Graduate School Preparation

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

Graduate/Professional School - To Go or Not to Go???
Getting Accepted to the Program of Your Choice!

I. WHY GO TO GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL?

1. Do you have a compelling interest that only can be satisfied by going to graduate school?
2. Increased satisfaction in your life - with each year of education people tend to be more satisfied with every aspect of their life
3. Education & training pay - median earnings 2005
   
   

   High School	$31,539
   Bachelors Degree	$50,944
   Masters Degree	$61,273
   PhD	$79,401
   Professional Degree	$100,000
   (Postsecondary Education Opportunity)

II. WHY NOT TO GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL

1. To please someone else
2. Don't know what else to do
3. To avoid a tight job market

III. THINGS TO ASK YOURSELF ABOUT A PROGRAM

1. Where do I want to be in 3-5 years?
2. Content of program - is it what I'm looking for?
3. How long does it take to complete the program?
4. Faculty - how many? areas of research?
5. Student make-up and student life
6. Attrition - what is the percentage of students who finish program?
7. Placement - what happens to their graduates upon completion of program?

IV. SELECTING SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS

1. Research schools in such guides as Peterson's Guide to Graduate and Professional Programs: An Overview or Directory of Graduate Programs
2. Consider yourself a national candidate - if possible, don't limit yourself to a geographical location
3. Poll all your personal contacts for recommendations of good graduate programs in your area/field of interest. Talk to:
   
   
   1. Professors in your field of interest, even if you haven't taken a class from them
   2. Your parents
   3. Friends of your parents
   4. Practicing professionals who are doing what you think you would like to do - where did they go to school? where would they suggest you apply and why?
   5. Alumni from your undergraduate school now in graduate school
4. Visit the Professional and Graduate School Planning office

V. RANKING THE SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS - things to consider

1. The academics of the program - what are you going to learn?
2. People - faculty and fellow students with whom you will live and work closely for the next 2-5 years
3. Location - may be very important for some people, not for others
4. Cost of the program - is it doable? research assistantships available? grants? financial aid?
5. Gourman Report - a national ranking of schools and programs
6. Possibility of being accepted: long shot? maybe? pretty sure you can get in? this is the one program you would love to go to?

VI. TARGET YOUR SCHOOLS - do this as early as possible

1. Get information from the schools. Ask for application, literature on their program and get the name of the person to whom you spoke
2. Read this information carefully. What are your obligations? deadlines?
3. Record keeping. Make a timeline and check-off list
4. Call schools and ask for recent bibliographies of 3 professors with whom you might like to work. Go to the library and look up articles or write directly to professor for copies of their most recent articles and then read them! Does this research interest you? Would you like to work on a project like this? You may inquire about what other areas of interest the professor plans to pursue.