Graduate Education: Taking the Next Step in Career Advancement
What’s the first step in considering graduate school? Analyze your motives for
pursuing the graduate degree.
There are many excellent reasons to continue your studies—love of a subject and
a desire to study it in-depth; a necessary prerequisite to enter certain careers such as law,
medicine or academics at the university level; or to obtain a higher level position in your
current field. If you’re not sure what career you want to pursue or you want to avoid
looking for a job, then graduate training may not be the answer for you right now.
Graduate school is highly self-directed. It can be difficult to commit and succeed
in the demanding course work if you are unsure why you’re there. The work involves
more papers, projects, and presentations which require a fair amount of independent
research and a high level of self-discipline. Oftentimes, a thesis will be a requirement for
completion of the program. For these reasons, more and more universities are only
interested in graduate students who have been in the work force for several years and
now have a firm idea as to where their specialized interests lie. This is particularly true
for students pursuing an MBA.
Once you have decided on graduate training, it becomes necessary to explore the
programs that are available. Does the school’s reputation matter to you? Are you ready
to pursue your studies full-time or part-time? Will your current employer help pay for
your tuition? Are you willing to relocate to pursue your academic goals? It’s time now
to get online and investigate your options and then visit the campuses that interest you.
Admission to graduate school will be based, for the most part, on your
undergraduate transcripts and your scores on the required admissions tests. Most
graduate schools also require an essay in the form of a personal statement and letters of
recommendation. The more competitive the program the more important these
requirements become.
Students need to be aware that preparation for graduate school actually begins in
their freshman year of undergraduate school. Your undergraduate GPA is often the
single most important determining factoring when being considered for a highly
competitive program. But don’t despair if adjusting to undergraduate life was not a
smooth ride. There are a lot of graduate programs out there, and you will find one that
fits your needs.
One last word about admissions tests—the most common tests are the GRE’s, the
GMAT’s, the LSAT’s and the MCAT’s. Find out which schools require which tests. Go
to your local bookstore and pick up a review book to assess what will be on the test.
Investigate a review course and register to take the test at your earliest convenience.
LSAT’s and MCAT’s should be completed before the end of your junior year if you are
planning on applying directly to law school or medical school upon graduation. Statistics
have demonstrated that students who take the GRE’s and the GMAT’s while they are still
in college do better than those who choose to wait several years. These test results are
often good for three to five years so it does not hurt to take them now and decide later.
So, take the plunge and be prepared to ride the waves in whatever direction they
may carry you.