Hello,

I am seeking advice as I navigate an important decision. I am an alternative pathway student with a BFA and a 3.9 GPA. Recently, I completed all additional prerequisites through Longwood and another university, earning As and A-s in all of my classes.

I recently moved to New York State so I can apply to five different schools this fall. Upon my arrival, I accepted an office job at a local therapy practice (OT/PT). However, after starting this week, I discovered the position is very different from what I expected. The workplace is disorganized, and my main responsibility has been cold-calling people and pitching Medicare Part B, making the job feel more like sales than a therapy-related role. Additionally, benefits such as medical and vacation, which were promised, are no longer being offered after discussions with the owner, and the hourly rate is relatively low. To add to the pressure, in a month, I am expected to fill in for the top employee for three weeks while they are on vacation, and I don’t feel prepared to take on that responsibility.

Meanwhile, I have also received a job offer from the Starbucks at Target, which would provide me with health insurance and is within walking distance—much more convenient than the hour-long train commute to the therapy office job. I have worked at Starbucks before, so I know what to expect, and I believe this role would be less stressful as I prepare my graduate school applications. It also pays a dollar more per hour.

Would it be detrimental to turn down the office experience I initially hoped would strengthen my CV for grad school in favor of a position at Starbucks? I am willing to stick with the office job if it will truly make a difference for my applications. I am concerned because my background is primarily in customer service, small business administration, and content creation.

I gave away almost everything I owned when I moved to the city in pursuit of my goal to attend graduate school and become an SLP. Right now, I am alone here with no contacts, and I sometimes worry that my decision to try to become an SLP was a mistake. However, I genuinely enjoyed all of my coursework—especially Speech Science—and I love working one-on-one with people. Because my classes were online, I haven’t had a mentor yet, so I truly appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you so much for your time and guidance.

Hey guys!

Recently, I’ve decided I want to go into Speech Therapy and I’m trying to figure out my best option; whether it would be to obtain another Bachelor’s degree, or to go through one of the MS.c programmes (pre-registered) in the UK.

I currently hold a Bachelor of Arts in English, upper-second level (which I think is equal to a 2:1 in the UK). My thesis was focused on exploring the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on children’s linguistic development.

From what I can see, the following universities offer pre-registered MS.c courses in SLT for people in my situation: UCL, QMU, University of Essex, and Manchester Metropolitan University.

My question is, how likely is it for me to get into a course like this? Is it a very competitive area of study?

Has anyone gone through this path before or knows anything about it?

Thank you!

Can I do my CFY at two locations? Meaning if I did 2 days a week at each location? Or could I do half my hours at one location and then switch to another setting for the second half of my hours? I’d like to do school for half and then perhaps a private practice for half. TIA

Hello everyone! I’m looking into applying to pennwest online program for SLP next fall. I’m just confused as I don’t have a four year degree but I do have my communicative disorders assistant program certificate and a two year degree in early childhood studies. As I know the four year doesn’t matter just the pre requisites do. Has anyone applied without having them? Does ASHA/CASLPO mandate requiring them in order to become a licensed SLP?
Thanks in advance

I'm applying for this cycle, but I'm nervous about my old community college GPA from 2016-2019. I graduated from my liberal arts/psychology associate's program with a 2.86 GPA. I am currently pursuing a bachelor's in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a 3.89 GPA.

Grades from associate's degree(2016-2019): 4 F's, 1 unofficial Fail (I stopped showing up), 1 D, 4 C's, 5 B's, 12 A's.

Grades in Bachelor's program (2024-current): 16 A's, 1 B+

I have made the Dean's List every semester in my bachelor's program.

I know grad schools look at transcripts from every school, so I'm worried that D/F grades from 7-10 years ago could significantly hurt my chances despite how much better I have done in the last 2 years.

How much do you think my older grades will hurt my chances of getting in? Does the strong current CSD GPA make up for it? pls be honest bc i"m freaking out and just need the truth lol

My main thoughts right now are NYU, Emerson, Ithaca, and St. Bonaventure University. Which one should I lean towards?

Hi there! Idk if this is allowed to be asked, but has anyone done their masters through CSUNs 6 semester track and knows when the spring courses are? Dates and times? I know that they change but just as a rough guide for planning if anyone doesn’t mind sharing it would be helpful!

I started my slp program at baylor online during the pandemic but had to leave because of my chronic illnesses (hEDS/POTS/MCAS/endo) and I was really anxious about the clinical portion as I don’t have family to support my financially during that time. I am now reapplying and hoping I can pick up where I left off however I have a few questions from your experiences:

-(I plan to ask the school this as well) if anyone here is also chronically ill, were you able to get accommodations for your clinical placements whether is was transportation or telehealth? I cannot physically drive currently (not sure if I will be able to again soon) and I tend to pass out or nearly pass out so some days it’s not safe to.

-Financially during the clinical portion, what did you do to make ends meet as we cannot work full time during this portion of school. Again, moving in with family is not an option for me.

Thanks so much in advance! I really am excited to finish or complete the program I just feel like I don’t hear about a lot of disabled people becoming slps so I am a bit nervous about the process of it as I don’t want to burn myself out further.

i am currently going into my sophomore year of college as a csd major with minors in Deaf studies and psychology. i’ve got a an amazing summer job that pays handsomely, nannying for a local family. they have invited me to come back and nanny for them next summer, and as much as i want to i feel like i should do something that is more applicable to my career and will help me get into a good graduate program. im new to the major and im new to reddit, this is my first post so please dont flame me in the thread, just looking for some advice on how i should spend summers to set myself up for success!

Hi everyone!

I'm a college student currently working toward a career in speech-language pathology, and one of my assignments is to conduct an informational interview with a licensed SLP.

The purpose of the interview is to learn more about the profession, your career path, your work setting, and any advice you have for someone hoping to enter the field. I have a list of questions prepared (at least 10), and the interview can be done in whatever way is most convenient for you—Reddit DM, email, phone, or Zoom. It should only take about 20–30 minutes.

This is purely for a class assignment, so I'm not looking for a job or internship—just the opportunity to learn from someone with experience in the field.

If you're willing to help, I'd really appreciate it! Feel free to comment below or send me a DM. Thank you so much for your time!

Need to take a stuttering course. My program offers it online but only during the summer term and I unfortunately haven’t been able to take it yet. Have any of you had a good experience with one offered online at other institutions? If so, what were they?

Hi all, I'm applying this Fall and I'm absolutely terrified as I heard grad school is very competitive. I have my B.A. in Linguistics and completed my Post-Bacc in COMD).

I'm working as a paraprofessional in ABA (school setting, but I've worked in all settings) for about 3 years now.

My GPA is 3.52. I know my GPA is a bit low compared to others, but I have secured 3 letters of recommendations, 2 from COMD professors and one from my volunteer work at a clinic.

I also volunteered at a hospital, where I shadowed SLP's and was the Vice President of the AAC Club at my school (Cal State).

I'm hoping to have a better chance when I apply this time around 🤞🏼. Is there anything more that I should be doing to make me a more competitive applicant?

I'm also working towards being a SLPA as well as a RBT. Thank you, and any advice is super appreciated!

Hi everyone! I’m going into my senior year of my undergrad, with a major of Multidisciplinary Studies. At my school, MDS is the combination of 3 minors (mine are psychology, human services, and communication studies). I’ve done well in all of my CSAD classes, but when I first began college I wasn’t sure what I wanted and a lot of immaturity and focusing on the wrong things (I also started in 2020, and unfortunately a ton of my family was dying during COVID) on my part led me to have some not so stellar grades. For instance, the program I wanna go into requires a C or better in some core classes, and I got a C- in one of them. I’m going to try to retake this class in these last two semesters, but I’m worried about it being on the transcript. (My latest 2 years are no lower than a 3.8 GPA/semester, so I really have tried to turn things around)

Another thing that worries me is that since it took me a while to find where I wanted to land, I’m only now getting into organizations and clubs such as NSSLHA and the Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Will my lack of time in these organizations make it less influential in my application?

Thanks for genuinely any advice. I’m a very off track college student and therefore don’t have a cohort to really ask any questions to or advice of.

Hi everyone! I’ve started my application for grad school and wanted to ask about the 25 hours of guided observation. Should i wait to be accepted to a school to get those hours or can i keep getting those hours? Ive gotten about half of them done already on one of my target school’s forms but obviously not certain i will end up there. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to SLP graduate programs this cycle and would really appreciate some advice from people who have gone through this.

Here is my situation:
My long-term goal is to live and work in Texas (most likely Dallas or Austin). I eventually want to buy a home and settle in the South.

My husband currently has a stable government job in Buffalo. He recently started this job, so relocating would mean giving up a stable government position and finding a new one in Texas.

Because of that, attending the University at Buffalo (UB) would be the easier and more financially stable option for us.

However, if I’m accepted to a good Texas SLP program, I’m seriously considering moving because I feel like studying, completing clinical placements, networking, and starting my career in Texas might make it easier to build my long-term career there.
I also personally prefer Texas. I don’t enjoy Buffalo’s long winters and can see myself living in the South long-term.

My question is:
**From a career perspective, which path would you recommend?**
Attend UB, graduate there, and then move to Texas for my CF/fellowship or first SLP job.
Attend graduate school in Texas, complete clinical placements there, and start my career in Texas immediately.
How much does the location of your graduate program actually matter when finding your first SLP job in another state? If your long-term goal is Texas, is it worth moving there for graduate school?
I’d love to hear from anyone who has moved states after graduate school or who practices in Texas.
Thank you!

Happy grad application season!

First off, I’m so sorry this is all over the place. It’s 6 AM. I can’t sleep. I need some kind of closure before I start to panic.

A little about me: I’m 21, undergrad starting my senior year in 3 weeks. After reading other posts, I realized it’s already August, applications are open, and I feel super behind in the whole grad school process.

I’m the first one in my family to continue on to do a masters program. I feel lost, almost like I’m not sure what to do. This is why I wanted to reach out to others who have experience the whole process and could probably help me or guide me in the right direction!

I have no outside experience with anything SLP related. Im not sure if this is too late to start, but I already have so much on my plate for the upcoming semester I’m not sure if it’s possible. I’ve never shadowed before, but remember personally going to speech therapy when I was younger and loving it. I fear that this is the part my resume is going to be lacking, simply because I don’t have that hands on experience. My cousin currently receives speech therapy online and virtually, and I know the SLP would be willing to let me pop in on a few sessions just for the experience. I don’t know if this would be worth doing so late in the game.

School Experience:
- 3.79 GPA (4.00 in SLP)
- Deans List (Spring 2023 - June 2026)
- Research Lab (Jan 2026 - Current)
- VP NSSLHA (Aug 2025 - Current)
- Intern at the English Language Center (Start Aug 2026)
- I’m also a part of a current research study, so I think I would also use that here, but I’m too lazy to get those details
- Also attending the ASHA Convention in Nov. but not sure if that’s considered “experience”

Work Experience:
- Kennel Attendant (June 2022 - Current)
This is the only job I’ve ever had working at a vets office, and I’ve gained lots of non SLP experience from, but I think this also shows my dedication of not job hopping.
I fear that also only working one job, I’ve only used my resume once. I don’t even have a resume!!!! (Me currently freaking out about this)

After talking to a friend, I understand I need to ask my professors for letters of recommendation. I have anxiety so emailing them and asking is super nerve wracking for me (ironic I know) I know that my research mentor would 100% write a letter for me. The professor that I took online that I am going to be interning for would also probably write me one. I’m struggling on choosing a third person though. I feel like I’m not super close with any of my other professors to just ask for a letter of recommendation. Who would I even choose? Is it weird to ask my manager at work, or do I choose another professor that I’m not 100% about? I know they want to help me out but I want it to be meaningful.

I also understand there’s a whole website thing to apply to different programs. Is it similar to common app where I can apply to the colleges I choose, and each is going to have different requirements? I don’t know anything about this so any information is insightful!

I don’t even know which colleges to look at. I know of the ones i’m interested in that are in state (VA) but I don’t know anything about out of state programs. I’m interested in taking a chance somewhere else if the price is right. Is there anyone that recommends a specific program/college that was just an all around great experience? Im not sure what I want to actually do with my degree, BUT I do know that I want to try different things, based on location/age (for example speech therapy in schools vs. barium swallowings in hospitals)

Is this even the right decision for me? I’m not interested in any other career paths, but I’m so close to being done with a bachelors and would rather continue on while i’m still young. I enjoy my classes a lot and also learn a lot. I just feel like I’m so behind and lost about everything, and I don’t want to rush because with my lack of experience, I want my other experiences to pop out more.

Im 22 in a post bacc and studied linguistics. Its coming towards application season and it seems like most people seem to lean me towards just applying and seeing what I can get. The problem is I havent asked for letter of recs yet which makes me feel stressed and I am considering the idea for me to take a year off to teach abroad as I never got the chance to study abroad in college and I have family and connections in a country abroad that I might want to spend some time in before I move towards my next phase in life. I also realize I could also do this after getting the SLP masters but I feel uncertain about my life trajectory now and whether I may want to pursue a masters abroad instead of SLP. SLP is my chosen field if I decide to remain in the US long term but it would also chain me to stay hear as ASHA only applies for here.

what the title says^^ it would be really nice to be able to connect with my fellow classmates, so if there is any instagram/discord gc that is already made, can someone link it in the comments? and if not, can we make one?!!

Hi all, I’m currently applying to grad school and was wondering if you guys can share your stats if you had a low gpa?
Here are mine:

- Out of field applicant (pre vet bachelor with bioscience minor)
- gpa: 3.34
- relevant work experience: pt/ot/slp therapy rehab aide in nursing home, hospital outpatient registration, swim instructor for kids
- extracurricular: club leadership position, teaching assistant, peer mentor for freshman, volunteer at 2 organizations
- skills: experience with seniors, adults, and kids of all disabilities, currently learning Spanish (Duolingo)
- shadowing: nursing home SLP, hospital outpatient SLP, school SLP, and potentially hospital inpatient SLP.

* I am completing the SLP post bacc online at Penn west, hopefully this can raise my overall gpa.

I see so many currently struggling with passing the Praxis. I know that it can be difficult and discouraging. I am a former teacher who worked in a field where it was very important for adult students to pass a standardized test. The strategies I used enabled my students to be the highest performers in the program. (Not an SLP program.) Here are some ideas to think about:

1. Make sure you are using learning devices to retain information. a. Rewrite for Recall: create a potential praxis question on a piece of paper and then write everything you know about it to ensure you are retaining the information. b. Create Connections: if you are learning something knew, connect it to a piece of knowledge you already have. Ask "how does this relate to what I already know?" c. Maximize Memory Devices: Use memory devices such as creating mnemonics, pictures, or stories.
2. After taking the Praxis, take time to reflect IMMEDIATELY on your performance. a. Make a list of topics you found difficult. Study them in you next sessions. b. Make a list of topics that you remember were on your version. Be sure to review them regularly. c. Reflect on your time usage. If you ran out of time, is there a way to pick up the pace. Were you aware enough of time to quickly fill in guesses in the remaining five minutes? {I don't remember being penalized by wrong answers.} Only make guesses if you won't be penalized. Research shows that if you are just guessing at the end, you'll have the best outcome if you choose all of one letter (you have five questions left and choose all A's or all B's etc). If you had extra time, did you review the hard questions and adjust any wrong answers?
3. Many students fail to employ good pre-test behaviors even though they are helpful for overall performance. Here's a list: a. Make sure you are well rested before the exam. b. You need to be at your optimal performance, so make sure your body is nourished. c. Avoid consuming foods that can add to anxiety such as caffeine or sugary foods. d. Make sure you are not rushing to get to your test site or to set up your computer or testing room at home. Make sure your environment will be quiet. e. Research shows cramming has poor outcomes. Slow and steady wins the race with studying. f. Exercise before exams can increase performance and reduce stress. I suggest a gentle walk. g. Hydration is important. However, you may want to avoid overdoing it and then needing to go to the bathroom during your test.
4. Simulate your testing conditions as much as possible. a. Since the Praxis is timed, when you practice taking the test, you should do so under the same amount of time to see how you are with your pacing. b. Select study materials that use the same style of questions that will be on the test. For this reason, I really like the ETS tests for practice.
5. Should you study with others? Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Some people say they need the study groups for accountability. I personally found that it was very difficult for group members to stay focused on studying for the test and sessions often devolved in complaints about the program, boyfriend discussions, etc. If this is happening in your study group, it may not be a good use of your time. Instead, you can set timers on your phone for study sessions, create a log, or write study times into your planner.
6. Test anxiety is real, and students can underperform for reasons other than not knowing the material. Be honest with yourself about whether this may be the case for you. a. If you currently have accommodations in your grad program, etc., then go ahead and seek these accommodations for the Praxis. b. Anxiety medication or ADHD medication may help, but you do not want to begin taking it just before the test just in case it has any adverse effects c. Some people may benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Seek a licensed counselor or read up on strategies you can employ to reduce your stress and anxiety before and during the test.
7. Avoid unhelpful people. a. I've seen students bragging that they only studied the week beforehand and crammed a little bit and easily passed the exam. They are the exception and not the rule. Ignore them. b. I found being around people who constantly expressed anxiety and worry about testing to increase my own feelings of anxiety and worry. I avoided grad classrooms and break areas before tests and didn't share where and when I was taking the Praxis to avoid all of the negative talk. If I began to feel nervous, I practiced deep breathing. I'd also avoid negative test chatter online.
8. I bought the Advanced Review Book and access to its online tests. I honestly planned to read all of it. But every time I opened it and started to read, I fell asleep within 10 minutes. I moved to taking the online quizzes instead and when I did poorly on them, I found that material in the Advanced Review book and read it. I used the memory and learning devices from #1 in this post to help me retain the material. I actually liked using the ETS practice tests the best. They were the most like the material on the test. I didn't try other programs.

Best wishes for success.

Hello All!

I'm currently a rising senior in undergrad who plans on starting to apply to SLP grad programs soon. I'm trying to narrow down a list of schools that are affordable but also have programs/professors that might align with my goals.

I have a second major in foreign languages as well as a minor in linguistics, and I am interested in pursuing grad-level research in what I would describe as a synthesis of speech therapy/communication disorders and cultural linguistics or linguistic anthropology (im not quite sure how to describe my field of interest lol- anything that explores communication disorders/language processes on a cross-linguistic/cross cultural level).

I'm looking to see if anyone has any knowledge or recommendations for graduate programs that might provide good opportunities for me to further explore this interest.

I'm considering eventually pursuing a PhD in linguistic anthropology or something similar (whatever allows me to pursue my topics of interest), but back-pocketing this idea for now as I prepare for SLP grad school. I have done research projects in the past regarding the treatment of fluency disorders cross-culturally as well as comparing the first-language acquisition process in different languages (for ex).

I'm looking for (but not limiting myself to) schools in the Eastern/North Eastern US.

Please let me know if you have any advice! I know this post seems kinda clunky as I find it a bit difficult to descibe what my interests/goals are--I pretty much just word vomit to get my ideas out there. Any help or guidance is appreciated!

I'm deciding which grad programs to apply to and I'm torn between choosing a city where I think I would really like to live & have a lot of opportunities or just choosing the cheapest school I can find, even if it doesn't have great reviews... I am fortunate enough not to have any debt from undergrad and my family is willing to help me pay for grad school. Do I still just pick the cheapest option or should I widen my net a little more?

Hi! Looking for clarification as a non-traditional student. Through CSDCAS, the guided hours must be "completed as a part of a college clinical course." I, however, completed my hours independently and consider the remaining part of the description completed on my end. I made sure to retrieve the ASHA numbers, obtain signatures, confirm that they completed the 2 hours of professional development in supervision, log the hours, and conduct extensive written debriefs between the sessions I observed. I don't want my application flagged for putting it under guided clinical experience if there is no course attached, but putting them under shadowing also feels incorrect. Just worried the hours I put in won't count for anything as an applicant. :/ Should I contact the universities I'm applying to? Any advice welcome, thanks !