Amber Smith asked:


Let’s admit it right here - grad school is tough. Although some schools let you off easy, there are always going to be tough classes and major challenges while you’re in grad school. Having a mentor can help you successfully navigate the sometimes tricky waters of graduate school and keep you on the road toward success.

Reason #1: Mentors Can Help You Make Class Choices

Some graduate programs give you a lot of room for choosing extra classes. These are usually the ones that will someday help you, but you may have trouble determining which would be best right now. Mentors are great at giving you guidance, particularly if they work in the profession which you’re going to enter or went through the same program.

Reason #2: Mentors Have Experience

Whether your mentor has experience in the field or in your specific program, their advice and understanding will be just what you need to keep you going through the hard times. If they have experience in the field, they can help you see the roadblocks to studies you might conduct or challenges you’ll face after school. If they’ve actually been in your program as well, they can tell you which teachers to watch out for and which classes should or should not be taken during the same semester. A mentor’s experience can save you time, money, and stress, whether you’re designing a study or planning your semester.

Reason #3: Mentors Can Help You Focus on the Goal

After a semester or two in graduate school, you may start feeling a little burned out - okay, maybe a lot burned out. Having a mentor can help you focus on the ultimate goal. If you are in school to be a dentist, then your mentor might be a local dentist whose office you could visit sometimes. Your visits will remind you that you love the profession and the prospect of being your own boss.

Reason #4: Mentors Can Keep You Sane

When you’re angry at a professor’s bad decision or another student’s lazy attitude, a mentor can help you remain calm. They will be there to let you talk through your problems and come to conclusions instead of just getting angry. Your mentor may be the one person during graduate school, particularly if you’re in a Ph.D program, who will be rooting for you and helping keep you sane.

Everyone needs a friend during graduate school - an objective person to help them make the hard choices and walk through the difficult problems. A mentor can help you deal with all those things that you’ll face in graduate school so that you’ll come out successful when the time finally comes to graduate.



Patrick

Michael Fleischner asked:


When you are working on your application for graduate school, you will inevitably reach this area: the Graduate School Personal Essay. This summary is an influential and powerful statement that may hold more influence than test scores or previous education.

A concise and eloquent statement tells the admissions staff many things about you. This is your opportunity to highlight all your positive qualities. Are you attempting to further your career to help others? To open opportunities for communities or other areas that are currently in need? Are you determined? Ambitious? Would your drive match the demands of graduate school?

When you have developed your strongest points, briefly elaborate on them using real-life examples. Be certain to include any information on experience as it relates to this goal. The essay can also be used to explain difficulties found in your transcripts.

You should approach this essay in drafts. Pre-write and brain storm on creative ways to set yourself apart through the essay. There are several standard areas you should discuss in your paper. Why does the school fit you? What does their program offer that no other programs do? Where do you want your career to go? What is your previous experience in the field? Do you have any research or dedicated experience?

What is your history of career related experience? Have you taken coursework already related to the field? What was it?

Ideally, you want a well-written and clear essay. You want to prove your aptitude and ability to communicate with the faculty and your peers. Don’t fill up the pages with half-negatives (i.e. might, possibly, would like to, have thought of, etc). Be determined and deliberate on your goals. This does not set your future in stone so you shouldn’t tell the faculty you may want to do this today, and possibly change to that tomorrow. Indecision does not appear professional on paper.

The accepted essay lengths vary by institution, but you should expect a length between one and two pages. This will give you ample room to make your statement and elaborate, without going overboard. A length restriction ensures that your work will be concise and poignant without being wordy and long-winded.

One good element to really elaborate is how you first gained an interest in the field you are pursuing. Your essay will be autobiographical and you should expect to promote yourself. Give an insight into what inspires you and what you believe are the rewards of your efforts.

When you complete your essay, you will need to edit and polish. You may consult with any standard grammar guide for assistance. Watch your punctuation and usage throughout the essay. Can you shorten a phrase? Would the sentence appear with more action instead of adverbs? Are your modifiers limited or are they scattered through your work? There are also reference books devoted solely to the process of writing the Graduate School Essay. They can provide much greater aide and offer insight you may not find online.

Your graduate school essay will be a challenge to write. You will have a predetermined length, your essay will require focus, and your material must show both your ability as well as your determination. If you utilize the advice of others, study relevant articles and books, and learn when you should give yourself a break, the chore of authoring this essay doesn’t have to be grueling. Pace yourself and your graduate essay will far simpler than you expect.



Herman

Angel asked:


I’m thinking of going to graduate school to become a therapist after I finish my first 4 years of college. I would go for two years to get my Master’s Degree. About how long a day or how many days a week would it take? Would I have a lot more free time than college or not? I’m probably going to minor in acting or theater in college, too, and if I go to graduate school would it be possible to at the same time to have acting jobs? Thanks.

Ron

Kristie Lorette asked:


While every individual has their own reason or reasons for choosing to attend graduate school, there are two main reasons that usually come into play. The two most beneficial reasons for choosing to attend graduate school are:

1. To pursue careers in law, medicine, and university teaching an advanced degree is a requirement.

2. Professionals who wish to advance their careers receive in-depth training and acquire advanced skills in their area of study. Sometimes the purpose of gaining this knowledge is for personal growth and development and sometimes it is for career advancement and development.

So ask yourself these burning questions. The “why” you should attend graduate school just may appear while you are going through this little self-quiz. The answers to the questions will help you to analyze your own reasons for considering earning an advanced degree.

What kind of career do I want to pursue? Does this career choice require a graduate degree?

Certain career paths do require graduate degrees. If you want to be a doctor then there is no way around it. You will have to go to graduate school. Maybe you do not know what career you wish to pursue in the long run. That’s ok. Many graduates with bachelor degrees enter the workforce to gain experience to help them figure out what they truly want to do with their lives. After a few years (or sometimes more) these professionals may go back to school to earn their graduate degree for one of the two main reasons listed above.

Am I interested and motivated by the area of specialty that I would be pursuing?

While undergraduate school requires you to choose a major, the course of study offered to you is the broad and the basic knowledge of that study area. The focus of study in a graduate program is much more narrow on a specialty or specific area of interest. If you have no desire to further explore this area of study, then graduate school may not be the place for you. If you feel motivated and excited by delving into the depths of the specialty, then graduate is an option for you.

What types of job positions are advanced degree candidates in my area of interest currently involved in?

Do a little research and find out what graduates of your area of study are doing now. What type of achievements have they made? Where are they currently working? What do their jobs entail? Many colleges and universities publish this information about their graduates. You can also find companies that have positions that you are interested in pursuing and read biographies of their officers and directors, owners, and employees. This biographical information usually lists the degrees that they hold. You may even be able to contact school alumni or professionals to ask them questions about attending graduate school with relation to their current job position, etc.

Graduate school is not a place for everyone. You have to have the desire, motivation, and willingness to learn and take on new experiences. There are benefits to attending graduate school, but it is important to make sure that they are actual benefits to your personal situation.



Bobby

Cierra asked:


I do not know the difference between a graduate college and a professional college!!?!! What is the difference? Also, the college I need to know if it is a graduate/professional school is University of New Haven (it is in West Haven, CT). Thanks for the help!!

Joyce

Chris Stout asked:


Rankings can only tell you so much about a school or program. Don’t choose a graduate program based on how high the program that you’re considering appears on a published list. Use your own criteria to judge whether or not a grad school is right for you.

Do some research. Ask questions. Talk to professors, current students and alumni. Know what you are getting into ahead of time. Grad school is a serious investment that isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a decision that goes beyond national rankings.

If you want a general reference, though, grad school rankings can help you get your bearings. The following rankings have all been taken from the 2007 version of US News and World Reports America’s Best Graduate Schools (although some rankings are based on assessments completed in pervious years). Use these rankings as a guide, but don’t base your final grad school decision on a rankings list.

Law

The top five graduate programs in law are Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia and New York University.

Medicine

The top five graduate programs in medical research are Harvard, Johns Hopkins, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California-San Francisco and Washington University in St. Louis. The top five graduate programs in primary care are the University of Washington, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Oregon Health and Science University, Michigan State University-College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Massachusetts-Worcester.

Business

The top five graduate programs in business are Harvard, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Sloan and Northwestern University-Kellogg.

Engineering

The top five graduate programs in engineering are MIT, Stanford, University of California-Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

Education

The top five graduate programs in education are Harvard, Teachers college at Columbia University, UCLA, Stand ford and Vanderbilt.

Social Sciences

English

The top three graduate programs in English are Harvard UC Berkeley and Yale.

Economics

The top five graduate programs in economics are MIT, University of Chicago, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and UC Berkeley.

Psychology

The top three graduate programs in psychology are Stanford, UC Berkeley and Michigan.

History

The top three graduate programs in history are Yale, Princeton and UC Berkeley.

Political Science

The top three graduate programs in political science are Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Use these rankings as a starting point for further investigation. Know which schools are strong in the areas that you want to study. Shop around for a grad school that will suit your individual educational and professional goals. Investigate your options so that you know what to expect. Make campus visits. Ask about funding and research opportunities. Find out as much as you can before you get you enroll in any graduate program.



Vernon

AL East Rays asked:


I just finished my first semester in college at USF, and I established a 3.52 GPA. I don’t think that is high enough to get into most graduate programs. I want to be a financial advisor and also really like political science. What should I pursue in graduate school if I get both degrees? Could I go to some school like Yale or Harvard?

Norma

Neo-Romantic asked:


I applied for graduate school within the week. How long is the wait before i find out if i’ve been accepted or rejected?

Theresa