Graduate School Preparation Guide
What does graduate school entail?
Graduate school is not a process that can be taken lightly, and like anything else that is worth having, it requires a great deal of work. Graduate study typically refers to programs that award a master's degree or a doctorate. A master's degree usually involves one to two years of coursework, a comprehensive examination over that coursework, and in some cases, a thesis. Unlike undergraduate programs, your graduate coursework will take place nearly exclusively in your major area of study. A doctoral program requires anywhere from two to four years of coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation. The comprehensive exams are much like senior comps and require a great deal of preparation. Typically a three hour written exam based upon your major coursework, comprehensives also may have an oral component covering your proposed research. The thesis or dissertation is your original research written with the guidance of a group of faculty known as your committee. Many students worry about writing a thesis, but with the support of your committee and with your academic training, you will find that, like completing coursework and comprehensives, you can write a dissertation.
How Do I Apply?
Once you have decided to pursue a graduate degree and have figured out which specific field you will study, the steps in the application process are as follows:
Create a list of potential schools Register, practice, and then take the GRE Ask faculty members for letters of recommendation Write a statement of purpose and have it critiqued Complete and mail your applications for admission and financial/fellowship support
The Application Process in Detail
1. Create a list of potential schools. To maximize your opportunities you will need to apply to several schools or more. The more schools to which you apply, the more chances you have for admission. Consult a guidebook such as Peterson's Guides (they can be found on-line or at your college library) where you will uncover a comprehensive listing of graduate opportunities in your respective area. The listings include descriptions of each discipline and their sub-fields. It will also include a wealth of data about the various institutions in those disciplines (location, entrance requirements, acceptance rates, tuition costs, funding options, enrollment demographics, etc.).
To create your list of schools you should first consider factors like quality of the program, strength of the university, reputation of faculty in your area, availability of funding, institutional support, and commitment to minority students. Other factors that may play a part include geographic region, size of enrollment, racial make-up of student body, community in which the school is located, and campus facilities and activities. After weighing these factors, you should compile a list of ten or more institutions.
Start by asking faculty members to recommend institutions. (Be careful; they almost always will think their alma mater is the best choice for you. This may, or may not be the case.) Check to see who are the leading experts in your chosen field. Find out what schools they attended and where they are currently working. Either school would be good to have on your list. Check to see where recent graduates from your academic department have gone to graduate school. If they have had positive experiences, that institution might also be good for you.
After creating your list of choices you should contact each school. Wherever possible you should make a personal visit to the campus. Campus visits can sometimes make all the difference. In any case, you should request application materials and any other information that will help you with the admissions process. Ultimately, you want to be able to select the university that will give you your best opportunity for success.
2. Register, practice, and then take the The Graduate Records Examination (GRE). The GRE is the entrance exam most often required for graduate admission. It has assumed a greater role of importance in the admissions process than was ever intended. The GRE has assumed this role of importance primarily because most applicants will have good GPAs, decent statements of purpose, and glowing letters of recommendation. What usually distinguishes one applicant from another is the score received on this nationally normed and standardized test. Therefore performing well on this test is of major importance. Make sure you practice using a review course or study manual. Make sure you register early (since the test is computerized you may register at your convenience at a test cite near you). Make sure that you schedule your exam at least nine months, but preferably a year and a half, before you start graduate school. Finally, make sure you do well on the test.
Few schools will post cutoff scores (something which ETS strongly discourages) but there seems to be some "magic" in obtaining a combined GRE score of 1,000-1,100 or better. This combined score is obtained by adding the quantitative score to the verbal reasoning score. Many schools will not only expect a minimum total score, but have minimum scores established for these individual sections of the test. Finally, some departments will require a minimum score on a Subject Test. The Subject Tests (covering material unique to your graduate discipline) are administered separately and require preparation and practice much the same as the general test.
3. Ask faculty members for letters of recommendations. Often applicants will try to impress admission committees with letters from a local politician, a high ranking university official, or even their pastor. While these people may be able to say nice things about you, the admissions committee is more interested in your academic abilities. Such interest usually requires the evaluator to be someone who has taught the applicant and who can speak favorably about the applicant's ability to perform graduate level work. Faculty members from whom you have earned at least two grades of "B" or higher (preferably two or more "As") are ideal candidates to write strong letters of recommendation for you.
When requesting these letters, always remember that it is just that—a request. Therefore request them courteously and thoughtfully. That means that you approach your faculty members early and that you provide them with enough information so that they can effectively write about your potential. Provide them with a half-page abstract that includes the courses taken and grades received from that instructor; a concise description of your graduate plans and plans beyond graduate school (i.e. "I plan to pursue my Ph.D. in higher education administration and later work as a student service administrator...); the mailing address for the particular schools to which you are applying (most schools will provide special envelopes for these letters); and the deadline for mailing the letters of recommendation.
4. Write a statement of purpose and have it critiqued. The statement of purpose often distinguishes the winners and the losers. Those who get accepted almost always have better statements of purpose than those who do not. What sets a good statement apart is its overall quality as one in which you clearly demonstrate your potential for graduate study. A good statement will be the following:
Concise - say what you have to as efficiently as possible; most are limited to 1 - 1 1/2 pages Organized - your essay should be well thought out and structured; work from an outline Clear - it should say exactly what you want it to say; no ambiguity Honest - do not pretend to be who you are not; but, do not sell yourself short, either Personal - this is uniquely yours; it is a statement about yourself. Write about yourself. Positive - sell yourself using positive attributes; do not dwell on negatives like low grades
What is included in a statement of purpose varies from school to school. Be sure to read each application carefully and provide the specific information requested. Typically you are asked to include answers to most of the following questions:
Why do you want to get a graduate degree?
What are your specific goals for graduate study? How have you been academically prepared for these goals? What are your goals beyond graduate study? What tangible experiences helped prepare you (research projects, internships, professional and volunteer experiences, publications, exchange programs, etc)?
Why should you be admitted?
Upon completing your statement, show it to a friend and have it critiqued. Make corrections and then share it with a faculty member. Ask the same questions. Inquire about punctuation and grammar. Make the necessary revisions and then have it proofed one last time. If you are satisfied you may then include it with the rest of your application. This may seem like a tedious process for a one-page statement, but it is necessary however, since you will seldom be asked to write a more important statement.
5. Complete and mail your applications for admission and financial/fellowship support. This is in fact a very important process, and you do not want to leave anything to chance. Type your application or use a word processor: it must look nice, and it must be legible. Make copies of everything! Use the original application materials provided (no photocopies) including any return addressed envelopes. MAIL ALL MATERIALS WELL IN ADVANCE OF ANY STATED DEADLINE! Institutions receive hundreds of applications and most have no room for late or incomplete applications. Order transcripts and test scores early enough to be mailed timely to the appropriate institutions. Further, remember that a completed, clean, and on-time application will not by itself get you admitted, but you can rest assured that an incomplete, sloppy, or late application will get you rejected.
Complete all financial-aid forms (some are separate) and fellowship/assistantship requests (most are included in the application) in a manner similar to that of your application. While most students receive funding from their graduate institution, you will find outside funding advantageous. Such funding may come from major corporations, professional organizations, special interest programs, or other sources. They often have fall application deadlines, and they typically require good grades and test scores. Contact these funding sources directly or check with your school for other sources. These funding sources can be found in reference journals at your library or on-line at websites . Note that because of under-representation of certain groups at the graduate level, you are likely to find plenty of funding to go around. You should not have to pay for a Ph.D., given the number of funding opportunities available.
By Dr. Dereck J. Rovaris Sr. is Assistant Dean of the Graduate School and Director of Graduate Placement at Xavier University of Louisiana.
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