Graduate school has become the trade school of the liberal arts graduate. You may feel it is your answer to the increased demand for "specialists" in our economy. For many areas of work, the value of a specialized education cannot be denied. However, the liberal arts graduate must be careful not to make this leap into specialized study before he or she has a thorough understanding of his or her career objectives and future goals.
To Go or Not To Go
In addition to deciding to go back to school it is important to weigh the pros and cons based on individual circumstances and goals. You may want to ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my purpose for going back to graduate school?
- Have I explored the area that I will be taking classes in?
- Have I worked in, interned in, or talked to people in my chosen profession?
- Will this program help me to meet the qualifications to be hired into the profession I would like to go into?
- Do I have the financial resources to go? Have I talked to the financial aid office?
- How will this affect my family?
Choosing a Graduate School
Chances are that if you have decided to enter a graduate or Ph.D. program, you have made an excellent choice for your career and its potential. However, this is not the right choice for everyone. Talking to family, professionals in the "specialty" area and evaluating your motivation will help in assuring you that you have made the right choice.
The following are some considerations to keep in mind as you evaluate the schools:
Academic Programs:
- Does the school offer a wide variety of courses and disciplines or is it especially strong in certain areas?
- How large are the classes?
- How many hours are needed for a degree?
- is the curriculum spiced with fresh, new ideas?
- Will the school prepare me for the changes in the economy and the work force that will come about in the next twenty years?
- Is a thesis required?
- Is there a time limit to attaining the degree?
Faculty
School catalogues will give you some idea of the backgrounds of the full-time faculty — where they went to school, any specialties, accomplishments, etc. It may help you to know that some of the faculty have interests similar to your own.
- Is the faculty well-balanced in terms of educational experience, or do most of them come from the same school or schools?
- Does the faculty have professional experience outside the academic community?
- Are some of the teachers recognized as authorities in their fields?
Student Body:
If possible, it's a good idea to select a graduate school where you will be challenged by your classmates. Try to select a school where your graduate admission test and GPA will not be significantly different from those of your fellow students. Also, if you can, try to visit the campus and ask students about the graduate opportunities.
Size:
Find out how many students are in a typical class. Odds are you can judge for yourself how many students are too many. Absolute size is also important. Not surprisingly, the larger schools tend to offer a larger selection of courses.
Location and Environment:
For many students, a major factor in choosing a graduate school is location. Adjusting to graduate school and the general attitudes is difficult enough without the additional hardship of "culture shock." Ask yourself if you are already predisposed to a certain lifestyle or if you are ready for a change in your environment.
Placement:
One of the tests of a good graduate school is the type of services provided in assisting students with their job search needs. Here are some questions to ask about placement.
- How long does it take graduates to find jobs?
- What percentage found jobs prior to graduation?
- Where are the graduates being hired?
- What was the average or median salary of the graduates?
Online Resources
The Application Process
It is important to start gathering information early in order to be able to complete your applications on time. Most people should start the process a full year and a half before their anticipated date of matriculation. Application deadlines may vary, but most deadlines for the fall's entering class are between January and March.
Obtaining Application Forms
To obtain the materials you need, a neatly typed or handwritten postcard requesting an application, a bulletin, and financial aid information is all that is necessary. The request should be sent to the admission office directly. However, many colleges and universities now have online applications or online request forms for applications.
Meeting Application Requirements
- GRADUATE ADMISSION TESTS
Colleges and universities usually require a specific graduate admission test, and departments sometimes have hteir own requirements as well. Most programs will not accept scores more than three to five years old. It is very important to be prepared for these exams and study materials are often available when you register for the exam. Materials for these tests can be found in the Office of Career Services or on the website of the test site.
- TRANSCRIPTS
Admissions committees require official transcripts of your grades in order to evaluate your academic preparation for graduate study. To have your college transcript sent to graduate institutions, contact your college registrar.
- LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
While recommendations from faculty members are essential for academically oriented programs, professional programs may seriously consider nonacademic recommendations from professionals in the field. A good reference will meet several of the following criteria: he or she has a high opinion of you, knows you well in more than one area of your life, is familiar with the institutions to which you are applying as well as the kind of study you are pursuing, has taught or worked with a large number of students and can make a favorable comparison of you with your peers, is known by the admissions committee and is regarded as someone whose judgment should be given weight, and has good written communication skills. No one person is likely to satisfy all these criteria, so choose those people who come closest to the ideal.
- APPLICATION ESSAYS
An essay or personal statement for an application should be essentially a statement of your ideas and goals. Usually it included a certain amount of personal history, but, unless an institution specifically requests autobiographical information, you do not have to supply any. Your essay should reflect your writing abilities; more important, it should reveal the clarity, the focus, and the depth of your thinking. In every case essays should be typed. Neatness, spelling, and grammar are important.
- INTERVIEWS
You should prepare for a graduate school interview as you would for a job interview. Interviewers will be interested in the way you think and approach problems and will probably concentrate on questions that enable them to assess your thinking skills, rather than questions that call upon your grasp of technical knowledge.
- MAILING COMPLETED APPLICATIONS
Graduate schools have established a wide variety of procedure for filing applications, so read each institution's instructions carefully.