Graduate school applications for fall 2022 were off the charts in many fields of study.  While it is a given that many outstanding applicants are not admitted the first time around, that was ever more the case this year.

In my own educational journey, I was not admitted the first time I applied for doctoral study.  But I did get in the second time around, and will be forever grateful that I decided to try again.

Being denied is never enjoyable, and it can be extremely devastating after spending months preparing for and hoping to start your program of study.  But the good news is that the acceptance rate for re-applicants if often higher, not lower as many candidates believe.

If you are considering reapplying, here are some things to keep in mind:

This is most definitely not personal.

The competition for master’s study is greater than for undergraduate study.  The competition for doctoral study is greater than for master’s study.  You need to keep in mind that if, for example, a doctoral admissions committee will admit three or four candidates from an applicant pool of 200, the large majority will be denied.  This is not because they were not qualified, but because there were so few openings.  Being told that you were not admitted in many instances has nothing to do with a perception about your ability to do graduate work.  It most often has to do with the number of openings versus the number of applicants.

Try to figure out what may have contributed to being denied.

If possible, go straight to the source.  In other words, reach out to a staff or faculty representative for the program you applied to and ask how you can strengthen your application next time. You could also ask a trusted professor in the field to take a look at your application and offer any guidance they have.

Additionally, and if available, you can consult the program’s class profile, which will provide good insight into the academic and professional background of current students.

Score higher on the GRE/GMAT.

To really do well on standardized tests, many applicants spend about two to six months — and 8-15 hours of work per week — to prepare.  There are many self-study options available, as well as in person and on line tutors and classes.  Even if you do not dramatically improve your scores, it shows that you knew this could be a less competitive part of your application, and tried your best to address that.

Be careful about only studying the hardest material and ignoring the rest. The GRE and GMAT are adaptive (the better you do, the harder the questions become), so you have to earn your way to the hardest problems, and you can drop down if you make too many mistakes on lower-level problems.

Review your personal statement.

Your personal statement is a crucial part of your grad school application, but can be among the toughest to assess. You can start by asking if you come across as your authentic self. If this is the area you need to improve in, consider hiring someone to help. You can also explore classes and resources to help sharpen your overall writing skills.

Take an online class or two to show your current academic ability. 

If you did not do as well in undergrad coursework relevant to the program, enroll in a for-credit course or two. Online courses and programs can help you gain some of the skills you may need to round out your application.

Additionally, if you finish a longer online program like an edX MicroMaster or Coursera MasterTrack, the certificate can double as real college credits, potentially lowering the cost of a full master’s degree (Note: rules vary by school and program).

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