A Letter to Future College Seniors
Dear Future College Senior,
Congratulations! You have one more year left of college! Believe me they were not kidding when they said cherish everyday because before you know it your 4 years will be done. As you enter your final year I want to share some advice with you...
First, don't delay your graduate school search. If you are one who is interested in going to Grad school, I would start looking during the summer prior to entering your final year. I started researching and meeting with graduate admissions counselors in July. As soon as I started the new academic year I began to update my resume, ask for letters of recommendation and write my personal statement. After weighing out the financials and program offers, I chose to apply to two schools. Mid-October I found out I had gotten into both programs. A few months later during winter break in January I had made my decision on where I was going to continue my education. I suggest going through this process early to avoid stress and the temptation to not apply at all. Like anything in life, the earlier you do it the better off you will be in the end. I had applied during a time in the semester where I wasn't bogged down with school work. Even better, upon starting my last undergrad semester I had known where I was continuing my education. Unlike most students I know who were applying in March but also had the pressure of classes, graduation and job searches, some of them ended up giving up. If you are certain that you want to go to graduate school you must be real serious about it...Do I want to continue my education for another 2 years (depending on the program of study)? What do I want to get my master's in? What are the best programs for me? Do I need to take the GRE's or GMAT's? These are valid questions that you must consider, this is why it is best to not delay this process.
....Or job/internship search. Similar to grad school, start searching for jobs or summer internships early. Many companies inform candidates of their decision just before graduation, around early May, because of this they may also close the position mid-March/ early April. This applies for summer internships as well. Over winter break you should consider researching potential jobs or internships to insure that you will definitely be guaranteed some kind of position.
Most importantly, don't forget to HAVE FUN. Aside from all the stress you will deal with between classes and internship and job searches, it is important to cherish the time outside of those things. At times it is more than ok to free yourself from stress dealing with education and the "real world." If you are an athlete, enjoy your last season(s) of competition for you will never be competing at that level again. Also, enjoy the weekends and time spent with your roommates, teammates and friends, after college you will not be a room or dorm building away and making plans will not be as easy. Lastly, don't forget to take in all the fun activities during Spring Weekend and Senior Week before graduation. You never want to look back and regret not having fun in your last year.