Thinking about Graduate School? What you need to know Southwest Minnesota State University Career...

Thinking about Graduate School?

What you need to knowSouthwest Minnesota State University

Career Services, BA 156507.537.6221.

http://www.southwestmsu.edu/CampusLife/CareerServices /

Overview

Should I apply? How to pay Choosing a program Managing the application process Standardized Tests Personal Statements Letters of Recommendations Application Timelines

What you need to know

Applying to Graduate School is difficult and

time consuming. Start Early! There are limited

spots which lead to high standards and fierce

competition. A thorough approach to the

application process will increase your chances

of getting accepted.

Should I Apply?

Good Reasons to Apply You need an advanced degree

for your career goal

An advance degree will create additional career opportunities

You enjoy learning and it would provide personal satisfaction

You like to do research

Reasons not to Apply You’re trying to postpone

making a career decision

You’re trying to avoid the job market

You’re going to graduate school to please someone else

You don’t want to leave the familiar atmosphere of school

Paying for Graduate School

Not many people have the financial ability to pay for

the entire expense of graduate school.

Some options available to students are: Teaching Assistantships Research Assistantships Fellowships Grants Tuition Waivers Loans


Teaching Assistantships require you to teach undergraduate

courses or labs. Tuition is usually waived and a stipend is often

granted. A teaching assistantship is very prestigious but the

workload is heavy.

Research Assistantships are linked to a research project

conducted by a specific professor. The best way to earn a

research assistantship is to learn as much as you can about the

research going on in the university.


Fellowships are large awards given to a student with greatacademic promise.

There are two forms of Fellowships: Internal Fellowships are given by the graduate program External Fellowships are granted from outside sources

Yale Daily News Guide to Fellowships and Grants — available for check out in the SMSU Career Services’ library

Visit www.finaid.org (under scholarships-scroll down to graduate school) or www.fastweb.com


Grants are smaller than fellowships, ranging from a few hundred

to a few thousand dollars. Grants work exactly the same way as

fellowships.

Tuition Waivers are more common for Ph.D. candidates and for

candidates in the laboratory sciences. They are less common for

master’s degree candidates in the humanities or for professional

programs.


LoansStudents use loans to fund the gap between what hasn’t beenreceived through grants and waivers. Plan on preparing a FAFSA(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and/or GAPSFAS(Graduate and Professional School Financial Aide Service). Bothare available from any graduate financial aide office.

Most of your undergraduate student loan will be deferred

while you’re in a full time graduate program.

Choosing a School or Program

Not sure where to start….

Here’s how to build your list of potential schools: Professors/Advisors Alumni Practicing Professionals Career Services Peterson’s Guide--available in print form in Career

Services or online at http://www.petersons.com/GradChannel/ Visit www.Ph.D.org for information on Ph.D. programs


Check out the following

when deciding on a

program.

What is the reputation of the school? How long will the program take? Do you like the focus of the program? Are there professors with expertise in

my area of interest? Are there adequate academic

resources? Are you willing to live in this area for

3-5 years? What is the professional placement

rate of the graduate students? What kinds of financial aide is offered? What is the cost of school? Cost of

living in the area around the school? What kind of social life can the school

or community offer?


Research the programs of interest on-line or

request information directly from the school.

Find out the following: Application of admission Financial aide information Specific information about the program


Narrow the search. Rank all the graduate programsyou have been researching in order of interest. Dividethe schools into:

1) Schools you are pretty sure you can get admitted2) Schools you probably can get admitted 3) Schools which would be difficult to be admitted.

Choose 2 schools that fit into each category. Expect toapply to at least 6 programs.

Managing the Application Process

Organization is key—Here are some tips to keep your information organized:

Buy inexpensive colored folders—one for each program Attach the application checklist to the folder. Checklists can be found:

On the school’s website, or Requesting a hard copy application from the graduate program

Determine the application deadline. Does the school use a rolling admission process (evaluating applications as they arrive) or have a traditional deadline (all applications are evaluated after a set date)?

Establish a timeline

Application Timeline

The following timeline is designed to provide a

brief overview of the application process. It

assumes you are apply for fall admission.

Please keep in mind that not all of the steps will

be included. Check with each individual school

for specific entrance requirements

Application Timeline (continued)

Junior Year:

Research programs; narrow down schools Talk with faculty members in your field about your

graduate study goals Meet with professors you’ll request letters of

recommendations from Talk with Career Services about application requirements Prepare for graduate admissions test Investigate Fellowships, grants and graduate

assistantships


Summer before Senior Year:

Read school catalogs either online or through requested materials

Organize the application process using the tips listed under “Managing the Application”

Take practice exams or test prep courses for required admissions test

Register for fall exams Collect the necessary applications and forms for

financial aide, fellowships, and grants


Fall of Senior Year

Complete applications (either online or paper applications) Arrange for official transcript to be mailed Take required graduate admissions exams; ensure that the scores

have been sent to the appropriate schools Write your personal statement; have Career Services, your advisor

or professor critique it Ask for letters of recommendations to be written As appropriate, complete financial aide paperwork; remember that

this information needs to be sent in EARLY Double check that all the application materials have been received

by the school Send thank you letters to people who wrote your recommendation

letter


Spring of Senior Year

Develop a “Plan B” in case you are not admitted to your program (s)

Visit universities that accept you If you plan to live in university housing, apply for

space Send a deposit to the university of choice Notify other universities that have accepted you of

your decision to attend another institution

Standardized Tests

Take standardized tests seriously—the

admissions committee does. The best time to

take the exams are in the summer before your

senior year or early fall.

Standardized Tests (continued)

Most academic programs require the Graduate Records Exam(GRE). This is a computerized test that has three sections:

1. Verbal2. Quantitative3. Analytical

Your program may also require the GRE subject test—Check With individual programs to see if it is required. The subject testis not computerized.

For more information on the GRE visit www.gre.org.

Standardized Tests (continued)

Other Standardized Tests:

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); www.gmat.org Law School Admission Test (LSAT): www.lsac.org/lsat.htm Miller Analogies Test (MAT): www.hbtpc.com/mat/index.html Medical College Admission Test (MCAT): www.aamc.org Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT):

www.tpcweb.com/pse/g-pcat0.htm Dental Admission Test (DAT): www.ada.org/prac/careers/dat-01.html

Some dental program will accept MCAT scores and some graduate programs will accept MAT in place of the GRE. The application materials may not list this as an options but you

can call and ask.

Writing the Personal Statement

Most programs require a personal statement aspart of the application. Although there is no setformula, the following tips may help Research you programs—tailor your statement to

each school. Show that you are a “good fit” Prepare an outline. Write a rough draft using your outline. Your

answers should reflect the points requested by each program

Writing the Personal Statement (continued)

Avoid unnecessary duplication—Information

included in other parts of your application (i.e. resume, transcript, application form) should not be repeated here

Ask Career Services, your advisor or professor to critique your statement

Re-Write. Re-Write. Re-Write. The statement should be perfect.

Avoid lengthy personal or philosophical discussions

Writing the Personal Statement (continued)

Introduction: Begin with a distinctive opening to gain the reader’sattention. Faculty are reviewing hundreds of applications, makesure yours stand out. Connect your experiences and careerobjective to the program.

Supporting Paragraphs: Address the specific questions from theapplication. Use your outline to convince the committee of yourqualifications and compatibility with the program.

Conclusion: Link all your qualifications presented in earlierparagraphs. Show how you will “fit” with the program and how the programwill direct you in your long term goals.

Check out “Graduate Admission Essays” by Donald Asher in the Career Services library

Letters of Recommendations

Typically programs ask for 3 letters of

recommendations. Most of these letters will be from

professors in the department where you receive your

degree. Recommendations can also be valuable from

supervisors of research projects, full/part time jobs, or

volunteer positions. Choose people who can write

thoughtful, detailed letters about your accomplishments

and abilities.

Letters of Recommendations (continued)

Provide people who will be completing

recommendations the following information: Copy of your resume Copy of your personal statement Self addressed self envelope for each program Deadline date for each application Request for Letters of Reference form (Can be found at

Career Services)

Send a thank you letter to each individual who wrote a

recommendation for you.

Questions?

If you need any assistance in the graduate

school process don’t hesitate to contact Career

Services.

Office Hours:

Monday-Friday: 8:00am-4:30pm

Phone: 507-537-6221

Thinking about Graduate School? What you need to know Southwest Minnesota State University Career...

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