Preparing for Graduate Studies

What is graduate school?

Deciding to pursue a graduate education is not a decision to make lightly. Graduate school is a very focused pursuit, so it is important to have a clear idea of what you want to study. While an undergraduate education allows you to explore a variety of areas, graduate study dives into the details of a specific topic. You may work closely with one major professor and additional faculty members to design your course of study, particularly if you pursue a PhD. You may become part of a lab group or research team, and work closely with other students on that team. Often, these students work on similar, but not identical, topics as you.

How do I determine if graduate study is right for me?

Graduate study requires a lot of commitment, both from you and the people with whom you will be working. Your major professor will invest a great deal of time, energy, and training to help you succeed. Determining the major professor you want to work with is one of the most important decisions you can make. While the reputation of the school you are considering is important, even more important is the reputation of the program and the professor with whom you want to work. As a full-time student, you will generally commit two years working toward a master’s degree and an additional three to four years working toward a PhD. You may not necessarily have scheduled school breaks (such as winter, spring, summer, and fall breaks) as vacation. Understanding this ahead of time will prevent some unexpected frustration.

Approach the graduate process with the same attitude you would approach a job because ultimately, that’s exactly what it is.

When researching various graduate programs, important questions to consider are:

• Are you going to enjoy working here? Are the people and environment going to encourage and support your best efforts?
• What are the course offerings and how are they scheduled (i.e., day or night classes)?
• How many graduate students has your potential major professor had?
• What is the average length of time it has taken for one of this professor’s students to graduate?
• What have been the professor’s current students’ experiences and how long have they worked with this professor? How long do they anticipate their degree completion to take? (Talk to the students directly.)
• What are the expectations and management style of your potential major professor? When do they expect you in the office? Will (s)he be available when you have questions?

Remember that the interview process is a two-way process. Not only is your school of interest trying to determine if you would make a good graduate student, but you should try to determine if your school of interest is going to be a good fit for you!

Where can I go for more information?

Although your best resources of information about potential graduate studies and programs are often your professors, advisors, career services staff, professionals in your field of interest, and peers pursuing graduate study, there are several online resources where you can search for schools and programs that may fit your interests and needs. These include:

• U.S. News & World Report (Publishers of America’s Best Graduate Schools)

• Council of Graduate Schools’ “Resources for Students”

• Go Grad

• Grad’s Guide to Getting Hired

• GradSchools.com

• Peterson’s Education Center

• Princeton Review

The earlier you begin your research into graduate studies and potential universities you may want to apply to, the better. This will allow you more time to prepare yourself to be a well-rounded, competitive applicant. It’s never too early to begin discovering all of the options that await you and preparing for these new challenges.

As you research your graduate study options, you will probably encounter several new and unfamiliar terms. Before you begin, review a list of the most common graduate terms. This will avoid some confusion and help you get the most from the information you find.

Once you have determined that graduate studies is right for you, think about how to begin preparing and positioning yourself to be a competitive applicant and eventually a successful graduate student. Consider these resources as you begin your preparation:

• Purdue OWL Guide to Writing your Personal Statement for your Graduate Application
• Purdue OWL Guide to Writing your Statement of Purpose for your Graduate Application
• Writing your Purdue Academic Statement of Purpose
• Writing Your Purdue Personal History Statement

Next, establish your graduate education goals and make yourself more marketable by obtaining experience relevant to your area of interest. This will give you the opportunity to:

• assess your level of interest
• identify the skills and education you need to launch your career
• relate and apply your studies to actual work and professional settings
• acquire new knowledge and skills
• gain hands-on experience relevant to your area of interest
• network with professors and employers
• meet other undergraduate and graduate students
• refine your graduate education and career goals

Unlike your undergraduate experience, the majority of your degree requirements in graduate studies may not be predetermined, especially if you pursue a PhD. Instead, you may help define what classes you take and what research or other scholarly activities you pursue. The most successful candidates enter their graduate studies with a clear outcome in mind.

Use internships, cooperative education programs (often referred to as co-ops), part-time employment, and summer research programs to refine your career objectives. These experiences will help you determine:

• if graduate studies are right for you
• what you need to accomplish during your graduate studies to be successful in your field

Examples of some types of programs you may wish to investigate are:

Internships

Gain valuable work experience, establish important contacts, and determine if a particular career is a good fit for you! By interacting with professionals in your field, you can determine the educational requirements for the position you want and decide if attending graduate studies is your next best step. Once you know what you’re working towards, it’s easier to determine the best path to get there. This will make designing your course of study in graduate studies easier and more effective.

Internship Search Sites

• Campus Access
• Indiana Internships
• InternJobs.com
• Washington Center’s Internship Search

Summer Research Programs

Work closely with faculty, graduate students, and researchers on actual projects being conducted at the host institution! These programs give you an inside look at graduate studies and introduce you to the type of work you may encounter as a graduate student. Anyone considering a career in research or post-secondary academia will also gain valuable insight into the life- and work-styles of these professions.

Begin by exploring some of the following options:

• The Big Ten Academic Alliance Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
  The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers by helping to prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities.
  
• Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program
  Provides opportunities for students to participate in research at a Department of Navy laboratory during the summer. Participants must have completed at least their sophomore year.
  
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
  Students work with faculty and other researchers at a host institution either within the United States or abroad. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.
  
• Research programs administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and Oak Ridge Associated Universities
  This website posts opportunities from around the country in a wide variety of fields.
  
• Zintellect Search – Internships at National Labs
  
• NASA Internship Programs
  
• Smithsonian Internships

In addition to the above resources, you may also wish to consult with undergraduate advising, career services, undergraduate research, and financial aid offices at your current institution for further assistance.

When applying for graduate education, it is recommended to begin preparing approximately one year in advance of your intended start date.

Program application deadlines vary, so be sure to check your program of interest to determine its deadline. For specific program deadlines, visit the Explore Graduate Programs web page.

Late Junior Year

• Identify your goals and consider whether graduate education is right for you.
• Research graduate programs of interest, noting application requirements and deadlines.
• Research fellowships and other types of financial assistance. Funding sources are numerous; consider government agencies, philanthropic organizations, your schools of application, and professional organizations or honor societies. 
• Register for required standardized tests.

Summer Before Senior Year

• Write drafts of your academic statement of purpose and personal history statement.
• Prepare for standardized tests.  
• Get organized. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your progress and deadlines by school.
• Meet with faculty members in your department to discuss your academic statement of purpose, possible plans of study, and potential fellowships/funding sources.
• Conduct informational interviews with students in the programs to which you have applied to gather their perspectives.
• Schedule campus visits to locations in which you are interested.  Take a virtual tour of Purdue’s campus now.

August / September

• Determine the institutions to which you will apply.
• Take standardized tests and request that your scores be sent to the appropriate schools.
• Complete your academic statement of purpose and have it reviewed at the CCO.
• Request letters of recommendation from faculty.
• Order transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and request official copies be sent directly to the schools to which you are applying.
• Prepare questions for each school to gain more information about academic programs, student life, and professional development opportunities.

October / November

• Apply now.
• Submit your application materials one month in advance of the application deadline. Pay close attention to the instructions; all documents may not go to the same address.
• Remind your recommenders of when they must submit your letters of recommendation (i.e., the application deadline for each program – consider telling them a deadline one to two weeks earlier than the actual deadline in case something falls through at the last minute).
• Make copies of all application pieces for your records.
• Check with institutions to verify that your letters of recommendation, test scores, transcripts, and other required documents have arrived to complete your application by the deadline.
• Remember that many offices will be busy at the end of the semester and over winter break, so do not wait until the last minute.

February – April

• Accept your offer, and, if required, provide deposits.
• Notify institutions that you will not be attending after making your decision.
• Send thank you letters to the writers of your letters of recommendation. Be sure to let them know where you’re going to study!

There are several funding options for Purdue graduate students to explore, including assistantships, fellowships , grants, loans and other financial aid. Financial support for graduate students at Purdue is primarily awarded in the form of assistantships and fellowships. Over 60 percent of graduate students at the University are on assistantships. Furthermore, the Fellowship Office hosts many resources for students applying for fellowships.

Most funding decisions for assistantships are made by each individual graduate program. Some programs fund all of their graduate students, although others fund only a few or provide only partial funding support. If you have a question regarding the funding system for your graduate program, contact your graduate program coordinator.

Degree-seeking applicants are those who seek a doctoral, master’s, or educational specialist degree.

Certificate Program applicants are those who hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree who wish to complete prespecified courses to attain a graduate-level, academic credit certificate in a specific area will be admitted to the certificate program classification. Students in this classification are subject to the same restrictions as non degree students if they are subsequently admitted for degree study.

Reentry applicants are those who previously have been enrolled as graduate students at Purdue University who have not enrolled for at least three (3) consecutive sessions. Summer school counts as a session.

Non degree applicants are those who wish to attend graduate studies for professional and personal enrichment without seeking an additional degree.

Non degree applicants may apply for one (1) of the following classifications:

• Teacher License: holders of a baccalaureate or advanced degree who wish to work toward an advanced teacher license without working toward an advanced degree. Teacher license students who are subsequently admitted for degree study are subject to the same restrictions as are non degree students.

• Non Degree: those who wish to pursue graduate study without advanced degree objectives. Non Degree admission is not a form of probationary admission to a degree program. Non degree registration in courses outside the admitting department may require the permission of the department offering the course. A maximum of twelve (12) credit hours earned in appropriate courses taken in non degree status, may, with departmental approval, be applied to an advanced degree program at Purdue, should the non degree student later be admitted to an advanced degree program. Non degree students may also be international students who, with the financial sponsorship of their governments, employers, or higher education institution seek to meet objectives not appropriate for an advanced degree.

Depending on the university you apply to and your field of interest, you will likely need to consider preparing for and taking one or more standardized tests. Typically these tests are completed in your senior year before you begin applying for graduate study, but always be sure to check with the universities you may apply to in order to determine their specific requirements and deadlines.

• The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is often required for admission to graduate programs. The GRE has a general test component, which is most often required for graduate admission, as well as several GRE Subject Tests that focus on a specific field of study.

• Free GRE preparation materials may be found on the official GRE Web page and also at www.Number2.com and www.varsitytutors.com/practice-tests.

• A complete exam prep center can be found at Graduate Exam Resource Center.

• The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) may be appropriate for any individual interested in studying business administration or management.

• If you are considering law or medical school, you will also want to review information about the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) and MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).

• The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and Duolingo English test are common English proficiency tests.  Often, one of these tests is required for individuals whose native language is not English.