This article is the third of a series on what to do in the 12 months leading up to submitting your graduate school application(s). 

As was previously suggested, graduate school is not something to take lightly.  It involves a major investment personally, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and financially.  Be sure to allow yourself enough time to do your “due diligence” and get all of the information you want and need.  

6 months before applying:

1. Make a few campus visits.  Depending on circumstances, you may need to conduct a self-initiated virtual tour.  Over time institutions have made these tours extremely comprehensive and easy to navigate…Should you be able to visit in person, you can do so unannounced, which offers a chance for you to experience the institution in a very realistic manner.  In addition, institutions usually offer two ways to visit campus.  Both will most likely appear on the website for each institution and under the section dealing with applying, and are as follows:
   1. Most institutions provide opportunities to visit at any time during the academic year.  Visitors can usually attend classes, take a campus tour, meet current students and talk with someone in the admissions office. If an admissions interview is required as part of the application process, have the interview as part of the visit.
   2. Some institutions also have special campus visit programs, which include sessions on the admissions process, financial aid, housing, student life, career services and more.  Most often, these special programs take place in the fall.
2. Another way to have a “campus visit” is to find out if admissions information sessions (also called receptions) are being held close to where you live.  Many institutions recruit in areas they have identified as strong or developing markets.  This provides a great way to get to know the institution better, especially if you are not able to travel there for a visit.
3. If possible, divide things in such a way that between virtual tours, in-person campus visits and local admissions presentations, you will be able to “visit” all of your options before applying.
4. Make sure to evaluate your visit on your spreadsheet as soon as possible after it is completed, so that your experiences and impressions will be fresh in your mind.

 

TIP:  ALWAYS REMEMBER:  PERCEPTION IS REALITY – IT IS WHERE YOU END UP, NOT WHERE YOU START.  Reputation, rankings and reality are very different things.  When it comes to reputation, while an institution may be well known or considered highly prestigious, this does not mean it has to be on your final list of options or that it has the best program for you.  As mentioned earlier, rankings are useful.  But remember that those publishing them are looking to sell what they publish.  Also, make sure you take a close look at the methodology behind the rankings.  You will see that some methodologies are sound while others are lacking.  If an institution is ranked highly, but the methodology is not credible, you need to interpret that accordingly.  Also, take a look at several rankings by the same organization/publication over time.  If there is a sizeable difference between one ranking and the next, is it likely that good methodology is taking a back burner to selling copies of the ranking.  It is very unlikely that one institution would move up or down several places in only one or two years.  Finally, it is what is real for YOU that is most important, because it is your time, energy, and financial resources that are being spent.   

5 months before applying:

1. Start making plans to take whatever standardized test(s) you will need as part of the application process.  On your research spreadsheet you have a column for application requirements.  You should start familiarizing yourself with both the logistics of taking the tests required, as well as actually doing some practice test taking.
2. There are many resources available to assist you in preparing for your test(s).  Most major bookstores have a college/grad school prep section that offers help.  Also, as most graduate school applicants are asked to take the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT, there are primary sources of information for these:
   1. The Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey  (GRE)
   2. The Graduate Management Admission Council in Reston, Virginia (GMAT)
   3. The Law School Admission Council in Newtown, Pennsylvania (LSAT)
   4. The Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C. (MCAT)
3. Some applicants are better test takers than others.  For now, a suggestion:  Should you not

score as well on your test as you had hoped, take it a second, or even a third time.  This does not make you look less competitive in the application process.  Rather, in most cases, it demonstrates that you are trying your best to perform well on the test.

4 months before applying:

1. Narrow your list of options down to those to which you will submit an application.  You have been working on your search for eight months now and you have a very good idea of where you would like to apply.
2. Take a close look at your research spreadsheet.  Which of your options have the highest evaluations, based on all of your research, campus visits you made, and/or admissions presentations you attended?
3. Obviously, there is no limit to the number of schools to which you can apply.  But remember that you will need time to complete the applications.  You need to know how many you can tackle, doing a good job on each one.
4. Be careful about applying to only one institution.  If you are absolutely certain that this is by far the only option, be absolutely sure to prepare yourself for whatever decision you receive.
5. It is important for you to keep all of the information you have gathered on all of your options until you have made your decision about where you will attend and have actually enrolled there.  Should plans change in some way and you decide to hold off on your graduate studies for another year or longer, or if you decide to leave the institution, you will not be starting from scratch when you resume the research process.

 

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