Speech Language Pathology Graduate School Essay

Knowledge is often provoked during unexpected circumstances. When my mother had a stroke the hospital assigned a "Speech Pathologist" to help her re-structure her vocabulary and speech. During these weekly sessions, I witnessed how she slowly increased her language skills. Although my mother had suffered a traumatic event in her life which prevented her ability to communicate with her husband and her children, she was now fully recovering. As her speech improved, her frustration decreased, and her smile became more prominent. In that moment, I realized the importance of speech, what role it plays in the relationship we share with someone, and the social and moral impacts it can have if one is unable to communicate thought and reason. Therefore, I have decided to dedicate my life and skills to those with language and communication disorders.

To pursue my dream, I enrolled in a speech pathology program at _________ College. After hard work and dedication, I decided to apply my knowledge and focus my attention on working with an after school program. As a volunteer at (INSERT NAME) a after school program for high functioning children on the autistic spectrum and children with developmental disabilities, I was handed a great opportunity to experience the joy of being someone's voice, a contingency which is incommunicable. Speech was a common impairment in most of the children at this school and being able to work with them first-hand on improving speech, motor, and developmental skills, allowed me to use strategies learned in my undergraduate education.

Working in New York with children from various backgrounds, low-income families, disparate degrees of disabilities, has allowed me not only to make a difference in each child's education, but also to find my love for the profession of Speech Pathology. Therefore, I believe I will be a great addition to the (SCHOOL NAME)'s Speech Pathology program. My ambition and experience in this field will drive me to provide others with the same hope and understanding I provided for my mother. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell when his influences stop- Henry Brooks Adam.

Hei Nancy! Since this is your personal statement, you shouldn't be listing your qualities or name prizes that you've won since they are already appearing in your resume.

I suggest you plan your way through your essay a bit different. The first paragraph should be the summary of your actual essay. On this first paragraph build up the actual story. Try explaining (for example) how you felt when you saw that your mother was talking again or the appreciation you had for that doctor. Show the reader how you got motivated to pursue a goal, what that goal is and how you plan on pursuing that goal. Your qualities will show, but indirectly. And that is the aim of the personal essay.

And btw: I would like to congratulate you on your motivation and your wish to help others. You are a beautiful person! <3

Hi Nancy, welcome to our community! :-)
Ana, thanks for all the great help you have been giving people. I'm going to go look at your essay right now, hero!


I would say this differently. The first paragraph expresses the BIG IDEA of the essay. A summary is a little different. The first paragraph does not need to summarize, but it should plant that idea you want the reader to remember.

I don't know if PROVOKED is the right word there... google the definition, and see if it is really the word you want to use...

"Knowledge is often provoked through unexpected circumstances. When my mother had a stroke the hospital assigned a "Speech Pathologist" to help her re-structure her vocabulary and language skills.----Oh, I see! Okay, maybe you can use provoked this way:

The pursuit of knowledge is often provoked during unexpected...

You write very well! I'm going to kill a boring sentence, though:
The things I have learned as a student in school and outside of school has prepared me to flourish at "SCHOOL NAME". There, it's dead. I had to kill it because it was vague and ... just a claim. "Show, don't tell." And don't use the word "thing." Choose a more specific word. :-) can you make this sentence more meaningful!?

You did a great job. This will probably be successful. To make it even better, tell a little more about your specific goals and plan for the next few years. Tell what is unique about your plan -- because someone with a unique plan is inspirational.