By: Megan Garvey
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Salve Regina University
The renovated building at 51 Shepard Ave., which now serves at the Graduate Studies building.
With the decision to apply, many responsibilities follow. The applications, the recommendations, and the interviews, it is almost like high school all over again.
Except this time, the field is much more competitive. Students must follow many steps in order to complete the graduate school process in a timely manner and with the least frustrations. First, be sure to become familiar with the Career Development Center, its services, and its directors. Mary Elizabeth Butler, Assistant Director of Career Development suggests making an appointment with the CDC to go over your resume and your school choices at the beginning of the school year. Before your appointment, pick up the Graduate Schools book in the CDC. Read the book and locate schools that fit your field. Begin a working resume. Meet with a director to go over your resume and discuss the school choices. Shortly after the meeting, finalize your working resume and make the corrections that were suggested. Begin working on your focus calendar to plan your time accordingly to the upcoming deadlines. Meet with the same director from CDC to finalize the resume Choose a graduate school according to your own criteria because each school has their own. Ask yourself some questions about the type of school you are looking into. Do they offer classes in an online format? Are they an established university? Do they present the field you are looking for? Does the school require testing, i.e. GRE, LSAT, MCAT? Next, pick a school that is in the location you wish to work. It is true location is everything. Make sure the school is in the location that is most appropriate for your field and your future goals. Then compare the financial programs the schools offer on the graduate school website and ask yourself the following questions: Does the school have a graduate assistance program? Does the school offer student loans? Does the school provide scholarships? After you have a found a school a list of schools that you are interested in, be sure to visit the school or browse through the website. Next, research the information about the school’s application process on their website or in the graduate school book in the Career Development Center. Ask yourself some of these questions: Can you print it out from an online website? Can you apply directly on the website? Do you need a hard copy to return to the office? Do you need to request an application from the school itself? Once you have become familiar with the school and everything about it, find a designated coordinator. Locate a point of contact (POC) within the graduate program. Become familiar with this POC and try to set up a face to face with them to go over your progress and make sure you are on the right track. After everything is complete, you may now begin working on your application. Take your time filling out the paper work. Be sure to answer each question correctly and thoroughly. Read over the application more than once to be sure the information that you provided is accurate. Mary Elizabeth Butler strongly suggests always make extra copies of the application and any of the information for your records. The application is now complete. As long as you follow the focus calendar you created, everything should flow smoothly. Now, all that is left to do is pray.
