Applying for Grad School: Where to Start?

As I'm changing my address, packing up my life, and getting ready to move for grad school, I'm also thinking about where I was last year at this time. At the end of my summer semester, I was just getting ready to start gathering my grad school app materials together. How crazy is that?

So I thought this might be the right time for me to share three ways that might help you get on top of the applying process, stay organized, and just be successful in the process overall:

1. Get Your Info

So first things first, you'll want to use ASHA's life-saving tool: EdFind. The best way to discover schools where you might want to apply is to explore EdFind, and I did it by browsing states that were close to where I lived at the time: PA and NY. Once you click on the state you want, a list of schools will come up for you to choose from. The page for each school will tell you what degrees are offered there and other really helpful bits of info like what their MS application requirements are, what the average GRE scores are for their applicants, and who the graduate admissions contact is. These are the types of things you will want to write down and keep easily accessible for your application process, which brings me to my next point.

Here's the browsing link for you to follow: EdFind


2. Get Organized

So after I checked out local schools with Masters programs, I made a list of the ones I wanted to apply to. My list had 12 schools initially, but I ended up only applying to 10 of them. So once I had my top schools picked out--and you'll probably want to also visit their websites to determine where you want to apply--I made an Excel spreadsheet that had basic info for each school. Make sure to include things like: school name, mailing address, admissions contact name and email, application deadline, and admissions requirements. Once I started applying, I made an additional page on my spreadsheet for all of the documents required for admissions at each school and when I had sent them in. Doing this will help so much as you get lost in which transcripts you've already sent, and which GRE scores still need to be sent in.



3. Get Your Foot in the Door

Once I started my applications, I tried to figure out how I could set myself apart from all of the other applicants out there. I knew that if I scheduled an interview, that would be an ideal way for the department to remember me...but let me tell you, it is so hard to schedule an interview with Speech Path departments! Everyone I emailed from the contacts provided on EdFind said that the number of applicants was way too large to let people schedule interviews. So I was feeling pretty discouraged AND nervous, until I discovered department tours. Asking for a tour is a whole different approach to getting an "in" with the Speech Path departments at these schools. When you ask for a tour, you are coming from a position where the school needs to appeal to you, rather than you appealing to the school. Well I guess it still works both ways, but for some reason, schools are much more willing to schedule a tour with you to tell you why their program is the best out there, than to let you come and tell them about yourself in an interview.

Luckily, I was able to schedule 4 (out of 10) tours of grad programs to which I wanted to apply. This experience was so very valuable to my application process, so don't miss out by passing up the touring opportunity! The tours provide you with a great opportunity to not only get your foot in the door, but to get a real feel for the programs you are applying to. It's because of tours that my whole preference order for my schools changed. My top choice, which I initially thought was the best school in the area, became my last choice because of the graduate coordinator I met with. I got very bad vibes from the school, and when compared with the other schools I had seen, I realized my top choice was not the best place for me to be. Fortunately for me, I was accepted to 2 of the schools I toured at (and probably would have been accepted to a third if one of my recommendation letters hadn't been lost in the mail), and another I hadn't been able to see. The school I accepted at wasn't initially my first choice, but my tour at the school completely changed my mind. The coordinator was so helpful and knowledgeable, and I immediately felt like it was the ideal program (and school!) for me.


So as you're starting to think about applications, check out EdFind, make yourself a chart or spreadsheet, and get those tours on your calendar! You won't regret taking the time to do any of these things.