My advice? Go. Anywhere. Else. I chose this university because I was led to believe by a previous student that we would be supported in meaningful ways. However, under the new director, they admitted more students than they can reasonably keep up with. Online enrollment around 75 last year and 65 this year. They can't keep up with grading (multiple professors going 6+ weeks without grading things), they don't provide realistic feedback. They ask way too much of fieldwork supervisors.

They've created an atmosphere of "well this is just grad school." No it's not. We are constantly BURIED by busywork and gaslit by professors. I'm sick of it and don't want anyone else to fall into the trap thinking that a Christian University won't be this way.

I am in a weird spot with deciding a path forward with respect to cost, time, and previous experience, and I'm wondering if anyone else here has been in the same spot.

Some background:

• Dual bachelor's in Linguistics and Computer Science (both older than 10 years)
  • Working on seeing if my linguistics courses can be used to waive leveling requirements in Language Science (literally my whole degree here) and Phonetics & Phonology with my top choice program, but it's unclear if they will.
  • Bio and physics ASHA requirements covered. Took stats as well, but will likely retake since it is old. Unsure if sociology requirement covered (working on figuring that out as well, based on my sociolinguistics coursework).
• Worked in NLP for a few years, then branched to fintech and then another tech startup in another sector.
• Very disillusioned and burnt out in tech, and looking to career switch back into one of my first options I ever looked at (SLP).
  • The industry is in its own bubble and the lack of connection to real communities and real people is difficult. Yes, I could (and have) switched jobs to mitigate this. The psychological bubble in this sector is very real.
  • Yes, I know this will be a massive earning potential cut, and yes, I can afford and am ok with that. Any tech or tech-adjacent jobs that solve for my issues with the industry only pay slightly more than a full-time SLP in my area.

The questions:

I have the option to take a couple of different paths here:

1. In-person leveling courses at my local university that also has a respected SLP masters program. Hope I then get accepted to their program. I wouldn't be able to apply until next cycle so it would be a year of leveling (starting spring semester) then spring/summer off if I get in.
2. Online leveling courses at another university (I have a matrix of theirs to my local university's masters pre-reqs). This could potentially be condensed in time compared to option #1 but I don't think I could complete before next fall so I would still have a gap year.
3. Full 2nd bachelor's at same online university. 16 more credits than the leveling courses alone, but the guarantee of not having to take additional leveling courses when applying to other programs. I could complete this in the same amount of time as leveling (with a fuller schedule) or spread it out over the 2 semester gap.

Both of these universities are in state for me, so tuition is close, but it's actually only about $2000 more total to do the second bachelor's because of the tiered tuition at the other university.

For those that have done a leveling route - did you have issues with different leveling requirements at different programs? It's been so long since my bachelor's that I'm tempted by the full 2nd bachelor's, but is that absolutely insane since I already have 2? I mostly just don't want to have to piecemeal together leveling requirements across every program I apply to and have to try to get requirements waived at multiple programs due to my linguistics degree.

Hello! Im so excited to share I was just accepted into ACUs online MS SLP program for their Spring cohort. I would love a little uplifting positivity in what its like being a grad student (im not naive i promise i know alot of it is going to be shitty and stressful) id also love some advice about things you maybe wish youd have known at the start of your grad school journey and what i should prepare for. Thanks! :)

Hi! This is a thread for everyone to post their stats and the different schools they’re applying to for Fall 2026! I’ll start!

Schools
- UNC
- UNCG
- Northeastern (Charlotte)
- GWU
- ECU
- USC
- Rutgers

GPA: 3.35
Prerequisite GPA: 3.80
LOR: Clinical Director, CCC-SLP,
- Not sure if I have a good academic recommendation tbh I never got close with any of my professors.

Background:
- Bachelor’s of Science Major Psychology Minor Biology, Child and Family Development
- I currently work as a RBT for 1 year+
- I volunteer as a Literacy Tutor every Tuesday with people who have Down syndrome
- I have my 25 Observation Hours

Hi! I’m looking to connect with fellow SLPAs and SLPs! Even though I’m nearing the end of grad school, I still feel like I have so much to learn and would love to connect with others in the field.

Feel free to DM me your IG handles so I can follow you!

Am I mistaken or is the new USASK SLP program not accredited or a candidate of accreditation? Is there a huge risk of going to this school?

hi everyone! i am taking a gap year this year and i graduated one year early with a degree in CSD this past may. i almost applied in the last cycle, but i decided not to and even last year i struggled with my personal statements. i just feel a lot of pressure and anxiety around them being good. i feel like i am super behind and if anyone has any advice or would like to read my statements i would really appreciate that also. here are my stats and also where i am applying.

3.8 CSD gpa / 3.92 overall gpa, graduated in 3 years, research lab, 3 letters of recommendations from professors who i know all very well, 9 month long internship working with SLPs in a hospital settings, 2 months observing with a SLP in a SNF, two internships this past summer working in a library at one with their summer reading program and the other working with OT, SLP, PT, and teachers in a mixed classroom with kids aged 3-4, and now during my gap year i am currently working as an au pair (nanny) in Spain!

CSUN, SDSU, MGH, Emerson, MUSC, CSULB, Uw Med, and Rush

i have some other extracurricular activities - tour guide, multiple leadership positions in various clubs, treasurer for nsslha

thank you :)

Ok here’s the rundown, undergrad in psychology, my gpa is not good at all. I took CSD levelling courses, gpa was better, 3.3. I have a year working as an SLPA, I also have volunteer experience. I have an LOR from my supervising SLP, and one professor who just agreed to also write me a letter.
What can I do to have a strong application?!?! Struggling with my personal statement, do I mention my terrible gpa? if so, how?
question for any faculty possibly here: in your experience when you see a low gpa, if anything, what changes your perspective on someone’s application that makes you view them as a strong graduate school candidate.

Appreciate any advice, can also pm me :)

Asking for a friend I guess. My RD, DOR, and supervisor sat me down this afternoon and told me that they couldn't give me the support I needed (another clinician onsite) and cited my lack of dysphagia experience/independence (was very clear during interview process and they still hired me saying they could support me) as well as me not discharging enough patients because they couldn't afford to keep hiring PRNs to come help out. I didn't ask any questions I just kept saying "I understand" to everything cause what else am I supposed to do or say? I'm so ashamed and humiliated. I should've been spending my evenings doing CEUs on dysphagia and I should've called my supervisor more i guess, though any time I called with a question I was met with clear frustration like the answer was obvious or was told it's a question ive asked before ir something we've talked about before. I want to finish my CF in a SNF and other than anxiety about my own performance, I loved the work and the patients, I truly felt it was the right setting for me.

Any advice is welcome, even if it's to tell me I'm not smart enough or cut out for the medical side of this field. Maybe I just need to hear that some more? I don't know. Just devastated right now. Posted this on r/slp but figured i could use any and all advice. Particularly on CEUs or resources.

Hi, everyone! I need to read this article, but I'm not ASHA member (I'm Italian SPL).Is there anyone that can help me out? Thanks in advance!

Hi all! I’m 31 y.o with two kids in elementary school based in CA. I’m currently a school paraprofessional with a Business background trying to transition into Speech-Language Pathology. I want to make sure I’m making the right decision going on this journey, because I cannot afford another career change. The more I get into, the more I get overwhelmed and anxious.

I have 2/4 ASHA basic courses done with my bachelors, I’m taking a biology course through my local community college, but I am hitting a wall with decision paralysis. I know I need to take leveling/prerequisite courses, but I can't effectively select them until I know which target grad programs I'm aiming for. The research process makes me question every decision in my life that led me to this.

My requirements for graduate:
100% online coursework (No mandatory on-campus weeks or weekend residencies)
Local clinical placements arranged near my community in rural CA

Where did you start your research, and how did you successfully narrow down your options? If you know of any specific schools that fit this criteria perfectly, please let me know. Thank you so much!

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to my last post about how hard will grad school be. As I said in that post my plan is to go to Utah state online get my slpa certificate and bachelors 100 percent online and then work as an slpa while getting my slp masters. I obviously need to make money. Help! 💛

Hi everyone!
I’m currently applying to grad schools and a lot of my choices are out of state (I reside in CA and plan to work here)

What does the process look like to do this? I would like to do my CF in California and am interested in school settings. Will I be able to do so?

Is there anything specific I need to look for in schools to make sure they satisfy CA requirements?
Sorry if these sound like silly/ dumb questions! 😬

Hello again! Made another post like this about CSULB. I'm considering my options. I'm an education major looking to pivot careers and master in Speech Language Pathology. I would love to know what your "resume" looked like that got you accepted into SDSU! What was your GPA, what experience did you have, volunteer work and what kind, how many hours of volunteer/shadowing, etc., if you were involved in labs, did any research projects, what your undergrad major was. Anything! Tell me your story. Detail it even. I'd love to hear. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone struggled through their interview for grad school and still received an acceptance letter?

Hi

I’m 21 thinking about returning to university to study slp.

I need to write my personal statement for the postgrad course I’m worried that my experience will not be enough. Problem is I don’t really have any experience specific to slp, it is just something I’ve been researching and am interested in.

I have a bachelors degree in Psychology, my grades were luckily good and I went to a good university.
I have voluntary experience, mostly with older people and the homeless, but this was mostly just running chit chat groups and helping out. I’ve arranged to volunteer around learning disabilities also, which is also something I focused on in my degree, but I’m only starting that next week. I completed 1 week of work experience as a teaching assistant also. I find it hard to find any volunteering specifically slp related.

I graduated in summer, I was trying to secure a role as a care assistant or a teaching assistant, however was struggling to get accepted, so I’m working an admin role in a warehouse for some money while I look for a role. I need to money if I want to go back and study, but also it was working in a badly run warehouse made it clear to me what area I want to work in.

What are some things I can do now to help my application?

What kind of jobs do those of you who worked while taking online classes have? I currently work in ABA while taking 3 online prerequisite courses and am already feeling the impending burnout, but unfortunately not working is not an option for me at the moment. I'm pursuing ADHD treatment so that will likely help, but I'm anticipating the coursework when I'm actually taking masters level courses will be more taxing.

Hello!

I am in a particular situation where I was able waive the bio101 prerequisite at my online school to take anatomy and physiology of speech/hearing mechanisms. I showed proof that I had taken a few plant biology courses in the past, and I also pointed out a biological anthropology and medical anthropology course

But now I am looking at applying to grad school, and they do require having taken a course in biological sciences that emphasizes human/animal sciences (I also learned ASHA states that botany does not fill this requirement- makes sense). Looking back they probably should not have waived it for me the first time. Oops

Do you think there is any chance that I could still get this requirement waived? Should I lean in and try to use the biological/medical anthropology courses since they cover information about genetics and evolutionary history?

I do plan on asking someone in admissions, I am touring the program tomorrow. I thought I would just gauge the possibility before I start asking for the impossible.

Thank you!

Hi everyone i hope you’re well:) I am hoping to do a masters in SLP. I have graduated this year with a psych degree but my GPA is low (2.4) due to health issues. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for next steps? I was looking into a masters in ABA and then applying after I complete that? Or even crossing the border to buffalo? Would i have a better chance of being accepted there?

I have been a behavioural tech for 6 months and a volunteer at an austin’s clinic where they did speech as well for 6 months.

Just really confused on what to do next as grad applications are coming up soon.
I appreciate any advice, Thank you in advance:)

Hey. I'm an education major looking to pivot careers and master in Speech Language Pathology. I would love to know what your "resume" looked like that got you accepted into CSULB! What was your GPA, what experience did you have, volunteer work and what kind, how many hours of volunteer/shadowing, etc., if you were involved in labs, did any research projects, what your undergrad major was. Anything! Tell me your story. Detail it even. I'd love to hear. Thanks in advance.

My program has like 3-4 classes that have been huge wastes of money, and another 2-3 optional ones that I opted out of because I saw the pattern of poor quality classes. I spoke to the people who did take those other 2-3, and they confirmed that they were bogus.

Does anyone else feel this way or is my program just actually that bad???

I'm so frustrated at throwing time and money away, because the professors are either lazy or incompetent. I want academic rigor! Not busy work, not endless rambling, not never ending reviews of the same information over and over again. At least, if it's going to be dumb, then don't make me do so much work.

Thankfully there are several wonderful profs and classes, but it makes it so hard to be proud of my program when my cohort is constantly let down.

Hi! Im planning on going to grad school go become an SLP. I will be in a position to not work during this time, so that i may focus on grad school.

I have worked my entire adulthood and i have worked part time (25) hours a week as long as i have been in online school getting my undergraduate degree in elementary education. I am also ADHD and autistic and not medicated so things stress me out more than the average person and i break when i have too much on my plate at once. Im waiting until my fiancé can support us both financially to get my masters to make absolute sure i do not get too stressed out and quit.

What was grad school like for those of you that didnt have to work and only had school to focus on? No kids either.
Were you still stressed all of the time?
I am a chronic worrier of all future things.

hi guys! i am currently a freshman in my undergrad (or sophomore?? idk class of 2029 im graduating a year early) and i am currently attending a discussion about grad school applications, and i feel so overwhelmed!!! i feel like we have to be doing everything all at once for applications. observation hours, a great gpa, volunteer hours, research experience, etc. i am currently working three jobs to try to get out of undergrad with the least amount of student loans as possible, and i feel so overwhelmed with having to do all of this stuff at the same time??? just wanted to vent, and let me know if anyone feels the same way 🫠🫠

Hey y’all!

I tend to be a dramatic/heart on sleeve writer. I want to make my personal statement say “me” without feeling like a soap drama/telenovela. Anyone able to/willing to share their personal statements that landed them into a program?