As soon as you discover a personal interest in graduate study, you should seek out the counsel of the Chairperson of the related academic department or a faculty mentor...even if this interest begins to grow in your first year of college! A faculty member is an excellent resource for the beginning of your inquiry. Faculty are a good source of information regarding the relationship of graduate study to career options, as well as the identification of programs and institutions to begin a search for more details about programs. Once information is received from several of these institutions, a faculty member will be in a position to provide guidance and respond to your questions about the materials received. As you study and discuss information from several institutions, you will gain confidence in your ability to make a decision which is right for you. Stay in close contact with your faculty mentor throughout this process.

College and university guides are a resource for identifying and comparing graduate programs. Perhaps the best known is the Peterson’s Guide which is available at the College library as well as on-line. This guide and most others will offer general information about such matters as admission requirements, application procedures, tuition costs, financial aid, and academic programs. After you have reviewed some of the guides, discuss the conclusions you are developing with your faculty mentor. Remember the guides are a place for academic institutions to put themselves before potential students in the best light.

A critical consideration for many students in attending graduate school is the availability of financial aid. Graduate assistantships are a common source of funding for graduate students and can also provide valuable experience. As you review the materials from an institution, locate information about the presence of assistantships. If there is no information in the printed material, ask the graduate admissions office about the availability of graduate assistantships in the program of interest to you. Some graduate programs require participation in graduate assistantships as a part of the educational experience; such programs typically arrange interview schedules for prospective students.

Many graduate schools require the completion of general knowledge examinations for admission. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Medical College Admission Test (M-CAT) and the Law School Admission Test (L-SAT) are among the most widely-used standardized tests. Work closely with your faculty mentor to determine which, if any, general knowledge exams you should take for your particular field of study and when you should take the exam. All of these exams are offered periodically through the year and some can be taken on computer. More information and registration materials for each of the above mentioned exams are available in the Career Services Office.