Tips on Applying to Graduate School

Before you even begin……

1.      Take a Deep Breath

2.      Remember how much you want this

3.      Make sure you stay organized

4.      Keep a Sweet treat in the kitchen for those stressful days

5.      Find something to distract you from the stress/nerves like: a TV show, the gym, hanging with friends, anything you like and do this at least once a week!!!

6.      Remember you can do anything you put your mind to and keep focused on the goal =)

To start….

1.      Look into the schools you want to apply to and make a word document with their deadlines, admissions requirements, and address! This will help you in the long run. Organization is your best friend! Don’t be afraid to apply to schools far away or a lot of schools. (How competitive your program is will be a deciding factor on how many schools you apply to).

2.      Research if you are required to take the GRE’s, MAT, or GMAT for your program. Register for your test early, and remember not everyone is a great standardized test taker (I personally stink). Go in with an open mind the first time and try your best. Treat yourself to drinks, ice cream, or a nice dinner after!

-Tip for the GRE’s: if you know where you want to apply send your scores the day you take your test. You will save yourself $100 because you can send them to four schools. Each time you send your scores it $25.

3.      Ask your recommenders if they will write your letters of recommendation early, you want to give them plenty of time! Make them a folder with your resume, description of what you want to go to grad school for, un-official transcripts, the schools and their deadlines you are applying to, along with envelopes with an address and stamp for the school. This makes their lives easier, which ultimately makes yours easier. Less hassle for them means the better your letter could be, the quicker they could send it out, and the more appreciative that person is of your organization.

4.      Start writing your resume and personal statements! Bring these to the career center to get looked at. Christy Cunningham is AMAZING at Stockton!! Go early though, September-October would be great! Each school is different and will require different essays. Also be on the lookout for two essays for some schools

Tips:           -The hardest thing to do is write about yourself, don’t get discouraged!

- Make your personal statement unique and different!

- Add meaningful experiences, research topics that interest you, and things that make you a unique candidate. Schools want to see what you can bring to their program.

- You have to think like this; if there are 300 applicants applying for 30 spots, why should they pick you?

5.      For very competitive programs like Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy start the process early!! Some schools use general applications such as CSDCAS, OTCAS, and PTCAS. Start these applications very early on. In addition, when you are submitting them I would recommend to do so at least two months before your deadline. It can take some time for your application to be verified from them and sent to your school.

Final Advice

-          Stay organized

-          Submit your best work, proofread everything AT LEAST twice. Then have someone else proofread it!

-          Take your time, do not rush through the application process.

-          Go see the schools you’re applying to! A school can look pretty and sound great online however, seeing it first-hand and speaking with faculty can completely change your mind!

-          Apply to a random school down south or out west, do not be afraid to take a chance.

-          Remember you can do this, this is step one to your dream career!

 I hope you find this information helpful =)

-Jessica

My First Post!

Hello! My Name is Jessica. I graduated from Stockton in the spring with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Minor in Behavioral Neuroscience, and a Pre-track in Speech Language Pathology! It has been a very challenging, but rewarding four years at Stockton that I wouldn’t change for the world. I am even more excited to be continuing my education here at the graduate level for my Masters in Communication Disorders. Only 2 ½ years left and I will officially be a Speech Language Pathologist and on my way to helping change people’s lives, I can’t wait!! In addition to being accepted into the Masters of Communication Disorders Program, I have been awarded a Graduate Assistant Position by the office of Graduate and Continuing Studies, talk about being blessed. I am beyond excited to begin the next chapter of my life at the school I have been able to call my home! One of the greatest things about Stockton is that you are not just accepted into college, you are accepted into a family that will always be there for you.

Stay tuned for blog updates on my journey through graduate school and helpful tips =)

-Jessica

End of the "First Year"

For many, the end of this Spring 2014 semester, is the end of the first year as a graduate, but in the Communication Disorders program, the end of the first year of graduate school is at the end of the summer semester.  As a first year graduate student in this program, you are able to take your first Clinical Practicum in either the first spring semester, summer semester or your second fall semester.  I decided to take it in the summer so I was able to space out my classes and also leave time to work as a Graduate Assistant and additional hours in the Graduate Admission Office.  

This semester I completed an additional 9 credits in the MSCD program.  The classes included: Diagnostic Methods, Neurological Bases of Communication Disorders and Language Disorders in School-Age Children.  Working five days a week and completing classes at night and all the other assignments out of class was difficult, but manageable.  

This summer, I will have two jobs while taking 9 credits again.  I plan on completing my first graduate level clinic as well as two other graduate courses.  It will be hectic, but I know all of my hard work will pay off.  

At the end of the summer semester, I will be eligible to work as a Speech-Language Specialist in a NJ school under my "Emergency Certification".  To be eligible for this certificate, an applicant must have 18 graduate level credits in a Speech-Language Pathology/Communication Disorders field program as well as 1 graduate level clinic completed.  Because I chose to complete Clinic I in the summer, I will not be eligible until after my summer semester, but this is not stopping me from applying.  I am very excited about having this opportunity to work as an SLS in a school while attending a graduate program and when I think about it, I am so thankful I chose Stockton College for this reason.

Stockton's MSCD program allows their students to be working professionals while also completing the required classes for their certificate.   I am very thankful for this option, as are most of my peers.  It gives the students the availability to build their resume and increase their experience in and out of the SLP field.  If I accept a job position in the fall as an SLS, it will be an extremely difficult semester, but definitely worth the stress.  I will gain experience as a working SLS, begin to learn how to manage an extensive school caseload, and be able to add this experience to my resume.  

Spring Break.. we had a break?

The week of March 10 was Stockton College's Spring Break.  And although some college students spent it relaxing and maybe even going away on a tropical vacation, most students in the MSDC program spent it catching up and trying their best to get ahead of the tons of work this semester still holds.  As for me, it was the latter, spending hours at the library and working at the Graduate Studies Office, trying to make the best of my ten days off from class.

I know this doesn't sound like a very glamorous spring break, but it was actually extremely efficient and rewarding.  I was able to get ahead of the work that is coming up and prepare myself to my best ability for this week and next week, which are going to be two of the hardest weeks of the semester.  On top of two presentations, a research paper and another midterm, it's just about time to figure out information for summer classes.

So far, this semester has been challenging with the amount of work, but again, it is "do-able" (mostly because you dont' have the choice to not do it, and you just get it done)  The week right before break was extremely difficult because of our Neurology Midterm and many other assignments for every other class.  The summer will be equally as busy with three classes and two jobs.


Word of advice for prospective and current graduate students .. 

Be sure to take into account your summer classes when accepting financial aid.  Unfortunately, FASFA doesn't offer summer financial aid to students, so you need to plan out how much you will need for the entire year as well as what you want to keep/return/spend of your refunds before you make a final decision on how much you want to accept from FASFA.  For this program you will be taking at least 1 class during your first summer and can possibly be taking up to 3 classes (including an elective and a clinic).  So it can go from costing not soooo much, to being quite expensive.

Don't forget to file your FASFA for 2014-2015!  The links and deadlines are all posted on the Financial Aid Website!

Stockton College Financial Aid Website


Good luck with your semester !!

- Kaitlyn