How to Apply to Graduate School After College

The application process for someone who has graduated from college, whether that person has been one year out of college or twenty can be challenging but it doesn't have to be impossible. Here are some tips to make the grad school application process easier!

1. Contact often. Contact early. Academic Recommendations/References.

For most individuals applying to graduate programs several years out of college, academic recommendations or at least references will be a requisite to the application package. Don't wait till last minute to write Professor So and So and ask him to write you a letter. Even though he probably could write you a lovely letter, he'll probably be annoyed that you waited until 2 weeks before the deadline to ask him. The problem here is that a potential applicant should plan ahead. If you want to go to grad school, you really should be thinking about it at least 6 months in advance, if not longer. Let's say it's six months. In January, you should be emailing/calling professors that you knew and reintroducing yourself if you haven't been in contact (and most people are not). Start off by saying hello, asking how she is, and telling her straight out that you are considering going to graduate school. Ask if her if she would write you a recommendation letter. I recommend this path. It creates certainty in YOUR life. OR you can dance around and ask her if she has any advice and hope she will offer to write you a letter or serve as your reference. Having started the relationship in January and having said professor tell you she is comfortable (or not comfortable. It happens-if it does, try someone else. It's only January, you have plenty of time), ask her if she needs materials from you to write the letter. (i.e. resume, transcript-we'll get to that later). Ask her if she prefers to send it herself or have you pick it up or whatever. Tell her when you need it by. Give your professor time to write the thing. Check in on her to make sure she's working on it. People are busy but sometimes just need to be prodded. Email is good for that.

2. Setting deadlines
Just because an application is due on Oct. 1st doesn't mean that YOU should be setting YOUR deadlines for Feb. 1st. Getting back to the whole starting your relationship with your professor in January. You should give your professor 3-4 months to write that letter. Not only will this allow your professor to carefully consider who you are and what she wants to write about you, you can hope that she will have ½ hour to write your letter at some point during those 4 months. Having said all this, give yourself a buffer zone of 1-2 months before the ACTUAL deadline to get the letter yourself or to have your professor send the letter to the school. The worst thing that can happen if you give yourself time is to have the school get the letter and hold onto it in a file with your name on it. On the other hand, the worst thing that can happen if you don't give yourself time is to not have any recommendation letters in your file come October 1st.

3. Getting your records.
Some schools don't have online registrar systems where you can request copies of your old transcripts. Moreover, most schools don't print them for free. Check at the website or call up the registrar. It takes about 5 business days to generate them just because most offices get lots of requests. Get multiple copies. Get the number you will need and one extra so that you can open that one to make sure there aren't mistakes.

4. Your personal statement.
Your personal statement would reflect who you are and you want to go to grad school. Don't use this as an opportunity talk about bad grades or getting fired unless there's actually a good story that reveals who you are. It's a good time to deflect away from negative aspects of your application to positive ones.