1. Assessment Process
Assess why you want to go to graduate and professional school.
All to often students matriculate in graduate and professional school for the wrong reasons. They are going to attend graduate and professional schools because of the perceived,"tight job market", because they have heard the familiar refrain "everybody knows that you can’t get anywhere without a graduate degree." Some students use graduate school as a maturation process and cite, "After a few more years of college I will have a clear idea of what I want to do." Some students simply like the world of academia and like to be in an academic environment for its own sake for intellectual stimulation.
Career Center can help you clarify your goals and select a course of study. Over the course of four years your academic interests and career aspirations may have changed. For alumni who have been out of school for a few years, you may want to continue in your existing career path or change careers.
After completing a baccalaureate degree, some students feel drained and a need to take some time off before starting a graduate or professional program. Students may wish to consider taking a few courses after graduation to maintain professional skill sets and defer applying/entering graduate school until they are committed to attending school.
Many employers have tuition reimbursement programs for courses deemed related to their career paths. Credit or non-credit continuing education courses preserve and maintain the academic study skills and help clarify career direction. Taking these courses also demonstrates to graduate schools that students have maintained academic preparedness.
For students with marginal grades as an undergraduate, doing well academically in post-baccalaureate coursework can enhance the probability of getting into the graduate and professional school of their choice. Taking graduate courses under non -degree status, and doing well academically is another way of proving to graduate and professional schools that you have the "right stuff" to succeed.
2. Commitment
Do a cost/benefit analysis.
The commitment of financial resources and "opportunity lost costs" in wages has to be measured against the higher salary that a graduate or professional school degree commands. The Career Center maintains salary surveys that will identify the starting salaries for most graduate and professional degrees.
For alumni, especially those in a scientific or technical field such as engineering, the choice is often pursuing a graduate or professional degree in their current field or getting a MBA to complement the technical undergraduate degree. Alums are often faced with this decision within 5 to 7 years after graduation because of the half-life of technical degrees is very short in some disciplines.
The personal commitment also requires analysis. The pressure of increased competition academically is greater at the graduate than undergraduate level. It is critical for students to consider these questions:
"Do you have the interest to stay motivated in an academic subject for the two to six years it takes to get the master’s or doctoral degree?" "Do you have the discipline to delay immediate gratification and work as long as it takes to get the job done?"
3. Relationship Building
Develop relationships with both internal and external constituents.
Internal
Cultivating faculty members for letters of recommendation takes tact and diplomacy. Give faculty members plenty of advance notice when you are asking them to submit a letter of recommendation. In a poignant manner, ask them sincerely if they can write a strong letter of recommendation. If you get a lukewarm response ask another faculty member.
It is always a good practice to give your references a copy of your resume, and unofficial transcript with the courses that you have taken from them highlighted in yellow. With the small classes at Saint Vincent College this may not seem necessary, but given the multiple responsibilities that faculty have this is a common courtesy. In addition, giving your professor a copy of a writing sample, letter of application, or senior thesis may be helpful in writing the letter of recommendation.
Furthermore, because of the busy schedule that faculty maintain, students may want to ask them in a courteous manner for the current status of their letter of recommendation. Finally, students should provide faculty with the stamps and envelopes and a nice thank you letter.
External
As we advise students in the job search process, it is imperative that you develop a good relationship with all parties involved with the graduate and professional school application process. It would be advisable to respectful and patient with everyone you may come in contact with from the secretary, graduate assistant, work-study student, dean of admissions and department chair. The influence of employees not directly involved in the admissions decision can never be discounted. For instance, be sure to thank those staff members who may have responded to your inquiries about financial aid, or graduate assistance ships or housing matters.
The organizational structure of the institution that you are applying to often dictates your admissions’ strategy. Some institutions are centralized, and have one main graduate and professional school admissions office for all programs. Other institutions are decentralized, and have separate admissions’ offices for each graduate and professional degree program.
In institutions with a centralized office the level of authority vested in their decision making capabilities varies. For instance they could be entrusted with screening applications using traditional search criteria such as GPA, test scores, class rank, and perhaps letters of application. Then they would deliver this information to the deans of the various graduate and professional schools for the authoritative decision making process.
Law schools, medical schools, and most MBA programs, have a dedicated admissions department. However, even in this arrangement the power delegated to the admissions representative varies. Thus, it takes some research to determine who has the ultimate decision making authority based upon the politics of the individual institution. Thus, treating everyone with the courtesy and respect is essential.
In some graduate and professional schools, the role of the faculty cannot be overlooked.
A good strategy for marginal students is developing a rapport with a prominent faculty member through written correspondence, phone contact, and appropriate personal contact. This is especially good practice if your academic interests match that of the professor.
The following situation illustrates a case where a student used her senior thesis topic of research to develop a common bond with a medical school professor on a similar research topic. The student's senior thesis research topic was entitled: "The effects of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids on lipid profiles." In reviewing the promotional literature from the medical school, the student noted that there was a prominent professor of holistic medicine at the school, who conducted extensive research on the use of cod liver oil and flax seed oil, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, to study the effect on blood chemistry that she cited in her senior thesis.
Thus, in her correspondence to the professor, she cited that she read all of the professor's books, professional journal articles, and transcripts of his presentations at medical conferences. In addition, she mentioned that she also shared an academic interest in the role alternative medicine can play in traditional allopathic medicine. In her subsequent correspondence she sent the professor a copy of her senior thesis with the annotated bibliography attesting to her interest in the holistic health professor’s research.
As a result, the student received a call from the professor and they established a bond over interest in a common subject area. She developed a powerful ally; the professor intervened with the dean of admissions on her behalf and she gained entry into one of her "reach" schools. In addition, the professor ended up being her academic advisor.
4. Test Preparation
Websites
The following sites provide information for both on-line and classroom test
preparation courses for standardized tests. They also have a number of good
links related to the graduate and professional school application process.
http://www.kaptest.com
http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/default.asp
Test Preparation Courses
In the past, Career Center has partnered with Kaplan to provide on site
test preparation courses. We usually need a minimum of a dozen students in order
for a course to be offered on campus. We are willing to work with student clubs,
organizations, and faculty to set up a test session to recruit the critical mass
of students to have a class at Saint Vincent College.
Practice Exams
Career Center arranges practice exams twice a year on Saturdays, which are
administered by Kaplan. The practice exams cover the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and GMAT.
Students receive a critique of their test results approximately two weeks after
testing.
5. General Advice
Identify 9-12 graduate programs based upon entrance
requirements (QPA, test scores, class rank);1/3 -first tier (national or reach
schools), 1/3 - second tier (strong or mid range regional schools), 1/3 -third
tier (local or safe schools).
6. General Graduate School Web Sites
www.petersons.com/graduate
www.gradschools.com
www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Grad_School/default
www.gradprofiles.com/
This website features in-depth graduate and professional school profiles with
information about programs of study, degree requirements, facilities, expenses,
financial aid, faculty research and much more.
7. The Application Process Timeline
It is a good idea to start the application process a minimum of one year and
a half prior to matriculating in a program. This will permit you to complete
your application on time. Application deadlines often range with early decision
programs to a year prior to matriculation. Most deadlines for entry in the fall
semester range between December and March. Some institutions have rolling
admissions and will accept students in the Spring semester. Saint Vincent
College Career Center encourages you to apply early because admissions
departments act upon early submissions when building a class roster.
Specific Advice
1. During junior year, meet with an academic advisor to develop a list of
programs based upon academic credentials and career interests
2. Decide upon masters vs. doctoral program, part-time or full-time
3. Think about geographic preferences, short/long term employment locations
upon graduation
4. Take required graduate and professional school exams according to
deadlines
5. Write your application essay
6. Secure letters of recommendation from faculty members well in advance of
the application deadline
7. Ask faculty members if they could write you a strong letter of
recommendation. If the faculty member cannot assure you that they can write a
strong letter of recommendation, then solicit another faculty recommendation
8. Provide faculty members with an unofficial transcript highlighting courses
in which they instructed you
9. Provide faculty members with an updated resume, or portfolio if
available
10. Keep faculty members apprised of application deadlines for receipt of
letter of recommendations on a regular basis
11. Be diplomatic and subtle. Faculty members are very busy and it takes a
great deal of effort to write a strong letter of recommendation
12. Investigate sources of financial aid, scholarships, and
fellowships
8. Financial Aid Resources:
Grant and Research Opportunities:
www.neh.fed.us
(National Endowment for the
Humanities)
www.nsf.gov/home/grants.htm (National Science
Foundation)
www.finaid.com
www.fastweb.com/
www.yahoo.com/education/financial_aid
www.kaploan.com/
9. Grad School Application Essay
What is a Statement of Purpose (SOP)?
- Understand what universities expect when they ask for a statement of
purpose
- Use guidelines to write your own unique, winning statements of purpose and
similar essays
www.statementofpurpose.com/
www.petersons.com/gradchannel/articles/personal_statement.asp
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/grhome.htm
www.allpsychologyschools.com
www.psychgrad.org/
10. Graduate and Professional School Resources
The Career Resources Center has a wide variety of information pertaining to
graduate and professional schools for students. We carry the full line of
Peterson's Guides and other specialized educational guides. Testing and
preparation information on the GRE, LSAT, DAT, VAT, MCAT, Praxis and other tests
may be obtained in the Career Center.
11. Interviews
With some institutions, an interview is part of the admissions process. With
medical schools be prepared for individual interviews or with a group interview
comprised of admissions staff, faculty, graduate assistants, and medical
students. Some institutions require interviews for those students on the wait
list, or those students who have taken the Test For English as a Second Language
to insure a certain level of comfort with the English language.
Websites:
Medical School Interview: What You'll Be Asked
http://gradschool.about.com/cs/medicalinterview/a/medquest.htm
What to Ask During a Graduate Admissions Interview:
http://gradschool.about.com/cs/interviews/l/blgradinterview.htm
Sample Questions To Ask Medical College Admissions Representatives
According to the student representatives of the Association of American
Medical Colleges: "Medical schools, like individuals, are very different-in
their philosophies, faculties, curricula, and the type of students they attract.
Consequently, selecting the "best" medical school for you can be very
challenging. The following set of questions was compiled by medical students
from across the country to assist you in evaluating the schools you will visit.
This list is by no means complete; it was designed to serve as a base for your
own questions. Keep in mind that the interview represents a wonderful time for
you to learn, so don't be shy about asking anyone your questions.
Congratulations on your career choice and good luck with interviews!"
You may request an interview if your candidacy is in question. Perhaps the
school is in that "reach" category. Under these circumstances an interview could
help overcome other factors such as QPA, and test scores. Career Center offers
mock interviews for students to refine interviewing skills. If you have a
portfolio, either electronic or hard copy, consider taking it with you to give
tangible evidence of your accomplishment and skills. After the interview, make
sure you obtain the business cards of all the parties involved so that you may
follow up with thank you letters. The thank you letter provides a medium to
convey or expound upon some strength or asset that you may not have thought
about during the course of the interview.
12. Follow up Procedures
Keep a checklist of all the schools to which you have applied. Make periodic
calls or e-mail inquiries to make sure they received all the requisite
documents. Keep the graduate and admissions departments informed of any delays
that you may have in obtaining transcripts, references, clearances, etc.
Finally, you will want to call and inquire about the status of your application.
13. Standardized Test Web Sites
The following web sites have information pertaining to test dates and application forms. Some of the sites have special sections for faculty and administration and give detailed information on norms, item selection, analysis percentile ranks, and interpretive data.
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
http://www.ets.org/
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Phone 609-771-7670
http://www.gre.org
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
Phone 1-800-462-8669
http://www.gmat.org/
http://www.mba.com
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Phone 215-968-1001
http://www.lsac.org
http://www.lsac.org/
(Law School Admission Council)
Praxis Exam
Phone 800-853-6773
http://www.ets.org/praxis
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Test of Written English (TWE)
Phone 800-468-6335
http://www.toefl.org
Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
800-622-3231
http://www.milleranalogies.com
Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)
http://www.pcatweb.info
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Phone 319-337-1357
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm
American Dental Association Dental Admission Testing Program (DAT)
800-232-2162
http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat.asp
Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
800-232-2159
http://www.opted.org/info_oat.cfm
Tests No Longer Administered:
Allied Health Professions Admission Test (AHPAT)
Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT)
