To how many schools should I apply?
After building your list of potential schools, you should carefully separate your list into three categories: reach schools (those in which you have less than a 50 percent chance of gaining admission), competitive schools (those in which you have a 50-50 chance of gaining admission), and safety schools (those in which your chance of admission is very high). While there is no magic number of schools to which you apply, we suggest that each category represent approximately one third of the total number of applications you submit. By applying to graduate and professional degree programs in a strategic way, you will improve your likelihood of being accepted in one or more programs.
What is the Admissions Timeline?
It is advisable to apply early in the admission cycle and to be prepared to follow-up by letter on April 1 if you have not heard news of your acceptance.
What Application Materials Will I Need to Submit?
Most programs require an application, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, a transcript, and standardized test results for an application to be considered complete.
Application Forms
Before filling out your application forms, be sure to have the most current materials, catalogs and any other school bulletins. You may also want to conduct a quick search online to locate other supplemental information that can help to tailor your application. Also, be sure to make note of the dates of the deadlines for early decision, admissions, financial aid, etc. When completing your application forms, remember to always read the directions very carefully and to supply the most accurate and up to date information. Many programs prefer to receive applications on-line and will waive the application fee as an incentive. If you decide to apply by mail, your information should be written clearly and neatly in pen. If your handwriting is not legible, consider typing the information onto your application or submitting your application on-line. Once your application forms are complete, have another individual or a career services staff member proofread your information for errors. Also, make a copy of your application forms for your personal records. Before submitting your application forms, check to be sure that your forms are complete and that you have enclosed your application fee along with any other supporting documents (i.e. your resume).
Personal Statement
When crafting your personal statement, try not to become overwhelmed or bogged down by a blank computer screen. Rather, think of your essay as an opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. You should convey to an admission council what your background and interests are and why you would like to pursue a degree from that particular institution. If you have unique work or life experience that has motivated you to seek an advanced degree, you should include it in your statement. Also, demonstrate how a graduate or professional studies degree supports your long-term goals or research interests. Admission councils prefer candidates who have a clear sense of direction. Therefore, you should carefully outline your future and professional goals in your statement, using specific examples whenever possible.
If you are unsure about how to write your personal statement, we suggest that you consult Don Asher’s book, Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice located in the career services library. This book is an excellent resource for helping you to brainstorm and manage your writing process. Also, this book contains many samples of well-written personal statements and other tips for applying to graduate and professional schools.
Keep in mind that the best essays are not written in one sitting. You will probably need to write several drafts of your essay before submitting it to an admission council. It is wise to share your admission essay with your faculty advisor and the writing tutors located in the ATC lab. These individuals can best help you to edit, revise and strengthen your personal statement. Also, feel free to bring your essay into career services for review. We are happy to provide feedback and discuss various aspects of your essay with you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while writing your essay:
-Tailor your essay to each individual school
-Be honest, personal and sincere
-Be clear, concise and organized
-Use proper grammar and active voice
-Use specific examples to support your academic interests
-Project maturity in your decision to seek an advanced degree
-Avoid boasting or self-deprecation
-Maintain a positive tone
-Answer the question that the essay prompt is asking
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are a critical component of admission criteria. Graduate and professional schools pay close attention to these letters because the individuals who write them are usually in the best position to assess your ability to engage in advanced academic and professional work. Therefore, you need to select your writer with careful deliberation. For example, if you choose a professor to write your letter, be sure that you have performed well in his/her class. Also, be sure that your professor knows you personally and is familiar with your academic work and achievements. Likewise, if you choose a work supervisor or any other mentor, remember to narrow your selection to those who can provide an accurate assessment of your abilities and to those with whom you have a positive relationship.
When asking individuals to write your letter of recommendation, it is wise to arrange a meeting with the potential writer. During this meeting, you should be prepared to discuss all aspects of your reasons for pursuing a graduate or professional degree. You will need to let your writer know what it is that you want to study and why you have chosen a particular institution. Be especially prepared to discuss how graduate school supports your future goals and your future career path. You should conclude this meeting by asking the following questions: Do you feel comfortable writing a positive letter of recommendation on my behalf? If the answer is “no,” don’t be discouraged and most importantly, don’t take the writer’s rejection personally. There are many reasons as to why writers turn down this request. Perhaps he or she is very busy or believes that there is another individual who could write a stronger recommendation in your favor. When put in this situation, simply ask someone else.
After your writer agrees to write your letter of recommendation, you will need to follow up in a very prompt and organized manner. The goal is to make this process as easy and convenient for the writer as possible. You want to allow your writer and appropriate amount of time to craft your letter of recommendation. A good rule of thumb is to give an individual no fewer than four weeks to write and send your letter. Also, you need to provide him or her with all of the necessary supporting materials including a resume, graded writing sample(s), your transcript, and perhaps a copy of your personal statement. Additionally, you should provide the writer with the correct recommendation form, a stamped and pre-addressed envelope if needed (some recommenders prefer to use their own stationary and letterhead), and a reminder of the deadline for the letter. Follow up with each individual with a hand written note of thanks to show your appreciation and to jog the recommender’s memory of the deadline.
Testing
In most cases, you will need to take some sort of standardized test to gain admission into a graduate or professional degree program. If you are unsure about what test(s) you need to take, contact the admission office of the school you are targeting. As soon as you are aware of the testing required, you should investigate when and where the test is offered and how much the test will cost. Also, you should begin to familiarize yourself with the overall makeup of the test. Throughout your preparation, you should review the information covered in the test and take at least one practice test under timed conditions. If you need any additional help with your test preparation, you can take advantage of resources in the career services library and other services including:
Practice Tests
Many graduate school applicants familiarize themselves with test directions and question types, practice with sample tests, and study information on test-taking techniques and strategies. Very few testers achieve their full potential without some preparation and practice. Candidates should be familiar with test instructions and question types. Practice tests are available on-line at www.gre.org, www.lsac.org and www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm.
Learning Express Library provides an interactive online platform of practice tests and tutorial courses. There are practice tests for most graduate school exams and the Praxis, which is used as an exit exam for many educational programs. (If off campus, please contact library staff at 931-598-1363 for the correct username and password.)
Career Services coordinates several timed practice tests for the LSAT and the MCAT. These sessions are offered free of charge. Please contact the career services office at x1121 for more information.
Other options
Several graduate school test preparation companies offer online courses as well as classroom courses in Nashville and Chattanooga. None of these companies is affiliated with The University of the South. A few options are:
Kaplan is a national company that offers a wide selection of test preparation courses on-line and in Chattanooga and Nashville , including graduate and professional, medicine and health sciences and English/TOEFL. For more information on Kaplan, visit www.kaptest.com or call 1-800-KAP-TEST.
Princeton Review is a national company that also offers a variety of test preparation courses on-line and in Nashville . For more information, visit www.princetonreview.com or call 1-800-2review.
Transcripts
Your official transcript is also a part of your application. Transcript requests are handled through the Registrar's Office.
An admission council usually considers your overall GPA and the relative difficulty and type of the classes you have taken in any given area. If your overall GPA is low, consider calculating your GPA within your major. If there is a significant improvement, you may want to mention this in your personal statement or in a brief cover letter. Be sure that you have your transcripts sent well in advance of the admission deadlines. Also, remember to follow up with the graduate institution to ensure that your transcript arrived.
Resources
For more information on applying to graduate and professional degree programs, consider the following resources:
Don Asher’s Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice available in the career services office
Robert L. Peteres’ Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide To Earning a Master’s or Ph.D. available in the career services office
The Princeton Review – “Graduate Articles & Advice” available at www.princetonreview.com/grad/research/articleIndex.asp
Boston College Law School Locator - http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gradschool/law/lawlocator/
