Applying to Graduate School
The graduate school application may very well be the most important one in a student’s life. The school that accepts you is your final education destination, the grand name that stands out above the rest on your resume. That said, you want and need to shine. There’s the applications, the tests, the interviews, the decisions and, of course, there’s that moment you learn whether you got accepted into your dream school. It’s a long, emotional run that requires patience and planning, and that’s where we come in. Take a look at the articles below for some great advice about every step of the application process.
Additional Applying to Graduate School Articles
Quick Facts For Common Grad School Tests
MCAT QUICK FACTS: Medical School 1) The MCAT is offered twenty eight times per year. 2) The test is five and a half hours long and is taken on a computer. 3) It costs $240 to take the MCAT once. 4) There are four sections of the test, each worth 15 points: Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Writing, and Biological Sciences. 5) Every section except Writing is multiple choice; Writing requires two essays. (*In 2013, the Read the Rest…
How To Best Prepare For The GRE
So, you’re getting ready to study for the GRE, the graduate school equivalent of an SAT? Well, count yourself among hundreds of thousands of men and women seeking the best advice they can get about this big test day. So that you don’t have to go hunting high and low, we’ve compiled some of the best studying and preparation tips out there. (First, check out our Quick Facts to find more general information such as Read the Rest…
A Brief Rundown of the Graduate Record Exam
One important requirement for graduate school is the Graduate Record Exam. For many programs—but not all—scores on this exam are considered a minimum benchmark. It’s the most widely required exam for graduate school. But before you sign up to take the GRE, you should first be sure that it’s the right test to take at the right time. Generally, the students who should expect to take this exam are either interested in several graduate schools Read the Rest…
How to Write a Great Personal Statement for Grad School
Just about every graduate program application requires a personal essay. Some have prompts, but others only ask that you fill a couple of blank pages—like a soapbox. Sometimes, the yes/no, black/white portions of an application don’t leave too much room for explanation and therefore paint an incomplete portrait of you, the applicant. So, instead of seeing this part of the application as labor intensive, try to realize that it is your opportunity to share parts Read the Rest…
How to Get the Best Recommendation Letters
If you’re asking someone for a recommendation letter, you should already know that it will be glowing. Most graduate school admissions departments require letters of recommendations. So do many teaching assistantship, scholarship and grant applications. Like a personal statement, letters of recommendation say something about you that the admissions department can take into consideration when deciding which students should be admitted to a graduate program. These letters can be more important than your grade point Read the Rest…
How to Prepare for a Graduate School Interview
Before fretting over an upcoming graduate school interview, take a moment to congratulate yourself. Graduate school admission boards only interview those whom they consider a solid potential candidate for their program. So, how do you prepare for your interview? Practice. Have a parent, sibling, roommate, partner or colleague set up mock interviews. You may think you know the material—because most of it is about you—but don’t become complacent. Your interviewer is likely to ask at Read the Rest…
What To Do After Your Graduate School Interview
After your interview, take a deep breath and relax for a few hours. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy the peace that comes after the anxiety of an interview. Of course, you’ll probably be replaying your answers to the interviewer’s questions in your head. But try to remind yourself that you prepared very well. Don’t get down on yourself for the perspective that hindsight has given you; you were probably more charming Read the Rest…
Decisions, Decisions! What To Do if You’re Accepted Into More Than One Program
You’ve stressed so much about acceptance into at least one of your graduate school programs that you may have overlooked another issue altogether: How do you decide between several programs if you’re accepted to multiple grad schools? It’s not the worst problem to have, but it can still be stressful. Everyone wants to be sure they’re making the right decision, every step of the way. Here’s what you can do to be (at least nearly) Read the Rest…
What To Do If You’re Waitlisted
If you have been waitlisted, it means you are qualified for admittance into the graduate school program, but the school had more qualified students apply than they had spaces available. Perhaps your application was solid, and met the bar for their average student, but it wasn’t quite stellar enough to edge out other applicants. Or maybe there was a surge in interest and the school needs more time to decide. Don’t get too upset about Read the Rest…
Ouch! What To Do if You’re Rejected From Graduate School
If you’ve ever put yourself out there and reached for a dream, you have probably already felt some sting of rejection. Think about when you were younger and didn’t get the role you wanted in the school play. At the time, it seemed like nothing else mattered because that was all you ever wanted. Of course, with time comes perspective. That play really didn’t matter as much as you thought it did, and now, Read the Rest…