03/14/2011
Because Applying to College Was So Much Fun The First Time Around
Posted by SIFE | No commentsIt is easy to see why many students find themselves overwhelmed senior year. While attempting to enjoy every last minute of the carefree college experience, many students begin to round out their resumes by applying for internships, engaging in volunteer work and indulging in extra-circular activities on top of a full-course load. Due to a struggling economy and a growing expectation of a continuance in higher education, more and more students have begun attending graduate schools immediately after college in order to strengthen their candidacy. Unfortunately, those who choose this path are forced to take on an even bigger workload, taking an applicable graduate school entrance exam and applying to schools by the popular March 1st deadline. This requires students to dedicate numerous hours to studying for anything from the GRE to the LSAT, and once their scores are in, devote precious time to perfecting a plethora of applications.
Due to an abundance of equally important commitments a college senior must focus on, prioritizing one’s schedule is often difficult and beginning the application process can quickly become overwhelming. The key to making the application process go as smoothly as possible is to begin early, remain organized and never save anything for the last minute. In order to avoid falling behind and entering any pitfalls, students are advised to begin the process as soon as possible. While summer may be a time for rest and relaxation, students who are considering applying to grad school should begin preparing for their test shortly after the commencement of their junior year. By allocating the proper study time for entrance exams in the summer, students reduce the amount of stress they will have to endure during their senior year.
To help ease the application process, students should take full advantage of the resources and tools their college or university offers. Attending graduate program information sessions can help make the process easier in terms of narrowing down which schools one would want to apply to. These sessions allow students to find out more information about individual graduate programs and give them the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of what each program has to offer. In the beginning of the fall semester, students should also make it a point to establish a good relationship with his or her advisor, as well as various professors within their undergraduate major. These connections will prove to be beneficial when students begin requesting teacher recommendations. A student should never hesitate to schedule a meeting with a professor in his or her undergraduate department of study or his or her advisor to better guide them during this difficult process.
Once students have selected the graduate programs they intend to apply to, it is often helpful to create a list of the choices and each school’s specific requirements to remain organized. By doing so, a student can be confident in his or her submission and prevent any possible mistakes made when completing the applications. As deadlines begin to approach, students should allow ample time to mail all application materials to the designated schools prior to their due date. After all applications have been submitted, students can call the department of their graduate field of study to ensure that all parts of their application are received. This eliminates the possibility of a school realizing that a component of an application is missing after the deadline has passed and may no longer consider the application.
While each student will undergo different experiences when applying to graduate schools, being prepared, remaining organized, and not hesitating to ask for assistance can aid in managing students’ stress during their senior year.
