Being an undergraduate student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders can be stressful. It can feel like the thought of graduate school is always hanging over your head. However, if you start small and early you will be totally prepared to apply for grad school when the time comes! Here are 10 tips to help you get ready for grad school, plus some bonus tricks!
1. Get involved on campus!
Getting involved on campus is a great way to build your resume, make connections, and learn valuable skills that can help you during your undergraduate/graduate career. There are numerous clubs and organizations that you can join that can be beneficial and even fun!
The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is a fantastic club to join. This is a student organization specifically for students on the path to become an SLP, SLPA, or Audiologist. At my university, this organization would meet once a month and discuss various topics directly related to our career paths. Topics might include grad school applications, future careers, therapy skills, and much more. You can also run for a leadership position in this club which can help when applying to grad school!!
Along with NSSHLA, there are so many other clubs and organizations to get involved in on campus. Joining Greek life is also a great way to get involved, as most chapters have so many leadership positions and involvement opportunities! Remember, it is never to early to start thinking about involvement and leadership positions. Most organizations have “smaller” leadership positions that are great to apply for, even as a freshman or sophomore! You don’t have to jump right into President, work your way up!
Tip to remember: Don’t burn yourself out. It’s easy to feel like you need to join every single club, but it is more important to join a few clubs that you care about and instill your time there. Making connections, obtaining leadership positions, and attending meetings in the few clubs that are important to you is much more valuable than listing 100 clubs you’re apart of but know nothing about.
2. Get observation hours!
Some programs require you to have a certain number of observation hours by the time you graduate undergrad, but some don’t require it until grad school. Either way, you must have 25 hours of observation in order to meet your requirements of grad school! Most likely, your undergraduate program will offer plenty of opportunities to observe either on-campus or at nearby facilities – but it never hurts to have more! I recommend trying to observe for a few hours in each setting so that you can get a glimpse into the life of an SLP/SLPA/Audiologist before you graduate!
Also, this might seem like a given, but pay attention to the activities that are being performed. It’s easy to sign up for observation hours and then zone out while you are watching – but you will learn so much from observing if you actually pay attention. Even if all of your hours are being observed at the same facility (school, clinic, hospital, etc.) you can still learn so much and benefit from this time. Trust me, once you get into grad school you would love to be able to observe some more and get more therapy ideas!
Tip to remember: Don’t be nervous if you observe a therapy session and feel entirely overwhelmed. It’s normal to feel that way, especially in undergrad. Pretty soon therapy will become second nature and you will know what to do! Also remember that every single client you will encounter once you become an SLP/SLPA will be different. I remember observing one session as a sophomore in undergrad and feeling like I would hate being an SLP… I was so bored watching the session! What I didn’t know at the time was that there are SO many areas of Speech-Language Pathology and I could figure out my niche and work with that population and setting!
3. Get community service hours!
This might seem like an obvious tip, but most people forget about community service hours! This is a great bonus to add to a resume to show that not only were you involved on campus and in class, but you also were involved in your community. This is also a helpful way to make connections in the community – you never know who you are going to meet! Some universities even have an award if you get a certain number of service hours which is a great addition to a resume as well. Keep an eye open for different opportunities, there are always new things coming up and this can be a fun way to spend some of your free time as well!
Always be on the lookout for new opportunities – especially if they’re related to Speech Pathology! I volunteered at a local preschool my junior year and got some experience working with kiddos! This was a great talking point during grad school interviews and helped me know what population I was interested in.
Tip to remember: Consistent hours look the best! Yes it’s great to spend a few hours here and a few hours there on various service events, however, if you visit the same location and donate your time each week or each month you will demonstrate commitment and have a better chance to make connections. Some ideas might be visiting a school once a week, visiting a soup kitchen once a month, helping with a Christmas drive every year, etc.
4. Form good relationships with your professors!
This can seem like a scary thing to do, but I promise you – that is what your professors are there for! I was always afraid to ask my professors for help, even when I was struggling with a class. It wasn’t until my junior year that I finally went to a professor for extra help that I realized I was missing out by not doing that all along! Your professors offer office hours for a reason – take that opportunity! (Plus, your tuition is already paying for it!)
Also, introduce yourself to your professors. This might feel super awkward – it might even be super awkward – but this will give your professor a face to your name and can even help you out when they are grading your assignments/tests. Professors are known to be kinder when grading if they picture your face while looking at your assignment. It also can help you out if you ever need some extra points!
Tip to remember: When applying for grad school you will need around 3 recommendation writers. Often times, you will look towards your professors to write these, however, if they don’t know you they won’t have anything personal to write about! It is so important to form good relationships with your professors so they can include personal comments in your letters. Also, some professors won’t write them for you if they don’t know you on a personal level so keep that in mind! It is never too early to make good relationships!
5. Start looking into grad schools you may be interested in!
It’s never too early to start looking into graduate programs, but I recommend starting Fall of your junior year! You should start applying Fall of your senior year, so this will give you about a year to look around and start narrowing down your options.
Here are some things you should be looking for when researching grad schools:
1. Location – There are graduate programs all over the country! Do you want to stay close to home? Move to a new city? This is an important decision to make. Grad school is only 2 years, so this is a great time to try a new city you’ve always wanted to move to! However, remember it is also important to have support. I chose to go to a grad school in my hometown and live at home. This was a great way for me to save some money, and also be close to family!
2. Focus – It is important to look at the focus of each program. Some programs might have a huge emphasis on providing treatment in the university’s clinic, while others might work hard to send you to numerous placements. My university ensured that all of our rotations would be in the same city as our school, but others will let you do a rotation in any city that you like. My school required us to complete a research paper, while others do not do research at all. These are also important questions to ask at tours or during interviews!
3. Cost – For many students, the cost of the program is a huge part of making a decision. It is important to check out if the school is public or private, and if they have a higher out-of-state tuition than if you chose a school that was in-state. It’s also important to check out any available scholarships the school offers!
4. Graduate Assistantships – This is also something that can help make grad school a little cheaper. Many programs offer graduate assistantships that may cover a portion (or all) of your tuition, and sometimes even offer a living stipend as well. Some schools require a separate application for assistantships, so make sure to look into this if you’re interested in becoming a GA!
The ASHA website is a great tool to give you further information on potential grad schools – here is the link! https://www.asha.org/edfind/search.aspx
Tip to remember: If you are interested in becoming a Graduate Assistant (GA) during graduate school, I highly recommend reaching out to the program director in advance. Some schools require a separate application to become a GA while other schools might not consider GAs until after you have accepted their offer into the program. Either way – you should email, call, or set up a meeting with the program director to discuss this opportunity and to let them know that you are interested. My school only offered positions to students that had personally reached out regarding the position – thankfully I had done so!
6. Start thinking about GRE
The GRE can seem overwhelming, but if you start preparing ahead of time it is something you can absolutely accomplish. I used the Kaplan book to help me prepare – it has great practice and explanations within the book and has an online code for practice tests and quizzes. Math is not my strong suit, so I went over each category in the math section and then completed all the practice tests/quizzes! I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re like me and like to prepare way ahead of time!
It is also helpful to get a vocabulary practice app on your phone! In my opinion, the best way to prepare for the vocabulary portion of the test is to just do practice quizzes. Magoosh has a good app to practice new vocabulary words! I recommend practicing a little bit every night before bed! The vocabulary portion of the GRE can seem challenging, and it’s impossible to know all the words, so focus on root words and understand what the words mean – don’t try to just memorize!
I recommend taking the GRE the summer before senior year. I took it twice (once in July and once in October of senior year), but as long as you take it by mid-fall you will be fine. I recommend taking it in the because it was hard finding time to study while in school.
Tip to remember: Don’t feel like you need a perfect score on the GRE. Many schools post their GRE score requirements on their website, so look to see what your desired schools are asking for. My top school had a preference on the cumulative score and language score but didn’t require a certain math score! This will help you know what areas to focus on when you’re studying.
7. Visit career services to check your personal statement!
When it gets closer to time to apply for graduate school, you will need to start working on your personal statement. This should be about a page long and include various information such as why you want to be an SLP, challenges in your life you have overcome, what you want to do after graduating grad school, etc. It is important to include aspects of your life that will make your paper stand out amongst others.
Something that helped me when writing my personal statement was visiting career services. I met with a trained individual who had read hundreds of statements before and knew dozens of tips to help not only with the grammar and language of my statement, but also how to make it stand out. I met with this person numerous times until we had both decided it was application ready. This is something that a lot of people skip, but I really recommend taking advantage of this tool that your campus most likely offers for free. At the very least, have your family, friends, or professors give it a read to see if they have any input to help!
Tip to remember: Make sure to look up the school’s application requirements because some schools have a specific prompt they want you to write about. This may include answering specific questions or writing about a certain time in your life. Most schools will have prompts similar enough that you won’t have to write completely different personal statements, but you might have to adjust your statement for each school you are applying to!
8. Tour your desired schools!
Touring your desired schools is not only a great way to see if you like the program, but it is also a great way to show the program you’re interested in them! Personally, I did not tour the program that I ended up attending until after I was accepted, however, many of my classmates had toured well in advance of even applying to the school. You can go either way, but I would recommend touring at some point. This will allow you to get a close look at what the program is about and see what tools and materials the school has to offer. If the program has an on-campus clinic, this will also be a way for you to see the clinic first-hand and get a glimpse into what the next two years of your life could be like.
When I was choosing which grad school I wanted to attend, I was torn between two options. I was accepted into the grad program where I was receiving my undergraduate degree as well as another university in my hometown. I was having such a difficult time making a decision about where I should go, but after I toured the university in my hometown, I immediately felt that it was where I belonged. Ever since, I have always recommended that people should tour each of their potential schools!
Tip to remember: I recommend contacting the program director at your desired school to set up a tour. Some schools allow walk-ins or have open-tours during the interviews, but I recommend setting up a 1-on-1 tour so you can express your interest and even meet some professors before making your decision.
9. Prepare for a potential interview!
Some graduate programs may require an interview as a part of the application process. I applied to four schools and only one of them required an interview, so it is not necessarily common, but it can happen. If your desired program has an interview, make sure to prepare beforehand. Here are some questions I was asked during my interview:
1. Why do you want to become an SLP?
2. What is something that has impacted your decision to go to grad school?
3. What is something that you have observed during a therapy session that you found interesting?
4. What is your favorite subject to learn about?
5. What population do you want to work with?
6. What is speech? What is language? What is communication?
7. As well as some scenario-based questions
Tip to remember: When dressing for your interview, make sure to dress professionally! This is an interview just like any job. Something fun would be wearing one of the school’s colors! The school that I interviewed at had orange and black school colors so many interviewees wore an orange blazer, orange blouse, etc.!
10. Enjoy your time J
The application process is such a stressful time, but don’t focus too much on it! Your time spent in undergrad is time you can never get back, so make sure to soak up every minute. Yes, it is important to spend time on your application and studying for the GRE, but don’t let this stress take away from your junior and senior year of college. I recommend setting a specific amount of time each week during the summer and fall of your senior year, but outside of that time have fun!
Tip to remember: After you have submitted your applications, the waiting will drive you crazy. Try to remember that at that point it is out of your control and there is no point in worrying. Enjoy the rest of your senior year and relax! You have worked so hard, and whatever happens it will all be okay!
Random Tips!!!
1. Look into scholarships at the schools that you are applying to! Many programs have their own scholarship that they offer, but be sure to look at this early on as some of the scholarships require recommendation letters!
2. Foreign languages make you a great asset to any program, think about taking sign language or Spanish classes during undergrad.
3. If you can’t take Spanish or sign language as classes at OSU, I would highly suggest teaching yourself some on your own. Although you won’t want to list this on a resume (unless you believe you are fluent), it is something that you can mention in your personal statement or bring up in interviews! Plus, it is SO beneficial once you start seeing clients. This is the website that I used to practice sign language: https://www.signschool.com
4. Make sure you are maintaining good grades! Although you can still get accepted into some programs with a low GPA, it will help you so much if you keep your grades up throughout undergrad. If you are struggling, go to office hours or talk to your professor to help you out! One of my progressors told me that grad schools typically are only looking at your GPA for your major-related courses, and of those they mostly care about science courses (speech science, neural bases, anatomy and physiology, etc.)
5. If you don’t want to talk to your professor or you can’t make it to office hours, reach out to the teacher’s assistant. I was struggling in one of my classes during undergrad and went to the TA for homework help and she helped me on the entire assignment, ensuring that I got a 100% on the homework. This brought my grade up to an A!
— Courtney B SLP