· The break down of my personal statement: A personal story (relating to CSD, of course) My background history (family struggles) My motivation (stemming off of the two listed above) What I want to study/focus on in grad school and why Why I believe that particular school was the right fit · While volunteering at CCHMC I worked closely with speech pathologists in the speech language pathology department. I have also participated in various volunteer opportunities through my involvement in the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). In , I spent eight days in Santa Avelina, Guatemala for a service trip · You don’t want a list, but rather a deconstruction of your experiences in your personal statement. A good formula to use to write about each experience is this: 1) describe what you did, 2) reflect on what you learned from it, and 3) connect it to your larger point for this paragraph (i.e. how this will prepare you for SLP/grad school)
Starting personal statements - Speech-Language Pathology Forum - The GradCafe Forums
A usable outline for your personal statement for SLP grad programs. I also used that essay and tweaked it for the rest of my applications. This time last year I remember fretting over the first draft of my personal statement for SLP graduate admissions. Still, slp grad school personal statement examples, once I slp grad school personal statement examples through the pressure and summer heat, I found that nothing beats the relief of having a workable draft to alleviate the stress of the fall application season.
A story is always compelling and often allows slp grad school personal statement examples admission committee members to understand on a personal level, and thus often favor, its narrator slp grad school personal statement examples applicant, you!
As such, I began my essay with a single narrative moment that blossomed into a meditation over why I chose to pursue SLP. I wanted admission committees to understand a bit about who I am, what I have learned, and how all that has led to my decision to pursue SLP.
I have copied it below:, slp grad school personal statement examples. Woahyou might be thinking, how did she get all that from a woman putting on lipstick? The narrative tools of imagery, quotation, and poetic rhythm first slp grad school personal statement examples the reader in. Then, in five sentences, the description shows an awareness of how language affects quality of life, an early knowledge of how certain communication disorders threaten it, and a profound respect for all individuals working with their disabilities to live independently and happily.
The paragraph then ties these factors together to show the central reasons why I want to be an SLP. In the process, I am showing my beliefs and personal qualities my critical thinking skills, empathy, and perceptivenessand thus, an introduction to my overall character and main motives.
How can you write an effective interest catcher? First, create a list of moments where you felt the most excited about pursuing SLP. My moments were as interesting as watching an individual with autism miraculously increase his utterance-length after using delayed auditory feedback for the first time, and as mundane-sounding as following a medical SLP around a hospital, slp grad school personal statement examples. It matters less the moment and more what you make of it.
However, a good rule-of-thumb is that you might get more reflection and interest from a single moment like, say, the ten minutes in which a young boy uses an AAC device, rather than an entire day shadowing a school SLP. Next, choose the moments that speak to you the most.
Maybe they made you feel uncomfortable or touched or amazed. Then, explore those strong emotions by free-writing in a journal about each: why did you choose this moment? Why was it important to you? What did you learn about SLP, communication, or disability in general? How does it tie to your reasons for pursuing SLP? After writing, choose the moment that you feel the most drawn to, and which slp grad school personal statement examples most likely to tell a comprehensive story about your interest for SLP.
Then, try writing it out for real as your first paragraph, using these questions as your guide for organization within the paragraph. My second paragraph was a lot less creative and more straightforward. In general, I tried to stay concise and to-the-point throughout the essay, as admission committees have to read hundreds of applications, slp grad school personal statement examples.
Before writing, I researched the major skills required of speech-language pathologists, or even specifically, SLP students.
Many grad programssuch as New York Medical College, Montclair State, and others, will display this list on their websites so that applicants know what is expected of them. I took note of a few skills from that list that I believed I had, and which I had learned from my internship experiences. Then, I identified the two major professional experiences from which I learned the most, and discussed how I acquired these skills from these places.
Here is how my topic sentence looked for this paragraph:. You want to focus on only one or two experiences so slp grad school personal statement examples you are not simply regurgitating your resume. A good formula to use to write about each experience is this: 1 describe what you did, 2 reflect on what you learned from it, and 3 connect it to your larger point for this paragraph i. You can and should use this formula for any experience you discuss in any of your paragraphs.
Here is an example of this formula for this paragraph. In this example, I talk about how my internship in an SLP private practice helped me gain critical thinking skills and some early knowledge of field-specific processes:.
On to the next paragraph! Discussing these goals shows you have a vision for where you might fit in the field and how you might contribute to it; further, it shows your existing knowledge of the field. As with the previous paragraph, I discussed experiences that led me to want to create these goals. To give you a better idea of the structure of this paragraph, here is its topic sentence:.
I discovered specific aspirations to work in medical and bilingual SLP with clients across the lifespan following observation and further internship experiences.
I talked about these experiences using the same formula from the last paragraph with the following shift to the third step: 3 explain how the experience led me to want to set these goals e. As shown in this example, you do not have to go in order, as long as the order of ideas are logical, slp grad school personal statement examples. If relevant to you, you can also mention other specific goals within SLP in this paragraph, such as wanting to own a private practice or pursue a Ph.
Lastly, this might seem obvious but: make sure your goals align with what the university offers! Schools not only want to know what they can do for you, slp grad school personal statement examples, but what you can do for them? Why is this school the best fit for your interests and goals? And a subquestion within this is: how will you contribute to this program? In talking about what you like about your specific program, you should discuss how you might contribute positively to it.
Of course, this paragraph will be the one you change for each school based on why you are attracted to that specific program.
Some features I focused on to decide which schools I liked and thus, slp grad school personal statement examples, what I talked about in this paragraph:.
So yes, every grad school has research probably in a variety of areas of interest to you, slp grad school personal statement examples. As you might have done in your undergraduate applications, zero in on a particular lab or professor whose research peaks your interest. Detail what you like about their research, or even tie it to your own past experiences in research or your coursework. This will show complex thinking, and genuine knowledge and interest in this area.
It will also show them this school has a very specific place for you! Even further, you are ready to make your mark in this program. Some programs have more placement opportunities in one area of SLP than another, or else in a well-known medical institution or in a region with a high population of multilingual speakers. Depending on which areas of SLP interests you, you might want one or more of these specific types of placements.
Be sure to research the list of affiliations to slp grad school personal statement examples where the students of these programs usually complete their clinical work. Going further, how might your skillset say, you are bilingual or took sociolinguistics help you excel in these placements? Some programs have a particular focus in medical SLP, school SLP, or else a generalized focus in all areas, slp grad school personal statement examples.
However, most of the time I found that most programs are rather generalized not specific to any one area. But if your program meets your desired program focus, then it would only help to emphasize this connection in your essay. Or perhaps the school has certain desired electives that separate it from other schools.
Or maybe it has other unique features like a bilingual extension. Further, it shows your knowledge of the program and why it suits you. With this full-circle dialogue of why you are good for the school and why the school is good for you, it seems no committee can refute your suitability to their program.
But oops! You should end your fourth paragraph with a sentence or two that reiterates why you would succeed in this specific program and circles back to your interest catcher. Here is my closing of two sentences:. In the first sentence I highlight my goals and skills gained from my professional experiences all of which make me great for this specific program. Then I returned to my admiration of the SLP I observed in the introduction paragraph, and how it illuminated my desire to help those reclaim their voice and independence.
This final step is imperative because in a punch it reminds the reader of your entire package — the highlights of all you have to offer. And in those hundreds of applications they sift through, you want to make sure yours stands out as clear and memorable in its own way. And there it is! My guide to the personal statement! You have free reign to take my recipe and use it for your own, and as always, feel free to ask me questions or share any thoughts.
Tea is meant for sharing ��. You are commenting using your WordPress. com account. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content A usable outline for your personal statement for SLP grad programs. Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels This time last year I remember fretting over the first draft of my personal statement for SLP graduate admissions.
Paragraph 1: How did I get interested in SLP? Dignity is recognizing ourselves as human beings deserving of respect. Language often preserves dignity when dignity feels jeopardized by a disability.
Thus, it was not in a moment, but in a series of moments watching others insisting they be seen and heard that I knew I wanted to be an SLP. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Now! Paragraph 2: What professional experience s prepared me for SLP? What skills did I gain? Here is how my topic sentence looked for this paragraph: After observing and actively participating in SLP evaluation and treatment for hours in various settings, I gained the early clinical knowledge, critical thinking, communication skills, and patience to pursue my goals at XYZ University.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels You want to focus on only one or two experiences so that you are not simply regurgitating your resume.
READING MY SLP GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT
, time: 12:48Laura Yang — Personal Statement Advice from an SLP Master's Student
Speech Language Pathology Personal Statement. Words 3 Pages. Show More. As a Speech-Language-Hearing undergraduate, I have had a combination of experiences and learning opportunities that have prepared me to enter Emerson College’s graduate school program and become a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). In my personal life, I have always wanted to be part of a profession · You don’t want a list, but rather a deconstruction of your experiences in your personal statement. A good formula to use to write about each experience is this: 1) describe what you did, 2) reflect on what you learned from it, and 3) connect it to your larger point for this paragraph (i.e. how this will prepare you for SLP/grad school) With graduate school applications looming on my mind, I decided to ask a few graduate students about tips on writing a personal statement. If you’re thinking of applying to a Canadian SLP Master’s school, take a look at my spreadsheet overview.. First up, we have Laura Yang!
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