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Putting It Together |
Below are some additional tips on preparing various components of your scholarship or fellowship application:
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 Selecting an Appropriate Graduate or Professional School |
General Tips:
- Do much soul searching. What do you really want to study? Why do you want to study or pursue this field? Are you pursuing this field for the best reasons?
- Consider the timing of graduate or professional school attendance. Should you move directly into graduate school immediately after completing your baccalaureate? Or, would it be preferable to work or travel for a year before plunging into another intensive educational experience?
- Interview or shadow professionals in your intended area of study to learn more about that field. Think carefully about whether this career is really what you aim to pursue.
- Create your own spreadsheet to help compare/contrast the programs you are considering (e.g., name of program; location; cost; admission requirements such as number of letters of recommendation, test scores or writing sample; application deadline; cost of application). You can add additional criteria as you develop them.
- Study the websites of programs carefully; write down questions you have. Email or call to follow up. Ask for brochures, catalogs and names of faculty and students to contact for questions.
- Develop a set of criteria for what would constitute a good school or program for you.
- Create a list of at least ten programs which you can narrow down later. At least two should be “dream” programs that you would really like to attend but are not at all sure you can receive admission. At least two should be strong programs that you think you have a fairly good chance of receiving admission, and at least two should be “back up” schools that you believe you can receive admission.
- Don’t put all of your hopes into only one program!
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Possible Criteria for Graduate & Professional Schools:
- School’s Reputation as Represented in National Rankings (US New & World Report, McLean’s for Canadian Schools)—Keep in mind that rankings are subjective. They give you an indication of the “name value” of the school but tell you little about how and what you will learn.
- Program’s Reputation (regional, national)
- Faculty (publications, credentials, ability to mentor students, teaching effectiveness)
- Location (travel time, livability, cost of living)
- Cost (tuition, possible financial support, including assistantships and loans, interest rates)
- Class representation and size (size of the cohort of students entering each year)
- Length of program (time requirements for degree, average time of degree completion)
- Students (achievements, accomplishments, satisfaction with program, job placement, liberal or conservative, competitive or collaborative)
- Curriculum and other requirements (course offerings, residency requirements, advisement by faculty)
- Other support and opportunities (teaching or research assistantships, conference travel, assistance for job placement and interviews)
- Physical facilities (library holdings and space, information technology, labs)
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| More Information:
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Graduate school for masters and Ph.D. programs
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| Law and Public Affairs
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Health Professions
Business Schools
Additional Resources for Financial Aid for Graduate Study
Foreign Study
- Study in the British Isles, information from a variety of sources for students considering graduate study in the UK or Ireland.
- Association of Commonwealth Universities, for study in the Commonwealth (UK, Australia, India, etc.)
- Association of Commonwealth Universities Course Finder
- Association for International Practical Training (AIPT), sponsors work permits and paid internships in engineering, science, and more.
- Australian Education Office, information on scholarships and study in Australia
- Council on International Educational Exchange, resource for work, study and travel abroad.
- Institute of International Education, administers study abroad programs.
- International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), sponsors exchange programs.
Non-U.S. Students
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