Odds of Getting In
You’re in luck—the market for speech-language pathologists is expected to grow almost 20% over the next few years. This is partly due to an aging population, which will require treatment for illnesses and language disorders, and also to growing awareness of childhood communication difficulties.
The outlook may be rosy, but that doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels. Experience is critical, and getting into a competitive master’s program can feel like the Hunger Games. Seek out master’s programs which have “built-in” clinical fellowships, and possibly even pathways to permanent positions. If possible, be a rolling stone--and we don’t mean Jagger—try your hand at different areas, to make you more attractive as a job applicant, and give you an idea of which area you’d like to specialize in.