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Project 1000 Student Information Booklet
- U.S. Hispanics
- Other Underrepresented Students
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME TO PROJECT 1000
TITLE PAGE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I. ABOUT PROJECT 1000
A.PROJECT'S TOLL-FREE 800 TELEPHONE NUMBER
B.ELIGIBILITY FOR PROJECT 1000
C.FUNCTION OF THE PROJECT 1000 APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION &
FINANCIAL AID
D.HOW THE ADMISSION COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
E.HOW THE FINANCIAL AID COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
II. ABOUT GRADUATE SCHOOL
A.WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
B.APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
1.Academic Merit-Based Financial Aid
2.Outside Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants-In-Aid
3.State Residency-Based Financial Aid
4.Need-Based Financial Aid
C.DECIDING ON WHICH PROGRAM TO APPLY TO
D.INFORMATION FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS ABOUT STANDARDIZED
TESTS
(PARTICULARLY THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION)
1.Do standardized tests such as the GRE predict academic achievement
for Hispanics as well as they do for Anglos?
2.What additional information or assessment tools can be used in order to
achieve a stronger appreciation of the potential of U.S. Hispanic
students for graduate work?
3.If the GRE is only one of several assessment tools, why is it so widely
required?
4.Is there a Spanish analog to the GRE?
5.Do U.S. Hispanic students as a group do as well as they could on the
GRE and other standardized assessment instruments?
6.What are some practical tips to help prepare students for the GRE
general test?
7.How important is the Graduate Record Examination? Do U.S. Hispanic
students tend to overestimate or underestimate its importance?
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8.Do U.S. Hispanic students take the GRE in the same proportions as Anglo
students?
9.When is the best time to take the GREs?
10.Is it true that GRE scores are systematically reduced the older one gets?
11.Must you take the GRE in order to participate in Project 1000?
12.Can Project 1000 help with the cost of the GRE?
13.How long are GRE scores valid?
14.Who should take the Test for English as a Second Language (TOEFL)?
15.Is there a correlation between TOEFL and GRE scores?
E . REFERENCES
III. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING PROJECT 1000
APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND FINANCIAL
SUPPORT
A. COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
B. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
C. EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
D. STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE, PAEG, AND TOEFL)
E. FULL-TIME STUDY?
F. PERSONAL QUALITIES
G. FINANCIAL SUPPORT INFORMATION
H. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND OF CAREER PLANS
I. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
J. TRANSCRIPTS
K. DEADLINES
L. WHEN TO MAIL
M. FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR PART
N. WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSION
AND FINANCIAL AID DECISIONS
O.SUMMARY OF APPLICATION MATERIALS
IV. DEBUNKING FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND PROVIDING POINTERS
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Compañeros y Compañeras:
Welcome to Project 1000!
Applying to graduate school is a momentous decision which can lead to all kinds of
wonderful results, such as a more challenging or rewarding career. For some it also leads to a
great deal of anxiety. We're writing to you directly as two people who knew next to nothing
about graduate school or the graduate admissions process when we were undergraduate students,
who were the first people in our families to consider doctoral programs, who were amazed when
we were offered substantial assistantships and tuition scholarships to attend graduate school
(we had no idea how we were going to afford the expected costs which never materialized), who
were married and had children while in school, and who both became professional graduate
school administrators in no small part because we wanted to share what we learned with others
before they might make critical decisions based on poor information or even misinformation.
Your decision whether or not to attend graduate school is very important to us. The fact is
that far too few Hispanic students like yourself attend graduate school each year. This is a
terrible waste of talent. Like it or not, the teachers, researchers, and leaders of tomorrow,
whether they be in business, government, or academe, are the graduate students of today. Why
exclude yourself from the chance for a more rewarding life?
It is our fervent hope that this Student Information Booklet will encourage your interest
in study for an advanced degree, answer some of your questions about graduate admissions and
study, show you how to get answers to any other questions you might have, and provide you with
a simplified mechanism to apply for admission to an appropriate doctoral program at selective
institutions of your choice–all without any charge to you.
This booklet carefully explains what Project 1000 is all about and how it works. It also
attempts to provide a clear description of things you should know about admission and financial
aid at the graduate level, as well as pointers about the GRE, deciding on which programs and
schools to apply to, and special advice about soliciting recommendations, listing personal
qualities, and writing statements of purpose and career plans.
Please do yourselves a favor by reading this booklet carefully and then giving us a call
(800-327-4893) about how we can assist you in planning for your future.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Sullivan
Director, Project 1000
Gary D. Keller
Executive Director, Project 1000
P.S.
Project 1000 is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Alfred P.
Sloan Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the
ARCO Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and others. Therefore, its
services, including your application, our telephone consultations with
you,
and credentials collection and forwarding on your behalf, are all provided
c o s t - f r e e to you as a U.S. Hispanic student.
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STUDENT INFORMATION BOOKLET
PROJECT 1000: MOVING TOWARD
RECRUITING, ADMITTING, AND GRADUATING AN ADDITIONAL
5,000 UNDERREPRESENTED GRADUATE STUDENTS
Written and Edited by
GARY D. KELLER and MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN
PROJECT 1000
c/o The Graduate College
P.O. Box 875305
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-5305
email: project1000@asu.edu
1-800-327-4893
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Note on Reproduction of Informational Material Contained in this Booklet
Both Project 1000 and the authors desire that the information contained in this booklet receive
the widest possible dissemination. Therefore, this entire Student Information Booklet may be
copied, reproduced, and distributed free of charge and without restraint by anyone for any
purpose consistent with the goals of Project 1000, i.e., increased recruitment, admission, and
graduation of minority graduate students.
Acknowledgments
This booklet was made possible with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York; the
Pew Charitable Trusts; the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller
Brothers Fund, the ARCO Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Graduate College,
Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and
Strategic Initiatives, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Hispanic Research Center of
Arizona State University. All statements and/or views expressed within this publication,
however, especially any mistakes, are those of the authors alone for which our sponsors bear no
responsibility.
We wish to make a special acknowledgment to Michael A. Olivas, without whose support and
advice Project 1000 could not have become a reality.
Project 1000 and the authors give special thanks to Gloria De Necochea of the ARCO Foundation
and formerly of the Carnegie Corporation of New York; Karin Egan and Eugene Cota-Robles of the
Carnegie Corporation of New York; Ellen Burbank and Linda Frank of the Pew Charitable Trusts;
Ted Greenwood of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Edgar Beckham and Alison Bernstein of the Ford
Foundation; Caroline Zinsser of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Rafael Magallán formerly of the
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Hispanic Higher Education Coalition;
Nancy Cole, Eleanor Horne, Robert Altman, Joan Borum, Charles Daves, James Deneen, Donald
Rock, James Braswell, Sydell Carleton, Peter Cooper, Timothy Habick, Lorraine Gaire, and Paul
Ramsey of the Educational Testing Service; Antonio Rigual, the founder and former president of
the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; Donald Stewart of the College Board; Jules
LaPidus, Thomas Linney, and Edna Khalil of the Council of Graduate Schools; and Milton Glick,
Robert Barnhill, Ronald Barr, Gary Krahenbuhl, Noel Stowe, Raymond Padilla, Karen Van Hooft,
Susan Schreiner, John Ryan, Jaime Montenegro, Ramón García Barrios, Enoc Díaz Santana,
Nereida Cruz González, Melissa Goitia-Werner, Sonia Honne, Diana Pierce Nelson, and Antonio
Augustín García of Arizona State University; and many others too numerous to mention.
Project 1000 is made possible with current support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the ARCO
Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. The Project gratefully acknowledges additional
current support from the Educational Testing Service, Arizona State University, and the several
hundred colleges and universities which have agreed to identify and/or admit U.S. Hispanic
students as part of
Project 1000.
Prior support for Project 1000 was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York; the
United States Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education;
as well as the State University of New York at Binghamton.
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ABOUT PROJECT 1000
PROJECT’S TOLL-FREE 800 TELEPHONE NUMBER
Use the following toll-free 800 telephone number, 800-327-4893, both nationally and in Arizona
(except the greater Phoenix-area in which 965-3958 should be used) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. Mountain Standard time to discuss various aspects of the Project such as your eligibility,
questions you may have in completing the application, deciding on the program(s) you wish to
apply to, or any other questions you may have about graduate school or the graduate
admissions/application process. It may be necessary upon review of your application for Project
1000 staff to clarify certain points or secure missing information. In such cases we will
communicate with you either in writing or by telephone. Keep in mind, however, that it is easier
for you to reach Project 1000 by telephone than it is for the Project to reach you. It is therefore
very important for you to call the Project briefly at least once every two weeks once you have
begun the graduate admissions/application process.
Please note that Mountain Standard time is three hours earlier than Atlantic Standard time (e.g.,
San Juan, Puerto Rico), two hours earlier than Eastern Standard time (e.g., New York City), one
hour earlier than Central Standard time (e.g., Chicago), and one hour later than Pacific Standard
time (e.g., Los Angeles). However, because Arizona is always on Mountain Standard time and
does not switch to daylight savings time when many other states do, keep in mind that during the
“summer” daylight savings months Mountain Standard time is three hours earlier than Eastern
Daylight time, two hours earlier than Central Daylight time, one hour earlier than Mountain
Daylight time, and the same time as Pacific Daylight time.
ELIGIBILITY FOR PROJECT 1000
Only students underrepresented in graduate degree programs, particularly those of Latin American/
Caribbean ancestry, who are United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States, are
eligible to make application for graduate study through Project 1000. Eligibility for application
through Project 1000 is further restricted to students intending to study for a graduate degree (nonmatriculated students or applicants seeking consideration for certificates or other non-degree
credentials are not eligible for participation in Project 1000) in those fields and disciplines where
the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) normally is used to help assess an applicant’s admission
potential. Thus, eligible fields and disciplines within Project 1000 include the arts and sciences,
engineering, computer science, architecture and urban planning, library and information science,
oceanography, public health, public policy, social welfare, and most fields in education, but not
medicine, business, dentistry, law, optometry, and other fields where standardized tests other than
the GRE are utilized. If you have a question about whether or not the field you are interested in
falls within the scope of Project 1000, either write directly to the Project or telephone us at 800327-4893.
Academic eligibility for Project 1000 is in accordance with what is typically required for graduate
study, including a bachelor’s degree granted by a faculty or university of recognized standing,
adequate preparation for graduate study in the proposed field of instruction, fluent command of the
English language, and evidence of promise in advanced study and research.
While the Project is focusing primarily on educating students through the doctorate, students may
participate even if their goal is to obtain a master’s as a terminal degree. Similarly, Project 1000
emphasizes full-time study, which would definitely be the case for resident students. However, in
a limited number of cases where application is made as a commuter student, students may apply for
part-time study through the Project.
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FUNCTION OF THE PROJECT 1000 APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION AND
FINANCIAL AID
There is no fee charged by Project 1000 for submission of the application for admission and
financial aid nor for any of the other services provided by the Project.
One of the attractive features of Project 1000 is that it will permit you as an applicant to be
considered for admission and for financial aid at a number of graduate institutions on the basis of
completion of one application packet. In some cases the Project 1000 application packet will carry
you through the entire application process at the participating institution(s) of your choice. In other
cases, the participating graduate institution will consider the Project 1000 materials to be a
preapplication and will require that you fill out their institutional package as well. Normally the
latter is required only after the Project 1000 materials are used as screening information to
determine your prospects for admission.
A recent Educational Testing Service (ETS) study (Baird, 1982) of several thousand students
found that only 21% of Hispanic students applied to more than one graduate program. This is a
very low percentage and Project 1000 both strongly encourages you to apply to more than one
institution and provides you with a simple mechanism to make multiple applications.
HOW THE ADMISSION COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
All prospective graduate students can make application to up to seven of the participating major
public and private nationally recognized doctoral-granting institutions through Project 1000. You
should call Project 1000 both before and after you mail us your application to discuss with an
academic advisor anything you may have overlooked or omitted. The Project then sends the
completed application to the participating graduate institution(s) of your choice and communicates
as necessary with you and with the graduate school(s) on your behalf, particularly during the early
stages of the admission process. Project 1000 encourages you to communicate directly with
appropriate representatives of the institutions to which you are applying (we can help you
determine who these are). The participating graduate schools in no way give up their autonomy
either of judgment or of specific admission requirements that may be additional to those common to
Project 1000. In the latter stages of the admission process it is probable that the graduate school(s)
that you have chosen will communicate directly to you. The final admission decision in all cases
will come to you directly from the participating graduate school(s) to which you have applied.
HOW THE FINANCIAL AID COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
Request to be considered for financial aid, which is incorporated as an option in the application
packet, operates in the same fashion as the admission process, with requests going through Project
1000 to the participating graduate schools that the applicant has chosen to apply to, and final
decisions being made by those schools. After receiving copies of your Project 1000 application
materials, some participating institutions may also send you and require you to fill out additional
financial aid forms specific to their institution. It is a good idea also to contact the specific
department at each of the institutions to which you are applying to verify whether or not they
require an additional financial aid form (above and beyond their institution's and Project 1000's
forms).
Project 1000 does not currently have independent (extra-institutional) financial aid funds at its
disposal.
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ABOUT GRADUATE SCHOOL
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
There are a number of vital things that you need to know about financial aid at the graduate level:
1. Contrary to the customary circumstances at the undergraduate level, full-time graduate students
attending comprehensive doctoral-granting universities in most of the fields and disciplines covered
within Project 1000 typically DO NOT PAY FOR THEIR GRADUATE STUDY with savings,
parental financial support, or earnings from non-academically related employment. This is true for
most students, not only minority students. For example, one of Project 1000's participating
institutions points out in its application that “about 85 percent of graduate students received
financial assistance.” This is not unusual. Moreover, the percentage of Hispanic students
receiving financial assistance from graduate school is assuredly even higher than the percentage for
the non-minority population. The same university quoted above, for example, points out that “In
recent years about 97 percent of minority graduate students received financial assistance.”
2. Most of the participating universities in Project 1000 have special financial aid funds earmarked
for minority graduate students. Also, in recent years there has been a general decline in the number
of minority students who go to graduate school. This means that graduate schools are redoubling
their efforts to recruit U.S. Hispanic students and will make additional efforts to ensure that
qualified U.S. Hispanic students are not denied a graduate education merely because of financial
constraints. Project 1000 itself is evidence of these additional efforts.
3. There is a wide variety of financial aid options available. The largest category of financial
support is the various forms of assistantships (particularly teaching and research) which permit you
to become an apprentice in the field that you are studying. As a matter of fact, this quality of
apprenticeship is one of the hallmarks of graduate education and one of the elements which
distinguishes it most from the undergraduate experience. The tradition of apprenticeship and the
mentoring that goes with it often permits you to do advanced studies in your field while at the same
time being paid for the services that you provide the university, possibly by helping to teach a basic
undergraduate course or working on one of your professor’s research projects. Because
universities find that the award of assistantships makes a lot of sense educationally for the graduate
student and is also cost-effective in that it provides additional help for either research projects or
undergraduate instruction, many students are offered this type of financial support. At some
universities it is not uncommon for more than 50% of all the full-time graduate students in an
academic department to be financially supported by some type of assistantship.
There are many other financial support options that are also available to you. These include
fellowships which usually, but not invariably, refer to financial aid that is awarded to a student
without the expectation that the student will provide any services to the university (as in the case of
an assistantship). Other financial aid options include the college work-study program, part-time
work (often on departmental projects or other campus work), Perkins/National Direct Student
Loans, Stafford/Guaranteed Student Loans, and a host of other financial assistance programs
offered by the state in which you legally reside. Independent (extra-institutional) scholarships or
grants of varying amounts are also often available through a variety of professional organizations
or private foundations.
4. The best advice that we can give to you is to not be deterred from applying to graduate school
because you are concerned that you don’t have the funds to pay for your studies. Most applicants
for graduate study do not have those funds assured. However, many students who apply to the
disciplines covered by and institutions participating in Project 1000 enter a graduate program with
some form of financial support other than loans. If government subsidized loans are considered,
then the proportion of graduate students with financial aid rises to an even higher percentage.
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5. There is one cautionary observation that should be made, however. Graduate education is a
multi-year commitment. It is often the case that it will take more than one year to earn a master’s
degree (two years is closer to the norm) and that earning a doctorate probably represents at least a
three-year commitment beyond the master’s degree. The number of students who earn a doctorate
and who are supported for the full course of their graduate careers is much fewer than those who
are given two or three years of support. However, this should not be cause to deter you either.
Typically what occurs is that as you enter the more advanced stages of your graduate education,
additional options open up such as employment as a lecturer (a full-time or part-time academic
appointment) at your own or another institution, employment in government or industry, an
internship of some kind, or appointment to an ongoing research project in a more responsible
capacity than graduate assistant. There are also a number of national and local pre-doctoral awards
for which you could become eligible.
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
You should consider four forms of financial aid: (1) merit-based forms of financial aid, awarded
by the participating university, such as assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships; (2) outside
fellowships, scholarships, and grants-in-aid from national, international, and corporate
foundations, and/or government agencies; (3) any student assistance programs that may be offered
in the state where you reside; and (4) need based financial aid other than that which may be
provided by the state in which you reside. (Note: you should consider all four financial aid
options.)
Academic Merit-Based Financial Aid
By simply checking the box asking for academically merit-based financial support on page 6 of the
Project 1000 Application/Preapplication for Graduate Study Within the Participating Graduate
Schools and for a Fellowship, Assistantship or Other Educational Grant you will normally be
considered for this form of financial support at the participating institution(s) which you have
chosen to apply to. (A small number of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools also require
students to fill out one of their internal financial aid application forms. If you apply to one of these
schools, either the participating school or Project 1000 will normally make you aware of any
additional forms you must complete. However, to be safe, you should also contact the relevant
department at each university to which you are applying to verify whether or not additional forms
are required.)
Outside Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants-In-Aid
As a prospective graduate student you should also consider applying for outside fellowships,
scholarships, and grants-in-aid from national, international, and corporate foundations, and/or
government agencies. There are literally hundreds of different “outside” awards (dozens of which
are targeted exclusively for minority students) granted to thousands of students every year.
Students receiving financial aid through one of the participating institutions may be permitted to
hold this award concurrently with an outside award, although an adjustment may be made in the
award by the participating institution. Information on outside fellowships or grants may be
obtained through college or university financial aid or career counseling offices, or through such
references as Peterson’s Guides’ Grants for Graduate Students, the Annual Register of Grant
Support, and The Grants Register found in many university libraries. You should contact Project
1000 for additional information regarding outside sources of financial aid. To View many of the
best-known outside fellowships that are targeted for minority students, including United States
Hispanic students, select the database link below:
PROJECT 1000 DATABASE OF EXTERNAL SOURCES OF SUPPORT
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State Residency-Based Financial Aid
Many states offer wide-scale financial aid to their residents. In some of these states, graduate
students may become official “residents” after a specific period of time. You are strongly urged to
investigate whatever student assistance you may be eligible for through programs offered in the
state wherein you reside (or plan to establish residency).
Need-Based Financial Aid
Virtually all of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools offer some form(s) of financial aid
based exclusively on demonstrated financial need. By their very nature, the type, number, and
amounts of these awards vary widely from institution to institution and student to student. Such
awards may include (but at any given graduate school do not necessarily include) direct grants,
tuition and/or fee waivers, college work/study, and/or various forms of loans. Where different
types of awards are available, they usually are packaged together to jointly provide the exact level
of a given student’s official financial need. The latter is calculated by a formal “needs analysis” of
personal financial information provided by the student. Because of a heavy emphasis on
computerized need-based financial aid accounting and reporting, most graduate schools in the
United States, including Project 1000’s participating graduate schools, require that you complete a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and mail it to the application’s processor (in
addition to specific mailing and other instructions, there is usually a self-addressed envelope
provided with the form). Please contact Project 1000 if you have any questions regarding the
FAFSA.
FAFSA forms are generally available at college and university financial aid offices or from the
following telephone numbers:
FAFSA
1-800-433-3243; or 1-319-337-5665
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of federal financial aid regulations, unlike all other graduate
application materials which should be submitted as early as possible, need-based financial aid
forms, including the FAFSA, must be submitted after January 1, but should be submitted as
soon as possible thereafter.
Be sure to give permission to the U.S. Department of Education to provide information from your
FAFSA to each of the graduate schools to which you are applying. In order to do so, you should
write in the name of each university and its respective Title IV Institution Code in the address space
of the FAFSA’s Section H: Information Release (question numbers 80-91). Check with your
financial aid office or your public library for the Institution Code list provided by the U.S.
Department of Education. The Title IV Institution Code is always a six-character code. When
completing the FAFSA, be sure to enter the correct Institution Code number for Project 1000
(E00025).
If you can’t get the Institution Code, write in the complete name, city, and state of the
universities to which you are applying. It is very important to write the correct city and state,
and/or Institution Code so that the proper institution will receive your financial aid information.
Write clearly. The graduate schools to which you are applying may not receive information from
the application if you don’t write legibly.
Once your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) by mail. To
have information sent to more than six institutions (the maximum allowed on the FAFSA itself),
you may write in new colleges on your SAR and mail it to the address printed on that form.
Since Project 1000’s participating graduate schools have different requirements related to needbased financial aid, and since if you neglect to supply any information that is required you may
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have to complete another financial statement, Project 1000 strongly suggests that you complete all
sections of the FAFSA supplying all information requested.
One form of need-based financial aid for graduate students is the graduate work-study program, a
federally funded resource that is generally available at most graduate institutions. Graduate workstudy is a program in which eligible graduate students can work on campus during the summer and
academic year to earn the difference between the annual cost of education and their financial aid (if
any). Eligibility is determined by a needs analysis of information supplied on the FAFSA.
There also exist a variety of need-based loan programs available to graduate students, including the
Perkins (National Direct Student) Loan and Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL/Stafford Loan)
Programs. However, Project 1000 will advise you on finding financial aid other than loans. Only
under special circumstances and after exhausting the available options for more attractive forms of
financial aid will the Project suggest that you seriously consider taking out a student loan.
DECIDING ON WHICH GRADUATE PROGRAMS TO APPLY TO
From the over 70 major public and private nationally recognized doctoral-granting institutions
participating in Project 1000, you may choose up to 7 participating institutions to which you wish
to be considered for admission. Project 1000 encourages you to make multiple application through
this program. Indeed, Project 1000 strongly recommends that you apply to a minimum of 3-5
graduate schools. Deciding on the most appropriate programs to apply to is a very important
matter. The following suggestions are offered:
1. If at all practical, apply to more than one institution. Research has shown that U.S. Hispanics
tend to apply to only one school. If you apply to several schools, your chances of being admitted
and of obtaining the financial aid that you need will both improve. Consider applying to a range of
institutions of varying selectivity. (This is a strategy which is very commonly followed at the
undergraduate level.) While each of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools are highlyrespected doctoral-granting institutions, there is some variation between them with respect to
selectivity. An important ETS study (Baird, 1982) of several thousand students found that most
students who apply to graduate school are admitted if they apply to a school reasonably within their
level of achievement or aspiration. Consider also a range of different geographical locations.
Institutions in some geographical locations have far more or far less U.S. Hispanic applicants than
similar institutions in different geographical areas.
2. For students who have not yet completed their baccalaureate degrees, the best time to gather
information about the graduate course of study that you are interested in is during your junior year.
Waiting until your senior year in college can limit your options since many graduate institutions
have January or early February application deadlines (a few programs even have deadlines as early
as November 1 of the year preceding a September admission). However, if you are a college
senior already, there is still time to find out about the programs of your choice if you act quickly.
3. Go to the reference section of your library and ask for Peterson's Guide to Graduate
Programs, Barron’s Guide, the Educational Testing Service/Council of Graduate Schools’
(ETS/CGS) Directory of Graduate Programs, or other comprehensive listing of graduate
programs. Get further answers to the questions that you will have through careful study of
university catalogs (usually available on microfiche in campus career development offices or
libraries), by talking to faculty members in the field you are thinking of entering, and by discussing
your plans with career advisors on your campus, especially your campus’ Project 1000 contact
person. We strongly recommend that you approach faculty members for advice who know your
work and would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Ask these
professors to give you some suggestions about the institutions that might best match your aptitudes
and needs. NOTE : PROJECT 1000 DOES NOT HAVE THE GRADUATE CATALOGS OF
THE PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES AVAILABLE FOR YOU. You need to write directly to
each of these institutions (a postcard will do) to request that their most recent graduate catalog(s) as
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well as specific information regarding the department/program in which you are interested be sent
to you.
4. As you move closer to deciding upon which graduate programs to apply to, we suggest that you
call both our Project 1000 institutional liaisons (for general questions about the university itself)
and the specific departments themselves (for questions regarding research, faculty credentials,
course offerings, assistantships/fellowships, and related program-specific information) at each
institution to which you are seriously considering applying. Consider the following questions or
factors in making a decision about which graduate programs you wish to apply to:
a. Does the program emphasize areas in your field that closely fit your career interests and goals?
Be sure to look carefully at specific faculty members’ credentials, especially their recent research,
and course offerings in the department to see whether or not there is special strength in your
specific area of interest. Some graduate programs will not accept even the most qualified student if
their faculty do not have research interests closely compatible with those of the student.
b. Are the libraries, laboratories, and other research facilities adequate for your needs? Are there
facilities such as special research centers or programs above and beyond the normal which might
make applying to that institution especially attractive? For example, if you are interested in nuclear
physics or comparative literature, the existence on campus, respectively, of an unusually powerful
particle accelerator or a well-respected journal of literary theory might make that campus an
attractive place to submit an application.
c. Are you academically prepared for the kind of program being offered? Have you had the
particular kind of training the program requires?
d. Do the university in general and the department in particular have a strong record of admitting,
providing financial support for, retaining, and graduating U.S. Hispanic students? Are there
strong academic, cultural, and social support networks in place on behalf of Hispanic students?
INFORMATION FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS ABOUT STANDARDIZED TESTS
(PARTICULARLY THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION)
Often Hispanic students have approached the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other
standardized tests with much trepidation and perhaps undue anxiety. Also, many Hispanic
students have certain misapprehensions about the GRE. Finally, there are a number of new
developments related to standardized tests that are important for Hispanic students to know. Here
are some important facts which will help you better understand the GRE (and the Spanish language
Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados) and its relationship to graduate admissions
generally and to Project 1000 specifically. One of the conclusions that should be derived from this
information is that you should not be unduly concerned about taking the GRE or about its influence
on the admissions process. No one factor or measure is all important in gaining admission to
graduate school.
Do standardized tests such as the GRE predict academic achievement for Hispanics as well
as they do for Anglos?
Both the College Entrance Examination Board and the Educational Testing Service have been
interested in this question. Dr. Richard Durán, an ETS research scientist at the time of the
publication of his book published by the College Board, Hispanics’ Education and Background:
Predictors of College Achievement, conducted a systematic review of all of the available relevant
research on this issue. He found that both high school grades and test scores predict Hispanics’
college grades roughly 9% less accurately than use of the same procedures to predict Anglos’
college grades. Durán found evidence that this result is due to some personal and background
characteristics of Hispanics that are particular to U.S. contexts and the use of English in the United
States (pp.102-3). The College Board and the Educational Testing Service have agreed with the
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premise that even more caution than usual must be applied to the review and evaluation of U.S.
Hispanic test scores, and these organizations are in the process of introducing such cautionary
language into the test information related to both test takers and institutions of higher education.
What additional information or assessment tools can be used in order to achieve a stronger
appreciation of the potential of U.S. Hispanic students for graduate work?
Project 1000 is making an intensive effort to identify any special, unique, or distinctive talents,
skills, or achievements that you may have which would help assess your potential for graduate
study. Also, as a consequence of Durán’s research on the predictive ability of the GRE for U.S.
Hispanic students, it would be useful for graduate schools to look at how well each Hispanic
student does against the distribution of only Hispanic students on the GRE. This “ethnic
breakdown” of GRE scores (provided by ETS) is sent by Project 1000 to each institution to which
you are applying. This enables them to assess your individual score against the distribution of
only Hispanic student GRE scores as an additional, supplementary measure.
If the GRE is only one of several assessment tools, why is it so widely required?
Many U.S. Hispanic students are under the misimpression that just because the GRE is widely
required, that it is all determining for admission. This is simply not the case. In fact some
graduate programs, even though they require the test, use the GRE primarily for diagnostic
purposes, not to screen for admission. The most common use of the GRE is as one of several
factors that together are used to evaluate a student’s ability to succeed in a particular program.
Therefore you should not be overly intimidated by the GRE, but should make a reasonable effort
(if practicable devoting 30 minutes a day for six weeks to two months before the test date) to
prepare adequately for the test. Some helpful GRE test-preparation tips may be found later in this
booklet. Project 1000 staff will also be glad to give you specific GRE test-preparation advice over
the telephone. Nevertheless, research conducted by Baird suggests that most students who apply
to graduate schools reasonably within their level of achievement or aspiration are usually admitted
to one. While taking the GRE is a necessary precondition for completing the admission process
for most graduate programs, it usually does not filter out students if they apply to a school
reasonably within their level of achievement or aspiration. In other words, you are certain to be
denied admission to some graduate programs if you fail to take the test at all. Some of those same
programs, however, might admit you with low GRE scores if the rest of your admissions materials
warrant admission.
Is there a Spanish analog to the GRE?
There is a Spanish language analog to the GRE administered by the Educational Testing Service.
It is called the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados (PAEG). The PAEG measures
general verbal and mathematical abilities considered necessary for success in graduate studies.
These sections of the test are constructed in Spanish; they are not a Spanish language translation of
test materials from any other test. The PAEG also includes a section in English that assesses
reading comprehension in English. Although the ability of the test to predict aptitude for graduate
study at U.S. institutions outside Puerto Rico is unstudied and hence as yet unproven, the PAEG
has been used extensively and successfully for that purpose by Puerto Rican universities’ graduate
programs, at whose initiative the test was first developed.
A study conducted by D. G. Bornheimer (1984) of Puerto Rican students enrolled in doctoral
programs at New York University’s School of Education, Health, Nursing and Arts Professions
(SEHNAP), located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, examined the validity of the PAEG and the GRE as
predictors of success in graduate school for candidates for whom Spanish was the dominant
language. Even though the sample size was limited to one school, several of the study’s findings
are interesting. When each students’ PAEG scores were carefully compared with their GRE
scores, both the PAEG-English section scores and the PAEG-Quantitative scores correlated higher
with first-year graduate GPA than the corresponding GRE scores. Similarly, the PAEG scores
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also correlated higher with faculty ratings of the students’ actual graduate work than the
corresponding GRE scores.
The range of difference between the PAEG and GRE scores of students participating in the study is
itself worth noting. The mean total of PAEG total scores and section scores for the participants in
the study were near the top ten percent of all PAEG test-takers (89th percentile). The GRE scores
for the same group of students, however, were extremely low—some were in the 200s (so-called
“chance” scores). Both GRE verbal and GRE quantitative scores were affected. In fact, GRE
quantitative scores were even lower than their GRE verbal scores among the students participating
in the study.
As the Educational Testing Service’s official Guide to the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios
Graduados 1988-89 observes (p. 19), “Although the data are limited, the study suggests that for
Spanish-dominant students, the PAEG may be a better predictor of success in graduate school than
the GRE.” The PAEG certainly would provide useful information on the general abilities of
applicants for graduate school who had completed some or all of their undergraduate studies at
universities in Puerto Rico or elsewhere where Spanish was the language of instruction. It could
also be helpful for evaluating the abilities of candidates who have completed most of their primary
and secondary education in schools where Spanish was the language of instruction.
Both Project 1000 and the PAEG program recognize, however, that the test would not be
appropriate for many U.S. Hispanic students as it assumes an examinee population with a high
level of literacy in Spanish. Nevertheless, for those students for whom the PAEG is targeted (for
example, a student educated in Puerto Rico for whom Spanish is his or her dominant language),
Project 1000 encourages submission of PAEG scores in addition to GRE scores.
Do U.S. Hispanic students as a group do as well as they could on the GRE and other
standardized assessment instruments?
Researchers R. Durán, F. Evans, L. Pike, E. Rincón, and others have conducted research
suggesting that U.S. Hispanic students do not maximize test taking strategies, do not manage time
as well as Anglo students, suffer from more text-anxiety than Anglo students, and are likely to
suffer test scores depressed by English/Spanish language factors that do not represent developed
academic ability. In other words, current research suggests that U.S. Hispanic students would be
able to significantly improve their performance with better test-related counseling and better
orientation to and practice with the test.
What are some practical tips to help prepare students for the GRE general test?
a. Read the free official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin you use to register for the test
carefully and completely. It contains a great deal of valuable information, but its prose is very terse
and economical with words. Some of the most important tips are given almost in passing. We
suggest therefore that you read every word of the bulletin and outline all information related to
preparing for the GRE. Pay particular attention to the sections on “Registration”, “Taking the GRE
Tests”, “Score Reporting”, “Preparing for the Tests”, “Test-Taking Strategy”, “General Test
Sample Questions with Explanations”, and “Practice General Test.”
b. Take the GRE general test and, if required by the programs/universities to which you will be
applying, the GRE subject test in your field no later than the December preceding the Fall semester
for which you are seeking admission to graduate school. Project 1000 strongly encourages you to
take the GRE general test either in June between your junior and senior years (when most students
are not taking classes and thus have plenty of time to prepare for the test without major
distractions) or in October of your senior year (when if something goes wrong unexpectedly such
as a sudden illness you can still take the test in December in time for your application to graduate
school to be complete before most graduate program deadlines).
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c. If at all possible, begin preparing/studying for the GRE at least six weeks to two months prior to
the date on which you plan to take the test. Be sure to register for the test even earlier in order to
avoid missing the registration deadlines (printed on the back cover of the official GRE Registration
& Information Bulletin). Try to commit at least an uninterrupted 30 minutes every day. It is
generally more effective to work every or nearly every day for at least a few minutes than to work
less often for larger amounts of time. Try to avoid having to “cram” a few days before the test date
since this is considerably less effective than a more paced effort over a longer period of time.
Nevertheless, generally speaking any preparation is an improvement over no preparation at all.
Because the test presumes a certain familiarity with directions, question and answer formats, test
procedure, and the parameters of the material being tested, you will be at a disadvantage compared
to other test-takers if you do not make a reasonable effort to orient yourself to the test as fully as
practicable.
d. Most experts agree that the best form of practice for the GRE is trying to answer actual old test
questions under simulated circumstances. This form of practice familiarizes you implicitly with the
test-taking situation, the type and range of subject material that will be covered, and test directions.
It also allows you to experiment with and practice different strategies/approaches to analyzing and
answering the questions asked (for example, skimming the questions in the reading comprehension
portion of the verbal ability section before reading the passage itself versus reading the passage
thoroughly first then the questions or skimming both the reading passage and questions before
thoroughly reading the passage, etc.). Different strategies are more effective than others for
different people; whatever helps you answer the most questions correctly within the time allotted is
the most effective strategy for you. The only way you can hope to find out what strategies work
most effectively for you is to experiment with various approaches to actual old GRE questions and
to analyze the results before the test date. Areas you need to work on more than others (such as,
for example, how to use the Pythagorean theorem to help solve a geometry problem or what is the
meaning of “saturnine”) will become readily apparent. Practice with simulated testing situations
should also help to greatly reduce test-anxiety.
After each simulated testing session be sure to review carefully the questions you were unable to
answer correctly until you understand both how to answer the question correctly and expeditiously
and why you answered it incorrectly. Look up all mathematical formulae or vocabulary words you
encounter that you do not know. One possible schedule you may wish to try is to take one 30
minute verbal, quantitative, or analytical ability section on the first day (being sure to time
yourself). The next two days you might check your answers to see whether they are correct and
figure out both why you failed to answer correctly the incorrect ones and how the correct answers
can be arrived at as expeditiously as possible. On the fourth day, if you have finished reviewing
your first practice section, you would be ready to take another section under simulated testing
conditions. After you have repeated this process several times, having taken and carefully
reviewed several sections each of analytical, verbal, and quantitative reasoning, you may want to
start concentrating on the section(s) which give(s) you the most difficulty and/or those sections
most important to the academic field in which you intend to study (for example, the quantitative
section for mathematics or engineering, the verbal section for English literature or history, the
analytical section for philosophy, etc.). You may also determine at this point whether or not you
need to spend time doing a basic math review.
e. The free official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin has one section each of verbal
ability, quantitative ability, and analytical ability old test questions taken from previously
administered actual GRE general tests. Additional actual old GRE general tests may be ordered
directly from the Educational Testing Service (publishers of the GRE) using the “GRE Publications
Order Form” found in the back of the official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin. They are
available in both printed (approximately $15 for 1992-93) and software (approximately $80 during
1992-93) forms under the name Practicing to take the GRE General Test. In addition to six actual
GRE general tests with answers, the printed version of this series now (#9 on but not earlier
editions) also includes one additional test with explanations and a math review section. Older
editions (#8 and earlier) of the printed version provide three additional old actual GRE tests, but
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without the math review or any explanations of how to arrive at the correct answer given. The
software version has included the latter for some time. When ordering be careful not to confuse
the various subject test practice booklets with those of the general test. Please note that although
many commercial vendors have GRE preparation booklets of varying comprehensiveness and
utility for sale, only GRE/ETS own the copyright to actual old GRE questions. Other companies
must write their own simulated questions in an attempt to replicate the copyrighted actual GRE test.
If at all possible, you should try to practice with actual old GRE questions. To save money, you
may want to pool your resources with friends and order Practicing to take the GRE General Test
to share with them or buy it yourself with a prearrangement to resell it to someone else who will be
taking the test later than you (after you have already taken the test and no longer have need for it).
f. The quantitative ability section of the GRE General Test includes only arithmetic, algebra, and
geometry (excluding the ability to construct proofs). It does not include or require any
trigonometry or calculus. The math review sections of the free official GRE Registration &
Information Bulletin and especially the more detailed official Practicing to take the GRE General
Test (official printed version #9 or later or any official software version) sold by GRE/ETS are
excellent places to start your review. Most of the commercial guides available also have excellent
math review sections. The advantage of using a math review designed especially for the GRE is
that it helps you save time and effort by focusing immediately on what you need to know to do
well on the test without wasting any time on the innumerable things you do not need to do well on
the quantitative ability section of the GRE general test.
g. The analytical ability section of the GRE general test requires no knowledge of formal logic or
the terminology of formal logic. To quote p. 31 of the 1992-93 official GRE Registration &
Information Bulletin “analytical reasoning problems can be solved using knowledge, skills,
vocabulary, and computational ability (simple addition and subtraction) common to college
students.” However, because many students at first find the questions in both the analytical
reasoning and logical reasoning sub-sections of the analytical ability section of the GRE general
test unusual at best and somewhat bizarre at worst, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with
the format of the questions and expected answers. The only effective method doing this that
Project 1000 can suggest is for you to practice these questions for as long as necessary until you
are comfortable with the format and can answer them reasonably confidently, accurately, and
expeditiously.
h. Knowledge of cognates (the thousands of words that are similar in meaning and spelling in both
English and Spanish due to their derivation from a common ancestor in Latin) is a resource that
students with some degree of fluency in Spanish may find helpful with the verbal section of the
GRE general test. For example, some words that are relatively uncommon in English (such as
“felicity”) have cognates that are much more frequently used in Spanish (in this case, “felicidad”).
Be careful, however, of “false cognates” (for example, “éxito” in Spanish means “success” not
“exit” or “leave”) which may be the result of coincidences in spelling between the two languages or
the evolution of meanings over time. A knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and word roots derived
from Latin that are common in English (and Spanish) can also help you figure out the meaning of
words you otherwise are unfamiliar with.
i. When practicing with actual old GRE test questions be sure to learn the distinctly different
question and answer format of each sub-section of the three major sections of the GRE general
test. More specifically, learn carefully the different rules, expectations, and answer formats of the
“Analogies”, “Antonyms”, “Sentence Completions”, and “Reading Comprehension” sub-sections
of the Verbal Abilities section; the “Quantitative Comparison”, “Discrete Quantitative”, and “Data
Interpretation” sub-sections of the Quantitative Abilities section; and the “Logical Reasoning” and
“Analytical Reasoning” sub-sections of the Analytical Abilities sections of the GRE general test.
Familiarity with these sub-sections will save you time during the test that you can use either to
answer more questions or to have more time to think about the answers to difficult questions.
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j. Pace yourself carefully when taking the test. Your GRE general test score is determined entirely
by the number of correct answers that are recorded on your answer sheet. Every single question
answered correctly no matter how simple it was to answer counts exactly the same toward your
score as the most difficult question to answer. It only makes sense therefore that you should first
answer the questions that take the least time and seem easiest and save the more difficult questions
for last. You may then want to consider dividing the difficult questions into two categories: (1)
those you have no idea how to answer or do not have enough time remaining to answer; and (2)
those you can probably answer correctly, but need time to do so. It’s probably a good idea to
guess outright the answers to #1 while working through those in #2 until you determine the
answer. Do not spend too much time on any one question, however, unless you have answered all
the others first! You may find it helpful to know that generally speaking questions are ordered
from easiest first to most difficult last within each sub-section (be sure to note however that there
are two to four sub-sections within each 30 minute section—each subsequent sub-section
beginning over again with the easiest first). Needless to say, what one person finds easy another
may find difficult and vice-versa.
k. There is no penalty or subtraction from your score for wrong answers on the GRE general test
(although there is on the GRE subject tests which unlike the GRE general test require a more
restrained guessing strategy). Because every correct answer on the GRE general test counts
exactly the same toward your final scores, and because there is no penalty for wrong answers, you
should never leave the answer “bubble” blank for any question. If you do not know the answer to
a given question, or do not have enough time remaining to answer the question, you should guess.
If you are able to eliminate one or more possible answers, record your best guess on the answer
sheet. For all questions that you do not have enough time to even look at or for which you cannot
eliminate any of the possible answers, you should consistently enter the same answer. This should
be your choice of “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” (do not guess “E” unless you have already eliminated
some other choice or choices because it is an option on only some questions). Since the test is
designed so that there are roughly an equal number of “A”s, “B”s, “C”s, and “D”s, guessing the
same “favorite” letter every time you do not know the answer or cannot eliminate any of the
possible answers should answer approximately 25% of these questions correctly. Depending on
how many questions you are forced to answer by guessing in this manner, the positive effect on
your score as opposed to leaving them blank could be quite significant.
l. Project 1000 participants are invited to attend free workshops on preparing for taking the GRE to
be held in select cities across the nation (travel will be at the student’s own expense). Call Project
1000 staff for information regarding sites and dates.
m. Do not be discouraged if even after repeated practice you are unable to answer all questions in a
given section within the 30 minutes allotted. The test is designed so that most test-takers will not
have enough time to comfortably answer every question. After careful practice, learn to answer as
many questions on the GRE general test as you can and to effectively guess answers for the rest.
Keep in mind that the test is designed so that nearly half the people taking the test will answer less
than half the questions correctly.
n. Relax as much as possible and remember that the GRE is only one of many factors that are
considered in graduate school admissions.
How important is the Graduate Record Examination? Do U.S. Hispanic students tend to
overestimate or underestimate its importance?
Research conducted by ETS investigators Powers and Lehman suggests that minority students
perceive the GRE general test scores as more important than do Anglo students. Accordingly, this
overestimation leads higher percentages of minorities not to take the GREs and not to follow up
with admission applications when they do not do as well as they expect. Project 1000 advisors
will review your GRE test scores and will provide you with counsel and suggestions related to
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your performance, as necessary. However, it cannot be over-emphasized that no one factor or
criterion will determine your admissibility into a graduate program.
Do U.S. Hispanic students take the GRE in the same proportions as Anglo students?
In the 1988 ETS summary report, the data indicate that only 2226 Mexican Americans and 1661
Puerto Ricans even took the GRE during the period in question. This is an exceedingly small
number given the large Hispanic population with baccalaureates who theoretically could take the
exam. This figure contrasts mightily with 147,466 Anglos who took the exam during the same
period. An important inference can be derived from these numbers; namely, that because there are
so few U.S. Hispanic students who are in the pool of test-takers, the very scarcity of such students
makes your joining the pool by taking the GRE a wise decision. If going to graduate school
interests you, then you will be entering a “buyer’s market” with respect to U.S. Hispanic students.
When is the best time to take the GREs?
It is strongly recommended that you take the GRE general test in the Fall preceding the year for
which you are trying to gain admission rather than in the Spring immediately prior to the semester
of planned admission (and even better still during the June between your junior and senior years).
The best time to take the GRE subject test (if required by the programs to which you are applying)
is during December of your senior year (unlike the GRE general test your scores should improve
the more you learn, but you cannot take it any later and still have the scores reported in time to meet
most graduate school application deadlines). Higher percentages of Hispanic students take the
GRE later in the year than Anglo students. This is not the best strategy because it greatly reduces
the opportunities to be admitted into selective graduate programs and especially to receive financial
aid if admitted.
Is it true that GRE scores are systematically reduced the older one gets?
Research findings have concluded that the quantitative GRE score (but not the verbal) is
systematically reduced in older students. There is a higher percentage of U.S. Hispanic students
than Anglos represented by older test-takers. The graduate schools participating in Project 1000
have been alerted to this research finding.
Must you take the GRE in order to participate in Project 1000?
It should be noted that not all of the participating universities require the Graduate Record
Examination for all of their programs. At most of Project 1000’s participating graduate institutions
some of the fields of study require the GRE, but others do not require it. Project 1000 strongly
suggests that you take the GRE general test, and a GRE subject test if there is one relevant to your
field, however this is not a requirement per se of the Project. If in fact the programs to which you
are applying at each of the graduate schools you have selected do not require the GRE, your
application packet will be forwarded.
Can Project 1000 help with the cost of the GRE?
The Graduate Records Examinations Board provides Project 1000 with a limited number of
vouchers which can be submitted to GRE/ETS in lieu of payment of their standard fees for taking
the general test, taking the subject test, and requesting additional score reports. Eligibility for these
fee waiver vouchers is based on both eligibility for Project 1000 and financial need. If you have
been receiving financial aid as an undergraduate student or if you have been out of school for
several years and your working income has been low, you may be eligible. To be considered,
please complete your GRE registration form, attach a photocopy of your FAFSA or SAR, and send
it to Project 1000. If Project staff determine that you are eligible for a Project 1000/GRE fee
waiver voucher, we will forward your GRE registration form with a fee waiver voucher directly to
GRE/ETS for processing. Conversely, if Project staff determine that you are ineligible for a
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Project 1000/GRE fee waiver voucher, we will return your GRE registration form directly to you.
In the latter circumstance, you then would need to send your GRE registration form with payment
directly to GRE/ETS. IMPORTANT NOTE: Since it will take several weeks to receive, review,
and forward or return your GRE registration form and fee waiver request, be sure you send them
to us well before the registration deadline for the date you wish to take the GRE. Please contact
Project 1000 (1-800-327-4893) if you have any questions about this procedure or would like
additional information about GRE fee waivers.
How long are GRE scores valid?
Usually a Graduate Record Examination score is considered valid for five years. If you took the
GRE more than five years ago, it is recommended that you retake the examination.
Who should take the Test for English as a Second Language (TOEFL)?
Students who have received their education in Spanish (for example in Puerto Rico) and do not
have native or near-native fluency in English need to take the Test for English as a Second
Language (TOEFL). In addition, regardless of a student's fluency, some universities require the
TOEFL of any student whose degree is not from an institution where English is the primary
language of instruction. Generally, the participating graduate universities require a minimum
TOEFL score of 550 of applicants whose native language is not English. Because of heavy
reading requirements, some programs of study require a minimum TOEFL of 600. It may be
possible for a student receiving a TOEFL score of between 500 and 550 to be accepted in some of
the participating programs. In these cases acceptance is often conditioned by the requirement that
the student attend intensive English instruction during the preceding summer and/or concurrent
with the regular course of study during the academic year. Questions regarding TOEFL
requirements at specific universities should be directed to our Project 1000 liaisons at those
participating universities.
Is there a correlation between TOEFL and GRE scores?
ETS researchers Angelis, Swinton, and Cowell found in 1979 that low scores on both the TOEFL
and the GRE verbal aptitude test usually indicate language weakness, not necessarily weak aptitude
or academic preparation. Moreover, it was found to be clear that non-native speakers of English
do better on the TOEFL (which is designed for non-native speakers) than on the GRE verbal test
(which is designed for native speakers). Indeed, the GRE verbal test was found to be most
difficult for non-native speakers of English. Information on this correlation is available to Project
1000’s participating graduate schools through ETS.
REFERENCES
Angelis, Paul J., Swinton, Spencer S., and Cowell, William R. “The Performance of Non-Native
Speakers of English on TOEFL and Verbal Aptitude Tests.” ETS Research Report 79-7
(TOEFL Report No. 3). Princeton, NJ: ETS, October 1979.
Astin, Helen, and Burciaga, Cecilia. Chicanos in Higher Education: Progress and Attainment.
Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, Inc., 1981.
Baird, L. “An Examination of the Graduate Study Application and Enrollment Decisions of GRE
Candidates.” ETS Research Report 82-53. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1982.
Borneheimer, D. G. “Predicting Success in Graduate School Using GRE and PAEG Scores.”
College and University. Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 54-62. Washington, D.C.: American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 1984.
Brown, G., Rosen, N., and Olivas, M. The Condition of Education for Hispanic Americans.
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 1980.
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Brown, Shirley Vining. Increasing Minority Faculty: An Elusive Goal. A Research Report of
the Minority Graduate Education (MGE) Project, jointly sponsored by the Graduate Record
Examinations Board and the Educational Testing Service. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1988.
_____. Minorities in the Graduate Education Pipeline. A Research Report of the MGE Project.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1987.
Carter, Deborah, and Wilson, Reginald. Minorities in Higher Education, Tenth Annual Status
Report, 1991. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1992.
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. "Special Report: Hispanics and the Academy."
Change, 20, May/June 1988.
Cocking, R.R., and Mestre, J.P. eds. Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning
Mathematics. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.
Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life. One Third of a Nation: A
Report. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, 1988.
Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. Enhancing the Minority Prescence in Graduate
Education. Washington, D.C.: CGS, 1988.
_____. Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students. Washington,
D.C.: CGS, 1989.
_____. Survey of Minority Graduate Education. Washington, D.C.: CGS, 1984.
De La Rosa, D. and Maw, C.E. Hispanic Education: A Statistical Portrait 1990. Washington,
D.C.: National Council of La Raza, October, 1990.
Durán, Richard. Hispanics’ Education and Background: Predictors of College Achievement.
New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1983.
Educational Testing Service. Guide to the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados 198889. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1988.
_____. “A Summary of Data Collected from Graduate Record Examination Test-Takers During
1986-1987.” Data Summary Report No. 12. Princeton, NJ: ETS, June, 1988.
Escobedo, Theresa. "Are Hispanic Women in Higher Education the Non-Existent Minority?"
Educational Researcher. 9 (9), 1980:7-12.
Evans, F. “A Study of the Relationships Among Speed and Power, Aptitude Test Scores and
Ethnic Identity.” College Board Research and Development Report RDR 80-81. No.2.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1980.
Green, Madeleine G. Minorities on Campus: A Handbook for Enhancing Diversity.
Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education.
Hartle, T., J. Baratz, and M. Clark. “Older Students and the GRE Aptitude Test.” ETS Research
Report 83-20. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1983.
Keller, Gary D. "Increasing the Admissability of Hispanics Who Take the GRE." In Council of
Graduate Schools, Graduate Education: A National Investment of Knowledge. Washington,
DC: Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, 1984.
_____, Deneen, James R., and Magallán, Rafael J. Assessment and Access: Hispanics in Higher
Education. New York: SUNY-Press, 1991.
_____, Magallán, Rafael J., and García, Alma M. Curriculum Resources in Chicano Studies:
Undergraduate and Graduate. Tempe, AZ: Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe, 1989.
Magallán, Rafael, De Necochea, Gloria, and Hirsch, Deborah. "Programs That Work." Change.
20 (3), May/June 1988: 63-65.
Manning, W.H. "Broadening the Basis for Admissions Decisions: The Role of Standardized
Testing in the Admission of Minority Students." In Ward, W.E. and Cross, M.M., eds. Key
Issues in Minority Education: Research Directions and Practical Implications. Center for
Research on Minority Education, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 1989: 155-69.
_____. "Diversity and Due Process in Admissions." Howard Law Journal. 22 (3), 1979: 31726.
McKenna, Teresa, and Ortiz, Flora Ida (eds.) The Broken Web: The Educational Experience of
Hispanic American Women. Berkeley, CA: Floricanto Press, 1988.
Mestre, J.P. "Predicting Academic Achievement among Bilingual Hispanic College Technical
Students." Educational and Psychological Measurement. 41, 1981: 1255-1264.
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_____. "The Role of Language Comprehension in Mathematics and Problem Solving." In
Cocking, R.R., and Mestre, J.P. Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning
Mathematics. 1988.
_____. "Teaching problem-solving strategies to bilingual students: What do Research Results Tell
Us?" International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. 17, 1986:
393-401.
_____, Gerace, W.J. and Lochhead, J. "The Interdependence of Language and Translational Math
Skills among Bilingual Hispanic Engineering Students." Journal of Research in Science
Teaching. 19, 1982: 399-410.
Nettles, Michael. Financial Aid and Minority Participation in Graduate Education. A Research
Report of the MGE Project. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1987.
_____. Black, Hispanic, and White Doctoral Students: Before, During, and After Enrolling in
Graduate School. A Research Report of the MGE Project. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1990.
National Commission on Student Financial Assistance. Signs of Trouble and Erosion: A Report
on Graduate Education In America. New York: New York University, 1983.
Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, National Research Council. Summary Report
1990: Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities. Washington, D.C.: National
Academy Press, March 1991.
Olivas, Michael A. Latino College Students. New York: Teacher's College Press, 1986.
_____. The Dilemma of Access. Washington, DC: Howard University Press, 1979.
Orum, L.S. The Education of Hispanics: Status and Implications. Washington, DC: National
Council of La Raza, 1986.
Payán, Rose M. Access to College for Mexican Americans in the Southwest-Replication After Ten
Years. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1984.
Pike, L. “Implicit Guessing Strategies of GRE-Aptitude Examinees Classified by Ethnic Group
and Sex.” GRE Board Professional Report GREB No. 75-10P. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1980.
Powers ,D., and Lehman, J. “GRE Candidates’ Perceptions of the Importance of Graduate
Admission Factors.” ETS Research Report 82-57. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1982.
Rincón, E. Test Speediness, Test Anxiety, and Test Performance: A Comparison of Mexican
American and Anglo American High School Juniors. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation.
University of Texas at Austin. 1979.
Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology. Changing
America: The New Face of Science and Engineering. December, 1989.
Wah, Diane M., and Robinson, Dawn S. Examinee and Score Trends for the GRE General Test:
1977-78, 1982-83, 1986-87, and 1987-88. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1990.
Zwick, Rebecca. Differences in Graduate School Attainment Patterns Across Academic
Programs and Demographic Groups. A Draft Research Report for the MGE Project.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, In Press.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING PROJECT 1000
APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND FINANCIAL
SUPPORT
COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
It is necessary to answer all questions and fill in all requested information on the application.
Failure to do so will seriously delay processing since the form will have to be returned to you for
completion and resubmission. Also, it is essential that you study carefully the About Project 1000
and About Graduate School sections of this program booklet before attempting to complete this
application. Because a sloppily prepared application could suggest to some faculty serving on a
departmental admissions committee that you also might be sloppy in other, more important matters,
it is strongly recommended that you type your application.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Note that you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States in order to be eligible.
Give your current residence including one of the states, Puerto Rico, or other locale, in the
appropriate space on the application form.
Current telephone numbers and addresses are extremely important, both for Project 1000 and for
the institutions to which you are applying. It is therefore critical that you notify us immediately of
any changes. You do not want to miss out on an offer of admission or financial aid due to
incorrect information on your application (this has happened!).
Be sure to indicate whether you are of Mexican American (Chicano/a), Puerto Rican, Cuban
American, Other U.S. Hispanic (please specify), or otherwise underrepresented (please specify)
ancestry in the appropriate place on the application. If you have any questions concerning eligibility
for the Project, please contact our office.
EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
You need to indicate the term/semester (e.g., Fall or Spring) and year for which you wish to apply.
If you are interested in Spring or Summer admission, be sure you have checked with the
universities to verify that students may in fact be admitted for these terms. Also be aware that
financial support for students entering graduate study during these semesters is usually extremely
limited.
You need to indicate for each university whether you are requesting admission at the doctoral level
or the master’s then doctorate, or the master’s only. In order to be eligible for the program you
must be seeking admission as a degree candidate.
You may list up to 7 participating institutions to which you wish your application be submitted.
Project 1000 strongly encourages you to apply to at least 3-5 institutions. Deciding on which
programs at which institutions to apply to is a very critical matter. For guidance on how to select
appropriate programs, refer to pp. 8-9. It is very important that you research your prospective
graduate programs before you list them on the Project 1000 application. Unfortunately, it will
reflect poorly on your qualifications for graduate study at any given institution if programs that do
not exist or don't have the specialization you are interested in are also listed on your application
(i.e., if it is obvious to the faculty reviewing your application that you have not carefully
researched the institutions listed and made an informed choice about where to apply). An essential
element of fully researching your schools is determining the deadline for admission with
consideration for assistantships and fellowships (see p. 25 for more detail). This critical
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information needs to be included on your application (not doing so will delay processing of your
application).
You must list in chronological order all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended
or are now attending, regardless of whether you only attended during the summer session, or
nights, or only took one course, or didn’t attempt to transfer the credit or use it for a degree, or
only took a remedial or non-credit course, or didn’t pass the course(s) attempted, or any other
reason.
If you have previously applied to any of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools, please
indicate to which program(s), at which school(s), and for which academic year(s).
STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE, PAEG, AND TOEFL)
See pp. 9-16 for information of critical importance to Hispanic students about standardized tests.
Note that you should arrange to have all test scores (GRE, PAEG, or TOEFL) sent directly to
Project 1000, c/o Graduate College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5305. The
institutional codes for Project 1000 are:
GRE
4635
PAEG
4007
TOEFL
4633
You must also arrange to have official GRE and TOEFL scores sent directly to each institution to
which you are applying. Project 1000 is able to assist financially needy U.S. Hispanic students
with the expense of both the GRE general and subject tests and additional score reports. Please
refer to pp. 15-16 for further information on GRE fee waiver vouchers.
FULL-TIME STUDY?
Project 1000 emphasizes full-time study. This would definitely be the case if you plan to be a
resident student. However, in a limited number of cases where application is made as a commuter
student you may apply for part-time study through the Project. (Please note that there is very little
financial aid available for part-time students, particularly in comparison with that available to fulltime students.)
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Project 1000 is making an intensive effort to identify and document any special, unique, or
distinctive talents, skills, or achievements that you may have which would help assess your
potential for graduate study. On the application itself there is a section called PERSONAL
QUALITIES which you should consider very carefully and answer fully. If there are materials
(e.g., publications, additional letters of reference, etc.) that would be useful in documenting your
achievements or skills, these may be attached to your application materials and sent to Project
1000.
The first part (Question #40) of this section of the application relates to any special talents that you
may have. Here are a few examples of the sorts of things that you might want to consider
communicating to the graduate program to which you would like to be admitted:
• if you are bilingual, trilingual or have other language skills, describe as fully as possible,
showing how you have positively used these skills in your life, work, or studies.
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• if you have a particularly deep appreciation of other cultures and ways of life (such as the
culture of Puerto Rico, Mexico, or the Hispanic United States, for example) describe the value of
these experiences or insights for your proposed field of study.
• describe any unusual scientific or technical skills or accomplishments. These may include
computer programs you have written, scientific apparatuses you have built, designed or worked
on, teaching or research in a scientific field you have engaged in, papers, prizes, experiments you
have conducted, scientific competitions or science fairs where you have exhibited, research or
laboratory assistance that you have provided, or any science club or society in which you have
membership.
• describe any special interests that you have pursued if they have any bearing on your proposed
graduate course of study (for example, if you have developed a collection of specimens related to
your interest in biology or if you have worked for a volunteer group that might have some bearing
on your interest in doing graduate work in psychology, etc.).
• describe any publications such as poems, stories, essays, etc., or any performances of work
you may have written; similarly describe any acting, public musical performance, art exhibits, or
the like that you have been involved in.
• include any prizes that you may have won for special skills; describe any participation in your
college newspaper, annual, magazine or anthology.
• describe any original writing that you may have done, whether published or unpublished.
• describe any awards or formal recognition for outstanding accomplishments in any field.
The second part (Question #41) relates to any special skills that you have acquired as a result of
your employment or course work. Here are examples of things that you might want to list:
• describe any technical skills that you may have acquired, particularly if they have a bearing on
your proposed field of study; for example, statistics, research design, copy-editing, preparation of
specimens, proficiency in a laboratory procedure, layout and keylining, budget preparation,
computer programming, etc.
• describe any special responsibilities given to you by your employer which provide evidence of
your unusual maturity or specific abilities; similarly, describe any formal recognitions or awards
for special skills given to you by your employer or in your undergraduate career; describe any job
promotions that you have received for outstanding performance.
• describe a business that you may have helped organize or run or other examples of
entrepreneurial or organizational abilities.
• describe your role in any scientific projects in which you have participated, particularly at
college (e.g., technician, lab assistant, interviewer, etc.); describe any teaching or tutorial
experience that you may have (Whom did you teach? What was your role? Did you receive any
formal recognition for your teaching or tutoring?).
The third part (Question #42) gives you the opportunity to list any concrete achievements that
deserve recognition. Here are some examples:
• describe any service role that you may have performed such as volunteer work (custodial care,
self-help groups, service organizations, emergency squads, community groups, charity groups,
etc.).
• describe any student, community, or work leadership roles (member of or officer of student
governing body, appointment to offices in an organization, elected president or officer of class,
service on student or other campus committees, shop steward at work, etc.).
• describe any involvement you may have had in community or college political campaigns.
• describe any involvement in fund-raising or money management for an organization or project.
• describe any responsibilities for a student or community social group or housing unit such as a
dormitory, sorority or fraternity, pep club, church group, or community organizations.
• describe any success that you may have had in overcoming deficiencies in academic preparation
(mastery of English on your own despite the fact that you spoke only Spanish; learning of a subject
matter in spite of the fact that your school was deficient in facilities or books, etc.).
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The final part (Question #44) gives you the opportunity to describe any unusual motivational
factors which have guided you in both your prior and current academic work. Here are examples
of some motivational or experiential factors that you might want to describe:
• the reasons for your interest in your prospective graduate field if there are strong, compelling,
or unusual motivational factors involved that would suggest a strong likelihood of your
successfully completing the program.
• if your youth and intellectual formation are marked by an unusual degree of persistence, selfdiscipline, independence, or maturity in a way that would suggest likelihood of success in graduate
study, describe these qualities.
• if you have a successful record of overcoming socioeconomic, cultural, physical, or other
problems or adversities, describe these circumstances and how you have coped with them.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT INFORMATION
Check the appropriate box with respect to your need for financial aid and the extent of that need. If
you are requesting financial support, you should consider four forms of financial aid: (1) meritbased forms of financial aid awarded by the participating university, such as assistantships,
fellowships, and scholarships; (2) outside fellowships, scholarships, and grants-in-aid from
national, international, and corporate foundations, and government agencies; (3) any student
assistance programs that may be offered in the state wherein you reside; and (4) need-based
financial aid other than that which may be provided by the state in which you reside. Note: You
should consider all four financial aid options. You may check all four of the boxes if appropriate.
If you check the box asking for consideration for academically merit-based financial support, you
will be considered for this form of financial support at the participating institutions to which you
have chosen to apply. You should also contact the departments directly to find out whether any
supplementary applications for financial support are required.
You are strongly urged to investigate and apply for whatever student assistance you may be eligible
for through outside fellowships, scholarships, or grants-in-aid, and/or programs offered in the
state where you reside. You should describe briefly what you have done to secure such financial
aid if it is available to you.
If you check the need-based financial aid box, you need to contact either Project 1000 or the
universities to which you are applying to determine which financial aid forms are required. Please
refer to pp. 6-7 for detailed information on fee waivers and how to obtain the different need-based
financial aid forms.
When completing the FAFSA financial statement, applicants should enter the correct code number
for Project 1000 (E00025).
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND OF CAREER PLANS
The Statement of Purpose and of Career Plans is a very important part of your application, and
will be carefully considered by the institutions to which you apply. The faculty assessing your
Statement of Purpose will be reading your Statement with the following questions in mind: Can
you write clearly and concisely? Can you effectively communicate your ideas? What are your
motivations to pursue graduate study? Are your academic/research interests well suited for their
department? What special features do you as an applicant possess that set you apart from other
applicants and which make you particularly desirable as a student? Focus on the positive. If there
are obvious negative aspects of your background (for example, an undergraduate GPA that was
lower than you were capable of), provide a reasonably positive explanation and stress the positive
directions you have taken since that time.
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Write a general Statement of Purpose as one of the first steps in even considering graduate study.
Setting your ideas and goals down on paper will help you clarify your thinking. If you cannot
clearly state why you are interested in graduate school, it will be difficult to convince a university
of the seriousness of your intended commitment. A common problem among candidates applying
to graduate school is their failure to define precisely who they are, what they want, and why they
have decided to pursue a career in a particular degree program. Because admission decisions are
usually made without ever meeting the candidates, the statement must add a dimension not
available from transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, or your professional portfolio.
The following is a sample outline which might be used in writing a Statement of Purpose:
Opening paragraph. State your general reasons for pursuing graduate study and introduce
yourself to the selection committee. Make it relevant; the committee members will read many
applications, so be sure yours gives them a sense of your particular talents and individuality.
Qualifications. Describe those experiences that will serve as a foundation for your forthcoming
graduate work. Discuss (1) your expertise and accomplishments in your major field, (2) your
undergraduate studies in general and how they relate to what you intend to do in graduate school,
(3) specific learning experiences that demonstrate your motivation and inspiration for continued
study, and (4) other relevant experiences such as jobs or community activities, including names
and organizations and other concrete details.
Background. Describe your community and family background and tell how your interest in, and
knowledge of, your chosen field developed. Giving examples, describe any personal attributes
and qualities that would help you complete graduate study successfully, such as determination in
achieving your goals, initiative and ability in developing ideas, and capacity for working through
problems independently. Be careful to discuss your background only as you can relate it to your
pursuit of a graduate degree.
Closing paragraph. Leave the reader with a strong sense that you are qualified and will be
successful in graduate or professional school. Here, as throughout your Statement of Purpose, try
to be as brief but informative as possible.
Once you have a general statement you can tailor it to the specific program to which you are
applying. Although we don’t require that you submit a different Statement of Purpose for each
institution, we recommend it. It helps if you can demonstrate specific knowledge of the faculty
with whom you would be studying as well as an acquaintance with and interest in their recent
and/or most important research. If there is a particular professor whom you would like to work
with, explain how your interests might fit into their research objectives. In order to do this,
however, you must take sufficient time very early in the application process to research your
prospective degree program in detail.
Before actually submitting your Statement of Purpose and of Career Plans, seek constructive
comments and criticism from professors, advisors, and friends. Often campus career development
offices have free materials and programs devoted to assisting students in composing better
Statements of Purpose. You are also encouraged to call Project 1000 for free information and
advice.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Project 1000 requires three letters of recommendation from faculty members or others well
acquainted with the applicant’s academic work. Both the forms and return envelopes are provided.
Applicants may submit more recommendations than are required. If at all possible it is important
that at least two recommendations come from faculty members acquainted with the applicant’s
work in the major area of study. If that work occurred some time ago, recommendations from
those familiar with the applicant’s professional performance might be acceptable, depending on the
program of study.
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Applicants who wish to waive their right of access should be sure to sign the waiver statement at
the top of the recommendation form.
Admissions officers generally view letters of
recommendation for which right of access has been waived as stronger than those for which right
of access has not been waived. However, before you waive right of access to any letter you
should be reasonably certain that the recommender is willing to write you a strongly positive letter
of recommendation.
Try to avoid asking for recommendations near the end of a semester/term (such as right before,
during, or after exams) or during the Christmas/New Year’s Day holiday break. Faculty have
many other things on their mind and many other people asking them for recommendations during
these times. Try to request recommendations as early as possible! Remember, it takes time not
only for you to meet with faculty and ask them to write you a recommendation, but also for them to
actually write and mail it.
Applicants should ask each recommender to enclose the recommendation form in the envelope
provided (or suitable institutional stationary of his or her institution), seal it, and sign it across the
seal. To be considered official, letters of recommendation must be received by Project 1000 in
sealed envelopes with the signature of the letter’s author across the seal. The letters may be sent
directly to Project 1000 by the author or returned to you in the sealed envelope for later submission
to Project 1000 with your other materials. If a recommendation is not received in an official
format, there will often be considerable delay in the processing of your file while Project 1000
attempts to contact the recommender. We encourage you to explain carefully to your
recommenders what is required for a letter to be official.
TRANSCRIPTS
Complete and official transcripts of all previous colleges or universities you have attended or are
now attending (regardless of whether you only attended during the summer session, or nights, or
only took one course, or didn’t attempt to transfer the credit or use it for a degree, or only took a
remedial or non-credit course, or didn’t pass the courses attempted, or any other reason) must be
submitted to Project 1000. Transfer coursework appearing on another university transcript is not
acceptable since graduate schools require original transcripts from each college/university attended.
The only exception to this would be credits earned in an official, university sponsored program that
takes place geographically at another university (many “study abroad” programs fall into this
category). Please ask the colleges or universities you have attended to mail official transcripts
directly to Project 1000. (Under no circumstances should transcripts be mailed first to the
student and then to Project 1000.) Beginning about three weeks after you have requested
transcripts be mailed to Project 1000, please call the Project (periodically if necessary) to verify
their actual receipt.
DEADLINES
The deadline for submission to Project 1000 of your complete Project 1000 application is one
month prior to the earliest departmental/institutional application deadline of the graduate programs
to which you are applying. A complete Project 1000 application file consists of a Project 1000
application, statement of purpose, a minimum of three official letters of recommendation, official
transcripts from every college/university attended, and, if possible, GRE scores. Since GRE
scores are often received late, we will still forward a file even if these have not been received. It is
important that you understand that Project 1000 has no ability to waive, extend or in any way
modify the existing application deadlines of the Project’s participating graduate schools. Those
deadlines vary from as early as 10 months prior to anticipated admission (October of the preceding
year) to as late as June or July (the maximum degree of flexibility shown by a few schools with an
extraordinary commitment to minority outreach). In general, the vast majority of graduate school
admissions and financial aid deadlines fall between January 1 and March 1. When researching the
schools to which you intend to apply, be sure to understand the difference between the “admission
deadline for students wishing to be considered for assistantships and fellowships” and the
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“deadline for students wishing admission only”. Later deadlines (past March) are normally for
students interested in admission only, meaning that most assistantships, fellowships, and tuition
waivers (the major sources of graduate financial aid) have already been committed to other
students. Be careful to ask for the “deadline for admission with consideration for assistantships
and fellowships” in order to meet the deadlines to be considered for any and all sources of financial
aid available.
Project 1000 encourages you not to give up completely just because you are starting late. At the
very least you’re getting an early start on the next year’s application cycle. Moreover, some
Project 1000 universities are willing to show flexibility with regard to admission deadlines. If you
are starting late, give us a phone call and we will advise you of your full range of options,
including any participating universities that might still consider your application.
WHEN TO MAIL
Please request that letters of recommendation, transcripts, and standardized test scores be
forwarded to Project 1000 as early as possible. Likewise forward your application and other
supporting materials as soon as possible. We will create your admissions file as soon as we
receive two documents pertaining to you. Thereafter, we will carefully log in every item
subsequently received until your admissions file is complete. Always use first class postage (or an
express service if necessary). Allow at least a week to 10 days for transit if mailing first class.
Keep in mind that most colleges/universities take up to 3 weeks after you request them to send a
transcript before they actually mail it. Special reporting of standardized test scores can take from 2
to 6 weeks.
It is not necessary to delay mailing your materials until everything is ready. Mail what you have as
soon as possible.
FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR PART
Once you begin sending application materials to Project 1000, you should call the Project every 2-3
weeks to check on the status of your file. Project 1000 staff will update you on what materials
and/or responses from graduate schools have been received to date. We will also note in your file
and respond as appropriate to any independent contacts you may have had with the graduate
schools to which you are applying. Project 1000 can best help you throughout the graduate school
application process if we are in frequent contact with each other. It is your responsibility to keep in
touch with us at all stages of the application process. Keep in mind that it is considerably easier for
you to contact us than for us to get in touch with you.
WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL
AID DECISIONS
For those applicants who have submitted complete application packages, and thus for whom the
participating graduate institutions are in a position to make final admission and financial aid
decisions, notification will generally take place during the period between April 15 and May 1.
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SUMMARY OF APPLICATION MATERIALS
Use this checklist to verify the materials that you minimally need to submit (or have submitted) to
Project 1000 for a complete application package:
(
(
(
(
(
)
)
)
)
)
Application forms
Statement of Purpose and Career Plans
Test scores (GRE, PAEG, TOEFL) as necessary
Three letters of recommendation
Official transcripts of all previous college and university work
Optional materials which may be submitted later than the others include:
( ) Official FAFSA report (or photocopy of your SAR)
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DEBUNKING FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND PROVIDING
POINTERS
Is it best to apply to only one graduate school?
Absolutely not! Unfortunately, too many U.S. Hispanics only apply to one graduate school, and
this is definitely not in their interest. CLICK HERE for a discussion. Project 1000 permits
you to make multiple applications/preapplications free of charge.
Do students usually have to pay for their graduate education out of their
own or their parents' resources?
Not usually! Contrary to the customary circumstances at the undergraduate level, full-time
graduate students in most of the fields and disciplines covered within Project 1000 typically do
not pay for their graduate study with savings, parental financial support, or earnings from
non-academically related employment. CLICK HERE for a discussion.
What's a good way to decide on which program to apply to?
CLICK HERE for a discussion.
How well do Hispanics really do on the Graduate Record Examination?
How important is the GRE anyway? What can be done to improve performance
on that test? Is there a Spanish language analog test to the GRE?
CLICK HERE for the answers to these questions.
Is there any way that U.S. Hispanic students can get the opportunity to
more fully describe some of their personal qualities such as bilingualism,
appreciation of other cultures, unusual maturity and/or a history of
persistence in order to overcome financial hardships, or the like?
You bet! Project 1000 permits you to document these personal qualities in the application
form. CLICK HERE for a discussion.
Where can I get help in preparing my Statement of Purpose and of Career
Plans in order to enhance my admission application?
Project 1000, that's where!
CLICK HERE for a discussion.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME TO PROJECT 1000
TITLE PAGE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I. ABOUT PROJECT 1000
A.PROJECT'S TOLL-FREE 800 TELEPHONE NUMBER
B.ELIGIBILITY FOR PROJECT 1000
C.FUNCTION OF THE PROJECT 1000 APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION &
FINANCIAL AID
D.HOW THE ADMISSION COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
E.HOW THE FINANCIAL AID COMPONENT OF PROJECT1000 OPERATES
II. ABOUT GRADUATE SCHOOL
A.WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
B.APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
1.Academic Merit-Based Financial Aid
2.Outside Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants-In-Aid
3.State Residency-Based Financial Aid
4.Need-Based Financial Aid
C. DECIDING ON WHICH PROGRAM TO APPLY TO
D. INFORMATION FOR MINORITY STUDENTS ABOUT STANDARDIZED
TESTS (PARTICULARLY THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION)
1. Do standardized tests such as the GRE predict academic achievement
for underrepresented minority students as well as they do for majority
students?
2. What additional information or assessment tools can be used in order
to achieve a stronger appreciation of the potential of minority students
for graduate work?
3. If the GRE is only one of several assessment tools, why is it so widely
required?
4. Is there a Spanish analog to the GRE?
5. Do underrepresented minority students as a group do as well as they
could on the GRE and other standardized assessment instruments?
6. What are some practical tips to help prepare students for the GRE
general test?
7. How important is the Graduate Record Examination? Do underrepresentedminority students tend to overestimate or under- estimate its
importance?
8. Do underrepresented minority students take the GRE in the same
proportions as majority students?
9. When is the best time to take the GREs?
10. Is it true that GRE scores are systematically reduced the older one
gets?
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11. Must you take the GRE in order to participate in Project 1000?
12. Can Project 1000 help with the cost of the GRE?
13. How long are GRE scores valid?
14. Who should take the Test for English as a Second Language (TOEFL)?
15. Is there a correlation between TOEFL and GRE scores?
E. REFERENCES
III. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING PROJECT 1000 APPLICATION
FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
A. COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
B. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
C. EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
D. STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE, PAEG, AND TOEFL)
E. FULL-TIME STUDY?
F. PERSONAL QUALITIES
G. FINANCIAL SUPPORT INFORMATION
H. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND OF CAREER PLANS
I. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
J. TRANSCRIPTS
K. DEADLINES
L. WHEN TO MAIL
M. FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR PART
N. WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSION
AND FINANCIAL AID DECISIONS
O. SUMMARY OF APPLICATION MATERIALS
IV. DEBUNKING FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND PROVIDING POINTERS
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Dear Students:
Welcome to Project 1000!
Applying to graduate school is a momentous decision which can lead to all kinds of
wonderful results, such as a more challenging or rewarding career. For some it also leads to a
great deal of anxiety. We're writing to you directly as two people who knew next to nothing
about graduate school or the graduate admissions process when we were undergraduate students,
who were the first people in our families to consider doctoral programs, who were amazed when
we were offered substantial assistantships and tuition scholarships to attend graduate school
(we had no idea how we were going to afford the expected costs which never materialized), who
were married and had children while in school, and who both became professional graduate
school administrators in no small part because we wanted to share what we learned with others
before they might make critical decisions based on poor information or even misinformation.
Your decision whether or not to attend graduate school is very important to us. The fact is
that far too few underrepresented minority students like yourself attend graduate school each
year. This is a terrible waste of talent. Like it or not, the teachers, researchers, and leaders of
tomorrow, whether they be in business, government, or academe, are the graduate students of
today. Why exclude yourself from the chance for a more rewarding life?
It is our fervent hope that this Student Information Booklet will encourage your interest
in study for an advanced degree, answer some of your questions about graduate admissions and
study, show you how to get answers to any other questions you might have, and provide you with
a simplified mechanism to apply for admission to an appropriate doctoral program at selective
institutions of your choice–all without any charge to you.
This booklet carefully explains what Project 1000 is all about and how it works. It also
attempts to provide a clear description of things you should know about admission and financial
aid at the graduate level, as well as pointers about the GRE, deciding on which programs and
schools to apply to, and special advice about soliciting recommendations, listing personal
qualities, and writing statements of purpose and career plans.
Please do yourselves a favor by reading this booklet carefully and then giving
our staff of bilingual academic advisors a call (800-327-4893) about how Project 1000
can assist you in planning for your future.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Sullivan
Director, Project 1000
Gary D. Keller
Executive Director, Project 1000
P.S.
Project 1000 is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Pew
Charitable Trusts, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the ARCO Foundation, the
National Science Foundation, and others. Therefore, its services, including
your application, our telephone consultations with you, and credentials
collection and forwarding on your behalf, are all provided c o s t - f r e e to you as a
underrepresented minority student.
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STUDENT INFORMATION BOOKLET
The Coalition to Increase Minority Degrees/Doctorates (CIMD)
Transition to Graduate School Component
PROJECT 1000: MOVING TOWARD
RECRUITING, ADMITTING, AND GRADUATING AN ADDITIONAL 5,000
UNDERREPRESENTED GRADUATE STUDENTS
Written and Edited by
GARY D. KELLER and MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN
Important Note: This edition of the Project 1000 Student Information Booklet explains policies
and procedures effective only for underrepresented students who currently reside within the
states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah; the City of El Paso, Texas’
greater metropolitan area (including the Tigua Indian Reservation);The All Nations Alliance
for Minority Participation (AMP); Mississippi AMP; New York City AMP; and the Territory
of the U.S. Virgin Islands. A different booklet available from the same address below explains
Project 1000 policies and procedures targeted at underrepresented students, particularly U.S.
Hispanic students, currently residing in the remaining states and U.S. territories, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
PROJECT 1000
c/o The Graduate College
P.O. Box 875305
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-5305
email: project1000@asu.edu
1-800-327-4893
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Note on Reproduction of Informational Material Contained in this Booklet
Both Project 1000 and the authors desire that the information contained in this booklet receive
the widest possible dissemination. Therefore, this entire Student Information Booklet may be
copied, reproduced, and distributed free of charge and without restraint by anyone for any
purpose consistent with the goals of Project 1000, i.e., increased recruitment, admission, and
graduation of underrepresented graduate students.
Acknowledgments
This booklet was made possible with primary support from the Carnegie Corporation of New
York; as well as additional support from the PEW Charitable Trusts; the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation; the ARCO Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Graduate College,
Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Hispanic Research Center of Arizona State University.
All statements and/or views expressed within this publication, however, especially any
mistakes, are those of the authors alone for which our sponsors bear no responsibility.
We wish to make a special acknowledgement to Michael A. Olivas, without whose support and
advice Project 1000 could not have become a reality.
Project 1000 and the authors give special thanks to Gloria De Necochea of the ARCO Foundation
and formerly of the Carnegie Corporation of New York; Karin Egan of the Carnegie Corporation
of New York; Eugene Cota-Robles of the National Science Foundation and formerly of the
Carnegie Corporation of New York; Ellen Burbank and Linda Frank of the Pew Charitable Trusts;
Helen Cunningham and Susan Stine formerly of the Pew Charitable Trusts; Ted Greenwood of the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Samuel Goldberg formerly of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Rafael
J. Magallán of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and formerly of the Hispanic
Higher Education Coalition; Gregory Anrig, Eleanor Horne, Robert Altman of the Educational
Testing Service; James Deneen formerly of the Educational Testing Service; Antonio Rigual, the
founder and former president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; Donald
Stewart and Robert Cameron of the College Board; Milton Glick, Robert Barnhill, Ronald Barr,
Brian Foster, Gary Krahenbuhl, Noel Stowe, Karen Van Hooft, Ramón García-Barrios, Enoc
Díaz-Santana, John Ryan, Nereida Cruz-González, Melissa Goitia-Werner, Theresa Hannon,
Tiffany Harding, Sonia Honne, Julia Rosen Prais, Diana Pierce Nelson, Harshawardan Vipat,
Sudha Balakrishnan, Cheryl Perea, Elida de la Ossa, Antonio Augustín García, Frances Pacheco,
and Ana Virgillo of Arizona State University; Susan Schreiner, Jaime Montenegro, Sutanu
Ghosh, Somnath Sen, and Narendra Bhandari formerly of Arizona State University; and many
others too numerous to mention.
Project 1000 is made possible with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the
Pew Charitable Trusts, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the ARCO Foundation, and the National
Science Foundation. The Project gratefully acknowledges additional current support from the
Educational Testing Service, Arizona State University, and the several hundred colleges and
universities which have agreed to identify and/or admit underrepresented minority students as
part of Project 1000.
Prior support for Project 1000's planning process was provided by the United States
Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education; as well as the
State University of New York at Binghamton.
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ABOUT PROJECT 1000
PROJECT’S TOLL-FREE 800 TELEPHONE NUMBER
Use the following toll-free 800 telephone number, 800-327-4893, both nationally and in Arizona
(except the greater Phoenix-area in which 965-3958 should be used) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. Mountain Standard time to discuss various aspects of the Project such as your eligibility,
questions you may have in completing the application, deciding on the program(s) you wish to
apply to, or any other questions you may have about graduate school or the graduate
admissions/application process. It may be necessary upon review of your application for Project
1000 staff to clarify certain points or secure missing information. In such cases we will
communicate with you either in writing or by telephone. Keep in mind, however, that it is easier
for you to reach Project 1000 by telephone than it is for the Project to reach you. It is therefore
very important for you to call the Project briefly at least once every two weeks once you have
begun the graduate admissions/application process.
Please note that Mountain Standard time is three hours earlier than Atlantic Standard time (e.g.,
the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands), and one hour later than Pacific Standard time (e.g., Las
Vegas, Nevada). However, because Arizona is always on Mountain Standard time and does not
switch to daylight savings time when many other states do, keep in mind that during the “summer”
daylight savings months Mountain Standard time is one hour earlier than Mountain Daylight time,
and the same time as Pacific Daylight time.
ELIGIBILITY FOR PROJECT 1000
Only students underrepresented in graduate programs who are United States citizens or permanent
residents of United States currently residing within the states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New
Mexico, and Utah; the City of El Paso, Texas’ greater metropolitan area (including the Tigua
Indian Reservation); The All Nations Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP); The Mississippi
AMP; The New York City AMP; and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to make
application for graduate study through Project 1000 utilizing these materials. A different booklet
available from the same address explains Project 1000 policies and procedures targeted at
underrepresented students, particularly U.S. Hispanic students currently residing in the remaining
states and U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Eligibility for application through Project 1000 is further restricted to students intending to study
for a graduate degree (non-matriculated students or applicants seeking consideration for certificates
or other non-degree credentials are not eligible for participation in Project 1000) in those fields and
disciplines where the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) normally is used to help assess an
applicant’s admission potential. Thus, eligible fields and disciplines within Project 1000 include
the arts and sciences, engineering, computer science, architecture and urban planning, library and
information science, oceanography, public health, public policy, social welfare, and most fields in
education, but not medicine, business, dentistry, law, optometry, and other fields where
standardized tests other than the GRE are utilized. If you have a question about whether or not the
field you are interested in falls within the scope of Project 1000, either write directly to the Project
or telephone us at 1-800-327-4893.
Academic eligibility for Project 1000 is in accordance with what is typically required for graduate
study, including a bachelor’s degree granted by a faculty or university of recognized standing,
adequate preparation for graduate study in the proposed field of instruction, fluent command of the
English language, and evidence of promise in advanced study and research.
While the Project is focusing primarily on educating students through the doctorate, students may
participate even if their goal is to obtain a master’s as a terminal degree. Similarly, Project 1000
emphasizes full-time study, which would definitely be the case for resident students. However, in
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a limited number of cases where application is made as a commuter student, students may apply for
part-time study through the Project.
FUNCTION OF THE PROJECT 1000 APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION AND
FINANCIAL AID
There is no fee charged by Project 1000 for submission of the application for admission and
financial aid nor for any of the other services provided by the Project.
One of the attractive features of Project 1000 is that it will permit you as an applicant to be
considered for admission and for financial aid at a number of graduate institutions on the basis of
completion of one application packet. In some cases the Project 1000 application packet will carry
you through the entire application process at the participating institution(s) of your choice. In other
cases, the participating graduate institution will consider the Project 1000 materials to be a
preapplication and will require that you fill out its institutional package as well. Normally the latter
is required only after the Project 1000 materials are used as screening information to determine
your prospects for admission.
An important Educational Testing Service (ETS) study (Baird, 1982) of several thousand students
found that only 21% of underrepresented minority students applied to more than one graduate
program. This is a very low percentage and Project 1000 both strongly encourages you to apply to
more than one institution and provides you with a simple mechanism to make multiple applications.
HOW THE ADMISSION COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
All prospective graduate students can make application to up to seven of the participating major
public and private nationally recognized doctoral-granting institutions through Project 1000. You
should call Project 1000 both before and after you mail us your application to discuss with an
academic advisor anything you may have overlooked or omitted. The Project then sends the
completed application to the participating graduate institution(s) of your choice and communicates
as necessary with you and with the graduate school(s) on your behalf, particularly during the early
stages of the admission process. Project 1000 encourages you to communicate directly with
appropriate representatives of the institutions to which you are applying. (In order to assist you,
we have attached to this booklet a list of graduate school staff who serve as official institutional
liaisons to Project 1000 at participating universities.) The participating graduate schools in no way
give up their autonomy either of judgment or of specific admission requirements that may be
additional to those common to Project 1000. In the latter stages of the admission process it is
probable that the graduate school(s) that you have chosen will communicate directly to you. The
final admission decision in all cases will come to you directly from the participating graduate
school(s) to which you have applied.
HOW THE FINANCIAL AID COMPONENT OF PROJECT 1000 OPERATES
Request to be considered for financial aid, which is incorporated as an option in the application
packet, operates in the same fashion as the admission process, with requests going through Project
1000 to the participating graduate schools that the applicant has chosen to apply to, and final
decisions being made by those schools. After receiving copies of your Project 1000 application
materials, some participating institutions may also send you and require you to fill out additional
financial aid forms specific to their institution. It is a good idea also to contact the specific
department at each of the institutions to which you are applying to verify whether or not they
require an additional financial aid form (above and beyond their institution's and Project 1000's
forms).
Project 1000 does not currently have independent (extra-institutional) financial aid funds at its
disposal.
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ABOUT GRADUATE SCHOOL
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
There are a number of vital things that you need to know about financial aid at the graduate level:
1. Contrary to the customary circumstances at the undergraduate level, full-time graduate students
attending comprehensive doctoral-granting universities in most of the fields and disciplines covered
within Project 1000 typically DO NOT PAY FOR THEIR GRADUATE STUDY with savings,
parental financial support, or earnings from non-academically related employment. This is true for
most students, not only minority students. For example, one of Project 1000's participating
institutions points out in its application that “about 85 percent of graduate students received
financial assistance.” This is not unusual. Moreover, the percentage of underrepresented minority
students receiving financial assistance from graduate school is assuredly even higher than the
percentage for the non-minority population. The same university quoted above, for example,
points out that “In recent years about 97 percent of minority graduate students received financial
assistance.”
2. Most of the participating universities in Project 1000 have special financial aid funds earmarked
for underrepresented minority graduate students. Also, in recent years there has been a general
decline in the number of minority students who go to graduate school. This means that graduate
schools are redoubling their efforts to recruit underrepresented minority students and will make
additional efforts to ensure that qualified minority students are not denied a graduate education
merely because of financial constraints. Project 1000 itself is evidence of these additional efforts.
3. There is a wide variety of financial aid options available. The largest category of financial
support is the various forms of assistantships (particularly teaching and research) which permit you
to become an apprentice in the field that you are studying. As a matter of fact, this quality of
apprenticeship is one of the hallmarks of graduate education and one of the elements which
distinguishes it most from the undergraduate experience. The tradition of apprenticeship and the
mentoring that goes with it often permits you to do advanced studies in your field while at the same
time being paid for the services that you provide the university, possibly by helping to teach a basic
undergraduate course or working on one of your professor’s research projects. Because
universities find that the award of assistantships makes a lot of sense educationally for the graduate
student and is also cost-effective in that it provides additional help for either research projects or
undergraduate instruction, many students are offered this type of financial support. At some
universities it is not uncommon for more than 50% of all the full-time graduate students in an
academic department to be financially supported by some type of assistantship.
There are many other financial support options that are also available to you. These include
fellowships which usually, but not invariably, refer to financial aid that is awarded to a student
without the expectation that the student will provide any services to the university (as in the case of
an assistantship). Other financial aid options include the college work-study program, part-time
work (often on departmental projects or other campus work), Perkins/National Direct Student
Loans, Stafford/Guaranteed Student Loans, and a host of other financial assistance programs
offered by the state in which you legally reside. Independent (extra-institutional) scholarships or
grants of varying amounts are also often available through a variety of professional organizations
or private foundations.
4. The best advice that we can give to you is to not be deterred from applying to graduate school
because you are concerned that you don’t have the funds to pay for your studies. Most applicants
for graduate study do not have those funds assured. However, many students who apply to the
disciplines covered by and institutions participating in Project 1000 enter a graduate program with
some form of financial support other than loans. If government subsidized loans are considered,
then the proportion of graduate students with financial aid rises to an even higher percentage.
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5. There is one cautionary observation that should be made, however. Graduate education is a
multi-year commitment. It is often the case that it will take more than one year to earn a master’s
degree (two years is closer to the norm) and that earning a doctorate probably represents at least a
three-year commitment beyond the master’s degree. The number of students who earn a doctorate
and who are supported for the full course of their graduate careers is much fewer than those who
are given two or three years of support. However, this should not be cause to deter you either.
Typically what occurs is that as you enter the more advanced stages of your graduate education,
additional options open up such as employment as a lecturer (a full-time or part-time academic
appointment) at your own or another institution, employment in government or industry, an
internship of some kind, or appointment to an ongoing research project in a more responsible
capacity than graduate assistant. There are also a number of national and local pre-doctoral awards
for which you could become eligible.
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID
You should consider four forms of financial aid: (1) merit-based forms of financial aid, awarded
by the participating university, such as assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships; (2) outside
fellowships, scholarships, and grants-in-aid from national, international, and corporate
foundations, and/or government agencies; (3) any student assistance programs that may be offered
in the state where you reside; and (4) need based financial aid other than that which may be
provided by the state in which you reside. (Note: you should consider all four financial aid
options.)
Academic Merit-Based Financial Aid
By simply checking the box asking for academically merit-based financial support on page 6 of the
Project 1000 Application/Preapplication for Graduate Study Within the Participating Graduate
Schools and for a Fellowship, Assistantship or Other Educational Grant you will normally be
considered for this form of financial support at the participating institution(s) which you have
chosen to apply to. (A small number of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools also require
students to fill out one of their internal financial aid application forms. If you apply to one of these
schools, either the participating school or Project 1000 will normally make you aware of any
additional forms you must complete. However, to be safe, you should also contact the relevant
department at each university to which you are applying to verify whether or not additional forms
are required.)
Outside Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants-In-Aid
As a prospective graduate student you should also consider applying for outside fellowships,
scholarships, and grants-in-aid from national, international, and corporate foundations, and/or
government agencies. There are literally hundreds of different “outside” awards (dozens of which
are targeted exclusively for minority students) granted to thousands of students every year.
Students receiving financial aid through one of the participating institutions may be permitted to
hold this award concurrently with an outside award, although an adjustment may be made in the
award by the participating institution. Information on outside fellowships or grants may be
obtained through college or university financial aid or career counseling offices, or through such
references as Peterson’s Guides’ Grants for Graduate Students, the Annual Register of Grant
Support, and The Grants Register found in many university libraries. You should contact Project
1000 for additional information regarding outside sources of financial aid. To View many of the
best-known outside fellowships that are targeted for minority students, select the database link
below:
PROJECT 1000 DATABASE OF EXTERNAL SOURCES OF SUPPORT
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State Residency-Based Financial Aid
Many states offer wide-scale financial aid to their residents. In some of these states, graduate
students may become official “residents” after a specific period of time. You are strongly urged to
investigate whatever student assistance you may be eligible for through programs offered in the
state wherein you reside (or plan to establish residency).
Need-Based Financial Aid
Virtually all of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools offer some form(s) of financial aid
based exclusively on demonstrated financial need. By their very nature, the type, number, and
amounts of these awards vary widely from institution to institution and student to student. Such
awards may include (but at any given graduate school do not necessarily include) direct grants,
tuition and/or fee waivers, college work/study, and/or various forms of loans. Where different
types of awards are available, they usually are packaged together to jointly provide the exact level
of a given student’s official financial need. The latter is calculated by a formal “needs analysis” of
personal financial information provided by the student. Because of a heavy emphasis on
computerized need-based financial aid accounting and reporting, most graduate schools in the
United States, including Project 1000’s participating graduate schools, require that you complete a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and mail it to the application’s processor (in
addition to specific mailing and other instructions, there is usually a self-addressed envelope
provided with the form). Please contact Project 1000 if you have any questions regarding the
FAFSA.
FAFSA forms are generally available at college and university financial aid offices or from the
following telephone numbers:
FAFSA
1-800-433-3243; or 1-319-337-5665
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of federal financial aid regulations, unlike all other graduate
application materials which should be submitted as early as possible, need-based financial aid
forms, including the FAFSA, must be submitted after January 1, but should be submitted as
soon as possible thereafter.
Be sure to give permission to the U.S. Department of Education to provide information from your
FAFSA to each of the graduate schools to which you are applying. In order to do so, you should
write in the name of each university and its respective Title IV Institution Code in the address space
of the FAFSA’s Section H: Information Release (question numbers 80-91). Check with your
financial aid office or your public library for the Institution Code list provided by the U.S.
Department of Education. The Title IV Institution Code is always a six-character code. When
completing the FAFSA, be sure to enter the correct Institution Code number for Project 1000
(E00025).
If you can’t get the Institution Code, write in the complete name, city, and state of the
universities to which you are applying. It is very important to write the correct city and state,
and/or Institution Code so that the proper institution will receive your financial aid information.
Write clearly. The graduate schools to which you are applying may not receive information from
the application if you don’t write legibly.
Once your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) by mail. To
have information sent to more than six institutions (the maximum allowed on the FAFSA itself),
you may write in new colleges on your SAR and mail it to the address printed on that form.
Since Project 1000’s participating graduate schools have different requirements related to needbased financial aid, and since if you neglect to supply any information that is required you may
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have to complete another financial statement, Project 1000 strongly suggests that you complete all
sections of the FAFSA supplying all information requested.
One form of need-based financial aid for graduate students is the graduate work-study program, a
federally funded resource that is generally available at most graduate institutions. Graduate workstudy is a program in which eligible graduate students can work on campus during the summer and
academic year to earn the difference between the annual cost of education and their financial aid (if
any). Eligibility is determined by a needs analysis of information supplied on the FAFSA.
There also exist a variety of need-based loan programs available to graduate students, including the
Perkins (National Direct Student) Loan and Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL/Stafford Loan)
Programs. However, Project 1000 will advise you on finding financial aid other than loans. Only
under special circumstances and after exhausting the available options for more attractive forms of
financial aid will the Project suggest that you seriously consider taking out a student loan.
DECIDING ON WHICH GRADUATE PROGRAMS TO APPLY TO
From the over 70 major public and private nationally recognized doctoral-granting institutions
participating in Project 1000, you may choose up to 7 participating institutions to which you wish
to be considered for admission. Project 1000 encourages you to make multiple application through
this program. Indeed, Project 1000 strongly recommends that you apply to a minimum of 3-5
graduate schools. Deciding on the most appropriate programs to apply to is a very important
matter. The following suggestions are offered:
1. If at all practical, apply to more than one institution. Research has shown that underrepresented
minorities tend to apply to only one school. If you apply to several schools, your chances of being
admitted and of obtaining the financial aid that you need will both improve. Consider applying to a
range of institutions of varying selectivity. (This is a strategy which is very commonly followed at
the undergraduate level.) While each of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools are highlyrespected doctoral-granting institutions, there is some variation between them with respect to
selectivity. An important ETS study (Baird, 1982) of several thousand students found that most
students who apply to graduate school are admitted if they apply to a school reasonably within their
level of achievement or aspiration. Consider also a range of different geographical locations.
Institutions in some geographical locations have far more or far less African American, Native
American, Native Pacific Islander, or U.S. Hispanic applicants than similar institutions in different
geographical areas.
2. For students who have not yet completed their baccalaureate degrees, the best time to gather
information about the graduate course of study that you are interested in is during your junior year.
Waiting until your senior year in college can limit your options since many graduate institutions
have January or early February application deadlines (a few programs even have deadlines as early
as November 1 of the year preceding a September admission). However, if you are a college
senior already, there is still time to find out about the programs of your choice if you act quickly.
3. Go to the reference section of your library and ask for Peterson's Guide to Graduate
Programs, Barron’s Guide, the Educational Testing Service/Council of Graduate Schools’
(ETS/CGS) Directory of Graduate Programs, or other comprehensive listing of graduate
programs. If you are interested in studying one of the many fields of psychology at the graduate
level, we suggest you refer to Graduate Study in Psychology, published by the American
Psychology Association. Get further answers to the questions that you will have through careful
study of university catalogs (usually available on microfiche in campus career development offices
or libraries), by talking to faculty members in the field you are thinking of entering, and by
discussing your plans with career advisors on your campus, especially your campus’ Project 1000
contact person. We strongly recommend that you approach faculty members for advice who know
your work and would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Ask these
professors to give you some suggestions about the institutions that might best match your aptitudes
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and needs. NOTE : PROJECT 1000 DOES NOT HAVE THE GRADUATE CATALOGS OF
THE PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES AVAILABLE FOR YOU. You need to write directly to
each of these institutions (a postcard will do) to request that their most recent graduate catalog(s) as
well as specific information regarding the department/program in which you are interested be sent
to you.
4. As you move closer to deciding upon which graduate programs to apply to, we suggest that you
call both our Project 1000 institutional liaisons (for general questions about the university itself)
and the specific departments themselves (for questions regarding research, faculty credentials,
course offerings, assistantships/fellowships, and related program-specific information) at each
institution to which you are seriously considering applying. Consider the following questions or
factors in making a decision about which graduate programs you wish to apply to:
a. Does the program emphasize areas in your field that closely fit your career interests and goals?
Be sure to look carefully at specific faculty members’ credentials, especially their recent research,
and course offerings in the department to see whether or not there is special strength in your
specific area of interest. Some graduate programs will not accept even the most qualified student if
their faculty do not have research interests closely compatible with those of the student.
b. Are the libraries, laboratories, and other research facilities adequate for your needs? Are there
facilities such as special research centers or programs above and beyond the normal which might
make applying to that institution especially attractive? For example, if you are interested in nuclear
physics or comparative literature, the existence on campus, respectively, of an unusually powerful
particle accelerator or a well-respected journal of literary theory might make that campus an
attractive place to submit an application.
c. Are you academically prepared for the kind of program being offered? Have you had the
particular kind of training the program requires?
d. Do the university in general and the department in particular have a strong record of admitting,
providing financial support for, retaining, and graduating underrepresented minority students? Are
there strong academic, cultural, and social support networks in place on behalf of minority
students?
INFORMATION FOR MINORITY STUDENTS ABOUT STANDARDIZED TESTS
(PARTICULARLY THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION)
Often underrepresented minority students have approached the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) or other standardized tests with much trepidation and perhaps undue anxiety. Also, many
minority students have certain misapprehensions about the GRE. Finally, there are a number of
new developments related to standardized tests that are important for minority students to know.
Here are some important facts which will help you better understand the GRE (and the Spanish
language Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados) and its relationship to graduate
admissions generally and to Project 1000 specifically. One of the conclusions that should be
derived from this information is that you should not be unduly concerned about taking the GRE or
about its influence on the admissions process. No one factor or measure is all important in gaining
admission to graduate school.
Do standardized tests such as the GRE predict academic achievement for underrepresented
minority students as well as they do for majority students?
Both the College Entrance Examination Board and the Educational Testing Service have been
interested in this question. Dr. Richard Durán, an ETS research scientist at the time of the
publication of his book published by the College Board, Hispanics’ Education and Background:
Predictors of College Achievement, conducted a systematic review of all of the available relevant
research on this issue. He found that both high school grades and test scores predict Hispanics’
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college grades roughly 9% less accurately than use of the same procedures to predict majority
students college grades. Durán found evidence that this result is due to some personal and
background characteristics of Hispanics that are particular to U.S. contexts and the use of English
in the United States (pp.102-3). The College Board and the Educational Testing Service have
agreed with the premise that even more caution than usual must be applied to the review and
evaluation of minority students’ test scores, and these organizations have introduced such
cautionary language into the test information related to both test takers and institutions of higher
education.
What additional information or assessment tools can be used in order to achieve a stronger
appreciation of the potential of minority students for graduate work?
Project 1000 is making an intensive effort to identify any special, unique, or distinctive talents,
skills, or achievements that you may have which would help assess your potential for graduate
study. Also, as a consequence of Durán’s research on the predictive ability of the GRE for U.S.
Hispanic students, it would be useful for graduate schools to look at how well each
underrepresented minority student does against the distribution of only Black/African American,
Mexican American/Chicano/a, Native American/American Indian/Inuit/Aleut, Other Hispanic/Latin
American, or Puerto Rican (current GRE reporting categories) students on the GRE. This “ethnic
breakdown” of GRE scores (provided by ETS) is sent by Project 1000 to each institution to which
you are applying. This enables them to assess your individual score against the distribution of
only similar underrepresented minority student GRE scores as an additional, supplementary
measure.
If the GRE is only one of several assessment tools, why is it so widely required?
Many minority students are under the misimpression that just because the GRE is widely required,
that it is all determining for admission. This is simply not the case. In fact some graduate
programs, even though they require the test, use the GRE primarily for diagnostic purposes, not to
screen for admission. The most common use of the GRE is as one of several factors that together
are used to evaluate a student’s ability to succeed in a particular program. Therefore you should
not be overly intimidated by the GRE, but should make a reasonable effort (if practicable devoting
30 minutes a day for six weeks to two months before the test date) to prepare adequately for the
test. Some helpful GRE test-preparation tips may be found later in this booklet. Project 1000 staff
will also be glad to give you specific GRE test-preparation advice over the telephone.
Nevertheless, research conducted by Baird suggests that most students who apply to graduate
schools reasonably within their level of achievement or aspiration are usually admitted to one.
While taking the GRE is a necessary precondition for completing the admission process for most
graduate programs, it usually does not filter out students if they apply to a school reasonably
within their level of achievement or aspiration. In other words, you are certain to be denied
admission to some graduate programs if you fail to take the test at all. Some of those same
programs, however, might admit you with low GRE scores if the rest of your admissions materials
warrant admission.
Is there a Spanish analog to the GRE?
There is a Spanish language analog to the GRE administered by the Educational Testing Service.
It is called the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados (PAEG). The PAEG measures
general verbal and mathematical abilities considered necessary for success in graduate studies.
These sections of the test are constructed in Spanish; they are not a Spanish language translation of
test materials from any other test. The PAEG also includes a section in English that assesses
reading comprehension in English. Although the ability of the test to predict aptitude for graduate
study at U.S. institutions outside Puerto Rico is unstudied and hence as yet unproven, the PAEG
has been used extensively and successfully for that purpose by Puerto Rican universities’ graduate
programs, at whose initiative the test was first developed.
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A study conducted by D. G. Bornheimer (1984) of Puerto Rican students enrolled in doctoral
programs at New York University’s School of Education, Health, Nursing and Arts Professions
(SEHNAP), located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, examined the validity of the PAEG and the GRE as
predictors of success in graduate school for candidates for whom Spanish was the dominant
language. Even though the sample size was limited to one school, several of the study’s findings
are interesting. When each students’ PAEG scores were carefully compared with their GRE
scores, both the PAEG-English section scores and the PAEG-Quantitative scores correlated higher
with first-year graduate GPA than the corresponding GRE scores. Similarly, the PAEG scores
also correlated higher with faculty ratings of the students’ actual graduate work than the
corresponding GRE scores.
The range of difference between the PAEG and GRE scores of students participating in the study is
itself worth noting. The mean total of PAEG total scores and section scores for the participants in
the study were near the top ten percent of all PAEG test-takers (89th percentile). The GRE scores
for the same group of students, however, were extremely low—some were in the 200s (so-called
“chance” scores). Both GRE verbal and GRE quantitative scores were affected. In fact, GRE
quantitative scores were even lower than their GRE verbal scores among the students participating
in the study.
As the Educational Testing Service’s official Guide to the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios
Graduados 1988-89 observes (p. 19), “Although the data are limited, the study suggests that for
Spanish-dominant students, the PAEG may be a better predictor of success in graduate school than
the GRE.” The PAEG certainly would provide useful information on the general abilities of
applicants for graduate school who had completed some or all of their undergraduate studies at
universities in Puerto Rico or elsewhere where Spanish was the language of instruction. It could
also be helpful for evaluating the abilities of candidates who have completed most of their primary
and secondary education in schools where Spanish was the language of instruction.
Both Project 1000 and the PAEG program recognize, however, that the test would not be
appropriate for many U.S. Hispanic students as it assumes an examinee population with a high
level of literacy in Spanish. Nevertheless, for those students for whom the PAEG is targeted (for
example, a student who received much of his or her education in Puerto Rico or Mexico and for
whom Spanish is his or her dominant language), Project 1000 encourages submission of PAEG
scores in addition to GRE scores.
Do underrepresented minority students as a group do as well as they could on the GRE
and other standardized assessment instruments?
Researchers R. Durán, F. Evans, L. Pike, E. Rincón, and others have conducted research
suggesting that underrepresented minority students do not maximize test taking strategies, do not
manage time as well as majority students, suffer from more text-anxiety than majority students,
and are likely to suffer test scores depressed by English/Spanish or English/Native American
language factors that do not represent developed academic ability. In other words, current research
suggests that underrepresented minority students would be able to significantly improve their
performance with better test-related counseling and better orientation to and practice with the test.
What are some practical tips to help prepare students for the GRE general test?
a. Read the free official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin you use to register for the test
carefully and completely. It contains a great deal of valuable information, but its prose is very terse
and economical with words. Some of the most important tips are given almost in passing. We
suggest therefore that you read every word of the bulletin and outline all information related to
preparing for the GRE. Pay particular attention to the sections on “Registration”, “Taking the GRE
Tests”, “Score Reporting”, “Preparing for the Tests”, “Test-Taking Strategy”, “General Test
Sample Questions with Explanations”, and “Practice General Test.”
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b. Take the GRE general test and, if required by the programs/universities to which you will be
applying, the GRE subject test in your field no later than the December preceding the Fall semester
for which you are seeking admission to graduate school. Project 1000 strongly encourages you to
take the GRE general test either in June between your junior and senior years (when most students
are not taking classes and thus have plenty of time to prepare for the test without major
distractions) or in October of your senior year (when if something goes wrong unexpectedly such
as a sudden illness you can still take the test in December in time for your application to graduate
school to be complete before most graduate program deadlines).
c. If at all possible, begin preparing/studying for the GRE at least six weeks to two months prior to
the date on which you plan to take the test. Be sure to register for the test even earlier in order to
avoid missing the registration deadlines (printed on the back cover of the official GRE Registration
& Information Bulletin). Try to commit at least an uninterrupted 30 minutes every day. It is
generally more effective to work every or nearly every day for at least a few minutes than to work
less often for larger amounts of time. Try to avoid having to “cram” a few days before the test date
since this is considerably less effective than a more paced effort over a longer period of time.
Nevertheless, generally speaking any preparation is an improvement over no preparation at all.
Because the test presumes a certain familiarity with directions, question and answer formats, test
procedure, and the parameters of the material being tested, you will be at a disadvantage compared
to other test-takers if you do not make a reasonable effort to orient yourself to the test as fully as
practicable.
d. Most experts agree that the best form of practice for the GRE is trying to answer actual old test
questions under simulated circumstances. This form of practice familiarizes you implicitly with the
test-taking situation, the type and range of subject material that will be covered, and test directions.
It also allows you to experiment with and practice different strategies/approaches to analyzing and
answering the questions asked (for example, skimming the questions in the reading comprehension
portion of the verbal ability section before reading the passage itself versus reading the passage
thoroughly first then the questions or skimming both the reading passage and questions before
thoroughly reading the passage, etc.). Different strategies are more effective than others for
different people; whatever helps you answer the most questions correctly within the time allotted is
the most effective strategy for you. The only way you can hope to find out what strategies work
most effectively for you is to experiment with various approaches to actual old GRE questions and
to analyze the results before the test date. Areas you need to work on more than others (such as,
for example, how to use the Pythagorean theorem to help solve a geometry problem or what is the
meaning of “saturnine”) will become readily apparent. Practice with simulated testing situations
should also help to greatly reduce test-anxiety.
After each simulated testing session be sure to review carefully the questions you were unable to
answer correctly until you understand both how to answer the question correctly and expeditiously
and why you answered it incorrectly. Look up all mathematical formulae or vocabulary words you
encounter that you do not know. One possible schedule you may wish to try is to take one 30
minute verbal, quantitative, or analytical ability section on the first day (being sure to time
yourself). The next two days you might check your answers to see whether they are correct and
figure out both why you failed to answer correctly the incorrect ones and how the correct answers
can be arrived at as expeditiously as possible. On the fourth day, if you have finished reviewing
your first practice section, you would be ready to take another section under simulated testing
conditions. After you have repeated this process several times, having taken and carefully
reviewed several sections each of analytical, verbal, and quantitative reasoning, you may want to
start concentrating on the section(s) which give(s) you the most difficulty and/or those sections
most important to the academic field in which you intend to study (for example, the quantitative
section for mathematics or engineering, the verbal section for English literature or history, the
analytical section for philosophy, etc.). You may also determine at this point whether or not you
need to spend time doing a basic math review.
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e. The free official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin has one section each of verbal
ability, quantitative ability, and analytical ability old test questions taken from previously
administered actual GRE general tests. Additional actual old GRE general tests may be ordered
directly from the Educational Testing Service (publishers of the GRE) using the “GRE Publications
Order Form” found in the back of the official GRE Registration & Information Bulletin. They are
available in both printed (approximately $15 for 1992-93) and software (approximately $80 during
1992-93) forms under the name Practicing to take the GRE General Test. In addition to six actual
GRE general tests with answers, the printed version of this series now (#9 on but not earlier
editions) also includes one additional test with explanations and a math review section. Older
editions (#8 and earlier) of the printed version provide three additional old actual GRE tests, but
without the math review or any explanations of how to arrive at the correct answer given. The
software version has included the latter for some time. When ordering be careful not to confuse
the various subject test practice booklets with those of the general test. Please note that although
many commercial vendors have GRE preparation booklets of varying comprehensiveness and
utility for sale, only GRE/ETS own the copyright to actual old GRE questions. Other companies
must write their own simulated questions in an attempt to replicate the copyrighted actual GRE test.
If at all possible, you should try to practice with actual old GRE questions. To save money, you
may want to pool your resources with friends and order Practicing to take the GRE General Test
to share with them or buy it yourself with a prearrangement to resell it to someone else who will be
taking the test later than you (after you have already taken the test and no longer have need for it).
f. The quantitative ability section of the GRE General Test includes only arithmetic, algebra, and
geometry (excluding the ability to construct proofs). It does not include or require any
trigonometry or calculus. The math review sections of the free official GRE Registration &
Information Bulletin and especially the more detailed official Practicing to take the GRE General
Test (official printed version #9 or later or any official software version) sold by GRE/ETS are
excellent places to start your review. Most of the commercial guides available also have excellent
math review sections. The advantage of using a math review designed especially for the GRE is
that it helps you save time and effort by focusing immediately on what you need to know to do
well on the test without wasting any time on the innumerable things you do not need to know to do
well on the quantitative ability section of the GRE general test.
g. The analytical ability section of the GRE general test requires no knowledge of formal logic or
the terminology of formal logic. To quote p. 31 of the 1992-93 official GRE Registration &
Information Bulletin “analytical reasoning problems can be solved using knowledge, skills,
vocabulary, and computational ability (simple addition and subtraction) common to college
students.” However, because many students at first find the questions in both the analytical
reasoning and logical reasoning sub-sections of the analytical ability section of the GRE general
test unusual at best and somewhat bizarre at worst, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with
the format of the questions and expected answers. The only effective method doing this that
Project 1000 can suggest is for you to practice these questions for as long as necessary until you
are comfortable with the format and can answer them reasonably confidently, accurately, and
expeditiously.
h. Knowledge of cognates (the thousands of words that are similar in meaning and spelling in both
English and Romance languages such as Spanish due to their derivation from a common ancestor
in Latin) is a resource that students with some degree of fluency in Spanish (or students who may
have studied other Romance languages such as French, Italian, or Portuguese) may find helpful
with the verbal section of the GRE general test. For example, some words that are relatively
uncommon in English (such as “felicity”) have cognates that are much more frequently used in
Spanish (in this case, “felicidad”). Be careful, however, of “false cognates” (for example, “éxito”
in Spanish means “success” not “exit” or “leave”) which may be the result of coincidences in
spelling between the two languages or the evolution of meanings over time. A knowledge of
prefixes, suffixes, and word roots derived from Latin that are common in English (and Romance
languages such as Spanish) can also help you figure out the meaning of words you otherwise are
unfamiliar with.
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i. When practicing with actual old GRE test questions be sure to learn the distinctly different
question and answer format of each sub-section of the three major sections of the GRE general
test. More specifically, learn carefully the different rules, expectations, and answer formats of the
“Analogies”, “Antonyms”, “Sentence Completions”, and “Reading Comprehension” sub-sections
of the Verbal Abilities section; the “Quantitative Comparison”, “Discrete Quantitative”, and “Data
Interpretation” sub-sections of the Quantitative Abilities section; and the “Logical Reasoning” and
“Analytical Reasoning” sub-sections of the Analytical Abilities sections of the GRE general test.
Familiarity with these sub-sections will save you time during the test that you can use either to
answer more questions or to have more time to think about the answers to difficult questions.
j. Pace yourself carefully when taking the test. Your GRE general test score is determined entirely
by the number of correct answers that are recorded on your answer sheet. Every single question
answered correctly no matter how simple it was to answer counts exactly the same toward your
score as the most difficult question to answer. It only makes sense therefore that you should first
answer the questions that take the least time and seem easiest and save the more difficult questions
for last. You may then want to consider dividing the difficult questions into two categories: (1)
those you have no idea how to answer or do not have enough time remaining to answer; and (2)
those you can probably answer correctly, but need time to do so. It’s probably a good idea to
guess outright the answers to #1 while working through those in #2 until you determine the
answer. Do not spend too much time on any one question, however, unless you have answered all
the others first! You may find it helpful to know that generally speaking questions are ordered
from easiest first to most difficult last within each sub-section (be sure to note however that there
are two to four sub-sections within each 30 minute section—each subsequent sub-section
beginning over again with the easiest first). Needless to say, what one person finds easy another
may find difficult and vice-versa.
k. There is no penalty or subtraction from your score for wrong answers on the GRE general test
(although there is on the GRE subject tests which unlike the GRE general test require a more
restrained guessing strategy). Because every correct answer on the GRE general test counts
exactly the same toward your final scores, and because there is no penalty for wrong answers, you
should never leave the answer “bubble” blank for any question. If you do not know the answer to
a given question, or do not have enough time remaining to answer the question, you should guess.
If you are able to eliminate one or more possible answers, record your best guess on the answer
sheet. For all questions that you do not have enough time to even look at or for which you cannot
eliminate any of the possible answers, you should consistently enter the same answer. This should
be your choice of “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” (do not guess “E” unless you have already eliminated
some other choice or choices because it is an option on only some questions). Since the test is
designed so that there are roughly an equal number of “A”s, “B”s, “C”s, and “D”s, guessing the
same “favorite” letter every time you do not know the answer or cannot eliminate any of the
possible answers should answer approximately 25% of these questions correctly. Depending on
how many questions you are forced to answer by guessing in this manner, the positive effect on
your score as opposed to leaving them blank could be quite significant.
l. Project 1000 participants are invited to attend free workshops on preparing for taking the GRE to
be held in select cities across the nation (travel will be at the student’s own expense). Call Project
1000 staff for information regarding sites and dates.
m. Do not be discouraged if even after repeated practice you are unable to answer all questions in a
given section within the 30 minutes allotted. The test is designed so that most test-takers will not
have enough time to comfortably answer every question. After careful practice, learn to answer as
many questions on the GRE general test as you can and to effectively guess answers for the rest.
Keep in mind that the test is designed so that nearly half the people taking the test will answer less
than half the questions correctly.
n. Relax as much as possible and remember that the GRE is only one of many factors that are
considered in graduate school admissions.
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How important is the Graduate Record Examination? Do underrepresented minority
students tend to overestimate or underestimate its importance?
Research conducted by ETS investigators Powers and Lehman suggests that minority students
perceive the GRE general test scores as more important than do majority students. Accordingly,
this overestimation leads higher percentages of minorities not to take the GREs and not to follow
up with admission applications when they do not do as well as they expect. Project 1000 advisors
will review your GRE test scores and will provide you with counsel and suggestions related to
your performance, as necessary. However, it cannot be over-emphasized that no one factor or
criterion will determine your admissibility into a graduate program.
Do underrepresented minority students take the GRE in the same proportions as majority
students?
In Examinee and Score Trends for the GRE General Test: 1977-78, 1982-83, 1986-87, and
1987-88 (the most recent report on the subject issued by GRE or ETS), the data indicate that out of
294,764 GRE test-takers only 1,000 (0.3%) Native Americans/American Indians, Inuits, or
Aleuts, 1,890 (0.6%) Puerto Ricans, 2,933 (1%) Mexican Americans/Chicano/as, 2,335 (0.8%)
Other Hispanics/Latin Americans, and 12,592 (4%) Blacks/African Americans even took the GRE
during 1987-88. These are exceedingly small numbers given the large underrepresented minority
population with baccalaureates who theoretically could take the exam. These figures contrast
mightily with the 274,014 (93%) other students who took the exam during the same period. An
important inference can be derived from these numbers; namely, that because there are so few
underrepresented minority students who are in the pool of test-takers, the very scarcity of such
students makes your joining the pool by taking the GRE a wise decision. If going to graduate
school interests you, then you will be entering a “buyer’s market” with respect to minority
students.
When is the best time to take the GREs?
It is strongly recommended that you take the GRE general test in the Fall preceding the year for
which you are trying to gain admission rather than in the Spring immediately prior to the semester
of planned admission (and even better still during the June between your junior and senior years).
The best time to take the GRE subject test (if required by the programs to which you are applying)
is during December of your senior year (unlike the GRE general test your scores should improve
the more you learn, but you cannot take it any later and still have the scores reported in time to meet
most graduate school application deadlines). Higher percentages of underrepresented minority
students take the GRE later in the year than majority students. This is not the best strategy because
it greatly reduces the opportunities to be admitted into selective graduate programs and especially to
receive financial aid if admitted.
Is it true that GRE scores are systematically reduced the older one gets?
Research findings have concluded that the quantitative GRE score (but not the verbal) is
systematically reduced in older students. There is a higher percentage of underrepresented minority
students than majority students represented by older test-takers. The graduate schools participating
in Project 1000 have been alerted to this research finding.
Must you take the GRE in order to participate in Project 1000?
It should be noted that not all of the participating universities require the Graduate Record
Examination for all of their programs. At most of Project 1000’s participating graduate institutions
some of the fields of study require the GRE, but others do not require it. Project 1000 strongly
suggests that you take the GRE general test, and a GRE subject test if there is one relevant to your
field, however this is not a requirement per se of the Project. If in fact the programs to which you
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are applying at each of the graduate schools you have selected do not require the GRE, your
application packet will be forwarded.
Can Project 1000 help with the cost of the GRE?
The Graduate Records Examinations Board provides Project 1000 with a limited number of
vouchers which can be submitted to GRE/ETS in lieu of payment of their standard fees for taking
the general test, taking the subject test, and requesting additional score reports. Eligibility for these
fee waiver vouchers is based on both eligibility for Project 1000 and financial need. If you have
been receiving financial aid as an undergraduate student or if you have been out of school for
several years and your working income has been low, you may be eligible. To be considered,
please complete your GRE registration form, attach a photocopy of your FAFSA or SAR, and send
it to Project 1000. If Project staff determine that you are eligible for a Project 1000/GRE fee
waiver voucher, we will forward your GRE registration form with a fee waiver voucher directly to
GRE/ETS for processing. Conversely, if Project staff determine that you are ineligible for a
Project 1000/GRE fee waiver voucher, we will return your GRE registration form directly to you.
In the latter circumstance, you then would need to send your GRE registration form with payment
directly to GRE/ETS. IMPORTANT NOTE: Since it will take several weeks to receive, review,
and forward or return your GRE registration form and fee waiver request, be sure you send them
to us well before the registration deadline for the date you wish to take the GRE. Please contact
Project 1000 (1-800-327-4893) if you have any questions about this procedure or would like
additional information about GRE fee waivers.
How long are GRE scores valid?
Usually a Graduate Record Examination score is considered valid for five years. If you took the
GRE more than five years ago, it is recommended that you retake the examination.
Who should take the Test for English as a Second Language (TOEFL)?
Students who have received their education in Spanish (for example in Mexico or Puerto Rico) and
do not have native or near-native fluency in English should take the Test for English as a Second
Language (TOEFL). In addition, regardless of a student's fluency, some universities require the
TOEFL of any student whose degree is not from an institution where English is the primary
language of instruction. Generally, the participating graduate universities require a minimum
TOEFL score of 550 of applicants whose native language is not English. Because of heavy
reading requirements, some programs of study require a minimum TOEFL of 600. It may be
possible for a student receiving a TOEFL score of between 500 and 550 to be accepted in some of
the participating programs. In these cases acceptance is often conditioned by the requirement that
the student attend intensive English instruction during the preceding summer and/or concurrent
with the regular course of study during the academic year. Questions regarding TOEFL
requirements at specific universities should be directed to our Project 1000 liaisons at those
participating universities.
Is there a correlation between TOEFL and GRE scores?
ETS researchers Angelis, Swinton, and Cowell found in 1979 that low scores on both the TOEFL
and the GRE verbal aptitude test usually indicate language weakness, not necessarily weak aptitude
or academic preparation. Moreover, it was found to be clear that non-native speakers of English
do better on the TOEFL (which is designed for non-native speakers) than on the GRE verbal test
(which is designed for native speakers). Indeed, the GRE verbal test was found to be most
difficult for non-native speakers of English. Information on this correlation is available to Project
1000’s participating graduate schools through ETS.
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REFERENCES
Angelis, Paul J., Swinton, Spencer S., and Cowell, William R. “The Performance of Non-Native
Speakers of English on TOEFL and Verbal Aptitude Tests.” ETS Research Report 79-7
(TOEFL Report No. 3). Princeton, NJ: ETS, October 1979.
Astin, Helen, and Burciaga, Cecilia. Chicanos in Higher Education: Progress and Attainment.
Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, Inc., 1981.
Baird, L. “An Examination of the Graduate Study Application and Enrollment Decisions of GRE
Candidates.” ETS Research Report 82-53. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1982.
Borneheimer, D. G. “Predicting Success in Graduate School Using GRE and PAEG Scores.”
College and University. Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 54-62. Washington, D.C.: American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 1984.
Brown, G., Rosen, N., and Olivas, M. The Condition of Education for Hispanic Americans.
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 1980.
Brown, Shirley Vining. Increasing Minority Faculty: An Elusive Goal. A Research Report of
the Minority Graduate Education (MGE) Project, jointly sponsored by the Graduate Record
Examinations Board and the Educational Testing Service. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1988.
_____. Minorities in the Graduate Education Pipeline. A Research Report of the MGE Project.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1987.
Carter, Deborah, and Wilson, Reginald. Minorities in Higher Education, Eleventh Annual Status
Report, 1992. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, January 1993.
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. "Special Report: Hispanics and the Academy."
Change, 20, May/June 1988.
Clewell, Beatrice Chu. “Retention of Black and Hispanic Doctoral Students.” GRE Board
Report 83-4R. Princeton, NJ: ETS, March 1987.
Cocking, R.R., and Mestre, J.P. eds. Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning
Mathematics. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.
Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life. One Third of a Nation: A
Report. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, 1988.
Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. Enhancing the Minority Prescence in Graduate
Education. Washington, D.C.: CGS, 1988.
_____. Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students. Washington,
D.C.: CGS, 1989.
_____. Survey of Minority Graduate Education. Washington, D.C.: CGS, 1984.
De La Rosa, D. and Maw, C.E. Hispanic Education: A Statistical Portrait 1990. Washington,
D.C.: National Council of La Raza, October, 1990.
Durán, Richard. Hispanics’ Education and Background: Predictors of College Achievement.
New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1983.
Educational Testing Service. Guide to the Prueba de Admisión para Estudios Graduados 198889. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1988.
_____. “A Summary of Data Collected from Graduate Record Examination Test-Takers During
1986-1987.” Data Summary Report No. 12. Princeton, NJ: ETS, June, 1988.
Escobedo, Theresa. "Are Hispanic Women in Higher Education the Non-Existent Minority?"
Educational Researcher. 9 (9), 1980:7-12.
Evans, F. “A Study of the Relationships Among Speed and Power, Aptitude Test Scores and
Ethnic Identity.” College Board Research and Development Report RDR 80-81. No.2.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1980.
Grandy, Jerilee. “Comparison of Expected with Actual Field of Graduate Study: An Analysis of
GRE Survey Data.” GRE Board Professional Report No. 87-02P. ETS Research Report
90-17. Princeton, NJ: ETS, September 1990.
Green, Madeleine G. Minorities on Campus: A Handbook for Enhancing Diversity.
Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education.
Hartle, T., J. Baratz, and M. Clark. “Older Students and the GRE Aptitude Test.” ETS Research
Report 83-20. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1983.
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Hilton, Thomas L., and Schrader, William B. “Pathways to Graduate School: An Empirical
Study Based on National Longitudinal Data.” GRE Board Research Report No. 82-21R.
ETS Research Report 87-41. Princeton, NJ: ETS, December 1987.
Keller, Gary D. "Increasing the Admissability of Hispanics Who Take the GRE." In Council of
Graduate Schools, Graduate Education: A National Investment of Knowledge. Washington,
DC: Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, 1984.
_____, Deneen, James R., and Magallán, Rafael J. Assessment and Access: Hispanics in Higher
Education. New York: SUNY-Press, 1991.
_____, Magallán, Rafael J., and García, Alma M. Curriculum Resources in Chicano Studies:
Undergraduate and Graduate. Tempe, AZ: Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe, 1989.
Magallán, Rafael, De Necochea, Gloria, and Hirsch, Deborah. "Programs That Work." Change.
20 (3), May/June 1988: 63-65.
Manning, W.H. "Broadening the Basis for Admissions Decisions: The Role of Standardized
Testing in the Admission of Minority Students." In Ward, W.E. and Cross, M.M., eds. Key
Issues in Minority Education: Research Directions and Practical Implications. Center for
Research on Minority Education, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 1989: 155-69.
_____. "Diversity and Due Process in Admissions." Howard Law Journal. 22 (3), 1979: 31726.
McKenna, Teresa, and Ortiz, Flora Ida (eds.) The Broken Web: The Educational Experience of
Hispanic American Women. Berkeley, CA: Floricanto Press, 1988.
Mestre, J.P. "Predicting Academic Achievement among Bilingual Hispanic College Technical
Students." Educational and Psychological Measurement. 41, 1981: 1255-1264.
_____. "The Role of Language Comprehension in Mathematics and Problem Solving." In
Cocking, R.R., and Mestre, J.P. Linguistic and Cultural Influences on Learning
Mathematics. 1988.
_____. "Teaching problem-solving strategies to bilingual students: What do Research Results Tell
Us?" International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. 17,
1986: 393-401.
_____, Gerace, W.J. and Lochhead, J. "The Interdependence of Language and Translational Math
Skills among Bilingual Hispanic Engineering Students." Journal of Research in Science
Teaching. 19, 1982: 399-410.
Nettles, Michael. Financial Aid and Minority Participation in Graduate Education. A Research
Report of the MGE Project. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1987.
_____. Black, Hispanic, and White Doctoral Students: Before, During, and After Enrolling in
Graduate School. A Research Report of the MGE Project. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1990.
National Commission on Student Financial Assistance. Signs of Trouble and Erosion: A Report
on Graduate Education In America. New York: New York University, 1983.
Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, National Research Council. Summary Report
1990: Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities. Washington, D.C.: National
Academy Press, March 1991.
Olivas, Michael A. Latino College Students. New York: Teacher's College Press, 1986.
_____. The Dilemma of Access. Washington, DC: Howard University Press, 1979.
Oltman, Philip K., and Hartnett, Rodney T. “The Role of the Graduate Record Examinations in
Graduate Admissions.” Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 56, No. 5, Sept./Oct. 1985: 52337.
Orum, L.S. The Education of Hispanics: Status and Implications. Washington, DC: National
Council of La Raza, 1986.
Payán, Rose M. Access to College for Mexican Americans in the Southwest-Replication After Ten
Years. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1984.
Pennock-Román, Maria. Test Validity and Language Background: A Study of Hispanic
American Students at Six Universities. New York: College Entrance Examination Board,
1990.
Pike, L. “Implicit Guessing Strategies of GRE-Aptitude Examinees Classified by Ethnic Group
and Sex.” GRE Board Professional Report GREB No. 75-10P. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1980.
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Powers ,D., and Lehman, J. “GRE Candidates’ Perceptions of the Importance of Graduate
Admission Factors.” ETS Research Report 82-57. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1982.
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American and Anglo American High School Juniors. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation.
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Schmitt, Alicia Pérez. “Language and Cultural Characteristics That Explain Differential Item
Functioning for Hispanic Examinees on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.” Journal of Educational
Measurement. Vol. 25, No. 1, Spring 1988: 1-13.
Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology. Changing
America: The New Face of Science and Engineering. December, 1989.
Wah, Diane M., and Robinson, Dawn S. Examinee and Score Trends for the GRE General Test:
1977-78, 1982-83, 1986-87, and 1987-88. Princeton, NJ: ETS, 1990.
Zwick, Rebecca. Differences in Graduate School Attainment Patterns Across Academic
Programs and Demographic Groups. A Draft Research Report for the MGE Project.
Princeton, NJ: ETS, In Press.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING PROJECT 1000
APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND FINANCIAL
SUPPORT
COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
It is necessary to answer all questions and fill in all requested information on the application.
Failure to do so will seriously delay processing since the form will have to be returned to you for
completion and resubmission. Also, it is essential that you study carefully the About Project 1000
and About Graduate School sections of this program booklet before attempting to complete this
application. Because a sloppily prepared application could suggest to some faculty serving on a
departmental admissions committee that you also might be sloppy in other, more important matters,
it is strongly recommended that you type your application.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Note that you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States currently residing within
the states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah; the City of El Paso, Texas’
greater metropolitan area (including the Tigua Indian Reservation); The All Nations Alliance for
Minority Participation (AMP), Mississippi AMP, New York City AMP, or the Territory of the
U.S. Virgin Islands in order to be eligible to make application for graduate study through Project
1000 utilizing these materials. A different booklet available from the same address explains Project
1000 policies and procedures for U.S. Hispanic students (at present the only underrepresented
group we are able to serve from all geographical locations) currently residing in the remaining
states and U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Give your current residence in the appropriate space on the application form. Current telephone
numbers and addresses are extremely important, both for Project 1000 and for the institutions to
which you are applying. It is therefore critical that you notify us immediately of any changes. You
do not want to miss out on an offer of admission or financial aid due to incorrect information on
your application (this has happened!).
Be sure to indicate whether you are of African American (Black), Cuban American, Mexican
American (Chicano/a), Native American (American Indian, Inuit, or Eskimo), Native Pacific
Islander, Puerto Rican, or Other U.S. Hispanic ancestry, or otherwise underrepresented (please
specify) in the appropriate place on the application. If you checked Native American, Native
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Pacific Islander, or Other U.S. Hispanic, please specify which tribe or band, which island, or
which Latin American/Caribbean country of ancestry as appropriate. In addition, if you checked
Native American and are officially enrolled as a member of a tribe or band, please provide your
federal enrollment number. If you have any questions concerning eligibility for the Project, please
contact our office.
EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
You need to indicate the term/semester (e.g., Fall or Spring) and year for which you wish to apply.
If you are interested in Spring or Summer admission, be sure you have checked with the
universities to verify that students may in fact be admitted for these terms. Also be aware that
financial support for students entering graduate study during these semesters is usually extremely
limited.
You need to indicate for each university whether you are requesting admission at the doctoral level
or the master’s then doctorate, or the master’s only. In order to be eligible for the program you
must be seeking admission as a degree candidate.
You may list up to 7 participating institutions to which you wish your application be submitted.
Project 1000 strongly encourages you to apply to at least 3-5 institutions. Deciding on which
programs at which institutions to apply to is a very critical matter. For guidance on how to select
appropriate programs, refer to pp. 8-9. It is very important that you research your prospective
graduate programs before you list them on the Project 1000 application. Unfortunately, it will
reflect poorly on your qualifications for graduate study at any given institution if programs that do
not exist or don't have the specialization you are interested in are also listed on your application
(i.e., if it is obvious to the faculty reviewing your application that you have not carefully
researched the institutions listed and made an informed choice about where to apply). An essential
element of fully researching your schools is determining the deadline for admission with
consideration for assistantships and fellowships (see p. 25 for more detail). This critical
information needs to be included on your application (not doing so will delay processing of your
application).
You must list in chronological order all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended
or are now attending, regardless of whether you only attended during the summer session, or
nights, or only took one course, or didn’t attempt to transfer the credit or use it for a degree, or
only took a remedial or non-credit course, or didn’t pass the course(s) attempted, or any other
reason.
If you have previously applied to any of Project 1000’s participating graduate schools, please
indicate to which program(s), at which school(s), and for which academic year(s).
STANDARDIZED TESTS (GRE, PAEG, AND TOEFL)
See pp. 9-16 for information of critical importance to minority students about standardized tests.
Note that you should arrange to have all test scores (GRE, PAEG, or TOEFL) sent directly to
Project 1000, c/o Graduate College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5305. The
institutional codes for Project 1000 are:
GRE
4635
PAEG
4007
TOEFL
4633
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You must also arrange to have official GRE and TOEFL scores sent directly to each institution to
which you are applying. Project 1000 is able to assist financially needy underrepresented minority
students with the expense of both the GRE general and subject tests and additional score reports.
Please refer to pp. 15-16 for further information on GRE fee waiver vouchers.
FULL-TIME STUDY?
Project 1000 emphasizes full-time study. This would definitely be the case if you plan to be a
resident student. However, in a limited number of cases where application is made as a commuter
student you may apply for part-time study through the Project. (Please note that there is very little
financial aid available for part-time students, particularly in comparison with that available to fulltime students.)
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Project 1000 is making an intensive effort to identify and document any special, unique, or
distinctive talents, skills, or achievements that you may have which would help assess your
potential for graduate study. On the application itself there is a section called PERSONAL
QUALITIES which you should consider very carefully and answer fully. If there are materials
(e.g., publications, additional letters of reference, etc.) that would be useful in documenting your
achievements or skills, these may be attached to your application materials and sent to Project
1000.
The first part (Question #40) of this section of the application relates to any special talents that you
may have. Here are a few examples of the sorts of things that you might want to consider
communicating to the graduate program to which you would like to be admitted:
• if you are bilingual, trilingual or have other language skills, describe as fully as possible,
showing how you have positively used these skills in your life, work, or studies.
• if you have a particularly deep appreciation of other cultures and ways of life (such as the
culture of Africa, Cuba, the Pacific islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or the African American,
Hispanic American, or Native American United States, for example) describe the value of these
experiences or insights for your proposed field of study.
• describe any unusual scientific or technical skills or accomplishments. These may include
computer programs you have written, scientific apparatuses you have built, designed or worked
on, teaching or research in a scientific field you have engaged in, papers, prizes, experiments you
have conducted, scientific competitions or science fairs where you have exhibited, research or
laboratory assistance that you have provided, or any science club or society in which you have
membership.
• describe any special interests that you have pursued if they have any bearing on your proposed
graduate course of study (for example, if you have developed a collection of specimens related to
your interest in biology or if you have worked for a volunteer group that might have some bearing
on your interest in doing graduate work in psychology, etc.).
• describe any publications such as poems, stories, essays, etc., or any performances of work
you may have written; similarly describe any acting, public musical performance, art exhibits, or
the like that you have been involved in.
• include any prizes that you may have won for special skills; describe any participation in your
college newspaper, annual, magazine or anthology.
• describe any original writing that you may have done, whether published or unpublished.
• describe any awards or formal recognition for outstanding accomplishments in any field.
The second part (Question #41) relates to any special skills that you have acquired as a result of
your employment or course work. Here are examples of things that you might want to list:
• describe any technical skills that you may have acquired, particularly if they have a bearing on
your proposed field of study; for example, statistics, research design, copy-editing, preparation of
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specimens, proficiency in a laboratory procedure, layout and keylining, budget preparation,
computer programming, etc.
• describe any special responsibilities given to you by your employer which provide evidence of
your unusual maturity or specific abilities; similarly, describe any formal recognitions or awards
for special skills given to you by your employer or in your undergraduate career; describe any job
promotions that you have received for outstanding performance.
• describe a business that you may have helped organize or run or other examples of
entrepreneurial or organizational abilities.
• describe your role in any scientific projects in which you have participated, particularly at
college (e.g., technician, lab assistant, interviewer, etc.); describe any teaching or tutorial
experience that you may have (Whom did you teach? What was your role? Did you receive any
formal recognition for your teaching or tutoring?).
The third part (Question #42) gives you the opportunity to list any concrete achievements that
deserve recognition. Here are some examples:
• describe any service role that you may have performed such as volunteer work (custodial care,
self-help groups, service organizations, emergency squads, community groups, charity groups,
etc.).
• describe any student, community, or work leadership roles (member of or officer of student
governing body, appointment to offices in an organization, elected president or officer of class,
service on student or other campus committees, shop steward at work, etc.).
• describe any involvement you may have had in community or college political campaigns.
• describe any involvement in fund-raising or money management for an organization or project.
• describe any responsibilities for a student or community social group or housing unit such as a
dormitory, sorority or fraternity, pep club, church group, or community organizations.
• describe any success that you may have had in overcoming deficiencies in academic preparation
(mastery of English on your own despite the fact that you spoke only Spanish or a Native
American or Pacific island language; learning of a subject matter in spite of the fact that your school
was deficient in facilities or books, etc.).
The final part (Question #43) gives you the opportunity to describe any unusual motivational
factors which have guided you in both your prior and current academic work. Here are examples
of some motivational or experiential factors that you might want to describe:
• the reasons for your interest in your prospective graduate field if there are strong, compelling,
or unusual motivational factors involved that would suggest a strong likelihood of your
successfully completing the program.
• if your youth and intellectual formation are marked by an unusual degree of persistence, selfdiscipline, independence, or maturity in a way that would suggest likelihood of success in graduate
study, describe these qualities.
• if you have a successful record of overcoming socioeconomic, cultural, physical, or other
problems or adversities, describe these circumstances and how you have coped with them.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT INFORMATION
Check the appropriate box with respect to your need for financial aid and the extent of that need. If
you are requesting financial support, you should consider four forms of financial aid: (1) meritbased forms of financial aid awarded by the participating university, such as assistantships,
fellowships, and scholarships; (2) outside fellowships, scholarships, and grants-in-aid from
national, international, and corporate foundations, and government agencies; (3) any student
assistance programs that may be offered in the state wherein you reside; and (4) need-based
financial aid other than that which may be provided by the state in which you reside. Note: You
should consider all four financial aid options. You may check all four of the boxes if appropriate.
If you check the box asking for consideration for academically merit-based financial support, you
will be considered for this form of financial support at the participating institutions to which you
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have chosen to apply. You should also contact the departments directly to find out whether any
supplementary applications for financial support are required.
You are strongly urged to investigate and apply for whatever student assistance you may be eligible
for through outside fellowships, scholarships, or grants-in-aid, and/or programs offered in the
state where you reside. You should describe briefly what you have done to secure such financial
aid if it is available to you.
If you check the need-based financial aid box, you need to contact either Project 1000 or the
universities to which you are applying to determine which financial aid forms are required. Please
refer to pp. 6-7 for detailed information on fee waivers and how to obtain the different need-based
financial aid forms.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND OF CAREER PLANS
The Statement of Purpose and of Career Plans is a very important part of your application, and
will be carefully considered by the institutions to which you apply. The faculty assessing your
Statement of Purpose will be reading your Statement with the following questions in mind: Can
you write clearly and concisely? Can you effectively communicate your ideas? What are your
motivations to pursue graduate study? Are your academic/research interests well suited for their
department? What special features do you as an applicant possess that set you apart from other
applicants and which make you particularly desirable as a student? Focus on the positive. If there
are obvious negative aspects of your background (for example, an undergraduate GPA that was
lower than you were capable of), provide a reasonably positive explanation and stress the positive
directions you have taken since that time.
Write a general Statement of Purpose as one of the first steps in even considering graduate study.
Setting your ideas and goals down on paper will help you clarify your thinking. If you cannot
clearly state why you are interested in graduate school, it will be difficult to convince a university
of the seriousness of your intended commitment. A common problem among candidates applying
to graduate school is their failure to define precisely who they are, what they want, and why they
have decided to pursue a career in a particular degree program. Because admission decisions are
usually made without ever meeting the candidates, the statement must add a dimension not
available from transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, or your professional portfolio.
The following is a sample outline which might be used in writing a Statement of Purpose:
Opening paragraph. State your general reasons for pursuing graduate study and introduce
yourself to the selection committee. Make it relevant; the committee members will read many
applications, so be sure yours gives them a sense of your particular talents and individuality.
Qualifications. Describe those experiences that will serve as a foundation for your forthcoming
graduate work. Discuss (1) your expertise and accomplishments in your major field, (2) your
undergraduate studies in general and how they relate to what you intend to do in graduate school,
(3) specific learning experiences that demonstrate your motivation and inspiration for continued
study, and (4) other relevant experiences such as jobs or community activities, including names
and organizations and other concrete details.
Background. Describe your community and family background and tell how your interest in, and
knowledge of, your chosen field developed. Giving examples, describe any personal attributes
and qualities that would help you complete graduate study successfully, such as determination in
achieving your goals, initiative and ability in developing ideas, and capacity for working through
problems independently. Be careful to discuss your background only as you can relate it to your
pursuit of a graduate degree.
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Closing paragraph. Leave the reader with a strong sense that you are qualified and will be
successful in graduate or professional school. Here, as throughout your Statement of Purpose, try
to be as brief but informative as possible.
Once you have a general statement you can tailor it to the specific program to which you are
applying. Although we don’t require that you submit a different Statement of Purpose for each
institution, we recommend it. It helps if you can demonstrate specific knowledge of the faculty
with whom you would be studying as well as an acquaintance with and interest in their recent
and/or most important research. If there is a particular professor whom you would like to work
with, explain how your interests might fit into their research objectives. In order to do this,
however, you must take sufficient time very early in the application process to research your
prospective degree program in detail.
Before actually submitting your Statement of Purpose and of Career Plans, seek constructive
comments and criticism from professors, advisors, and friends. Often campus career development
offices have free materials and programs devoted to assisting students in composing better
Statements of Purpose. You are also encouraged to call Project 1000 for free information and
advice.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Project 1000 requires three letters of recommendation from faculty members or others well
acquainted with the applicant’s academic work. Both the forms and return envelopes are provided.
Applicants may submit more recommendations than are required. If at all possible it is important
that at least two recommendations come from faculty members acquainted with the applicant’s
work in the major area of study. If that work occurred some time ago, recommendations from
those familiar with the applicant’s professional performance might be acceptable, depending on the
program of study.
Applicants who wish to waive their right of access should be sure to sign the waiver statement at
the top of the recommendation form.
Admissions officers generally view letters of
recommendation for which right of access has been waived as stronger than those for which right
of access has not been waived. However, before you waive right of access to any letter you
should be reasonably certain that the recommender is willing to write you a strongly positive letter
of recommendation.
Try to avoid asking for recommendations near the end of a semester/term (such as right before,
during, or after exams) or during the Christmas/New Year’s Day holiday break. Faculty have
many other things on their mind and many other people asking them for recommendations during
these times. Try to request recommendations as early as possible! Remember, it takes time not
only for you to meet with faculty and ask them to write you a recommendation, but also for them to
actually write and mail it.
Applicants should ask each recommender to enclose the recommendation form in the envelope
provided (or suitable institutional stationary of his or her institution), seal it, and sign it across the
seal. To be considered official, letters of recommendation must be received by Project 1000 in
sealed envelopes with the signature of the letter’s author across the seal. The letters may be sent
directly to Project 1000 by the author or returned to you in the sealed envelope for later submission
to Project 1000 with your other materials. If a recommendation is not received in an official
format, there will often be considerable delay in the processing of your file while Project 1000
attempts to contact the recommender. We encourage you to explain carefully to your
recommenders what is required for a letter to be official.
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TRANSCRIPTS
Complete and official transcripts of all previous colleges or universities you have attended or are
now attending (regardless of whether you only attended during the summer session, or nights, or
only took one course, or didn’t attempt to transfer the credit or use it for a degree, or only took a
remedial or non-credit course, or didn’t pass the courses attempted, or any other reason) must be
submitted to Project 1000. Transfer coursework appearing on another university transcript is not
acceptable since graduate schools require original transcripts from each college/university attended.
The only exception to this would be credits earned in an official, university sponsored program that
takes place geographically at another university (many “study abroad” programs fall into this
category). Please ask the colleges or universities you have attended to mail official transcripts
directly to Project 1000. (Under no circumstances should transcripts be mailed first to the
student and then to Project 1000.) Beginning about three weeks after you have requested
transcripts be mailed to Project 1000, please call the Project (periodically if necessary) to verify
their actual receipt.
DEADLINES
The deadline for submission to Project 1000 of your complete Project 1000 application is one
month prior to the earliest departmental/institutional application deadline of the graduate programs
to which you are applying. A complete Project 1000 application file consists of a Project 1000
application, statement of purpose, a minimum of three official letters of recommendation, official
transcripts from every college/university attended, and, if possible, GRE scores. Since GRE
scores are often received late, we will still forward a file even if these have not been received. It is
important that you understand that Project 1000 has no ability to waive, extend or in any way
modify the existing application deadlines of the Project’s participating graduate schools. Those
deadlines vary from as early as 10 months prior to anticipated admission (October of the preceding
year) to as late as June or July (the maximum degree of flexibility shown by a few schools with an
extraordinary commitment to minority outreach). In general, the vast majority of graduate school
admissions and financial aid deadlines fall between January 1 and March 1. When researching the
schools to which you intend to apply, be sure to understand the difference between the “admission
deadline for students wishing to be considered for assistantships and fellowships” and the
“deadline for students wishing admission only”. Later deadlines (past March) are normally for
students interested in admission only, meaning that most assistantships, fellowships, and tuition
waivers (the major sources of graduate financial aid) have already been committed to other
students. Be careful to ask for the “deadline for admission with consideration for assistantships
and fellowships” in order to meet the deadlines to be considered for any and all sources of financial
aid available.
Project 1000 encourages you not to give up completely just because you are starting late. At the
very least you’re getting an early start on the next year’s application cycle. Moreover, some
Project 1000 universities are willing to show flexibility with regard to admission deadlines. If you
are starting late, give us a phone call and we will advise you of your full range of options,
including any participating universities that might still consider your application.
WHEN TO MAIL
Please request that letters of recommendation, transcripts, and standardized test scores be
forwarded to Project 1000 as early as possible. Likewise forward your application and other
supporting materials as soon as possible. We will create your admissions file as soon as we
receive two documents pertaining to you. Thereafter, we will carefully log in every item
subsequently received until your admissions file is complete. Always use first class postage (or an
express service if necessary). Allow at least a week to 10 days for transit if mailing first class.
Keep in mind that most colleges/universities take up to 3 weeks after you request them to send a
transcript before they actually mail it. Special reporting of standardized test scores can take from 2
to 6 weeks.
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It is not necessary to delay mailing your materials until everything is ready. Mail what you have as
soon as possible.
FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR PART
Once you begin sending application materials to Project 1000, you should call the Project every 2-3
weeks to check on the status of your file. Project 1000 staff will update you on what materials
and/or responses from graduate schools have been received to date. We will also note in your file
and respond as appropriate to any independent contacts you may have had with the graduate
schools to which you are applying. Project 1000 can best help you throughout the graduate school
application process if we are in frequent contact with each other. It is your responsibility to keep in
touch with us at all stages of the application process. Keep in mind that it is considerably easier for
you to contact us than for us to get in touch with you.
WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL
AID DECISIONS
For those applicants who have submitted complete application packages, and thus for whom the
participating graduate institutions are in a position to make final admission and financial aid
decisions, notification will generally take place during the period between April 15 and May 1.
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION MATERIALS
Use this checklist to verify the materials that you minimally need to submit (or have submitted) to
Project 1000 for a complete application package:
(
(
(
(
(
)
)
)
)
)
Application forms
Statement of Purpose and Career Plans
Test scores (GRE, PAEG, TOEFL) as necessary
Three letters of recommendation
Official transcripts of all previous college and university work
Materials which may be submitted later than the others include:
( ) Official FAFSA report (or photocopy of your SAR)
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DEBUNKING FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND PROVIDING
POINTERS
Is it best to apply to only one graduate school?
Absolutely not! Unfortunately, too many minority students only apply to one graduate school,
and this is definitely not in their interest. CLICK HERE for a discussion. Project 1000
permits you to make multiple applications/preapplications free of charge.
Do students usually have to pay for their graduate education out of their
own or their parents' resources?
Not usually! Contrary to the customary circumstances at the undergraduate level, full-time
graduate students in most of the fields and disciplines covered within Project 1000 typically
do not pay for their graduate study with savings, parental financial support, or earnings from
non-academically related employment. CLICK HERE for a discussion.
What's a good way to decide on which program to apply to?
CLICK HERE for a discussion.
How well do underrepresented minority students really do on the
Graduate Record Examination? How important is the GRE anyway? What can
be done to improve performance on that test? Is there a Spanish language
analog test to the GRE?
CLICK HERE for the answers to these questions.
Is there any way that minority students can get the opportunity to more
fully describe some of their personal qualities such as bilingualism,
appreciation of other cultures, unusual maturity and/or a history of
persistence in order to overcome financial hardships, or the like?
You bet! Project 1000 permits you to document these personal qualities in the application
form. CLICK HERE for a discussion.
Where can I get help in preparing my Statement of Purpose and of Career
Plans in order to enhance my admission application?
Project 1000, that's where!
CLICK HERE for a discussion.