EPTIntroduction
Hello fellow TL netizens. I'm Zaranth, and I'm going to be sharing my graduate school know-how with you and this is Part 2: Applying to Grad School.You can find Part 1 here!
You’ve decided that you want to attempt graduate school. Awesome! Now comes the fun part: applications. How does one apply for grad school, and what does that entail?
Choosing Where to Apply
This is a big decision, and it all depends on you. What sort of environment do you think you want? What do you want to do as your specialty? Is there a specific program you are interested in? etc …
Applying to grad schools is a lot like applying to undergrad. You will want to pick some schools that are “hopefuls” - I hope I get in. You’ll want some that are “certainties” - I know I’ll get in. And you’ll want some that are way far out - I am praying to get in! I applied to seven schools. I know people who applied to more and to less. I can say that out of seven, I got interviews at three. One school I knew was out of my reach, and one school didn’t get my GRE scores so they never processed my application. Pick a fair number of schools that you like, and go for it.
Materials for Your Application
Letters of recommendation. Typically you will need three letters. One, if not more, of these letters will come from the person(s) you are currently doing undergrad research with. If you have been a TA, ask for a letter from that professor. You can also ask for a letter from a professor in a class you did really well in. If you had an internship, ask for a letter from your boss. If you’re involved in an organization like a Biology Club, get a letter from the faculty involved. Do not get letters from a friend, or a relative, or someone like that. You cannot leave this until the last minute. Getting these letters is going to take some arm twisting and possibly blackmail, so get started on this before you do anything else.
Transcript. You get this from your school administration. You will need an official copy, not something you print off the web yourself. In fact, the school should send the transcript separately from your application, to prove that you didn’t alter the document in any way. Make sure you give yourself time for the administration to process and mail the document - a few weeks should cover it. Don’t leave this step until the last minute either. Grad schools will toss your application if it’s not complete.
Essay. Oh yes, you get to write one of these bad boys. Make sure you check the school’s requirements - they may be different requirements between schools! Use this essay to show your personality. Explain your motivation for going to grad school. Talk about what you are working on currently, and how it’s inspired you to go on to the next level of learning. Maybe there was a course that really grabbed your attention and you want to know more about that topic. Perhaps you really love working at the bench. If you need tips, there are a lot of good writing resources out there. I’ll refer you to one of my favorites: The Purdue Online Writing Lab or OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/, specifically http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/). Get feedback on this essay from friends and professors.
GRE scores. You’ll need to submit your scores from the GRE. What’s this? Another standardized test? You bet your banelings it is.
Standardized Testing
You thought you were done with this after the SATs, didn’t you? Well, think again. There is a test called the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, that you’re going to have to take. The GRE has changed since I took it, so I am referring to Wikipedia for up to date information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_Record_Examinations).
Basically, the GRE is an enhanced version of the SAT (or the ACT, if you took that). There are three sections: verbal, quantitative, and analytical. All three sections are done on a computer. The computer can check your responses to the first set of questions and modify the difficulty of the next set of questions it gives you. The verbal section assesses reading comprehension, critical reasoning and vocabulary usage. It consists of 20 questions to be completed in 30 minutes. The quantitative section assesses basic high school level mathematical knowledge and reasoning skills, with 20 questions to be completed in 35 minutes. When they say high school, they mean high school. You’re not asked to complete any calculus on this test - you’ve got to go back to algebra and trigonometry. Then there’s the analytical section. From Wikipedia: “The test taker will be given an "argument" and will be asked to write an essay that critiques the argument. Test takers are asked to consider the argument's logic and to make suggestions about how to improve the logic of the argument. Test takers are expected to address the logical flaws of the argument, not to provide a personal opinion on the subject. The time allotted for this essay is 30 minutes. Arguments are selected from a pool of topics.”
The GRE is going to cost you, in more than painful test-taking time. Expect to shell out around $150 for the privilege of taking this exam. Hooray.
There are also subject GRE exams! For most graduate schools, these are optional, but some schools require them. I took the biology one, and it really covers all of biology - genetics, ecology, microbiology, etc. I didn’t study at all and I did fine, but not excellent. Make sure you figure out of any schools you want to apply to require a subject exam well in advance of application season, so that you have the time you need to prepare.
IMPORTANT: You will have to fill out a form telling the GRE admins where to send your scores. When I took the test, you got 4 free, and had to pay for more. (Tell me about it). MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT SCHOOL CODES. Some schools have branch campuses. Make sure you have the code for the correct branch. Example: UT Southwestern in Dallas is different from UT Southwestern. Know which school is which.
There are a lot of books out there that will help you prep for the GRE. The book I used is obsolete since they changed the format, so go ask your friends or just hit up Amazon for a large list of GRE prep help.
International Students
If you’re an international student, things will be a little bit different. I asked one of my friends, Rasim from Turkey, how he came to be in grad school here in the US. I present you with his replies:
1) Why come to the US for grad school? (vs. any other country)
Got the 1st invitation letter from UMASS. If I hadn't, I was going to apply to Europe, and if I didn't get an invitation from there too, I was going to pursue my career in Turkey. Why US? My brother is here, and secondly it is easier to find a job when you have a degree from a good institution here.
2) How did you begin to apply? How many schools?
Selected the 10 top notch schools. I applied here because of a friend's recommendation.
3) What visa requirements do you need?
Student visa. Not too hard to get if you haven't blown up anyone
4) What was the competition like?
At that time, I was thinking it was the GRE and GPA that made you competitive, but now I know it's solely the recommendations, where the GRE and GPA are a minor part of your application.
5) What tests did you have to take?
GRE and TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language)
That’s pretty much it as far as applications go. The next step, considering you’re lucky enough, is everyone’s favorite part: interviews. This will be covered in part 3.
*Editor's Note: Feel free to ask Zaranth anything about the topic in the thread and from the feedback, she will incorporate it her next post! & Apologies to Zaranth for taking so long to get this post out!
