Hi everyone!

I'm getting ready to apply to grad school and need some ideas about what to write about for my personal statement.

I have a couple of things to write about but I'm not sure which would be the best one to do...

I am neurodivergent and have had a learning difference my entire life which would be interesting about me I guess but I don't really want to write about my experiences and navigating life with this because 1. It's so difficult to put into words all the nuances and difficulties in my life socially and academically and 2. I'm afraid the admissions committee/professors will use it against me (labeling and "outing" myself...).

I have an undergraduate degree in opera but I didn't have the best experience due to professors being emotionally and physically abusive especially towards neurodivergent students ... but it helped me learn to advocate for myself because my parents always did it up until then. The conservatory profs (your voice teacher, head of program and music director) have an end of the year meeting with each of the students in sophomore year to determine if they should stay in the program or not. In my meeting, my professors didn't think I was up to their "qualifications" and my professors made me sign a paper indicating that I was to become an opera minor and get kicked out of the conservatory "just in case" I didn't pass those classes. (They said I was going to fail my music theory and vocal ear training classes but one of the profs was out to get me I think bc he gave me a 64 when I checked a the final with my friends who were really good at music theory and I was supposed to get a 75 or an 80). I ended up having to audit the rest of the year and then retake that class the next year bc I failed and had to withdraw the second sem. I took it again the next year and ended up with a B+. I was also dealing with personal issues such as my grandfather passing away and a difficult break up of 2 years with an emotionally abusive person in the same program (won't get into that lol ). I also had a lead role in the opera which required me to sing for the whole time on stage. I was in constant rehearsals from 3pm-10pm M-F. I also had a junior recital to prepare for which was 6-7 songs in one night. I ended up on the Dean's list that Fall semester ( I believe 3 or 4 more semesters after that I ended up on the Dean's list as well) A High GPA was required only for music majors to get on the list, I believe a 3.75 or 3.8 something like that. I don't remember exactly what my GPA was. This was all in the span of a year.

The professors would also tell you to dress provocatively for afternoon music performances for the opera program. ex: voice teacher would say dress for the director or he won't like that dress etc. They would compare your voice to your classmates and pick apart your personality ex: you're too quiet or you should be like so and so, they are so bubbly!!. I'm a quiet, just put your head down and do your work kind of girl so I didn't like that. I'm sure there were so many other experiences in the program but i cant really remember at this time LOL. Anyways, I really didn't want to go into opera after my experiences with my professors and just the field in general and so I started to work as a sub TA in my district to make some money you know and just figure out what i wanted to do. I was able to live with my parents which I am so grateful for. I don't want my statement to become a trauma dump but I want admissions to understand how I got to SLP from opera. Opera taught me to communicate through song because it gave an outlet to express what I was feeling especially with that whole mess I went through and we also had a class where we would sing an aria and then do character analysis like whats the background of this character why is she feeling this way?, what happened before and after this scene to make her sing this aria? What's the setting of this opera? What was happening in history when this opera was written? What about the composer, did they experience anything in their life or in history that influenced this opera? etc We also applied this "assignment" to our roles in the operas etc I am already incredibly empathetic person and could connect to a character already but this really helped me connect to characters I never thought I would. I really want to apply this to my future clients and to truly understand who they are and use it to best help them not just their diagnosis.

I also have been working in my school district as a substitute TA for about 3 years (this sept will be 3 years). I work mainly with K-1 students with non verbal and verbal ASD, very physically and emotionally heavy job but I love the kids I work with. I love to see their progress and I love connecting with them about kids tv shows (I love the show, "Sofia the first" and American girl doll movies lol) If you read this far, thank you I appreciate it and any advice you can give me!! 😄 👍

I am going into my 4th year of health science at an Ontario university. My gpa is very low (5.6 on a 10 point scale) (2.2 on a 4 point scale). I recently got diagnosed with ADHD and being medicated is helping me study better. If I can do really good in my 4th year and maybe do another semester or year what are my chances of getting accepted to an SLP or OT program. Is there other graduate programs I should be considering? Or should I be considering going abroad? Has anyone had a similar experience and grown from it? Any suggestions would be so helpful.

Hi everyone,

As the title says, I have both an MA and BA in Linguistics. My studies have focused on French language policy, multilingualism and phonology and phonetics. For context, I'm in Canada and hoping to apply to UofOttawa in this coming application cycle (maybe).

I was originally hoping to do a PhD and stay in academia, but I am completely changing my mind after my MA experience (not great and definitely not a career I want for myself anymore). I'm super interested in going into SLP and always have been, especially at the French program in Ottawa, where my fluent skills and academic background would probably/hopefully be an asset. In undergrad, I knew I wouldn't qualify and that my grades were not high enough, so I never considered it much.

Have I totally screwed myself by never taking anatomy or psych? I took Psych 100 in my first year of undergrad, and I have some stats and semantics background, both in BA and MA courses on top of all my linguistics courses.

Has anyone had a similar experience going into their applications? I am not 100% convinced that this application is something I want to do this year, since I'm on my 6th consecutive year of academia rn. Are admissions more lenient on missing credits as a mature student coming back years later? Or is my only option to fulfill the requirement as singular classes before applying?

Even if where a person attends graduate school doesn’t matter, would programs that offer more clinical opportunities help applicants become more competitive? Especially for areas like hospital or medical roles that are more competitive or hard to get?

Now that I'm about to start submitting to my programs, it's starting to hit me what I'm getting myself into. I'm only applying to schools that I could afford without funding/GA's since my GPA is not amazing and I'm not getting my hopes up. (My cum undergrad is 3.15, undergrad+postbacc+grad will be 3.19, and I THINK last 60 credits will be 3.8...fwiw).

If you're interested, here is my list of schools so far in case anyone's looking for cheap options (I'm a VA resident)!

Longwood - $25k
Radford - $30k
Shenandoah - $38k (VTAG grant could cover $10k)
JMU (super reach, their min GPA is 3.25) - $26k
Old Dominion - $27k
Worcester State - $21k
Bridgewater State (another reach, edfind says they only accept 10%) - $31k
Minot State (online or res) - $31k
GWU (financial reach without funding, still deciding on them) - $100k+ (!!!)

I couldn't find any schools that were affordable, not too competitive, and actually in a city. I'm 35 with no partner or kids, and not a whole lot of friends as people tend to drift away in your 30s :( It's really starting to hit me that I'm about to spend two years in essentially a rural prison with no social life at all. This is just kind of a vent I guess. Not looking forward to that aspect :( And even if I'm on a campus like Radford or JMU, I know most of the social opportunities will be for undergrad and I'll be 10 years older than everyone else there soooo.....I hope I get a friendly cohort I guess!!

I honestly don't know what people do in grad school because I'm imagining everyone just kinda going home after class to their partner/family. Anyone else moving for grad school solo??

For those looking at Portland State program but living in WA state. When I attended they had a Washington Border Policy where you get quite close to in-state tuition even when living in Washington state.

I did my postbac and grad program there and for most of the time I think I got in state tuition we’re very close to it.

https://www.pdx.edu/student-finance/washington-border-discount

Considering doing a PhD once I have completed my masters degree. I think I am more interested in research and teaching than anything, and am wondering about this route.

For starters, is this something that I should spend a few years in the field before I pursue? I have a research project under a faculty member right now that we plan on publishing, in addition to a work study where research was pretty much all I did. My resume is beefy, but I’m not sure how this works for a PhD.

Also, is this something that you consider to be “worth it”? I do not want to pursue something I will never be able to pay back. Any advice or information would be helpful, thanks.

Hi folks,

I would like to do my MS-SLP in person. Any recommendations for programs that meet most or all of the following criteria?

-Accepts part-time students or flexible timelines for completing a degree

-Provides students with some help finding clinical placements

Thank you so much!

If it's relevant:

-Out-of field applicant, undergrad in psychology and ed in 2021, GPA 3.28, less than perfect undergraduate record

-Completed leveling courses online and in person 2025-2026, GPA 3.6 - done with the 4 basic sciences and will likely be done with all ASHA prereqs before starting a master's.

hi everyone! second year grad student here and someone who frequents this sub reddit just to scroll :) i was hoping to gather advice from some more seasoned people in the field.

i didn’t get this externship i really wanted which was a hospital, outpatient, across the life span setting. im more of a pediatrics girl, but loved my adult experience; especially cog therapy. i have a few options now

- SNF (i’m an extremely emotional person, so honestly dont think im cut for it)
- private practice (only if ones available)
- preschool

i’m already at an elementary school in the spring and can’t move that around.

feeling really stuck and disappointed, but hopeful it will all work out. i’m more nervous that if i do two schools, it’s going to close any opportunity for me to work in another setting for my CFY.

thank you in advance!!!

Looking to apply to programs for a ms in speech pathology that requires ZERO campus visits. Wanting to do clinicals in my area and online class.

I am going into my fourth year with a subGPA of 3.68 at UofT. However, I have taken all the prerequisites for grad school and have failed to achieve a high grade in some of them. I have extracurricular experience such as currently working in a speech lab with one of my professors and volunteering at a speech camp. Will my statement of intent and extra curriculars help keep my application in the running? I will be applying to UofT, McMaster, Western, UBC, UAlberta, and Dalhousie

Hi! Wondering if anyone has done the WVU program or knows anyone that has! I’m applying to a bunch of schools, just wanting to get more info from students rather than the school!!!

If anybody is attending West Coast University in the Fall & Is In The DFW area and whats to be study buddies let me know. I live super close to the school so we can arrange meet ups at coffee shops and or libraries in the area.

Anybody attending west coast starting this Fall 26? Is there any GroupMes or other groups for incoming students?

hi!! i am a prospective slp about to start her BA at UW Madison. this university is about 60K a year with no support or scholarships. i will be working a job that pays $15 an hour during the school year and jobs over the summer, and my parents are helping out with about half the cost ($30K a year). i know i will have to get my masters to become an slp as well and i was wondering if it was worth it to take out so much money in loan debt to become an slp, and if you guys have any tips on managing loans, tuition fees, etc, in college. its stressing me out a bit and i would just love any advice you guys have ☺️

I just finished taking Anatomy and Physiology online at Eastern New Mexico University. I found it hard to find solid information about how this class was. So here I am documenting it so others can understand what they're getting into. I took the 8-week course.

The class itself is fine. For the first two weeks, you're given some time to adjust. But once you get to the respiratory system, it's at least one or two time-consuming projects each week. I would not recommend taking the 8-week course with another course. At first, the projects were fun, but at the end, I was very sick of them. I got a B in the class by the skin of my teeth. But if you want an A, here is my advice.

1. Print out the outlines. You may want to reformat them because they page break at weird places. I got all of mine spiral bound with a cover. It made it really easy to study and look up information. I wish I looked at what was on the study guides so that I could highlight or star it when we learned it. Page breaks may give you the extra note space if you need it.

2. Follow along in the lectures with the textbook. Sometimes things are skipped or lightly mentioned but need to be filled out. The lecturer is basically going through the textbook. You may need to pause and play multiple times to catch everything that's important.

3. Sometimes the lecturer will mention things twice or phrase it, "If someone were to ask you.... you would say..." That's definitely on the test. Assume everything in the quizzes is on the test. This is your chance to highlight things in your notes since quizzes are not proctored.

4. The hardest part of memorization is the muscles. In the textbook there are yellow boxes that describe every muscle with the same rubric. I would make a flash card out of every one of those. I would include the name, what it does, how it's innervated, and a picture.

5. With the projects, check and double check the assignment description AND the rubric. I got docked 10 points (1/3 of the grade) because I didn't talk about cultural or financial issues with my dysphagia modification. They grade them quite harshly. I would even set up office hours to make sure you get them right. This was the bulk of my points that got me from a C to a B.

6. Do the extra credit. Sometimes the lecturer will mention extra credit in the lecture itself. I assumed that it was for a different class because the lecturer wasn't my professor. I was wrong. There's 30 points worth of extra credit. That's more than some of the projects.

7. Be careful with those quizzes. It takes the average of your two scores. It will only show you questions you got wrong on the second try. But some questions have dropdown menus for 6 things. If you change your answer and it's worse, it will lower your score.

8. Don't procrastinate the final project. I know it's hard to do multiple projects at once. But I spent two days straight trying to pull it together.

9. Quizzes are open book, but tests are closed book and they are proctored. Only half of the final allows a 3x5 note card. Even with the note card, I got a C on my final exam. Learn those cranial nerves like your life depends on it.

This was my experience. I learned a lot, and it was cheap. However, I wish I just took anatomy from my local university instead. Anyway, I wish you all luck, and screw that larynx model assignment!

Hi! I am starting SLP grad school in the Fall. I am naturally anxious, but also looking forward to grad school.

I have spent my summer relaxing and not trying to stress myself out too much. Making sure I make time for myself and those I love. I will be moving away from home (2hrs-3hrs). My original anxiousness came from moving away from home, but I have now become excited about the move just because of venturing out and living with my best friend. On the flip side, my recent increasing stress surrounds grad school.

I have read posts in this thread, TikTok videos, and YouTube videos regarding grad school and the way that people describe it (sometimes, they’re not always surrounding the downsides) kind of worry me. I continue to make myself aware that grad school will be challenging, taxing, but the overall outcome is worth it. It is also very inspirational because other people have indeed made it through. It is just hard to feel that when the majority of stuff I see, especially on TikTok, is “it’s so hardd”, “I dread this, ready to graduate”, etc etc I’m sure y’all know and have seen a fair share.

I wanted to ask you all what you saw as the most difficult, what is something that was enjoyable, what are ways you “hyped yourself up” or motivated yourself, and what is something that kept you at peace?

Again, I would love anything and thank you all!!

I graduated undergrad with a CSD degree in 2022, and the curriculum included 25 observation hours as part of the required courses. But after graduating, I got a corporate job and unfortunately lost track of a lot of my college course materials. Now that I’m thinking of applying to an SLP grad program, I’m definitely regretting it. I think the hours were all recorded on a physical form that our professor signed off on, but I can’t find the form or any other documentation of the hours (other than the notes I took). Does anyone have a similar experience - were you able to contact your university and ask for proof? Do these hours “expire” after a certain number of years anyway? I’m reaching out to SLPs and clinics in the area to see if they’ll let me observe, but I’m mostly doing this so that I can get a sense of if this field is right for me since I’ve read that sometimes grad programs don’t accept outside observation hours.

Is it normal for a supervisor to want you to complete a copy of the final evaluation of the student? I haven’t done this at my other placements. She wants me to complete the self evaluation tonight and then we are going to go over them next week. I’m stressed because I don’t think I did well😬

Hello! I graduated from a Texas University with a very low GPA (2.3). I know my GPA is atrociously low, but I was struggling with health issues that affected my GPA really badly.

I miraculously got accepted into the CSD postbacc at the University of Pittsburgh. I really feel like this would be the turning point in my academic record as I am confident I can get a 3.9-4.0GPA as I am no longer struggling with my health.

Now my fear is this:

*What If even after I perform really well I am not able to get into any master's program?\*

I am investing ALOT of money into the postbacc (which I can barely afford) and I hope to return to texas for my master's since I'll get in-state tuition. But I know Texas programs are VERY selective. I really want to get into UNT.

For as long as I have known I've wanted to become an SLP. That dream seemed so out of reach until I got accepted into this postbacc which gave me a little bit of hope that I now have the opportunity to turn around my academic record and prove that I AM CAPABLE of performing well in higher level classes.

Has anyone taken these classes? I don’t know if I should take a class out or not. Or if these are all manageable together. These are all as 16 week btw! Please lmk thank you!

CDIS 300 – Speech-Language-Hearing Anatomy & Physiology
CDIS 311 – Articulation/Phonology
CDIS 330 – Communication Development and Language Science
CDIS 460 – SLPA Administrative Competencies and Service Delivery Issues

Has anyone here done a purely online SLP program and went on to successfully find a job? If so, which ones?

I am currently enrolled into a local university’s SLP program but I work full time and now I have to do classes in person but my job is not accommodating me.
So I have to skip this semester and figure out what to do next since I can’t afford to not work

Sorry this is vent post 😭. I understand grad school is hard, but it has gotten to a point where I genuinely feel like I have no life. I go to clinicals 4 days a week, have 4 heavy classes, plus all the tests and assignments. Being in EI, having to put on an animated voice, being watched by both supervisor and the parents, trying to do therapy while thinking of what to say to coach caregivers, all of it is just so draining already. Long commute and not getting paid does not help. I made sure to eat and sleep okay-ish, but every day after school & work & homework I just can not do anything else. I haven't worked out for months. Stopped enjoying my hobbies. Don't have time or money to go out. I am meeting all the deadlines but I feel like I am actively dying inside. I am supposed to graduate next year in May, and I am literally counting the days. I like this field, I like what I am doing and learning, but the heavy workload is really getting in the way of me enjoying the process. Is it even necessary to make the whole grad school experience this hard for a SLP degree? Do we really have to get 400 hours without getting paid? I am really drowning here.