IS GRADUATE SCHOOL RIGHT FOR ME?

By Peter Titlebaum, Ed.D., and Jon Linderman, Ph.D., University of Dayton. Courtesy of the?National Association of Colleges and Employers.

What is your motivation for additional education? How will the degree help you down the road? These questions are particularly important from the standpoint of starting salary, cumulative professional income, and career advancement. Often, graduate school is the required next step to gain employment in the desired position. In other cases, graduate school may simply be a wise long-term decision.

Students may be unsure of future direction for themselves and their field and may consider the question of whether additional education will help. This guide is intended to assist in this critical decision.

As college professors with more than 50 years of combined experience in higher education, we have seen students struggle to understand the graduate school process. The purpose of this article is to inform the reader of important factors when considering graduate school.

There are topics to consider when determining if graduate school is right for you and which school best matches needs and goals.

1. Accreditation:?Does the school/program meet the standard for the field in which you want to work? While this is necessary in fields such as medicine, other career paths might not find accreditation important. Similarly, not all schools offer programs that meet requirements the field considers to be critical preparation. It is worthwhile to check both the qualifications of the program and the requirements for the chosen career path.

However, when it comes to selecting a graduate school, it is wise to look beyond just the accreditation of a school and whether classes are conducted in person or virtually. Though difficult to objectively quantify, reputation matters. In the same way that the New York Yankees conjure an image of traditional greatness, so do the names of universities with longstanding traditions. In some cases, attending accredited online graduate schools may result in higher debt but lesser appeal to future employers.

2. Admission standards:?What is it going to take to gain entrance into the school and/or program? The admissions process is typically centralized into a system that provides schools the opportunity to evaluate students in six areas:

• Academic performance;
• Standardized testing (typically GRE);
• Experiences such as shadowing (though other experiences are also important);
• Personal statement;
• Letters of recommendation; and
• Interviews.?

Except for personal statements and possibly the GRE, these are essentially the same criteria used in the employment process. Other than grades and standardized testing, all represent opportunities for you to have some control over the process.???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

3. Letters of recommendation:?Letters of recommendation are required to demonstrate an ability to do graduate-level work. You must have a plan about whom you are going to ask and how to do that effectively.?This conversation should take place in person or via phone/Zoom. Do not ask in an email, as you want this person on your team, and the request will likely be received as much more sincere in person or over the phone/Zoom. Those you are asking for a recommendation need to understand why a graduate degree is important to you and what schools you are considering. You never know, but they may know somebody in that program and can make a call on your behalf.

Schools will ask if you want to have access to these letters; your answer should be no. The reason why this is important is because it will hold more weight with the school if you waive your right to see them. Keep in mind that if you asked the correct references, this will not be an issue. It is recommended that you ask the person if they feel comfortable being a positive reference. This will give the person the opportunity to decline. However, if they agree, you will have the confidence in knowing their input will be positive.

Think about including your “A” Team, as in “advocate.” A professor, professional in the field, or someone in a supervisory role is advocating for you. Writing a letter is a voluntary act, even for a professor. It is your responsibility to both cultivate and grow these relationships. As time passes, continue to stay in touch with these people to keep your name in their memory. They can be a great asset when you next need to call on the A Team.

4. Experiences:?During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became difficult for students to obtain internships and other relevant experiences to aid them in the development of their portfolio, but it was not impossible.

Some students pursued alternative means to gain experiences and to stand out or make themselves unique. In the health care industry, for example, when students were largely unable to perform patient care observation, some worked in hospital admissions, pharmacies, and so forth. They latched onto any opportunity to gain experience, rather than relying on the hope that they will be favorably evaluated despite a lack of creativity due to difficult timing. This demonstrates resourcefulness and drive.

5. Interviews:?Often students say they get nervous in interviews for graduate school admissions and do not consider themselves extroverted. In contrast, others may think that their gregarious nature will carry the day in an interview. However, everyone needs to prepare for interviews regardless of personality type. The questions are not a secret, and there are no right answers. It is the delivery of the answers that carries the day in the interview.

Prepare, prepare, prepare. This cannot be overstated. Use all available resources. Work with career services. Record practice interviews on your phone and ask people more experienced than you what they think of your answers. Become versed in evaluating the depth of your answers and your delivery, including speed of voice, use of filler words—such as so, um, and yeah/right—eye contact, and body language. Read deeply about your future field. Be prepared to discuss current trends and challenges in your prospective career. Lastly, research the school with depth. Stay away from asking questions easily answered on their website as you prepare questions for the interviewers.

You will provide a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. The need for a personal statement will vary depending on the program. If required, the school will provide a prompt that will give you direction. It is also good to have a portfolio. This could be digital or hard copy, but it will help you demonstrate the skills needed to be successful as a graduate student.

6. Cost:?Graduate?school will come with expenses like tuition, room, and board. However, if you are proactive, you might be able to avoid having to pay for this degree. Most schools have graduate assistant positions. A student who earns this competitive position will be asked to teach a class or be a research assistant. The additional work is usually compensated through a tuition waiver and stipend. The sooner you embrace the idea that you want to go to graduate school, the more likely you are to create a better opportunity to score one of these positions.

This is not the only way to have someone else pay for your degree. For example, a former student wanted to go back for an M.B.A. but had misgivings about giving up the income he was making as a full-time employee. The student made an appointment with the M.B.A. office at the university and asked about local companies that were underwriting an M.B.A. for their employees. The staff provided him with a list of companies. His next step was to network and look for a position with one of these employers. In just under six weeks, he landed a new job and got a 10% raise with an employer that would pay for his M.B.A.

7. Faculty/ Research/ Academic Focus:?All programs are different, so look for one that is a good fit. Take time to read up on the faculty and review their CVs. Understand what they are researching by reading a few of their articles. Make sure these topics interest you, as you could be working with this person.

Someone from this faculty could be your mentor. If so, knowing what they care about could go a long way in building this relationship. The goal is to get closer to what you want to do after you get this degree. If your mentor is investing in you, there is chance they will share their contacts and help open doors into your chosen industry.

8. Location:?Where to go for graduate?school? Although there is not one right answer for everyone, there are a few perspectives that you might not have considered. While it is an easy decision to choose a graduate program at the school where you got your undergraduate degree, it might shortchange you in important ways. For example, one of the goals of graduate?school is to expand your network, and if you stay at the same school, this becomes less likely. In addition, your networks will be more concentrated in that community, and you might want to live elsewhere.

This is not to say you must stay in that community. You will increase your chance of success by more fully developing the contacts you met in class and community activities. Earning a master’s degree from a school in Ohio, for example, does not mean you cannot find work in New York; it just means you will have to put in time developing broader contacts in that area, as these are less likely to happen during your studies.

If your focus is remaining in the marketplace of your graduate school after you have that new degree, then that would be a strong reason to continue at that school and take full advantage of those contacts. Many graduate programs really invest in their school’s undergraduate?programs and look favorably at those students, increasing the likelihood of acceptance into their program. Also, you could have a better chance of being a graduate assistant at that school because you are known at the school and in that community.

9. Show and Tell:?Be impressive. You want?the program to want you as a student, thus you need to convey your passion for the program. This takes research into program requirements with attention to detail. Who are the current faculty and what are their backgrounds? Why do you want to study with them? What year was the program started?

If you do the legwork, you can choose a school that matches well with your needs and goals. It follows that your interests should align with what the program has to offer, so the faculty should be more interested in working with you as a student. Throughout the application and interview process, show you have relevant experience in the field in which you want to work. This will help you stand out as a student they will want in their program. Academic success at the undergraduate level is more than just receiving a diploma. Schools are looking for students who can not only manage the coursework but can aid other students through participation and collaboration.

Having clearly defined goals for this graduate degree will propel you to success. Program administrators like to see that you have a plan for achievement. It takes a great deal of effort to earn a college diploma. However, schools know this is just the next step in your journey?and not the endpoint.

10. Caveat Emptor:?This?is?Latin for “Let the buyer beware.” It is important for you to interview current and past students in the program. You do not buy a car without test-driving it, and the same goes for graduate school. Contact current and graduated students and ask them about their experiences. What did they like best about the program? What could the program do to better prepare its graduates? What is that graduate doing now?

CONCLUSION

Do you have to do all these steps to go to graduate school? After years of cumulative experience, we strongly believe that, while opportunities have increased, competition for graduate school opportunities has increased even more. Plenty of people made the jump to graduate school without any preparation, but our goal is to make your journey smoother and ensure that your time and money are well spent.

You now have a fully stocked toolbox for considering how to prepare for graduate school admissions.