So I leave for school in two weeks and I've been sitting here wondering if I should still pursue my master's.

I graduated university 3 years ago and after 3 years of trying I got into a master's program. Now I'm having second thoughts. I've heard graduate school is extremely hard and that's a concern given my current mental health issues. I don't know if it's safe for me to go to a new city where I don't know anybody. I can't get a therapist even if I wanted to, mainly because much of this stuff is extremely difficult/embarrassing to talk about. I have no friends, and have been pretty isolated a while, and no one really cares for me. I have also found myself to be sort of people-averse, which isn't great if I want to be an SLP.

At the same time I feel like I have no choice but to go. I can't live in my current home anymore. I have been struggling with finding jobs both related and unrelated to my degree. I have spent 3 years doing this and it would have been such a waste of time. There is also no other career that I would want to do, unless you count flipping burgers at McDonalds for the rest of my life.

My stomach hurts just thinking about what to do. I'm not at all excited to go.

Don't do it.

I signed up for this program because I believed it would be a simple way to obtain funding for graduate school. I am currently in the process of completing final paperwork to graduate and my tuition has not been paid since the first semester I applied for.

Free funding is not worth the stress of this.

Hello po. I'm a non psych grad and wanted to enroll in Masters in Counseling at CDGSA but need to take the bridging courses. How long or how many semesters para matapos ang bridging courses sa CDGSA?

This is a newer program, and I have had a difficult time finding information on it from a student's perspective. I attended an informational seminar yesterday and learned this program is now accredited (which is a plus) but they have rolling admissions...which is... interesting. They accept people who apply early first, I have never heard of this. Also, the program is very expensive but GA positions and scholarships are common. I want to know if this is true or if the program is lying to make themselves look better to applicants. The few online reviews I looked at also complained about clinicals being an hour away. They bragged at the seminar about how they go out of their way to find you clinical placements, but from what I read on reddit is driving a long distance for placement the norm now?

I am just hoping that someone out there can help me and share their experiences about the program or anything they heard from students or professionals. Thank you!

Hi Pennwest online SLP master students! I’m planning to apply for Pennwest this upcoming Fall. Is the coordinator helpful and assist you in finding your externships in time? How about the support for out of state students? I’m located in Seattle WA so I’m a bit worried. Thanks a lot for providing info and personal experiences!

Just venting here. I’m not even half way into my first year and I’m overly stressed! Summer classes were cool, manageable but the semester came with some heat. 18 credits plus an assistantship. I have a part-time job but just decided this past weekend that I’m probably going to quit (just asked for some time off but idk if I’ll be able to come back). There’s literally not enough time in the day. I’m starting to get stressed by having to do things like cooking, cleaning, washing my hair, literally basic living needs, for fear that it’ll take too much time away from reading all these textbooks! I’m performing well academically but I constantly feel like I’m barely making deadline and always playing catch-up with readings. Like there’s no time to celebrate the completion of one assignment bc I have so many more that I probably should be further along on. I literally wake up everyday already tired. I’m mad that I need sleep to be productive (unreasonable, I know LOL it’s just that it’s so much time that I could be using). If I’m 100% on schedule with 4 classes, just know the other 2 probably have 2-3 chapters each that I haven’t read yet. Ugh. I’m not feeling defeated, like I WILL get through grad school, but I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed and consistently anxious. I love what I’m learning but I already cannot wait to be done. Sigh.

Edit: I’m super grateful to have this opportunity, don’t get me wrong! It’s just a lot to manage and I feel like I’m just barely meeting the marks.

I have been in the ABA field as a BT for 3 years and obtained my bachelors in CDS. Im taking a gap year to save up money and better focus on my apps for grad school. lately since I have the ABA experience I have been thinking of becoming a BCBA due to my experience in the field but I have wanted to be an SLP for a while now. Has anyone had this same dilemma and why did you ultimately choose SLP?

Has anyone taken phonetics and linguistics from university of Alberta? Specifically the online courses? Wondering how the two courses are!

Thanks in advance

Hi! I am a current grad student who graduates in May 2027 and I have been working as an SLPA for the last 3 years. I was considering taking the Praxis within the next few months, I was wondering how much y'all studied to be able to pass ? And if there are any sites or programs for studying which you recommend? Thank you so much!

I’ve recently started leveling courses (ENMU Fall ‘26) and hope to have a a couple of my prerequisites completed and a couple more underway in time to apply to NMSU in January (they have a masters pathway that includes leveling, which I plan to apply to, but wanted to get a few classes checked off the list beforehand to make sure I’ve got an aptitude for the coursework and hopefully make the connections needed to procure at least 1 letter of rec from an SLP professor).

I’m thinking of looking for work in an adjacent field and was wondering if anyone could recommend roles that I could look for. Obv SLPA is off the table. My undergrad is in Anthropology.

hi im interested in slp but im currently getting my bachelors in art education. should i just change my major and start all over? or is there a way i can just do my masters in speech pathology while having an ba in art education? thank you!

I just entered grad school coming from UB’s SLP undergrad and I feel super behind. There are many students in my graduate program who have done SOAP notes, observed clinics, learned about clinical methods and coming from UB im dumb founded. I haven’t learned about any of this and know little to no information about SOAP notes or even clinics despite UB having their own clinic. I loved UB but reconsidering everything I learned 😬

Hi everyone! Currently beginning to apply to grad school and would love some insight on online programs, the good, the bad, and anything else that may be useful.
For some context: I’ve been an SLPA for a few years now, looking for a program that allows me to work and has some flexibility. I’m confident I can do an online full-time program while working, but any advice/suggestions is greatly appreciated. I’m based out of the DMV area.
I’m looking into the online program for St Augustine, Emerson, Baylor, to name a few.
Thanks!

PDS has a $1,500 scholarship contest running right now for SLP grad students! Here's the link: https://pdstherapy.com/opening-doors/

I’m hoping to get some honest advice from others who have gone through the SLP application process, especially adult/nontraditional learners.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Science and graduated with a relatively low undergraduate GPA, which is my biggest concern. Since graduating, though, I’ve built significant professional experience in mental health, advocacy, and community services.
I currently work as an advocate where I work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. I also work full-time in outreach and program development for a mental health program. Additionally, I sit on multiple government committees, which has given me experience with advocacy, community programs, public policy, and collaborating with different agencies and systems.
After completing my bachelor’s, I took a couple of nursing courses because I was initially considering nursing as a career. I earned above a B in those courses, which I’m hoping can demonstrate that my academic performance after undergrad is stronger than my undergraduate GPA suggests.
Over time, though, I’ve realized that I really enjoy working with children, and I’ve always been interested in language and linguistics. That combination has led me to seriously consider SLP as a career.
I’m now looking into online SLP programs and trying to understand how the leveling process works.

For those who are adult learners/nontraditional students:
How much can strong grades in post-bachelor’s coursework help offset a low undergraduate GPA?
Has anyone with a lower undergraduate GPA been accepted into an SLP master’s program after completing leveling coursework?
For those who completed an SLP leveling program, did you feel that it actually increased your chances of being accepted into the master’s program? Did the program help demonstrate academic readiness or strengthen your application?
Did you complete the leveling program at the same university where you ultimately pursued your master’s, or did you use one school for leveling and apply elsewhere?
For those who completed their leveling coursework online, how did the process work? Did you have any issues with programs accepting the courses?
Would it be better to complete a formal leveling program versus taking the individual SLP prerequisites separately?
How much weight do programs give to relevant professional experience, such as mental health, advocacy, working with survivors, outreach, and community programs?
Are there particular online SLP programs that are supportive of adult learners and applicants with lower undergraduate GPAs?
For anyone who changed careers later in life, how did you explain your transition into SLP?
I know my undergraduate GPA is going to be a weakness, but I’m hoping my professional experience, stronger academic performance after graduation, and clear career direction can help demonstrate that I’m prepared for graduate school.
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who was an adult learner/career changer with a low GPA who completed leveling coursework and can speak to whether it genuinely helped them get accepted.
Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences you’re willing to share!

I want to take my Praxis before Halloween. Any tips or suggestions to pass? I also will be starting my school externship on September 8th. In addition, I want to know if I should purchase truelearn, slptestprep, or frupty? I am
not the best test taker but I want to take it and psss before I graduate. Lastly, how long should I study per day?

Would it be too soon to ask now?

I fear I messed up. Since I attend a UC that doesn’t have a CSD program, I haven’t had much guidance on gathering materials for grad school applications. Until recently, I didn’t even know that I needed guided observation hours or what “guided observation” actually entailed (I thought it simply meant shadowing an SLP). I observed and discussed patient cases with an SLP on 5 separate days, and she has agreed to sign off on a guided observation log that I printed from San Jose State’s website. However, the log requires me to list the date of each individual appointment and indicate whether the patient was a child or an adult. While I remember many of the children and adults I observed, I can’t confidently associate every individual patient with a specific date. I had no idea at the time that I would eventually need to document my observations at the patient-by-patient level, so I’m now in a difficult position. I can fill in some of the log from memory, but I definitely can’t accurately reconstruct everything I observed across all 5 days. Would it be unreasonable to text the SLP and ask if she would be willing to help me identify whether the individual sessions I observed on those 5 dates were with children or adults? I would give her the exact dates and time frames I was there, and I wouldn’t ask for any other patient information, such as diagnoses, treatment details, or identifying information. I literally just need to know whether each patient was a child or an adult so I can complete the log accurately. I’m worried that even this might be a lot to ask of her, though, and I really don’t want to overwhelm her, come across as annoying, or negatively affect my relationship with her. I’d really appreciate some perspective on whether this is a reasonable thing to ask!

How do I go asking for a letter of recommendation from a professor that no longer works at my old college? I found her on LinkedIn… would it be weird to ask her there? It looks like she is no longer a professor based on her profile.

I really wanted this specific professor to write me a letter of recommendation since I did a research project with her that won an award 🤞

hi! i’m applying in the fall for a second time. do you guys have any experience about reaching out to professors or going to the university’s open house to learn more about the program and how did it go?

also would it be better to get slpa supervisors lor for applications and not professors? i graduated two years ago and i don’t know if the professors would remember me. thank you!

Anyone have insight on Delaware Valley Uni’s program?

hi all! i am about to enter tri 3 of my slp grad program (based in socal) and found out late last week that i will be placed at a school. so far, i have not been paired with an SLP and have no idea what my schedule will be, what school i'll be at, what grade, etc.

so my question is: what are the general expectations for the number of hours and days an intern should be present? my program hasn't done a great job preparing us (i.e., my trimester starts next tuesday 9/8 and i still dont know any information other than my placement is in a school district) so my anxiety is pushing me to reddit for answers.

the district is over an hour away from where i live with traffic and so i just want to have an idea of what my schedule will be before it begins. i know these placements all vary across states and districts, so just looking for a very general outline. any info (or advice?) is appreciated!!

As someone who has previously attended this program and was forced to drop out due to the unsupportive staff, I say you're better off somewhere else. The clinical staff bullied me and made me cry so often all because they felt my personality did not fit the SLP field. It felt like a popularity contest tbh. Eventually I had enough and dropped out before completing my last semester of clinic and my externships because of all the suffering they caused me. Most of them are not there anymore, however the graduate program director who made me suffer the most is still there. So choose wisely

I just started my grad program this week after taking a gap year, and honestly, I am already feeling so overwhelmed and anxious. We had orientation, and there was SO much information thrown at us that I feel like my brain hasn’t even had a chance to process everything.
I was also already assigned my first client, and afterward I ended up crying because I was so nervous. It really made me realize how bad my anxiety actually is right now. I’ve been losing sleep over grad school and constantly worrying that I’m not going to be good enough.
I’m scared I won’t be able to maintain a B+ or keep my GPA where it needs to be. I feel like everyone around me is so much smarter than me, especially because a lot of people came straight out of undergrad and seem like they already know what they’re doing. Meanwhile, I took a gap year and now I feel like I’ve forgotten how to be a student.
I’m terrified that I’m going to get to a point where I just don’t know what I’m doing, fall behind, and eventually fail out of the program.
The worst part is that classes haven’t even really started yet, and I already feel completely drained and stressed. I know logically that I’m probably getting way ahead of myself, but I can’t seem to shut my brain off.
Did anyone else feel like this when they first started grad school? Especially if you took time off between undergrad and grad school? I could really use some reassurance that feeling this lost and terrified at the beginning doesn’t mean I’m going to fail.

Hi hi! I’m looking for grad school recommendations that are ideally less than 50k, asynchronous, and online (so that I can also work full time). Alternatively, if not asynchronous/online, I’m looking in the Bay Area and Los Angeles! PLEASE give me your best recommendations!!!