Applying for Grad school

You’ve done your research, you’ve taken the GRE, and you’re ready to start submitting applications. But what goes into a graduate school admissions application?

Programs and schools vary widely, but these are common application features you’ll more than likely be asked for.

Personal statements are a chance to introduce yourself – your background, experiences, knowledge of the field, goals, and personality – to the admissions and selection committee. A well-crafted statement can tip the admission scale in your favor and help you standout as an applicant.

Some programs will ask you to write one statement covering a number of areas, while others will ask for several brief responses to a series of questions. Your best writing comes when you have a specific audience in mind and specific questions.

General advice:

  • Start by writing a statement for your first choice or first deadline program.
  • Take care to answer each question in the prompt
  • Though it may be tempting to write a generic statement, it’s best to tailor it to each school as they’ll have different requirements. Once you have a solid draft, you can lift certain sections to use or adapt into other essays.
  • Show your strengths by telling stories of your life that are appropriate to the prompt.
  • Be sure to include some sense of why that particular program is a good fit for you (their research focus matches yours, a particular faculty member is someone you’re excited to work with, the resources available there are exactly what you need, etc)

For more insight on personal statements, please visit our general personal statement resource or pre-health professions resources (if applicable).

Generally, this is a sample of writing from work you have done in the field you’re applying to. This should be professional quality writing, so you may need to take some time editing an existing term paper or other assignment. Work closely with a faculty member in the field to which you are applying to prepare a strong sample.

Different fields will have specific requirements for writing the CV or resume. Research your field and use Strommen resume & CV resources for support.

Different types of references might be requested depending on application requirements and the field. Be sure that you contact the correct type of reference for your application.

  • Academic (most common)
    • A professor or other college-level instructor who has worked closely with you in your field or a closely related one
    • This person should know you and your work well enough to speak very specifically about your performance and abilities
    • They should have an overall favorable impression of you, though they do not necessarily need to be someone that you got along with on a personal level, so long as you made an outstanding impression academically
  • Supervisory (occasionally asked for)
    • Someone who has worked closely with you in a professional or para-professional role as your supervisor or mentor
    • This person should know you and your work well enough to speak very specifically about your performance and abilities
  • Personal (rarely asked for)
    • Someone unrelated to you who can speak about your personal attributes as related to the program
    • Do not submit a personal reference unless requested

Application Deadlines

Most graduate school application deadlines are in December/January prior to enrollment. Some programs will have different dates, especially international and professional programs. In those cases, adjust your timeline to accommodate.

Some programs have rolling admissions, where applications are accepted as they come in and decisions are made to admit students to the next possible enrollment period. These programs may have other deadlines to watch for, including financial aid or for admittance to a particular term.

Interviews

Many programs will invite a cohort of potential students to interviews, either on campus or remotely. In some cases, these are also opportunities to visit campus, to get to know faculty face-to-face and to meet potential classmates. Preparation for your interview will depend on your field, so contact a faculty advisor or mentor for more information.

Acceptance and Decision

When you begin receiving acceptance letters, it may be tempting to jump on the first school that accepts you. However, it is usually a good idea to wait a bit so that you can compare the offers that you have received from all acceptances, including financial offers. Generally, schools will not expect you to accept immediately, though many will have dates by which you need to have submitted your acceptance paperwork.

If you are waitlisted, you may still be offered a spot at your school of choice. Depending on the size of the program, some of your fellow applicants may have multiple offers and end up turning down their offered spots. The best thing to do in the meantime is wait.

What to do in the meantime

While waiting to hear back from programs and before beginning your graduate or other professional schooling:

Maintain good grades

If you’re still in your undergraduate program, it’s important to maintain strong grades through the end of your degree, as some school swill ask for an updated transcript at the end of your final semester and may rescind offers if there has been poor performance.

Gain professional experience

Even if you do not get into the program you wanted, this experience can help you build up to the career that you want.

Build support system

Graduate school can be stressful, so it’s important that you have a strong support network to help you through. This can mean maintaining family and friend relationships, establishing a good self-care practice, or ensuring that you have access to appropriate medical or social services.

What happens next?

  • Enrollment: Congratulations! You have started your graduate school journey.
  • Alternate plans: Congratulations! Even if this is not the direction that you thought you would go, sometimes you’ll find there are other ways of achieving your career goals. You will have developed a stronger sense of what you want to do and developed your writing skills as you went. You can still be proud of where you are.

Adapted from resource by Augsburg’s URGO office.