Considering Graduate School

The first and most critical step in determining whether graduate school is right for you is to understand your career goals.

Some goals are straight forward:
Lawyer = Law School
Doctor = Medical School

For many however, selecting a degree program is more nuanced. Having a firm understanding of what career you are pursuing will make selecting a degree program more clear. If graduate school is your next step, you should be able to answer the question:

What career are you trying to unlock with a graduate degree?

If answering this question is difficult, meeting with your Career Advisor is recommended.

Timing is everything, once you have determined that graduate school is right for you, the next question you should ask yourself is, “when?”

Is your goal to pursue additional education directly after graduation, or is it to wait a few years? There is no correct answer, but it is important to remember that the timeline should be determined by your career goals. For many programs, working in the field for a few years will make you a stronger candidate. While others are frequently pursued after graduation.

Pros:

• You’re already used to studying, writing papers and course loads
• You may not yet have financial worries such as a mortgage or family at this time
• Motivation to learn is still fresh (unless you had senioritis)

Cons:

• You may already have a good amount of debt, taking on more could be difficult in the long term
• You miss out on experience and time breaking into the field, you miss out on networking and connecting to other professionals already working
• Without relevant work experience in the field you may not be able to apply what you learn to real life work experiences making your degree less useful

Pros:

• Prior work experience can give you better understanding of your work and career goals
• You may be considered more competitive in the application process
• Your employer may reimburse some or all of your tuition

Cons:

• If you plan to attend full time you may find it hard to live on a student budget again since you will only be able to work part time

Similar to applying to college or a job there are many factors to consider! When you’re ready, use the next few pages to track your research and narrow down programs, costs & schools you’re interested in.

Places to search:

• College website – consider starting with your undergraduate school
• www.gradschools.com
• https://www.niche.com/graduate-schools/programs/
• www.princetonreview.com/graduate-school.aspx
• https://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx

Research:

• What type of graduate program do you want to apply to?
• Read through each program and the curriculum, timeline, cost and application requirements
• List the application requirements and materials for each program
• Make a list of schools, consider location (Keep in mind many schools don’t offer housing)
• Attend an open house or info session (Sometimes you can get an application fee waiver that covers the cost of the application.)
• Deadlines for each program
• What tests will you need to complete & what are the testing sites/dates?
• What is the cost of each program? Look at the application fee and tuition & fees per year
• List any additional financial aid requirements/scholarships you’ve found & want to apply to
• Carefully research the cost of graduate school or figure out funding for it before committing, usually its financed by loans and you want the program to be worth it

Consider:

• Consider how long the program will take, where will you be 5 years from now? Where do you want to be? Programs can range from 1-3 years (depending on the program) if you find a program with 4 years or more really consider if its worth it for your career…
• Attend info sessions or graduate fairs to find out more
• Sit in on a class or speak with a graduate admissions office to get more info
• Speaking to professionals, alumni, friends, family and professors who have attended
• Volunteer services, internships or additional experience in your field
• Speaking with your Career Advisor!

How are you financing your graduate degree?

You may be able to apply for financial aid federally with specific graduate school limitations and obtain a loan to pay back.

You may work for a company or employer that offers tuition remission in their benefits package. This could be partial or full coverage in return for being their employee. (Ask about this while interviewing or before accepting an offer if you plan to go back to school).

You may also apply for grants or scholarships which are awards you would not pay back.

Finally, you may be able to work for the college or university and be paid a stipend or work study to cover the cost. These often include Research Assistants, Teaching Assistantships or Graduate Fellowships.

For more specific information on financing and programs, visit each graduate school website or connect with Graduate Admissions/Financial Aid.