Applying to graduate school may seem overwhelming at first. There are personal statements, GRE scores, references, and sometimes even essays that can be considerably time consuming to do. Here are some tips and tricks to help with your graduate school application process!
- Do your research about where you’re applying
When I was applying for graduate school, there were dozens of schools to choose from just in Virginia. However, each of the applications were at least forty dollars, and some were even eighty dollars! Applying can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to do your research about the programs available to you. Some of they key factors I considered when applying were
- Why do I want to go to this school?
- What does this school have that other schools don’t?
- Does this school have a diverse staff and student body?
- Is this school accredited through any professional organizations? If so, are the ones important to my career post-graduation?
- Does this school have faculty that specialize in my area of interests?
- Does this school offer any financial aid?
- Where will I live/ is there housing that I can afford near this school?
- What kinds of graduate assistantship positions are available at this school?
Your list might look a little different than my list, but it’s important to sit and consider what is important to you in a school. Otherwise you might look back and wish you made a more informed decision.
2) Make sure your confident in your personal statement
Your personal statement is one of the most important pieces to your graduate school application. It is your way of telling admissions who you are, where you’re going, and what your values are. Even if you have a hefty resume, it’s not going to do you much good if you can’t articulate why these experiences put you above the rest of the applicants.
Some resources you could use to make sure your personal resume is solid are your professors and your campus writing center. You could send your personal statement to a few different professors you have worked closely with during your time as an undergraduate to make sure you are submitting the best possible statement to the admissions committee.
3) Carefully choose your references
My rule of thumb is if a professor/ supervisor cannot ethusicatically agree to write you a letter of recommendation, do not submit one from that professor. The professor you choose should know you well, and feel comfortable writing on behalf of your skills. In some cases you only get to submit two or three references, so you have to make them count!
When asking for recommendations, it is important to let the professor know what program you are applying for and your reasons for wanting to go. If you are asking for multiple recommendations from professors, make sure to convey this information in an organized way. One of my teachers made us fill out a chart with all of the information he needed to write a letter when submitting a request.
Here is an example of this kind of chart:
| Institution | Program title | Degree sought | Deadline | Additional forms? |
| ODU | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | M.S.Ed | December 1 | N/A |
| VCU | Couples and Family Counseling | M.Ed. | January 15 | N/A |
| GMU | Clinical Psychology | Ph.D. | January 1 | N/A |
Many professors will also ask for your personal statement so that they know why you are applying and can base their letter off of what you stated in that letter. I often sent my CV with this since not all of my professors knew everything single thing I did in undergraduate, so they could have it to reference and make my letter stronger.
4) Make personal connections
If you are applying to a program, it is a good idea to research the faculty and staff in the program and reach out to them. Making this personal connection sets your name apart from others who apply, and can help professors see your interest in the program.
5) Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself
The last place you should be humble is your graduate application. You worked hard to get through your undergraduate and make the best of your time, you should showcase that. You should never embellish or lie on your resumes or personal statements, but don’t be afraid to be proud and let the admission committee know what you’ve accomplished.
(Peighton)
