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1
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- Information from ASHA.org, UW-Madison Communicative Disorders Dept. and
student experiences
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2
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- End of Junior Year/summer before Senior Year
- In order to be eligible for
- ASHA’s Certificate of Clinical
Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP)
- or
- Audiology (CCC-A)
- you must apply to one of the master’s or entry-level doctoral programs
that are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA.
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3
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- Please refer to ASHA’s On-Line Guide to Graduate Education
that lists all programs in speech-language pathology and
audiology.
- Each profile of a university/college contains a great deal of
information on faculty, admission requirements, funding, and faculty's
teaching, clinical, and research interests.
- www.ASHA.org
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4
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- Over the last 5 years admission into graduate programs in communication
sciences and disorders (CSD) has been very competitive.
- Some colleges/universities may receive as many as 200-300 applications
for 35-40 slots in speech-language pathology and 30-40 applications
for 6-10 slots in audiology.
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5
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- Each academic program has its own criteria for admission.
- The criteria may vary, depending on whether you are applying for
speech-language pathology or audiology.
- In general, most graduate programs like to see a GPA in the major of 3.4
or higher.
- The review committee will evaluate a student’s overall GPA as well as
their GPA within their major and/or minor. Students that perform
well in core courses such as science, mathematics, and the humanities
are very attractive to the CSD admission review committee.
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6
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- See attached handout for 2002 totals
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- Contact the admissions office to obtain a graduate school catalogue,
applications or other information.
- Contact the CSD program director or chairperson to let him/her know that
you plan to apply.
- Arrange a visit to the university/college campus.
- Contact the financial aid office as well as the CSD program director
to obtain information about possible funding opportunities.
- Prepare your application well in advance. Have an objective person read
your application. Do not submit an incomplete application or one that
has errors (e.g., grammatical, spelling).
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8
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- Your essay letter should focus on your reasons for wanting to become
a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. It is also beneficial
to talk about your interest in the scientific basis of
the discipline and the attraction these professions hold for
you.
- Faculty members that have taught you for more than one class
should write your letters of recommendation. If you have done research,
volunteer work, or served in a leadership role (e.g., NSSLHA) a
letter of recommendation from those with whom you worked closely
will strengthen your application.
- If you had to retake a class or if you did poorly one semester due to
some external factors, explain this is your letter so that the
admissions review committee is aware of these extenuating circumstances
that may not be indicative of your true academic performance.
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- Although requirements may vary to some degree, most programs will
request the following:
- Completed application
- Letters of recommendation
- GRE Scores
- Official transcripts
- Essay about your interest in pursuing a career in CSD
- Individual or group interviews (may not be required by all programs)
- A resume can be a nice addition, though not required
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- Begin by thinking about which schools you want to apply to – rankings
aren’t everything.
- You should be able to picture yourself living in that environment and
interacting with the faculty and staff.
- Apply to 3 or more schools (many students applied to 6 or 7!), though
application fees can get expensive ($25-50 per school).
- Don’t be afraid to apply to a school you don’t think you’ll get into –
you never know!
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- The majority of graduate programs in CSD require the GRE.
- One of the reasons is that the GRE is required for admission into the
university/college (not just the dept.).
- Contact the universities/colleges to which you are interested in
applying to obtain information about the minimum GRE score required for
admissions.
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- There are many review courses for the GRE (books, KAPLAN courses). It
may be useful for you to take one of these courses, especially if you
have not done well on standardized tests in the past.
- Don’t worry about it – scores aren’t everything!
- Make sure you plan ahead so your scores are reported/sent by a school’s
deadline!
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- Letters of recommendation-
- Ask as early as possible!
- Ask if the person will write a “favorable letter” on your behalf, or
explain why you’ve asked them, “Since you were my supervisor for my
first practicum setting I thought you might be a good person to write a
letter of recommendation for me.”
- Provide them with-
- which schools you’re applying to
- the due dates for the letters
- instructions (do they give them to you OR send them directly to the
school, do they have to be sealed, is there a waiver form, etc.)
- stamps/postage
- any other info, such as your essay, resume, transcript that will help
them write a GREAT letter
- It may help to talk with them about your goals/reasons for applying, so
they can tailor and personalize the letter
- Send THANK_YOU NOTES!
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- Personal Essay:
- Follow instructions!
- If they give a word limit, follow it!
- If they ask a specific question, make sure to answer it completely!
- Ask for help:
- From a friend, teacher, parent, co-worker
- Utilize resources:
- Writing Center @ Helen C. White
- Books from the library
- Handout examples
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15
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- Example of checklist to organize deadlines, required parts of
applications
- Many application deadlines fall in January or earlier (Dec. or Nov.)
- Plan ahead so you don’t get behind, rushed, or send LATE or INCOMPLETE
application!
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Notes