Uncertainty About The Possibility of Admission

[audballer]

Hi everyone,

Just a little bit about myself, I am a 4th year Criminology, Law, and Society student at the University of California, Irvine. My GPA is not quite competitive at 3.196 due to my string of C's in my first one and a half years as a biology student, but it gradually increased as I switched to this major. I did fulfill prerequisite classes according to the AuD schools I've looked up. I have not yet taken the GRE yet, but it has already been scheduled for June 17. I have about 5 years of volunteering at a Catholic youth group and am currently its vice-president. After my commencement ceremony in a couple of weeks, I will be interning at a Cross-Cultural Center to fulfill my Field Study requirement for my major.

I'd like to know what are my chances of getting into an Au. D. program with my current GPA and experience as well as what I can do to improve my application for Fall 2012. Also, I've noticed that some schools require some hours of "guided clinical observation" in audiology. Unfortunately, I don't know any audiologists in my area, but I do know a physical therapist so can he write a letter of recommendation for me in addition to guiding clinical observation in what he's doing?

The schools I'm interested in are AT Still University (AZ), University of Arizona, Salus (PA), Univ. Of Wisconsin - Madison-Stevens Point, and SDSU.

Any inputs would be greatly appreciated

-audballer

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[spring88]

Hi everyone,

Just a little bit about myself, I am a 4th year Criminology, Law, and Society student at the University of California, Irvine. My GPA is not quite competitive at 3.196 due to my string of C's in my first one and a half years as a biology student, but it gradually increased as I switched to this major. I did fulfill prerequisite classes according to the AuD schools I've looked up. I have not yet taken the GRE yet, but it has already been scheduled for June 17. I have about 5 years of volunteering at a Catholic youth group and am currently its vice-president. After my commencement ceremony in a couple of weeks, I will be interning at a Cross-Cultural Center to fulfill my Field Study requirement for my major.

I'd like to know what are my chances of getting into an Au. D. program with my current GPA and experience as well as what I can do to improve my application for Fall 2012. Also, I've noticed that some schools require some hours of "guided clinical observation" in audiology. Unfortunately, I don't know any audiologists in my area, but I do know a physical therapist so can he write a letter of recommendation for me in addition to guiding clinical observation in what he's doing?

The schools I'm interested in are AT Still University (AZ), University of Arizona, Salus (PA), Univ. Of Wisconsin - Madison-Stevens Point, and SDSU.

Any inputs would be greatly appreciated

-audballer

Hi audballer,

It's hard to say what anyone's chances are in getting into a program..even if you have a 4.0 or a 2.5. Each school does their selection process differently. I got into the three programs I applied to with a 3.2-3.3 but I had a strong GRE score (north of 1200) amongst other things.

You are applying to schools all over the rankings which will work in your favor when you apply. Some schools on your list are harder to get into than others. I would strongly suggest that you don't ask the PT you work with for a letter of rec. I've been told that is best that you seek letters from those in the field or a professor that knows you well and can advocate for your success at the graduate level.

AuD programs are going to want to know WHY you are interested in audiology so that's where your personal statement comes in. You need to be able to tie your relevant experience to why you want to pursue audiology. Any sort of volunteering with people will look good for you but if you can find volunteer opportunities with audiologists or hearing impaired populations, that's even better.

Communicate with the programs you are interested in, visit if you can. I was able to fly to one of my top choices, was asked about my grades and was then able to explain why they shouldn't be held against me. Work on getting a good GRE score to compensate for your grades. Actively seek out audiology-related experiences in your area, considering you are from CA, there are likely audiologists around. Spend time writing a personal statement that can speak to your desire to pursue audiology and that it shows what YOU can bring to the field.

Good luck! .

 

[rEliseMe]

Hi audballer,

It's hard to say what anyone's chances are in getting into a program..even if you have a 4.0 or a 2.5. Each school does their selection process differently. I got into the three programs I applied to with a 3.2-3.3 but I had a strong GRE score (north of 1200) amongst other things.

You are applying to schools all over the rankings which will work in your favor when you apply. Some schools on your list are harder to get into than others. I would strongly suggest that you don't ask the PT you work with for a letter of rec. I've been told that is best that you seek letters from those in the field or a professor that knows you well and can advocate for your success at the graduate level.

AuD programs are going to want to know WHY you are interested in audiology so that's where your personal statement comes in. You need to be able to tie your relevant experience to why you want to pursue audiology. Any sort of volunteering with people will look good for you but if you can find volunteer opportunities with audiologists or hearing impaired populations, that's even better.

Communicate with the programs you are interested in, visit if you can. I was able to fly to one of my top choices, was asked about my grades and was then able to explain why they shouldn't be held against me. Work on getting a good GRE score to compensate for your grades. Actively seek out audiology-related experiences in your area, considering you are from CA, there are likely audiologists around. Spend time writing a personal statement that can speak to your desire to pursue audiology and that it shows what YOU can bring to the field.

Good luck! .

I second everything Spring said. I think the personal statement and GRE scores are regarded higher than GPA (especially freshman/sophomore grades) but don't necessarily discount it entirely. Communicating with the programs is probably one of the best things you can do aside from observing with an audiologist in your area. Not already knowing an audiologist is not an acceptable excuse for not doing any observation. Even if you can schedule an hour a week with a couple different people, that's better than saying, "Oh, I didn't observe with anyone because my degree wasn't in audiology and I didn't know anyone..." That response is going to signal to the admissions committee that you are not the type of motivated self-starter they're looking for. Jussayin'.

 

[audballer]

Thank you very much for all your suggestions and advice! Looks like this summer will be dedicated to the GRE, clinical observations, prospective school visits, and more volunteering.

 

[spring88]

Thank you very much for all your suggestions and advice! Looks like this summer will be dedicated to the GRE, clinical observations, prospective school visits, and more volunteering.

Good luck, audballer! If you have any other questions or would like any more insights, please feel free to PM me. Glad to help

 

[RoNe]

Hello. Do you, or does anyone know about the reputation of the Audiology program at Gallaudet University in Washington DC? Someone told me it is not a highly regarded school/or audiology program, and that it might not even be accredited. I am not too sure if that source was credible. Is there anywhere I can find that out? Thank you so much

 

[spring88]

Hello. Do you, or does anyone know about the reputation of the Audiology program at Gallaudet University in Washington DC? Someone told me it is not a highly regarded school/or audiology program, and that it might not even be accredited. I am not too sure if that source was credible. Is there anywhere I can find that out? Thank you so much

I recommend you PMing cidanu or Kissfist on the forum if you are interested in finding out more about Gallaudet. One is a student and one will be a student at Gallaudet. I'm sure they would be glad to help answer your questions and discuss your concerns.

I applied to Gallaudet and was accepted, I only applied to programs I could see myself going to and wouldn't have applied to Gallaudet if I thought the above was the case. However, like anything, people may have differentiating opinions. Always seek more than one opinion before forming your own conclusion!

 

[rEliseMe]

I recommend you PMing cidanu or Kissfist on the forum if you are interested in finding out more about Gallaudet. One is a student and one will be a student at Gallaudet. I'm sure they would be glad to help answer your questions and discuss your concerns.

I applied to Gallaudet and was accepted, I only applied to programs I could see myself going to and wouldn't have applied to Gallaudet if I thought the above was the case. However, like anything, people may have differentiating opinions. Always seek more than one opinion before forming your own conclusion!

And contact the school about accreditation. Never accept rumor when you can go straight to the horse's mouth.

 

[RoNe]

Thanks for that tip It'd be great to speak to someone who goes there.

 

[RoNe]

And contact the school about accreditation. Never accept rumor when you can go straight to the horse's mouth.

Thats very true. Since I am new to this feild I was a bit concerned if there was a "stigma" attached to Gallaudet.

 

[RoNe]

Thats very true. Since I am new to this feild I was a bit concerned if there was a "stigma" attached to Gallaudet.

Oops. I meant field.

 

[rEliseMe]

Thats very true. Since I am new to this feild I was a bit concerned if there was a "stigma" attached to Gallaudet.

Not as far as I know. Consider the source of any information you receive via word of mouth, especially if it's from someone who is not connected to the university (went there, works there, family member or close friend of someone who went/works there, etc.). Ideally, these people would be pariahs, but unfortunately they're somehow regarded as legitimate sources of information! Good luck in your search/application.

 

[Kissfist]

Oh, I get tired of defending Gallaudet and I am not even a student yet.

It is accredited & we can see for ourselves on ASHA'a website using the Edfind tool. Of the 61 AuD programs that are ranked by US news (plus the 7 that are not) it comes in at 19, which is not too damn shabby. It has a 100% job placement for graduating students. If you factor in the cost of attendence at Gallaudet ($6,400 tuition a semester for all Americans since it is a federal institution) it becomes a very good deal for folks like myself who didn't like their lone in-state option (seriously I'm from South Dakota.) Gallaudet may not be the best audiology program but it is without a doubt the best in one area, which is preparing you to work with culturally Deaf clients & gaining clinical experience with profoundly deaf clients. That being said, they have a well-rounded program which prepares you to work in any setting, not just Deaf schools. I don't know if there is a stigma in attending Gallaudet but I've heard from the couple AuD students I've chatted with that most people are impressed.


I lived in DC for a year and a half and it is a fan-f@#*ing-tastic city, albeit an expensive one. I've had 8 different Deaf roommates (7 of whom graduated from Gallaudet) during my time in DC & Seattle and they all loved their experience there. My boyfriend (who is deaf & Deaf) did his undergrad there, I've spent a lot of time on campus and I love Kendall Green. My ASL is pretty good and I'm comfortable being in the minority with regard to hearing status. I have an unwavering belief that ASL has a necessary place in the remediation of hearing loss and am confident I chose the right program.

 

[spring88]

Just a word of advice to applicants, ALWAYS do your research before asking questions. We are a bit more understanding on this forum but if you ask questions that have answers easily obtained online about the AuD program at XYZ and want them answered by a faculty member at XYZ...they won't be impressed. I've heard this straight from the mouths of faculty members from the AuD program at my undergrad.

If you are seeking information regarding AuD programs/the AuD application process and have stumbled across the like of ASHA, AAA and this forum, you've been doing your homework. Those that do their homework tend to be the more successful applicants.