SLHS Graduate School Preparation - School of Clinical Sciences

Committed to your success

A primary goal of SLHS faculty is to assist and guide each student who has a GPA of 3.0 or higher toward successful graduate school placement. The success of the NMU SLHS graduate placement lies in the strong academic, clinical research, and personal undergraduate development leading to highly individualized applications. We believe in helping every student create his or her best impression in this very competitive process. NMU graduates of the SLHS program have been accepted to graduate schools in MI, WI, MN, IL, MA, ID, MT, CA, WA, AZ, LA, AK, NC, NY, IN, AR, CO, IA, KT, WV, NE, NV, OH, MT, and WY.

On the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association website you will find information is provided on schools in each state that have SLP master’s or AuD programs.  Some receive as many as 400 applicants per year for 25 graduate spaces.

Resources for assistance with the graduate school application process are available in the SLHS office. Other websites that assist in this process include:

• Peterson’s web site
• The Owl at Purdue Advice on Letters of Intent

How you can prepare for grad school

Students should ask themselves the following two very important questions:

• How will you stand out from the crowd?
• What will assist a school in choosing you as a potential graduate student? 

In addition to a GPA above 3.0, consider the following:

Active participation and/or leadership in your NMU Chapter of NSSLHA, volunteer experiences, Superior Edge, Student Leader Fellowship Program, related work experiences and involvement in other student organizations can all help ensure successful application.  Consult with your academic advisor to choose schools that you realistically have a chance for admission. Research the mean GPA of students who were admitted in recent years.  What is the typical percentage of students who are admitted out of total applicants?  Check Peterson’s web site to investigate GPA ranges required by various graduate schools.

Important Note:  The waiting is the hardest part. Please be patient. Schools may notify some students sooner than others. Many students are placed on waiting lists that filter throughout the process.  Just because a student hasn't been accepted while others have doesn't necessarily mean that that student won't eventually be accepted too. Be sure to celebrate your classmates' successes while you wait - your turn is coming. Be aware that students may not know until August whether or not they were accepted at a given school.