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Applying to Grad School?
What to do if you don’t have it all figured out:
When you are deciding if you want to go to graduate school there are many factors to consider first. Download the below infographic to walk through your decision-making process.
Once you’ve decided to apply:
There are five key components needed when applying for graduate school whether it is a Master’s program or a Doctoral program. Some programs may have additional requirements (e.g., research experience, internship experience, GRE Subject Testing, etc.) or waive certain requirements (e.g. GRE testing). Check the requirements for each program before applying. The five components are outlined below.
1) Curriculum Vita (CV)
CVs are comprehensive descriptions of your academic, work, and research credentials and achievements. Similar to a resume, a CV communicates your on-paper persona; however, features that differentiate CVs from resumes are the purpose/use of each document and page requirements. Resumes are typically 1-2 pages and focus on documenting your work experiences and credentials whereas a curriculum vitae is used for more academic purposes.
What to include in a CV:
- Name, address, telephone number, and/or e-mail address
- Degrees, institutions, and degree dates
- Dissertation or thesis title(s), names of advisor and committee members
- Awards, fellowships, and grants
- Publications and presentations
- Teaching experience
- Research experience
- Related experience (for example, administrative or editorial experience)
- Language, computer, and/or other technical skills
- Activities and/or research interests
- Service and membership in professional associations
2) Letters of Recommendation
When applying to graduate school, you will likely need 3-4 letters of recommendation. Several things to consider are: Who to ask, How to ask, and When to ask.
Who to ask
Typically, it is useful to ask a professor or supervisor that has seen you in a variety of contexts (e.g. as an RA, student, undergraduate TA, etc.) . Often times, you will want to ask someone who can speak to your performance within the field that you are applying or similar fields.
How to ask
- Be polite, and ask in person.
- Ask for a strong letter of recommendation (if someone is unable to write you a letter that will help your application, you may want to consider asking someone else.
- Explain why you are asking them.
- Be organizes and provide all materials that they may need (e.g. cover letter, list of schools with application deadlines, CV and personal statement, envelopes with postage, etc.).
When to ask
Giving your recommenders ample time to write their letters is important. It demonstrates that you are organized and prepared as well as value their time. Asking roughly two months in advanced can be helpful to allow writes to plan around all of their other responsibilities and obligations. Do NOT wait till the last minute to ask for a letter of recommendation.
3) GPA
Be aware of the minimum requirements and average GPA scores for the specific programs you are applying to. This will give you a sense of how you might fair compared to other prospective students.
4) Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is required by most graduate programs. For more information, see Resources or visit the GRE website.
5) Personal Statement
Personal statements can have a variety of purposes. They may be used as a writing sample, used to learn more about you as a person and prospective student, and/or used to assess how well you fit with the graduate program. When writing your personal statement, be sure to check each application for specific instructions.
