Are you considering what direction to take your life after graduation? If you’re considering applying to graduate school in the distant or not-so distant future, these few tips can help you stand out and create an outstanding application.
1. Start early
Starting early is the key to success for most academic-related things, but it is especially essential when preparing to apply to graduate school. Starting your research into various programs and universities early will give you enough time to decide exactly what you want to study, and which university community you’d like to be part of. Beginning your research several months in advance of the application deadline can also ensure you have enough time to look into funding options, such as grants and scholarships, ask questions if things are unclear, and compile all your required application documents.
2. Keep track of deadlines
Whether this means writing them in a list, or all on a calendar, keeping track of your deadlines will ensure you’re aware of and able to meet them. Each graduate program will also have different application and scholarship deadlines, and inputting them all into a calendar or another central location can help keep you organized and on track.
3. Consider everything you need
Do you need to order official or unofficial transcripts? Maybe you need to write a personal statement and submit a writing sample for some programs, or a CV/resume and letter of intent for others? Checking the “Admission Requirements” pages of the graduate programs you are interested in can help you quickly and easily understand everything you need to provide in your application. Using these pages as a checklist can also help you make sure you submit each document in the required format.
4. Visit a Career Services office
The Experiential Learning Hub, formerly known as the Co-operative Education and Career Services at the University of Guelph, can help you draft a CV/resume and personal statement that you may need to submit with your application. They will also look over your drafts to give you helpful pointers to improve these documents before you finalize and submit them with your application.
5. Double check and proofread
Lastly, double-checking that you’ve submitted all your application components correctly will help ensure that you’ve followed all the key steps to submitting your application. Proofreading your non-academic supporting documents that are submitted with your application, such as a CV and personal statement, can help you eliminate spelling or grammatical errors, and make a great impression with the program’s admissions committee. Good luck Gryphons!