Graduate School

How to Consider and Apply for Graduate School

GraduateschoolBefore investing your time, energy, and money into graduate or professional school, you should have a clear idea about how it will help you meet your career goals. Graduate school typically prepares a professional for a specific career field and therefore requires thoughtfulness and intentionality as you consider program options. There are many careers that do not require a graduate level education to break into an industry, so be sure to do thorough research on the job outcomes following a graduate level education that will make it worth the investment. It is important to do some career exploration to find out what kinds of qualifications are required for the jobs you'd like to pursue.

Keep in mind, a graduate degree goes hand in hand with skills and experiences. As you consider graduate school options, know that earning a graduate degree does not guarantee a particular job or type of career. Certain industries, like teaching, consulting, and business, tend to value actual experience before a higher degree.

The Career Center offers advising for all graduate school programs to both current students and alumni. If you are interested specifically in the law or health fields look further into the resources linked at the bottom of this page to get connected with the Advising Hub. If you are interested in other programs, feel free to schedule an appointment for graduate school advising on Handshake.

Resources

Graduate School Application Guide

For help figuring out if, when, and where to attend, check out our graduate school application guide.

Graduate School Application Timeline

Applying to graduate school takes many steps and there are timelines to be aware of. Check out the graduate school application timeline to prepare for applying.

Writing a Personal Statement

Putting together application materials for graduate school can involve many drafts to craft your final product. One of the most important documents is your personal statement, which you can learn more about in the writing a personal statement guide.

Recommendation Letters

Graduate school applications will require recommendation letters as one material to apply. To learn more about how to choose a recommender, ask for a letter, and what information to provide them, check out the recommendations and references guide.

Pre-Law Advising

Interested in law school? Check out the resources for Pre-Law Advising located in the Advising Hub and schedule a meeting to discuss your interests.

Pre-Health Advising

Interested in a career in the health field? Check out the resources for Pre-Health Advising located in the Advising Hub. Schedule a meeting to understand academic requirements and timelines to apply for a healthcare related graduate program.
Report an issue - Last updated: 10/04/2024