Tips on Applying for Grad School

Tips for applying for graduate school.
Photo Courtesy of https://www.goldenkey.org/programs-privileges/graduate-school-opportunities/

Applying for the graduate school is something senior Concord University students are considering or doing. Some decide to get their masters because it would increase their salary in the future, some want to know more about the field they have chosen and some want to go all the way and become professors themselves. Yet, applying for grad school can be a confusing process. General things that graduate school admissions would look at can be broken down into grades, test scores (such as GRE, GMAT or other specific tests for different fields), recommendation letters and personal statement.

To start with, it is important to choose a right graduate program for you personally. It is important to go for a school which fits your academic interests over school with just a fancy name. Some top private schools don’t even offer several disciplines, as Harvard University doesn’t offer Geography degree, for instance. However, once you found your perfect graduate program, you shouldn’t refuse even trying to apply for it if it is indeed one of the top schools in the field. You should have several options to choose from, but don’t underestimate yourself and fight for a place at your perfect program.

Sarah Beasley, Director of Retention at Concord University Academic Success Center, used to work at Harvard University Undergraduate Admissions and she also holds master degree from Harvard and PhD from Boston University which makes her qualified to give some general tips on getting to good grad school. Beasley believes that getting into top schools is real and that Concord does a good job preparing students for these schools.

One of Beasley’s top pieces of advice is to talk to the faculty in the field. “Look at who the faculty are at the graduate programs.” says Beasley. “If you are interested in particular topic or you have an idea then you really wanna look more at who the faculty are then the school or program, cause that might be more important.” Beasley recommends contacting a faculty member and “tell them you are interested in their research, and then you might have someone who would fight for you in the application process.” It would help to have your homework done before talking to faculty member in the grad school, you shouldn’t just call out of the blue. You can even ask for a permission to sit on one of the classes if it would help you to make up your mind about the school.

The schools do look at your grades and test scores. “In some fields you might also have a portfolio; you might submit records of performance of your music... things like that. It could be more important, but I definitely think grades matter. You don’t have to have straight As to get into the graduate school by any means, I certainly didn’t when I was applying for graduate schools,” says Beasley. Talking from her experience of working at Harvard Undergrad Admissions, Beasley notes “so many students who applied for Harvard had good grades and high test scores, so we looked at a lot of other things like extra curriculum activities, student leadership, which often helped students to stand out in the applicant pool more.” She points out that if your application shows extra curriculum activities and leadership skills, people would see that you are more likely to be initiative in the grad school also.

Other crucial things for the your application are commendation letters and personal statement. “It is important to have close relationships with your undergraduate faculty so you get strong recommendations for graduate school,” says Beasley because the letters are going to give the admissions the idea of what kind of person you are. Personal statement is also important as it introduces you and your experience, and outlines your academic interest. If you’re interested in researching particular topic and believe that particular faculty member is the best person to guide you – include it.

It should be noted that it is important to consider your personal objectives for the grad school - maybe applying for a smaller college would fit you better. For example, Concord University offers four online graduate programs such as Master of Arts in Health Promotion, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, and Master of Social Work. Master of Education online program was named one of the best online programs in the field by US News in 2017.

Dr. Cheryl Barnes, Associate Academic Dean and director of Graduate Programs at Concord, says that all Concord programs are unique and all have specific nuances to application process. All the letters and applications, Dr. Barnes says, go to the particular program coordinators, and as most of Concord graduate students have their Bachelor’s also from Concord, the applicants mostly know how their grad school experience would look like. Usually people can benefit from having masters degree as it increases their employment chances and benefits. Dr. Barnes believes that Concord graduate degree does a good job preparing students for going for Doctoral degree from top schools.

The last piece of advice for students considering Master’s degree is to be realistic. “If you have C average here [at Concord], then it is unlikely that you are going to get into Ivy League or other top graduate schools,” says Sarah Beasley. You shouldn’t believe the myth that only rich kids and geniuses make it to top schools and if you feel that it is the path for you – go for it. “Concord’s top students have a record for getting into some top schools in the country,” says Beasley.