Are you thinking about graduate school? If so, then you are taking the next step into a better future. However, the graduate school admissions process is not an easy one; rather it is very strenuous. Nevertheless, with some tips you'll be able to understand this process a little better.Ask Yourself: What Are You Interested In?
First you need to think about your major of interest. In graduate school you have to really narrow things down and choose a concentration. You might be interested in a psychology program, or maybe art, nursing or just about any other graduate program. Think about what really interests you and sparks your passion? What do you see yourself doing in ten years? What's your undergraduate degree in? Answering these questions will help you narrow down your interest and pick the graduate program most suitable for you.
Start the Search
Once you have chosen a concentration, you need to look into graduate school admissions; each school will have its own rules and regulations for applying. For the most part thought, most graduate schools will require the same basic things, such as:
You will need to complete the graduate school application for each school you are interested in and submit it by the deadline.
Next you need to request your transcripts from all schools you previously attended. Most likely all programs you apply to will require you to have these transcripts sent directly to the graduate admissions office of each school, so be sure to note this when requesting those transcripts.
Afterward, you need to contact at least 2-3 people who can recommend you. You might need more people; it all depends on the graduate school you are applying to.
You might also need to take a graduate school test, possibly GRE, LSAT (law school), MCAT (medical school), etc. Find out from each school you are applying to what type of exams are required.
- Finally, most graduate schools will require that you write an essay. This essay is usually called a personal statement or something similar. Each school will have its own guidelines for writing this essay, but you can probably edit/tweak the first one that you write to match each school's requirement.
Remember, get everything in before the deadline, thank those who helped, and be positive about the outcome.
