After undergrad, there’s a couple paths someone can take. A very common one is going to graduate school.
Personally, I did not plan on going until graduate school until last year. Originally, I wanted to go to medical school, which is an entirely different process, but I settled on graduate school because I realized that want to become a professor eventually. For engineering as well as technical jobs, having a graduate degree helps you stand out because it shows you have discipline and drive through undergoing rigorous graduate work.
To be honest, I wish I made the decision to go to graduate school earlier. There is so much more that I could’ve done earlier that would’ve helped me now, and there is much I did well already that is helping me. Now it is my job to share to you some tips I learned when applying to graduate school so that you have a less stressful time applying.
- Take the GRE early
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The Graduate Readiness Examination (GRE) is the basic exam you take to apply to grad school. While some programs may require additional GRE subject tests with your application, you can expect to submit the general GRE test at the minimum.
What I especially regret regarding the GRE is that I should’ve studied more. I did above average on every section, especially the Analytical Writing section which I earned a 5 out of 6 (writing for HC UFL especially helped). Despite it being the college version of the SAT and ACT combined, you should definitely start studying early. I started by buying a study book in early Spring 2019 semester – and then didn’t really touch it until June. Even then, I studied on and off, never hardcore studying until it got closer to my exam date in September.
Don’t ever estimate yourself when it comes to the GRE. It’s $200 and you want to do well on it for your applications. A great score will enable you to do more, get fee waivers and open many doors.
- Make connections with professors early
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A daunting task is finding the right professor that will write you a letter of recommendation for grad school. Thankfully, I had some already on hand, so I did not need to worry about them when the time came. What I’ve seen from other students applying to graduate school is that they struggled finding letters of rec because they never really connected with a professor, resorting to asking professors that only knew them really based on grades. What’s worse than no letter of rec is having one that doesn’t seem genuine and uplift the candidate.
Making connections with professors also helps when finding graduate programs. I had no idea what programs would fit me as a materials engineer until I started asking professors that I connected to, since they would give me an honest answer. It made searching for programs a lot better.
- Find the programs you want to apply for well before the deadline
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Make time in your schedule to research different schools that does work for your discipline. For me as a materials science and engineering major, I wanted to look for schools with strong materials programs so that I knew my graduate education was in good hands and so that my degree would be invaluable to engineering recruiters. This involved looking into what work each program does, initiatives, and research. If you’re looking for a degree program that requires a thesis, its important to also research potential faculty members that you can do work for. Knowing which faculty members you want to work for is especially useful because many applications will ask for specific faculty members that you’d like to work for. Research what works a faculty member has published, what work their group does, and what their areas of specialization are.
With your research, you should be aware of which schools are your safety schools, target schools, and reach schools, just like many experienced when applying to undergrad. Graduate apps are somewhat more expensive than undergraduate apps, so you can’t apply everywhere you like if money is a limiting factor.
Additionally, you should learn which schools will fund your degree. Many programs will fund your graduate degree through fellowships, research assistantships, and other programs. If money is an issue for you, this is something you should keep in mind as it may allow for you to realize more opportunities.
- Keep track of deadlines
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Researching programs is especially useful because that’s how you’ll find out the deadlines for applying. What was new to me was the concept of rolling deadlines and priority deadlines. If you want funding for program (not all programs do funding), you need to see if the program does a priority deadline and a rolling deadline. Many programs I saw said you have to apply by the priority deadline to receive full consideration for funding. If you applied after, then you would only be eligible for what was available after as leftovers.
Do this through a spreadsheet. Know that GRE scores take about two weeks to get to your institution of choice. Figure out how long transcripts would take to be sent to wherever you want. Take notes on progress in apps. Keep yourself accountable.
- Be open to rejection
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I am fully aware that I might be rejected. It’s not something I want to see, but something that might happen. Take it as a learning moment for the future, but also use the fear of it to prepare for the future. Make backup plans, find a job for when you graduate, take a gap year. Just be aware of the possibility of rejection. It’s crushing, but at least your GRE scores are valid for up to five years.
Hopefully what I learned provided some insight for you should you decide to apply to grad school. Going to grad school isn’t your only option but is one that is available to you.