The key to finding the right graduate or professional program is to research like your life depends on it! You do not want to waste time, money, and energy applying to schools that do not provide a good fit. Likewise, you will want to avoid the frustration and disappointment that can result from entering a graduate or professional program on blind faith. When building your list of potential schools, you will need to consult with several sources of information. Your sources should include, but not be limited to, your professors, Sewanee alumni, and the graduate institution that you are targeting. You may also choose to consult US News and World Report; America ’s Best Graduate Schools, the Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Schools, and other helpful resources located in the duPont Library, the career services library or online.
When investigating graduate and professional institutions, remember to make several contacts at each school. You will need to write to the admission office for the most current school catalog, application materials, and any other bulletins that might be helpful. You may even consider requesting a placement report, which can tell you where a school’s graduates have been placed and what type of salary they are earning. It is also important to contact the faculty members who share your interests or who may be future advisors. Feel free to ask questions about their research, what they teach, and how their program operates. If you are unsure about how to contact faculty members, consult with your professors or refer to Don Asher’s book, Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice. Also consider contacting students currently enrolled in your targeted program and ask them to share their thoughts about the institution, the professors, the quality of student life, and any other information that you would like to know.
Building a list of contacts can be a little overwhelming if you are not organized. Your research will go much easier if you keep all of your correspondence in order and if you plan ahead. Professors, students and admissions staff can be very busy, and you will need to give your contacts plenty of time to respond to your questions and concerns. When writing to these individuals, remember to be polite, concise and appreciative. Also, remember to follow up with your contacts in a prompt manner.
