Last Tuesday, we held a graduate school application Q&A for NSSLHA! Graduate students from the Audiology and Speech Pathology departments gave advice and tips on applications!
General themes:
- Every person is different, and the experiences and application you bring to a school should be unique to you
- If you have a grade in a class that is not the best reflection of your work ethic, you should find a way to showcase that you are a strong student
Logistics:
- How many grad schools should you apply to? It depends. A general range is 3-8 schools
- If you don’t have all your prerequisite classes for the grad schools, you can take them over the summer or through a community college. Utah State University has some online class options. ASHA EdFind is also a great resource
Personal statement:
- Be sure to explain why you’re interested in SLP or Audiology
- Expand on the program’s strengths that you are applying to
- Tailor your narrative to their program with specifics
- Dig deeper than that you “just want to help people.” What is unique about you and your background?
Letters of recommendation:
- Find 2-3 professors
- Examples:
- Employer from your university you worked for during an academic year
- Faculty members
Essays:
- Include school-specific language if possible
- Schools can tell if you had someone else heavily edit your essays. Keep it you.
GRE Resources:
- Greg Mat videos online are unanimously the best
- Magoosh resources
- Some schools like UNC do not require the GRE. Check on their website or through ASHA EdFind to find out