Get Informed

So you have decided graduate school is right for you and you have taken your standardized test. Now it is time to prepare your application. Most applications require prospective students to obtain 2-3 letters of recommendation, provide standardized testing scores and submit a personal statement. Some schools may even require applicants to send a letter of intent, and participate in an extensive interview process. Each element of your application will help tell the story of who you are, and how you will contribute to the program. The articles in this section may help you fine tune your essay writing skills, appropriately present yourself during interviews, obtain respectable letters of recommendation, and avoid common application mistakes to help you present your story to the admissions committee in a powerful and meaningful manner.

Graduate school requires a huge investment of time and money which means you want to be sure you are making informed decisions before you apply to graduate school. You may first want to determine if graduate school is in-fact right for you, then you may want to ensure that you are choosing a field of study that suits your personality, and your academic and professional goals. Next you can determine how you want to study (online or on campus) and where you want to study (geographic location). Once you have all of that information straightened out you can start to prepare for your standardized test (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT). Your standardized test scores may help you determine which programs you will be eligible to apply to. The work of a graduate student never ends, and it starts when you decide that you want to earn your graduate degree.

Get expert graduate school advice from Dr. Don Martin, who has spent more than 28 years working in higher education administration, including serving as a director of graduate admissions at a number of prestigious institutions, and is the author of the popular Road Map for Graduate Study guidebook.

Meet our bloggers… Elyse Muro, is a 25 year old counseling psychology graduate student who believes she finally found her calling. Rachael Kroot is a bubbly broadcast meteorology graduate student who is spending her time in graduate school chasing storms and preparing to appear on a TV screen near you! Sarah is a working mother of 2 who shares her challenges as she applies to Speech Language Pathology programs. You’ll also get to know Brad, a full time law student and new father, Bree, a project management graduate student working to balance the needs of a husband and her 3 young children, Esther, a hard working future business mogul, Melissa who is preparing for a career in social work, Mary the psychology graduate student, and Eileen, the wife of a law student. Our bloggers share their decision making process, application stories, struggles and triumphs during grad school.