Thinking About
Graduate School?
Is Graduate School Right for Me?
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I enjoy exploring new ideas.
I enjoy solving problems.
I am intelligent.
I have initiative and self-discipline.
I want to learn more about my field or
change fields.
• I need an advanced degree to achieve my
personal and professional goals.
Expanding my Career Options
• Master’s degrees: (30 -60 credits)
Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Master of
Education, Master of Business Administration, BS/MS
– Thesis or non-thesis options
– Careers in business, industry or K – 12 education
• Doctor of Philosophy degree (90 credits)
- PhD
- Teaching- and research-oriented
- Careers in academia and/or industry
• Other “terminal” degrees: MD, JD, DDS, Ed.D
Prerequisites for Graduate School
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BA/BS degree
Strong grades and test scores
Well-crafted Statement of Purpose
Adequate funds
Motivation!
How to Evaluate Graduate
Programs (1)
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Academic program
Faculty reputation
Facilities
Program requirements
Cost of attending; cost of living
Student life
Employment data on graduates
How to Evaluate Graduate
Programs (2)
• Confer with faculty – WPI and
prospective institutions
• Talk with current graduate students WPI and prospective institutions
• Visit campuses of interest
• Attend Graduate Fairs
• Review catalogs, websites, etc.
Applying to Graduate School
• The application form – personal
information; on-line or printed versions
• Statement of Purpose/Personal
Statement
• Letters of recommendation
• Standardized tests
• Official transcripts and grade reports
Admission Tests for Graduate
School
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Graduate Management Aptitude Test
(GMAT)
• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL) or XXXXXXXX (IELTS)
Graduate Record Examination
• Offered year-round at computer-base testing
centers
• Cost $115 for General Test
• Allow 3 – 4 hours for General Test and Writing
Assessment
• Unofficial scores immediately. Official score
report in 10 – 15 days
• For more information go to www.gre.org
Graduate Record Examination:
Subject Test
• Offered three times a year – November, December and
April - paper version only
• Cost $130 per subject test
• Three hour exam
• Unofficial scores immediately. Official score report in
10 – 15 days???
• Subject Tests offered in:
• Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology,Biology.
Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature in English,
Mathematics, Physics, Psychology
Funding Your Graduate Study
• Fellowships
• Teaching and Research Assistantships
• Deferred Payment Plans – contact Financial
Aid Office
• Loans and corporate funding
• Special opportunities for underrepresented and
disadvantaged students (GEMS, McNair
Programs, etc.)
• Check out WPI Fellowships and Scholarships
website: www.grad.wpi.edu/Financial
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Calendar for Preparing for
Graduate School (1)
• Summer before senior year
Review websites, catalogs, and other guides to
graduate programs
Draft Statement of Purpose
• Early fall of senior year
Meet with faculty, graduate students, CDC
advisors
Request for letters of recommendation
Register for standardized tests
Calendar for Preparing for
Graduate School (2)
• October
Take standardized tests
Request application materials
Complete Statement of Purpose
Order transcripts
• November
Complete application forms
Provide recommenders with necessary
materials
Calendar for Preparing for
Graduate School (3)
• December/early January
Submit applications
Plan campus visits
• January
Confirm all application materials have been
received
• April 15
Common Reply Date
Sample List of Graduate Schools
Attended by WPI Alumni
• See list ……. From
www.wpi.edu/Admin/CDC/Students/grad.html
Graduate Education at WPI
• Over 50 graduate science, engineering and
management programs
• More than 300 full- and part-time faculty, many
recognized worldwide
• Active and growing program of leading-edge research:
19 NSF Career Awards since 1995
• Close ties with industry
• Almost $20M in externally-funded research
• Applications-oriented approach to learning
WPI Graduate Student Profile
• Approximately 1,000 graduate students
representing:
• 37 states
• 57 countries
• 275 area employers
• 54% part-time; 46% full-time
• 80% enrolled in master’s degree programs
• 20% enrolled in doctoral programs
Graduate Education in ECE at
WPI
• BS/MS
“double dip” 6 credits
courses must be approved prior to enrollment – BS/MS Plan of
Study
• MS in Electrical Engineering:
30 credits thesis or 33 credits non-thesis options
• PhD in Electrical Engineering
90 credits – including 30 credits of research
• 113 enrolled students (Spring ’06)
74 master’s and 39 PhD’s
Funding Opportunities for WPI
Graduate Students
• Teaching Assistantships – 9 months; 18 credits
• Research Assistantships - varies
• Fellowships
Goddard Fellowship– self-nominate, 12 months,
20 credits
Other Endowed Fellowships – nominations by
faculty, awards vary between 9 – 12 months; 18
credits
• Annual appointments
How to Apply for Admission
• Application available online at www.grad.wpi.edu
• Application processing fee of $70 - waived for WPI
students and alumni
• GRE – required for all U.S. fellowship applicants and all
international applicants
• Statement of Purpose – required for PhD applicants
only
• Recommendations – required for all applicants
• TOEFL – waived for applicant who have attended an
English-speaking institution full time for minimum of
one year
Resources at WPI’s Career
Development Center
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Graduate School Directories
Graduate School Brochures
Graduate Testing Information
Scholarship and Grant Information
Books on preparing Statements of Purpose
Books on interviewing skills
Critique and review of Statements of Purpose
One-on-one counseling
Information on Career and Graduate School Fairs
Other Resources
• US News & World Reports, Best Graduate
Schools
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The Best College for You
The Insiders Book of Law School Lists
The Insiders Book of Medical School Lists
Web References
Peterson’s Guide:
www.petersons.com/graduate/
Graduate School Guide: XXX school
guides.com
GradSchools.com www.gradschools.com
Financial Aid Resources
• Cash for Grad School: The Ultimate Guide to
Grad School Scholarships, Phillip C. McKee
and Cynthia Ruiz McKee, Quill, 2003
• Directory of Financial Aid series, Gail A.
Schlachter, Reference Service Press, 2003
• Free Money for Graduate School, 4th edition,
Blum, Laurie,
• Getting Money for Graduate School, Peterson’s,
2003
The Value of Lifelong Learning
In this world, security does not come from a
union card, from lifetime employment at a
big company or from government work. It
will only come from the skills you carry
with you.
-- Thomas Friedman
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
Information for this presentation was made available from the WPI
Career Development Center and from the 2004 Council of Graduate
Schools pamphlet, “Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective
Graduate Students.”