Getting Started

First steps in applying to graduate school successfully

Posted July 30th 2010 by MGS

The beginning of another school year is fast approaching and as is common for this time of year, many students start thinking about applying to graduate or professional school. Most students have only a vague idea of what is involved in applying to grad school. Most do know that there are eligibility requirements that are more stringent than applying to an undergraduate program, however, they are unaware of the amount of planning and organization required to produce a successful application.

image courtesy of Bleu Quest

Another problem that many students make is that they rely too heavily on the advice of graduate students, who often don’t even know why they were accepted and whose situation may not be relevant to your own. This article serves as a good fist step to understanding what is involved in applying to graduate school and to help answer some of your initial questions about the process. Stay tuned in the coming days for a series of detailed articles that will help you navigate through the entire process efficiently and successfully. In the meantime, here are the main topics that you should familiarize yourself with now.

Choosing a Graduate Program

The first important thing to understand when choosing where to apply to graduate school is that you cannot achieve the same types of expertise in all programs. For example, one graduate program in Economics might offer expertise in econometrics, microeconomics, macroeconomics, economic development and planning etc… whereas another program might have its strengths in areas of labor economics, environmental and natural resources economics, public economics, A doctoral student will specialize in just one area. In addition, your success in actually getting into graduate school will depend to a large extent on whether you pick the right program, based on your particular career objectives. Do not underestimate the importance of this match. It is one of the main things that admissions committees are looking for when they evaluate applicants to their programs. Those who fail to convince that the match is right are sure to be rejected, no matter how strong their grades, test scores or references.

Choosing a Graduate Advisor

There are several strategies for selecting a graduate advisor. Most students begin the search for a graduate advisor by visiting the websites at a variety of universities and search for a list of faculty members and research areas, until they come up with a reasonable match with their own interests. This method can work sometimes, but often it leads to “settling” on a prospective graduate advisor, when there may be even better matches out there. Rather than beginning with a university and finding out what people there are doing, instead start by finding out who is doing what it is that interests you the most, and then find out where those people are situated. This approach will turn up the best opportunities, and the closest matches between your interests and those of your potential graduate advisors.
           

Tackling the requirements: letters of recommendation, standardized tests and relevant experience

Letters of Recommendation

Understand that, unlike transcripts and standardized-test scores, which provide objective measures of your aptitudes, letters of recommendation provide more of a non-objective evaluation of who you are, your important character traits, along with your abilities, and your potential for success in graduate school.

You will probably need two or three letters of recommendations, and they should come from professors who know more about you than they could know just from having you in a class. If you want a professor to be able to write an effective letter, you must somehow display your scholarly aptitudes and perhaps also your research capabilities. The best way to achieve this is to get involved in research that is going on in your department, either through a research-thesis course, or as a volunteer assistant.

Also keep in mind that if you are applying to multiple programs and will be requesting more than one letter from your referees, then it is very important that you organize all of the material for them. Prepare a cover letter that lists the programs that you are applying to and the application deadlines. If possible, put all of the information on one page. Make sure that you fill out as many parts of the evaluation forms as you can before giving them to your referees. Remember that you are asking them to take time out of their busy schedule to help you out, so try and be gracious and considerate in your request.

Standardized Tests

Most graduate and professional degree programs (but not all of them) require applicants to submit official scores on one or more standardized tests. These tests provide an objective basis for comparing students academic aptitude. They are designed to assess academic knowledge and skills relevant to graduate studies. The scores are thought to be one measure of academic aptitude that is not influenced by the huge variation that exists in the grading standards and procedures of different courses, professors, departments, faculties, and schools. The rationale is that everyone writes an equivalent test and all tests are graded the same way. Thus, the playing field is level for all participants. Ask a career counselor about what tests you will need to prepare for and potential workshops that may be available to you.

Relevant Experience

Applying to graduate school is, in many respects, like applying for a job. Anyone who has ever applied for a job knows the importance of having relevant experience in the same or at least a similar kind of work. It is not impossible to get a job without previous experience; it’s just much harder to do so. All other things being equal, most jobs will go to applicants with experience.

Also keep in mind that for some programs, having the right experience is virtually a requirement, because of the often-limited number of new students that can be accepted into a graduate program, and virtually all programs have more applicants than they can accept. The general assumption among most graduate selection committee embers is that the student who has sought out relevant work experience has demonstrated the kind of initiative and interest in the field that is needed for success in graduate school. From the point of view of a prospective graduate advisor, applicants with relevant experience have a lower risk of failure than the inexperienced by virtue of having already shown they can do things that will be required in graduate school.

Paying for School

There can be considerable expenses associated with years of graduate school. The good news is that, in many respects, it is easier to finance graduate school than undergraduate school, and that your situation probably may not be as bleak as you first assumed. The main sources of funding available to you as a graduate student include some of the following: research and teaching assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, grants and bursaries. 

We hope this website will help you discover all the other information you need. Come back frequently to read the articles and interviews that are updated monthly, and check out the archives from previous months. If you are already certain that graduate school is in your cards, you will find all sorts of insights and tips on this website that will help you apply successfully to the program that is right for you. You can also find all the information you need in one place. Download the eBook: Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting In With or Without Excellent Grades