Life after College: Graduate School

My first installment in the Life after College series is the grad school option.  While some people might find an extra year or two of studies daunting, it is definitely an option worth considering.  Here is an overview of some considerations and information that you can use when you’re deciding whether or not to take the grad school pathway after college!

 

 

Decide your field:  Before you start applying to graduate schools, you should know what career path you want to go down.  Graduate schools are all about zoning in on a particular area that interests you, and the grad degree that you choose will reflect this interest.  You will be doing lots of studying and research in this area, so choose an area that you like!  It is best if you check out your career options as they may require a specific graduate degree- MBAs are ideal in the business arena, while a Juris Doctor is needed to become a practicing attorney. 

Pick your location:  Once you’ve decided what graduate program you are interested in pursuing, the next step is to decide where you want to go to graduate school.  There might be a city that you have always wanted to live in, or maybe you would prefer to stay closer to home- look at all of your options.  Often, a motivating factor is that a particular school has the best grad program in your specialty field.  That might solve your dilemma!  Check out this site if you are looking for more information about any college (it has a breakdown of the number of graduate students versus undergraduate students at each school!)  You can also find the US News and World Report rankings of graduate schools here.

Get informed:  Once you have your graduate school choices narrowed down, check out your options.  Take a tour of the campus and the town or city surrounding it.  Ask the career advisor at your current college for help with grad school applications- they will want to help you make the most of your application. Also, ask what programs they would recommend based on your major and your career goals for the future.  Additional information won’t hurt!

Make the hard choices:  There are no limits to the amount of graduate school programs you can apply to, so give yourself some leeway with your choices.  While you may have your heart set on one particular school, keep yourself open to other options.  You never know if you will find an even better opportunity!

Find your recommendations:  Most graduate schools require letters of recommendation as part of the application process.  This will give them a good attestation to your character and abilities, and your prospective schools will find this important.  It might be a professor who you are close to, an employer, or an internship advisor- someone that you have had experience with in a professional capacity.  Start thinking about who you will ask for a recommendation letter early!

Think about your admissions essay:  An admissions essay is another requirement when you are applying to graduate schools.  Use this opportunity to showcase the reasons why you are different from the other applicants (because you are), why you are interested in this subject and why you will succeed at this school.  Consider it ahead of time!

 

Remember- you will shine, no matter where you end up going and what you end up doing after college.  You’re a classy College Lifestyles co-ed, after all!  J

 

Deirdre Cunnane is a College Lifestyles™ intern and a second year law student at University College Cork, Ireland.  She loves college, daydreaming about life after college, and being a CL intern!