How to Apply to Graduate School
Tailor a custom cover letter., Sell yourself with your CV., Get great references., Assemble the other requested materials., Fill out the application., Proofread everything before you send it out.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tailor a custom cover letter.
Whether it’s called a cover letter, letter of interest, letter of intent, personal statement, or something else, nearly every graduate school is going to request some sort of written expression of your interest in and suitability for the program.
Cover letters tend to follow general formulas and formats, but that’s no excuse to send in a generic letter as part of your application.
Shape it into a specific letter for that specific program.
If you’re applying to multiple graduate schools, you don’t have to necessarily write letters for each from scratch.
However, make sure to individualize them so that each letter speaks to the specific attributes of its target graduate program.
If a graduate program requests a personal statement that addresses specific questions (like “What are your career goals?”), make sure you do exactly that in your letter.Write a Letter of Interest for Grad School is an excellent resource for planning, formatting, writing, and tailoring your letter(s). -
Step 2: Sell yourself with your CV.
If you’re not familiar with the term “CV” (or “curriculum vitae”), don’t worry — it’s just academia’s version of a resumé.
And, just like potential employers, graduate school admissions personnel will scan through this document to evaluate if you have the experience, skills, and drive to succeed.
So make it count.
Like a resumé, a CV is structured around key components such as education, experience, accomplishments, activities, special skills, memberships, and references.
However, you have a bit more flexibility in both document length and the ordering of materials in a CV.
Feel free to go beyond two pages in length (without going overboard) and try to prioritize your strongest areas (your wealth of relevant research experience, for instance) by placing them early in the document.Be precise, direct, active (not passive), confident, and truthful in what you include and the language you use.
Check out Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) for more detailed advice. , Most if not all graduate schools will expect to receive multiple (often three, but maybe two or up to five) letters of recommendation from individuals who can vouch for your qualifications.
If you are applying while completing your undergraduate degree, your best options for references will probably be your major advisor and faculty members who are very familiar with you and your work.
If you have been in the workforce for a few years, you may also want to mix in supervisors and colleagues.Reference letters should be current — written or thoroughly updated during the application period — and individualized — not full of generic language and vague recommendations.
You, of course, can’t control what your reference decides to write; so it is vitally important that you choose the right people, who you know will craft a thorough and positive letter.
Don’t wait to the last minute to ask for references, and never assume that someone will write one for you.
Request a reference letter one or even two months in advance by asking respectfully by email (or in person) and providing all the necessary details.
Follow up as the deadline nears to ensure the letter has been sent, and express your gratitude upon its completion. , Especially if you are applying to several graduate programs at the same time, it can be a frustrating fact of life that each of them will likely have different application requirements.
Some may want writing samples, statements of research interests or teaching philosophy, and any number of other inclusions.
Make sure you keep track of what you need to send in with each application, and make sure each document has been crafted and proofread with care.
Each application will likely require an official transcript from your undergraduate institution(s).
Determine the process for ordering transcripts from your school(s) and don’t delay in making the request.
Grade reports or unofficial transcripts are rarely acceptable.
You may be expected to take a graduate entrance exam and report your scores (or have them reported by the testing agency).
In the U.S., for example, many graduate programs use your score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of their evaluation.
It is your responsibility to find out which exams you need to take, schedule and take the exams, and make sure the scores are sent as part of your application.
Don’t delay in starting this process.
Plan for Graduate School has helpful material on scheduling, taking, and reporting graduate entrance exams. , While many graduate programs now use online applications, some may still require a paper application.
Regardless, the application form will generally require basic personal information, details on your academic record and other experiences, a listing of your references, and may perhaps include a handful of short-answer questions.Take your time, and fill out the application completely and accurately.
If you are completing it by hand, write legibly.
Much of the material will be repeated from your CV, but never write “see CV” or truncate your responses.
Be thorough.
Most applications come with a fee, which often range around $100 in the U.S.
If you cannot afford to pay, contact the graduate program to inquire about possible fee reductions or waivers.
Make sure you submit your application and all other materials well before the deadline, especially if sending them by mail.
For peace of mind, pay extra if necessary for delivery confirmation. , And while you’re at it, let someone else take a look too.
Spelling mistakes, grammar errors, inaccurate/inconsistent information, and poor writing all combine to form one of the “kisses of death” for grad school applications.Make sure your application doesn’t end up on the “reject” pile just because of some silly mistakes made in haste.
It’s always a good idea to put another set of eyes on your work.
You can read over the same obvious “your” instead of “you’re” typo several times without noticing it, while another person might pick up on it right away. -
Step 3: Get great references.
-
Step 4: Assemble the other requested materials.
-
Step 5: Fill out the application.
-
Step 6: Proofread everything before you send it out.
Detailed Guide
Whether it’s called a cover letter, letter of interest, letter of intent, personal statement, or something else, nearly every graduate school is going to request some sort of written expression of your interest in and suitability for the program.
Cover letters tend to follow general formulas and formats, but that’s no excuse to send in a generic letter as part of your application.
Shape it into a specific letter for that specific program.
If you’re applying to multiple graduate schools, you don’t have to necessarily write letters for each from scratch.
However, make sure to individualize them so that each letter speaks to the specific attributes of its target graduate program.
If a graduate program requests a personal statement that addresses specific questions (like “What are your career goals?”), make sure you do exactly that in your letter.Write a Letter of Interest for Grad School is an excellent resource for planning, formatting, writing, and tailoring your letter(s).
If you’re not familiar with the term “CV” (or “curriculum vitae”), don’t worry — it’s just academia’s version of a resumé.
And, just like potential employers, graduate school admissions personnel will scan through this document to evaluate if you have the experience, skills, and drive to succeed.
So make it count.
Like a resumé, a CV is structured around key components such as education, experience, accomplishments, activities, special skills, memberships, and references.
However, you have a bit more flexibility in both document length and the ordering of materials in a CV.
Feel free to go beyond two pages in length (without going overboard) and try to prioritize your strongest areas (your wealth of relevant research experience, for instance) by placing them early in the document.Be precise, direct, active (not passive), confident, and truthful in what you include and the language you use.
Check out Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) for more detailed advice. , Most if not all graduate schools will expect to receive multiple (often three, but maybe two or up to five) letters of recommendation from individuals who can vouch for your qualifications.
If you are applying while completing your undergraduate degree, your best options for references will probably be your major advisor and faculty members who are very familiar with you and your work.
If you have been in the workforce for a few years, you may also want to mix in supervisors and colleagues.Reference letters should be current — written or thoroughly updated during the application period — and individualized — not full of generic language and vague recommendations.
You, of course, can’t control what your reference decides to write; so it is vitally important that you choose the right people, who you know will craft a thorough and positive letter.
Don’t wait to the last minute to ask for references, and never assume that someone will write one for you.
Request a reference letter one or even two months in advance by asking respectfully by email (or in person) and providing all the necessary details.
Follow up as the deadline nears to ensure the letter has been sent, and express your gratitude upon its completion. , Especially if you are applying to several graduate programs at the same time, it can be a frustrating fact of life that each of them will likely have different application requirements.
Some may want writing samples, statements of research interests or teaching philosophy, and any number of other inclusions.
Make sure you keep track of what you need to send in with each application, and make sure each document has been crafted and proofread with care.
Each application will likely require an official transcript from your undergraduate institution(s).
Determine the process for ordering transcripts from your school(s) and don’t delay in making the request.
Grade reports or unofficial transcripts are rarely acceptable.
You may be expected to take a graduate entrance exam and report your scores (or have them reported by the testing agency).
In the U.S., for example, many graduate programs use your score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as part of their evaluation.
It is your responsibility to find out which exams you need to take, schedule and take the exams, and make sure the scores are sent as part of your application.
Don’t delay in starting this process.
Plan for Graduate School has helpful material on scheduling, taking, and reporting graduate entrance exams. , While many graduate programs now use online applications, some may still require a paper application.
Regardless, the application form will generally require basic personal information, details on your academic record and other experiences, a listing of your references, and may perhaps include a handful of short-answer questions.Take your time, and fill out the application completely and accurately.
If you are completing it by hand, write legibly.
Much of the material will be repeated from your CV, but never write “see CV” or truncate your responses.
Be thorough.
Most applications come with a fee, which often range around $100 in the U.S.
If you cannot afford to pay, contact the graduate program to inquire about possible fee reductions or waivers.
Make sure you submit your application and all other materials well before the deadline, especially if sending them by mail.
For peace of mind, pay extra if necessary for delivery confirmation. , And while you’re at it, let someone else take a look too.
Spelling mistakes, grammar errors, inaccurate/inconsistent information, and poor writing all combine to form one of the “kisses of death” for grad school applications.Make sure your application doesn’t end up on the “reject” pile just because of some silly mistakes made in haste.
It’s always a good idea to put another set of eyes on your work.
You can read over the same obvious “your” instead of “you’re” typo several times without noticing it, while another person might pick up on it right away.
About the Author
Megan Torres
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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