Applying to graduate and professional schools can be overwhelming for many students (me!). Many grad school application deadlines are approaching in late fall and winter. Not all university students plan on going to grad school after their Bachelor’s degree, but it is still something that many students consider. Some students take gap years before grad school applications or go to grad school during their careers, so there are options for everyone. Here is your comprehensive guide to structure your applications effectively and build your future!
Choose your programs
This is probably the hardest part: choosing which programs you want to apply to. Take a look at your career goals and which degrees are requirements or considered assets to the career you want to have, and choose accordingly. If you still don’t know what you want to do with your career, that’s okay! You can apply to a bunch of different programs and then make a decision. Also, grad school applications are not about making iron clad choices for your career that you have to follow through with for the rest of your life. You can always transfer or change grad school programs, go back to grad school during your career, or even start a second career. The possibilities are endless!
To work as a lawyer or a doctor, the requirement is obviously applying to law and medical schools. But if your goals are less concrete than that, such as wanting to work in politics, public relations, public services, or in corporate, you have a much broader range of choices!
Personal Statements
Your personal statements are arguably the most important part of your application! You will write about who you are, what has shaped you, why you want to attend a certain grad school, and why you are choosing the subject (I know, very daunting questions)! Try to craft a bit of a story and weave in your experiences and how they have influenced you to pick the school and program. I find it best to do a bit of reflecting before putting fingers to keyboard. For example, if you’re applying to law school, think about why law, why this law school, and why being a lawyer will help you achieve what you want to achieve.
It’s okay to come up with a generic statement, and then tailor it to each school if you’re applying to multiple. Different schools also may have different maximum word counts, so you might have to change the wording in your statements to keep within the limit.
Some schools may ask for supplemental statements as well, which are essays where you can add additional information about yourself that you couldn’t add in your personal statement. I know it’s cheesy advice, but for this aspect of the application, be yourself!
Exams
For most law schools, medical schools, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, the LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT exams are required respectively. These are not tests you can wing! Start studying early! I would say at least 3 months of intense studying will put you in the good score range. Buying study guides and subscriptions to question banks help too.
Transcripts
Usually there is an application fee to request transcripts to services such as OUAC. Some schools are more competitive than others, but a general range of competitive GPA is from B – A+. Medical schools are very competitive on GPA, so you can expect that an A – A+ GPA will be competitive. Generally, an A- GPA is competitive for law schools. Masters and PhD programs are less competitive, as a B average is usually the minimum requirement. Obviously, the higher your GPA, the more competitive you are and the more likely you are to get in!
Autobiographical Sketch
This is a very short form of your resume, either from age 16 or since high school. It includes, work experiences, volunteer experience, extracurriculars, awards, and research. Just add the basic information in here, but you can add in more details in your personal and supplemental statements and resume.
Resume
You can go into more detail about your work experience, volunteer and extracurricular experience, awards, and research here. I know it can be boring, but for grad school applications, keep your resume font simple and just use black and white colours.
MBA programs look for significant work experience following undergrad, so most people are mature students.
Keep it to 2 pages!
Interviews
Some schools require interviews, while others do not. Much like a job interview, these are just a way to find out a little more about you and whether you are a good fit for the program you are applying to.
In some cases, like law school, you may be invited to an interview if you are on the verge of being accepted, but the admissions committee feels there are some things missing from your application. They may want to get more information and get to know you a little better.
Reviewing your application
Age old advice for this: start early and finish early so you give yourself ample time to review and make any changes. Submitting applications early also shows admissions officers that you work proactively and don’t procrastinate. I also recommend getting friends and parents to review your applications before you submit. Even if you are a procrastinator, don’t procrastinate grad school applications. They’re your future!
Paid Application help Services
These services help you with every aspect of your application. They can give expert advice, as some admissions officers may have their own application service business. They might be helpful, but they are also very expensive, so it’s up to you whether to use them. If you can afford them they can be an advantage, but people have gotten into their dream programs without these services too!
Getting inside the mind of an admissions officer
Overall, admissions committees want to admit someone who is extraordinary and will be an asset to the program, but they also want to hear from authentic perspectives. So, be yourself. You have unique experiences and ambitions that you bring to the table. Make your application so good that the admissions committee has no choice but to accept you!