slpfall14

My grad program had an on-site clinic and it's really unrealistic and it does not mirror the real SLP world. Honestly, it's hand-holding in a sense that you get one or two clients the first semester and you have to do all the long, drawn out reports, planning, self-reflections, etc. It reality there are no long reports and planning. While I understand that the program is trying to lay a foundation for the student to build and learn their clinical skills, the best learning/ training experiences I've had were off-site in the skilled nursing facility and the rehab hospital settings. I wouldn't be too concerned if the school doesn't have a university clinic. It's more of a pro than a con in my opinion.

I went to an inexpensive graduate program in NM and had to take out loans. The loans covered all my expenses. I was able to work as a grad assistant and get in-state tuition. My grad program was actually cheaper that my undergrad program. In total I took out 30k in loans for grad school. The actual tuition only cost about 12-15k in total. But I needed the loan money for housing and living expenses. I'm doing the 10 year loan forgiveness program like someone else who posted above just because I took out undergrad loans too. I'd suggest going to a inexpensive school. In this profession, where you go to school doesn't matter. What matters is if it's accredited by ASHA. Once you're done with school, you'll make the same amount of money as someone who goes to an expensive school. Even if you want to get a PhD later on, what school you went to still may not matter.

In my program I was able to work part-time as a graduate assistant. They worked with my schedule. The money however was very minimal. It's possible but pretty difficult to find a "outside job" to work with your crazy schedule.

I got into grad school with a cumulative gpa of 3.3. I'll be finishing in May. The key, look for graduate programs that calculate your gpa by looking at only the last 60 units or only the classes related to the field. This will take some research to find out what schools those are, you'll have to talk to grad advisors and department chairs. It can be done. Stay away from schools that solely care about GRE and cumulative undergrad GPA only, or keep those schools on a short list. Good luck!

Did you end up picking ENMU? I'm currently a 2nd year grad student there if you still have questions.

In my program classes are two days a week and on the days there wasn't class you have clinic the other two days. Fridays are usually no class or clinic. Downtime? What's that? lol. Good luck in your program!

I applied to the CSULA post-bacc program several years ago and NEVER heard back. I think they get a ton of applications and are overwhelmed.

Research SLP programs. Email the program directors and see if they're willing to consider an applicant with a gpa that is below 3.0. It's definitely worth a shot before considering completing a second bachelors. There are a couple of threads on here that talk about schools that look beyond GPA, start with those. I think the skills you learned in the military are great and should be played up on all your future applications. If you've had no such luck, look into taking pre-reqs (you'll have to take those anyway since your degree is in a different field). I'm not too sure a second bachelors is the way to go; so much time and money. Also consider occupational therapy. I'm not sure of its competitiveness but I think it's a great field and like SLP's, they tend to love their jobs. Good luck!

All housing is pretty much off campus. It's pretty easy to find off campus housing, just apply once you find out you've been admitted. There was no interview for ENMU :-)

Got into grad school with a overall GPA of 3.34. It can be done with a good resume and related work experience.

I currently attend ENMU. I really enjoy the program. It's a ton of work but well worth it of course. I've finished up my first year and will be starting my 2nd and final year this upcoming Fall 2015. I am not distance but I can tell you that students enjoy the distance option since ENMU is smack dab in the middle of no where. It also forces you to be self sufficient since you are not in an academic environment, but if you are really organized then distance is a great option. I'm not sure what GFY is... do you mean CFY? If so, I haven't gotten that far since CFY isn't until after you graduate. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to know. There's also another thread somewhere around here that discusses ENMU a bit further.

Eastern New Mexico has an online equivalent

Nova Southeastern in Florida has an online program. Also consider hybrid programs. These are programs in which you go to the actual university once or twice over the duration of the program. While it may be inconvenient for your current situation, it can be a back up. Consider Eastern New Mexico Univ., Northern Arizona Univ, and Western Kentucky for hybrids.

I'm currently in a program and about two thirds of the people in my program have had relevant experience. Most were teachers, SLPAs, para-educators and behavioral interventionists. But there were some who had zero experience when starting the program. Good luck!

I agree with the poster above. I think the lack of diversity has a lot to do with the fact that the profession isn't very known. I often have to explain to people what Communication Disorders are and what an SLP does. Also, without running into an SLP, you would never think about choosing this as a profession. My cohort isn't very diverse. Out of 35 there are about 3 minorities. However, I don't think this is a problem with the school or field.