Graduate School

Entrance Exams

Entrance exams might be required for the graduate program that you wish to apply for. When conducting research on which programs you would like to apply to, visit the "requirements" page to verify which, if any, entrance exams might be required to complete by future applicants prior to or upon submission of the graduate program application.

The following are the websites for some of the most common exams:

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation will primarily be from professors or other professionals who can speak to your academic capabilities. Your recommenders need to know you and your work well and be able to speak about you in a positive light. The graduate programs you are applying to will either provide a link to a form to be filled out online or ask that the recommenders write a letter that can be mailed or uploaded into the application system. Follow the instructions carefully and give the individuals at least 6 weeks to complete the task.

Essays

Graduate programs you are applying to will ask that you submit an essay. The different types of essays you might be asked to submit are Personal Statements, Statements of Purpose, and/or Diversity Statements. In general, these statements might be discussing why you want to attend the school and program, how you plan to use the degree in the future, and to get to know you more. Each school may require something different and may want you to answer specific questions.

You should have someone critique your personal statement before turning it in to the school. The Career Center offers a critiquing service for Personal Statements. Make an appointment with a career coach and select "Personal Statement Critique".

Please note: Personal Statements must be in the final form prior to submission and only two reviews are allowed per statement.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Please refer to the CV web page for examples of well-written CVs.

Admissions Interviews

Please refer to the Interviews web page for advice and resources for your interviews.

Making a Decision

Stay Organized

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of all of the programs you are interested in, their requirements, and their due dates. Here is an online resource that allows you to download an excel file or google sheet to get started.

Look at What is Right For You

Making the decision to attend graduate school is involves numerous considerations. Below are just a few things to consider when deciding which program is right for you:

Size and location of the campus
Values, mission, goals of the campus, department, and program
Nature of the program
Cost of attendance
Program resources and facilities
Faculty
Available internships, graduate assistantships, fellowships, etc.

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Graduate School Requirements