Deciding If Graduate School is Right For You
When thinking about life after college many college students wrestle with the inevitable question of “what will I do after graduation?” For some, the choice is fairly straight forward – they plan to get a job and start paying back their school loans. Others may have a clear sense of pursuing a career in law, medicine, or college teaching and therefore entering into a graduate or professional school is the logical next step for them. For many students, however, the decision to go on to graduate school is not so clear cut. You yourself may be considering Graduate School and have many questions about the entrance process, or about your decision in general. The goal of this section is to help you in your decision making process. Included here are a few questions to ask yourself, a list of sources that can provide more information about specific schools or programs you may be considering, and an easy to follow schedule for applying to Graduate School.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
When thinking about continuing your education, it is important that you examine not only the school or program you are interested in attending but also yourself. The following questions are designed to help you reflect on who you are and exactly what you want out of life. Sit down with pen and paper and write out your responses to these questions. Then review your thoughts in a few days to see if you really feel this way about yourself and the possibility of graduate school.
- What is it that I want to do with my life?
- What are my immediate and long-range career goals?
- Is graduate school necessary to reach these career goals?
- Can I afford to enter graduate school immediately?
- How important is a Masters Degree to me personally?
- Do I have the abilities to be successful in a graduate school?
- Am I prepared to take on such a long-term commitment?
- What are the pros and cons of waiting a year or two to enter graduate school in exchange for work experience?
The Decision:
At this point, you may have decided to head straight for graduate school immediately after graduation, or to wait a few years before starting an advanced career. Either way, they can both be good decisions depending on your personality and circumstances. Many people work for several years before entering graduate school and use that time to earn extra money and gain valuable experience in the career that interests them before investing in additional schooling. Keep in mind that if it is a Masters of Business (MBA) you are considering, some schools require that applicants have a few years of work experience before even considering them for their programs.
Where Can I Get More Information?
For more information on Graduate Schools, stop into Mount Saint Mary’s University Career Center to review some of these books:
Peterson’s Graduate & Professional Programs
Complete information on all graduate programs and degrees at more than 1,700 institutions.
The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools
The only official guide to all 177 ABA-approved law schools
Peterson’s MBA Programs
Complete information on more than 900 institutions with full-time, part-time, joint-degree, distance learning, and executive MBA and master’s level business programs.
The Insider’s Guide to Medical School Admissions
Inside information on the administration process, background on medical schools, a step by step plan for applying to schools, and strategies for success in medical school.
The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide by Leslie Mitchell
Getting in, getting money, exams and classes, the Profs, the Thesis / Dissertation. Everything you need to know about going to graduate school and more.
You may also find lots of good information about graduate school on the Internet. Check out the sites below to get started:
www.petersons.com - The Education Supersite
www.gradschools.com - Directory of Graduate Schools
How Do I Apply And When?
It is important that you get started as soon as possible to ensure the earliest admission. Remember that if you get into the school of your dreams and feel as if you need a year off, you may be able to request a delayed entrance. Also, do as much research as possible to find the school that’s right for you.
The timeline below from Peterson’s Graduate & Professional Programs 2001 suggests the following year by year strategy:
Junior Year:
- Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
- Talk to advisors about application requirements.
- Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admissions tests.
- Investigate national scholarships.
- If appropriate, obtain letters of recommendation.
Summer before senior year:
- Take required graduate admissions tests.
- Write for application materials or request them online.
- Write your application essay.
- Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
- For medical, dental, and law school, you may need to register for the national application or data assembly service for most programs use.
Senior Fall Semester:
- Obtain letters of recommendation.
- Take graduate admissions tests if haven’t already.
- Send in completed applications.
- Complete applications for financial aid.
Senior Spring Semester:
- Check with all institutions to make sure your file is complete.
- Visit institutions that accept you.
- Send deposit to institution of choice.
- Notify other colleges and institutions to which you were accepted that you will not be attending.
- Send thank you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters and inform them of your success.
Applying to, being accepted by, and attending a Graduate or Professional school is an ongoing process that takes time and patience. A mentor or advisor can be very effective in providing guidance and support in this ongoing process. For more information or help, be sure to use the resources available to you as a student. Talk with your professors, advisors, and visit the Career Center on campus.
Useful Websites for your Graduate School Search:
www.aauw.org - American Association of University Women
www.cgsnet.org - Council of Graduate Schools
www.collegiate.net - Links to graduate school information sites
www.ets.org - Information on GRE and GMAT
www.finaid.org - "The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid"
www.gradschools.com- Online directory of graduate programs
www.gradview.com - Testing information of GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MAT, MCAT, etc.
www.petersons.com- Graduate school search and information service
www.800score.com- GMAT and GRE information and downloadable tests
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