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Why go to Graduate
School?
Increased earnings are related to degree attainment:
someone with a graduate degree earns, on the average,
33% more than someone with only a bachelor's degree.
You may need specific skills, knowledge, or credentials
necessary for a particular job or profession.
A graduate degree can provide greater mobility
within your area of interest and/or the flexibility
to change careers. Graduate school may be necessary
to keep up with advances in your field.
Are you "graduate
school material?"
Success in graduate school depends on a combination
of academic preparation and personal characteristics.
Undergraduate GPA and standardized test scores
(e.g., GRE, GMAT, Miller Analogies Test) are generally
good predictors of success in graduate school.
However, graduate school also requires persistence,
self-discipline, and initiative, as well as an
ability to work well with faculty and colleagues.
It is also important to be strongly motivated
and have clear understanding of how a graduate
degree will contribute to your personal and professional
goals. Additionally, direct knowledge of your
prospective career field, through paid or unpaid
work experience and/or discussions with working
professionals, can both strengthen your application
to graduate school and help you make more accurate
decisions about what specific degree or program
to pursue.
SELECTING A
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Identify the graduate programs that fit your particular
interests, academic background, and goals.
Institutional characteristics to
consider include:
· faculty credentials and
reputation
· institutional and (where appropriate)
program accreditation
· direct and indirect costs (e.g., tuition,
fees, books, living expenses) and the availability
of financial assistance
· degree requirements and courses
· institutional facilities (library, computers,
laboratories, etc.)
· alumni job-search success (job placement)
Be honest about your academic background
and potential. How selective is the program? Will
you be able to meet their admissions requirements?
APPLYING FOR
ADMISSION
Most applications for graduate school require
the following documents:
1. An application form, listing personal
data and educational and/or professional background
information
2. Official transcripts of college-level academic
work, from each institution attended
3. Standardized test scores
4. Letters of recommendation/recommendation forms
5. Statement of purpose or a personal statement
6. Other materials may be required by specific
programs, such as a resume, writing sample, or
proof of professional licensing.
When completing your application:
· Read the instructions and
follow them carefully.
· Provide complete and accurate information.
Your application is not complete until ALL required
documents have been received by the school.
· Type or write neatly. If your application
isn't readable, it can't be evaluated.
· Consistently spell out your full legal
name on all forms.
· Don't wait for deadlines -- get all necessary
materials submitted as early as possible.
· Be organized when compiling materials
for your application packet and make copies of
everything you send in.
Transcripts and Grades
Transcripts submitted with your application packet
must be official. If the transcript is provided
to you for inclusion in your application packet,
be sure NOT to open the envelope. You should,
however, request a student copy to review it for
accuracy. Schools usually look for an overall
GPA of 3.0 or greater, but can be impressed by
a pattern of improvement. Depending on the particular
graduate program, the school may also consider
your GPA for course work in your major or in grades
for individual courses related to the graduate
program.
Standardized
Test Scores
Check admissions requirements to determine which
(if any) standardized tests are required (e.g.,
GRE, GRE subject, GMAT, Miller Analogies Test).
As it may take up to six weeks for a school to
receive official test scores, be sure to take
tests well in advance of the application deadline.
Don't overstress about taking standardized tests.
They are just one factor in the admission decision,
and you can prepare for them, either on your own
or by enrolling in a test preparation workshop.
Practice test-taking skills; train to work under
pressure and time constraints; and complete sample
questions to become familiar with the kinds of
questions and the format of the test.
Recommendations
Who should you select as a recommender? Go to
those who know you and have had positive experiences
with you: use only people who know you well and
who know you when you did well. Faculty recommendations
are particularly important if you're planning
on pursuing a research degree. If you're applying
to a professional degree program, a mix of faculty
and those who may know you in a professional capacity
are usually acceptable. Do not submit recommendations
from people who only know you as a family member
or friend.
Faculty can't write you a recommendation if they
don't know you. Speak up in class and ask intelligent
questions. Seek their advice outside the classroom
about graduate school and careers. Express initiative
and show independent thinking and intellectual
curiosity. Ideally, try to work on research projects
with them.
Make the process as easy as possible
for your recommender:
· Contact them first to ask
if they would be willing -- and have time -- to
provide a recommendation.
· Complete the top portion of the recommendation
form and sign the FERPA waiver (see note below).
· Be sure to tell them the program and
degree to which you're applying and include information
about yourself: a resume or bio; a copy of your
personal statement; a copy of a good paper you
may have submitted in their class.
· Provide the recommender with a preaddressed,
stamped envelope.
The Family & Educational Rights & Privacy
Act (FERPA) requires that you have access to the
recommendation, unless you specifically waive
access. This is your decision. However, many admissions
committees view the accuracy and honesty of a
recommendation more favorably if access is waived.
Statement of
Purpose/Personal Statement
The statement of purpose is your opportunity to
stand out from the rest of the applicants. Let
the school know what is interesting or unique
about you and why they should want you as a student.
Include information that is not on your resume
or listed elsewhere in your application materials:
interesting experiences, unique characteristics.
However, it is important that you carefully read
the explanation of what the university wants in
the statement. Are they interested in:
· Your motivation for applying,
professional goals, and personal interests?
· Information on your background and suitability
for the program?
· An understanding of the profession?
· What influenced your decision to pursue
graduate study?
A good statement is honest and accurate;
well-written, with no grammatical or spelling
errors; and not significantly longer or shorter
than the length requested by the school.
A couple of other hints about your
statement of purpose:
· If you are sending your
application to multiple schools and mention the
school by name in your statement, don't forget
to use the right name of the school or university.
· Don't use the statement to explain about
any negative aspects of your application -- put
those explanations in a separate statement or
letter.
· Before submitting your application, ask
faculty members and family to review your statement
and provide comments.
AUTHOR: KIRSTIN WILLIAMS, Director
Of Graduate Student Enrollment Management, George
Washington Unversity
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