Factors

[HearMeOut]

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For those of you who have been recently accepted or have been in the audiology world for some time now, were any of you "not the perfect student". I guess what I'm asking is, how many of you had GPA's below a 3.5 and managed to get into a top AuD. program or other programs for that matter.

I've been looking at programs such as Wash U in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, etc. and with Wash U, the minimum requirement is a 3.0 and 1,000 on the GRE. Are there success stories of people who have achieved the minimum requirements to get into such programs ?

 

[Audie2014]

For those of you who have been recently accepted or have been in the audiology world for some time now, were any of you "not the perfect student". I guess what I'm asking is, how many of you had GPA's below a 3.5 and managed to get into a top AuD. program or other programs for that matter.

I've been looking at programs such as Wash U in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, etc. and with Wash U, the minimum requirement is a 3.0 and 1,000 on the GRE. Are there success stories of people who have achieved the minimum requirements to get into such programs ?

I can't necessarily give you the answer you're looking for, but I will say that if you're applying to Au.D. programs, I recommend you just throw a few "safety" schools in for good measure. I knew I would be a competitive applicant, and yet a good 50% of the places I applied to were back-up options, and the rest were "match" or "reach" options. Whatever happens, I'm sure you'll get a good education. Best of luck to you!

 

[rEliseMe]

I can't directly answer your question either, but I can identify. My GRE scores were great but due to some personal issues I was struggling with during my sophomore year of college, I'll be stretching it to get a 3.5 cumulative GPA. So I'm pre-empting the possibility of a weak GPA by strengthening my portfolio and/or application in other ways...

I'm making sure I get great letters of recommendation, I visited my top choice school this past March (a full 9 months before I'd have to think about apps) and met with the faculty one-on-one, I'm doing side projects to prove my continued interest (including a research project which will hopefully be funded by grant money), and I'm doing a lot of reading within the field (journal articles, mostly).

I think that if you strengthen your application in ways beyond your test scores, you may still have a chance. Just prove that you are a dedicated and motivated student; that's all you can really do.

By the way, applying to several 'back up' schools is a good idea. I may not go to them even if they're my only choice, but it will be nice to have that option should I not get accepted to my dream school.

 

[PinkShark21]

I think that if you show that you're truly interested in the program, it will offset some poor scores.

For example, say you take the GRE and it's not a 1000 score. Call the program, inform them of the score and tell them that you're planning on taking the test again to hopefully better your score. Either way, you want them to know that you're really interested in their program.

Say your second GRE score still isn't a 1000 - I would call and inform them and ask them how you can supplement your application.

Another example is taking the time to tour the program as well as observing a class at a different time (if possible).

Finally, if you're in the same city as any of the programs that you're interested in, I would ask them about volunteer opportunities you could do during your final year of college. This will help you get a better grasp of the program as well as let the faculty and staff get an idea of who you are and will let them see your work ethic.

Good luck. If you have any particular questions regarding Wash U., feel free to message me.

 

[cmc271]

I had a 3.35ish GPA and got into two top tier programs, Memphis and Pitt and was wait listed at a third (UNC). Pitt was based solely on my app as I had never visited the program. I did have a strong within major GPA (3.7ish) and high GRE (1320). I also had a double major i a foreign language and had strong extracurricular involvement. I did visit Memphis and I would like to think that my visit made an impression and that it maybe played a role in being offered an assistantship, but who knows.

 

[Dustbug10]

The GRE was my meal ticket. If your GPA is not in the 3.7+ range, consider forking out the money to take the GRE twice or more. If you get a score like cmc, you're an instant candidate. Major GPA also seems to be a bigger factor than cumulative.

 

[BikeInABox]

I definitely was not a perfect student. I failed a class my first semester of college, and gradually worked my way up to As, many of which weren't in my major until late junior year. This is how it goes for many students - crappy grades in the beginning, working up gradually. Some schools recognize this and only look at upper-division grades or within-major grades (or both). I made the honor roll several times in junior/senior years, but after awful grades there's only so much room for your GPA to rise. My GPA when I applied was 3.38 - not impressive. My GRE was 1190; I really recommend prep books! I found Kaplan to be pretty helpful.
One of the key things is letters of recommendation! I really think that helped me get in. I think my personal statement was pretty good, but I have nothing to really compare it to.
I got into UT Austin (where I'll be attending in the fall), CU Boulder, and San Deigo and Northeastern (off the waitlist). I was also waitlisted at Northwestern (didn't end up getting, but joke's on them because I can't pay their tuition anyway). So the prospects seem good even if you're not a straight-A student - what they really want to see is that you're passionate about the field and want to contribute. Anybody can give up their social lives to study; not everyone has to drive to want to succeed in the future.
Also, the lower-ranked schools are not necessarily easier to get into. My experience had it flipped - my "safety" schools waitlisted me, while some of the top-ranked ones accepted me right away, which I didn't expect at all.

Basically, showing your interest in the field of communication sciences and disorders will be enormously helpful. Any kind of work/volunteer experience is great - working with special needs is fantastic work if you're able to do it, and often pays well, depending on what you're doing. It's also great experience to write about in a personal statement and really sets you apart on your CV.

 

[HearMeOut]

Thanks so much for your responses, everyone. I really appreciate it. I'm scheduled to take the GRE in August and have been using prep books and vocab flash cards. My story is similar to BikeInABox's...for me, my second year of college didn't start out great at all mainly because of financial situations in which it lead me to a "work more before school" stance--as a result, my grades suffered. I worked my butt off junior year and achieved mostly A's and made the Honor roll/Dean's list. I'll be applying in the fall and as of now my GPA is a 3.21. I've been volunteering at a Children's hospital as a nursing assistant in the hematology/oncology wing and I have an internship in the fall in an audiology dept. at a local hospital close to my campus. My current University doesn't have a communications disorders curriculum and my major is natural science w/ a concentration in health sciences. Besides my GPA being a factor at this point, do you think the volunteer work at the children's hospital--not being a part of the audiology field--may be negative?

 

[Cochlear]

Besides my GPA being a factor at this point, do you think the volunteer work at the children's hospital--not being a part of the audiology field--may be negative?

No way! This can only help you--it definitely shows your passion for helping people even though it's not directly related to audiology. Keep up the good work!

 

[EarDoc6]

For those of you who have been recently accepted or have been in the audiology world for some time now, were any of you "not the perfect student". I guess what I'm asking is, how many of you had GPA's below a 3.5 and managed to get into a top AuD. program or other programs for that matter.

I've been looking at programs such as Wash U in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, etc. and with Wash U, the minimum requirement is a 3.0 and 1,000 on the GRE. Are there success stories of people who have achieved the minimum requirements to get into such programs ?

My highest score on the GRE was a 750, despite the Kaplan class I paid $1,500 for and the 3 times I had taken the test. I had a 3.74 cumulative GPA and a 3.96 major GPA. I was accepted to both programs that I applied to.

You don't necessarily need an even balance of everything. One strong aspect (for example, your volunteering) may have more weight over the weaker aspect of your application. The volunteering at the Children's Hospital will definitely make you stand out. Good luck! 🙂

 

[rEliseMe]

My highest score on the GRE was a 750, despite the Kaplan class I paid $1,500 for and the 3 times I had taken the test. I had a 3.74 cumulative GPA and a 3.96 major GPA. I was accepted to both programs that I applied to.

WOW, EarDoc! Do you mean a cumulative 750 or a 750 in any one category? I can't imagine paying $1500 for a GRE class! Do you have test anxiety? That's a huge GPA-GRE gap... Congratulations on your acceptance, though! It's great to hear that one aspect doesn't determine your destiny.

 

[EarDoc6]

Haha, yes, it's true - I scored a 750 out of the total 1600 points. I do in fact have test anxiety and on top of that, I'm not very good at standardized tests. I'll be taking the MCAT in May so, we'll see how that goes. At least it's more content based!