Get Started
Decide If Graduate School is Right for You
- Talk to faculty, staff, and advisors in your academic department
- Meet with an individual career counselor to discuss your career goals
- Contact Health Professions Advising, if interested in medicine and other
health-related fields - Contact Pre-Law Advisor and view Law School Resources, if interested in law
Identify Graduate Programs & Schools
- Talk to professors and other graduate students
- Utilize the graduate school resources in the Career Information Center
- Access various graduate school websites:
Research Programs
- Visit the school’s website to review program content and areas of
emphasis - Seek faculty with research interests similar to yours
- Learn about the sequence of courses, practical experiences and other
opportunities that will enhance your future prospects - Ask what recent graduates of this program are doing
Attend Job Fairs & Career Events
- Held annually
- Meet recruiters from over 200 different employers
- Read more about Job Fair & Career events
Follow Application Procedures
- Adhere to guidelines for application requirements, test deadlines, letters of recommendation, financial aid forms, transcripts, etc.
|
TEST |
WEBSITE |
|---|---|
| GRE | www.ets.org/gre |
| GMAT | www.gmac.com |
| LSAT | www.lsac.org - Pre-Law Office in 212 Boucke |
| MCAT | www.aamc.org/students - Pre-Medical Office in 213 Whitmore |
| MAT (Miller Analogies Test) | www.milleranalogies.com |
| DAT (Dental Admissions Test) | www.ada.org/dat.aspx |
| TOEFL | www.ets.org/toefl/ |
| Others | Contact Career Services |
Preparation
- Follow the suggestions in the registration booklet
- Before you buy a book or enroll in an often costly review course, decide if you learn better by reading and practicing independently (books), or by instruction and group practice (review course)
Test Preparation Courses
Career Services offers several courses to help students prepare for graduate admissions tests. Have questions? E-mail [email protected].
Complete the Application Process
Deadlines
- To avoid being wait-listed, submit your application as early as possible. Schools may fill their programs prior to their published deadlines
- Priority Deadlines are used for consideration of scholarships, graduate assistantships, and fellowships (Send in your materials by this date if you need financial assistance)
- Rolling Admissions accept students on a continual basis until all acceptance slots are full. (After this point, applications will no longer be accepted)
Typical Components
- Completed application form
- Application essay or personal statement
- Official transcripts from all schools attended
- Financial aid forms
- Letters of recommendation
- Test scores
- Application fee
Application Essay/Personal Statement
Most schools will require that you write an essay or statement about your background and interests as they relate to your field of study. These are often used as an opportunity to see you beyond the “numbers” in the admissions criteria.
Formats
There are two types of essays that most schools require prospective students to write. Always have someone review your essay (a career counselor, advisor, professor or recommendation letter-writer).
Short Answer Essays
- Usually based on specific questions within your field
- Assesses your knowledge and understanding of the field you are entering
- Measures your ability to write, build arguments and think critically
Personal Statements or Letters of Intent
- Clarifies your career goals and reasons for applying to that institution
- Demonstrates your specific goals and understanding of how that particular program will assist you in achieving your career goals
- Highlights your interest in specific research being conducted by faculty or particular classes you are interested in from that institution
Application Action Plan
Provided below are some guidelines for the application process. Each of you will have your own
unique goals, so please consult with a career counselor to finalize your timeline.
Fall and Spring of your Junior year
- Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
- Talk to advisers about application requirements.
- Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admission tests.
- Investigate national scholarships.
- If appropriate, obtain letters of recommendation.
Summer between Junior and Senior year
- Take required graduate admission tests.
- Work on your application materials.
- Visit institutions of interests, if possible.
- Write your application essay.
- Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies.
- For medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school, you may need to register for the national application or data assembly service most programs use.
Fall of your Senior year
- Obtain letters of recommendation.
- Take graduate admission tests if you haven’t already.
- Send in completed applications.
- Complete the FAFSA, if required.
Spring of your Senior year
- Check with all institutions before the deadline to make sure your file is complete.
- Visit institutions that accept you. Send a deposit to your institution of choice.
- Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they may admit students on their waiting list.
- Send thank you notes to people who wrote your recommendation letters, informing them of your success.