Admissions- FAQ
Masters in Speech Language Pathology
General
W
hat is the timeline for admission?
We admit students to begin in the fall session only. The application opens in early September
and all application materials must be received by January 15
th
. The admissions committee
reviews applications in mid-January though early February. Applicants will be notified in
February of the admission decision.
How do I check the status of my online application?
Use the email link you received after you submitted your online application to log into the My
UW portal. The email is automatically sent to you within 24 hours after your submission. If you
did not receive the link, please contact webapp@grad.wisc.edu.
You can monitor our receipt of your application materials through the My UW portal. When you
log into the system, you will see a checklist showing which of your application items we have
received and what remains missing. It is very important that you monitor this, as we will not
consider incomplete applications or materials arriving after the January 15
th
deadline.
What should I include in my statement of purpose?
The statement of purpose should communicate your reasons for wanting to study speech
language pathology. The statement also gives you an opportunity to highlight experiences,
related skills, and personal attributes which make you an exceptional candidate. The statement
can be 1-3 pages, single-spaced.
What else should I do to make my application strong?
Submit your resume and highlight your activities relevant to speech-language pathology. These
experiences include but are not limited to the following: volunteer and work experiences
related to assessment and intervention in SLP and / or audiology, volunteer and work
experiences related more broadly to people with communication disorders, intellectual and
developmental disabilities, acquired disabilities, child development, etc.; research experiences
related to communication sciences and disorders, personal experiences related to
communication sciences and disorders.
GPA, both overall and within the major is weighted heavily in admission decisions.
GRE scores are also used to help guide our admission decisions.
I don’t have an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Can I still
apply to the program?
Yes. However, you need to have the prerequisite coursework completed prior to the start of
the program. In the application, you will lay out how you completed the coursework or how
you plan to complete it prior to the start of the program.
If you have an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders,
Communication Disorders, or Speech and Hearing Sciences, you do not need to take any of the
prerequisite coursework. Your undergraduate degree automatically fulfills this requirement.
Where can I take the prerequisite coursework?
UW Madison offers a Communication Sciences and Disorders Post-Baccalaureate Certificate. It’s
a one-year program and includes all prerequisite coursework for the MS SLP Program at UW-
Madison. The program admits students to begin in the fall session only.
Can some of my Linguistic, Education, or Psychology coursework be used to fulfill some of the
prerequisite coursework?
Coursework in these areas cannot be used to fulfill the prerequisites. The prerequisite
coursework needs to come from Communication Sciences and Disorders or a similarly named
major.
Recommendations
What do I need to know about getting letters of recommendation?
It is very important that you select appropriate recommenders. At least two should come from
instructors who have knowledge of your academic performance. The third may come from a
clinical supervisor, employer, or other individual who has knowledge of your academic potential
and likelihood for success in graduate school. Do not include more than three
recommendations.
Make it as easy as possible for your recommenders by providing them with a copy of your
resume and a draft of your statement of purpose so they can better address your interests and
background.
How are recommendations sent to you?
In the recommender section of the online application, you will fill in basic information about
your recommender. The online system will then email each of your recommenders requesting
the letter on your behalf. You have control of when each recommender receives the request.
The recommendation email provides submission directions.
My recommender has not responded. Can I send him/her another request?
To send another request to your recommender, you should go back into the recommendation
section of your application and check the “send reminder” box for the one that has not
submitted. Please be sure to save your changes. An email should be sent within 24 hours. You
should contact your recommender to let them know to watch for the new message to arrive.
Transcripts
Can I upload a copy of my official transcript?
Yes, as long as the official transcript came from your institution. You may submit an electronic
copy of the official transcript. If admitted to the program, we will then ask you to send us a hard
copy of your official transcript(s).
I won’t graduate until the spring. Should I upload my current transcript?
Go ahead and upload a current transcript. When you receive your fall grades, go back into your
application and upload a new electronic copy of your official transcripts with your fall grades.
Be sure to request your transcripts as soon as your fall grades are posted.
My transfer credits from one institution show on my transcript from another school. Do I
need to submit both transcripts?
Yes, you need to submit a transcript from each institution where you took college-level courses.
You will upload scanned copies of each official transcript through the Graduate School’s e-app.
GRE
Do you require the GRE?
Yes. Scores should be from within the last 5 years. Contact your testing agency to send your
scores to The University of Wisconsin Madison (school code #1846). You do not need to list a
department code. We urge you to plan ahead so you can complete the GRE and obtain all
percentile results before the application deadline. All scores must be received and matched to
your application by the deadline in order to be considered for admission.
When will my test scores sent from ETS show up on my check list?
Scores are typically sent from ETS to UW-Madison electronically within two to three weeks.
UW-Madison then uploads them. The total process can take up to 60 days to complete.
continued on next page…
What are the average GRE scores of student admitted to your program?
Below is a table of characteristic of admitted students.
Year
2013
2014
2015
2016
Number of Applicants
322
283
236
247
Number of New Students
25
33
30
21
Average GRE-Verbal Scores
154
157
159
158
Verbal Average Percentile Rank
64
th
75
th
82
nd
80
th
Average GRE-Quan.
157
155
155
152
Quant. Average Percentile Rank
67
th
59
th
59
th
47
th
Average GRE-Analy. Scores
4.5
4.4
4.4
4.5
Average GPA (Last 60 Credits)
3.81
3.91
3.88
3.91
TOEFEL
Are my TOEFEL scores adequate?
Visit the Graduate School’s Requirements for Admission webpage for more information. Under
English Proficiency are the required minimum scores.
Observation Hours
I don’t have any observation hours. Will this be a problem for my application?
You don’t need to have 25 clinical observation hours completed when you submit your
application. Accurately record what you currently have and report that information. However,
prior to starting the program, all 25 observation hours must be completed with supporting
signatures from a practitioner with ASHA certification.
How do I complete observation hours?
Clinical observation hours can be completed in a variety of settings (e.g. hospital, clinic, private practice,
school, etc.). Reach out to one of these settings and let them know you’re interested in observing a
practitioner with ASHA certification.
For additional information about the application, please visit the
Graduate School’s Frequently Asked
Questions webpage.
