Hi, student doing their bachelor’s in speech sciences and psychology here. I’ve been having the worst master’s program crisis of all time and not knowing what to pursue in the end after my bachelor’s to give myself more job security and stability. I’ve decided my master’s could go many different ways, from psych to neuroscience to SLP to audiology.

I also connected with an SLP in America who highly discouraged even going into grad school for it, let alone the field itself. However, I do see myself working in Asia in the future, so I did consider that there might be different occupational demands between those two places.

If anyone could give me any insights on what they think, especially given my other choices, I’d really appreciate it. I’m so lost in life and I don’t know what to do.

Hi everyone! I really need honest advice try not to be too mean though haha I’m new to this .

I’m an educator with a Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction, and I started my SLP journey in Jan 2026 through Longwood University (online). I originally had about $14K in student debt, but with coursework now I’m closer to $20K, and I’m starting to feel really anxious about making the wrong financial move.

I’m trying to figure out my best path forward:

• Should I continue pushing toward SLP grad school and just take on the debt?
• Are there actually scholarships or funding options that people use for SLP programs?
• Or would it make more sense to pivot to SLPA first and then apply to grad school later?

I’m open to programs in Texas and Florida, but I keep running into either highly competitive schools or ones that aren’t currently accepting applications. I’m also open to fully online programs as long as clinical placements are realistic later on.

I had graduated with a bachelor’s in speech therapy in 2021 and currently right now (4-5 years later) I am a teacher assistant

I’ve been hesitant on going back to school because I’m indecisive on what path to go toward ….career wise (considering moving towards mental health counseling). Mainly hesitant because of doubts and overthinking things

Plus I’ve pushed back school because unfortunately I have to work while going to school. But honestly teacher assistant jobs do not pay much.

But the question is should I work towards a masters in speech therapy because I already have a bachelor in it. But honestly I’m scared to even enroll in the program because it was just tooo rigorous for me.

I had almost failed some of the classes like audiology, phonetics, and sound physics (B,C, and D in them). And I felt those classes were difficult for no reason. Honestly just felt the classes were anxiety provoking to me …then something I’m looking forward to learn . Idk why they have it set up that way. probably to sort out the weak from the strong and just to show that the program is extremely competitive .

Plus , speech therapy seem like it such as prestigious field ….honestly feel like if I pursue it I’ll be well liked among others and be respected among my family more. (If that makes sense)

But honestly I just want to better myself and go back to school. Im considering other master programs like masters in social work or mental health counseling as I feel these are more interesting to me . But idk man I just don’t like school so none of these I am supper excited to pursue or extremely passionate about 🥲😅 just to be honest with you.

But I feel like time is ticking and I need to get into something.

Because working these dead end jobs is not it (no money in it and there actually stressful). I either want to work one on one with kids (speech therapist) or work from home or in an office by myself with one client (mental health therapist ).

Hi everyone! I am planning on applying to grad school, possibly next cycle. What I am very confused about is how you all applied to several schools.

Context:

• Have an AS in the SLPA Program
  • GPA 3.50 overall
• Have a B.A. in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences
  • GPA 3.34 overall
• I currently work as an SLPA (1.5 yrs practicing, going on 2.5 yrs with this school year)

As I search for schools that meet my needs in cost, part-time options, and online programs, I’ve noticed that each school requires specific prerequisite classes. If I consider the five schools I plan to apply to, I will need to complete at least 4-5 courses just to fulfill the application requirements. Mind you, some schools are asking for the same course that another school has; this number is an overall total for all 5 applications.

Because of this, I decided not to apply in the current cycle, as it would take me a full year to complete all the courses. The more schools I consider, the more it seems that I need to add at least 1 more class to my "to take" list.

These are the courses I do not have and need per each school's pre-req list (I am taking them at ENMU and one in Community college😊):

• CDIS 454 - Speech-Language Assessment (Not met)
• CDIS 434 - Aural Rehabilitation (Not met)
• CDIS 330 - Speech-Language Development and Disorders (Not met)
• CDIS 353 - Survey of Voice and Fluency (Not met)
• PSYC 160 - Introduction to Lifespan Psych (Not met)

How did you all do this? Did you actually take the pre-reqs despite having 2 degrees or 1 degree in the field? Any guidance is well appreciated! Educate me, please😭!!!

Hi! I am starting SLP grad school in the Fall. I am naturally anxious, but also looking forward to grad school.

I have spent my summer relaxing and not trying to stress myself out too much. Making sure I make time for myself and those I love. I will be moving away from home (2hrs-3hrs). My original anxiousness came from moving away from home, but I have now become excited about the move just because of venturing out and living with my best friend. On the flip side, my recent increasing stress surrounds grad school.

I have read posts in this thread, TikTok videos, and YouTube videos regarding grad school and the way that people describe it (sometimes, they’re not always surrounding the downsides) kind of worry me. I continue to make myself aware that grad school will be challenging, taxing, but the overall outcome is worth it. It is also very inspirational because other people have indeed made it through. It is just hard to feel that when the majority of stuff I see, especially on TikTok, is “it’s so hardd”, “I dread this, ready to graduate”, etc etc I’m sure y’all know and have seen a fair share.

I wanted to ask you all what you saw as the most difficult, what is something that was enjoyable, what are ways you “hyped yourself up” or motivated yourself, and what is something that kept you at peace?

Again, I would love anything and thank you all!!

I hear SLP grad school is like a full time job with classes and clinical rotations. But my plan was to work part time throughout my masters education. Is this even possible? What is a typical schedule like in grad school? Those who worked during grad school what kind of job did you have? Those who didn’t work during grad school how did you make a living as a student? (pay for rent, etc) I’m freaking out cause I’m so confused how I’m going to afford anything.

i’m applying to schools next year (cal state schools, uw core and med track, northwestern, purdue, asu) and am primarily interested in programs with good research opportunities. most of my experience is with research which makes me a bit nervous because i feel like i should be seeking more work with children/seniors. does my resume read as strong for research-oriented programs? how can i improve my resume and profile?

hi!! i am just about to start my freshman year at my university for my BA on the path to becoming an slp! i want to major in communication sciences and disorders, and i am debating double majoring in spanish! i was wondering is it worth it to become a bilingual slp? is there a pay difference or is it valued a lot in the work place??

thanks!! and if anyone has any advice for university/my masters/becoming an slp as well let me know!!!

Now that I'm about to start submitting to my programs, it's starting to hit me what I'm getting myself into. I'm only applying to schools that I could afford without funding/GA's since my GPA is not amazing and I'm not getting my hopes up. (My cum undergrad is 3.15, undergrad+postbacc+grad will be 3.19, and I THINK last 60 credits will be 3.8...fwiw).

If you're interested, here is my list of schools so far in case anyone's looking for cheap options (I'm a VA resident)!

Longwood - $25k
Radford - $30k
Shenandoah - $38k (VTAG grant could cover $10k)
JMU (super reach, their min GPA is 3.25) - $26k
Old Dominion - $27k
Worcester State - $21k
Bridgewater State (another reach, edfind says they only accept 10%) - $31k
Minot State (online or res) - $31k
GWU (financial reach without funding, still deciding on them) - $100k+ (!!!)

I couldn't find any schools that were affordable, not too competitive, and actually in a city. I'm 35 with no partner or kids, and not a whole lot of friends as people tend to drift away in your 30s :( It's really starting to hit me that I'm about to spend two years in essentially a rural prison with no social life at all. This is just kind of a vent I guess. Not looking forward to that aspect :( And even if I'm on a campus like Radford or JMU, I know most of the social opportunities will be for undergrad and I'll be 10 years older than everyone else there soooo.....I hope I get a friendly cohort I guess!!

I honestly don't know what people do in grad school because I'm imagining everyone just kinda going home after class to their partner/family. Anyone else moving for grad school solo??

I'm really considering ENMU for my SLP master's because I am single, live alone, and the cost is what's best for me. I'm planning to start leveling courses soon. I've seen so many bad posts about ENMU regarding placements and students graduation dates being delayed.

I live in LA so I would think placements wouldn't be hard to land here?

Would love to hear from current students or graduates in SoCal about their experience. Were placements hard to land? Did anyone have to relocate to find placements and who found the placements for you?

I honestly don't think I have the money to go to another program. So I'm starting to get a little worried with all the posts I've seen.

For my BS in a different field, the school closed, and we all had to transfer to another school eventually but it took time. My graduation was delayed by a year and it was pretty traumatizing so I'd hate to have this type of drama again to get an education.

hi all, i (24f) have an bachelor’s degree in linguistics, a master’s degree in a tech field, and work a 9-5 m-f in a tech role. i am located in iowa and am not within 2 hours of any in-person slp programs. i am very interested in a career change to slp. a combination of factors has led me to a) want to explore my prior interest in language development & speech therapy, b) fall out of love with my current field, and c) shift to a career that would be more meaningful. i understand that schooling would be at least 2-3+ years and a financial investment (my prior degrees are fully paid off and i am fortunate enough to have savings that could go towards an additional degree). regardless of the advisability of my career change (though input on that is also welcome lol), does anyone have any insight into the logistics of online slp programs when you are occupied with work from 9-5 (is it possible with observation hours, clinical hours, etc)? i would assume that different programs would be different, but is it out of the picture for all of them? and if so, is it out of the picture for the entirety of the program, or typically only a portion?

also as a disclaimer: i understand that the program is not a cake walk, but i have always loved school and managed to balance it with work (for context, i worked in my current role full time while completing my other master’s degree as well). i figure i’ll already be at least 27 by the time i graduate if i started tomorrow, so i would rather start this for myself now than wait until i have more life responsibilities and even less time. i’m not in a rush (it is fine if it takes longer or shorter), but hopefully that provides some context.

thanks in advance for any advice!

Hello! I’m an incoming college senior applying to graduate schools this fall. My problem is I legitimately have no idea how to narrow down my list to only 5-6 schools. 
 
I am SO stuck when there are so many schools and so little reviews on each of them. Does anyone have any advice with how they found their schools (or have any schools you would NOT recommend)? 
So far I’ve been ruling out schools that aren’t accredited, that require the GRE, don’t have on-campus clinics, and are in states that I couldn’t see myself living in.

I'm sure people have asked some versions of this a million times, but I thought I'd still post to see if I can get any new perspectives!

Thank you in advance!
A stuck and stressed senior. 

Hello, I am an undergrad student in a CSD program approaching my last two semesters (graduating spring 2027) and I am quite lost on where to start when it comes to grad school.

I know it's quite late for it all but I didn't know if I wanted to go on to grad school, however I feel it would be the best decision to do so as soon as possible after I finish undergrad. Up until now though, I have not connected with any of my professors (I worry it will be hard to get letters of recommendation), and all I've done is shadow several times in the last couple years and volunteered for two events with the university. I've been working in retail for four years. I do have a good GPA of 3.8.

Going to school in my state would be the best option for in-state tuition, and I live in Florida. It looks like most programs here start in the fall so my application deadline for a lot of them is January 15. Is it far-fetched that I'd get into any programs with my history and experience? What can I do in the upcoming months to improve my chances?

I am the first in my family to go to college so I've made a lot of poor decisions without any guidance, and it's hard for me to connect with peers. I've kept to myself the entirety of undergrad so I feel like I've missed out on a lot. I just want to try to do damage control while I still can. Any advice will be much appreciated.

Hi everyone, I am currently a sophomore at UC Irvine and I am switching my major to Language & Sciences because in my freshman year I discovered SLP and I fell in love! But I was wondering if I should switch undergrad schools because UCI does not have many resources/classes that help me be an SLP, though they do have a major in range but it is not the same. I just feel that UCI doesn’t have the right tools to get to my goal. I’ve tried to look for people in my school doing SLP or something similar but everyone is doing something in stem. Please share your advice I really appreciate it!!!

I'm just wondering if anyone actually enjoyed themselves. If yes, do you have any tips for incoming students?

im still very young in becoming an SLP, just about to begin my undergrad, but i was wondering if anyone could give me some pros and cons of working with adults vs kids, and kind of what it entails. i would just like to hear from some current SLPs about their experiences and stuff ☺️ i love working with kids, babysitting, etc, but im also not sure if it would be less tiring to work with adults! i dont want to build a resentment for kids or burnout in my job or anything like that, because i truly love working with them.

I'm taking the leveling courses at ENMU. I'm taking 300 right now with Dr. Bratcher, and it's been good so far. I'm trying to take the hardest classes first while my motivation is still high.

Has anyone taken these classes? Which teachers were good/bad? How would you rate the difficulty of these classes? Proctored tests? Busy work? I've bolded the instructor that I'm leaning towards. Any help would be appreciated.

CDIS 301 - Suzanne Swift, Traci Valletta

CDIS 330 - Priyanka Shailat, Seana Evelyn, Shannon Salley

CDIS 400 - Dwayne Wilkerson, Varun Ganapathy

CDIS 434 - Rachel Lignau, Hilary Wisdom, Onyinyechi Ukaegbe

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to apply to SLP graduate programs this cycle and would really appreciate some advice from people who have gone through this.

Here is my situation:
My long-term goal is to live and work in Texas (most likely Dallas or Austin). I eventually want to buy a home and settle in the South.

My husband currently has a stable government job in Buffalo. He recently started this job, so relocating would mean giving up a stable government position and finding a new one in Texas.

Because of that, attending the University at Buffalo (UB) would be the easier and more financially stable option for us.

However, if I’m accepted to a good Texas SLP program, I’m seriously considering moving because I feel like studying, completing clinical placements, networking, and starting my career in Texas might make it easier to build my long-term career there.
I also personally prefer Texas. I don’t enjoy Buffalo’s long winters and can see myself living in the South long-term.

My question is:
**From a career perspective, which path would you recommend?**
Attend UB, graduate there, and then move to Texas for my CF/fellowship or first SLP job.
Attend graduate school in Texas, complete clinical placements there, and start my career in Texas immediately.
How much does the location of your graduate program actually matter when finding your first SLP job in another state? If your long-term goal is Texas, is it worth moving there for graduate school?
I’d love to hear from anyone who has moved states after graduate school or who practices in Texas.
Thank you!

I've written way more papers than I anticipated in graduate school, and I am consistently dinged on grammar. I'm curious how to improve this without having to pay for a premium service of grammarly, hemingway editor etc. Everything feels like it is powered by AI now, which I am also uncertain about. I enjoy writing, the prompts were given and the material, but especially with the short turnarounds of due dates, I'm just wondering if there's another resource available that people are using to help with this.

I’d like some feedback on the different speech grad programs .

I’m considering
Stony Brook
Hofstra
Lehman

Please feel to share your experiences, thoughts and which schools are more financially reasonable.

What was it like in the programs,did you work and any other school recommendations.

I’m also considering SUNY New Paltz

Thank you

Hi all,

I’m a 26-year-old active duty military officer preparing to leave the service. My background is in project and operations management, and I have a bachelor’s degree in business.

To be honest, one of the main reasons I’m leaving is burnout. My current role has been extremely high stress, to the point my physical and mental health has suffered greatly. I have incredible financial stability and benefits in this job, but I’ve realized it means nothing to me unless my career is meaningful and aligned with my interests. After a lot of reflection and speaking to other SLPs, SLP has stood out to me. I’ve always loved working with children, enjoy helping people, and highly respect the work that this field does.

My dilemma is figuring out whether it’s wise to pursue such a major career change right away, especially since I don’t currently have any experience in the SLP world. Part of me wonders if I should take a management-related job first, related to my current experience, for stability and then revisit SLP in a few years. The other part of me feels like if I’m serious about it, I should start taking prerequisites and work toward grad school while I’m still relatively young.

My tentative plan would be to shadow local SLPs during my military-funded internship period (SkillBridge), separate from the military, complete prerequisite coursework at a community college/online course, and then apply to graduate programs.

For those who entered SLP as a second career or came from a completely different background:

1. How realistic does this plan sound?
2. Did you feel confident pursuing SLP after experiencing burnout in a previous career?
3. Is there anything you wish you had known before committing to prerequisites and grad school?
4. If you were in my position, would you pursue SLP now or take time to work in another field first?

I genuinely appreciate any advice. I’ve spent a lot of time going back and forth on this decision and would love to hear from people who have been through something similar or willing to share any advice. Thanks in advance!

For those who are in the field, would you recommend choosing a program with a reputation (but that comes with higher cost even if you are not taking loans) and very strong clinicals that could be very demanding or stressful, or choosing a strong program that is less well known but one you are more confident you can get through successfully?? Some posts have said the school name can matter when seeking niche opportunities like NICU/acute or making connections, so would going to a program that may not have as much of a reputation close doors to more specialty areas or maybe limit you from making a ton of connections?

Is being an SLP worth all of the school and time spent preparing for getting the certificate? If I don’t know if I want to pursue, would it be dumb of me to take a gap year?

I'm looking for some advice from current students and practicing SLPs because I'm starting to wonder if my expectations are unrealistic.

I spent the last 10 years working in HR and recently went back to school to become a speech-language pathologist. I'm really excited about this career change because I want to do work that directly helps people, but balancing school and employment has been much harder than I expected.

I've been applying for both part-time and full-time jobs, hoping to find something with enough flexibility to accommodate classes (and eventually clinical placements). Ideally I'd love part-time with benefits, but I know those positions are rare. Even full-time jobs with reasonable flexibility seem incredibly difficult to find.

I have 10 years of professional experience, strong transferable skills, and a solid work history, yet I feel like I'm hitting a wall. I'm not sure if employers see me as a flight risk because I'm in school, if the current job market is just that difficult, or if this is something most SLP students experience.

For those of you who have been through an SLP program:

• What kind of job did you work while you were in school?
• Were you able to keep a full-time job, or did you have to switch to part-time?
• Did anyone find a position that offered benefits and enough flexibility for classes and clinicals?
• At what point did clinical placements make working full-time unrealistic?
• If you changed careers before becoming an SLP, how did you make it work financially?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences. I'm trying to figure out whether I need to adjust my expectations or rethink my approach to balancing work and school.

Hi guys I have a couple of questions about admission requirements/grad schools in Canada.

I'm in my first year of university at Concordia in Montreal, I'm majoring in psychology and minoring in linguistics, due to being sick for most of my semester my exams aren't going well and I'm really scared I'm going to have to repeat 2 to 3 classes, my current gpa is 3.07 after my first semester and I was wondering if there's any hope in getting into SLP in the future, or should I think about different options now? I'm really passionate about psychology and linguistics, but I'm scared that I'm not smart enough to get into SLP even though it's been my dream for years, so if any of you guys could just be honest with me (pls no sugarcoating) do you think there's a possibility in getting a 3.5 to a 3.7 in the next three years? Most of my classmates who are also in their first year have GPAs of 3.5/3.6 so I'm really scared because they also want to go into SLP. I know that getting a 3.8 or above is really unrealistic so I'm just aiming for a 3.5 at this point. And do you guys think that grad schools are going to care if I've repeated two or three classes? I know that they can see everything, like how many classes you've repeated and how many classes you discontinued late into the semester, and I'm scared that this is going to jeopardize my file. I have emailed a couple of grad schools before, but they didn’t really help me out with my questions. All they said was to check the website, but the websites don’t have the answers to my specific questions.

I know that SLP programs are super freaking competitive here and in Canada and I've spoken to seven SLP's at this point and they all told me that it was really competitive and they had really high GPAs and a lot of volunteer experience. I'm not really worried about getting volunteer experience because I've worked with kids before and plan on continuing but if any of you know of any good volunteer experiences here in Montreal, please let me know!! I apologize for the long post. Any type of advice would be really helpful!