Is graduate school for you?

Black Collegian, Oct 1994 by Rovaris, Dereck J Sr

Is graduate school for you? The answer to this question for most successful college students is a resounding YES! Today, many students enter college with very clear plans for life after their undergraduate years. They envision professional careers in business, medicine, or law. Many others will have dreams of careers in education, research, or service-related fields, such as social work, psychology, or speech pathology. Still others will have visions in a host of varied disciplines and professions. Regardless of the post baccalaureate dream, today's equation for success requires that all of these people obtain training and education beyond their bachelor's degree.

Often this training takes place in the highly structured arena of professional schools of business, medicine, law, and the like. However, for many other students, advanced training will be obtained in their respective graduate school programs. Graduate school is no longer just "a good idea." Graduate school training is fast becoming an entry-level requirement for many of the more desirable professional positions. Further, the critical shortage of African Americans with advanced degrees, especially the PhD, is requiring that an immediate remedy be found to correct this situation.

If you have decided to go to graduate school, you have made a very good choice. If you have not already decided, you should contact your favorite faculty member and begin discussions about the graduate school process. It is not a process that can be taken lightly, and like anything else that is worth having, it will require a great deal of work Nevertheless, it is not an impossible task, especially if you have a plan. Starting early is crucial and consulting good resources also will be helpful. Several such resources include: Educational Testing Service's GRE/CGS Directory of Graduate Programs; the Council of Graduate Schools' Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Student; and Daniel Cassidy's The Graduate Scholarship Book. These are all quite good, but perhaps the most comprehensive source of graduate school opportunities exists in the multi-volume set of books commonly referred to as "The Peterson's Guides." Peterson's Guide to Graduate and Professional Programs can be found in most college library reference rooms. Using these materials will prove invaluable.

Upon completing your initial investigation of graduate school opportunities, you may still be confused about the application and admission process. Although the process includes an assortment of tasks, it is fairly standard from school to school. It does require diligence and dedication; therefore it cannot be approached in a cavalier fashion. It also requires that you begin the process early! Do not procrastinate!

You should begin thinking about your graduate career as early as possible. It is not too early for freshmen or sophomores to start inquiring about options and making plans. Successful graduate school applicants often will have participated in summer research internships and graduate recruitment fairs throughout their undergraduate careers. The wise students will begin the actual application process no later than one year prior to their expected date of graduate admission.

HOW DO YOU APPLY?

Once you have decided to pursue a graduate degree and have figured out which specific field you will study, the steps in the application process are as follows:

1. Create a list of potential schools.

2. Register, practice, and then take the GRE.

3. Ask faculty members for letters of recommendation.

4. Write a statement of purpose and have it critiqued.

5. Complete and mail your applications for admission and financial support fellowships (and lots of money).

Create a list of potential schools--In order to maximize your opportunities you will need to apply to several schools. The more schools you apply to, the more chances you have for admission. By consulting the Peterson's Guides, you will uncover a comprehensive listing of graduate opportunities in your respective subject area. The listings include descriptions of each discipline and its sub-fields. They also include a wealth of data about the various institutions in those disciplines (location, entrance requirements, acceptance rates, tuition costs, funding options, enrollment demographics, etc.).

To create your list of schools, you should first consider factors like the quality of the program, strength of the university, reputation of faculty in your subject area, availability of funding, institutional support, and commitment to minority students. Other factors that may play a part include geographic region, size of enrollment, racial make-up of student body, community in which the school is located, and campus facilities and activities. After weighing these factors, you should compile a list of ten or more institutions.

Start by asking faculty members to recommend institutions. Consider who the leading figures in your chosen field are, what schools they attended, and where they are currently working. Find out where recent graduates from your department have gone to graduate school. If they have had positive experiences, those institution might also be good for you.