Graduate School

• Pursuing an occupation that requires an advanced degree
• Wanting to gain knowledge and expertise in a specific area
• You have career goals that would be furthered by an advanced degree

• Determine if your career plans will require further education
• Connect with those that can serve as guides and mentors in your process:
  • Ex. Family and friends, professtional contacts, faculty, staff (including Career Center staff), and alumni
• Determine how your anticipated graduate date may impact your graduate school planning, and if any adjustments need to be made for your personal timeline and planning
• Consider attending Graduate and Professional School Fairs
  • CPP typically hosts this in October, look to Handshake events
• Begin to explore grad schools online.

Resources to help you determine if your career plans may require further education:

Resource to connect with potential alumni guides and mentors:

Resources to explore different graduate school options online:

• Revisit items listed above and make changes as needed
• Join in-person or virtual information sessions for different programs you are interested in
• Determine if you need to complete any standardized entrance exams, such as:
  • GRE
  • GMAT
  • LSAT
  • MCAT
  • PCAT
• Plan to start taking the tests as early as the semester or summer before the first semester of your senior year

Resource to look into preparation tools for different standardized entrance exams:

• Revisit items listed above and make changes as needed
• Schedule any standardized entrance exams
• Begin touring grad schools and start identifying key players you may need to connect with
  • Administrators within the college
  • Research groups, centers, or labs you want to apply to join
  • Faculty advisors you want to connect with
• Begin to narrow you choices and outline the application process timelines so you do not miss important dates

• Revisit items listed above and make changes as needed
• Be intentional about planning out your time and how and when you will need to set aside time during the semester for the grauate school application process
  • Review your school schedule and other commitments to be sure you will have enough time at key points during the application process throughout the semester
• Gather different elements of your application as needed (more information found below)
• Complete and submit your applications
  • There can be an added benefit to applying early if possible, as some programs have limited spots and will close their programs once all available spots have been filled
  • Language to look for may read something like this:
    • Early Admission
    • Priority Deadlines
    • Priority Consideration

• Revisit items listed above and make changes as needed
• Visit and evaluate accepted schools
• Determine which program is best for you and make your selection
• Begin exploring and applying to:
  • Scholarship opportunities
  • Mentorship and networking programs
  • Associations, fellowships, research groups, centers, or labs, etc.
• Begin networking with community members at your next instituation

Make sure you celebrate, but also prepare to get the most out of what you want from your next educational experience.

Determine if you need to complete any standardized entrance exams, such as:

• GRE
• GMAT
• LSAT
• MCAT
• PCAT

Resources to look into preparation tools for different standardized entrance exams:

Official transcripts are available for purchase from the Registrar’s Office website. You can receive them electronically as early as 24 hours after ordering.

It is common to need 3 – 5 letters of recommendation. Each program may have different requirements regarding who can write them (faculty members, TA’s, supervisors, etc.).

Timeline:

• Allow 4 – 8 weeks
  • Check in with them 3 – 4 weeks to ask if they need additional information
  • This also serves as a gentle reminder
• Always give an early deadline that will ensure you are not running late if they need additional time

Who to ask:

• Choose people who know you well. 
  • Grad schools are more impressed by letters that include specific examples illustrating your interests and abilities.
• Select people who know you in different ways. 
  • Three people raving about your research skills is less effective than three individuals who can highlight three different skills like research, leadership and writing.
• Potential References (depending on the context):
  • University faculty, staff, or administrators
  • Supervisors (including from volunteer opportunities)
  • Co-workers
  • Clients or customers (especially from entrepreneurship ventures, etc.)

What to provide for them:

Make sure each person has what they need from your application process in order to market you effectively to your the schools of your choice. This may include:

• Resume
• Personal statement
• Research information
• A general summary of accomplishments and highlights you would like them to mention
• Any additional associations, fellowships, research groups, centers, or labs, etc., that you are currently active in or looking to apply to
• Appropriate forms, stamped and addressed envelopes (if items are being mailed in), and other details specified by the schools you are applying to
• Links to the programs you are applying to

After the letters of recommendation are received:

• Send a thank you email or card
• You can acknowledge their time, the investment and support they are offering, and possibly note something they wrote about you if you were able to view the reference

Admissions counselors only spend one to two minutes per essay, so invite them to linger on yours with a compelling introduction.

• Reflect on how best to tell your story and develop an outline before you start writing
• Develop an effective opening statements to hook a reader right at the start
• Choose a turning point, important lesson, or self-discovery that corresponds to the essay question, demonstrates why you are applying to this particular program, and shows why you are a fit
• Tailor statements to each program

If you are provided prompts:

• Create a draft, edit, and seek out a mentor for edits and adjustments

If you are not provided a prompt:

• Consider general questions to generate a solid topic:  
  • What challenges have you faced in your lifetime that you have overcome?   
  • What makes you a captivating individual by way of a life story?  
  • What about you makes you a unique candidate for the college program of your choice?  
  • Why is this field and area of study important to you?  Why do you want to continue learning about the field, and why are you confident this is the right decision? 
  • How have you learned about future opportunities from graduate school education?  Who or what has helped you to think about this field long-term?   
  • What work, volunteer, and community engagement opportunities have you had through your time as a student?  How have you grown in the role(s) as an individual?  
  • What attributes do you believe will contribute to your success upon receiving an advanced degree?   
  • What are your short-term and long-term goals after obtaining your additional education?

Always make certain the question(s)/prompts are answered within the word limit requirements. 

Writing over the word limit is fine for drafts; it’s all about refinement and creating a concise personal statement or answers to questions.