Graduate School

• Choosing a school
• Entrance exams
• Application process
• Financial aid
• Advice by department
• Additional resources

Choosing a graduate school

The first step to choosing a graduate school is researching schools and programs that interest you. Once you have completed your research, you should identify four to ten graduate schools of varying competitiveness and reputation that you wish to apply to.

• Questions to consider when choosing a school
• Ways to research graduate schools

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Questions to consider when choosing a graduate school

Use the following questions to help guide your search as you begin researching possible schools:

• Does this program meet your academic needs?
• What stands out about this program?
• How accessible are the professors at the school for mentoring purposes?
• How prestigious is this school? Is prestige important to you?
• What kind of jobs do graduates of this program find?
• What is the placement rate of graduates in this professional program?
• Is this program likely to admit you? Do you meet all of the program prerequisites?
• What is the combined cost of tuition and living expenses? Can you afford this school?
• What is the size of the school or program? Would you be comfortable with this size?
• Are you willing to move? If so, what is the cost of living? What is the climate like?

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Ways to research graduate schools

1. Look online - GradSchools.com is a comprehensive online source for graduate school information. Check out the graduate school web resources page for more sites.
   


2. Talk to professors and individuals in your chosen field - Find out where they went to school and where they would recommend.
   


3. Review course catalogs - Catalogs give you up-to-date information on any college or university program that interests you. Collegesource.org is a virtual library representing thousands of college catalogs in full cover-to-cover.


4. Visit the Good Library on campus - The reference section contains a wealth of information including comprehensive and specialized school directories and information on finding funding.
   
   Peterson's Guides to Graduate Education
   You can access the Peterson's Guides to Graduate Education online or in the Good Library Reference Room (Ref L 901 .P47). These guides are designed specifically for the graduate student, and the print volumes are organized as follows:
   
   Vol. 1 ® Overview of Graduate and Professional Programs
   Vol. 2 ® Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
   Vol. 3 ® Biological Sciences
   Vol. 4 ® Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, the Environment & Natural Resources
   Vol. 5 ® Engineering & Applied Sciences

   
   The library also has the following specialized directories:
   

   Graduate Study in Psychology	Ref BF77.G73
   Health Professions Career and Education Directory	Ref R 847 .A1 D57
   The Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools	Ref KF 273 .A87
   Official Guide to Graduate Nursing Schools	Ref RT 75 .O33
   Peterson's MBA Programs	Ref HF 1131 .P44
   Peterson’s Professional Degree Programs in the Visual & Performing Arts	(on order)
   Peterson's the Insider's Guide to Medical Schools: Current Students Tell You What Their Medical School is Really Like	Ref R 743 .P48 1999

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