. Hey, did you send a rough draft of your personal statement to your letter writers? I feel like it's all over the place and will make my letter writer change her mind.

 

I took the GRE yesterday lol. I took a 5 hour energy during the 10-minute break and felt dizzy during the remaining verbal and quantitative sections. I hope I get a 4.5 or 5 for writing.

[Blue J]

23 minutes ago, Daniel998 said:

Do you reside in the South? Schools in MS and AL tend to be easier to get into. Valdosta State, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Central Arkansas, and University of Southern Alabama comes to mind. I would totally apply to these schools but I am in California. Hey, did you send a rough draft of your personal statement to your letter writers? I feel like it's all over the place and will make my letter writer change her mind.

 

I took the GRE yesterday lol. I took a 5 hour energy during the 10-minute break and felt dizzy during the remaining verbal and quantitative sections. I hope I get a 4.5 or 5 for writing.

Yes. I do. I've already contacted Valdosta because I thought it would be easier to get into, and due to the way my undergrad program was set up, where we take CSD courses to satisfy most grad school requirements without actually having a CSD undergraduate major, I was told that I couldn't apply. I've taken graduate courses at my alma mater, but due to my university not  having a designated undergrad program, I'm forced to look at programs that do not require that ALL pre-reqs. be completed prior to entering a program. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm looking into some of the schools you mentioned.

[cowgirlsdontcry]

Your application sounds pretty good to me although I am in a completely different field. It took me a dipping of toes in the water when I was an undergrad and another full-blown application cycle to be admitted. I took the GRE as a senior and applied to two universities. I was outright rejected by one and received no information from the other where I was waitlisted, as to how I could better myself. I took my great verbal (163) and poor quant (145) GRE scores and went to the MA program in my undergrad school. Last year (the second year of my MA) I applied in earnest to 9 universities. I was accepted by two, waitlisted by two and rejected by five. My SOP and WS was vetted by three professors. GPAs were BA-3.82, MA-4.0. I had two major conferences, several regional conferences, and no publications. There was some initial anxiety about reapplying, but I pushed it aside. Yet, in the Spring, when the rejections kept coming, I felt that old demon anxiety come creeping back into my life. I was in the middle of writing my master's thesis. Took a weekend and felt totally sorry for myself (ate a half-gallon of Blue Bell ice cream in one sitting-ugh!), then got back to work--I did want to graduate come May, whether or not I was admitted to any PhD program. After all of the rejections arrived, along came one, then two waitlists, but still no acceptances, although one of the universities I was waitlisted at pulled my application back to active consideration. Finally, I received the first and then the second offer. I accepted the first offer and after a rough week of teaching orientation, I got into the swing of the new semester, attending classes and teaching. 

The anxiety and depression will hit again in the spring when you start seeing the acceptances on this board. Don't let it push you down too far. This is something of a trial by fire. Good luck. 

[AlwaysaFalcon]

On 10/1/2017 at 1:25 PM, Blue J said:

I notice you applied to Armstrong State University. Do you have to have all of the CSD pre-reqs. completed prior to applying to Armstrong? I have the majority except for Speech Science and Normal Speech & Lang. Development. My university didn't offer it for undergrad. Can you still apply and just take it in grad school, or do you have to have those courses completed by the time you submit your application?

I'm honestly not sure as I was rejected but it depends on the school. I know some programs will accept you and either require you to complete the class before starting the program or during the first semester of courses or won't accept you without. From the website it looks like you need to have either a bachelors degree already in CDIS or take these courses plus have a bachelors degree. 

• CSDS 2230   Anatomy of Speech & Hearing Mechansim
• CSDS 2240    Normal Speech & Lang Development
• CSDS 2250    Phonetics
  • Non-Communication Sciences and Disorders coursework )i.e., linguistics courses) are NOTacceptable
• CSDS 3400    Speech Science
• CSDS 3410    Introduction To Audiology
• CSDS 3420    Language Disorders

 

[Blue J]

Thank you! 

[AlwaysaFalcon]

On 11/4/2017 at 1:45 PM, Blue J said:

Thank you! 

 You're welcome! Feel free to pm if you have any other questions!