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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

This is going to be just like applying to college, so easy. However, as I realized there was no convenience of a website like Common App to help me apply to multiple programs—I began to grow terrified of this new experience. Receiving a master’s in psychology had always been on the horizon as one of my future goals, but as I began to approach my last semester, that far-reached goal was now an upcoming deadline I needed to meet. Everywhere I looked, I felt overwhelmed with a million resources on how to find a job straight out of college rather than how to apply to master’s programs. Through endless hours of Google searching and consulting with professors and career advisors, I found a path to application that worked for me and my frantic brain. Here are my tips for starting your applications to graduate school. 

Make a spreadsheet

I am an obsessive to-do list maker, planner and above all love a good color-coordinated calendar. If you plan to apply to multiple schools, I recommend making a spreadsheet to organize each application, their deadlines, and any application fees, to better monitor the progress. For my spreadsheet, I included: the program name, the school, the application deadline, my progress on the application, the application fee, and whether or not it had any supplemental materials. You could also have a section where you can put the link to your application portal or the references you plan to put down. To ensure you don’t forget important information, miss a deadline, or forget to submit supplemental questions, a spreadsheet can help organize your thoughts. I specifically like using Notion because it allows me to color coordinate based on the program, and track my progress plus, it looks super cute. 

Start Early

When starting to look for master’s programs, I was under the impression that they would be similar to college applications. However, I’ve been surprised by the amount of work, attention to detail, and research you have to pour into every program you apply to. Instead of one Common App essay, you are writing a “statement of purpose” that is tailored to each program. Along with that, it is important to make a new resume that shows your relevant academic and work experience. Applying to multiple master’s programs can feel like a full time job– especially if you are currently finishing your bachelor’s. If you plan to start graduate school in the fall of 2026, I recommend starting the search in April/May of 2025. Various programs have deadlines starting as early as December or as late as May. Starting early can ensure you give yourself ample time to fill out a quality application, secure recommendations, and feel confident in your decision.

Find out what you want

The exciting thing about getting your master’s is the opportunity for more specialized programs that are more specific than bachelor’s programs. For example, you may receive a bachelor’s in psychology, but for a master’s, you can choose a program in clinical, sports, forensic, or trauma psychology. It is important to look for programs that capture your interests and align with your core values. Do you want a school that conducts a lot of research? Are you interested in field experience? Or do you want a program with a small faculty-to-student ratio? It is also important to note the location and whether you would want to even live in the city where the program is located, factoring in the cost of living there as well. Be picky about the schools you want to go to and find schools that resonate with your career and academic interests. 

Do your research

At the beginning of my search, I started by researching just how master’s programs even work, let alone their applications. I looked for resources on how to write a statement of purpose, how to write a resume that captured academics, and how many schools to apply to. Reach out to professors from classes you’ve enjoyed and ask them if they went to grad school and if they have any advice. Likewise, I also reached out to Career Services and they pointed me in the right direction towards the beginning of my school search. Once you have chosen your program, you should basically try to recreate a Wikipedia page for that program. Research everything from: what classes they offer, the faculty, and what makes them different from other schools. The more research you do, the more you can impress them in your statement of purpose. Admission councils want to know why us? So show them exactly why.

Remind yourself of your worth

When looking at any program, whether it be a master’s, law school, or even medical school, you may find yourself feeling discouraged by program admissions statistics. Often we think a lot of “shoulds”; I should’ve done this in college or I should’ve gotten this grade. An affirmation I have been telling myself when met with the toxic shoulds is that I did my best with what I knew and the resources I had at the time. You worked hard to earn a degree in the first place and you deserve a chance at obtaining another one. It can feel like all eyes are on you and it can invoke some serious imposter syndrome. But remind yourself of how hard you worked just to be in this position in the first place. No acceptance or rejection letter is a reflection of your intelligence, work ethic, or capabilities. Remind yourself and prove to the admissions office why they are lucky to have you in their program.

Whether you plan to attend graduate school in the next year or enjoy the time of a gap year, preparing for master’s programs and their applications can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. There are thousands of resources and expertise to guide you through this terrifying but exciting experience. You are not alone in this journey and you will get to where you want to be. 

Resources for applications I found useful:

Examples of Statements of Purpose

Peterson’s graduate school search tool 

Tips for writing a grad school resume

How to ask for a recommendation 

CU Boulder Career Services

Julia Stacks

CU Boulder '25

Julia Stacks is the Director of Social Media and a contributing writer at the Her Campus Chapter at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As Director she oversees a team of content creators, creates content for various social media platforms and helps with partnerships. Outside of Her Campus, Julia is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Although she doesn't have any previous writing experience, she loves taking English classes and exploring her creative writing skills to strengthen her writing at Her Campus. Now, her writing focuses on topics she's passionate about such as mental health, current events and popular media. In her personal life, Julia can be found listened to true crime podcasts or watching true crime documentaries with her dog Shaye. She loves painting, reading romance books, spending time with friends and family, buying iced coffee and doing tarot readings. Julia hopes to use her writing to raise awareness about important issues which she hopes to do as a career as a victim's advocate.