Graduate & Professional School
Making the decision to attend graduate school is one that should not be taken lightly. You should ask yourself what has motivated you to consider graduate school.
Making the decision to attend graduate school is one that should not be taken lightly. You should ask yourself what has motivated you to consider graduate school.
Determining if Graduate School is Right for You
Making the decision to attend graduate school is one that should not be taken lightly. You should ask yourself what has motivated you to consider graduate school. Are you looking to specialize in a subject of personal or professional interest? Do you want to develop expertise in a particular subject or field to maximize your future earning potential and opportunities for career advancement?
Depending upon your career goals, graduate school may be required for entry. Careers such as academia, law, medicine, or banking often require graduate degrees. For other fields, such as engineering, technology, or business, graduate school is not required for an entry-level position, but can be beneficial.
If you are unsure of your career choice, you should delay graduate school until you are more focused. Also, it is not a good idea to attend graduate school for the purpose of delaying a job search or to please someone else.
Gathering Information on Graduate Programs
It is important to gather enough information to make an informed decision about what school and program you will attend before investing a great deal of your time and money. It is recommended that you build an initial list of 50-100 possible schools. Consider schools across the country, and if possible, do not limit yourself geographically. Listed below are some sources for learning about graduate schools.
Research and Compare Schools
Aside from basics such as geographic location and admission requirements, consider the following questions when selecting the graduate school program that is best for you.
Ranking and Narrowing Your List of Schools
After you have researched the schools that you are interested in, you can now rank schools to determine to which ones you wish to apply. You should consider your personal interest in the school/program as well as the likelihood that you will be accepted into the program since all schools and departments have admission requirements.
As a general rule, you can break schools up into three different categories:
You should try to apply to 2-3 schools in each category. Since you have already researched different admission standards and requirements through speaking with departments and students as well as through researching different web sites, you should have a good idea about which schools fall into each of these categories. Once you have decided where to apply, it is time to start the application process.
Each school has different procedures and requirements as part of the application process. It is important for you to pay attention to the instructions as provided by each school. Applications that are not completed fully and correctly are not processed. You can hurt your chances of being selected by a school if you fail to follow all instructions properly.
Many schools allow you to apply on-line for graduate study. You can visit a school’s graduate admissions page for information on how to do this. Also, you may still be able to apply through a paper application. The best way to obtain a paper application is to call or write to the schools that you are interested in or it might be available to complete or download online.
Application requirements generally include a minimum GPA; particular scores on standardized tests such as the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, or LCAT; official transcripts from your undergraduate school; letters of recommendation; an application essay; and a nonrefundable application processing fee. The amount of weight given to each of these factors will vary by school and program.
It is important to note all deadlines. Make a file noting all admission requirements and deadlines for applications. Get your materials in to the schools on time and check with the schools at least three weeks before their final deadlines to ensure that they have received all of your application materials.
Remember that the deadlines for registering for each of these tests are usually far in advance of the actual test date. Some tests are only given a few times a year so it important to plan accordingly.
Paying for Graduate School
At first glance, graduate school can seem very expensive. You may ask yourself how you could pay a new set of tuition, fees, and housing costs. To afford graduate school, there are a number of sources of aid that are available. What you need to do is to evaluate the cost of the school and factor in the available resources that you may have access to.
Timeline for Applying to Graduate School
18 Months Before You Begin Graduate School
15 Months Before You Begin Graduate School
12 Months Before You Begin Graduate School
6 Months Before You Begin Graduate School