Finding the Best Graduate Program For You!

1. Finding the Best Graduate Program For You!

2. Academic program offerings The People The Locale The Admissibility Cost/Financial Support Things to Consider when looking at schools

3. The Academic Graduate Program • Determine your area of research interest, rather than major • Consider the reputation of the program/department rather than the school as a whole. • Look at the Faculty: their publications, funding sources, research projects, lab groups…….

4. The People…… • Consider who you will be surrounded by for the next 2 – 6 years. • Faculty, fellow grad students, support staff….

5. The Locale……what to consider • The actual graduate program itself • Your support people • Where would you like to by employed after graduate school. • Expand your boundaries!

6. Admissibility ……. • Admissibility counts! • Don’t fear rejection – expect it! • 50% admittance rate is typical

7. The Cost…. • Fellowships vs cost of living • Life as a grad student is “frugal” • Surrounded by like minded colleagues • Choose your schools first, then negotiate costs to help make final decision.

8. Formula for Selecting Schools • Build list of 20 schools • Based on your criteria, rank them in order of interest to you • Refine list to 8 when ready to apply!

9. Refining your Grad school list….. • Separate your list from twenty to eight schools into three categories: - 2 safety schools - 2 maybe schools - 2 miracle schools plus 2 Master programs* * Important when applying to particulary competitive schools ( Medical , Law, Clinical Psychology )

10. But where do I start? • Faculty/Advisor suggestions • Talk to graduate students/alumni • Search Engines • Peterson’s Guides

11. Helpful Websites: • www.phds.org • www.petersons.com • www.gradsource.com • www.gradschools.com • www.rochester.edu/college/mcnair-program/appincentives.html

12. Making the fit….. • My Criteria +Schools that meet my criteria +Schools whose criteria I meet. = Graduate school list • Remember that as much as you want to find a school that fits you, schools want to find students that will fit them

13. Warning • Conducting a proper graduate school search will be time-consuming and require a lot of hard work and will require you to make a lot of decisions but you will thank yourself in the end 

14. HOMEWORK Assignment • Your Criteria • Short list of 8 schools: - 2 safety schools - 2 maybe schools - 2 miracle schools plus 2 Master programs. Remember this is required for your final folder. Due July 30th 2010