Graduate School Advice

Applications

Apply early during the fall semester, if possible. Admission and financial aid decisions are often made well in advance of stated university deadlines. Some departments in heavy demand close their application period as early as December. If you apply late your chances for admission and certainly for financial aid will be greatly reduced if not eliminated altogether.

A talk with the admissions officer or head of the department to which you are applying can be of enormous help. You may ask him or her about the graduate program, admissions criteria, deadline dates, and the possibility of financial aid. You will not have your admission or financial aid confirmed during the interview, but you will obtain firsthand knowledge about the department and, possibly, some feeling as to whether you would be admitted. You also have the chance to make a positive impression!

Call the department or graduate school and check on the status of your application.

Grades

An official transcript of all post high school work should be submitted directly from the registrar's office of your undergraduate school to the admissions office of the schools to which you are applying.

The minimum grade-point average required for admission at most universities is 3.0 on a scale where A = 4.0 (a minimum B average). Grades are of overwhelming importance, but a grade-point average that does not quite meet that minimum can be offset with good letters of recommendation, high test scores, and a well-written statement of purpose. If you are in doubt about admissions criteria, it is well worth the trouble to check with the school's admissions office.

Examinations

Most schools require applicants to take entrance examinations. Joint degree programs such as the MD/PhD or JD/MA generally require test scores for both areas.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is used by most graduate schools as one factor in making admissions decisions. The GRE includes two types of tests which may be taken together or separately. The general test evaluates general verbal, quantitative and analytical ability. The subject test is given in more than 20 fields and evaluates your knowledge of a particular field of study and your ability to reason with and apply such knowledge.

Some schools or departments require both the general and subject tests, and others require only the general test. Check the admission requirements of each program you are considering before signing up for the tests.

The GRE is generally administered to students applying for graduate studies in non-business areas. The test is composed of a verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections. The GRE General test is offered ONLY as a computer adaptive exam. The GRE Subject tests are offered ONLY in a paper and pencil format.

You can register for the test by calling the UW-L Computer Based Testing Center at 608-785-8968 or 8073 for testing schedule. The GRE is given at least once a day Monday through Friday. The cost of the exam is $140.

You can receive a study guide for the test after an appointment has been scheduled. ETS (Educational Testing Service) will mail a "PowerPrep" CD to assist in test preparation. Study guides are also available for purchase in reference sections of larger bookstores.

Letters of Reference

In general, letters of reference should be written by faculty. If you are already employed in your proposed field of study, however, a letter from your employer would be appropriate. In either event, be sure to choose a faculty member or employer who thinks well of you and will give you a good recommendation. A teacher who gave you a C in a . course is not likely to consider you an outstanding candidate for graduate study, nor will a supervisor who fired you be enthusiastic in his or her recommendation. Teaching assistants, your minister, your congressional representative, or friends of the family, no matter how long you've known them, cannot reliably testify to your academic excellence, you should avoid using them.

You should be prepared to give faculty that you ask for letters of reference a copy of your statement of purpose, your snap report, and other supporting materials. If you know that are going to ask for a letter of reference more than a year after you graduate you might consider letting potential faculty recommendations know so they start a letter/file with items to be included in a letter.

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is an important part of the graduate application. It is expected to be a concise essay about your educational background and goals for graduate study. Even if you are not sure about the specifics of your program, the essay gives the selection committee a sample of your writing skills and your ability to state an idea in coherent language.

This is an example of a good statement of purpose:

"My intent is to study developmental psychology with an emphasis on the relation of learning and information processing to the learning problems of minority-group children. As an undergraduate majoring in Psychology, I participated in a series of teaching and research experiences that helped develop my interest in this specific area.

My first exposure to learning problems occurred when teaching in Operation Headstart. It appeared that many children did not understand the meaning of what was being said to them, particularly when given instructions. Although the possibility of a language problem (dialect vs. standard English) had not been eliminated, it occurred to me that conceptual learning had not been taught to most of the children. Consequently, I began an independent study project to review and analyze some important research on learning. I also participated as an experimenter on Dr. X's project on verbal behavior.

While my immediate goal is to continue participating in this kind of research and study, ultimately, I hope to begin interpreting research so that it can be practically applied by Chicago psychologists, teachers and parents, in ameliorating what falsely appears to be a pathology of Chicago people."

An analysis of the well-written statement shows the author stating:

That she is knowledgeable in her field of interest.
That her knowledge or experience can serve as a foundation for graduate work.
How she intends to apply her graduate studies to her ultimate career plans.

If you feel uncertain as to contents or quality of your statement of purpose (and who doesn't?), ask a friendly faculty member or counselor for an expert opinion. They have most likely seen lots of applications, and can give you useful advice.

Additional materials

There also may be some departmental special requirements such as writing samples, portfolios, auditions or personal interviews. It makes sense to write or call the chairman of your department or school to ask if there are any further requirements.

Application Fee.

This can range from $25.00 to $100.00. However, many universities do not require the application fee for low income minority applicants. Check with the admissions office for application fee waiver procedures. They will probably want a letter from your Financial Aid Office verifying that you are currently receiving financial aid.

Most universities offer financial support to low income minority applicants. When filling out the financial aid application, indicate your financial situation. If you are financially dependent on your parents, complete the section on your parents' income and expenses to the best of your knowledge. Also, pay particular attention to the section near the end of the application in which you may describe any special circumstances that have a bearing on your need.

Fellowships, Traineeships, and Assistantships

Some universities offer special awards within certain departments or in the university at large. Submit all applications for financial aid by the deadline dates.