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Senior Seminar

Senior Seminar. October 23, 2007. Today. Where are you in this process? Making contact with department Revisit Statement of Purpose Peer-review exercise Funding for graduate school. Where are You?. Narrow down your school choices: Know the faculty research focus

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Senior Seminar

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  1. Senior Seminar October 23, 2007

  2. Today • Where are you in this process? • Making contact with department • Revisit Statement of Purpose • Peer-review exercise • Funding for graduate school

  3. Where are You? • Narrow down your school choices: • Know the faculty research focus • Good fit with the program (strength of your application) • Make note of all deadlines (made target deadlines) • Confirmed all supplemental materials • CV, resume, writing sample

  4. Where are you? • Requested letters of recommendation -Gave recommender talking points, transcripts and/or rough draft of statement of purpose • Registered/have taken the GRE • Carved out a study schedule for GRE • Ordered official transcripts- don’t wait until the last minute! • Working on statement of purpose (we’ll get back to that in a minute)

  5. Making Contact with Department • Making contact with department administrative coordinators, faculty and current graduate students • Questions for admin. coord: Any q’s related to deadlines, demographics of applicants, funding opportunities

  6. Making Contact with Department • Questions for faculty: What are you looking for in a graduate student? Any research projects or research funding he/she has been awarded recently? (funding!) • Questions for current graduate students: Any q’s related to department climate/culture, classroom environment, support groups, quality of living in area, local community organizations

  7. Statement of Purpose • Working on Statement of Purpose • Engaging introduction • Tied together academic, research, work, co-curricular and community service experiences • Included how your research agenda and overall goals align with dept. faculty and program • Included faculty you’re interested in working with • Included what are future goals post graduation

  8. Structure • Think of how you’re presenting your information • How are topics flowing through the paragraphs?

  9. Major Themes to Include (incl.) • Alignment of research interests with program and faculty • How you fit with the program • What do you want to do with this degree, beyond this program (list future career/academic goals)

  10. Create Strong Transitions • Moving from one idea to the next. • Don’t assume that the audience always follows you. • Does the first sentence of every paragraph somehow relate to the last sentence in the previous paragraph? • Make sure that your topics flow in a logical order. • Many choose to order things chronologically • Categorize/order ideas (academics, volunteer, work)

  11. Peer-Review Exercise • Get in groups of two or three • In your peer’s draft of statement of purpose, identify the following: • How was research interest sparked? • Intended school and program • Research interests • Background experience • What are the applicant’s plans after degree

  12. Shifting Gears…. Funding for Graduate School

  13. Funding for Graduate School • FUNDING DEADLINES MAY DIFFER FROM APPLICATION DEADLINES! • Master’s degrees have much less financial support • Ask potential advisors and administrative coordinators for funding opportunities on campus. • Ask current MA students how they are funding their education • Still tap into resources typically allocated for PhD students…

  14. TA- Teaching Assistantship • Teaching undergraduate courses or labs. • May include tuition waiver and stipend. • Very time demanding, but is very prestigious especially if your future goals include becoming a college professor. • Let your potential advisors know you are seeking a TA position and submit relevant coursework experience and grades. • Seek TA positions in other departments.

  15. RA-Research Assistantship • Conducting research with a particular faculty and/or research team. • Tuition waived, stipend • Read details on recent department grants, and funding. • Know potential faculty research projects

  16. Graduate Student Assistantships • On-Campus staff positions. • Pay varies, depending on time worked and/or contract. • Many GSA positions on UW campus include: tuition waiver, stipend, and student insurance. • Search university employment websites.

  17. Grants and Fellowships • EIP/McNair website- great places to start! • List of national fellowships • List of schools offering McNair application fee waivers • List of schools offering McNair-specific fellowships

  18. Apply for Financial Aid • Apply for the FAFSA • As a graduate student, you will no longer be eligible for many federal and state grants, but you will be eligible for subsidized and unsubsidized loans. • Talk with financial aid counselors for more information

  19. Grants and Funding Information Service (GFIS) • Promote awareness of external funding opportunities for UW graduate students. • Offer workshops and consultations to identify resources in your field. Upcoming workshops: Intro to Searching - Thursday, October 25, 5:00 - 6:00PM, Suzallo Instruction Lab*Database Searching - Thursday, October 25, 6:00 - 7:00PM, Suzallo Instruction Lab*Intro to Searching - Tuesday, October 30, 1:30 - 2:30PM, Allen AuditoriumDatabase Searching - Tuesday, November 6, 1:30 - 2:30PM, Suzallo Instruction Lab

  20. Acknowledgements • Asher, D. (2000). Graduate Admissions Essay: Write Your Way into Graduate School. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley. • Falero, S. (2004). Writing Your Statement of Purpose

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