Graduate School Application Timeline

Thompson Building, Rm 200
University of Nevada, Reno
Phone: (775) 784 - 4678
Fax: (775) 784 - 1884
careers@unr.nevada.edu

Meet with a counselor at Professional and Graduate School Planning (PGSP) for assistance with the graduate school decision-making or application processes.
Talk to professors in your intended field for advice on specific graduate or professional schools and various programs.
If you haven't done so, create an opportunity for a field related experience. This might include research, an internship, employment, or volunteering somewhere that gives you related field experience. Not only will you be able to ask for a letter of recommendation, but you will also solidify your interest in the field.
Attend appropriate PGSP workshops & the Professional and Graduate School Fair held each Fall.
Research schools. Review graduate school directories online or in the PGSP Library. You may also want to check Peterson's Guide to Graduate & Professional Programs to identify programs and to get names and addresses of the institutions in which you are interested.
Prepare for and take standardized entrance exams in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Registration bulletins for the GRE, GMAT and TOEFL are available in 200 Thompson Building, 784-4648 or contact Sylvan Learning Center, 960 Moana Lane in Reno at 829-2700 for more information about the GRE Computer Based Testing Program.

Contact graduate or professional schools for catalogs, applications, and financial aid information as well as housing, fellowship, or day care information.
As applications arrive, make a checklist of requirements and deadlines for each school. Submit your application at the beginning of the filing period, not the end. Also, be aware of "early" deadline dates for such things as teaching/research assistantship positions and fellowship opportunities.
Take practice entrance exams and enroll in a test preparation course if needed.
Register to take entrance exams in the Fall, if you haven’t already taken them.
Verify that your official transcript is accurate.
In preparation for completing your applications, draft a general statement of purpose outlining the reasons you are interested in going on for an advanced degree, the experiences you have had that led you to this decision, and why you want to attend a particular university. Resources on how to write a statement of purpose are available in the PGSP library.

Complete application at least two months before deadlines, but be aware that some schools have rolling admission. Financial aid applications deadlines may be different. Follow all instructions carefully! There are three potential avenues for funding your education: financial aid, fellowships, and teaching/research assistantship positions. Deadlines for these funding options vary, but they will be early. Investigate the funding opportunities at each school.
Complete your personal statement. If you would like one of the PGSP counselors to critique it for you, bring in a typed draft with your name and phone number or email address. Solicit 2-3 letters of recommendation from faculty members.
Submit your application at the beginning of the filing period, not the end. Also, be aware of "early" deadline dates for such things as teaching/research assistantship positions and fellowship opportunities. Be sure to photocopy each application for your records before mailing it.
Request transcripts from all colleges you have ever attended, entrance exam scores, and recommendation letters to be forwarded to the schools.
Before the deadline, contact each school to verify that all your application materials have been received.

Visit as many schools as possible that you have been admitted to prior to making your final decision.
Mail in your acceptance forms and deposits.
Notify schools that you will not be attending after making your final selection.
Send thank-you letters to your recommenders and any one else who has helped you attain your goal!