So often when I’m writing about the admissions process, I stress the importance of following the instructions and advice from those people who are actually making the decisions on admission.
Getting information from these experts can be difficult because they’re very busy and sometimes reticent to share frankly with students for a variety of reasons.
NSSLHA, an organization you should consider joining (if only for the NSSLHA/ASHA conversion discount), hosted a panel of experts in October of 2021 with the goal of providing advice and strategies on how to complete the grad school application process for speech-language pathology.
If you’re looking for advice from professionals with first-hand experience in SLP graduate school admissions, you should absolutely watch this webinar.
Seriously.
This is where they’re giving you the advice and answering real questions from students like you… so be sure to listen up.
Who Are The Panelists:
- Ayasakanta Rout, PhD, Professor and Program Director of Audiology, James Madison University
- George Castle, PhD, CCC-SLP, Clinical Assistant Professor, New York University
- JoAnne Cascia, EdD, CCC-SLP, assistant professor at Kean University, and CSDCAS Student Recruitment Committee Chair (CAPCSD)
- Rebecca Thomason, senior enrollment advisor for SLP graduate program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, and member of the Texas Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals
- Robert Serianni, CCC-SLP, FNAP, Chair and Program Director, Salus University
- Yours truly: Michael Campbell, CCC-SLP, and author of TheSpeechBlog and SLP To Be
A Quick List of Important Topics
I’ve taken some of the major topics and noted the timestamp for them so you can jump straight to the questions you have. The topics with a ** I think provide especially great conversation and advice.
Also, if you have the time, listen to the entire webinar because we often got ‘off-track’ when giving advice and so you’ll find gems and nuggets of wisdom throughout the session, regardless of your specific questions.
TOPIC 1: Picking Programs
- 16:20 Researching Programs Out of State
- 18:20 Thoughts on Safety Schools
- 24:00 What to do if you don’t know what area you want to specialize in (also Topic 1, question 2).
- 28:00 ASHA EdFind
- 28:35 How many schools to apply to
Topic 2: Resumes
- 30:20 Do you think programs are taking into account that it is hard to get experience due to COVID
- 32:30 I don’t have research experience on my resume. The rest is solid.
- 33:38 **What are the most common pitfalls you see on applications?
Topic 3: Personal Statements
- 40:40 Should you use a ‘personal’ or ‘professional’ tone for a personal statement?
- 45:35 **What are some main points to include in a personal statement?
Topic 4: Interviews
- 51:48 How to prepare for interviews
Topic 5: Open Questions from the Audience
- 58:34 How to make connections with faculty in a virtual environment?
- 1:01:30 Strategic Variety of Letters of Recommendation
- 1:04:15 How important is the GRE score?
- 1:06:10 GRE blind schools, Optional GRE schools, etc.
- 1:08:40 What factors do you see being taken into consideration regarding COVID?
- 1:13:45 Should you ask for letters of rec from non-CSD/SLP faculty?
- 1:16:00 Thoughts on related work experience (as an SLP-A, Aud-Assistants, etc.)
- 1:20:00 Should you take a gap-year before applying if you have a low to average GPA?
- 1:22:50 Thoughts on getting rejected
- 1:24:55 What are some ways a student introduce their goals in a personal statement?
- 1:26:55 Does your undergrad school “name” matter when you’re applying to graduate school?
Where to Watch:
NSSLHA was amazing enough to record the webinar and make it available on YouTube. Watch it here:
What other questions do you have?
If you watched the webinar and you still have questions, definitely check out my Start Here page where you can dive deep into specific topics. And don’t be afraid to reach out to me or other professionals with unique questions!