This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Applying to grad school can be tricky, especially if you don’t know anyone who has applied to grad school. As a first-generation student, I wanted to share a few tips that helped me through my process of applying to grad school. Although I’m first-gen, that doesn’t mean these tips are only useful for other first-gen students; they’re also for people who are experiencing college and want to apply to a graduate school program.
- Look into multiple programs – Looking into different programs allows you to find the perfect fit. When I applied to TCU, I learned about the accelerated master’s program for education majors. I remember hearing about the literacy program and thinking it was a perfect fit for me, but once I started applying to the program, I realized that I didn’t find it as interesting as some of the other options. So, I looked into different programs at the same university because I wanted to do an accelerated version, which means I would be taking undergrad and postgrad classes at the same time (basically like dual credit, but in college). If you’re planning to apply to a different school than the one you’re currently attending, look into their requirements and see if you need to take any extra classes to fit their criteria. With that being said, determine what your end-goal is (i.e., decide if you would want to pursue a doctorate’s degree or are just looking to pursue a master’s).
- Everything should be done ahead of time (the earlier the better!) – Look into multiple programs and look into the professors of the programs you’ll be taking. Everything about this process is important; no detail is too small, so look into everything. One of the first things you should look into is the application fee and the deadline for your application. Then you should look into the personal essay questions and get a good idea of how you want to frame your essay(s). While I filled out my application, I wrote as much as I thought applied to the question, and that was a good start, but that’s not all there is to the application questions. If you’re like me and enjoy talking, the essay portion might be hard; my application required a maximum of 500 words, and for all 3 questions, I wrote over 500. The longest portion of my application was definitely when I revised and edited my responses. To me, 500 words is not enough to express why I want to pursue grad school or why I think I would be a good fit for a specific program. Of course, this part varies by person, but this will probably be the longest portion for everyone, so make sure you give yourself enough time to write, revise, and edit.
- DO NOT PROCRASTINATE – As a procrastinator myself, I was extremely tempted to procrastinate my application. My grad school application was open from the beginning of February to March 1st, and I remember thinking to myself that I wasn’t going to apply because none of the programs interested me. I didn’t really look into the programs until I had a presentation for one of my classes. I learned about a local school district’s curriculum and became interested in the Curriculum and Instruction master’s program. That was about 2 weeks after the program applications opened (halfway before the deadline…). As soon as I figured out that I wanted to apply, I sent an email to the professors I wanted to write my letters of recommendation. Although the recommendation processes for professors may not be as long as the application process for students, remember that you’re not the only person applying for grad school, so send out your emails to request a recommendation from your professors ASAP. If I could go back in time, I would definitely send my emails out earlier, to give both my professors and me more time to complete the application. Even if you work better under pressure, procrastinating your application will just put extra stress on everyone, so do everything ahead of time.
- Apply for scholarships!!! – Not everyone has all of their finances figured out, and that’s okay! Your biggest friend will always be scholarships. Similar to when you were applying to college, applying to graduate school will be a long process. Although the application is the first part of your journey, it isn’t the last. You still have to pay for grad school, and what better way to pay for it than by earning a scholarship? Seems like an awesome deal. Scholarships are pretty easy to find, but make sure that the scholarship is also applicable to grad school, not just undergraduate programs.
- Remember, rejection is just redirection, not failure – If you apply to grad school and get rejected, it’s not your fault! Rejection is not the end of the world. In my opinion, getting rejected from something is better than never applying, because I think it’s better to have a clear answer now than be left wondering how different things could’ve been if I had just given myself a chance. Everyone has a different life, which means everyone has a different pace. If your application didn’t get accepted the first time, you can always try again or apply to a different university, but don’t give up. Everything will work out in the end.
Remember, these tips aren’t strict rules, but bits of advice based on my personal experience. Applying to grad school can be scary, especially if it’s your first time, but taking things slow and easy will always be the best option.