It is crucial that you determine your reasons for wanting this demanding next step!
- Prestige of a Master’s or Professional Degree
- Great passion for your area of study
- Enhanced employment possibilities and/or job position
- Don’t know what my next steps are
- Your potential employment area requires this level or beyond
Your research into Graduate School Programs and Universities MUST begin in Year 3 of your Undergraduate Degree.
STARTING STEPS
- Meet with a few of your current and past Professors and TA’s to discuss their views and experiences with Graduate School.
- Select Professors who know you best, where you have a solid achievement and visible interaction.
- Check where they did Post Graduate Studies and their experiences.
- Check other Universities’ Graduate Studies Departments regarding their offerings and attempt to ascertain whether or not they offer Programs, which are congruent with your initial thoughts. i.e. What the Grads have done and even where their career pathways have evolved to.
- Find out how the Program is delivered: research based, thesis based, course based or a blended approach.
- Attempt to determine the current research interests of the Professors. Does this fit with your goals and experiences, learning and functional style and ultimate goals.
Explore the Admission Criteria
- Understand the difference between a Resume and a CV.
- Academic marks needed? – Usually a B+ average with higher marks in your intended area of specialization.
- Begin to engage with potential References (usually 3). It may be the same ones with which you initially met.
- Begin to check out potential funding possibilities.
- Are Admission Tests involved with the Admission process? i.e. GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT.
- Seek out resources and support regarding the crafting of a Letter of Intent and start making notes.
START THINKING AND WORKING ON ALL OF THE ABOVE NOW!