Applying to Graduate School
Selecting Graduate Schools
Which school should I go to?
Now that you know what type of program you are searching for (masters v. doctoral) you can start collecting information on all the programs out there. Try to make this as exhaustive a list as possible. Look at Peterson's and other internet sites that provide information about graduate programs, talk to professors in the field you wish to study, speak with recent graduates who just went through the process, read professional journals.
Which schools should I apply to?
Applying to many schools gets expensive. Now that you have information about different programs, you must decide which ones to apply to. When choosing, consider the course offerings:
- Are they in your area of interest?
- Who are the faculty and what are their areas of expertise/research?
- How long should the program take to complete?
- What are the degree requirements; number of credit hours, comprehensive exams, thesis, fieldwork
- Research their libraries, the student population of the program.
- Your chances of getting accepted (based on previous years statistics).
- Review geographic location, student-to-faculty ration, the placement of their graduates, their other facilities (housing, athletic, career and graduate student services)
- Is the school accredited and by whom?
- Cost (including tuition & fees, books & supplies, as well as living expenses)?
- What is available in terms of financial aid and are there assistantships?
Try to get as much information as possible first hand. Talk to current students and contact the faculty. Visit the school you are serious about, although you may want to wait until after you have been accepted due to cost constraints. While it may be expensive to apply, the trips would cost even more.
Expenses for the application process include:
- ~$20-$60 per application
- standardized tests & the expense of sending extra score reports
- transcripts from your undergraduate institution
- travel expenses
- phone bill (from calling schools)
- perhaps test prep courses
Last updated on Tuesday, November 15, 05 at 02:16:51 PM EST.
