Graduate Students

A timeline for applying to graduate school.

Write a draft of your “statement of purpose” (personal statement/admissions statement). This is a required part of most applications.
Begin researching graduate programs through web sites, guidebooks, and by ordering graduate program catalogs.
Begin searching for financial aid and funding options (scholarships, grants) and inquire about availability of assistantships or fellowships.
Research test dates for standardized tests (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT). Make sure to sign up for a test date that will meet the deadline for submission of standardized test scores at each of the schools to which you are applying.

Meet with any faculty members that you know (graduate or undergraduate) to discuss your personal statement and possible graduate programs.
Continue to research graduate programs: investigate graduate faculty (what is their academic training and area of specialization) and talk to students currently in the program. Your graduate application will be reviewed by the faculty of the department or program to which you are applying. The information you have about the program and its faculty will serve both to help you make a better-informed decision and to make you a more attractive candidate.
Request letters of recommendation. It is best to give recommendation writers at least a month’s notice, if possible, and to provide them with information about yourself and the programs to which you are applying.

Request application materials from schools.
Compile a timeline of each school’s admissions and financial aid deadlines.
Complete your statement of purpose, refining it to fit each application.
Order transcripts from all your postsecondary institutions to be sent to the schools to which you are applying (if you’re taking classes now, contact the registrar’s office if you’re concerned about the inclusion of fall grades).
Complete application forms.

Mail applications on time for each school’s deadline.
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA – www.fafsa.ed.gov) anytime after the 1st of January and several weeks before the earliest school-specific financial aid deadline.
Complete additional financial aid forms required by the school.
Apply for assistantships and fellowships.

Arrange to visit the schools to which you have applied, if you have not done so already.
Request admissions interviews if at all possible, whether or not they are required.

Review the financial aid award offered by your school and determine how you will pay for your degree.
Accept the school’s financial aid award.