School Application Tips to Get you Through

                In the wise words of Rod Stewart, “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.” Going through the college admission and application process, my vision was somewhat clouded. While in the midst of choosing my future, I found it very difficult to separate myself from the situation at hand and sometimes found myself chickening out of applications. My final list of schools varied from the biggest to the smallest, the public to the private, and the near to the far. With no correlation, it was obvious that I had no idea what I wanted. Luckily, it became clear and I landed myself at a place that I now fondly call my home.  As I continue to be surrounded by those who are struggling and pushing through graduate school applications and uncertainty, I come with a few words of advice.

First, get started as soon as possible. As a freshman I began orienting myself with the various business school MBA programs by creating spreadsheets to compare the options and figuring out which type of program I would like to pursue, which programs were strongest in my areas of interest, what the costs were, and prerequisites for the programs. Rather than having to tailor my graduate school search based on how I blindly performed in my courses, I was going to tailor my undergraduate performance to the programs that I was most interested in. Surprisingly, many students wait until senior year to begin looking toward the next step and many are left having to take a year off. If you end up in this position, look into which certifications that you can get in the meantime to show schools that you’re still eager to learn and practice your specialty.

Second, ask someone for advice. Your school career center is not limited to information about jobs and internships, but they can help you stay on track for graduate school, as well. These resources, along with your professors, who have gone through the process themselves, will provide you will valuable insight about which path would be best for you.

Third, get to know your professors. Many programs require recommendations from academic sources. Your professors will only see how you perform on assignments and in class, but many times the A’s and B’s can blend together. Showing up to class and office hours to talk to your professors one-on-one gives them a basis and insight into how you think, how hard you work, and how interested you are in the content.

Lastly, don’t stress! The more you stress, the more likely you are to make irrational decisions during the application process. Keep a cool head and understand your options. The calmer you stay, the better your results will be.

Best of luck in the admission process everyone!