Archive for February, 2010

How To Start a Graduate School Essay?

Sunday, February 28th, 2010
Eva Mason asked:


ü       Do you commence with a story?

ü       Do you begin with a reflection on the focus of your forthcoming graduate studies?

ü       Do you start at the beginning? And where exactly is that?

If you want your graduate essay to grab the attention of the graduate admission representative, then keep reading this article…

The graduate admissions committee is looking for a snapshot of you –

ü       Where you’ve been,

ü       Where you want to go, and

ü       what you want to do with the degree

Here are three simple tips to start your graduate essays:

You should start with a concise academic history of about a paragraph in length.

Then use up a paragraph talking about the research that you’ve done (or doing at the time). Then talk about why you wished to go to that school and your career goals and how that particular graduate program would help you meet those.

The statement/essay is also where you would tackle any probable problems, such as an undergrad GPA below 3.0 or a misdemeanor conviction, etc. If you don’t have those problems, great. If so, address them.

That is about it really. Your graduate school essay should really just be a summary of your total application…except… you do want to stress how the graduate program fits into your career plans particularly. You will also want to draw attention to the types of research you want to do (or the type of project you want to do for your dissertation/thesis).

When I was helping one of my friends writing graduate admissions essay this year, I divided the graduate essay into 3 parts:

Past, Present, and Future.

In our graduate school, we ask that it be a personal statement, not a story. Basically we ask them to address the following in their statement:

ü       Why a master’s degree?

ü       Why graduate school now?

ü       What about your background has led you to this?

You can still grab the attention of the reader by following these concepts. Try to talk conversationally, the way you wrote your question above. A little humor is OK, and you can certainly add in your accomplishments (although I assume they asked for a resume, and that will highlight those…)



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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Stanford University

Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Sheridan Salter asked:


A great school for obtaining your Ph.D. in Psychology is the renowned Stanford University. Located in California, Stanford has repeatedly been ranked among the top psychology doctoral programs. Among its unique points, Stanford University operates 17 different research labs that are solely dedicated to the study of psychology. With award winning faculty members, and state of the art facilities, this school is justifiably sitting at the top of the list. Doctoral programs in psychology are offered in the following areas of study:

* Cognitive

* Developmental psychology

* Neuroscience

* Personality

* Social psychology

How much does it cost to attend top psychology graduate programs?

As a private research institution of higher learning, the price tag to earn your Ph.D. from Stanford can be quite costly. Recent figures estimate that tuition runs approximately $37,000 per year! However, have some solace in the fact that many top research-oriented universities offer fellowships to support graduate students through their course of study. Before we get to how to pay for grad school, let’s focus on the admissions process.

Because Stanford does sit right on top of the proverbial food chain, getting admitted is not an easy process. Don’t worry though. It’s hard, but not impossible. You will need an incredible graduate personal statement, laudatory recommendation letters from professors and advisors, and excellent grades. Stanford also has a reputation for looking specifically for students who have done well in their undergraduate programs, having chosen from the most challenging courses available to them.

With an average acceptance rate at only about 13 percent (and for certain areas, such as Clinical Psychology, you can expect even more competitive acceptance rates!), you have to be on top of your game for your entire undergraduate career to have the best chances of getting your coveted acceptance letter in the mail. If you have already struggled in college, you still have a chance. Colleges like this typically focus more on just the last two or three semesters of your undergraduate grades and overall academic progress.

It sounds like a lot, and it may seems impossible, but if you wish to go to Stanford, tighten your boot straps and pick up that textbook. You can still make it to the number one ranked Psychology program in the nation.



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How To Get A Scholarship For Graduate Students

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Sandra Stammberger asked:


After a person has graduated from college and started working for a few years, they seldom find that they cannot move any further in their careers without increasing their credentials and additional qualifications.

There is a need for a higher education these days that even a Bachelor’s degree for four years is not enough to get the best career offers. Having a bachelor’s degree does not bring bigger opportunities that it has given them.

A lot of graduates aim to finish a master’s degree but fail to have one because it is expensive. This is true especially in business management courses and the sciences.

If you want to move up to the corporate ladder, you need to have a Doctorate or Master’s degree. If you think that it is too expensive and your budget cannot afford a bit of it, there are still ways on how to enroll for a master’s degree. You can apply a scholarship for graduate students.

Graduate school surely costs a lot so you need a scholarship for graduate students to ease the burden. Some of the graduate students get intimidated when it comes to graduate school. If you have experienced having scholarships during college, you will not find it hard to apply for a scholarship for graduate students because you can have access with your previous performance.

Many scholarships for graduate students work in the same way as the college scholarships, which make it manageable except that there are specific awards that are intended to fund a law degree, master’s degree or a doctorate program. There is also similar and advanced study for endeavors. You might wonder how and where these scholarships for graduate students get their funds.

The funds that scholarships for graduate students get their funds through large corporations and companies but sometimes, it is attached to relate to future work related requirements. Sometimes, you will find a scholarship for graduate students, which will require service after the scholarship.

Finding a scholarship for graduate students is easy but it may have some problems. The availability will depend on the subject that an applicant wishes to study and not all of the awards are recognized and advertised through the usual channels. It may also take hours of research in order to come up with a couple of results that you can qualify for. This often discourages people and the awards remain unclaimed too.

Some scholarships for graduate students will look at the awards that you have. The higher awards you have, the higher chances you will be awarded of having lesser fees. The award will determine and subsidize a portion of your payments and you will be able to attend school with the scholarship.

In applying for scholarship for graduate students, you will encounter some questions and you will be required to input your full information. After that, a specialist will see if your qualifications match opportunities and see if you can be granted with a scholarship.

If you want to get a scholarship for graduate students easily, you can register with a company that is related to your standards and qualifications. Your existing awards should match so that you will be granted and recognized and you will be able to use it for your scholarship application.

In applying for a scholarship for graduate students, you need to be specific with your subject and complete all the requirements and keep all your awards because it helps a lot.



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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Stanford University

Friday, February 19th, 2010
Giselle Callahan asked:


A great school for obtaining your Ph.D. in Psychology is the renowned Stanford University. Located in California, Stanford has repeatedly been ranked among the top psychology doctoral programs. Among its unique points, Stanford University operates 17 different research labs that are solely dedicated to the study of psychology. With award winning faculty members, and state of the art facilities, this school is justifiably sitting at the top of the list. Doctoral programs in psychology are offered in the following areas of study:

* Cognitive

* Developmental psychology

* Neuroscience

* Personality

* Social psychology

How much does it cost to attend top psychology graduate programs?

As a private research institution of higher learning, the price tag to earn your Ph.D. from Stanford can be quite costly. Recent figures estimate that tuition runs approximately $37,000 per year! However, have some solace in the fact that many top research-oriented universities offer fellowships to support graduate students through their course of study. Before we get to how to pay for grad school, let’s focus on the admissions process.

Because Stanford does sit right on top of the proverbial food chain, getting admitted is not an easy process. Don’t worry though. It’s hard, but not impossible. You will need an incredible graduate personal statement, laudatory recommendation letters from professors and advisors, and excellent grades. Stanford also has a reputation for looking specifically for students who have done well in their undergraduate programs, having chosen from the most challenging courses available to them.

With an average acceptance rate at only about 13 percent (and for certain areas, such as Clinical Psychology, you can expect even more competitive acceptance rates!), you have to be on top of your game for your entire undergraduate career to have the best chances of getting your coveted acceptance letter in the mail. If you have already struggled in college, you still have a chance. Colleges like this typically focus more on just the last two or three semesters of your undergraduate grades and overall academic progress.

It sounds like a lot, and it may seems impossible, but if you wish to go to Stanford, tighten your boot straps and pick up that textbook. You can still make it to the number one ranked Psychology program in the nation.



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Finding Graduate Student Loans With Bad Credit

Friday, February 19th, 2010
Low Jeremy asked:


Graduate school scholarships in the form of fellowship and assistance provide two facets to the benefits a student can acquire: financial and academic. With these programs, students would no longer have to worry about finding a source to pay through their college and other entailing costs, such as learning materials and costs of living.

Graduate school fellowships are awarded to graduate students and there are several programs offered depending on the specific field of study you intend to be a part of. For instance, graduate studies to teaching courses can avail of tuition benefits and a monthly stipend. And the good news is, there is no need to repay them.

Graduate school is often the apparent next step for undergraduate students who have a mind in advancing their career and credentials. Yet nowadays, paying for the high cost of graduate school seems a tremendous feat. This seems more impossible when you’ve got bad credit standing in your way of getting a financial loan. Fortunately, there’s a way to get around in getting a graduate student loan even with a bad credit status.

The first source you can tap for financial aid is the United States government’s Financial Student Aid. This type of federal loan often provides better interest rates than private loans. However, students can only borrow a set amount of money due to the limited resources of the capital Federal fund. You will need to accomplish a FAFSA Application form if you want to apply for the Financial Student Aid.

Critical need loans are another type of student financial aid you can tap for graduate school. Critical need loans are available for students who are taking up courses or advance studies in fields that are in high need. Nowadays, the health and medical sciences, particularly nursing and primary care programs, are in high demand. If you are in one of these fields, it might be easier to get approved for this loan despite your bad credit.

Federal funding is typically not enough to cover all the expenses of graduate school. Other graduate students turn to private loans and lenders to supplement federal funding that they’ve received.

Take care to research each lending company first before making a commitment. Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable company and avoid predatory lenders as these can do more damage than good to your credit.

Try to get somebody with a good credit standing or reputation to cosign your loan. Your parents may be some of the best people to be approached for this. A Cosigner is another party that agrees to pay back a part of your loan. This is one of ensuring the approval of your loan even if you have bad credit.

Of course it is also possible to go through graduate school without applying for a student loan at all. Look into your school for scholarship grants, fellowships, and assistantships. Unlike loans, scholarships and grants do not need to be braid back. In addition, these are awarded based on merit so your credit history need not be an issue.

You can use this opportunity to improve your credit standing. You can also use private credit counseling services to manage your debt and loan consolidation to help you payoff your debt.



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How to Get a Graduate School Scholarship

Monday, February 1st, 2010
Low Jeremy asked:


There are different avenues to finding graduate school scholarships. Hence, you could spend all your time looking in the wrong place and end up with an empty hand. It is not just a total waste of time but you end up with nothing that can support your graduate studies.

The best way to gain more success in your search for graduate school scholarships is to develop a strategy that involves the following practical measures:

- Assess your chances. You want to contact the graduate school scholarship provider for set of requirements, criteria, and the specific coverage of the scholarship. Some types of scholarship have certain underlying conditions such as funding it first and then you will be provided with a reimbursement. If the conditions do not apply to you, then you can save yourself some time and look for others that can support you.

- If you find a program, research on it thoroughly. Learn about the application process and other information that will enable you to enhance your application.

Most people have the misconception that scholarships are only available for high school students that are seeking admission in college. Most people don’t think that a scholarship could not get them through graduate school or even through postgraduate studies. Fact is, scholarships are available for all levels of college or university studies.

Graduate school financial aids typically take in the form of grants, scholarships, and fellowships. These are typically sourced out by the government, private funding sources, and most colleges and universities. Unlike student loans, these types of financial aids don’t have to be paid back.

Scholarships and grants are awarded to applicants for a variety of reasons, some are typically awarded to applicants for their academic excellence, while other factors may include ethnic background, field of study, and financial aid.

There is virtually an unlimited resource for grants and scholarships. The best way to find one that fits your needs is to research. A simple Internet search can bring up numerous results. Look for grants or scholarships whose criteria match your background or skill set.

Research also on the merits on which these scholarships are granted. It is recommended to start your search one to two years before you start with your graduate studies to give you enough time to build on your track record.

Once you found a scholarship that matches your needs, contact the provider and ask for an application form. Some scholarship providers allow their application forms to be downloaded from their website, while some requires you to send a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Keep track of all the deadlines set by the scholarship providers for submitting your accomplished form and all necessary documents. You will typically be asked for a reference and/or a recommendation letter, as well as a copy of your course transcript. Keep all these documents at hand to keep you from accomplishing them at the last minute.

Make a copy of your completed applications before submitting them and file them with the necessary details for an easy reference. Keeping a copy can be helpful especially if your mail copy got lost by accident.

One last useful tip on getting a graduate school scholarship is to keep an open mind and stay positive about your chances of getting a scholarship. The time and hard work that you’ve put in finding a scholarship would certainly produce good results.



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