Statement of Intentions Question (and GRE suggestions)

[erat_in_fatis]

 Hi, I am currently an elementary ed major and just finished my junior year. I'm applying for a grad program in speech pathology.

Unfortunately, there is literally only ONE program in my state (and it only takes 35 people a year, out of 300+ applications), so it is very very important that I am accepted. Otherwise, I would have to teach for a year,

Comments

[esmeraldus_neo]

Questions about GRE cost and similar can be answered with a few minutes of research on the GRE website. They have a FAQ: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/faq/

There is also a test prep section. It probably says something like what I am about to suggest, which is buy a practice booklet and read it thoroughly, and take practice tests. Do not over-prepare the week before the exam, and on the night before the exam rest well, and eat a good breakfast on the day of the exam.

[fullofpink]

Review the SOP's (Statement of purpose) here. Some are really good and the comments should help you understand and eliminate the things you do and do not want on a statement of purpose. :)

[brittdreams]

These may seem like weird questions but please take them seriously. Why would teaching for a year complicate your finances? How are you planning to pay for a degree in speech pathology? Why must you go to the one program that is in your state?

[erat_in_fatis]

A teacher's starting salary is about $30,000 a year. Most teachers can handle that because (atleast in my state) you can get $5000 or so for college if you agree to work for five years after you graduate. I didn't take out a teaching loan because I don't intend to teach, so if I started teaching I would have to start paying loans back that I can't really afford yet. However, if I go into speech pathology directly after, I can wait to pay off loans, and a Speech Pathologist's starting salary is about $60,000. It would be really difficult to pay loans for my first degree while in my second degree, especially since it would be really hard to be a teacher when most of my classes would be during the day. AKA: I really wouldn't have an income, but I would need to start paying off loans. Basically, with my speech path degree I could actually afford to pay for both degrees, but not going to school for a year would really complicate things

[tisiphone]

If you go back to school your loans get deferred, the same as they would if you went straight into grad school. You would still pay for the period you were out of school (minus your six month grace period), but it's not the case that you would be paying off your loans while you were in grad school.

[fullofpink]

If you received a Federal Pell grant (or other low-economic loan, look at the website) and you teach in low-income schools, you can get 15% knocked off that loan.

[tisiphone]

I wouldn't even mention your first year. Almost everyone has some adjustment difficulties, and your later work (especially your in-major work) will be much more highly weighted. If it works for you, definitely say "I assisted in therapies for my kid sister," but don't go on to say "and that's why my grades sucked," because that really will look like you're making excuses. As for starting your statement of purpose, I'd suggest starting with an outline. Be prepared to write 4-5 drafts and even very different versions of your paper before you find one that really works for you. You didn't ask about this, I'd also suggest looking at schools outside your state, since you cannot put all your eggs in one basket on this. Look for programs in surrounding states as well.

[littlegirlvik]

I second absolutely everything here; the one thing I'd like to emphasize is the multiple drafts. I didn't expect to write as much as I did for what turned out to be a 3 page statement of interests. I'm usually a pretty decent writer, and at first, really, really underestimated the amount of time it took to make a GOOD statement. In the end, I spent a solid two/three weeks on my SOP, and finally ended up with something I really, really like (even to this day). However, I wrote 4 or 5 very different statements, and rewrote two of those half a dozen times apiece.

[tisiphone]

I went the other way - I started with a rambling exposition of my academic career (and really, there was an awful lot I could have explained!) and ended up with a tight three paragraphs. It took a long, long time to get it, though, I think because it was so intensely personal. In my academic writing I feel no compunctions. When in doubt, cut it out, you know? But for my statement of interests I had to really think about whether something that was important to me was really important to them. It was way, way more versions than I ever did for anything else.

[homericlaughter]

As far as the SOP goes, read this book http://books.google.com/books/about/Graduate_admissions_essays.html?id=nH7jiuW3Bc8C

As far as the GRE goes, go get one of the myriad of study guides available in your local bookstore.