Throughout my blog and my book, I emphasize the importance of following the instructions and advice from the ones who really make the decisions: The Admissions Committee.
For graduate programs in speech-language pathology, this is most typically academic and clinical faculty from the target program. These are the people reading the applications and making the decisions. They are the specialists who ultimately decide.
Dr. Brenda Seal is one of those experts, and in 2018 she authored a brief but very insightful “scoop” in The ASHA Leader, a monthly magazine for SLPs and audiologists. She shared four key variables that admissions committees consider.
You should absolutely read the original article to get the full benefit of Dr. Seal’s advice. But in case you’re running short on time or looking for something more actionable, I’ve summarized the four variables Dr. Seal mentions and my own advice for how to handle them.
Variable 1 – Grades
Dr. Seal starts off with a tough truth: “The best predictor of grades in grad school is undergraduate grades.” I wrote almost the exact same sentence in my book and also in this post on how programs evaluate applications.
In her article, Dr. Seal goes into the complexities of reviewing GPA for out-of-field candidates, major vs cumulative GPA, and other subtleties but the truth remains: Focusing on learning the material and earning good grades is still the cornerstone of your admissions strategy.
Variable 2 – Standardized Test Scores
The GRE is another critical variable in the admissions process.
Dr. Seal mentions, “Ideally, accepted applicants present GRE scores in the 70th and higher percentile range.” Note this is the “ideal” not the minimum. If your score is in the 70th percentile or higher, you can feel comfortable focusing your energy on other parts of your application. If you’re GRE score is below this, you might want to spend time preparing for the GRE.
I used and strongly recommend Magoosh for GRE prep. There are other programs out there, but Magoosh helped me raise my GRE score by 17 points to over 300 which ultimately helped me get admitted with funding to 4 programs.
Variable 3 – Communication
Speech-language pathologists are communication (and swallowing!) experts. We break down communication to minute levels of detail to serve our clients. We also need to communicate effectively and efficiently with a bazillion other people on a regular basis including families, caregivers, parents, teachers, physicians, other therapists, administrators, insurance companies, the public. This happens face-to-face, in writing, email, text message, phone call, video call, and a zillion other ways.
Dr. Seal shares that letters of recommendation are an important place to learn about an applicant’s communication abilities. Students often underestimate the importance of strong letters of recommendation and fail to develop an overall strategy for them. Check out my posts on Who to Ask and How to Ask.
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While Dr. Seal doesn’t mention it, your personal statement is another way to demonstrate your communication skills. SLP’s spend a significant portion of our time writing. Your personal statement is the most significant writing sample that you send to the admissions committee. It must demonstrate passion, professionalism, and technical ability (i.e., good grammar).
I have extensively on my blog and in my book about how to prepare a strong personal statement.
Variable 4 – Diversity
I applaud Dr. Seal for including this in her article. Despite this, I don’t think our profession is doing enough to diversify our ranks. This is a topic for another post over on ThinkSLP.com.
What you need to consider as an applicant is how you can stand out from the crowded field of applicants. Dr. Seal suggests a few examples:
- Speaking more than one language
- Understanding minority cultural backgrounds
- Adaptability
- Love of challenge and change
- Excitement for the possibility of learning opportunities
While Dr. Seal does not share is where in your application committees look for this information, I will say it should be demonstrated throughout. The two components over which you have the most control are your resume and your personal statement.
Your resume can showcase in small and big ways your diverse experiences and love of challenge/change. My advice on the basics of resumes is here, but there are many wonderful resources online to delve into as well.
Your Personal Statement is another critical application piece to demonstrate diversity. Many candidates struggle to find out what makes them unique. In my book, I dedicate three whole chapters to personal statement writing including activities to help you discover ways to make you stand out, see your own path, and ultimately draft a strong statement. Some of that advice is also available here.
Putting it All Together
As you plan your own unique admissions strategy, read Dr. Seal’s advice. Read my advice. Seek advice for your confidantes and mentors. And in the end, be sure to put it into practice!
I wish you the best of luck in your applications.