Prepare for Graduate School
Welcome to our virtual community space for college students planning to pursue graduate studies, and for advanced degree holders preparing for the next steps in their careers. This platform offers guidance on selecting the right programs, crafting compelling applications, and preparing for entrance exams.
The Center for Career and Professional Development is proud to partner with the Office of Academic and Advising Services to serve students who are considering continuing education opportunities. We encourage students to use both of our offices for their career planning and future.
Graduate school is right for you if:
- You have a clear sense of the career you want to pursue, and if an advanced degree is the ticket to entry into that field. Law, medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy are areas in which education beyond the baccalaureate level is required.
- You really are interested in the particular academic discipline purely for the love of it and would never forgive yourself if you did not give it a try.
- After working in the “real world” for a while, you may want to add a graduate degree in order to progress up the corporate ladder or change fields of employment.
Graduate school may be wrong for you if:
- You have not decided what kind of career you want to pursue. Remember, competitive programs look for individuals who have clearly defined interests.
- You are getting pressure from family and/or friends.
- You are doing it simply to postpone the inevitable job search. Remember a graduate degree is no guarantee of a job.
- Reputation of the institution, faculty, and research facilities
- Availability of fellowships, scholarships, and financial aid
- Geographic location
- Availability of affordable housing
- Courses taught by faculty who are experienced, renowned, published, etc.
- Social climate and support systems – access to faculty and administration, counseling services, symposia, emergency loans, library, newsletters and graduate communications, career resources, student support groups etc.
- Undergraduate grades
- GRE, GMAT, MAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc. scores
- Letters of recommendation
- Graduate essay/statement of purpose
- Reputation of undergraduate institution
- Undergraduate major/field of study, patterns of academic study, relevance of prior coursework to proposed graduate study
- Internships/co-ops and/or work experience
