Audiology School Vs Bad Grades

[Audios Amigos]

Hi Everybody!! I am a sophomore in college and i am very interested and excited in pursuing a career in Audiology. However, I had a few questions bout some questionable grades I've gotten, but for classes that i dont think i need for AuD school but were required for my major - I got a D- in an organic chemistry class and a D in Calculus. I am doing ok in everything else. I know it's most ideal if i retake these classes and get at least a C, but should i really re-take these classes if AuD schools are not too particular bout these courses and care mostly bout ur overall GPA? Thanks in advancE!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[KCO47]

The average GPA of a program's accepted applicants is public record. They may be reluctant to compromise their stats. If your overall GPA is still very good, you could possibly explain the bad marks in an addendum to your personal statement. If it were me though I would just retake the courses. Ds and Cs on your transcript will exclude you as a top pick.

 

[arrowgirlie]

I am only one person, so I obviously can't speak for everyone, but here was my experience.

I was originally a biochemistry major at an engineering school. My GPA there was a 2.85 (Cs in several classes, and a D in calc 3). I transferred to a liberal arts school for my junior year and became a comm dis major. I'll be graduating in April with a 3.92 cumulative and departmental honors. Obviously, there was a huge disparity between my two major GPAs. I wasn't too hopeful about grad school, but I still applied to four schools. I've been accepted to Washington and San Diego, am interviewing at ASU, and was rejected from Boulder.

My advice is to
1) kick butt in any other audiology pre-req classes
2) really try for some personal reflection before writing personal statements. How did you approach your disappointment with those grades? How did you change to improve future grades? etc. Not all of that needs to go in the personal statement, but it was helpful for me to think about. People can usually tell if your statement was well-thought out.
3) apply to a few programs that are less well-known. My advisor thought that I was crazy for applying to programs that were exclusively in big cities in the western part of the country. I am still surprised that I got one acceptance, let alone two.
4) talk to your advisor or a mentor. discuss options, and then relax. Applications are a crazy process. At the very least, you will know if you've done your best.

 

[Audios Amigos]

The average GPA of a program's accepted applicants is public record. They may be reluctant to compromise their stats. If your overall GPA is still very good, you could possibly explain the bad marks in an addendum to your personal statement. If it were me though I would just retake the courses. Ds and Cs on your transcript will exclude you as a top pick.

Thank u for the helpful info!

 

[Audios Amigos]

I am only one person, so I obviously can't speak for everyone, but here was my experience.

I was originally a biochemistry major at an engineering school. My GPA there was a 2.85 (Cs in several classes, and a D in calc 3). I transferred to a liberal arts school for my junior year and became a comm dis major. I'll be graduating in April with a 3.92 cumulative and departmental honors. Obviously, there was a huge disparity between my two major GPAs. I wasn't too hopeful about grad school, but I still applied to four schools. I've been accepted to Washington and San Diego, am interviewing at ASU, and was rejected from Boulder.

My advice is to
1) kick butt in any other audiology pre-req classes
2) really try for some personal reflection before writing personal statements. How did you approach your disappointment with those grades? How did you change to improve future grades? etc. Not all of that needs to go in the personal statement, but it was helpful for me to think about. People can usually tell if your statement was well-thought out.
3) apply to a few programs that are less well-known. My advisor thought that I was crazy for applying to programs that were exclusively in big cities in the western part of the country. I am still surprised that I got one acceptance, let alone two.
4) talk to your advisor or a mentor. discuss options, and then relax. Applications are a crazy process. At the very least, you will know if you've done your best.

Thank you so much for that info and your experience!
That's somewhat similar to what I went through/going through right now. I started off as a Neurobiology major and wasnt too sure what i wanted to do as a career. I ended up taking a lot of chemistry and calculus classes that kinda destroyed my GPA and i didnt even like what i was doing. After finding out about Audiology Reqs and changing my major to Psychology, I am doing a lot better in my classes, but i know my transcript will be stained with those bad grades.
So just curious, only if you dont mind: How did you explain to San D and Wash in your interview about your previous GPA? That's what i am worried I wont be able to do properly.

 

[arrowgirlie]

I didn't actually have an interview with either school. Both acceptances came without interviews. I think that my personal statements were really my saving grace in that sense. I spent a bit of time talking about how I decided learn from my mistakes, etc., but it was mixed in with everything else. I'm not sure how I'll address it if it comes up in my ASU interview. Maybe just pass them my senior research paper. Just kidding. I'm still working on figuring out that answer.

 

[TheEarDoc]

I've been in your shoes. I was a Chem/Bio major and Psychology major in undergrad. Bio courses (Ochem, Calc, Physics, Bios, etc.) are all way more difficult than com disorder courses or Psychology courses (at least at my school they were!).

I had a 3.0 GPA for my bio degree, a 3.85 GPA for my Psych degree, and a 4.0 for all my minor courses for my com sci minor. My overall GPA was a 3.2.

Own it in your personal statement. I simply stated that while my GPA did not meet their guidelines, I felt I was a more rounded candidate and had been taking courses in a much harder and competitive discipline. I spoke to my strengths in that I had worked multiple jobs while being a full time student and that I had also been involved in research for Psychology. I noted the fact that I had excelled in Com Disorders classes and that if I had been a Psychology and Com Disorders dual major that I would have had a GPA near 4.0.

I applied to 5 schools (2 in Ohio, 1 in NY, and 1 school in Tenn.). I was accepted to 3 schools. I chose a school close to home and got a 20 hours work stipend after my first quarter of graduate school. I had this stipend the entire 3 years of my coursework.

Don't make excuses for your bad grades, but own the knowledge and experience you learned from the tougher courses and play up your strengths of how well you perform in the courses that all the other candidates have taken that will be applying.

 

[Audios Amigos]

I didn't actually have an interview with either school. Both acceptances came without interviews. I think that my personal statements were really my saving grace in that sense. I spent a bit of time talking about how I decided learn from my mistakes, etc., but it was mixed in with everything else. I'm not sure how I'll address it if it comes up in my ASU interview. Maybe just pass them my senior research paper. Just kidding. I'm still working on figuring out that answer.

Wow! Well with that latter 3.92 GPA, im pretty sure some schools were bound to grab u haha
Maybe u cud tell them what u wrote in your personal statement, with some more detai, i guess....and some action..and some background music..(Just kidding!).
Good luck with your interview!

 

[Audios Amigos]

I've been in your shoes. I was a Chem/Bio major and Psychology major in undergrad. Bio courses (Ochem, Calc, Physics, Bios, etc.) are all way more difficult than com disorder courses or Psychology courses (at least at my school they were!).

I had a 3.0 GPA for my bio degree, a 3.85 GPA for my Psych degree, and a 4.0 for all my minor courses for my com sci minor. My overall GPA was a 3.2.

Own it in your personal statement. I simply stated that while my GPA did not meet their guidelines, I felt I was a more rounded candidate and had been taking courses in a much harder and competitive discipline. I spoke to my strengths in that I had worked multiple jobs while being a full time student and that I had also been involved in research for Psychology. I noted the fact that I had excelled in Com Disorders classes and that if I had been a Psychology and Com Disorders dual major that I would have had a GPA near 4.0.

I applied to 5 schools (2 in Ohio, 1 in NY, and 1 school in Tenn.). I was accepted to 3 schools. I chose a school close to home and got a 20 hours work stipend after my first quarter of graduate school. I had this stipend the entire 3 years of my coursework.

Don't make excuses for your bad grades, but own the knowledge and experience you learned from the tougher courses and play up your strengths of how well you perform in the courses that all the other candidates have taken that will be applying.

Nice!! That's actually a very honest and articulate way of explaining that. Sadly I dont even have work, research, or anything else but school, yet Im STIILL struggling with my grades.

so for the bad grades, did u retake some of those classes or did u leave it at whatever it is?
I know it's best that i retake my eek classes so ican both boost my gpa and show that i tried to do something bout it, but im afraid im going to end up failing them again, cuz im just that horrible at those subjects, no matter how hard i try!

And how did u get the stipend thingy? or Is that for particular AuD programs?

Thanks tremendously for sharing your experience and reassurance!

 

[arrowgirlie]

Wow! Well with that latter 3.92 GPA, im pretty sure some schools were bound to grab u haha
Maybe u cud tell them what u wrote in your personal statement, with some more detai, i guess....and some action..and some background music..(Just kidding!).
Good luck with your interview!

I could always add an interpretive dance routine. I think that will definitely help my cause.

 

[TheEarDoc]

Nice!! That's actually a very honest and articulate way of explaining that. Sadly I dont even have work, research, or anything else but school, yet Im STIILL struggling with my grades.

so for the bad grades, did u retake some of those classes or did u leave it at whatever it is?
I know it's best that i retake my eek classes so ican both boost my gpa and show that i tried to do something bout it, but im afraid im going to end up failing them again, cuz im just that horrible at those subjects, no matter how hard i try!

And how did u get the stipend thingy? or Is that for particular AuD programs?

Thanks tremendously for sharing your experience and reassurance!

I retook a few of them, but not the Ochem courses. I hated Ochem. I got high grades in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry which I highlighted in my letter, but no I did not retake all my courses.

As for the stipend, many of the smaller less known schools tend to give out more money. To me an AuD school is an AuD school is an AuD school. The diploma is what matters, not so much what the name of the school is printed on it. If someone wants to go to Vandi or Purdue or another high ranking school and go way in debt to make the same salary I made with my tiny midwest school diploma, then I don't begrudge them. Networking is more important than where you go to school.