Thinking about Applying to Graduate School?

The most important thing for a prospective graduate student to know is that there really is no such thing as graduate school—but that doesn't mean you should close this booklet and go find something else to do! It's true that we commonly refer to study toward a master's or doctorate degree as "going to graduate school." However, the range of intellectual activities, apprenticeship experiences, and ritual socialization that occurs in post-baccalaureate programs is so very broad across the academic disciplines as to practically defy categorization as the same thing. For example, a master's student in social work and a doctoral student in physics may both go tor class, read advanced theory, write papers, and take exams, but these are superficial similarities. On a deeper level, the structure, culture, and goals of their graduate programs are quite different from each other—different enough to prepare thee students for careers as divergent as those of a social worker in a pre-K to fifth-grade elementary school and a researcher at an international nuclear particle accelerator, respectively. Likewise, the applications for different graduate programs may appear to be similar on the surface—consisting of application forms, essays, standardized exam scores, and recommendations—but who evaluates applications and what they look for in them may vary dramatically. This is not to say that It's impossible to give general advice about applying to graduate programs, but simply that the kind of advice that's called for ought to sensitize applicants to the very different contexts in which applications are reviewed. That's the goal of what follows.

Graduate Study as a Stage of Career Development

There is an all-too-common perception that graduate study is something you do to avoid beginning a career, but people subscribing to that theory who apply to graduate programs are in for a sore surprise. Graduate study is all about preparing for a career—whether as an architect or a professor of zoology or an endless number of other careers. In fact, graduate study programs are the product of a great deal of though on the part of very knowledgeable people about how to best prepare students for a specific work environment, or at least a restricted range of work environments. For example, there are many master's programs that are considered to be "professional" because they are designed to prepare graduates not necessarily for further study, but to step right into a recognized profession. These jobs typically require some kind of certification or licensure that is regulated by state law, as is commonly the case for counselors, engineers, librarians, social workers, teachers, and therapists. In such cases, master's programs often are specifically geared and will include elements that work toward preparation for state-regulated exams.

Other master's programs are also considered professional, not because they launch students on careers in regulated professions, but because they prepare students to enter jobs that require a high level of proficiency in a field in which there is a fairly well-defined range of accepted practice. Examples of these fields include business management, government, information management, journalism, and museum curation. There are still other master's programs that are designed to provide preparation for either further study in the same field or for careers in which their general skills are applicable, though perhaps not their full range of content knowledge. Examples of these are programs in the liberal arts disciplines, such as humanities and social sciences.

We don't often think of doctoral programs as preparing students for careers, but they're designed to do this as well. Most PhD programs, for example, are designed explicitly to prepare people for careers as professors in higher education institutions or researchers in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors. Other doctoral programs, such as those granting a Doctor of Psychology and Doctor of Education, are designed to produce practitioners in selected professions, such as counseling or education. In a sense then, with the typical length of a doctoral program being in the range of five to eight years (depending on the discipline), it's even more important for prospective doctoral students to understand what kind of career they're preparing for than it is for prospective master's students to have that understanding.

Where to Apply

If you understand graduate study is a stage of career development, you've already taken the first step in selecting the graduate programs to which you might apply. The trick at this point is to determine which institutions might best prepare you for the career goal you have in mind. (If you don't have one in mind, that will make this more difficult!) It's important to remember that although many institutions may offer programs under the same general, disciplinary name, there are always important differences between them. There are a number of ways to determine which institutions offer programs in your field of interest. Here are some suggested strategies:

Talk to an expert

If you're currently attending a college or university, you're surrounded by people who are knowledgeable about where to find particular types of graduate programs. Most faculty members need to maintain currency of knowledge in their field, so they are constantly reading research generated at other institutions and they frequently attend conferences related to their fields. This gives them a very good sense of what publishable research is conducted where—a good indicator of the presence of strong graduate programs—and which institutions are known for their strengths. You should find faculty members at your institution who are working in the field in which you're interested and with whom you can discuss graduate school options. You may find it difficult to surmount the social wall that typically divides students and professors. But once you do, you'll be glad you did. In most cases, you're likely to find people who are more than willing to offer tips on how to achieve your goals. Other types of experts you may wish to consult are professionals practicing in the field in which you're interested and graduate students attending programs in that field.

Search the Web

There are several major online clearinghouses of graduate school information. Choose a general search engine, such as Google or Metacrawler, and search for "graduate schools." You're likely to hit upon the most prominent companies that collect and distribute graduate school information. Through these websites, you may find far more than mere lists of institutions and fields offered. You'll likely find links to the websites of institutions or programs, as well as pertinent advice about applying to grad school. (This is not to imply that what you're reading right now is not pertinent!) You may also find surveys that will help you find programs that meet criteria that are important to you.

Consult Rankings

As much as many higher education professionals complain about the inaccuracy of rankings, they generally acknowledge that even rankings in popular media are useful in identifying top-tier programs. If the field in which you're interested is one whose graduate programs are subject to ranking, you should consider consulting the publications that rank them.

Once you've gathered information about which institutions offer a program in your field, you need to winnow out the ones that don't meet the criteria that you consider important in a graduate program and institution. To do that, you need to have criteria! If you haven't gotten that far in your thinking yet, use the following questions as a starting point.

• In which area of my discipline do I want to specialize?
• Is there a critical mass of faculty members and graduate students in my specialization at the institutions I'm considering?
• Am I concerned about how competitive the program is?
• Does the location of the institution matter to me—not only the state and city, but also whether it's an urban, suburban, or rural environment?
• Do I need to attend a program that will give me opportunities or hands-on experience, either as a professional practitioner or researcher?
• Do I need a substantial financial support package in order to be able to cover the cost of my graduate studies?
• What kind of career services support is available for locating a job a I approach grad school graduation?
• What types of positions do graduates of the programs that I'm considering typically secure?
• Do I have other "logistical" requirements, such as the need for a spouse to find work or a graduate program, or to find schools and/or daycare for my children?

This certainly is not an exhaustive list of issues to consider when selecting graduate programs to which you may apply, but it should help you identify some important factors and may bring others to mind. It's a good idea to get feedback from one or more of the experts that you consulted earlier about your prospective list of programs. This may prove to be a helpful reality check, if those experts know something about you.

The Application Process

Never forget the audience for your application—ever! You're likely to find that the basic framework of graduate applications is similar across institutions and across disciplines. However there may be some special materials required, depending on your discipline, and there may be very important differences in who review the applications and the weight that each of the elements bears in deliberations.

When you applied to undergraduate school, your application was reviewed by one or more admissions professions trained to focus on characteristics of applicants that were considered desirable by that school, possibly even based on sophisticated statistical correlations. Graduate applications, on the other hand, typically are reviewed by committees of three of four faculty members. It's possible that the committee members are aware of statistical correlates that produce successful students, but their overriding concern in evaluating applications is likely to be more esoteric: How will you enrich the environment that they work in every day? These are the people who would be your professors, even your advisor. They know that they must exercise a great deal of care in evaluating applications because they are selecting people whom they and their colleagues will teach and mentor for somewhere between one and ten years. You will do well to keep this image of the discerning faculty committee in the back of your mind as you compile your application.

It's appropriate to be positive in your self-assessment as you fill out applications, but you also should try to be aware of what a faculty committee is likely to see as your shortcomings. Try to anticipate what their concerns about you might be and address them in your materials. For example, it's not uncommon for an applicant's overall undergraduate GPA to have suffered because of freshman and/or sophomore shenanigans. If that's the case with you, look for opportunities in the application to address that. If you can demonstrate that you matured over the course of your undergraduate studies, it is likely to be considered a positive attribute by a graduate admissions committee. Following are some more specific suggestions for using the application to your advantage.

The Application Form

Most graduate applications forms solicit a great deal of data, but they also typically ask at least a few short-answer questions. Look for opportunities to distinguish yourself from other candidates with those short answers; but if you're allowed to submit your answers as appendices, don't take that as license to add volumes to your application. Remember that the admissions committee has to read many applications. Be thorough, but succinct.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Chances are you'll be required to submit your score from some kind of standardized test as part of the application (programs in the arts are usually an exception). For non-business graduate programs, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is the most commonly required test. If the programs to which you apply follow the recommendations of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for proper score use, they won't do things like use the scores alone to screen out applications. Rather they'll consider the sores in the context of the rest of your application materials. However, even within the bounds of the ETS' proper use guidelines, GRE scores may carry a varying amount of weight across disciplines and across institutions.

You probably already know that the GRE is composed of three sections—verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing assessment. Admissions committees in different disciplines may assign the score on one section more weight then the others in their deliberations. For example, a program in creative writing may not give much weight to the quantitative section. However, it is not uncommon for science and engineering programs to give weight to both quantitative and verbal scores, based on the assumption that to be an effective engineer or scientist you must be able to communicate what you know clearly.

On the outside chance that you think you can slack off on one section or another because of your discipline: Don't take that risk. Try your best on each section.

Editor's Note: Some graduate programs in certain fields are likely to require both the General Examination and the relevant Subject Test. Check with each program you are applying to for its requirements.

Letters of Recommendation

There is no other component of a graduate application that requires greater sensitivity to the audience of the application than the recommendations do. Depending on the discipline, admissions committees tend to value third-party input most when it comes exclusively from academics like themselves or from a mixture of academics and professionals. For example, admissions committees in doctoral programs in the humanities likely know best how to interpret recommendations from other professors in their discipline. So, of the three or so letters of recommendation that you'll probably be required to submit for a humanities doctoral program application, it's best if at least two of them come from academics in that field. Further, while it may be that a teaching assistant knew your work better than a professor, a recommendation from a TA is not likely to carry as much weight as one from a professor. However, if you're applying to a practice-oriented master's program, such as one in social work, it is likely that the admissions committee would appreciate the input of a professional social worker who has observed you in a work context and can speak to your ability to empathize with clients.

Admittedly, it may be difficult to get a good read on what an admissions committee is really looking for in your recommendations. Read the application instructions thoroughly in regard to these letters. If you have any doubts, don't be shy about contacting the programs to which you're applying. Call or e-mail the admissions contacts for those programs to put the question to them.

Essays

At the institutions with which I'm familiar, there are more than a dozen different approaches to the essay, from asking the standard, sweeping question (essentially, "What are your goals, and why do you want to come here to pursue them?") to an entire suite of more specific questions (from "What first sparked your interest in this field?" to "What do you do for fun?"). As is the case with recommendations, it is important to try to put yourself in the place of your audience to discern what they really want to know.

Given the nature of doctoral studies, I think it's safe to say that a doctoral admissions committee probably wants to know what your specific research interests are and why you think it would be good for you to pursue them at their institution. This assumes that you have done a good deal of thinking about your interests. It also assumes that you've done a good deal of research about the programs to which you're applying. It's a good idea to make yourself familiar with the work of the faculty members in your research area at each institution to which you apply. You want to do this not to impress them, but so you know whether your interests match up. If the match seems right, you'll have plenty to say when you write the essay.

Admissions committees for professional master's programs may not be as interested in your research interests, but likely will expect you to know about their programs' strengths. Again, you need to be thorough in your research so you understand the environment in which you may be studying for several years and what professional opportunities you'll have upon graduation—and perhaps along the way.

In summary, research prospective programs carefully, understand what they offer, and respond to the essay question(s) as precisely as you can. Again, if you're in doubt about what they'd like to know, don't be shy about contacting the program to seek guidance.

Work Samples and Interviews

Don't be surprised to find that some programs to which you apply will require you to submit copies of your work. Most graduate programs in the visual arts require a portfolio, and those in the performing arts typically require an audition, either recorded or live. Other programs may require an interview, such as those that send graduates on to counseling careers. All of these requirements can vary tremendously from program to program. The best advice: Read the application instructions early and very carefully. You want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to assemble samples that represent your best work and that demonstrate your suitability for the programs to which you're applying. In the case of interviews, you'll need time to prepare to think on your feet once the big day arrives.

Timing is Everything

Ideally, you should start your graduate application planning at least a year in advance of when you hope to start your graduate program. In planning out your schedule of application activities, make sure you account for the time you'll need to research schools thoroughly, gather application materials, complete application forms, write and rewrite (and rewrite) your essays, and research and apply for financial support. Don't assume that all schools have similar deadlines. They may vary widely even within the same discipline. Remember that the care and time you invest now can pay off in a lifelong, satisfying career.

Summary

Remember that what you're doing is trying to start a relationship—with faculty members, other graduate students, even the institution you select. It will continue to be an influence long after you graduate, probably for the rest of your life. Starting a relationship with deception is the worst thing you can do. So don't try to oversell yourself with grossly inflated descriptions of your accomplishments. You want to be positive in your assessment of our abilities and statement of your career aspirations. However, you also want to be sober. Likewise, don't allow yourself to be impressed merely by the rankings and reputations of programs you consider. Look hard at the programs not just with an eye toward whether you have a chance of getting in, but whether they will meet your needs. In short, recognize that you are your own matchmaker.