Are You Ready For The Grad? Why Getting Into Grad School May Be More Complicated Than You Think

By Francine Fluetsch on March 31, 2015

Are you planning on going to grad school? With all the hustle and bustle of undergrad life, grad school might be at the back of your mind, but should it be there?

There are a lot of steps you are going to have to take in order to get into the school of your choice, so the sooner you can start looking into it, the better.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if grad school is part of your plan.

image via hercampus.com

Taking the GRE

Sure, we’ve heard about it, but no one really knows that much about it. SAT’s were talked about a lot in high school, and everyone told you when to take them, but college is a place where you have to fend for yourself and find out the information on your own.

As I was standing in line to use the ATM, there was a grad school booth close by, and one of the guys came over to talk to us while we waited in line. He asked which of us were planning on going to grad school, and most of us raised our hands. He asked if we knew when we were supposed to take the GRE. Most of us just looked at each other and shrugged.

I figured it would be during senior year, like the SAT’s were, but did you know you actually have to take the GRE the summer before you are planning on going to grad school? That means, if you want to go to grad school right after undergrad, you have to take it the summer before your senior year, which for me is this summer!

If that guy hadn’t come up to us, I would never have known. To me, grad school still felt far enough away to where I didn’t have to worry about it, but that moment made me realize that if I didn’t plan ahead, I might miss some important deadlines.

Extra requirements

Each grad program is different, and may be expecting different things from you for when you apply. Some will want the GRE as well as other entry tests, some may just require a certain GPA, some may want you to have a certain amount of hours in the field, some may want a portfolio and an interview based entry on top of the tests, and so on.

Needless to say, these are not things you will be able to accomplish last minute, so you’ll want to look into schools that appeal to you as soon as possible and find out what they want from you.

image via http://www.collegescholarships.org

Extra requirements can also be extra classes they want you to have taken before you graduate, and if your school doesn’t offer them or you don’t have time during the year to do the extra classes, you’ll need to look into summer school and find a program where you can take the classes, or think about taking a fifth year to finish everything.

Picking the schools

This will be the most crucial part in figuring out your plan, because the school will determine all the extra stuff you need to do, and the scores you will need on them. Start looking into schools based on your program.

I’d recommend doing a Google search for your program or profession you want to end up in, and start clicking on every grad school that pops up. Read their program thoroughly, and if the school sounds like a place where you’d want to be, write the name down.

Once you have a list, you can start looking at the entry requirements of each, the locations, the accreditation and so on, so you’ll be able to rank the schools in order of preference. In my opinion, a great program is better than a great name.

Go for the one that sounds most like what you want to do, instead of picking a grad school just for its merit. Sure, that is great and all, but if the program isn’t what you want, you’ll be missing out.

Emailing the professors

Grad programs are selective and small, and the professors have a big say on which students they wish to have in their program. Once you have a list of schools and know that you are serious about applying, why not email a few of the professors you might be working with?

It will get your name out there, will help your chances of getting in, and you might be provided with some great advice.

image via http://www.lorensworld.com

Talking to current professors

If you are having a hard time finding a school with your program, or having a hard time deciding which one to rank higher on your list, why not talk to some of your current professors?

They went to grad school and might be able to give you some awesome recommendations on where to go and how their program was when they attended. It will give you a reason to talk to your professor one on one (hello letter of rec), and will give you some awesome insight.

This isn’t meant to scare you, only to remind you that grad school will take some planning, which can be rather fun if you give yourself enough time. Good luck and have fun!

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