Do you ever wonder why UW gives students a five week winter break? On one hand you could binge watch your favorite series for the third time, or you could get a start on your grad school applications! Why put off for March what you should have done in October? UW blessed us with extra time during the holidays to accomplish wonderful things, like applying to grad school (or really any big application, study abroad, scholarships, etc.).
Deadlines are coming up quickly. Some schools’ deadlines may have already passed, but fear not you can still apply to schools! Many schools have rolling deadlines or later deadlines for their graduate program applications. Start the applications and sign up for the GRE. Winter break is the perfect time to study for the GRE, write a personal statement and contact potential references. If you get a good chunk of your applications done by the end of January, you have one less thing to worry about throughout the semester!
Maybe the program of your dreams had a deadline at the beginning of November. Don’t panic! Do the application, and have it ready for the following deadline. A year off might be exactly what you need before diving back into the stacks. You have a variety of options when taking a gap year. Travelling, interning, volunteering abroad, teaching abroad, you have options. Just be sure to look at those options in your upcoming free time!